It had only been a few minutes since we arrived at the Hill, and already I sensed that things wouldn't unfold as smoothly as I had hoped, despite successfully coaxing everyone out here together. However, I hadn't anticipated things taking a complete turn for the worse.
To begin with, Shizu stood there, seemingly admiring our village. It was hard to be certain, though, as she still wore that White Mask of hers. While I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride seeing our village flourish day by day, now was hardly the time for such sentiments.
Meanwhile, the person at the center of this whole charade, Hiiro, seemed to be making himself overly comfortable atop Ranga.
Oi, oi, you're going to fall off at this rate. I sighed, watching him sprawl out lazily, almost resembling a melting jelly under the sun's heat.
And then there was his Knight, Hikari, quietly standing behind Hiiro with her eyes closed.
These days, she seemed more like a maid than a Knight. I mean, When the did she even appear there? She wasn't anywhere near us when we were travelling.
A stalk-, Ahem. She reminded me of those girls who are utterly fixated on the person they like.
Suddenly, she shot me a sharp glare, and I realized she had noticed my observation.
"Uwah~ She noticed," I muttered under my breath, feeling a slight sense of unease.
Sigh.
I give up; it's impossible to make these guys talk unless they themselves want to.
What a bunch of weird people.
I knew Hiiro would be like this through and through, but I never expected Shizu wouldn't talk as well.
Either way, I tried, alright? I don't have any more ways of making this introverted brat socialize for now.
As I was in the middle of giving up, the jelly-like Hiiro, who was basking in the warm sunlight, perked up ever so slightly. He glanced back towards the way we came to this place and then immediately reverted back to his jelly-like state.
After a few seconds, I sensed someone approaching as well. It wasn't a hostile presence, as neither Hiiro nor Hikari had bothered to make any movements, and I saw why as well.
But just how sharp are his senses? It's rather scary.
A few moments later, a huffing and puffing Rigurd entered our view. He gave a solemn bow and proceeded to speak about the reason for his appearance.
"Lord Rimuru, forgive me for intruding," Rigurd began, bowing respectfully.
"It's alright, Rigurd. What's up?" I responded, curious about the reason for his visit.
"Um, you see, we are in need of your assistance with a few matters in the town. Would you please grace us with your presence?" Rigurd requested, his tone indicating the importance of the matter at hand.
Rigurd, the Goblin Lord of the village, held considerable authority, second only to me and Hiiro. While not necessarily the most powerful, he possessed enough wisdom to compensate for any shortcomings.
When Rigurd asked for my presence, it either meant the matter was of utmost importance and required my direct involvement, or it was something sensitive that he preferred not to disclose in detail in front of others.
It was evident from his roundabout way of speaking.
As a competent and sensible ruler, it was my responsibility to discern such nuances. Thus, I gave him a quick nod before agreeing to accompany him.
"Alright, let's go then."
However, the sight of Rigurd huffing and puffing was too pitiful to ignore. So, we decided to borrow the Tempest Wolf ridden by Shizu for him.
And as for me? Well, naturally, I rode atop Ranga. Did Hiiro think he would be comfortable after thwarting my plans? Absolutely not. I wouldn't allow it.
Muhahaha. Petty, you say? So be it.
That brat deserved a bit of discomfort.
Oh, and by the way, I also requested Hikari's assistance in the matter. Despite her clear fury, she silently followed us on foot, shooting daggers at me with her glare.
No, no, I genuinely believed I might need her assistance, especially when she was angry.
Yes, I intended to utilize her anger to my advantage.
What? Of course, I didn't have any ulterior motives, such as leaving Hiiro and Shizu alone together in case they wanted to talk without any interruptions. Nope, not at all, I wasn't that calculating. Afterall I'm just harmless blue blob called slime.
***
Anyway, after descending a fair distance, Rigurd finally disclosed the situation to me. It appeared he preferred Hiiro not overhear the conversation.
In essence, Hiiro's self-proclaimed followers were causing quite a commotion in front of his dwelling. It made sense; upon learning of Hiiro's awakening, they would undoubtedly rush to see him. In such a scenario, Rigurd and his companions wouldn't be equipped to handle them alone. While I could have easily dispatched someone like Hikari to handle the situation, I chose not to, as it conveniently aligned with another plan of mine. Now, the enraged Hikari, separated from her beloved master, would teach them a lesson about causing a ruckus over such matters.
Overall, Rigurd handled the situation admirably. I would have to commend him later.
However, I couldn't help but wonder how the news of Hiiro's awakening had leaked in town. Surely, it wasn't because of my own tornado-like presence throughout the town. Oh well.
We arrived in town shortly after, and it didn't take long to quell the disturbance. My mere presence, coupled with the intimidating aura emanating from the enraged Hikari, was sufficient to evoke a sense of dread in them, causing them to quiet down without much resistance.
I also offered some reassuring words, informing them that Hiiro was well and would return to the village after taking a stroll or something similar. Upon confirming their curiosity about Hiiro's condition, they dispersed back to their respective areas. Surprisingly, most of the visitors were either women or children, constituting around seventy percent. The men likely couldn't leave their construction duties, even if they desired to.
With the crisis resolved, I deliberately took my time returning to the Hill alongside Hikari and Ranga. I could sense their grumbling, but they had no choice but to follow along.
But still, I wonder What happened to him that week? It seems he isn't willing to talk about it.
As I pondered over what had happened to Hiiro during that mysterious week, an unexpected notification from the Great Sage interrupted my thoughts.
<Notice: That information has been designated as Confidential by the Owner, Hiiro Tempest.>
<Do you want to override Individual Hiiro's Authority?>
"Huh? What's this all of a sudden?" I muttered in confusion.
<Answer: Induvidual Hiiro has told the Skill: Great Sage to keep the cause of his Outbreak confidential as much as possible, However, as the owner of the Skill, you have the authority to override that and learn the truth, if you desire to do so.>
So, that's how it is.
Reflecting on the situation, I realized I had never delved into the matter with the Great Sage in detail. While it had hinted at something during my attempts to calm Hiiro down, I never imagined it would possess knowledge of the actual cause. I had granted Hiiro permission to use the Great Sage skill unilaterally, meaning only the Great Sage knew of it, and I had neglected to inform Hiiro about it. Who would have thought it would prove useful in such a manner?
But to discover that Hiiro not only communicated with the Great Sage but also kept secrets from me was unexpected. I had believed having the Great Sage by his side would be beneficial in situations where his life was at risk, but I had not anticipated this so soon.
So, what now?
Did I want to know the truth? Absolutely. Should I override his authority to uncover his secrets? Without a doubt. After all, Hiiro was my little brother, and it was my responsibility as his only family to pry into matters he kept hidden, ensuring he did not stray down the wrong path.
If he was in the right, I would support him. If he was in the wrong, I would guide him. However, keeping secrets would hinder my ability to do so.
By the way..
"Great Sage, why reveal this information now and not earlier?" I inquired.
<Answer: Induvidual Rimuru failed to ask while he was preoccupied with self-deprecation over his inability to save Induvidual Hiiro.>
"Ouch! Quite harsh, aren't you?" I winced at the response.
"But to be fair, you're right."
<"Of course!">, the Great Sage chirped.
"Okay, now you're overdoing it,"
Sigh~
Regardless, it was time to focus on the main issue at hand. I decided to override Hiiro's authority and uncover the truth.
"Great Sage, Override his Authority and tell me."
***