"You know it'll be lonely without you, but I can understand you staying here." Felix replied to Mjurran.
After only a few days in Tempest, Felix was already preparing to leave for Ingracia with Rimuru. That was when Mjurran had brought up her decision—to stay behind and grow as a magician.
Felix did feel a little down about it. He'd likely be traveling alone again for some time. Still, none of it showed on his face. It wasn't his decision to make. Mjurran had her own life, her own path to walk. And it wasn't like he wasn't coming back.
His plan was simple enough—go to the Dwelling of Spirits, obtain the Hero's Egg, then return and stay in Tempest for a while. Sure, he wanted to see the world… maybe even other worlds. But that wasn't something he had to rush into.
Maybe he'd just leave some of that to the Gacha. Who knew what it would throw at him next time.
After saying their goodbyes, Rimuru and Felix teleported to a remote area near Ingracia.
"So… are you and Mjurran a thing?" Rimuru suddenly asked.
"Noo… I mean she's beautiful but… you know it's only been like sometime… and I don't know what she feels…"
"Hmmm… as a previously 40 year old virgin single girl… I shouldn't give you any advice… but come on man…did you know not look at her face when she said goodbye to you?"
"What look?"
"You know like that… my heart is pierced by cupid, I disdain all glittering gold…"
"Weren't you Japanese? Where did you even hear that one?"
"What Japanese people can't listen to.."
Before Rimuru could finish, she suddenly went silent.
Both of them looked up.
High above, a Gryphon and a Wyvern were locked in combat. The Gryphon moved with sharp, decisive bursts—its wings cutting through the air like blades—while the Wyvern thrashed wildly, spitting bursts of wind and clawing back with raw aggression.
Then the Gryphon struck cleanly.
A heavy blow landed squarely against the Wyvern's side, sending it spiraling downward.
Unfortunately… straight toward the city they were heading for.
[Fly]
Felix cast the spell instantly, wind gathering beneath him as he shot forward. Rimuru followed, wings forming behind her as they accelerated toward the city.
Behind them, the Gryphon let out a sharp cry and dived as well—clearly not done with its prey.
"You handle the Gryphon, I'll handle the Wyvern," Felix said.
Rimuru nodded and veered off without hesitation.
Felix angled downward.
The Wyvern crashed into a wide plaza, stone breaking beneath its weight. The impact sent dust and debris scattering as people screamed and fled in panic.
Despite its injuries, the Wyvern rose again, wings twitching, letting out a low, threatening growl toward the crowd.
Felix didn't slow down.
He descended calmly, raising one hand.
[Dragon Lightning]
The spell formed almost instantly. Lightning coiled into existence, taking the shape of a dragon—its body compact, controlled, yet humming with immense power.
For a brief moment, the air itself seemed to tighten.
Then it struck.
The lightning-dragon pierced straight through the Wyvern's chest. There was no explosion—no wasted energy. Just a clean, overwhelming surge that flooded its body from the inside.
The Wyvern stiffened mid-motion.
Light flickered through its scales.
And then it dropped.
Dead before it even hit the ground properly.
A brief silence followed.
"…What…?"
"…It's already over?"
"…He killed it in one move…"
Then the realization spread.
"WOAH!"
"YEAH!!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, voices overlapping as people stared at Felix in awe—some even stepping closer, unable to look away.
"May I ask who the esteemed sir might be?"
A middle-aged man in expensive yet slightly casual attire stepped forward.
"I'm Felix," he replied, a bit awkwardly.
This was new. Usually, Mjurran handled people—kept distance, spoke for him. Without her, the attention felt… direct.
"So it is the Great Hero Felix… certainly, that explains slaying a Wyvern as if it were nothing," the man muttered.
"You jest. It was already injured," Felix said, shrugging it off.
"Ahh, always the humble one."
The man—clearly a noble—approached the Wyvern's corpse and began examining it.
"Hmm… what do you say, Sir Felix? Would you be willing to sell the body to me?"
Before Felix could answer, Rimuru descended nearby, a Gryphon's corpse slung over her shoulder.
"Actually, I'd suggest against that. You should use it as proof to register with the Free Guild and get a proper rank. Having an adventurer rank is always useful," she said as she landed beside him.
"Ohh, I had no idea you weren't registered. Yes, yes, it would be better to do so," the noble agreed.
"And you are?" Rimuru asked.
"Oh my, I haven't even introduced myself. It seems age is catching up with me. I'm Eadgar Corleone, a humble noble from the Kingdom of Rostia, currently visiting here."
"Felix."
"Rimuru," she added, briefly showing her guild card.
