Volume 16 - Dark - Colored Edition

Diablo stopped talking at this point and looked at me as if asking for clarification. I have no idea. What did I do? «Oh, I interfered.» What do you mean, ‘Oh’—?! This is why I thought we needed to have a private meeting as well, but it looks like you’ve really done a lot. I really wish I had thought more about it. This ‘metal demon’ race sounded kind of like a repeat of Beretta… «Please be rest assured about that. It is a completely different concept.» That’s fine, I guess. It really isn’t a problem to me, but it’s just that I find it troublesome. “I guess I interfered a little?” I had no choice but to answer that way, so I told him honestly. Instead, Diablo was so excited that we ended up talking for a while. To sum up, Diablo also liked Gadra. That’s why he had promised to include Gadra in his lineage in case something happened to him. It was well known that Gadra was a magic fanatic. He was the master of Majin Razen and was even willing to become a demon to satisfy his intellectual curiosity. Since he was such a man, as long as he didn’t cause me any trouble, I would let him do as he pleased. I didn’t dislike the old man either, so I judged that there was no problem. However, it would be uncomfortable if he turned out to be like Adalmann, so I would have to declare a prohibition on overly faithful hearts. Just because he was Diablo’s disciple did not mean he could have identical beliefs. I would firmly reject it. “From now on, he is your responsibility, so take good care of him.” From my perspective, Gadra-sensei was very much an elder, and while I don’t speak in a tone that is quite appropriate for elders, Diablo was much older. The notion of age had to crumble, because Diablo was so old that the concept of the word “old” would collapse. In this way, Diablo now had two disciples. As soon as Diablo bowed and left the room, Testarossa entered in his place. She took a seat across from me with a graceful demeanor. Hmm. I wasn’t planning on it, but I suppose I could ask her to be my secretary… Oops, no. Doing that would mean appointing Diablo as a diplomatic marshal, and then he’d definitely go out of control. I did want to add unnecessary problems, so I’d just keep things the way they were. Besides, I had a favor to ask of Testarossa. Just as I was wondering what to say, she presented me with a document. It contained information on Testarossa’s subordinates. Name: Moss [EP: 1,079,397] 148

Race: Demon Peer: Archduke Class Blessing: Blanc’s Lineage Title: The Empress’ Confidant Magic: ‹Dark Magic› ‹Elemental Magic› Skill: Unique Skill ‘Collector’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance Name: Cien [EP: 286, 596] Race: Demon Peer: Viscount Class Blessing: Blanc’s Lineage Title: The Empress’ Secretary Magic: ‹Dark Magic› ‹Elemental Magic› Skill: Unique Skill ‘Recorder’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification If you add this to the information that only I could read, this was what it looked like. Neither Moss nor Cien were directly involved in the previous battles. Therefore, they had not fallen into crisis nor into Ciel’s clutches. By the way, what about Testarossa…? Name: Testarossa [EP: 3,333,124] Race: Divine Demon. Seven Primordials: Devil Lord Blessing: Rimuru’s Blessing Title: Killer Lord Magic: ‹Dark Magic› ‹Elemental Magic› Skill: Ultimate Skill ‘Death King Belial’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance Compared to the beginning of the war, her existence value had increased incomparably. Even compared to when she fought Velgrynd on the airship, it seemed to have increased more than threefold. “The amount of magicule seems to have increased a lot, right?” “Yes. It’s a shame, because it would have been a more interesting demonstration if it had been done in time for the battle with Velgrynd-sama.” Hmm… Fighting is not how you have fun, is it? Well, it’s probably useless to say that. Once again, I was reminded that in combat, it was not the quantity but the quality that mattered. In this case, combat experience had played a bigger role than the amount of magicules. The reason why Testarossa was able to fight so well against Velgrynd was because they were 149

evenly matched in terms of combat ability. If the battle had gone on for a long time, she would have been defeated, but since she was only stalling for time, she was able to manage. The fact that Testarossa’s magicules had increased means that her fighting ability had also greatly increased. It was all very encouraging, but it also meant that I was now responsible for keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn’t go out of control. For now, I would leave it to Diablo, but I was also thinking a little more attention should be paid in that aspect. Still, ‘Death King Belial’? As befits Testarossa, it was a Skill with a dangerous scent. As for the powers it contains, it included ‘Thought Acceleration,’ ‘Universal Perception,’ ‘Demon Lord Haki,’ ‘Spacetime Manipulation,’ ‘Multidimensional Barrier,’ ‘All of Creation,’ ‘Life Domination’ and ‘World After Death.’ This was also a ‘world system’ Skill. It was also a ‘World After Death,’ which I would rather not ever experience. I’m scared, so I’ll leave the management to Ciel. “You mentioned a private meeting, so there should be something to say that cannot be discussed publicly, correct? What exactly is the content?” After Testarossa provided the information on her subordinates, Moss and Cien, she then asked the question very clearly. She was quite perceptive, which was very helpful. I changed my mind and decided to confide in her about one of my problems. It was about the meeting with Masayuki and the others that was supposed to take place tomorrow morning. “I might be reading too much into it, but I wanted to talk to you about it. I’m supposed to meet with Masayuki and the others, so I’m wondering about what to do.” “I see, so it’s about the treatment of the Empire.” I was surprised how quickly she understood everything. “That’s right. Masayuki seems to be troubled, but it’s difficult to respond to such a sudden request…” Shion probably didn’t think about it that much, but if Masayuki was the reincarnation of Emperor Rudra, it would not be so easy to become an Emperor. In the first place, we didn’t know where the current Emperor Rudra—though now transformed into Michael—had disappeared to. Even if Masayuki declares himself emperor—that is to say, I don’t think Masayuki is willing to do so… It would also be strange if my country suddenly supported him. What’s more, Michael’s power, the ‘Castle Guard,’ was unbreakable as long as there were people who believed in Rudra. In other words, we had to think about how to deal with the Imperial subjects at the same time. I really wished I had more time to think about this. Explaining it to King Gazel would also be complicated, and that honestly felt even more difficult to deal with. As I’ve said many times, I didn’t want to get involved, but I couldn’t say that. “If that’s the case, then let me join the meeting. The East, where the Empire is located, used to be my domain, so I’m sure I’ll be able to serve as a diplomatic officer.” Ooooh, how reliable! I couldn’t just leave this to Ciel. I might be able to verbalize Ciel’s solutions, but how to 150

actually instruct the subordinates would still have to be left to the locals. In the first place, even if an opinion was absolutely correct, we would have no choice but to reject the proposal if the Imperial side did not accept it. It might have worked if the Empire had been made a vassal state, but otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to interject too much about how other countries operate. In this respect, Testarossa would be able to respond flexibly. Testarossa had a proven track record with the Western Nations, and once the policy was set, I felt comfortable leaving it to her. “In that case, I’ll be counting on you tomorrow morning.” “I understand, leave it to me!” Testarossa’s bewitching smile was so encouraging that it made me feel a little better. That was all I had to say, so I stood up to see Testarossa off— “Rimuru-sama, there is one thing I would like to report to you as well.” “Hmm?” “As you may remember, Rimuru-sama received a petition for life from Calgurio, one of the Empire’s generals…” Testarossa’s words reminded me of that too. It would be a bit of a hassle, but it was not impossible. “All right. Then now…” I’m glad Testarossa remembered. This kind of attention to detail was one of the reasons why I found Testarossa so reliable. In order to complete my work before dinner, I accompanied Testarossa to the research facility. There were only two more to go. After dinner, I called Ultima over. “I’m tired of waiting.” Ultima said cutely as she sat down gently. I’m sure it would have been so cute to have a sister like her, and it made me smile. I made us some tea and served her some of the best baked goods. “Whoa, whoa! Rimuru-sama did all of this?” “Fufufu, I can make tea too. Well, not black tea, but I can make coffee.” It was just drip coffee, though. It wasn’t even as good as Shion’s, which was an unwelcome reality. Although it was limited to beverages, tea and coffee, Shion’s craft had really progressed in that aspect. I thought it would be wrong to keep complaining about other people’s cooking, so I tried it myself… It was surprisingly harder than expected. Before I died, I always ate take-out and never cooked for myself. I was busy with work, and considering the time and effort required to clean up, it was more cost-effective… 151

The kitchen in that apartment was still as new as ever, and although I had wanted to do it in my spare time, only the cooking books had changed. I couldn’t say it was all in vain, though, because those memories were useful now. Anyway, since it was just a matter of adding hot water to the ground beans, even I could make coffee. “No way! Just this cup of tea, makes me so happy!” Seeing her so happy made me happy too. “Don’t be shy. The coffee will take a little longer, but it’ll boil while we’re talking.” I wanted a cup too, so I set the filter on the coffee server and poured the boiling water. This set of tools was made by Kaijin. There were mass-produced models based on this, so the coffee shop was also thriving. The aroma of coffee beans wafted through the air. In this way, I showed off my prowess to Ultima. It was sure to raise my reputation. It’s always important to earn points in such situations. «In my opinion, that’s pretty cheap.» Don’t be silly! This is an advanced strategy, not a petty one at all. Besides, what’s the point of showing off your strength when you’re up against battle-crazy ‘primordials’? The best thing to do is compete in different areas. «Haa… You’ve already shown enough of your majesty, so your worries are superfluous.» It’s fine. Besides, I never intended to show off my majesty. I didn’t care about that, so let’s just get down to business. “Then, let’s hear your report.” “Yes, then this first.” What was handed to me was a report on her subordinates. Name: Veyron [EP: 882 869] Race: Demon Peer: Duke Class Blessing: Violet’s Lineage Title: Poison Princess’ Butler Magic: ‹Dark Magic› ‹Elemental Magic› Skill: Ultimate Gift ‘Artist’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance Name: Zonda [EP: 301,316] Race: Demon Peer: Viscount Class Blessing: Violet’s Lineage Title: Poison Princess’ Chef Magic: ‹Dark Magic› ‹Elemental Magic› Skill: Unique Skill ‘Chef’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance 152

Veyron’s strength caught my attention, but it was Zonda’s ‘Chef’ that made me nervous for a moment. One would think that it was in the same system as Shion’s bullshit Skill, but it wasn’t. Instead, his powers were focused on status assessment and support. It could heal any injury by ‘cooking’ it. I was relieved to find that it was not a terrifying skill that would affect the law of cause and effect. Next up was the real deal, Ultima. Name: Ultima [EP: 2,668,816] Race: Divine Demon. Seven Primordials: Devil Lord Blessing: Rimuru’s Blessing Title: Pain Lord Magic: ‹Dark Magic› ‹Elemental Magic› Skill: Ultimate Skill ‘Poison King Samael’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance Ultima, like Testarossa, had grown significantly. It seems that the amount of magicules continued to increase after the end of evolution. Since she had already surpassed the millionclass mark, it was both a threat and reliable that she would grow stronger. And let’s not forget about Ultima’s Skill. Ultimate Skill ‘Poison King Samael’ included ‘Thought Acceleration,’ ‘Universal Perception,’ ‘Demon Lord Haki,’ ‘Spacetime Manipulation,’ ‘Multidimensional Barrier,’ ‘Weakness Identification,’ ‘Lethal Poison Creation,’ and ‘World of Annihilation.’ Yup. It was a Skill that specialized in killing. What was worse was the ‘Lethal Poison Creation.’ By combining this with ‘Weakness Identification,’ she could create the perfect poison to kill her enemies. However, what bothered me even more was ‘World of Annihilation.’ This was a heinous world system power that could unconditionally kill all non-mental life forms that did not possess an Ultimate Skill. It’s like a super-enhanced version of my ‘Merciless.’ Since it wouldn’t work against a super strong opponent, it was better to have this sealed away. “Ultima, I’m sorry, but…” I started, pouring myself a cup of coffee to calm myself down. “What is it?” “It’s about your ‘World of Annihilation’…” “Yes.” Ultima happily accepted the cup I offered her. Now was the best time to say it. “From now on, it is prohibited for future use.” “Okay! I was thinking that I didn’t need this power either. Rimuru-sama knows how I feel!” “Huh?! Oh, uh, well of course, right?” I laughed my way through the deception and patted myself on the back for good measure. 153

I didn’t know why, but it seems that Ultima did not intend to use ‘World of Annihilation’ either. No, thinking about it more, it was not too surprising. As a battle maniac, she probably didn’t like the idea of such an unconditional victory. Well, as long as Ultima agreed, then it was fine. I was relieved and enjoyed the rest of the conversation. The last interview was with Carrera. “Hello, Milord! If it wasn’t for your help, I doubt I could have defeated Kondou. That man was so strong that it was hard to believe he was human.” Carrera laughed as she finished her report. I had heard this from Ciel, but to hear it from her own mouth made it even clearer. Carrera really seemed to have won by a hair’s breadth and was sincerely praising Kondou. Indeed, Kondou seems to have been quite strong. Benimaru had defeated Granit, the third ranked soldier, but even he was wary of Kondou. Or rather, he was confident that he could defeat anyone but Kondou. It was not an exaggeration to say that Carrera secured a huge success by defeating a man who was so highly regarded. ‘It’s because you gave me the power,’ Carrera insisted. “To have gained flesh, broken through my own limits, evolved, and been given even more… I want to repay this kindness. I hope you understand that my loyalty is forever yours.” The normally unruly and arrogant Carrera was quite honest when she faced me. Well, in terms of ‘rank,’ a primordial who had lived since ancient times was far superior to some newborn demon lord. Regardless of loyalty, the answer remained the same. “In that case, I look forward to working with you. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to hold trials.” Monsters still had the tendency to follow the strong. Anyone could arrest them, but only the strong could judge them. In the future, I was planning to establish a kind of Supreme Court Judicial System, and leaving all but the most heinous criminals to the hands of the people. But that was for when the nation was more stable. Because Tempest was still a developing country, Carrera’s strength was a great help. “Oh, it’s my pleasure! In addition to myself, my whole family will act as Rimuru-sama wishes!” Carrera replied, smiling happily. And about the status of Carrera and her subordinates? First off, I looked down at the documents that were handed to me. Carrera’s subordinates were Agera and Esprit. Name: Agera [EP: 733,575]. Race: Demon Peer: Marquis Rank 154

