The next couple weeks were rather boring in all honesty, the dwarves helped teach the goblins and myself some architecture work and I helped using my Yatagarasu flames to till the lands and burn away the surrounding forest with Rimuru's help so we could begin laying out the framework for some small farms/gardens. Which thanks to Demeter the goblin I named, she could encourage the growth of plants including fruits and vegetables.

So on food, we were doing just fine, and thankfully with the dwarves we had graduated from mud and stick huts to fired clay brick houses that could retain some heat during the cool nights and block out the heat of the day as well.

Today I was just relaxing against the cool fur of Sif the wolf I had named which had evolved into a Blizzard Wolf who could summon and control various ice spells. "I don't wanna go mess with monsters again Rimuru." I couldn't help but whine at the slime who held up slime arms together as though being a begging beauty as Rimuru in turned whined pitifully.

"Come on Jake! Please please, please! You are literally monster bait just by saying some words!" Rimuru begged and I shuddered at the memories their words invoked.

When I ascended into a Provoker in the Red Priest Pathway, I had become more eldritch, more in tune with the universe itself. So when I spoke, when I performed actions, there was real consequences for what I said.

As when I 'provoked' fate, I was cursed to live in interesting times and my 'luck' or in video games terms 'encounter rate' would be maxed out. And in a fucking forest filled with monsters...

"I don't wanna!" I cried out petulantly as I shivered at the memory of the massive toad-like monster that almost ate me Konosuba style with its tongue just barely missing me and instead ripping a tree out of the ground and into its mouth.

But as we continued to argue while Sif and Ragna talked quietly amongst themselves a goblin ran over panting and as he got close he shouted. "Lord Rimuru! We found some humans in the forest who were about to collapse so we brought them to rest and recover!" 

I raised an eyebrow before remembering. 'Oh. Shit, Shizu is coming.' I thought with a frown as I realized something very fucking crucial. 'She got isekaied here during the air raids America did on Japan... Rimuru is chill with me, but I doubt me, a fire-wielding [technically nuclear] summon from America would get along with her.' 

Though I doubted she would be xenophobic towards me... But frankly, I really didn't want to get more attached to her, as I already knew her backstory and I was more than willing to kick the bastard who summoned her to this world and stuffed a fire demon inside of her right in the fucking balls.

"Come on Jake, let's go see the humans!" Rimuru called out excitedly as they jumped onto Ragna and I rolled my eyes but gamely got onto Sif's back and without a word the two wolves raced down past the goblin who told us the news carrying us back into the larger village.

-

There were four humans. Three adventures with one being Shizu who was wearing her engraved mask with the gem on it. And all four of them were eating... The three adventurers from one of the nearby kingdoms were actually frantically eating with their cheeks bulging as though we were literally going to ask for our food to be returned.

Though oddly enough, when Shizue ate, any food she ate would get sucked right through her mask like it was being teleported which was interesting enough. "So why have you all come here?" Rimuru asked frankly and then introductions happened.

The leader of the party with longer light brown hair named Kaval introduced himself, then the female mage with light blonde hair was named Eren, and the taller short-haired man introduced himself as Gido.

"And this lady is a temporary member who just happens to be going the same way, we were," Kaval spoke as he held a hand out to Shizue who simply introduced herself.

"Shizu." And that was it from her.

"So why specifically are you guys here?" I asked Kaval and he began to explain.

Apparently, the guild leader of the neighboring kingdom of Balmund knowing of Veldora's disappearance had sent these three in to see how the various factions within the forest were going to start vying for power with the great dragon somehow disappearing.

"Well, you guys have fun. I am going back to mediate and work on some potions Rimuru." I said nodding my head to the slime who was talking quietly with Shizu.

-

The next day as I came out of my small little house with a couple of fire resistance and burn recovery potions just in case people got hurt, I couldn't help but pause as I saw on the top of the hill next to the village Shizue hugging Rimuru and Ragna as they went to say goodbye as Shizu was supposed.

And I thought more on how Rimuru would think if Shizu died rather than Rimuru getting their human body from Shizu's corpse... Ifrit the fire spirit that Leon Cromwell shoved into her was the only reason why she was still alive as she was actually close to a century old. "So beyond just the strain of Ifrit being ripped out of her. She also has a major spent life-span issue." I thought.

Now normally... That would be game over, kaput. Nothing could be done. But I was basically an eldritch cultivator... If I was willing to pay a certain cost, I could help her by using a ritual to share some of my own lifespan with her.

But was it worth it?

And as Shizu had her episode of Ifirit trying to take over her body, I realized I needed to make my choice quickly as the sky became dark and filled with dark clouds and the air filled with a dry oppressive heat. All the while a dark flaming aura coated Shizu's frame as she screamed in agony as her very blood was boiled within her own body.

Next 15 chapters are on Patreon and Ko-fi
Hey if you like this and want daily uploads and to read early chapters please drop a tip in my Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/azazyel22926 or https://www.patr-eon.com/Azazyel and your precious energy stones, it keeps me working on it.
My commission rate is 15$ per thousand words.

Azazyel