So, I got isekai’d

...

"...She's late..."

I murmured to myself, bring the plates and necessary utensils one by one. I then put the meal in a big bowl for us, figuring that she might eat more than usual, I prepared more meals for today

"Grilled Trollfish...Loudbear Meat Stew...Grilled Madbit Meat..."

The options for such meals aren't that wide since I for one, not really that good at cooking, and two, I really can't make my way on making more types of dishes for these kinds of foods...

...Well most of it is because I'm lazy at experimenting more dishes, but if you think about it, is it really necessary to create more combinations from these kinds of meat?

I really don't know what they mean when other's joy is from cooking, but the way Mashiro always compliments and eats all of my dishes satisfyingly makes my heart warm at least

I don't enjoy cooking, but I do love it when I see Mashiro eats my cooking...I guess I'm starting to like it?

...

"I guess I'll go try combining Loubears' meat and Madbit's meat with the vegetables I've been growing in the garden lately some other time"

Surprisingly, vegetables in this world strikingly similar to those that I have in my old world, so it wasn't that hard to know which ingredients works and compliments with other ingredients for the dish. The salad that I did in the past was well received by Mashiro, but since my garden isn't really that big to produce enough ingredients, I wasn't able to create more of it despite we wanted to

The only way is to wait for us to have more stock on it, or expand the garden so we can have more supply for vegetables

But another problem arises is that we don't have a way to preserve vegetables for long periods of time. If we came across a surplus of vegetables, I nor Mashiro would know how to deal with it

"We can't sell it either, since I don't know which in this forest leads to the nearest kingdom"

Worse, I don't want to associate myself or Mashiro in other people that we don't know enough

I know that knowing each other is necessary for these kinds of things, but the problem is my identity. I've been warned by Master Shin to not go near them because who knows what step they will take once they know more about me...

...and what would happen to Mashiro after?

...

"Its a shame that I couldn't use Gales either"

Gales do have meat, but their meat is rather inedible. Its hard to chew and no matter how long I cook or even slow cook it, it doesn't soften. I don't know if there's a step I'm missing, but I've abandoned collecting their meat because of it

Metarouts are different. In contrast to Trollfishes, they contain more meat and is by far, the best fish I've ever tasted. Its also approved by Mashiro as well

The bad part about it is the scarcity of Metarouts, they are usually keen and most of them hides in advance whenever they sense danger. I once tried to catch Metarout the first time I saw them, but the instant I tried to kill it with a earth spike magic, it already transformed itself into metal

I was able to kill it of course, but the meat of the Metarout was already metal, hence inedible to eat. At first, I thought they were like Gales that can't be eaten, but after confirming it a few more times, it was then that I realized that you just need to kill it without it reacting so that you get its meat. It was a lot of trial and error, but the taste of that creature was worth the try

As time progresses, I was able to think of a plan to catch more of them. I have tried it on one of them and it was a success. I still don't know if it will still work when there are many of them in one place

"We still have some stock for today, so I guess I'll do it tomorrow with Mashiro"

She's better at scouting the area than me natural skill-wise

...but that's the thing

"She's still not here..."

I kept looking at the direction to where she headed off to earlier

"...Don't tell me she got in a bit of trouble with that individual she mentioned?"

Its possible, she may had made a mistake and walked into the opponent's trap somehow, but its also possible that she just wanted to patrol the area where that individual is further...

...but Mashiro's strong, she should be able to handle it...

...but then again, she was never late to any lunch...

...

"I should check up on her-"

Suddenly, my spatial awareness skill caught on to something

"...One...?"

Actually, there were two of them, the other one that is coming here at a fast pace was Mashiro, the one that my skill filtered out. My skill filters out a friend from a foe, hence why my spatial awareness skill didn't alerted me when Master Shin was still around

The second one however...was quite away from Mashiro...but it seems like its following her?

I can't quite tell, the view that I have when I'm using spatial awareness skill makes the environment within my view turn into blue, with a foe turning into red, so you can't quite see their expressions, faces, what they look like, and such. The only thing you can see here is their actions portrayed by their motions and gestures

"Does Mashiro know...?"

She would know right? 

Wait...if she did, then she would be going alongside it...

"Then its most likely a foe"

I said to myself, as I waited for Mashiro to come back

...

...

...

"Rui sama!"

It was then that Mashiro called out to me with a smile on her face, waving her hands as she came closer to me

"That took you longer than usual"

"U-Uh...Ahaha..."

She then looked away from me, seemingly trying to hide something. So she did knew...

...But unfortunately for her, I too already knew

"*Sigh*...At least you came back safe"

"Rui sama..."

She blushed at that statement? I didn't even mean anything by it!