Blessing: Jaune’s Lineage Title: The Tyrant’s Master Magic: ‹True Battlewill› Skill: Ultimate Gift ‘Blade Transformation’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance Name: Esprit [EP: 552,137] Race: Demon Peer: Count Rank Blessing: Jaune’s Lineage Title: The Tyrant’s Friend Magic: ‹Dark Magic› ‹Elemental Magic› Skill: Unique Skill ‘Discerner’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance They were really strong. I mean, they were all old demon lord class, weren’t they? Agera was comparable to a pseudo-awakened Clayman, and hypothetically, if I had fought him way back then, he might have won… I think it’s wrong to have so many subordinates of the old demon lord class. Rather than that, I was more concerned about being a ‘friend.’ It was Carrera’s evaluation after all, so I guess that’s just how they were. Certainly, Esprit has a bit of a girly-girl vibe to her, and if one didn’t know the inside story, they could assume that the two were a well-connected pair of sisters. Rather than a master-slave relationship, they seemed more like schoolmates. Honestly, I thought Carrera’s lineage was quite unusual. What was truly shocking, though, was what came next. Carrera was really terrifying. Name: Carrera [EP: 7,013,351 (+ Golden Gun 3.37 million)] Race: Divine Demon. Seven Primordials: Devil Lord Blessing: Rimuru’s Blessing Title: Menace Lord Magic: ‹Dark Magic› ‹Elemental Magic› Skill: Ultimate Skill ‘Annihilation King Abaddon’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance The amount of magicule actually surpassed Diablo’s, and both of my eyes couldn’t help but turn into two dots. Her growth seems to have stopped, but it was the highest of all my subordinates. However, the most dangerous thing of all was the ‘Annihilation King Abaddon.’ Its powers included ‘Thought Acceleration,’ ‘Universal Perception,’ ‘Demon Lord Haki,’ 155

‘Spacetime Manipulation,’ ‘Multidimensional Barrier,’ ‘Limit Break,’ and ‘Dimensional Rupture.’ And although it has no world system power, it specialized in attack power. In particular, ‘Dimensional Rupture’ was a power that could penetrate a ‘Distortion Field’ and space to destroy enemies. If Carrera’s Skill was coupled with destruction spells, along with what was given to her as well, there would be few who could endure it. It might even be able to destroy the levels of Ramiris’ labyrinth, so one could understand how powerful it was at a glance. To be honest, I wouldn’t want to deal with it either. “You’ve gotten stronger…” I couldn’t help but spill out my true feelings. “Yeah, it was thanks to milord. And also Kondou, who entrusted me with this. Even if it is only in response to that man’s wish, I will crush Emperor Rudra.” Hearing her say so, I remembered. Kondou was also manipulated by Michael. “About that, the real Rudra is gone… I mean, all sorts of things have happened, but what you were fighting was actually an entity that had taken over Rudra by the will of a Skill.” I explained to Carrera that Rudra’s true identity was Michael, who had become a Manas. Upon hearing this, Carrera nodded, not seeming surprised. “I see. So that’s why that Feldway guy was calling Rudra as Michael. Now I understand, milord.” That’s how it was. Now don’t go picking any fights with Masayuki by mistake. With that warning, the interview with Carrera ended. Just as I was about to leave the room, Carrera turned to me and said, “Oh, yes, I forgot. There was one thing I had to tell Milord.” “Hmm? What is it?” I asked as I took a sip of my coffee. “Actually, I’ve been debating whether or not to tell you…” It must be important if Carrera was troubled by it. Then, I went back to my seat and calmed down— “—Agera seems to be Hakurou-san’s grandfather.” Pffft?! I almost spat out my coffee. I just barely avoided it at the last second, but it was such an important matter—you can’t just tell me that so casually when you’re leaving! “You—that!” “Hahaha, this is important, isn’t it? I can’t handle it, so I’ll leave the decision to Milord.” With a laugh, Carrera left the room. She completely threw the ball to me. That laugh must have been a sigh of relief, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. In short, this was a problem that could not be ignored. Although Diablo and the three demon girls said that I didn’t need to meet with their subordinates, I decided to meet with Agera later. 156

I couldn’t think straight at the moment, so I would meet with Agera at another time. The personal interviews had now concluded successfully. I didn’t want to work anymore today because I had a meeting with Masayuki and his friends tomorrow, although I didn’t need sleep either way. I returned to my more relaxed slime state and hid under the covers. For some reason, I felt very comfortable in this darkness. «Okay, then I will report.» Excuse me, I’m done with work…? «This is about Master’s Skills, so it’s not work.» That was fine for Ciel because it was their hobby, but for me, this was no different from work. But even if I said that, Ciel wouldn’t listen to me, would they? Sooner or later, I would have to do this anyway, so I gave up resisting. Actually, I was kind of looking forward to it. I’m sure there would be some crazy results, and I was well prepared. The integration went very smoothly without me having to go into sleep mode. It took about a day and a half to complete the integration, but I was having private interviews, so there was no problem. Well, that’s how it was. Since I had been asked for permission to use Skill Alteration in the middle of a real battle, there was no reason to stop the activity. I would have been furious if that had happened. The report began silently in my mind, and the information immediately showed up. Well then, let’s see what it’s like, shall we? Name: Rimuru Tempest [EP: 8,681,123 (+ Draconic Sword 2.28 million)] Race: Supreme Chaos Spirit: Ultimate Slime Grace: Grace of Friendship Title: Chaos Creator Magic: ‹True Dragon Magic› ‹Greater Spirit Summoning› ‹Greater Demon Summoning› ‹Other› Skill: Manas ‘Ciel’ Intrinsic Skill ‘Universal Perception, Dragon Spirit Haki, Universal Shapeshift’ Ultimate Skill ‘Void God Azathoth, Harvest King Shub-Niggurath’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance The result looked like this. I didn’t realize it before, but my existence value was amazing. If I include the increase in number with my sword, it would reach 10 million. Now the straight 157

sword I was very familiar with was at the mythical level. Its shape had been altered by my race’s characteristics, and I had decided to call it the “Draconic Sword” for convenience. It also had two holes in it. The sword seemed to be evolving smoothly to my satisfaction. If I gave it an official name, would it evolve? There’s no way. No, no, no. I might give it a try, but I didn’t want to give it a random name. If I came up with a nice name, I would change it. Even if existence value and total amount of magicules was outstanding, it did not mean that I could let my guard down. Benimaru, Diablo, and Zegion, not to mention Testarossa and the other demon girls, all had very high combat abilities. Testarossa, for example, had fought very well against Velgrynd, who had almost ten times the amount of magicules. As you can see from this example, the most important thing was not the size of the existence value, but how skillfully one could use their power. That overall power was the combined strength of one’s magicule quantity, skill level (combat ability), and Skills. Everyone had used their powers to the fullest during the battle against the Imperial Army. Looking at the battles ahead, I knew that I could not be left behind. Anyway, at this stage, I was still in the lead, ahead of Carrera. Reassured by the current status, I turned my attention to the other things. The blessing (protection) I got from Veldora had disappeared, and now I was my own protector. I went from being under protection to becoming the one providing the protection. I really had grown. —But now was not the time to be escaping reality. I knew I was not at the level of feeling comfortable, but why did I only have two Skills now? As if to answer my question, Ciel happily began its explanation. «First of all, I no longer needed ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ and ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth,’ so I integrated—» ‘Hey, wait, wait, wait!!!’ ‘What did you just say?!’ ‘What did you just say in such a refreshing tone of voice???’ ‘It said that it used the Wisdom King Raphael, which was basically like its mother, for the integration…because it didn’t need it?!’ «Is there a problem?» Apparently, I had not heard wrong. No, I knew there was no way I could have misheard …but I didn’t think it would actually do it. But if the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was gone, wouldn’t Ciel be able to exist as well? «No. I’m already independent, so there’s nothing to worry about!» Ciel calmly answers my question. Even ‘Wisdom King Raphael,’ which can be considered as its own mother… I was surprised that Ciel could consume it so easily, but according to them, the Skill was already an empty shell, so there was no problem. What mattered more was the contents. Ciel seemed to have done the work without any emotion or sentimentality. Eliminate all useless abilities, and do everything thoroughly. However, although there was no problem, 158

was it really necessary to consume ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ as well? «Of course!» Maybe I should’ve confirmed before approving anything… In the face of my weak questioning, Ciel replied to my questions, as if understanding me, and forcefully went ahead with the explanation. As it turned out, my Skills had changed so much that they had not retained their original forms. This was no longer the level of modification. No, my Skills really were integrated and modified, but there was still something unacceptable about it. So then, let’s talk about the key Skills. The first, ‘Void God Azathoth,’ was created by merging ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ and ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth.’ Not only that, but it seems that the ‘Storm King Veldora’ and the newly acquired ‘Scorch King Velgrynd’ were also sacrificed. However, I had inherited those powers, so there was nothing wrong with it. In other words, the Ultimate Skill ‘Void God Azathoth’ contained the abilities ‘Soul Consumption,’ ‘Nihility Collapse,’ ‘Imaginary Space, ‘True Dragon Release [Scorch and Storm],’ ‘True Dragon Core Transformation [Scorch and Storm],’ ‘Spacetime Domination’ and ‘Multidimensional Barrier.’ Even the original ‘True Dragon Summoning’ had disappeared, it seems that there were still no problems with unleashing or releasing it. In the first place, Veldora and the others actually came to me of their own free will, so it was the same without this power. The ‘True Dragon Core Transformation’ was more interesting, and as its name implied, it was literally the power to transform the dragons into a nucleus core that could fit into the hole openings in my sword. Once again, the True Dragon, a vast body of energy, would be condensed into the blade’s core. It was frightening to imagine how much power that would generate. It appears that the dragon’s approval is necessary, but…it’s too scary to imagine the timing of its use. Even without ever using it, it looks like this one is going to have to be sealed away. Well, at least Velgrynd would presumably decline it. But Veldora might want to try it just for fun. I was a little worried about that, so I decided to keep it a secret. Rather than that… What is truly dangerous is the original power of ‘Void God Azathoth’ which had been perfectly optimized after integration. Soul Consumption A super-enhanced version of ‘Predation’ and ‘Gluttony’ that could even devour the target’s soul along with it. Nihility Collapse The ultimate destructive energy that fills the chaotic world. Full control over it was possible for the first time thanks to the Manas. Imaginary Space A chaotic world. The super-evolved version of ‘Stomach’ and ‘Isolation’ was a prison that locked away whatever should be isolated. Spacetime Domination Instantaneous movement is possible by simply being aware of time and space. Affects even time. Multidimensional Barrier A constantly active, ‘Multilayer Barrier,’ which provides absolute protection by a ‘Dimension Fault.’ 159

That was Ciel’s explanation. It was pretty terrifying. The fact that it would even try to implement such a modification in the middle of a battle was terrifying. However, there was one thing that I did not trust: the absolute protection of ‘Dimension Fault.’ It claimed to be stronger and safer than even the ‘Distortion Field,’ but I knew that there were no absolutes in this world. I would not fall for that. Besides…the moment Ranga acquired ‘Stellar Wind King Hastur,’ I had long since known that my Skills would become very powerful. So, rather than being surprised, I was more horrified that with ‘Void God Azathoth’ alone, all other powers were practically unnecessary. My second Ultimate Skill, naturally, was the ‘Harvest King Shub-Niggurath.’ After the Skill Alteration, my powers had now become these two abilities. It’s obvious that I had become more powerful than before the integration, but it occurred to me that there were some abilities that had disappeared. For example, ‘Thought Acceleration,’ was gone, but seemed to still be working fine. What did this mean? «These abilities—‘Thought Acceleration,’ ‘Predict Future Attack,’ ‘Analyze and Assess,’ ‘Parallelism,’ ‘Integration,’ ‘Separation,’ ‘Chant Cancellation,’ ‘All of Creation,’ ‘Food Chain,’ ‘Thought Domination,’ ‘Law Domination,’ and ‘Attribute Transformation’—all of these have been integrated into me, so it is now possible to respond more quickly.» I suppose I should praise it as excellent. Perhaps it might even be overkill, but for the sake of the battles that would follow, a change in mindset was indeed necessary. The weaker I was, the more I would have to sacrifice. In order to settle the matter and enjoy a life of peace, there was no need to hold back or be polite. Now that I had confirmed my own strength, I decided to compare myself with Veldora. Name: Veldora Tempest [EP: 88,126,579] Race: Supreme Chaos Spirit: True Dragon Grace: Blessing of Fertility, Storm Protection Title: Storm Dragon Magic: ‹True Dragon Magic› Skill: Intrinsic Skill ‘Universal Perception, Dragon Spirit Haki, Universal Shapeshift’ Ultimate Skill ‘Chaos King Nyarlathotep’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance This was the current status of Veldora. It goes without saying that his resistances were perfect, but what was most noteworthy was the extent of his existence value. That said, when I 160

