(Attendances… plz…)
….
With the agreement reached between Rimuru and the adventurers, a new routine was established.
As it was still early morning, they had some time before the goblin hunting parties were scheduled to depart. For now, they simply helped where they could.
When the time finally came, they split up, each adventurer joining a different group of goblin riders as they fanned out into the forest.
The plan was simple: the goblins would hunt for food to support the growing village, while the adventurers would provide backup and use the opportunity to conduct their search for anything suspicious.
At least, that was the plan. The reality was something else entirely.
The goblin riders and their Direwolf mounts moved through the forest with a terrifying efficiency that left the trio completely dumbfounded. They were a coordinated, powerful force.
The wolves would flush out prey or threats, and the goblins would strike with spears and swords, their movements practiced and precise.
They took down large Horned Bears and groups of Giant Bats before Kaval, Gido, or Ellen could even get into a proper fighting stance.
What in the world are these guys eating?! Kaval thought, watching a goblin rider cleanly dodge a monster's charge and stab it in the neck.
We're supposed to be B-rank adventurers, and we're just standing here like useless luggage!
They were meant to be the experienced ones, the powerful backup, but they were quickly realizing they were just glorified sightseers.
Reinhard and Shizue didn't bother to interfere, either. They simply observed, Reinhard with a calm, knowing smile, and Shizue with a growing sense of analytical surprise.
She had seen disciplined monster armies before, but those were led by Demon Lords.
For simple goblins to display this level of coordination was unheard of.
Any monster that tried to launch a surprise attack was immediately intercepted by the Direwolves, whose speed and ferocity were leagues above what Shizue remembered from the species.
And that's how three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The routine was always the same. They would head out into the forest in the morning, find that their combat skills were mostly unnecessary, and return in the evening with the day's hunt.
Since they weren't much help on the hunts, they tried to compensate by helping around the village. Shizue found herself teaching the younger goblins the basics of sword maintenance.
The trio helped with construction, their efforts clumsy but earnest.
During this time, a quiet friendship began to form between the two displaced souls from another world.
Shizue and Rimuru talked for hours each evening.
After learning that she too was from Japan, Rimuru, using his skills, was able to project images from his memories, showing her the neon lights of modern Tokyo, the sleek bullet trains, the peaceful world that had been built from the ashes of the war-torn era she had been summoned from.
For the first time in decades, she felt a connection to a home she thought she had lost forever. The village became a small sanctuary for her.
She was happy, truly happy, in a way she hadn't been for a very, very long time. But through all their conversations, she never once mentioned what she had learned about Reinhard. His secret was his own, and it was not her place to tell.
Each night, the goblins would give their report to Rimuru. And for three days, the reports were all the same.
They ventured deeper and deeper into the forest, mapping new areas and observing the other monsters.
The only noticeable change was exactly what the Guild Master had already predicted: without Veldora's presence in the forest now vanished, the monsters were becoming more aggressive, their territorial disputes more violent and frequent.
As for anything else, any large-scale anomaly or singular, powerful presence, they had found nothing at all. But of course, they hadn't gone that deep into the forest yet.
Their progress through the forest was now much faster and easier. Defeating monsters had never been a real problem with Reinhard on the team, but the sheer amount of walking had been exhausting.
Now, riding on the backs of swift Direwolves, they could cover vast distances in a fraction of the time.
Back in the village, they helped out wherever they could. Rimuru asked Kaval if he would be willing to teach the hobgoblins the basics of swordsmanship.
While the evolved goblins were strong, they fought with brute force and instinct, lacking any real technique or refinement.
Kaval, eager to feel useful, agreed immediately. Gido helped him, teaching the goblins the basics of shield work.
Ellen, not wanting to be a freeloader, decided to help in the cooking area. And that's where she encountered the true monster of the party: Reinhard, the monster slayer of their party now defeating and humiliating her in the cooking area, not that she was any good there to begin with.
But it still hurted.
She had tasted the fish he'd cooked for them on their missions, and it had been the single best thing she had ever eaten.
She had even tried to copy his methods once, following his instructions exactly, but the result had been a pale, tasteless imitation.
Now, Reinhard was in his element. He wasn't just roasting meat over a fire; he was orchestrating a feast fit for royalty.
He stood by the communal fire pit, a simple kitchen knife in his hand moving with an efficiency and grace that was mesmerizing to watch.
He showed the goblin cooks things they had never even considered before. He cut vegetables with a precision that seemed impossible, using herbs and roots to create savory broths.
He demonstrated how to properly slice meat to make it tender, how to balance the simple, available flavors to create something complex and delicious.
The goblins watched, amazed, as he transformed their simple ingredients into culinary masterpieces.
Over the three days, they tried to copy him. They used the same ingredients, the same cuts, the same cooking times.
But the taste was always worlds apart. Still, it wasn't a waste of effort. Just by watching and listening to him, their own cooking skills improved dramatically, as if his knowledge was being imprinted directly into their hands when Reinhard was teaching them.
He served a few of his creations to Ellen and the goblin cooks for them to taste.
Ellen took one bite of a simple meat stew and her face contorted with a mixture of anger and jealousy.
"Just what the heck?!" she exclaimed, pointing her spoon at him. "I did exactly what you did! I followed every step, I used the same ingredients, I did everything just like you! But the taste is just… I don't even want to compare it to mine! What the hell is with you, Reinhard? You're making it even more flavorful than before, and with less ingredients!"
