The air inside the Void Strider hummed softly, as if life itself pulsed within the weave of metal and magic. Through the main crystal window, the Jura Forest stretched endlessly—a vast sea of green veiled in a thin mist that shimmered with dense magical energy.
I stood still on the observation deck, letting Universal Detect spread slowly toward the land hidden beneath the fog. In the distance, faint blue and violet lights flickered—not reflections, but living pulses, signs of creatures and magic intertwined with nature itself.
The Void Strider floated soundlessly, leaving no trace of mana behind, as if it existed apart from space itself. The perfect outcome of using the Ultimate Skill: Dolos.
"Umbra," I called softly, without turning around. "Have you found anything?"
The boy—his calm face almost expressionless—lowered the rotating projection screen in front of him.
"Some areas in the western forest show increased magical activity," he said. "I've detected traces of a large force, and… it matches what Lucien-nii mentioned. It's the Orc army."
I looked at the holographic display before him and gave a faint smile.
"So, it has begun," I murmured.
"Anything else?" I asked after a pause.
Umbra brought up another image—a small village nestled deep in the forest. A few goblins and what looked like dwarves were building simple houses. In their midst, a small translucent blue creature bounced around, energetically giving instructions.
"That creature…" Umbra narrowed his eyes, his tone uncertain. "It's a slime, isn't it? But something feels… off. Is it just me?"
I stayed silent for a long moment before answering. There was something in that scene—something that stirred a distant memory I'd nearly forgotten myself.
Then, I smiled.
"I'm not an evil slime," I said quietly. "And if this world unfolds as it should… then from that one, the very structure of this world will begin to change."
Umbra looked at me, then chuckled softly. "Lucien-nii, you sound like someone who already knows the future."
"Perhaps," I replied flatly.
Inwardly, I added, or maybe I truly do—until the very end of his story.
I turned and walked toward the teleportation platform at the center of the room.
"Stay here and monitor everything that happens. I'll go down myself."
Umbra looked doubtful. "Alone? Don't tell me you're going to meet that slime."
"Yes," I answered calmly. "I just want to say hello."
A purple light began to wrap around my body. My slightly pointed ears shifted to a human shape, my aura thinned, vanishing from the world's perception. The noble attire I wore faded into a worn, grayish leather cloak—like that of a traveler long on the road.
Then, blue light enveloped me completely, and in an instant, I vanished without a sound.
---
The Jura Forest greeted me with warm air and the scent of damp earth. Magical birds flitted between branches, sunlight slipping gently through the thick leaves.
I stood amid tall grass, gazing over a peaceful green meadow.
"A tranquil forest… hiding so many tales of the future," I whispered.
I walked westward, following the faint magical trails caught by Universal Detect. After several kilometers, the sound of hammers and laughter began to echo faintly.
From a small ridge, I looked down upon a modest village standing in the clearing. Some houses were complete, others still under construction. Hobgoblins worked earnestly while dwarves instructed them in setting stone and wood.
And in the center of it all, that small blue slime bounced around joyfully, giving orders to everyone.
A quiet smile touched my lips.
"So you've begun building your little world, Rimuru."
My voice was nearly carried away by the wind.
I slowly descended the slope, making just enough noise to alert the guards at the village edge. Two hobgoblins raised their spears, watching me warily.
"A human? Stop right there! Who are you?"
I raised both hands casually, my tone calm. "Just a traveler. I mean no harm."
They exchanged glances but kept their weapons ready.
Then, a cheerful yet composed voice called out from behind them. "Oh? Looks like we've got a visitor!"
I turned. The blue slime hopped toward me, then shifted into a humanoid form with bluish hair and a relaxed expression. It was hard to tell if it was male or female—but its magical presence felt vibrant and pure.
"I'm Rimuru," it said lightly. "Who are you?"
"Lucien," I replied with a faint smile. "A traveler from afar."
Rimuru tilted their head. "Hmm… your aura feels a bit strange."
I chuckled softly. "You're quite perceptive, Rimuru Tempest."
"Eh?" Rimuru blinked. "You know my name?"
I gave a thin smile. "It's hard not to be curious about someone who just defeated Ifrit. Forgive me for looking into it a little."
Rimuru's body stiffened. "Wait—you know about that?"
I said nothing, only met their gaze.
My violet eyes met their gentle golden ones—as if two worlds were silently measuring each other for the first time.
---
(Point of View: Rimuru Tempest)
So this is what it feels like to have a mysterious guest.