"The thing is, I-"

"I know, I know, let me handle it from here"

"H-Huh?"

She retreated knowing that she's been followed...which only means that she can't handle this individual

...as her Caretaker, its my duty to protect her from these individuals...even if it costs my whole life

I then took a step forward, leaving Mashiro behind me

"! W-Wait! Rui sama!"

It was then that it showed itself

"*Huff*...*Puff*...Oi! I did say don't go slower than me, but I didn't know you're this fast!...*Huff* Do Demicats have this such stamina? *Puff*...You're not even breathing heavily!"

A...human...?

...wait...she does have black hair, and black eyes...but besides her whole body, her hands and feet are also black...

She's probably from another species...

...

I didn't quite hear what she said due to the distance between us

But even if I did, there's no reason to hold back

"?!"

The ground she was standing on suddenly trapped her lower half of her body, making her unable to escape

"W-What the?!"

She then tried to break it down with her bare hands, but of course it was futile, even a Loudbear can't escape through that thing

"Bold of you to walk here just by yourself"

"?!"

She then looked at me with a shock expression on her face...it then shifted from a cowardly look, into a tough, courageous expression

"A-Are you...?"

She fumbles with her words, seemingly unable to make a conversation with my intimidation. I leaked more of my aura 

"?!"

"It doesn't matter who I am, does it?"

"I-I really don't have any bad intentions! I swear!"

She trembles even further, now unable to look at me in the eye

"But you were following the one dearest to me weren't you?"

"!"

It was then that her fearful expression suddenly changed into a more angrier mood

"So...this was a setup!"

Setup? weren't you the one who made Mashiro fell for your trap first? I just gave you a taste of your own medicine

"I don't know what you're talking about but..."

I then summoned obsidian spikes around her thanks to the combinations and methods of my three elemental powers: fire, water, and earth

"?!"

"Sorry but, I don't like to waste time"

She then closed her eyes, waiting for her downfall

Suddenly, before I was able to do so-

"-Rui sama! Wait!"

My actions got halted by Mashiro, who hugged me from behind

"?! M-Mashiro?!"

I got surprised, but I was able to maintain my cool

"Rui sama, she's the individual I was talking to you about!"

"I know, she was that dangerous one you mentioned earlier right?"

"N-No! She's not! It might seem to you that way the way I said it earlier, but actually its the opposite!"

"!"

I then removed the obsidian spikes around the girl, but kept her lower body rooted from the ground

"What do you mean?"

After a long minute of her hugging me, she then let go of me, both of us got silently awkward at that just happened, but she clear her throat to go on with her sentence

"She needs our help! Specifically, your help!"

"? My help?"

"Yes! That's what I was trying to say to you earlier, but I wasn't able to say it properly, I'm sorry, Rui sama"

"No no no, its fine, I should be the one to say that"

Especially since I didn't even thought of that from the beginning!

"Um...can you let me go now?"

Mashiro and I looked at the girl who was still trapped from my earth magic. I looked at Mashiro again, but she just nodded back at me, signalling me to release her

...

"That was scary! I really thought you betrayed me back there Mashiro!"

"I told you! I wouldn't do that!"

"But your sweet ass took time to tell that to him!"

"W-Well...I-its my first time seeing him protect me like that...also"

"...?"

"Dearest...I'm dearest to her..."

"Oh get a room!"

As much as I would like these two girls to have a chit chat and all, I would like more information about her from Mashiro

"Sorry but you are?"

"Lura. I'm a Lurachnid Spirit"

"A Lurachnid?"

"Lurachnids are species that excel in Deceptions and Illusions Rui sama. As their rank increases, they get even stronger and better at their skills and abilities. She's a Lurachnid Spirit, the first rank of Lurachnid Species"

"Sounded like it was common knowledge to you huh?"

"Hm? It wasn't?"

"..."

I, alongside with Lura, can't even argue with her. What's common to her is a new knowledge for me after all. I feel like that's what Lura also feels as well, especially since Mashiro's a Demicat, yet she also knows about Lurachnids

"That reminds me, you're under an oath with...?"

"Rui, Rui Hanzawa"

I mean, she should already know my name from how many times Mashiro has said it, but its not bad to introduce myself again

"Right, you're under an oath with Rui, right?"

"Yes! I was able to evolve into Demicat Divine Cat thanks to Rui sama"

Lura then let out a big sigh

"I mean I already knew earlier, but no wonder I can't even land a scratch on you! Wait, are you really sure you're a Divine Cat? I know your kind are already scary to fight one on one, but you're probably wayyyy stronger than the other Divine Cats!"

"I-I really don't think so..."

As usual, she's still not used to getting lots of compliments...