Reinhard just gave a small, humble smile. "Hahaha, it's just that I'm still learning more. And I think you've also improved drastically from your first try. That's a great improvement."
"Sir Reinhard, this is so tasty!" one of the goblin cooks said, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Yeah!" a goblina added. "And the meat looks even better than before and tastier too!"
"Come on, guys," Reinhard said, waving off their praise. "You're just over-exaggerating. I'm sure it's just normal."
His humility, while completely genuine, almost felt like he was mocking them.
"Please, Reinhard," Ellen said, a pained look on her face. "Just take the compliments. Don't be so humble. It just hurts us even more that way." She looked at him, her expression a mix of awe and despair. "Is there even a single thing you can't do?"
Reinhard stayed silent for a moment, then expertly changed the subject. "Well, I have taken all of your compliments. I'm sure your next batch will come out even better."
….
While everyone else was busy with their various tasks, Shizue spent her time with the goblinas.
She helped them with their simpler jobs, mending clothes, weaving baskets, preparing vegetables for the evening meal.
She talked with them, joked with them, and for the first time in a long time, felt a simple, uncomplicated sense of peace.
Her days had fallen into a comfortable routine. In the mornings, she would go out with the goblin riders, but her role was mostly that of an observer.
The goblins and their wolves handled all the heavy lifting, so for her, it was just a quiet trip through the forest.
Then she would return to the village and spend the rest of the day with the goblinas, enjoying the simple, joyful atmosphere.
She knew she would be gone in two days. This peaceful interlude was just a temporary stop on her final journey.
She wanted to make the most of it, to soak in these last few happy days, which reminded her so much of the time she had spent traveling with her students.
A young goblina, seeing that Shizue had been working for a while, brought her a cup of cool water. "You should rest, Miss Shizue," she said with a kind, shy smile. "You have been helping us all day."
Shizue looked up, a faint, grateful smile touching her lips from behind the mask. "Thank you," she said, her voice a soft whisper. She reached out to take the cup.
And then it happened.
For the past three days, she had felt fine. She thought she had it under control, at least for a little while longer.
But as her fingers brushed against the simple wooden cup, a sharp gasp escaped her lips.
Her hand flew to her chest, clutching at the fabric of her clothes as if trying to hold something back.
The cup fell from her grasp, spilling water onto the dusty ground. Her entire body began to tremble, a violent, uncontrollable shaking.
"Miss Shizue?" the goblina asked, her voice filled with concern. "Are you alright?"
Shizue didn't answer. She fell to her knees, a raw, tearing sound of pure agony ripping from her throat. Not again, she thought, her mind screaming in panic.
Not here. I thought I had a few more days. Why? Why is this happening so suddenly?
Dark, despairing thoughts flooded her mind. I should have left. Why didn't I leave? This village is so peaceful… and now I'm going to destroy it! Why?!
The other goblinas, seeing her collapse, rushed to her side. "What's wrong?" "Help her!"
They reached out to touch her, to help her up, but as they got close, they recoiled with cries of pain.
The air around Shizue had begun to shimmer, distorting like the air above a roaring fire.
A wave of intense, suffocating heat washed over them, so powerful it was like standing next to an open furnace.
"What's happening?!" one of them screamed, her hands turning red and blistering just from getting too close. The simple clothes of the goblinas who had tried to help began to smoke and smolder.
Just before she lost consciousness, a single, final thought echoed in the darkness of her mind. I'm sorry. And then, she was gone.
Her body began to levitate slowly into the air, wreathed in roaring, orange flames. Her clothes burned away in an instant, and the antique mask she always wore began to crack under the intense heat. It split down the middle, the two halves falling to the ground with a soft clatter.
Her eyes snapped open, but they were no longer the gentle, sad eyes of Shizue Izawa. They were blazing pits of fire, burning white-hot without pupils.
The flames that covered her body swirled and condensed, forming a new shape. When the fire receded slightly, it was no longer Shizue floating there.
It was a humanoid fire spirit. Its body was muscular and composed of living flame, with heat radiating from it in waves.
Its skin glowed like molten metal beneath a thin, ember-red surface.
Its hair was a wild mane of fire, flowing upward and flickering with unnatural life. Natural, armor-like plates of charred black covered its chest, arms, and legs.
Ifrit, the Flame Spirit, had taken control of Shizue Izawa's body.
….
A/N: So, How was it?! Hmmm dont forget to send some power stones if you liked it. The chapter was big too.
Reinhard Glazing musn't stop, no matter what. OKAY GUYS!!! I didn't hear it… i said OKAY GUYSSS!!!!
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the dawn of flame have come as Ifrit has awaken. Well some people misunderstood what i was asking in the previous chapter and i said only few bcz most have.
When i say that he will stay back doesn't necessarily mean he will stay at the village he will out in the forest investigting and all he remembers and whatnot.
I wont say much as most of the time i spoil things for the next chapter without even knowing.
Next two chapters are already on my discord.
Melatonin, spawn and many more on my discord … thanks for beta reading this fic and not to mention suggestions too.
Hoped you all liked the chapter and all.
And if you want to read ahead you can do it by just joining my discord server.
&
you can join my discord server: https://discord.gg/5Y7uZ2kN2Y
Or in short just click in join via invite link in your discord and enter this code: 5Y7uZ2kN2Y