did look at the value, I was laughing rather than getting surprised. That guy, he had messed up when he was determining the value. ……… …… … It had happened just recently, after dinner. I had just finished a meeting with Ultima, so I tried to leave immediately. However, I was interrupted by Veldora. “Kuaaaahahaha! Rimuru, I understand that you are having personal interviews with Benimaru and the others. I, too, have a lot of free time at the moment—” “Ah? I’m busy. I’m sorry, but I’ll play with you after I’m finished.” “Wait, wait, wait, wait!!! I’m not talking about that—I’m talking about your personal interview with me!” Huh? There was no need to meet with Veldora. After all, it’s not like Veldora was my subordinate, and if I really wanted to, I could just ask Ciel about it. “No, we talk to each other all the time, so there’s no need to have an interview, right?” “What?! Don’t say such lonely things!” “That’s right! You should understand how lonely Master and I are!” Even Ramiris joined in. But seriously, even if they say that, we do see each other all the time. Of course, I wanted to play with the Avatar Core too, but my work was more important. In the first place, we were currently in a war. It’s just that the whereabouts of Feldway and his colleagues were still unknown, so I was able to rest a little. At the very least, until we were ready to intercept them, there was no time to play around. “Don’t be selfish. Once things are properly settled—” “No, I told you it’s not that! I’ve grown stronger and I want to show off to you. I know you’re busy, but what’s the harm in keeping me company for a little while?!” “That’s right, that’s right! You’re the only one who can accurately measure the existence values, so I want you to come with us for a bit!” “Hmm?” “That is to say, I have been concealing my existence value from when Ramiris measured it. I’m trying to prove it to you.” Hmmmmm. “That’s absolutely impossible! It’s true that we can’t measure the numbers in too much detail, but it’s impossible to fake it!” I see. In other words, I was being involved in a very stupid argument. When thing get to this point, these guys won’t listen to anyone. Instead of trying to convince them, it would be easier to just go along with them. “All right, all right. Then let’s go to the Control Room.” With that, we began to measure Veldora’s existence value. The measurement devices were linked to the monitors throughout the labyrinth, and the control panel in the Control Room man161

aged them. Ciel was able to synchronize with the labyrinth itself, so it could take measurements no matter the location, although that was a secret. That’s why we went to the Control Room. I didn’t have much time, so we started right away. “Master’s existence value is 88,000,000! It’s amazing, but Master insists that it’s higher. I want Rimuru to scold him for being so vain!” Indeed, it was value beyond imagination. Far from being average, even a Million-class ‘Saint’ would be unable to win. So, were those numbers accurate? «Yes. Veldora’s existence value is definitely 88,126,579.» They were almost identical. Too high of a value would cause the machine to lose accuracy, but it was still sufficient to measure labyrinth challengers and intruders. That said, if Veldora was really able to fake the numbers, it meant that the system was flawed. This would be a problem that could not be ignored, so it was necessary to check. I was a little impressed that this trip didn’t end up being a total waste of time. Now, it all depended on whether or not Veldora was actually able to fake the numbers. “My measurement is 88.12 million, so it’s almost the same. So, are the values going to continue rising from here? Or will they be under-measured?” Either way, I needed to know the approach think about countermeasures. I urged Veldora to demonstrate. With a proud look on his face, Veldora smugly began taking off his coat. No way, could it be that…? My body, which would not have been sweating, felt like a cold sweat had fallen. Veldora began to laugh loudly. “Kuahahaha! Take a good look. This is my true power—!!!” With a thud, his coat fell to floor, and with another thud, the wristbands on Veldora’s arms and legs rolled off, shaking the ground. H-Hey… Taking off your heavy clothes…doesn’t mean the numbers will go up… Maybe he was feeling warm? What is measured here is mainly energy levels which has nothing to do with direct combat power. But Veldora… “Kuahahaha! How about that?! Try measuring now! I don’t care if it breaks—!!” Hmmmmm, this is embarrassing! Now that I understood what he was trying to do, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the pitiful Veldora. «I’ve measured it, and there is not the slightest change in values.» There’s no change!! “Ve-Veldora, you know…” “Master, after all that, it’s still the same 88,000,000?” Ah, Ramiris went straight to the point so harshly! “Don’t be stupid! Rimuru, what’s the truth? My numbers have doubled, haven’t they?” I looked at Veldora with pity. “If it was youki, you could hide it, but existence values are completely different…” Then I carefully explained to Veldora that these values were not a measurement of combat power like in manga, but rather a measurement of energy. Needless to say, Veldora turned bright red once he realized his mistake. ……… 162

…… … Well, it still makes me laugh even now, but there was no doubt that his magicule count was tremendous. Even if I examine it seriously, there is no way to harm him except with attacks at the ultimate level. Moreover, the Skill that Veldora acquired was also extremely troublesome. His Skill evolved into ‘Chaos King Nyarlathotep’ by Ciel’s modification, which included ‘Thought Acceleration,’ ‘Analyze and Assess,’ ‘All of Creation,’ ‘Probability Manipulation,’ ‘Parallel Existence,’ ‘Investigation of Truth,’ ‘Spacetime Manipulation’ and ‘Multidimensional Barrier.’ The practical convenience had been greatly improved after the Ciel’s integration. Even Veldora had acquired ‘Parallel Existence.’ I understand from the battle with Velgrynd that this was troublesome, but in the case of Veldora, he also has ‘Probability Manipulation,’ which makes him seem truly immortal. In the first place, as long as I didn’t die, he was indestructible. Because the core of Veldora remained within me, his memories and feelings were backed up. If he could produce a ‘Split Body’ in addition to this, it might be impossible to destroy him. I laughed about the existence value mistake, but he really was reliable to have on our side. Well, Veldora’s existence value was more than ten times that of mine, and even if I fought him, I probably couldn’t win…though I did have a few doubts. Not only did I defeat Velgrynd, I even ‘Predated’ her. The value of Velgrynd’s existence at that time was 26.87 million. At that time, I predated a little over 50 percent of them, and about 30 percent of it was in recovery. That 30 percent seemed to be trying to come back to the side that I predated. As expected of Ciel, they did not miss a thing. So, back to the main point…I felt that my existence value seemed a bit low for the amount of energy I had consumed. Well, I still think that I’m strong enough as it is, and I also still think it’s one’s fighting sense that is important, but I was still a little concerned. «—As for that, it’s only natural. The predated energy was once taken in, but it was turned into the Master’s flesh and blood before using ‘True Dragon Release’» Well, what does that mean? «In other words, Master’s maximum existence value is correct when the values of Veldora’s and Velgrynd’s existence values are added together.» —What?! I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded. In other words, it was only when I released ‘True Dragon Release’ that I would be able to display my maximum power. Hmm? But you know, since the output is the same, it might be the same even if the energy increases. Even Velgrynd might have shifted to increasing the number because the upper limit had been reached. Of course, there was no limit to an increase in power, but it was meaningless if it didn’t hit the target. Once you reach the level of shattering stars, it becomes more difficult to control 163

the power. I was deeply convinced that there was no point in focusing on maximum power. For reference here. I ‘predated’ Velgrynd, whose existence value at that time was estimated to be 49,829,987. It should have been almost perfect because of Ciel’s calculations, but now, her existence value had increased more. Name: Velgrynd [EP: 74,350,087] Race: Supreme Chaos Spirit: True Dragon Grace: Scorch Affection Title: Scorch Dragon Magic: ‹True Dragon Magic› Skill: Intrinsic Skill ‘Universal Perception, Dragon Spirit Haki, Universal Shapeshift’ Ultimate Skill ‘Divine Flame King Cthugha’ Resistance: Physical Attack Nullification, Natural Effects Nullification, Abnormal Condition Nullification, Mental Attack Nullification, Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance This was Velgrynd’s current status. After returning from a 20 percent reduction in status, there had been a significant increase. Rather than growth, should I say evolution… The power was still the same as it had been after Ciel had changed it, but I’m sure Velgrynd must have mastered it. The contents of the ‘Divine Flame King Cthugha’ included ‘Thought Acceleration,’ ‘Thermal Excitation,’ ‘Parallel Existence,’ ‘Spacetime Manipulation,’ ‘Dimension Leap,’ and ‘Multidimensional Barrier.’ Also… For me, it had only been a few days since we split up, but it was still unknown just what kind of experience Velgrynd had gained. I would be meeting her tomorrow, so I was wondering about how I should talk to her. I was afraid of what might happen if I offended her, so I decided to be careful to avoid a secondary conflict. In this way, the status confirmation by Ciel via personal interviews, was successfully completed.4 4For any who are curious, adding Rimuru plus Veldora plus Velgrynd’s EPs together add up to about 171 million, not including the 2.28 million boost Rimuru gets with his Draconic Sword. 164

Chapter 3 Toward Rebuilding The explanation to King Gazel was also troubling me, but I had a meeting with Masayuki and others today. I focused my attention on that, and fired myself up. I would first meet up with Testarossa. I had calmed down a bit. Today would be a high priority meeting, so only a carefully selected group of people would gather in the conference room. From our side were Benimaru and Rigurd. Also Shion, Diablo, and now Testarossa. On Masayuki’s side would be Velgrynd, Calgurio and Minits, plus Bernie and Jiwu. In the lounge-like waiting room, all the members of our group were already there. It was short notice, but no one complained about it. Shuna had also volunteered to serve us, so we were fully prepared. As for the policies, well… We don’t want to rule the Empire. Michael and Feldway, the major war criminals, were still missing, and Lieutenant Kondou, the man who had planned the whole thing, was dead. Even Kondou was suspected to have been thought-induced by Michael’s control, so I didn’t intend to hold him responsible even after his death. At the time, it seemed that the emperor’s flagship had been boarded by the Empire’s major leaders, with the current surviving chief executive of the Empire as Velgrynd, who held the position of Marshal. She herself had no territorial ambitions, so the topic would probably focus on the end of the war, war reparations, and postwar reconstruction. At any rate, letting the 700,000 Imperial soldiers fill the labor force, and how to allocate the labor force was also a problem. It would be necessary to appoint skilled personnel as supervisors, and to decide on a well-balanced group so as to avoid an imbalance in skills. Just as I was thinking ahead… Blue hair fluttered as a stunningly beautiful woman arrived. It was Velgrynd. Her gaze pierced straight through me. Ouch, ouch, ouch. I didn’t have a stomach, but my stomach still hurt. “You wanted to see me?” I needed to keep my dignity intact in front of everyone. I was wishing someone would 166

praise me for the fact that my voice was not shaking. “May I have a moment of your time?” There was still time until the meeting started. I nodded, and Velgrynd and I agreed to speak alone before the meeting. “How is Veldora?” “Well, he’s fine.” “I see, that’s good to hear.” With a gentle smile, Velgrynd asked for Veldora’s well-being. When I replied that he was fine, she seemed relieved. Looking at Velgrynd’s smile, my heart ached a little. It was because Veldora was still afraid to deal with his sister, Velgrynd. I had asked him if he wanted to see her, but he had replied, ‘I have many things to do, and I’m very busy…’ pushing it off in a weak voice. It’s shameful, but I was not in a position to laugh at him either. Because, really, this is very awkward… In Veldora’s case, I’m sure he was embarrassed, so I decided to leave it alone for a little longer. “So, what’s up?” This time, I started things off. My heart was pounding. “I wanted to thank you.” …Thank me? That’s a bit… “Why are you looking so pale? Are you expecting me to summon you to the back of the school?” “How do you know all that stuff?!” I shouted, and Velgrynd chuckled. “The journey to find my beloved Rudra was more exciting than I ever imagined.” From the sound of it, the journey had been grueling, but from the perspective of Velgrynd, who carried a purpose, it had been a hopeful one. That was why she could say with a smile that she enjoyed it. “I crossed numerous worlds, spent many years, and pursued that one person. One of the worlds I went to was the one you once lived in.” “Eh, seriously?!” “Seriously.” So that’s why her tone of voice felt more casual. She was wearing an Imperial uniform right now, but when she first appeared in the labyrinth, she had been wearing a shirt and jeans. Even 167

just looking at the recorded footage, the sight of her in such a state, defeating her enemies with a single blow, was breathtaking. From the point of view of those who witnessed it and those who were attacked, it did seem out of touch with reality. However, the fact that she passed through the world I was in meant that there was a way to return from this world to the other side. Well, as for me, I’m dead, so there was no point in going back… Wait, wait, wait? In the first place, Velgrynd seemed to have jumped not only through dimensions but also time. If we analyze this, then perhaps… «Understood. I will begin the analysis.» Oh, Ciel is so reliable! Maybe it was just that they discovered a new hobby, but it was really the kind of thing to leave to Ciel. Either way, it’s wonderful to have hope. I’m sure there were otherworlders here who would like to go back if they could. If it’s possible, I’d like to make such a future a reality. Well, I would do my best to make that happen. “Masayuki is the reincarnation of Rudra, isn’t he?” “Yes, he is. And I’m pretty sure he’s almost a complete soul.” Velgrynd muttered to herself, ‘All that’s left is the memory.’ Um, but Masayuki was still Masayuki, wasn’t he? Because he was still in that lackadaisical state, I felt a little more relieved. I felt sorry to Velgrynd, but to me, Masayuki was not Rudra. “Well, how should I put it…” I couldn’t say “that’s great” or “that’s a shame” so I faked it. Velgrynd wasn’t angry, and nodded lightly. I was a little surprised that she was more subdued than I expected. “Ufufu, you seem curious. I, too, have had various experiences, more intense than the years I spent by Rudra’s side, like a long and short dreams. So I am grateful to you. Thanks you, Rimuru.” Velgrynd thanked me with a heart-stopping, dazzling smile. Her domineering aura that brought others down to their knees, was nowhere to be found, replaced with a feeling of peace and tranquility. It was hard to believe that this was the same person. “It’s good, right?” “Yes. So, Rimuru. I swear to you that as long as Masayuki has no intention, I will not make an enemy of you. So, please do not betray Masayuki.” It was a vow I could not have wished for. Besides, there was no need for her to specifically explain about Masayuki. I had no intention of betraying him. “All right. I swear, by my name, and by the name of my companions, I will not betray Masayuki. Sometimes there may be a lie of a quarrel, but that kind of thing—” Velgrynd’s gaze became cold and frightening. “…I understand. I swear I’ll try not to lie to him or fight with him unless necessary.” I didn’t understand. Why did I have to swear? It seems that sometimes I am too honest, so I’ve reflected a little. 168