Just a few minutes ago, I was still watching the goblins repair the huts that got wrecked during my fight with Ifrit. And now—out of nowhere—a wandering traveler shows up… and for some reason, the air around me feels different.
Lucien—that's what he called himself.
At first glance, he seemed ordinary enough. His leather cloak looked worn but clean, his steps light yet composed, and his voice… well, the kind of voice that belongs to someone who knows exactly what he's saying.
But his aura—no. That was not human.
"Eh?!" I froze.
(Wait, Great Sage—what do you mean undetectable? You're kidding, right?)
(...Oh great. So it's not just me who's confused.)
I looked him up and down. No signs of hostility, but the more I looked, the emptier he felt.
Not weak—just too calm. Like someone whose power was hidden behind layers of reality I couldn't even touch.
(This guy's seriously bad news!!)
"Lucien, huh?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "What brings you here? You're only the second human I've ever met, you know."
He smiled faintly, his gaze drifting past me, into the mist behind.
"Just coincidence," he said. "I was traveling and heard a strange rumor—about a slime who defeated Ifrit. I came to see for myself."
He paused, then added,
"Now that I've seen you… I'm certain."
(Huh? Wait, what's that supposed to mean?! Compliment or not, that sounded way too ominous!)
His tone was gentle, but each word was deliberate. Not exaggerated, not emotionless—just… measured. Like someone who already knew how this conversation would end before it even began.
And that smile… it wasn't fake, but something about it felt deeper. Hard to describe, almost nostalgic.
"Hmm." I circled around him slowly, pretending to be relaxed. "Coincidence, huh? Then you're pretty lucky. This forest isn't exactly friendly to humans."
Lucien met my gaze without blinking. "I know. But… I'm not an ordinary human."
That one sentence made me freeze.
He didn't sound threatening, yet my body reacted before my brain could process why.
(Yeah, yeah, I can tell, Great Sage! He's not even doing anything, but it feels like being watched by a predator! Amazing and terrifying all at once…)
I looked at his face again—and strangely, that fear started to fade.
There was a calmness there. The same kind I felt when I first met Veldora: a mix of awe and unease… but also warmth.
"Alright then, Lucien," I said finally. "If you're just a traveler, feel free to rest here for a while. It's a small village, but safe enough."
Lucien gave a light nod. "Thank you for your kindness, Rimuru-dono."
"Eh? Oh, don't be so formal. I'm just a slime, you know."
He smiled faintly. "You underestimate yourself. Someday, this world will revolve around you."
I laughed awkwardly. "Haha… you talk like a fortune teller."
But even as I laughed, my chest tightened.
(Wait—was he serious just now?!)
Lucien stayed for a bit, sitting under one of the tents we'd set up. Our conversation flowed easily enough, but every time his eyes met mine, it felt like my thoughts were laid bare before him.
He watched the goblins working nearby. His gaze was soft yet analytical—like he was seeing beyond the simple life unfolding before him.
A chill ran through me—not out of fear, but instinct.
Instinct whispering that this being stood above the food chain… one I didn't even fully understand yet.
Lucien turned back to me, his voice low and steady.
"You plan to rebuild this village, don't you? Better than before."
I frowned slightly. "And how do you know that?"
He glanced at the hobgoblins. "From the way they work. From the way you give orders. You have a vision that others in this world lack. You're… different."
A silence hung between us.
His violet eyes—calm yet impossibly deep—looked into mine like the night sky itself, hiding countless secrets.
"Keep that nature of yours, Rimuru," he said softly at last. "The world will need someone who can still smile even when surrounded by fire."
Those words felt like more than advice.
They felt like a message—from someone who had already seen the end, and wished I wouldn't repeat it.
Before I could ask anything, he bowed politely. "Thank you for your hospitality. I must take my leave."
"Eh? You're leaving already? At least stay for dinner!" I blurted out.
Lucien only smiled. Then, without a spell, without a flicker of light, his body simply… faded into the mist. No magical trace, no mana fluctuation. He just—vanished.
A gentle breeze swept through, carrying the faint scent of earth and residual magic. I stood there, still trying to process what had just happened.
(Seriously… what was that? He didn't even leave a trace! Next time, I have to ask him how he did that. That was so cool!)
I—well, this slime—let out a long sigh.
"Great. I just finished dealing with Ifrit, and now there's another weird guy showing up."
I stared into the mist where he disappeared.