"...but its probably thanks to Rui sama that I got this strength"

Lura then turns her attention to me

"W-What?! in the Oath's process, you're the one who's dominant?!"

"Oath's process?"

"Mashiro's your subordinate right? Usually, us different species have more strength than humans, if not same strength as heroes, but to think that you're actually stronger than Mashiro..."

"I don't think that's the case either-"

"No! You are stronger! I just witnessed it firsthand!"

Oh, I think I overdid it again...

"Yes! Rui sama's stronger! Stronger than a hero!"

"Now that's exaggeration"

"No...not really..."

"...?"

I looked to Lura, who had a different opinion

"Your incantations are way to fast, and they also appear quickly. The most intriguing part is that I never sensed any mana from it...I could benefit from that..."

"Yes! I also notice it every time!"

Eh?! But she never said anything about it...

...well she did mention about my unique aura...

"Your aura as well...it was quite scary...its as if a calamity class threat had been emerged"

"Calamity class threat...?"

"I've heard stories from my teach- *ehem* former teacher about it..."

"...?"

"...That those who can cast spells instantly without an expense of mana are extraordinary beings. Capable of bringing destruction to this world. Perhaps the nightmare that we can't escape...an entity of a supernatural being, a Demon...or God himself..."

"!"

Remembering that Master Shin said that I was the Goddess' Emissary, the possibility of what Lura said just now might be true...

...but am I really the only one? I don't see myself destroying this world at least...

"Don't take my word for it though, I don't even trust that person anymore"

Mashiro and I stood silent, I think we got the same thinking that its better not to pry more about her past unless she's the one who wants to

"That reminds me"

"...?"

I gone back to the part where I noticed something was off

"If you, a Lurachnid, capable of using skills and abilities for trickery, then why didn't you use it?"

"Ah...that's the reason why Mashiro pulled me here"

"Exactly!"

"What kind of help exactly?"

"Lura can't cast Lurachnid skills or abilities freely because she has a limit"

"...or rather, I'm almost reaching that limit"

"Lurachnids are known to have big reserve for mana, but hers isn't"

"But don't mana usually recovers over time?"

"That's also another reason, She can't recover because of her condition!"

"Condition?"

"Indomitable Curse of Poison. A curse that rarely can be obtained on birth. A curse that depletes my mana slowly overtime. It doesn't recover because of it. The more I use mana, the closer I am to death. Once I ran out of mana, my life will be the next one to deplete slowly. I've gone rigorous training to mitigate the curse such as conserving mana, limiting the expense of my skills and abilities while maintaining control, the like, but as time passes, I can't simply go on with this kind of method. Its just like I'm living my life with a time bomb behind me, following me whenever I go until it reaches me"

"I see..."

"Lurachnids are known to live for more than a hundred years, but in my case, I don't even think I'll last half a year..."

"Don't say that! that's why we ask Rui sama for help right?"

"I know but, the curse is permanent. No matter where we go, or who we turn to, we cannot get rid of it, we can only mitigate it!"

"Lura..."

"It was dumb of me to think and hope that I may have a chance in here, but now as I recall it again, I don't think this condition is worth of anyone's time"

"! Lura! Don't say that!"

"Thanks Mashiro, Rui, sorry for bothering you, I just realized that you can't help me at all..."

Lura was about to turn around, facing the harsh reality behind her, when suddenly, I reached out

"I think I may be able to get rid of it"

"!"

"...?"

She let out a chuckle

"You mean lessen the effects? We can but is it even necessary?"

"I don't think you understand, I think I can remove your curse completely"

"?! W-What makes you think that?"

"It might be 'Indomitable' to you and the others, but at least I don't think that's the case"

"Rui sama!" 

Mashiro's eyes perked up, while Lura seemed to have a sense of hope

"Is it...really possible?"

"Its not whether if its possible or not, we just have to make it possible"

"!"

Trembling at the thought, she looked down 

"Yes! We will make it happen!"

"..."

She asks for another confirmation

"Can we really...do it?"

"We can. Trust us"

"!"

It was that last statement that seemingly made her decide

"Mhmm!"

It was a geniune smile that she gave alongside with the response to us

"Let's believe in Rui sama! He will surely remove it!"

"O-Okay..."

With the two in great spirits, I couldn't help but let out a smile...

"..."

...

...but to be honest, I DON'T KNOW HOW I WILL DO IT!

I just thought I would be able to test my skills on developing a cleansing skill for status ailments such as hers! If its true that its a permanent curse, then this might be even more trickier for me!

But then again, I did promise her that I will do my best to remove it

and because of that, I have to fulfill my promise to her...

...She's Mashiro's first friend here after all...

...