Velgrynd’s words of gratitude had eased my tension. Even if there was a good reason for, I had certainly done something wrong, so it was natural to feel relieved that I was not being resented for it. Just when I was thinking that I could now face the meeting in a good mood, someone came rushing into the waiting room. It was Vesta. “Hey, what’s with all the panic?” “It’s not the time for such things, Rimuru-sama! I just received an urgent message from my home, and it seems that King Gazel is on his way here!” By ‘his home,’ he probably meant from one of the family members who remained in the Dwarven Kingdom. Vesta was still a former minister of the great kingdom of Dwargon. He was a duke, a nobleman of high rank second only to the royal family. That was probably why he had been jealous of Kaijin, a commoner… Although Vesta was expelled from Dwargon, it did not appear that his relationship with his family had been severed. It appears that Vesta had been keeping in touch with the duke family. The reason was that Vesta was still the head of the duke’s household. I was also surprised when I was told this. The punishment given by King Gazel did not include taking away or demoting his title. It was only punishment for Vesta himself, and no blame was placed on his family. Moreover, no successor to Vesta was named, so there was no change in the head of the family. The wise King Gazel must have intended to reinstate Vesta as a minister in the future. That’s why he didn’t punish him excessively and instead asked for him to reflect on his actions. Another reason seems to be that he was afraid of the reaction of his family members. If the Vesta Duchy were really serious, they were capable of starting a civil war in Dwargon, and Gazel probably wanted to avoid unnecessary conflicts. After all, Vesta, who was no longer jealous, was a good man and well-liked by his own people. His influence was so great that he was punished with a spoonful of punishment that would not cause dissatisfaction. That’s why the Vesta family was still alive and well, and it seems that they still had contacts in the royal court. But I still didn’t understand. “Uh, why? Didn’t you tell him I was going to explain everything later?” “Yes, that’s correct, but apparently His Majesty Gazel doesn’t trust me…” “No, no, no. That can’t be true, can it?” “I can’t be sure about that. I have done a lot of things myself, such as negotiating the price of potions, pulling out technicians other than pharmacists, and securing human resources by mobilizing the entire Duchy. Even if I’m suspected of being on your side, there’s no way for me to refute it. In the first place, I am now prepared to devote myself to this country until I die.” In other words, it was not a matter of trust, but Vesta was just doing whatever he wanted. I originally thought he was a decent and serious man, but he was indeed a former minister. As 169

a politician, he seemed to really understand the ins-and-outs. Oops, this was not the time to be impressed. If King Gazel was coming, then it would not be a good idea to start talks with the Empire right now. It would be rude to keep him waiting. That said, it seems even more rude to come here without prior negotiation, so what should I do in such a case? “It’s King Gazel who’s being rude, isn’t it?” Leaving aside the Vesta thing, it seemed like I didn’t have to give up anything. “You’re right. If you enter a country without a notice, you can’t argue with that even if you’re attacked. So I’m guessing we will be contacted once he’s at the border.” Vesta said that King Gazel would never lose his manners. As if to prove his point, a flustered messenger rushed into the room. “I’m sorry to be rude, but I have an emergency report! We have just received a request for permission to enter from His Majesty Gazel of the Armed Nation of Dwargon—Five people in total. How should I proceed?” There was no reason to refuse, but permission could not be so easily given—So that was why the ministerial staff had come to ask for my approval. I think it was the most appropriate thing to do in this time of emergency. Even I would be upset if it were the other way around, so I think it was the right thing to do. It probably should have gone through the executives, but I’d let it slide this time. Shuna thoughtfully handed over a glass of water. I spoke to the staff member who was drinking it gratefully. “I’ll talk to him.” Then he prepared a magic tool for communication and started the liaison. As a result, it turned into an urgent meeting with King Gazel. That was why I personally came to pick him up. Diablo and Shion were escorting me, but this was business as usual. “Fufufu. Thank you, Rimuru.” “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” Even with the Pegasus, it would have taken a day to get from Dwargon to the Capital Rimuru. But now, since magic circles had been set up in both capitals, it was possible to travel back and forth by magic in an instant. That’s why I guessed that the reason he came all the way to the border was to summon me. “Hahaha, so you noticed?” It wasn’t funny, but it wasn’t a big deal. “I’m just glad that Velgrynd can be so accommodating.” “That’s the thing. You’re not planning to join forces with the Empire, are you?” So that was what Gazel was worried about, after all. “It depends on the discussion, but that’s the general idea.” “Hmm, wait a minute. I’d like to hear your thoughts on the matter.” There was no reason to refuse, so we went to a coffee shop near the border. The clerk hurriedly prepared a seat for me. Moreover, the customers, who appeared to be adventurers, read the situation and left their seats. I felt bad, so I announced that I would take care of the bills 170

here. Everyone was very happy, so I was sure they’d be fine. There were roughly 30 minutes left until the scheduled meeting time. We could be on the move instantaneously, so I was planning to listen to him until the last minute. Before that, I would start with what I had to say. “As for leaving you to clean up after the war…” “That’s fine. Our soldiers are still struggling to work at full capacity…but that’s only possible because we survived. I’m grateful. There is no one who would hold a grudge against you.” That was good to hear. I was a little worried about that, because even at barbecues, people who skipped on cleaning up were always resented. Well, it was a tough fight. I was so happy to have made it through that I couldn’t even think about the chores. “So, what did you want to ask?” I was planning to organize my thoughts depending on the flow of the conversation. I’m sure there were things I couldn’t answer if asked now. “I want to hear it clearly from you. You have no ambition to join forces with the Empire and attack me in Dwargon, do you?” What is this old man even talking about? There’s no way I would go through that much trouble. There was no reason to, and above all, there was no benefit. On top of that, we would lose the trust of the Western Nations if we did so. It was a completely impossible option. “No. The trust we’ve worked so hard to accumulate would be lost in an instant. And on top of losing a reliable backer, we would be burdened with unnecessary hard work. Asking me such a question…how stupid do you think I am?” I replied with a look of annoyance, and Gazel began to laugh, looking sincerely relieved. Hey, come on, you weren’t actually worried about that, were you? “My apologies, Your Majesty Rimuru. These allegations were all my own proposition. Therefore, I take full responsibility for offending you. I hope you will be so kind as to forgive me.” Dolph-san must have noticed my annoyance, and expressed his apologies. I asked him to explain in detail what he meant. To put it simply, if the Empire and Tempest were to join forces, Dwargon would be sandwiched between the two powers. In this case, resorting to force would be suicidal, and a decline in diplomatic power would be inevitable. If a country declared that they would not listen to the arguments of an opponent they did not fear, that country would be forced to accept unfavorable conditions in future negotiations. He had been afraid of this, and wanted to confirm it in advance. “Huh? But that’s not something Dwargon could stop either way, is it? Although I have no intention of starting a war, I think it’s a good idea to join forces with the Empire.” “That’s right. In the end, it all comes down to what you wish. Although Dwargon is a great power, we do not have the strength to compete with the True Dragons Velgrynd and Veldora. Dolph’s worries are meaningless, but as a king, I cannot simply admit it.” Gazel said this to me with a serious expression on his face. As a king responsible to his 171

people, he must always be prepared for any eventuality. Only this time, it was pointless to worry. However, there was also no guarantee that we would not start a war. Even if we did not start one, the situation would be the same if the Empire did. Assuming that the Empire and Tempest had formed an alliance, whose side would Tempest really be on if the Empire tried to attack Dwargon? If I were to be asked that, I would be at a loss. “Rimuru, do you understand? You chose to join forces with the Empire to keep your country from going to war. That is all well and good, but it didn’t consider the situation in Dwargon. Of course, I’m not saying that that’s a bad thing, because you’re only responsible for your own people. However, on my side, I cannot easily allow it.” Yes, I was convinced. Indeed, even if Tempest had an alliance with both Dwargon and the Eastern Empire, it did not mean that any relationship was formed between Dwargon and the Eastern Empire. If these two countries were to go to war, our own movements would be restricted. But wait? “But because we have ‘mutual military cooperation’ in the event of national crisis—” “Well, there’s no set deadline for that, is there?” “Eh?” “There’s no such thing as a permanent agreement. All of them are temporary agreements that can only provide temporary peace of mind. In fact, you could even argue that having an agreement with a fixed term is safer.” Just as I was wondering about what he meant, Ciel secretly coached me. There were two types of agreements—those with no fixed term and those with a fixed term. Assuming that one side wanted to break the agreement, which one would be more difficult? If there was no deadline, one could ask the other to break the agreement at any time. On the other hand, if there was a fixed term, things could be considered safe while the agreement was in place. It went without saying that it would be more credible to terminate the agreement and then launch a war, rather than a breaking the agreement and invading in a breach of trust. Of course, this was only an appeal to other nations, and if they had territorial ambitions like the empire, it’s possible that they would not care at all. It was clearly out of the question to break a fixed term agreement without permission. Both parties were obliged to abide by the agreement when it was renewed. If I did such a thing, I would lose the trust of the Western Nations. It would be a major deviation from my strategy, so it would be better to lay down realistic and reliable rules. “I see. So even if we’re allied with the Empire, there’s still a chance that the agreement could be abandoned. That’s why you came all the way out here.” “I’m glad you understand.” “Yeah, that’s definitely something to worry about. Understood! Well then, even if we decide to form an alliance with the Empire, we’ll discuss the details of the terms carefully.” When I said that, Dolph-san and the others looked relieved. “Look at that. I told you that you were worrying too much!” The words came abruptly from King Gazel. Where had all his kingly responsibility gone now? 172

“Rimuru-sama, it’s almost time!” Shion reminded me, looking at her watch. It was one of the watches I had made with Kaijin as a hobby. I gave it to her as a gift, thinking it’s necessary for a secretary to wear one. She was delighted upon receiving it. It was a good memory for all of us, as it gave Shion another job to do. “Let’s go.” “Kufufufu. Then I will open the portal.” Thus ended the spur-of-the-moment meeting. We walked out of the coffee shop and returned to the conference room. Ten o’clock in the morning. Everyone had all gathered in the conference room. The participants were seated at a partially round table with a gap. Or rather, the table was shaped like the ‘C’ in an eye test. «This design, known as the ‘Landolt Ring,’ was invented by the Swiss ophthalmologist, Edmund Landolt, in 1888…» It’s great to be so detailed, but I don’t want to get into all that right now, so please just explain the key points. One could go in and out through the gap in the table, making it easy to serve tea and materials to each person. In addition, a huge screen was installed at the end of the gap section so that everyone in the meeting could watch from any angle without having their view blocked. Since the meeting was to be held by the three major powers, it was decided that such a shape would be more suitable than simply facing each other. The gap section was located on the southern side. My group was seated on the northern side. I was in the true north seat, while Benimaru was in the northeast seat, and Rigurd was in the northwest seat. Shion and Diablo were standing behind me, as usual, without sitting down. On the Eastern side sat the Imperials. Masayuki was seated due east, and Velgrynd was seated to his right in the east-northeast seat. His southern flank was occupied by General Calgurio and Major General Minits. Jiwu and Bernie were not seated, but stood behind Masayuki. It was good to see that the two were in charge of the escort. It also meant that they had smoothly reconciled. On the Western side of the table was Gazel and his group, who had joined in urgently. Gazel was in the seat due west. The northwest seat was occupied by Dolph, the Commander of the Pegasus Knights, and the southwest seat was occupied by Jaine, the court mage (archwizard). Anrietta, the Head of the Night Assassins, and Vaughn, the Admiral Paladin, did not take their seats, but stood and acted as guards. 173

