Attendance… plz…)
….
However, Rimuru possessed another set of memories, the fragments of the dozen or so years he spent with his memories sealed.
These memories gave him a sense of belonging when he looked at May, Alice, and Aoko. They made him feel that this world was something worth cherishing.
So, he chose to trust these partners.
He might bury the secret of being a transmigrator in the deepest recesses of his heart forever, but for everything else? Rimuru felt there was no need to hide, and certainly no need to be guarded against them.
Of course, accepting May as a "soulmate" didn't mean he had completely integrated into this world.
It didn't stop him from treating this reality like a strategy game he needed to conquer. His goal was to clear the game and find a way back to his original world.
At most... he had simply upgraded May, Alice, and the others from "NPCs" to "Co-op Players" he acknowledged.
As for everyone and everything else?
They were NPCs. Or Mobs.
So, even the future Shiki Ryougi, the wielder of those Rainbow Eyes, was, in Rimuru's eyes, nothing more than an Elite Mob that dropped legendary loot to buff his character.
"I'm curious about your information source, Rimuru," May said after a moment of hesitation. "Yesterday, when you spoke of the Holy Grail War and the Root, I had my doubts. I trusted you enough not to ask, but..."
Rainbow Rank Mystic Eyes appearing in the future? That was too specific. They couldn't suppress their curiosity, or their worry that he was being scammed.
"In the past, I've often been able to see fragments of the future," Rimuru said, turning to Aoko.
Aoko blinked, then realized what he was doing. She nodded slowly. "That's true. The Director actually talked to me about this."
Rimuru nodded. Given the Director's familiarity with Aoko, it was impossible that he hadn't asked her to check Rimuru's timeline.
The fact that the Director believed Rimuru was a "variable" likely stemmed from Aoko's inability to read his future.
"The Director told me this ability is called Revelation," Rimuru continued, layering the lie.
"Although my version is a bit different from the saints in the history books, the scenes I see do indeed happen at some point in the future."
"So, are you certain that the events in those visions will be helpful to you?" Alice asked softly.
"Yes. At the very least, they allow me to prepare contingencies and set traps," Rimuru smiled. "You know me, Alice. I don't make moves unless I'm sure of the outcome."
"..."
Alice looked at him silently, her thoughts unreadable.
Aoko looked between them, puzzled for a moment, before the realization hit her.
"Wait. You aren't planning to steal those eyes, are you?"
She looked at Rimuru with a complex expression. "...You really are... as despicable as ever."
"Wasn't I always like this from the moment you met me?" Rimuru laughed, relaxed in the face of her disdain.
In his memories, his ruthlessness and Aoko's heroism had always been at odds.
They argued, but they never truly became enemies. And after the events of Mahoyo, seven years had passed. Aoko might still be a teenager at heart, but she had grown.
In a world where 99% of Magi were selfish egoists, Aoko knew that trying to be a hero for everyone would only get her killed.
"Can the eyes help you?" Alice asked suddenly, tilting her head. She looked at Rimuru, seeking only one confirmation.
"My Revelation tells me... yes."
"Then that is enough," Alice nodded faintly. "Being able to help you... that reason is enough."
….
Once the business was concluded and she had confirmed Rimuru was safe, Alice Kuonji didn't linger. It seemed she genuinely detested London and the Clock Tower.
Aside from visiting May's territory, she treated the traditional "Mage Etiquette" of visiting local Lords with utter disdain.
She sent her Robins and familiars to drop off formal greetings to the noble families, then immediately prepared to return to Japan.
She did, however, visit the Director personally.
During the meeting, the Director asked her to stay. He hoped that, as a Witch, she would assist in the preservation of the Human Order.
Witches and Humans generally had a terrible relationship. Alice Kuonji inherited this trait perfectly; she disliked humanity.
However, she held a shred of respect for the mysterious Director who had guarded the Clock Tower for a millennium.
She agreed calmly.
"I will."
"I won't help Rimuru for the sake of Humanity. But I don't mind helping Humanity... for the sake of Rimuru."
…
Alice's arrival hadn't caused too many waves in Rimuru's daily life. Their world was like a still pool of water, quiet and deep.
But her departure left behind a chaotic idiot who got along surprisingly well with May, giving Rimuru a massive headache.
The next day.
"Hey, hey! I'm so bored! Rimuru, let's go hang out! It's rare for me to be in London!"
Aozaki Aoko lay sprawled across a table in the Great Library like a boneless heap of sludge. She had a piece of foxtail grass dangling from her mouth and was speaking loudly enough to draw annoyed glares from several students.
"Keep it down, you idiot."
Rimuru sighed. He snapped a heavy tome shut, having already scanned it into the Great Sage's database, and waved his hand.
Boundless, in the form of a soft, floating cushion, lifted a stack of books and drifted behind him.
"Can you stop bouncing around like a hyperactive Husky for five minutes?"
"Excuse you?!" Aoko puffed out her cheeks, resting her chin on her hands. She watched Rimuru pick up another book, touch the cover for a few seconds, and then shove it back onto the shelf.
"You call that reading?" she deadpanned. "Who reads by flipping ten pages a second?"
"It's called Quantum Speed Reading," Rimuru grinned. "You wouldn't understand."
"...Tch."
It's just using magic to reinforce memory for speed memorization, Aoko thought sourly. But even with reinforcement, there's a limit. Reading that fast just means you'll forget it all later. Hope your brain fries!
….
+10 chapters on my p@tr3on: Kazuma_trash
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