21 Chapter 19.5 - Interlude

"Zhongli…?" Rimuru muttered as he woke up to see a familiar figure sitting next to him.

"Hmm… it seems you're not possessed by Kashchey," Zhongli observed as he laid down a book he was reading prior to Rimuru's awakening.

"Ah, yeah… how long has it been?" Rimuru asked as he transformed from his human form back into his slime form.

"A week. I was contemplating an exorcism, but it seems you've recovered without any problems," Zhongli replied as he offered Rimuru a cup of herbal tea. Rimuru accepted the teacup from Zhongli with a nod as silence engulfed the room.

The two enjoyed their tea in silence for a few minutes before Zhongli pulled out his phone and sent a message to the groupchat. Seconds later, two white lights engulfed the room as a set of familiar faces appeared.

"Guten tag. Rimuru, you're alive. I didn't expect you to rush at Talulah like that, but it worked out in the end, so I won't complain too much. Once you recover some more, I want to request something from you," Clukay said as she checked her duffle bag.

"This is some stuff recommended by Rhodes Island. Apparently, it helps with recovery from being in a state of prolonged bed rest. Not sure if it works on slime, but try it anyways," Clukay said as she stuffed several bottles of medicine towards Rimuru.

"Uh… Thanks! I'm not sure how to repay you…" Rimuru replied as he stored the medicine in his internal storage.

"Don't worry about it. Just think of it as a gift," Clukay replied.

"I don't have much, but you did mention being from Japan, so here's some Japanese confectionaries," Jinwoo said as he handed a paper bag to RImuru.

"Thank you," Rimuru replied as he consumed the bag with his arm. Within moments of waking up, he was already bombarded with gifts.

"With all of us here, why not enjoy this world? It would be a waste of points, after all. I have some Osmanthus wine prepared," Zhongli suggested as several wine bottles appeared in his hands.

"I'm down, though… Isn't Jinwoo underaged? Rimuru is also recovering from the battle…" Clukay asked with a thoughtful expression.

"I'm 24," Jinwoo replied with a deadpan face.

"Ah, I'm sorry. You just look younger than I thought," Clukay apologised.

"As for me, I'm basically immune to alcohol poisoning!" Rimuru reassured as he got up from bed, excited for the wine Zhongli had always praised.

After confirmation, Zhongli led everyone out of the cave Rimuru was residing into a view of mountains above the clouds, trees dyed amber, and a pool of water untouched by neither nature nor humans.

"Let's sit here and enjoy the view of this country… Liyue, it is called," Zhongli said as he offered the seats at a stone table near a pond.

"Osmanthus wine tastes the same as I remember, but this time, perhaps the archaic can still experience something new. Even several millennia of wisdom cannot predict the strings of fate," Zhongli silently muttered to himself as he looked at his new… compatriots.

"I had thought my journey was over for good, but a new one appeared out of the most unexpected places. System, will you be a new Celestia?" Zhongli murmured as he observed Rimuru and Clukay another debate over what part of a chicken was the best.

He shouldn't be too attached.

--

Several days of touring Liyue harbour had passed before everyone in the groupchat decided to go home. Once home, Rimuru had a massive problem to solve. He had to deal with the captured Reunion members.

"500 Reunion soldiers, not to mention 3 Reunion leaders. I'm sure everyone in the village will accept them with open arms, but… I guess the only way to find out is to do it," Rimuru muttered to himself.

Rimuru got up from the tree he was resting under before moving to Clukay's world, and with a wave of his arm, hundreds of figures appeared from seemingly thin air. These were the Reunion fighters he had captured. Now, it was time for them to decide their fate.

Rimuru had scanned the memories of the Reunion members against Great Sage's advice, which led him to feel a rollercoaster of emotions he had never felt before. Out of everyone in the groupchat, he was the one most influenced by the Reunion perspective.

Humanity wasn't naturally pleasant.

Rimuru watched as the crowd of people frantically shouted about several things, whether it was about the afterlife, Reunion leaders who were thought to be dead, and even the reunion of friends.

It took quite a while before the crowd calmed down and notice the familiar figure that stood before them.

"You! The Rhodes Island dog! So… you must've been condemned to hell with us!" A Reunion commander shouted as he waved his sword at Rimuru. The other Reunion members began to make a ruckus as they drew their weapons. However, it was halted when a Reunion leader, Frostnova, stepped forward and signalled everyone to stop with her hand.

"We're not in the same world anymore, are we? I could feel my infection getting better… and a new energy that empowered me instead of Originium. Where are we?" Frostnova asked with a stern expression.

"Although I'm allied with Rhodes Island, I mean no harm. I've seen your plight for peace, and this is it. This is a world without Originium. I'm a mere chief of a village that wishes for more citizens. However, if you so wish, I could bring you back to your world. I will warn you though, Reunion has been defeated, with your leader, Talulah, being captured by Rhodes Island," Rimuru explained.

"A world without Originium… I wouldn't believe you if it weren't for the fact that you managed to summon so many of us like this. However, you say Reunion is defeated, but I disagree. Reunion is an idea of freedom for the infected that will never cease to exist. Although, I never thought I would be alive… much less with my brothers and sisters…" Frostnova said as she entered deep in thought.

"Patriot, Mephisto, Faust… The others, are they dead?" Frostnova glanced at Rimuru.

"I… don't know, Rhodes Island or the LGD must've dealt with them without us," Rimuru replied.

"I see… As repayment for helping us, I shall agree to stay in your village and work under you. Though I don't know how we are in another world, I won't question it if you don't want to answer," Frostnova stated before she turned back to the crowd of Reunion members watching the exchange.

"For those who wish to return to our world and continue the fight for Reunion's message, move to the left. For those who wish to experiment with a new life without discrimination, move to my right!" Frostnova announced. The Reunion members were weary of Rimuru, but they followed Frostnova's instructions without protest. She was still a leader and much more powerful than them.

With that, 350 Reunion members were consumed by Rimuru. It was a nice loophole that he didn't have to pay a fee for each Reunion member when they were in his storage.

"I'm surprised you trusted me so much," Rimuru said as he walked up to Frostnova.

"I only trusted you because of Rhodes Island's name. I promised to be an operator, so once I've paid my debt back to you, I shall return to Terra once more. I only wish for my brothers and sisters to live a life away from the fight. Now, lead us to the promised lands, friend of Rhodes Island," Frostnova replied.

"Although you owe me no debt, I won't decline help. My village is this way. Also, try to keep the whole other world stuff a secret," Rimuru said as he led the group of over a hundred into the woods.

"Misha… we can finally enjoy our lives together. Although I want revenge, a new home is what we need right now," Alex told his sister as they walked at the back of the convoy.

"Alex… I was so scared," Misha whimpered as she entered Alex's embrace.

"We don't need to fight anymore…" Alex comforted.