And so, just like this, the three forces faced each other. I looked around just in time to see Masayuki, who’s eyes seemed to be wandering around. His expression was exhausted, as if to eloquently say, ‘Why am I in this situation?’ But rest assured. I felt the same way. Because of this sense of closeness, I wanted to help him if anything happened. The moderator of the meeting, Testarossa, stood up and drew everyone’s attention. She stepped to the center of the room and began the introductory remarks. “Now, the time has come. It looks like everyone is here, so I would like to begin the meeting.” After a bow, Testarossa returned to the southern side. There were chairs put there for her sit and rest when it was not her turn. I had asked her in advance to help me if there was trouble, so I was sure Testarossa would live up to my expectations. “First of all, I would like to explain the purpose of this meeting. Because this is a high priority meeting without prior consultation, there may cases where unwanted remarks are made. In such a case, I would please ask you to remain calm and listen to the other side’s arguments first, rather than becoming belligerent.” At this time, Testarossa paused and looked at each of the participants to see their reactions. As the representative of my country in the Western States Council, Testarossa was very familiar with these situations. Hoping that this would go on smoothly until the end of the meeting, I continued to watch Testarossa with that desire. “Let us begin by confirming the final objectives of this meeting. With the Imperial side, we would like to conclude an agreement to end the war. And with the Dwargon side, we would like to conclude a new treaty based on our future relationships with the Empire. Is that correct?” “No objections.” Masayuki looked as if he wanted to say something, but Velgrynd answered before he could. “Yes, I have no objection.” At the same time, Gazel nodded gravely. I was a little late in response, but I didn’t panic and opened my mouth. “Since that’s the case, let’s examine the status quo first—that all right with you guys?” My tone of speech was a little odd, but who cares?5 I checked the reactions of both sides, while maintaining a natural expression. Masayuki was looking at me with respect. Fufu, what a cute guy. That’s right, I think I’m really amazing too. Because the people gathered here now are very important people from very important countries. In my previous life, I had never been to an event where one could meet a member of Parliament, let alone the prime minister. At most, I only met the staff from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism when they came to inspect the site. It was not really a kind of entertainment, but just a tour of the site. Back then, I had been nervous just to make small talk about something other than my work. And now, I’m the king. I was deeply moved just at the thought. “Since there seems to be no objection, I will leave it to Testarossa to explain. My remarks 5Basically, Rimuru is speaking casually in contrast to the serious atmosphere from everyone else. 174

will follow later. If there are any questions or doubts, I will accept them and correct any mistakes. Now then, please explain.” The meeting proceeded as planned. After asking for no interruptions, I left it to Testarossa who took over. She said this would help the conversation to proceed smoothly. King Gazel, who is my equal, Emperor Masayuki, and Velgrynd, the plenipotentiary agent, were also allowed to speak. Anyone else, however, would be punished for insulting the king’s words. I felt a little indifferent about this, but if it would make thing easier, I had no complaints. Testarossa began the explanation. With a few falsehoods mixed in, she described the battle on the airship that Gazel and the others may not have known about. Then I tried to tell them that Emperor Rudra had actually been taken over by the conscious will of a Skill. And before that, just as I had won the battle with Velgrynd… “Wait.” Gazel objected first. “Huh? If you want to speak, please do so afterwards…” “That’s not the point!!” Did I do something strange? “Um, King Gazel, is there something wrong?” I couldn’t help but become meek and ask. Gazel stared at me while holding his head. Without saying a word, he then turned his gaze to Velgrynd and opened his mouth solemnly. “I know it’s rude. But will Velgrynd-sama tolerate what King Rimuru has just said?” Quite unusually, Gazel was speaking with honorifics. And he was even calling Velgrynd with ‘-sama.’ This seemed to be an attitude unbecoming of a king of a great nation. As I watched the situation unfold, Velgrynd flashed a smile without getting angry. “No problem, King of the Dwarves. You are very shrewd and thoughtful, a much better king than Rimuru over there. Rudra thinks very highly of you and had been talking about taking you under his wing ever since you became a Sword Saint. So I am also well aware of you and do not dislike you. No need to be so formal, just take it easy.” “Y-Yes! But no, you who are the guardian deity of the Empire, and one of the most powerful True Dragons, in public—” “You don’t need to worry about it. I won’t do anything about it. You’re Rimuru’s friend, aren’t you? In that case, I won’t fight. After all, what Rimuru said earlier was true. I was defeated by him.” Well, that was surprising. I was expecting Velgrynd to be like Veldora and claim that she hadn’t lost to save face. But instead, she gracefully and easily admitted her defeat. I was surprised by this, but the others seemed more than just surprised. “Geeee-eh?! Wh—Velgrynd-sama was defeated?!” “I can’t believe it. The myth of the unbeatable…” The Imperial congregation, who had been cultivated under Velgrynd’s domination, had abandoned their previous silence and were now in turmoil. 175

“Wha—?!” “H-Hey, are you serious?! You defeated that god-like existence who was undefeatable no matter the circumstance? I can’t believe it, but if she admits it, then I guess it means you’re not lying…” Dolph-san was in a daze, and Vaughn-san couldn’t seem to accept the reality. Anrietta-san was smiling at them and King Gazel for some reason. “Fufufu, I feel so refreshed because I don’t have to report this time. If I had reported this story, people would have suspected that I was mentally ill.” Isn’t that disrespectful? Well, I wasn’t going to stop her because it was a story from another country, and it felt like now was not the time to get into it. As I was observing from a distance, Jaine-san called out to Gazel, who was contemplating with his head in his hands. “Gazel-boy, and you guys too, all of you need to calm down. I’m not even surprised anymore. I already got tired and surprised by the primordials, and by the time I saw the evolution festival, I understood that it was foolish to keep being shocked.” It seemed Grandma Jaine had been enlightened. That’s why she alone was able to get through this time calmly. The people on Dwargon’s side came to their senses with those words. They were embarrassed and straightened their posture one by one. By the way, the reaction from our side was… “What?! So Rimuru-sama has triumphed in the face of Velgrynd-sama. Are we having a feast tonight?” Rigurd really did find every opportunity to party. You didn’t doubt my victory from the start, did you? “Well, I thought that was the case. Or rather, I was watching it.” This guy, Benimaru, actually said he was spying on me. Although it seems that someone overheard you. “Benimaru, what do you mean? No way… You didn’t watch Rimuru-sama fight with such majesty all by yourself, did you?” “N-No, it’s not like that. It was my duty to confirm the status of the battle, so, just a little…” He seemed to be desperately trying to think of an excuse, but that was one of Benimaru’s weaknesses. Diablo, on the other hand… “Kufufufu. Oh, Shion, did you not see it? I’m sorry to hear that. It’s quite a shame that you were unable to witness such a magnificent battle!” Do not agitate her! Do not agitate her!! Was nobody better than this guy at harassing people? Testarossa was sighing in amazement, estimating that nobody could be as troublesome than Diablo. “Everyone, please remain calm.” Testarossa was dumbfounded, but she had not forgotten her role. She saw the time for everyone to gradually quiet down, and raised her voice to calm the situation. If she had been one step behind, Shion and Diablo might have started a fight. 176

Good job, I silently praised her. Now that everyone had regained their composure, the meeting continued. Testarossa, the moderator, signaled me to continue, so I did. “—Well, as mentioned previously, I defeated Velgrynd-san and then questioned her about the situation in detail, at which point I discovered discrepancies in the story. It seemed to me that Emperor Rudra was not entirely himself, so I observed Velgrynd-san until I learned the terrible truth. I won’t go into too many details, but it turns out that her thoughts were being ‘dominated.’ And the culprit was indeed Michael, the conscious will of Emperor Rudra’s Skill!” I put on a smug look with all my might. Now came the good part. I grinned and was about to continue— “Wait.” Oh no, someone was talking again. Moreover, it was still Gazel this time. “Well, I’ll deal with your questions later, so—” As if to interrupt my words, or perhaps to calm himself down, Gazel let out a big sigh. Then, with his eyes fixed on me, he opened his mouth gravely. “Listen, Rimuru. It’s true that this attitude of mine is inappropriate, but, well, this is really not the time to worry about that.” “What do you mean?” “How can you leave out so many details?! A vicious Skill that can dominate even Velgryndsama!—how can that even exist?! And what was it you just said?! The will of a Skill?? I’ve never heard of such a thing! Jaine, do you know anything about this?” “…I… No, I’ve never heard of it either.” Gazel was desperately trying to keep his composure, but he still couldn’t hide his exuberance. When asked by Gazel, Jaine-san’s response was sluggish, as if she was thinking too much about something. That said, it was strange that no one was complaining about Gazel’s attitude. Velgrynd herself was smiling and seemed to be enjoying the situation. It seemed that as long as Masayuki was around, nothing else was needed or interested her. As for Masayuki, he seemed to have already given up on understanding the situation. He was sitting in his chair in a very dignified manner, as if it was none of his business. By doing so, he seems to have been misunderstood by Calgurio and the rest of the empire, and in doing so had further increased his own reputation. But I guess he himself did not realize it… About that, let’s just tell say ‘don’t mind.’ Benimaru and the others were also very interested. If I didn’t want to say it, they wouldn’t have pursued it, but in their hearts, they most likely still wanted to hear about it from me anyway. That was probably why Testarossa did not stop Gazel either. However, she seemed to have sensed her lapse in judgment and was trying to manage the situation as if nothing had happened. “Everyone, please remain calm. Regarding King Gazel’s questions…” Although I was impressed at how quickly she recovered, trying to remedy this situation was going to be difficult. I mean, I could just let it go, but I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to explain. 177

“Okay. I’ll explain.” “Rimuru-sama, is that all right with you?” “Yes. There are only a few important people from each country here anyway. I don’t think they’ll reveal the secret lightly, and even if they did, it wouldn’t be a big deal.” That’s right. There was no particular problem about revealing the existence of the Manas. The only secret that I had to strictly keep was the existence of Ciel. “I’m sorry, Rimuru. I appreciate you for doing this.” Gazel bowed to me, expressing his gratitude. His tone had returned to that of a senior brother, as if he had given up trying to fix things. I felt much better and went straight into my explanation. Then I explained that as a result of Emperor Rudra’s exhaustion, the Ultimate Skill ‘Justice King Michael’ that he had once possessed, had developed an ego, and had become the ‘Manas’ Michael. I disclosed its heinous powers to the best of my knowledge. “Ultimate Skill…? So you’re saying that powers of the unique level will not work on someone who possesses it…” “Strictly speaking, no. Skills vary in strength depending on the strength of one’s will, so even at the unique level, there are skills that reach the ultimate level, though those are usually few and far between. In addition, special techniques (Arts), which reflect the strength of will, may result in attacks that can reach the ultimate level. In my opinion, I think Gazel King could do it.” “Is that so…” “Also, magic is the same. Magic is both a Skill and an Art, so depending on the strength of the user’s will, they may be able to defeat even the Ultimate Skill holders. Jiwu and Bernie should understand what I’m saying, right?” Those two had been defeated by Diablo, so they should be able to understand what I was talking about. When I asked them, they both nodded emphatically. As for Diablo, he had a sickeningly intoxicated expression on his face, so I didn’t know what he was thinking. He definitely wasn’t thinking anything good, and though I was tempted to say something to him, he was standing quietly for now, so I decided to just ignore it. Shion then muttered, “Then I guess I should acquire an Ultimate Skill as well…” You know, it’s because it’s not easy so easy to get that it’s called the ultimate, right? But for some reason, I had the feeling that Shion could do it. That seemed a little scary, so I stopped thinking about it. “Well, that’s pretty much how it is. Michael has special powers that allow him to have absolute control over the Angelic System of Skills. That is why Velgrynd-san couldn’t resist, and was at his mercy without even realizing it. It seems that Lieutenant Kondou was also under the control of his Skill, though in the end, he broke free from the spell and entrusted his will to our Carrera.” “What, even that information-feeding monster was…” “I can’t believe it, but I’m not so foolish as to doubt His Majesty Rimuru.” 178

“I see, so then Damrada-sama…” “Yeah. I think he might have noticed that something was wrong with His Majesty the Emperor.” Though not enough to interrupt what I was saying, there was a commotion from the Imperial side. This was an act that should not have been done, but it was too late to care about it now, so I would just ignore it and continue. “As for Michael’s purpose, this is also known. It is to resurrect his true master and creator, Veldanava.” “ “ “Nonsense!!” ” ” The shouts overlapped, and it was difficult to tell who was speaking. No, actually I knew, but it wouldn’t have helped to point it out. “Knowing that it was all due to Michael’s domination, I do not intend to hold the Imperial side responsible for the war. If they wish to continue to wage war against us in the future—” I broke off at this point and glanced at Masayuki and the others. Masayuki remained completely unfazed. He was completely oblivious to the situation, to the point of being admirable. Calgurio and Minits were smiling bitterly. There was no way they could win, and there was also no reason to fight anymore. They understood that, which was why they were reacting this way. Looks like things seemed okay. “—It does not seem to me that you have any such intention. I have also made peace with Velgrynd-san, so now it is necessary to establish a new leader now that Michael, who was playing as Rudra, has gone into hiding. That’s what the meeting for today was about, so can you shed some light on that?” I asked, dropping the topic to Masayuki and the others. In order to have a common understanding of the current situation, we needed to know what the future of the empire would be. That was what Gazel and the others were most concerned about, so I thought we should discuss it here, without hiding anything. However, this was also a gamble. Normally, when you hold a meeting like this, you are supposed to confirm not only your own ideas but also the opinions of the other side beforehand. Since we did not do so, we could not predict what kind of conclusion we would reach. I was told that this was normally not allowed to be done in discussions between countries. Testarossa, however, did not stop me. She laughed and said that it would not be a problem, so I stopped caring and went ahead with my honest talk. The result was— “Minits.” “Yes! I, Minits, would humbly like to take this opportunity to explain. The current state of the Empire is that we have lost over two-thirds of our forces, and further war is impossible. We are willing to accept full and unconditional surrender, but there is one problem, and that is the absence of a supreme commander. As His Majesty Rimuru has just pointed out, the most important thing is to find a new leader. So today is the perfect opportunity to ask for the approval of our new Emperor.” Minits said this without hesitation, bowed, and then looked at me and Gazel in turn. 179

