Rimuru said, "Okay, guys. Stay here because Gobta and I are going to go inside the dwargon city."
Rigurd looked worried. "But are you sure, Lord Rimuru?"
Rimuru reassured him. "I'm sure. I don't want to cause any trouble, and besides, if I bring all of you, they might think a monster is attacking."
Ranga whined, "You're so wise, Master, but I'm sad because I can't go with you and I can't guard you."
Rimuru patted Ranga's head. "It's okay, Ranga. If someone attacks me inside, I'll call you."
Ranga nodded, "Okay, Master. Take care of yourself inside."
Rimuru waved goodbye. "Okay, guys, Gobta and I are going. Bye!"
Everyone waved back. "Bye, Master. Take care!"
Rimuru and Gobta joined the line to enter the dwarven city. As they stood there, Rimuru started to think.
Rimuru's Thoughts: {According to my memory from the novel I read, the military nation Dwargon...
It was the Kingdom of Dwarves.
One thousand years had passed since the first generation dwarf hero, King Guran Dwargo, had built this country.
To this day, the country had been protecting and developing its history, culture, and technologies.
The current King Gazel Dwargo was part of the third generation of dwarves, but possessed a similar aura to that of his grandfather in his younger days.
He was renowned as a great hero and celebrated as a wise king for his impartial rule.
The land was governed by one such a dwarf.
As a free trade town, it was the center of trade between all kinds of races.
Therefore, the town kept a policy of absolute neutrality.
Within this town, the wise king would not tolerate violence.
Even the Empire in the east avoided open aggression with the military nation Dwargon!
Needless to say, this was a favorite topic of conversation among adventurers.
The dwarves were known to be such ferocious opponents that there was even a saying, "Go against a dwarf once, there won't be a second time!"
Their reputation as a military nation was not just for show!
In battle, a wall of heavy infantry would defend the Army Magic Corps.
The opposing enemies would be totally annihilated by the powerful magic attacks before even managing to break through the infantry wall.
During these past 1,000 years, the might of the dwarven army that boasted of invincibility had always remained famous.
And the factor which supported their claims...
It was none other than the equipment they produced using their technological strength.
The weapons and armor they crafted using their cutting-edge techniques far surpassed the quality of ordinary goods.
Therefore!
Rather than quarrel with the dwarf race, people chose to create friendly ties.
For this reason, even if one were to encounter demons in dwarf territory, there was hardly anyone who would foolishly cause conflict.
Their capital was a place where humans and demons mingled.
It was truly one of the strangest lands in the world.
Not to mention, while the capital positively overflowed with tools of war, it was still a country that was able to enjoy peace.
The fact that the arms dealers' stronghold was the farthest from causing strife might have been, in a way...ironic.
In front of the entrance, there was a large line of people entering.
There, a large gate was built that was big enough to completely block the naturally-formed great cave.
The only times the gate was opened was on the occasions when the army needed to come and go, and only once a month at that.
Unfortunately, it was closed today.
Below the large gate, a small door was installed for the express purpose of letting people in and out.
A line of people was formed on the left side of the passage. It appeared that the right-hand side was a pathway for the likes of nobles and important figures.
That's what I assumed as I observed my surroundings while lining up on the left side.
While waiting, I saw that there was a varied treatment of the people, such as those who received a free pass, while others would be taken into a separate room to be checked.
Befitting of a military nation, the guards took a firmly defensive stance.
Although it seemed that you were comparatively free to act when you get inside....
Still, the line was incredibly long. It might be that we would spend more time here waiting than we did traveling...!
But at the moment I was thinking that, }
While Rimuru was lost in thought, an ugly-looking adventurer shouted at them.
"Oi, oi! There's a goblin in a place like this! We're still not inside, so isn't it fine to kill that goblin here?"
Rimuru thought, {This guy looks familiar, but where did I see him again? Hmm, maybe he's not important, but if he's going to attack us, I'm just going to scare him, heh.}
Raphael, Rimuru's ultimate skill, whispered, {Master, you are a demon.}
Rimuru thought, {I'm not going to comment on that.}
The adventurer continued, "Hey, what are you doing lining up there? You guys are damn cheeky. If you don't want to die, give me that spot! Also, leave everything you have behind. And then I'll let you go this time!!!"
Rimuru scoffed, "Are you threatening us? You two seem weak to me. Are you sure you can kill a monster? Because you guys are really weak."
The adventurer leader sneered, "What did you say? You're handsome, so you just gonna tell us we're weak? Oh, I know, we'll just destroy your handsome face, boys. Get these two weaklings!"
His companions roared, "Yes, sir!"
Rimuru told Gobta, "Stay here, Gobta. I'm going to take care of this trash."