Somehow, deep down, I knew—
that wouldn't be the last time we met.
---
---
The soft hum of teleportation echoed through the Void Strider's main chamber.
A faint blue light faded away, leaving behind the figure of Lucien—just returned from the surface.
He stood in silence at the center of the room. For a while, only the gentle whir of machinery and the distant hum of magical energy filled the air.
Umbra, who had been tinkering with the control panel, turned sharply.
"Lucien-nii! You're back sooner than I expected. How did it go?"
Lucien didn't answer right away. His steps were slow as he walked toward the large crystal window, where the Jura Forest stretched out below like an endless green tapestry.
His eyes were distant, his thoughts still caught somewhere between reflection and decision.
"A truly unique being," he said at last.
Umbra frowned. "Being? You mean that slime?"
A faint smile curved Lucien's lips.
"What kind of slime can give such precise orders to hobgoblins and have them obey so completely?"
Umbra stared at him, half in disbelief. Lucien-nii rarely spoke with that tone...
"You mean that slime? It looked weak, to be honest."
Lucien's gaze turned faraway, and in his violet eyes shimmered a light that was difficult to describe.
"Its weakness," he murmured, "is the purest form of its strength. This world will one day stand upon that innocence."
He paused, voice softening further.
"And I will make sure its path doesn't stray—even if I must become the shadow behind its destiny."
Umbra looked at him for a long moment, a trace of admiration flickering behind his eyes, mingled with curiosity he couldn't yet name.
"You sound like some kind of secret mentor from an old legend," he said quietly.
Lucien chuckled, shoulders rising slightly. "Maybe I am."
Soft footsteps echoed from the corridor behind them. Elise emerged from the right passage, her hair glimmering under the ambient magical light.
Her movements were graceful, though her gaze remained as sharp as ever. She came to stand beside Lucien, following his line of sight toward the distant forest.
"So… who did you just meet?" she asked.
Lucien smiled faintly. "Just a cute little slime."
Elise narrowed her eyes, as if reading something beneath his calm tone.
"And what did you feel when you saw it?"
Lucien looked out toward the misty sky. It was strange—almost amusing—but somehow… it felt like looking into a reflection of himself.
"When I looked at it," he said slowly, "it felt like staring into a mirror."
Elise fell silent for a while. His words lingered in the air—heavy, yet not oppressive.
"What will you do next?" she finally asked.
Lucien turned to her, his expression soft but resolute.
"We continue as usual. The world isn't ready to notice us yet. For now… let the slime guide the flow of fate—until the time comes."
Umbra leaned back in his chair with a faint grin. "So we just sit back and watch from afar?"
Lucien's lips curved slightly. "Watch, yes. But not without purpose."
He stepped forward to the large world projection as it slowly flickered to life.
Points of light began to appear one by one, forming a pattern that only he could understand.
"This world will soon begin to change," he whispered, his tone calm yet certain.
"And when the time comes…"
His eyes sharpened.
"...we'll move with its tide."
---
Nightfall — Aboard the Void Strider
The Void Strider's magic engines hummed softly — but not as usual.
Tonight, the sound was deeper, almost like the breathing of a slumbering beast.
The crystal lights along the walls glowed in warm shades of amethyst, replacing the usual cold violet with something gentler — as if the ship itself reflected its master's state of mind.
Lucien sat in his chair, Reading some book.
It had been a full day since his encounter with Rimuru, yet his mind remained restless.
Across the room, Elise stood by the wide glass window, watching the ripples of the rift shimmer with violet light.
"I can feel it," she said softly, her voice blending with the hum of the ship. "You're still thinking about that little slime."
Lucien lifted his gaze from the pages of his pages, eyes meeting her reflection.
"I've been thinking about too many things lately."
"Including me?" she replied, her tone flat — but the faint smile reflected in the glass betrayed her teasing.
Lucien closed the book gently. You always see right through me, don't you?
"You read my thoughts too often, Elise."
"No need to read," she whispered, turning slowly. "You're just easy to understand."
Her hair flowed behind her like liquid silk as she faced him.
"You bury everything inside, but I can still feel it."
Lucien's gaze lingered. "And what do you feel now?"
Elise stepped closer, her footsteps barely audible.
Each step carried a meaning she didn't need to put into words.
When she stopped in front of him, her slender finger pressed lightly against his chest, her other hand gently taking his right hand.
"I'm here for you, Lucien-sama," she said quietly. "It must be heavy — carrying all that inside. It frightens you, doesn't it?"