“Hmm, so that’s how it was. Rimuru, I take it that my arrival today was exactly as you planned?” Huh? Of course not. “You got me. This isn’t about the Empire and Tempest joining forces, it’s about Tempest backing the new Emperor and building a solid foundation for the Empire. In that case, of course—” “Well, needless to say, Dwargon will be joining, so I guess I can expect something in return, can’t I?” Whoa, whoa, whoa. How did we go from talking about acknowledging the new Emperor to talking about building a foundation or some nonsense? “King Gazel’s words are very encouraging. Naturally, in return, we would like to live up to your expectations as much as possible within the limits of what is acceptable to both countries, so please rest assured.” Minits—no, let’s call him Minits-san. Unlike when he’s fighting, he has the mannerisms of an effective politician. He’s just as graceful, but he seems to be able to do everything with ease. I, on the other hand, am struggling to comprehend the situation. Nobody could see it because I wasn’t sweating, but inwardly I was in a panic. Well, now that Gazel seems to have agreed, I was next. Benimaru and Rigurd glanced at me, so I nodded back, and opened my mouth. “I also agree. And I promise to do my best to provide full support depending on the situation.” I would just go with the flow. I was finally catching up to the situation. I had intended to help Masayuki from the beginning, but if I thought about it carefully, that would mean supporting him as a nation. If we could build a better relationship in the future by selling favors here, we would never have to go to war with them again. Well, even if things didn’t go that well, we should be okay for the time being. All the rest can just be left to future generations, so the most important thing was the ‘now.’ “Thank you very much. I’m sure that His Majesty the Emperor will be pleased to hear that.” Minits-san bowed once again. You don’t have to be so formal. Just get on with it. “So, the new emperor is Masayuki-kun, right? Ah, then is it bad to call you that?” “King Rimuru…” “Oh, it’s no problem at all. In fact, can I still call you Rimuru-san?” Ah, Masayuki, a friend of my heart! “Of course, Masayuki-kun! It’s so hard to understand what kinds of words to use in these situations, isn’t it?” “Rimuru-san! I haven’t been able to relax until just now—Rimuru-san has never been as reliable as he is now!! These past few days, I’ve been feeling so suffocated…” Yes, I understand. You’ve been struggling all alone without help, haven’t you? Velgrynd doesn’t give a damn about the feelings of her subordinates. She probably wouldn’t understand why you were so worried about such trivial things. The Empire’s leaders must have been occupied with their own affairs. They must have been so busy with their own problems that they had 180

no time to think about Masayuki’s situation. That’s probably why he wanted to talk to me, but it was a mistake to let Shion send the message. In fact, I really would have preferred to have had a private meeting with him to figure out what to do. I felt that way, and I’m sure Masayuki felt the same way too. But now that this all happened, it couldn’t be helped anymore. I don’t know anything about etiquette, so I’m just going to continue with what I want. “May I have all your attention, please?” Before anyone else could say anything, it was Testarossa who spoke up. “Our king, Rimuru-sama, would prefer the meeting to be more relaxed and casual. We may all have our own positions, but I’m sure we can understand each other’s perspectives, so can we please agree continue the meeting more informally?” Testarossa looked at everyone present with a smile as she said so. Nothing could be more reliable than that! Masayuki looked happy too. Gazel chuckled, and did not argue. Now that the kings had given their approval, there would be no objections from the subordinates. That was the end of the formal discussion, and now the real talks began. “Geez, that really saved me. I was thinking of keeping silent the entire time.” “Yeah, I wanted to do that too, actually.” “Idiots. What is the leader of a country to do with that?” “Fufufufu, Gazel-boy says that, but he used to be the same way. Dignity and formality are things that can be mended over time with practice and experience.” “Jaine, you don’t have to bring that up here.” The tension disappeared in an instant, and it only took a moment to relax. It was probably because Masayuki had been appointed Emperor and we had already decided to back him up. All that was left was to work out the details, so there was no need for formal conversation. So, in a casual manner, I asked the question that had been bothering me the most. “By the way, it’s fine for Masayuki to become Emperor, but will the Imperial people accept it? We’re fine with it, but what about the people? Or are they subjects? Anyway, if the people don’t agree, it’s no good, right?” Hearing that, Masayuki nodded his head in agreement more enthusiastically than I would have liked. “Of course! It’s completely ridiculous, isn’t it?!” “Ahem! Your Majesty, please calm down a little.” Calgurio admonished him, but Masayuki seemed to have no intention of letting the question go unanswered. It was Gazel who came to his rescue. “In the first place, what are you going to do about the bloodline issue? He does not share a 181

single drop of blood with Emperor Rudra, right? If you do not protect the royal line, the nobles will not be satisfied.” That question was answered by Velgrynd. “No problem. It is written in the imperial code that ‘The person recognized by Velgrynd, the guardian dragon of the empire, is both Rudra and the Emperor.’ Although many might think of this as a formality, it is the truth and the most important sentence.” Minits-san came forward to endorse that statement. “Yes. His Majesty Rudra has always reincarnated as the wife’s first son, but in the long history of the empire, there have been arrogant people who have sought to replace their successors. The one who saw through them and punished them was the Marshal here, Velgrynd-sama.” Of course it was bound to be exposed. Anyone who understood how Rudra’s reincarnation worked could easily tell the difference between the real one and an impostor. I don’t even want to imagine how those people were punished. Even if I don’t bother to ask, I’m sure it was horrible. “Well, His Majesty Rudra inherited the ego. Even if Velgrynd-sama hadn’t pointed it out, it would have revealed itself when he grew up…” I see, so once they’ve grown to the point where they’re self-aware, it is easy to identify them. “So, what about calling Masayuki an illegitimate child?” “That’s impossible, Rimuru-sama. The Senate has Rudra’s records. Not only his blood type, but even his DNA. The mother can be faked, but it would be impossible to claim Masayuki-sama as the son of His Majesty Rudra.” Oops, so then the Empire’s technology had advanced that far? I had thought it was a good idea, but Minits-san rejected it. “Even so, I didn’t realize that DNA testing existed in this world…” “What is DNA?” “That’s…” Since Gazel asked me, I would clarify. Next to him, Calgurio and the others were chatting. “I hear it’s a big deal because there were no precise ways to test it back then.” “That’s true. Every time I was asked to make a decision, it was a pain in the ass.” Well, wouldn’t that be even worse? Now that the real person was gone, there was only Masayuki—the reincarnated one who had lost his memory. It was difficult to prove that the ‘soul’ is real, so in other words, there was no way for others to recognize Masayuki as the true Emperor. “In that case, wouldn’t it be easier for Masayuki to just imitate Rudra, since they have the same face?” We could use the emperor’s privilege to cover up the inspection. Then we could find the opportunity to replace Rudra’s records and be done with it. “Rejected.” I thought this was a good idea, but Velgrynd rejected it. “May I ask why?” 182

“You haven’t forgotten Michael’s power, have you? Michael’s energy comes from the loyalty of his subjects and followers of Rudra. So, wouldn’t it be better to pretend that Emperor Rudra is dead and take away that power?” Oops? Of course, I remembered that… «Correct. It is pointless to just pretend he’s dead, but if there is a new target of loyalty, Michael’s power can be blocked. However, Michael might have anticipated this and changed the target of his power from Rudra to someone else.» Well, he had already said something about killing all the subjects. If he was going to do that, then he would surely use someone I couldn’t touch as an energy source. Or someone incredibly powerful. “I’m sure Michael would have taken countermeasures, but it’s safer to do it than to not. That way, we won’t have to deal with the subjects.” “I’m sure you’re right, so let’s not worry about the details. Just announce that Masayuki is Rudra in my name. That way, no one will be able to resist.” Velgrynd was very confident. But then again, that was to be expected. After all, she was the Scorch Dragon, the guardian dragon of the empire. Besides, it made sense in light of the Imperial Code, which stated that the person approved by Velgrynd would become Emperor Rudra. The approach would be tough, but as long as it was Velgrynd’s true statement, it couldn’t be ignored. “Is that okay with you, Masayuki-kun?” “Shouldn’t it be fine?” “…Well, how should I put it…” I felt that there shouldn’t be a problem, but I would have to go with the flow. “If you don’t like it Masayuki, then there’s no need to push yourself, okay?” Wow, Velgrynd’s smile was so gentle—gentle to the point of being scary. That description was a contradiction in terms, but it’s what I really felt. “…I’ll do it. I’m being hailed as a hero anyway, so one more title won’t matter.” Masayuki declared; his eyes vacant as if he had reached enlightenment. Minits-san, Calgurio and the others were happy to hear this. They seemed to think that a new symbol and leader was absolutely necessary for the future survival of the Empire. I, too, think Masayuki is the right man for the job, and with his Skill, he would be able to gain the absolute support of the people. “So then, the way forward is to install Masayuki as the new Emperor and move to solidify the claim, right?” When I confirmed this, everyone other than Masayuki sharply nodded their heads in agreement. Masayuki nodded reluctantly in agreement. Masayuki, despite his appearance, was a responsible person. Once he took on the task, I knew he would carry it through to the end. “Understood. Then we will announce our approval. I will also promise to immediately release the Imperial officers currently held as prisoners of war in our country. We will not hold them responsible, but we will still withhold compensation. What do you think? We can discuss compensations at a later date, after Masayuki has ascended to the throne as the new Emperor.” “Thank you very much.” 183

“Thank you for your generosity. I’m grateful.” Just when I thought everyone had approved, Gazel had something more to say. “I have no objection to this approach either, but I do have one question. Masayuki-dono, you may be a Hero, but you are about to become an Emperor. So I would like to ask you, what principles do you intend to use to unite your people—your subjects?” Gazel stared at Masayuki with a piercing gaze that seemed to see through everything. Masayuki flinched at the aura, but looked at me as if troubled, then opened his mouth. “…Uhh…hmm? Creating a world where people can live with laughter…something like that, right?” I laughed when I heard that. Because he was thinking the same way I did. “Yeah, that’s the most important thing!” “That’s right! I knew Rimuru-san would say that!!” “Of course, Masayuki-kun. Alas, when I told this to Rudra, he only made fun of me for being young and naive, and I was worried that I had been mistaken. But now I can rest assured. It looks like I was right the whole time.” “Great! I’ve never been good at politics either, so I wasn’t confident about anything. But now, I can be an emperor with pride.” “Right. Let’s do our best together!” “Yes, I look forward to working with you!!” With that, Masayuki and I laughed loudly together. There were different reactions to those who were watching us. Diablo and Shion had a look of intoxication. Velgrynd smiled kindly. Calgurio and Minits were smiling half-heartedly. Gazel looked up helplessly at the sky. “That’s enough!” “Fufufu, I understand your concern, Gazel, but these people have no ambitions. But they’re amateurs, that’s for sure, so you’ll just have to guide them, and make sure they stay on the right path.” “I know. I’m just thinking about how difficult it will be to guild these people who talk about politics with such naive idealism.” Gazel gave another big sigh after saying that. After all, Gazel was always worried about us like this. “Well, don’t worry so much, I’m studying too, so it’ll be fine!” Not only Gazel, but also Vesta and El-tan6 were teaching me, so I would probably be fine. “…Really?” It was just in my spare time, but it was still true. If he was still worried about this, then I would reassure him a little more. “In the first place, I’m not planning to get too involved in politics. Masayuki, you should just let Minits-san and the others handle the actual work.” “You’re right! That’s actually what I was planning to do, but I wasn’t sure if it was a good 6Rimuru’s nickname for Elmesia. ‘El-tan’ is kind of like saying ‘El-chan’ or ‘El-cchi.’ It’s a very cutesy nickname—not something that one would normally use to refer to the leader of a country. 184

idea. Now I feel much better about it.” Masayuki and I laughed together once again. “…Well, do whatever you want. You’re not alone. You can take responsibility and grow with your comrades. If possible, I will help you too.” Gazel still had his head in his hands, but he was finally convinced. No, he may not have been fully convinced, but he was still willing to support us in the long run. And so the meeting proceeded. “As for me, I have no objection to the approach decided at this meeting. If the eastern lands are stabilized, our country will also be at peace. I will help with the reconstruction near the border as much as I can.” “Thank you!” “Thank you, King Gazel.” And just like that, things worked out beautifully. —From this day on, history books of future generations would record this day as the appearance of the savior Emperor Masayuki Rudra Nam Ul Nasca— And thus, the plan had been set. At this point, we would take a break and have lunch. Because the atmosphere was already relaxed, the meal proceeded in a friendly manner. Today’s lunch was kaiseki cuisine.7 Although we were in the middle of a break, we were still in the middle of a meeting, so we chose a menu that could properly entertain the dignitaries. Shuna had prepared it with great care. Everyone used chopsticks. Gazel had mastered it a long time now, and the chopstick culture was widespread in the empire, making us feel at ease to prepare the food Japanese style. “As always, the food here is delicious.” “It makes me want to drink.” “Be more restrained, Vaughn! Even if it’s informal, we still have an important meeting to attend.” “You’re such a serious man, Dolph. Rimuru-sama?” “Yeah. I’d like some sake too, but…” I nodded and glanced at Shuna. She gave a smiling face. Yup, it’s impossible. “We’ll have to hold back for now and do our best for the rest of the meeting. Vaughn-san, you should learn from Dolph-san and be more serious!” “Hahaha, that’s harsh. Then can I count on you for this evening?” “Hey…” 7A traditional multi-course Japanese meal. 185

