Tensura: The Odyssey

Chapter 7

Her giggles rang out, clear and melodic, like the twinkling of silver bells in a shrine. The sound immediately diffused the tension in the air. Though she didn't fully sheath her sword, she lowered it, her posture far less threatening. The elves around me relaxed as well. I even spotted a few thorny vines sinking back into the ground. Crisis averted.

Phew.

Wait... she laughed at my joke. Doesn't that mean...?

"Are you from Japan?" she asked, her voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts.

"Yes, I am," I replied, surprised.

The silence that followed hung heavy, like we were both processing the significance of the moment. Meeting another otherworlder had always been a vague dream of mine, but now that one was standing right in front of me, I had no idea what to say. What do people usually talk about in these situations? Am I supposed to bond with her over anime? Or ramen?

She studied me for another long moment before fully sheathing her sword. With measured steps, she walked toward us. The elves tensed slightly but didn't move, leaving the interaction to me.

"I have something to take care of in here," she said, crouching down to my level. Her hand reached out and began gently patting my head.

Oh... OH... This feels... nice. Really nice.

"Ah! Sure! I'll wait for you after I escort these elves out of here," I managed to stammer, my voice wobbling as I melted into a metaphorical puddle under her ministrations.

She giggled softly, stood, and began walking toward the mansion. My eyes instinctively followed her retreating figure.

"Ahem. If you're finished, Rimuru-sama, shall we proceed?" a low, amused voice cut in, pulling me back to reality.

I turned to see the male elf who had been walking beside me trying his best to suppress a smirk. The other elves stayed quiet, though I could feel their curious gazes on me.

Thank goodness slimes can't blush, I thought, already feeling secondhand embarrassment for myself.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go," I grumbled, trying to play it off.

We continued our journey toward the edge of the magical barrier. The air felt lighter now, the forest gradually shifting back to its serene state. As we approached the trees, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows—Treyni. She stood tall, her presence as radiant and ethereal as ever, like the forest itself had brought her to life.

The elves froze, awe washing over their faces. One of them, the male elf from earlier, whispered reverently, "A dryad... after decades..."

The reverence in his voice was palpable. Even after everything they'd endured, the sight of a dryad seemed to have momentarily erased their fear and exhaustion.

Treyni smiled warmly as she stepped closer, her sharp gaze sweeping over the group before landing on me. Am I imagining it, or does she look kind of smug right now?

"Rimuru-sama," she greeted, her voice as gentle as the rustling of leaves. I'll never get used to that honorific. "I trust everything went smoothly?"

"Yup," I replied casually. Well, as smoothly as any adventure involving slavers can go. "These elves were being taken away by slavers, but we handled it. The slavers are tied up back in the mansion for now."

Treyni's smile didn't falter, though I caught a subtle glint of approval in her eyes. Why does that look feel so much like a teacher silently grading your work?