"Well, it's a pleasure meeting you both. I won't take much of your time—but if you ever require high-quality minerals or metals, please don't hesitate to contact my firm," Eadgar said, offering his card.
"Oh—do you deal in silver?" Felix asked.
"Of course. I primarily handle raw silver, though if you're looking for jewelry, I could introduce you to reputable craftsmen I work with."
"Raw silver works. Maybe we should talk privately?"
"Certainly. My firm has a branch here—we can discuss it there."
"In that case, you go ahead. I'll take these corpses to the guild. Meet me there," Rimuru said.
Felix nodded and followed Eadgar to a carriage.
As it began moving, Felix finally got a proper look at the city.
Earlier, his attention had been entirely on the Wyvern. Now, through the carriage window, Ingracia unfolded before him.
The streets were wide and clean—far cleaner than most cities he'd seen. The roads were properly laid, smooth enough for carriages to move without constant rattling. Even more surprising, there were designated footpaths, separating pedestrians from traffic—something rarely seen in this world.
Shops lined the streets in orderly rows, their signs polished, their displays neat. People moved with purpose rather than chaos—merchants, adventurers, nobles, all blending into a steady rhythm of activity.
It wasn't just developed. It felt organized.
If Tempest didn't exist, this might have been one of the best cities to live in.
Felix leaned back slightly, thinking.
Three quests.
No—two now.
His deal with Rimuru—trading sealing knowledge for teleportation—had already counted as fulfilling the "non-physical exchange" condition.
That left the silver.
One ton.
And only thirteen days remaining.
As the carriage came to a stop, Felix stepped out and followed Eadgar inside.
The "firm" turned out to be more modest than expected—a clean, well-maintained shop with a reception area.
After a brief exchange with the staff, Eadgar led him upstairs into a proper office.
"Now then, Hero Felix—how may I be of service?"
"I need about one ton of silver."
Eadgar paused. "…That is quite a quantity. Would you like it delivered somewhere?"
Felix thought for a moment. He didn't have a proper storage method. The Yggdrasil item box wasn't a skill—it was a player function.
But with Rimuru… space wasn't an issue.
"I'll handle transportation myself."
After some negotiation, they reached an agreement. Since the quantity was large, Eadgar requested a couple of days to prepare it.
Once done, Felix stepped out and expanded his spirit sense, quickly locating Rimuru.
"Hey, where are you?"
"You should already know that since we're using thought communication…"
"I mean, should I come there? You seem to be in a meeting."
"Oh, don't worry about him. It's just Yuuki."
Immediately, Felix activated his other Tier-5 spell.
[Teleportation]
The world blurred—and in the next instant, he was standing inside the guild master's office.
Rimuru stood nearby. Across from her—Yuuki.
"Woah, teleportation. Seems the rumors about you aren't exaggerated—slaying a Wyvern with a single spell, sealing Charybdis, and now this," Yuuki said.
Felix simply nodded.
He already knew what kind of person Yuuki was. Without proof, there was no point in pushing anything. Better to keep things distant.
"So, Rimuru tells me you want to join the guild?" Yuuki asked.
"Yes. It'll be convenient—especially since I plan to travel to the Republic of Ulgracia."
"Hmm… I could get you registered immediately. Even promote you to B-rank right away—you are Rimuru's friend, after all. But since you mentioned Ulgracia… I have a proposal. Interested?"
"Depends on the proposal."
"Well… one of our A-ranked adventurers went to Ulgracia some time ago. She discovered a slave trafficking group and executed them—which wasn't an issue. The problem started when she found out they were operating under a noble… and killed him as well. Now she's been declared a fugitive.
I'm working on clearing her name—gathering evidence, applying pressure—but until then, the order is to kill her on sight. I want you to use your status as a Hero to discourage any rash actions."
"That's unfortunate. Can't we just extract her? Someone like that would be welcomed in Tempest," Rimuru said.
"No… she refuses to leave. She wants to challenge the Labyrinth and become a Hero first. That's another reason I'm asking Felix—he might be able to convince her."
Felix thought for a moment.
"As long as she really is a good person—and all this was against slavery—I'm willing to help. Though it'll take some time to reach Ulgracia."
"Don't worry. Raphtalia is as honest as they come. I trust her completely," Yuuki said.
Felix paused slightly.
So it was Raphtalia.
The timing matched what his system had told him. And if it was her… then this wasn't likely to be a scheme of Yuuki.
"In that case… I'll accept."
He extended his hand.
Yuuki smiled and shook it.
A/n: How's the pacing? I think it's still slightly rushed or rather it isn't like it was before. But than again, I seem to have forgotten a few ideas I had and am recreating sone stuff based on my notes. Do tell me, if I should slow it down or add more descriptions, slice of life etc?