“Of course you can, right Benimaru?” “Yeah. Let’s take out our secret stash of black liquor and have a party!” “Oh, that sounds good! Benimaru-dono has good taste too.” “Hahaha, I heard that demons are famous for their love of alcohol.” “What? Shuna drinks alcohol too?” Benimaru said something surprising while I was casually ignoring the gossip. To my surprise, he said that Shuna drank alcohol. The truth is… “Brother, I only try it occasionally. Please do not lump me in with Shion.” Oh, so she does drink. I had thought Shuna was underage, but I guess age didn’t matter to a monster. “Hahaha, sorry, sorry.” “Shuna-sama! I don’t drink that much either!” That’s a lie. As far as I know, Shion and Alvis are the best drinkers in the world. Benimaru also knew about this, so he smiled bitterly at it. I didn’t imagine Benimaru to be a drinker, but I guess Alvis was his wife too. In that case, he might have been drinking with his wife, turning him into a strong drinker. Once you get used to it, it becomes something you start to enjoy. Just do it in moderation. Don’t just drink alcohol to get drunk. I thought I should remind myself and others to enjoy in moderation. The luncheon would have continued as light and pleasant, but suddenly, someone burst into tears. All eyes were drawn to the person, wondering what was going on. It was Calgurio. “What’s wrong, sir? Is the food not to your liking?” Shuna, who had rushed over to Calgurio, asked while comforting him. Calgurio opened his mouth to reply. “No, please excuse me. I just remembered something. I know it might be ridiculous for a military man to say this, but I sacrificed many men because of my foolish plan. Yet I am savoring this delicious meal knowing they will never return. I’m sorry, it was my fault… Farage, Gaster, and Zamud… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.” This guy is a crying drunk, isn’t he? I hadn’t served him any alcohol, but it seems that he got drunk from just the atmosphere. Still, I guess this was a good time. “Testarossa.” “Yes. I’ve already sent word to Moss and summoned those men.” As expected of her. Before I could even give the order, Testarossa had already read my intentions and acted upon them. Then, in less than five minutes, dozens of men had showed up to the venue. “Your Majesty Rimuru, Zamud is here upon hearing your call!” The people who came were the same people that Calgurio had just mentioned, including Major General Zamud and his subordinates. They seemed to have come running as fast as they could, their faces bright red with sweat. Despite this, they desperately struggled to formulate their words in order to greet me. Zamud and these people had actually died once. They were 186

aboard the emperor’s flagship airship, and were caught up in Testarossa’s nuclear magic: ‘Death Streak,’ which wiped out their bodies along with their lives. However, the amazing thing about Testarossa was that she remembered that I had received a plea from Calgurio for Zamud and the others’ lives, so she recovered their souls before the magic took effect. “It all became possible because Rimuru-sama allowed me to evolve”—She was so humble saying such things, but from my point of view, I was just grateful for her memory. And so, I took the souls of Zamud and the others from Testarossa and had them dwell in an Emulated Soul, establishing them in artificial human bodies (homunculi). “You—aren’t you Zamud?! I heard Velgrynd-sama say that you were all dead, but you’re still alive!” “It’s true though. I really doubt they could have survived the ‘Death Streak,’ so was it Testarossa who saved him?” “That’s right, Velgrynd-sama. Rimuru-sama is a compassionate man.” “Yeah, I have no doubt about that.” “Very wise.” Ufufufu, Ohohoho—The two were talking while smiling at one another. I felt a little scared, so I gently took my eyes off the scene. Zamud and the others had joined Calgurio and were congratulating each other on their safety. As for Farage-san, it’s unfortunate, but I wasn’t all-powerful either, so I hoped they would forgive me. And if they felt sorry for the death of someone close, then please don’t ever engage in such a foolish act of war again. A defensive war may be unavoidable, but a war of aggression is the essence of foolishness. I understand that the world was not just a pretty place, but I still couldn’t help thinking so. Those in power should consider whether or not war was really necessary, putting their own families on the scale. I hoped that they would aim to eradicate barren conflict through dialogue as much as possible. This I did not say aloud, but prayed for it in my heart. After the lunch break, the meeting resumed at 3 in the afternoon. In the morning session, the general plan had been decided. The afternoon session was scheduled to reconfirm them and discuss the sharing of responsibilities. “Now then, allow me to reconfirm. First, the Armed Nation of Dwargon.” Testarossa began the session. Then, she listed the topics in need of confirmation. The first step was for Tempest and Dwargon to jointly approve the accession of the new Emperor. Then, in the name of the new Emperor Masayuki, they would declare the end of the war and establish the Tripartite Alliance. In this way, a framework different from that of the Western States Council would be created. 187

Dwargon’s role was to rebuild the area near the border together with the Empire, including the roads and buildings in the vicinity. To a lesser extent, this also included providing relief to the victims involved in the war. Trust would come after trust was earned. With that momentum, the construction of the railroad to the Imperial Capital would begin. We decided to accomplish this difficult task while rebuilding the road that the Magic Tank Division of the Empire had cut in the foothills of the Canaat Mountains. A team of leaders from our country would also be dispatched to work with the dwarf engineers to complete the project. When the magitrain came through, logistics would be streamlined, and people would be able to come and go as they pleased. We would be entering into a new era of development. When I dream of that day, I can’t stop from feeling excited. Once again, I confirmed my preference to make constructive plans. So, what are the roles of our Jura Tempest Federation? Our main responsibility was to provide full support to Masayuki. We would send Testarossa to set up an embassy in the Empire. The goal was to dispel the old mindset of the empire and make it feel as if a new era had arrived. The subjects of the Empire had never been defeated in war before. They had never apologized to another nation for their mistakes, even when they were hurt by Veldora. Perhaps this speaks to Rudra’s greatness, but that was also a reason why the subjects of the Empire might not be able to accept this defeat. Those who had lost loved ones would understand the pain. However, it was likely that those who were just sitting on their laurels at home would demand another war from a safe position. They would focus only on the benefits to be gained and be insensitive to the pain of others. It is highly likely that they would not be pleased with Masayuki’s opposition to war. With Velgrynd around, there was no point in directly interfering, but…they might interfere behind the scenes while showing reverence on the outside, which would be a very troublesome thing. It was up to Minits to persuade the nobles, and Calgurio would be in charge of the military. However, I was worried that the two of them were not strong enough to deal with the cunning old underbelly of society. Velgrynd had casually suggested, ‘Why don’t I just kill them all?’ but we could not let her do such a thing. In an empire of dwindling talent, there was no way they could afford to reduce the number of human resources any further. We would have to use such troublesome people to our advantage. The road ahead was a difficult, thorny path, but I had come to the conclusion in the last few days that we had no choice but to try. That is where Testarossa comes in. With the help of Moss, our agent with a hell of an ear, we could sweep away the schemes of the malicious in one fell swoop. Even those who are troublesome when swarmed together may become cooperative if we threate—er, no, persuade them by grasping their individual weaknesses. The Western States Council was now settled to the point where Cien alone could handle it, so it was decided that Testarossa would be transferred. It was also decided that Venom would continue to accompany Masayuki as his bodyguard. “I’ll be borrowing some of your family members, is that okay?” “Kufufufu, no problem. If it is for the good of Rimuru-sama, please do not hesitate to use 188

them.” I had nothing to say about this. As for Diablo, it was too tiring to dig into it. Unlike the morning discussion, the afternoon was livelier. After the problems that the Imperial side had put together were disclosed, everyone discussed them to come up with countermeasures. It was a very meaningful time. “We, as members of the Empire, will never forget the kindness you have shown us.” “Hey now, we are still in the planning stages. We’re just starting to make things happen. If you want to thank me, wait until the project is completed.” “Hahaha, the project, huh? I’m no match for Your Majesty Rimuru…that this national challenge can be described in one word.” Minits-san was smiling. But there was a gleam in his eyes, and my words seemed to have ignited his will to fight. I’m glad that he was motivated. In this way, we reached an agreement on the plan, but there was still a problem that we should not forget. It was Gazel who mentioned it. “So, Rimuru. Let me ask you the most important question. Can you win?” It was true…Michael and Feldway, and their men…there was a threatening enemy out there, watching us with an eagle eye. “Honestly, I can’t guarantee that I’m going to win, but I’m definitely not going to lose.” “Well, it’s you after all, so no matter what method is used, I’m sure you’ll do whatever it takes to turn those words into something real.” “Even overestimated.” “Hmph! To be honest, when I saw Velgrynd-sama’s strength, I was prepared for defeat and death. I knew she was strong, but I didn’t expect her to be that powerful.” Vaughn and Dolph-san nodded in agreement at Gazel’s frank confession. Well, I thought it was over too when I saw Testarossa and the others collapse. After that, because I was so angry, I got over my fear—or rather, I felt like it was over before I realized it, and thinking back on it now, I wonder how I even managed to win. But well, I have Ciel now. And Veldora and Diablo and the others. It was reassuring to know that I’m not alone. “I never thought I’d lose to a slime either, but now I’m grateful. I don’t think that even Velzard-nee can beat Rimuru.” Velgrynd, not offended by Gazel’s words, said this quite matter-of-factly. I doubted that I could defeat Velzard-san, who had beaten Veldora one-sidedly, but I was pretty sure that Velgrynd was speaking from the heart. 189

“I’m also embarrassed by your high opinion of me.” “Don’t be modest. Your victory over me was not by luck, but by sheer strength. Moreover, you won overwhelmingly, so what are you talking about?” Velgrynd was not ashamed of her defeat, because it was in the past for her. I think she had overcome it now and accepted it honestly. It was people like that who scared me the most, and I secretly raised my alert level on Velgrynd. From here, it was time to talk seriously about my own thoughts. “The reality is that we don’t know what the enemy’s true strength is, and we cannot predict how they’ll react. Regardless of their purpose, I’m curious about their aim, or rather, what kind of methods they will use.” As I said this, I projected several people onto a giant screen. “These are the enemies that invaded the labyrinth this time. Their existence values are roughly equivalent to three million, which is a high level of strength even compared to the leaders of our country. They’re such a nasty opponent that I think it’s best to avoid fighting them one-on-one.” After I said that, I disclosed all of the information I knew. Then, as if to add to my story, Velgrynd said. “I eliminated this one, but I have a word of advice. These people are the ones who used to help Brother Veldanava in ancient times, and they are as nasty as the primordials. Their bodies are currently still sealed, and all those who appeared in the labyrinth were just a weakened ‘Split Body.’ They can’t be defeated by ordinary means, so you’d better be on your guard.” Hearing that put one at a loss for words. Because Velgrynd, the one who said such a thing, had already destroyed one of them so easily. «That is the effect of the ‘Dimension Leap’ in Velgrynd’s power. Velgrynd herself can only leap towards the mark of Rudra’s soul fragment, but she should have no problems firing her technique towards the mark.» I see… In other words, Velgrynd traced the connection between Cornu’s ‘Split Body’ and his main body, and destroyed both of them together. «That’s right. If it is a ‘Spacetime Continuous Attack’ that can transcend time and space, then there is no way to escape it, even if the being is a ‘Parallel Existence.’» Seriously, that’s messed up. I mean, Velgrynd was just too good. I didn’t know how much experience she had accumulated, but she was now perfectly in control of her own powers. She was already powerful before, but now she had become even stronger. Veldora was so happy to learn ‘Parallel Existence,’ but this turned out to be completely pointless. I wonder if Veldora knew about this… I felt a little sorry for him. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know how to react. The Imperials and Gazel’s group were also pondering carefully over Velgrynd’s words. The Empire still had a trump card with Velgrynd. They could rely on her, but the problem was Dwargon. “We can’t win, huh?” “That’s right. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do.” 190

“Vaughn!” “But it’s true. There’s no point in trying to look good, so why don’t we just have an honest discussion and think about countermeasures?” “Uh, no, you’re right, but…but…” “Vaughn is right. We can’t win against them anyway, but we should still have a plan for when we do encounter them. So, Your Majesty Rimuru, based on the goals of you, Michael, and the Phantom King, do you think Dwargon will also be involved?” Hmm, it’s unlikely, right? “It probably doesn’t matter. It’s not that it’s safe, it’s just that it’s a lower a priority.” “Hmm. So because the enemy’s goal is to resurrect their God Veldanava, they don’t care about Dwargon anyway, correct?” “I don’t mean to be rude, but I suppose.” “It’s okay. As a warrior, I am unhappy, but as a king, I am relieved.” Gazel finished and smiled bitterly. “So, by that measure, is the enemy serious?” “Kufufufufu. Do they think that by harnessing the power of Veldora-sama and Velzardsama, the resurrection of Veldanava-sama will be accomplished? All I can say is that it’s a stupid idea.” “In the first place, Veldanava-sama is immortal. To resurrect him through human power is beyond foolishness.” Diablo scoffed, and Benimaru was indignant. It is a mystery as to why Veldanava has not been resurrected, but it is still true that the True Dragon race is immortal. I also agreed with the opinion that we should just leave it alone, left unspeakable. “But if that’s the case, won’t the Dragon Princess be targeted as well?” Calgurio pointed out sharply. Indeed, Milim had inherited Veldanava’s power, so it would not be surprising if she was targeted. This question was answered by Velgrynd. “That possibility cannot be denied, but to mess with my brother’s beloved would be to put the cart before the horse. It’s possible for them to simply want to take his power, but if they sincerely wish for his resurrection, then I’d like to think they wouldn’t do anything that would offend him.” Well, Milim was strong, and she didn’t seem to have an Ultimate Skill of the Angelic System. Plus with Karion-san and Frey-san having awakened, I didn’t think we would need to worry too much about her. Since Velgrynd thought things were okay, it would probably be enough just to warn them. However, there was something else that bothered me. “In that way, doesn’t it sound like Veldanava was unconcerned about his siblings?” “You’re pretty rude.” Velgrynd looked at me, seemingly more speechless than annoyed. “Uh, I’m sorry. I’m an honest person, so I just…” “Well, it’s fine.” Lucky. Velgrynd’s generosity saved my life. I would reflect on this and be careful on what 191

