The goblin village was smaller than Rimuru had imagined.
Crude huts made of wood, mud, and leaves stood unevenly between trees. Smoke rose weakly from a few fire pits, carrying the smell of thin soup and desperation. The goblins who remained—women, children, and the injured—froze the moment Rimuru and Tamura entered the clearing.
Fear spread instantly.
Weapons were raised, though their hands shook too badly to hold them steady.
Rimuru reacted first, halting several meters away and lowering his body slightly.
"We're not enemies," he said calmly. "We came because you asked for help."
The goblins hesitated.
Then their gazes shifted.
Not to Rimuru—but to Tamura.
Or rather, to Noctis Vale.
Even with his presence suppressed, something about Tamura unsettled them. It was not hostility. It was depth. Like staring into a night sky with no visible stars.
A goblin elder stepped forward slowly, staff trembling in his hands.
"Great… slimes," the elder said in broken speech. "You came… truly?"
Rimuru nodded. "Yes. Tell me everything."
Tamura remained silent, drifting slightly behind Rimuru. This moment did not belong to him.
The elder explained their situation. A pack of Direwolves had driven them from their original settlement, killing many and scattering the rest. Their chief had gone missing during the attack. Food was scarce. Hope even scarcer.
Rimuru listened without interruption.
When the elder finished, Rimuru spoke again—firm, but gentle.
"I'll deal with the Direwolves."
A murmur spread through the village.
Some goblins looked relieved. Others looked terrified—unsure whether this strange slime could truly protect them.
Tamura watched Rimuru carefully.
This was the first time his senpai made a decision that affected lives beyond his own survival. No system prompt guided him. No prophecy forced his hand.
It was his choice.
Good, Tamura thought. That's how it should be.
They did not leave immediately.
Rimuru spent the rest of the day helping stabilize the village—using Predator to provide food, purifying water, and reinforcing simple defenses. The goblins watched him with growing awe.
Tamura helped too, though less visibly.
He moved through the village at night, unnoticed, scanning the surroundings. Observer Beyond Fate mapped movement patterns, territorial boundaries, and threat vectors. He identified where the Direwolves would most likely strike again.
At some point, the familiar chime echoed within him.
[Sign-In Complete.]
[Reward: Passive Skill – 「Environmental Mastery (Minor)」]
[Effect: Enhanced awareness and adaptability within natural environments.]
The skill settled quietly, synergizing perfectly with what he already had.
Another status window appeared, unprompted.
[Status – Noctis Vale]
Species: Slime (Unclassified Variant)
Magicule Capacity: Constant (Self-Regulated)
Skills:
Unique Skill: Observer Beyond Fate
Extra Skill: Perfect Energy Efficiency
Extra Skill: Presence Suppression (Absolute)
Passive Skill: Mental Nullification
Passive Skill: Environmental Mastery (Minor)
Threat Level (Perceived): Adjustable
Actual Capability: Not Quantifiable
Tamura dismissed it.
The Direwolves attacked the following night.
They came as shadows—fast, coordinated, merciless. Howls split the darkness as goblins screamed and scrambled for cover.
Rimuru reacted instantly.
He intercepted the first Direwolf mid-leap, absorbing it cleanly. Skills triggered in rapid succession. Analysis. Resistance acquisition. Movement prediction.
Tamura moved too—but only to the edges.
When a Direwolf slipped past Rimuru's defenses, aiming for a group of children, Tamura was already there. His body blurred—not with speed, but with absence.
The wolf collapsed without sound.
No one noticed.
Rimuru fought the pack head-on, adapting with each exchange. He took hits. He learned. He overcame.
Then the leader appeared.
The Direwolf Leader was massive, its presence crushing weaker goblins with sheer pressure. It stared at Rimuru with intelligent, hostile eyes.
Tamura felt the shift in fate threads tighten.
Rimuru felt it too.
The battle intensified. Rimuru struggled—but did not retreat. Predator activated at full capacity.
With one final clash, the Direwolf Leader was consumed.
Silence followed.
The remaining wolves scattered into the forest, howls fading into the distance.
The goblins stared in disbelief.
Rimuru hovered, catching his metaphorical breath. "It's… over."
Cheers erupted. Goblins fell to their knees, crying openly. Some laughed. Some simply stared at Rimuru as if witnessing a miracle.
The elder approached slowly and bowed deeply.
"You saved us," he said. "From this moment… we offer you our loyalty."
Rimuru froze. "L-loyalty?"
Tamura watched from the shadows, expression unreadable.
This was another turning point.
Rimuru hesitated—then accepted, not with arrogance, but responsibility.
"I won't abandon you," Rimuru said. "But I won't rule you either. We'll move forward together."
The goblins cheered louder than before.
Their eyes shone with hope.
Some glanced toward Tamura again—conflicted, uncertain.
"Who… is that one?" the elder asked carefully.
Rimuru turned. "Ah. That's Tamura. He's with me."
Tamura drifted forward slightly.
"In this world," he said calmly, "you may call me Noctis Vale."
The goblins stiffened—then bowed even deeper.
A name had weight.
Tamura felt it settle without resistance.
As the village celebrated through the night, Rimuru stood among them, unknowingly laying the foundation of a nation.
Tamura stood apart, watching quietly.
The story moved forward—unaltered where it mattered most.
And for now, that was enough.