Lucien said nothing. The question was simple… but true.
Frightening, huh? Perhaps it was. He had never labeled it that way before.
But Elise — somehow — reached that buried part of him, the one untouched since his old world.
He rose to his feet. They now stood with only a breath of air between them, the space shimmering faintly — part magic, part emotion.
"Lucien-sama," Elise whispered, "you saved me."
Lucien lowered his gaze slightly, meeting her eyes up close.
"And what do you desire, Elise?"
"My place," she answered softly. "At your side. Let me be someone you see."
Lucien raised a hand, gently brushing her cheek. The touch was light, but filled with meaning.
"Elise…" he murmured, his voice gentle. "I've seen you — from the very beginning. And stop calling me Lucien-sama."
Elise froze for a moment, her breath catching. "Then… my dear?" she asked, voice trembling.
Lucien smiled — a small, honest smile.
That single gesture made Elise lower her gaze, eyes fluttering shut.
The smile that curved her lips now was no longer that of a queen — but of someone who had finally been seen.
She let the silence fill the room between them.
---
A Few Hours Later
The main corridor of the Void Strider buzzed with faint whispers.
Umbra leaned against the wall, eyes fixed on the sealed core chamber door.
"Do you hear something?" he murmured.
Argenta rolled her eyes. "Umbra, if you have time to eavesdrop, you should also have time to fix the shield matrix."
"I'm serious," Umbra whispered back. "The ship's atmosphere feels… strange lately. Warmer somehow. I don't know — but Lucien-nii and Elise-dono keep vanishing together, and every time they return… the whole place feels like it's holding its breath."
From the corner, Caelus spoke without looking up from his blade.
"Maybe that's a good thing. By the way, Argenta — things between you and Kouga are getting pretty close, huh? When's the wedding?"
Argenta's glare could have cut steel. "Mind your own business!"
Umbra snorted, barely holding back a laugh. "You really know how to kill a romantic mood, Caelus-san."
Caelus shrugged. "Romantic or not, I don't mind. I just like seeing Lucien-sama happy."
Just then, light footsteps echoed from behind the door.
It slid open with a soft hiss — and a wave of gentle violet light spilled into the corridor.
Lucien stepped out first, looking composed as ever. His gaze swept over the three of them.
Seriously… do they have nothing better to do than eavesdrop? he thought, exasperated.
Elise followed behind him, her hair unbound, face serene but faintly flushed.
All three subordinates instinctively straightened, pretending to be busy.
Lucien paused. "Any reports?"
Umbra snapped to attention. "N-no, Lucien-nii! All systems stable!"
"Good," Lucien replied calmly, walking past them. "Next time, I'll pry your ears off one by one. Make sure they don't regenerate."
The three froze instantly.
Elise smiled faintly as she passed. "You all whisper far too much."
When the two disappeared down the hall, silence lingered for a moment.
Umbra leaned toward the others and whispered, "Now I know why it feels warmer around here."
Argenta sighed. "You just realized that now?"
Caelus chuckled. "Looks like we've got another kind of spring aboard this ship — besides yours, Argenta."
That night, the Void Strider drifted peacefully through the rift — calm and quiet.
---
Morning on the Void Strider
Morning never truly came here.
There was no sun — only the soft radiance of enchanted crystals mimicking dawn.
The air was tranquil, the engines purring gently as though the ship itself rested.
Elise stood in the navigation chamber, speaking with Argenta.
Her voice was calm but firm as she gave orders and reviewed reports — her confidence radiating through each word.
She was no longer the queen trapped in her own small world — she was part of this family now.
Lucien stood to the side, silently watching her.
This light suits you, he thought. Calm, yet strong.
Umbra glanced at him, then quickly pretended to be busy again.
Caelus smirked. "Lucien-sama, if you keep staring like that, Elise-sama's going to notice."
Lucien sighed lightly. "Let her."
He looked at Elise once more.
Once, her every movement was calculated, every word part of some strategy.
But now… all of that was gone. No more schemes, no more pretense — just a peace he had never known before.
Elise turned, their eyes met — only for a moment, but enough.
A faint smile curved her lips.
Lucien returned it with a slight nod.
For the first time since being reborn into this world, he wasn't thinking about the future — not about destiny, not about threats.
He simply allowed himself… to exist.
The Void Strider drifted quietly through the storming rift between worlds — serene and still, like the heart of a man who had finally found a place to rest.