I said in the future. “It doesn’t matter. A True Dragon thinks differently than the rest of those who have an end in sight. The same goes for Velzard-nee, who has destroyed Veldora over and over again in the name of education. So, perhaps they are planning to wait for the resurrection of Brother Veldanava before releasing our power.” Yes, that made sense. They think he’ll be resurrected after he’s eaten, just like I did. In doing so, the memories would be inherited, so whether or not the personality would change was simply not a matter of concern. “In other words, Milim-sama is not indestructible because she is not a True Dragon species. If you kill Milim-sama, you will incur the wrath of the resurrected Veldanava-sama.” Testarossa summed up what Velgrynd had said. Perhaps, I think that’s the right way to look at it. “All right, then, let’s just warn Milim, too.” I said as such, and Velgrynd nodded. Then she turned to Masayuki, who was sitting next to her. “You look like someone else, but…Masayuki, you’re definitely a target, so you have to be very careful, okay?” “Eh?! They’re not giving up yet?” “Your Majesty… Unlike here in the labyrinth, you can’t come back from the dead in the Empire! You must be more aware of this and take better care of yourself.” “We will do everything in our power to protect Your Majesty, but the other party is still our opponent. Your Majesty yourself must be more aware of this.” “O-Okay…uh, I mean, I understand.” Masayuki’s lame-ass reply brought the afternoon’s discussions to an end. Dinner was sumptuous. It was a full course meal of Italian cuisine. We started with a soup of beets—rather, a vegetable similar to beets—followed by gizzard confit. After zeppolines8 , we were served couscous with various vegetables and a lightly roasted medium-fatty Spearhead Armored Fish. Everything was absolutely divine, but it didn’t stop there. Savory panna cotta with prawn, battleship fish involtini9 , and spaghetti with fortress crabs were added to the superb menu. As I took a break with the mushroom risotto, the seafood soup arrived. The soup, from which the extracts of all the seafood of the day had been extracted, was a wonderful dish that changed flavor with each sip. The soup was made by simmering various 8 I think this is some sort of Italian potato donut/dumpling. 9 Italian mini food-rolls. Eggplant involtini are fairly common. 192

soups for more than half a day and mixing them together. It was no exaggeration to say that this dish was made by the thoughtfulness of the chefs, and it was a hidden masterpiece that could be eaten only once a year. And finally, the main dish of the day. It was a veal deer fillet steak. I cut it gently with a knife and placed it in my mouth. The tender meat melted before I could even finish biting into it. Delicious. Seriously, it’s so delicious! As soon as we finished eating, Benimaru and I gave each other a high five. There was no need to exchange words, and that was enough. Normally, we would have a lively conversation during the meal, but everyone was quiet today. I felt that this was a sign of satisfaction. When the white wine yogurt was served for dessert, everyone finally started to talk about their impressions. “What is this deliciousness?! As an imperial aristocrat myself, I was proud to have tasted countless gourmet foods, but this is truly something else!!” “I understand. Even as a prisoner of war, I always looked forward to eating here, and I’ve never felt more blissful than I do today. Thank you, Your Majesty Rimuru!” “To be honest, if I can eat like this, I’d be happy to be Emperor.” “I’ve also learned how to cook, but this is impossible for me. There’s nothing wasted, and the food has been thoughtfully prepared with the eater in mind.” The Imperials were raving about it. Dwargon’s side was not to be outdone. “Rimuru, it seems that your cooking has improved here. Shuna-dono, was it? I’d like to invite you to my country to teach us a few recipes.” “That’s true. I prefer drinking to eating, but this is different. The portions small enough that it makes you want to eat more. It’s all very well-thought-out.” “No, I don’t think it’s calculated, but I agree that I wanted to eat more of each dish.” “Hah! It was so delicious, I almost left for the next world.” “What do you mean, Jaine-dono? You’re the one who’s eating everything.” “What are you talking about, Anrietta? You’re eating the same amount of food as I am!” “What? Even if you notice something like that, it’s good manners not to point it out!” Basically, it seems that people were satisfied as long as the drinks are good, so I wanted to make them happy with the food as well. Thanks to Shuna and the others, I was able to achieve that goal this time. Incidentally, Shion and Diablo were in normal operation even in such a situation. Diablo was serving us, pouring us drinks, and Shion was standing upright as a guard. But I know. Shuna told me secretly that Shion was always eating and drinking in the name of poison testing. This time, she even took another bite to eat, so I didn’t have to worry that she might get hungry. 193

We took a moment of relaxation after dinner. The location changed to the common room, and we all enjoyed chatting over a cup of coffee. While we were chatting about the food and other small talk, Gazel suddenly spoke to me. “By the way, Rimuru, there’s something that’s been bothering me.” “Yes, what is it?” “It’s something you did.” “Um…what…??” “Benimaru-dono and the other executives there—you’re the one who made them evolve, right?” “Ah, yes.” Ah, that’s a sign towards being reprimanded. I wish he’d stop saying things out of the blue like that. I don’t think I’ll get hit, but at least give me some time to think of an excuse beforehand. I was prepared, but Gazel smiled and continued. “Don’t be so nervous. I’m not angry. I paled when Jaine told me about it, but now I understand that it was necessary.” “Yes, I suppose it was.” Phew. I was relieved that he didn’t seem upset. “But explaining it to the rest of the world will be tricky, won’t it?” “What do you mean?” “What—you haven’t thought of that? The Western Nations, the Western Holy Church, Sarion, and the rest of the human world must have been paying attention to this war. Even if we declare the end of the war, we still need to explain the process.” “I was just going to fake it, but…” They wouldn’t believe me even if I explained things seriously, but as long as I shut up and didn’t say anything, nobody would know that my friends had evolved into awakened demon lords. I thought I could get away with it as long as the deception went well. “Well, that should be fine for the West. Blumund and others might have doubts, but the rest of the world is too peaceful. Some of them may be suspicious, but they won’t be able to stand up to Tempest, who is becoming an ally. You won’t be bullish, right?” “In that case, there nothing wrong—” “—However! ‘That woman’ can’t be fooled. She will definitely demand a formal explanation. What are you going to do?” Uh, ‘that woman?’ Ah, he meant her! “Oh, you mean El-tan? That’s okay. I already told her.” Elmesia-san was also worried about the war, and she and Myourmiles-kun and I had talked about it. In the worst case, she said they were considering accepting refugees. The three of us, Myourmiles and Elmesia-san and I, had a means of emergency communication as the conspiracy trio known as the ‘three drunk sages.’ It was a high-performance magic tool, compact and foldable. Put quite simply, it was a cell phone. 194

Inspired by Clayman’s Skill, it used long distance radio signals and geomagnetism for encrypted communication, and was capable of making long distance calls without being interrupted by magic. However, because the materials used were all rare, the price per unit was incredibly high. Since they could not be distributed even to the executives, one could understand just how valuable these were. With this, I was able to communicate directly with Elmesia-san. So, before the party started, I sent a message to her saying, ‘We won,’ along with a victory report. El-tan’s reply was, ‘Ok, I’m relieved. I’ll listen to you properly next time, so I’ll come over to play again, haha.’ So, there was nothing for Gazel to worry about. And yet… “El-tan?!” Gazel shouted at the top of his lungs. And now he was staring at me with a look of disbelief. Huh? “Was there anything surprising in what I just said?” “Don’t be stupid! How did you get so close to that Emperor?!” Oh, that. Well, I’m pretty good at that kind of thing. No matter how difficult someone is, you can always start with a conversation. And the most important thing is to have a good understanding of what the other person wants to say. In the past, when I was working as a supervisor at a construction site, there were nearby residents who always made absurd complaints. However, by listening to them calmly, the problems were able to be solved surprisingly easily. Of course, there are also times when there is nothing one can do. In those cases, just listening is good enough. Always keep listening. By doing so, the other person will feel closer to you, convinced that you can understand them, and gradually accept you. That, or you can just bide your time and wait for the problem to be solved. In this case, there’s no need to do anything in particular, just listen to the complaints and keep the conversation going. This makes the other person feel more intimate, and it’s overall a similar process. In this way, what was most important in my outlook of life was the way I treated others, and the way I communicated with them. I had felt the same way when meeting Elmesia-san, and before I knew it, we had become friends. Could it have been the alcohol? I’ve forgotten about that kind of thing. Forgetting things that aren’t beneficial to you is a good way to live. Of course, it’s also very important to reflect on your mistakes so that you don’t make them again. It’s a difficult thing to do, and I’m still learning. “Well, how I did it is a secret, but we’re good friends now, anyway.” I’m not stupid enough to tell him about my drunken mistakes at the bar. That’s what I said, but it seems that Gazel was not convinced. “Rimuru, the Emperor of Sarion is a difficult person to meet, and waiting for an audience normally takes several months. Even if I apply from Dwargon, it takes half a year. That woman has a long lifespan, so a month is like a day in her eyes…and yet you’re acting like it’s easy to contact her?!” “Uh.” “Yes, that’s right, Your Majesty Rimuru! Sarion is also very important to our Empire. I did not expect this level of a connection…” 195

Even Calgurio and the others joined in on the conversation. When I asked them about it in detail, they told me that the Empire considered Sarion to be its greatest threat. It was speculated that they had a number of magical weapons that were yet to be seen, and that they had intended to save attacking Sarion for last. Listening to Calgurio and Minits-san’s explanation, Gazel nodded in agreement. Even in the Western Nations, there were many nations that recognized Sarion’s complexion, however, it was natural for them to react that way because Sarion was considered a military power that could swallow up the Western economic zone all on its own. And the ease with which I was able to have a direct conversation with the leader of such a great power without an appointment…even if I didn’t know much about it, it really was a bit hard to believe. But that said, it was all true. “A-Ahahaha, well, you know, this? I guess I was lucky.” “Hmm, it is only natural for Rimuru-sama.” “That’s right! Rather, it is the other party who should be grateful for their luck!” Diablo and Shion praised me from the sidelines, but I wished they would keep their mouths shut. Seeing Gazel sigh deeply made me think it even more so. However, Minits-san unexpectedly seemed to agree with Shion and the others. “Well, if she saw through His Majesty Rimuru’s true value, then indeed the emperor’s reaction is understandable.” Calgurio nodded in agreement. “That’s right. That fearsome Celestial Empress would be able to pull off something like that without a second thought. Our empire has always thought that the country’s magical warriors would not move out. If that had been the emperor’s intention, she would have targeted our home country while Rimuru and the others were at a disadvantage. It was a close call.” He was much more wary of Sarion than I thought he would be. I was quite relieved that we were getting along well because I hadn’t expected Sarion to be such a dangerous country. El-tan had invited me to come visit next time, so I would be sure to pay her a visit and learn more about things then. “I’m sure this information was also kept secret, but how far did the Intelligence Bureau get—” “No. Unfortunately, I hadn’t heard of this either. Well, it’s still a long time ago for me, so perhaps I just forgot.” Velgrynd was happily denying Minits-san’s statement. She seemed to be very vindictive, and I was pretty sure she remembered everything, even if it was a long time ago. “Oh, is there something you want to say to me?” “N-No, it’s nothing…” Scary, it’s like she read my mind. This kind of person is dangerous, so I would try not to offend them. Even so, I was shocked that they were so surprised by my connection with Elmesiasan. This was… I guess it was best to keep the fact that Myourmiles-kun was also a comrade a secret between us. With everything from the ‘Three Drunk Sages’ going on, it would be better 196

to be careful about letting things slip. I made a secret vow to do so, and the night continued on. The next morning, Gazel and his group left. Calgurio and the rest of their group, in accordance with the agreed plan, began to prepare for their return. The work was still in progress, but the construction would be handed over to Adalmann’s men. There were some who wanted to stay in the country, but they were persuaded to give priority to the stability of the empire first before thinking about immigration. In less than a week, the preparations were completed, and they were scheduled to depart. In this way, the remaining problems were identified, countermeasures were devised, and the status quo was confirmed. There were no problems on the Imperial side. We would just have to wait for word from Testarossa, taking a wait-and-see approach, until the situation changed. The Dwarven Kingdom was a bit worried. If a seraph-level enemy appeared, Gazel and the others would have a difficult time. However, the city of Dwargon, which was like a natural fortress, was equipped with multiple magical defenses. It wouldn’t be easy to break through them, so they could just contact us whenever something happened. I had also given Gazel a cell phone, so he could use it in the case of an emergency. And one more thing. I decided to send Agera over to Gazel’s side. Gazel had told me that he wanted to re-train himself. Agera had also asked to go out for a while to calm his mind. He said he had a lot to worry about and mull over. Carrera had no hesitation in saying that Agera could do as he pleased. As for me, knowing Agera’s situation, I was at a loss as to how to respond. I accepted the suggestion, thinking that time was of the essence here. With this, even Dwargon could withstand an endurance battle. Of course, it would be best if nothing went wrong, but if something did happen, they could still manage. The Kingdom of Farmenas, where Youm and the others were, had also been dealt with. Diablo sent Gadra to explain the situation. He hadn’t had a private meeting with me, so he had left two days ago. Gadra also had a role as a guardian of the labyrinth, but there was no Demon Colossus. There was not even a remnant of the wreckage, so we had to build it from scratch. The researchers seemed to have rejoiced because there were some new functions they were excited to try. It was not easy on my wallet to pay for the materials, but I asked them to make a satisfactory product since the government treasury would be paying for it this time. Since there was still some time before the completion of the project, it was agreed that he would stay in Farmenas for the time being. 197