I was able to et the three adventurers Mr. Hughes had ntioned without any trouble, and joining them was just as easy.
They were, as I had heard, a bright and good-natured team, but they were also far too careless.
Traveling with them was quite different from any journey I had experienced until now, which made it strangely refreshing. There was Eren, who had terrible sleeping habits; Kaval, who recklessly poked a Giant Ant nest; and Gido, who was a bit of a klutz himself.
In terms of combat technique alone, they possessed the skill to match their rank, but their fundantals were a complete ss.
When I saw the three of them bickering even while surrounded by monsters, I think I raised my voice louder than I had in a very long ti.
"Either run or fight—pick one!!!"
We encountered several mishaps after that, but thanks to Kaval poking yet another monster nest, we ended up being chased by Giant Ants for three whole days. Normally, Giant Ants are gentle creatures that do not attack unless provoked, but these were in a complete frenzy, pursuing us relentlessly.
I knew it would be dangerous if I didn't use the power of the spirits, yet I hesitated. While I was wavering, black lightning suddenly crashed down upon the heads of the Giant Ants. Those struck directly were incinerated on the spot. The resulting shockwave knocked off the anti-magic mask I was wearing, but fortunately, there were no other issues.
"W-wow... M-maybe I shouldn't use this..."
From the spot where the lightning had fallen, I heard the timid voice of a child. Turning toward the sound, I saw a blue sli appearing, holding my mask.
"...A sli?"
As Kaval looked at the sli with a puzzled expression, the creature flinched and trembled before opening its mouth to speak. The mont I heard its words, I burst out laughing.
What the sli said was the exact sa phrase my student, Yuuki, used to say all the ti.
"H-hello! My na is Rimuru. I'm not a bad sli!"
Looking at the sli who introduced himself as Rimuru, I couldn't stop laughing, while the other three slumped to the ground, finally letting their tension snap.
It was no wonder. Having been chased by Giant Ants for three days straight, they were undoubtedly exhausted both physically and ntally.
Seeing us in that state, Rimuru asked worriedly,
"What's wrong? Are you hurt sowhere?"
"No, it's not an injury so much as... ntal exhaustion."
"We were chased by Giant Ants day and night for three days."
"We lost our luggage, and every ti we thought we'd shaken them off and tried to rest, they'd attack us in our sleep. Our equipnt is wrecked, and we're starving!"
"And that was all because of Kaval, wasn't it?!"
"What are you talking about?! You two are just as guilty for not stopping !"
"You call that an excuse?!"
Perhaps they were too tired to hold back, as they began airing their grievances one after another, eventually devolving into a full-blown argunt. Despite their complaints, all three seed surprisingly energetic now.
"Um... well, you must be exhausted. My village is nearby, so why don't you co along? I can at least treat you to a al."
"Do you live around here, Mr. Sli?"
"Yes. I only built it recently, so it's still a small village, though."
Eren, Kaval, and Gido looked suspicious at the ntion of a monster village, but I hugged Rimuru tightly and told them,
"Let's accept the offer. This child can be trusted."
With that, I kept the sli in my arms and followed the directions Rimuru gave us toward the village. After a mont of hesitation and glancing at one another, the three adventurers followed behind.
"Mr. Sli, what country are you from?"
"A country, huh... the village doesn't even have a na yet."
"No, I an that 'I'm not a bad sli' line. That's from a ga, right? I heard it from soone from my hotown."
"...Yeah. It's a line from a ga I used to play a lot with my older brother."
At Rimuru's answer, I smiled brightly and asked again.
"Where is your hotown, Mr. Sli?"
"...Japan."
"Then we're the sa, aren't we?"
As I spoke, I removed my mask, wearing a smile just like Rimuru's.
***
"Ah, so they're safe. Well, with Shizu's skill, I figured there wouldn't be any problem..."
Vertis, who had been watching everything from above, replayed the scene in his mind.
The Giant Ants had vanished without a trace, obliterated by the black lightning of the sli called Rimuru. The power was impressive, but what intrigued him more was the sli's personality.
In Wolpung's mories, Rimuru had been a being who cut down an enemy's neck without hesitation, but the sli before him now seed fragile. He couldn't tell which was the true face, but at the very least, the current Rimuru looked so delicate he seed as if he might burst into tears at any mont.
To observe more closely, he watched their current situation: a sizzling iron griddle with at grilling on top, the three-person party fighting over the food, and Shizu and Rimuru talking quietly in a corner.
***
"This one is mine!!"
"That's cheating! That's mine!"
"This is a battlefield, Sister Eren."
The previously quiet space instantly beca chaotic, and Shizu let out a wry smile at the sight.
"Sorry, Mr. Sli. They're a bit loud."
"No, I actually like lively atmospheres, so don't worry about it."
As Rimuru spoke with a characteristic sli smile, Shizu smiled in relief.
"Why are you in this world, Mr. Sli?"
Leaving the three to their at war, Shizu sat down and began to talk with Rimuru.
"Well, in my previous life, I was stabbed by a random murderer..."
Just recalling the event made Rimuru's body tremble.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I made you think of sothing scary..."
"No, it's okay! I was able to protect my junior, so I have no regrets!"
Noticing Shizu's mood dipping, Rimuru imdiately brightened his tone. Touched by his kindness, Shizu whispered a small word of thanks.
"Besides, thanks to that, I t the people of this village. I've made friends, too..."
Friends. He thought of Veldora, whom he couldn't et right now, but who was still struggling to break his seal.
"I see."
Shizu looked at Rimuru with a hint of envy.
Friends... the first friend I made in this world... and I... with my own hands...
"...Ms. Shizu?"
Noticing her expression darken again, Rimuru called out to her. Shizu snapped back to reality and smiled, insisting it was nothing.
I've made him worry. I thought I was doing a bit better now.
As they shared their stories, the two quickly beca close friends. Watching this, Vertis decided to descend to the surface to offer his thanks and speak with Rimuru.
========================
I have the ultimate excuse for why most things don't match the original. This fanfic is from 2021, so it can be considered an AU(maybe)
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 53
Link: patreon/UltraMagnus_T
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