The adventurers charged, yelling, "Why you attack this weakling?"
Rimuru unleashed a small burst of his Jio Graze, the flames licking at the air. The adventurers stopped, their eyes wide with fear. Rimuru was carefully controlling the heat, ensuring no one would be harmed.
Rimuru smirked, "What, you're scared now?"
The adventurer leader, sweating, tried to regain his composure. "Boys, it's just a bluff. Just kill this weakling."
His companions, still trembling, growled, "Die..."
But before they could attack, Rimuru unleashed a more powerful wave of Jio Graze, engulfing the surrounding mountain in flames. The adventurers, caught off guard, screamed and peed their pants.
The adventurer leader stammered, "W..HA..T.. ARE YOU A DEMON LORD?"
Rimuru chuckled, "What are you going to do about it if I am a Demon Lord, hmm?"
The adventurers panicked, "DEMON LORD IS GONNA KILL US! HELP US!"
The other people in line were terrified. They wanted to run away, but their bodies wouldn't move.
A random guy shouted, "All of the high officials, even King Gazel Dwargo and the guards are here!"
King Gazel Dwargo, with Anrietta kneeling behind him, boomed, "What's happening here?"
Anrietta explained, "Your Majesty, some idiot adventurers attacked that unknown guy, and that unknown guy destroyed the mountain in the west. I suspect that unknown guy is an unknown Demon Lord, but I don't know his name."
Gazel nodded, "Thank you for your report. You can go back now."
Anrietta bowed and disappeared.
Rimuru was about to kill the adventurers who had annoyed him, but King Gazel shouted, "STOP! If you're going to kill them, we will lock you up, or you won't be able to enter the Dwargon nation."
Rimuru was surprised. "So this is King Gazel from the anime. He looks strong and intimidating, but seeing him face to face, I'm impressed because he's strong."
He chuckled, "You're going to lock me up? Hahaha, this is the first time someone's told me they're going to lock me up. And besides, I didn't even do anything. I was just chilling while my subordinate and I were standing in line, and these random dudes kept annoying us, and you said you're going to lock me up? But the question is, can you or your subordinates do that?"
Rimuru released 50% of his magicules, a smile spreading across his face.
The world shook again, and the high officials of the major nations felt the powerful magicules. The people around King Gazel were nervous, shielding their king.
King Gazel, though deep down nervous, remained unfazed, his kingly composure holding firm. The others were ready to fight even the monster Rimuru, but he, along with Gobta, walked towards the entrance of the dwarven city.
Rimuru started to laugh, the suffocating atmosphere making him want to break the tension. He stopped his subordinate.
"Fu."
The adventurers, ready to attack, froze. "Fu?"
Rimuru laughed, "Fuhahahahahahahahahahaha, you all are funny! Teasing around, look at all of you! You're all so serious! Hahahahahaha!"
The adventurers were dumbfounded. They thought a fight was about to start.
King Gazel snapped, "Guards, arrest the idiot adventurers. And you, boy, what is your name?"
Rimuru grinned, "Onii."
Gazel frowned, "Onii what?"
Rimuru chuckled, "Onii-chan! Fuhahahaha!"
Raphael, Rimuru's ultimate skill, sighed, "Master, your jokes are not funny."
Even her ultimate skill was disappointed.
Rimuru thought, Kuah...
Rimuru thought, {It's not my fault. The author is the one who made me say that.}
The author, breaking the fourth wall, grumbled, {What the heck! How did you break the fourth wall again? This is starting to annoy me!}
Rimuru replied, {Not my fault. You're too poor to buy a sealed tape, and author, your sealed tapes are expired now. And please don't write any embarrassing words.}
The author, exasperated, {Grrrrr, don't say that! I'm not poor, I'm just saving my money to buy a 10k sealed tape. And I'm going to continue the story, bye!}
Rimuru waved, {Bye, author, an... }
Before Rimuru could finish, the fourth wall repaired itself.
Back to the story.
King Gazel, his voice laced with anger, said, "TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!"
Rimuru, still chuckling, said, "Okay, okay, jeez. You're so serious. You're not going to find a girlfriend if you're always serious. And I'm Rimuru Tempest."
King Gazel, trying to regain his composure, said with a smug face, "Grrr, I have you know I'm popular with women."
Rimuru rolled his eyes, "Really, old man?"
King Gazel, ignoring the insult, said, "Anyway, back to the point. Why are you here in my nation?"
Rimuru, remembering his purpose, said, "Oh! I almost forgot. I came here because I need an artisan. Can you help me with that?"
King Gazel, intrigued, asked, "And what are you going to do with them?"
Rimuru, his face beaming, said, "I'm going to build a monster nation where humans and monsters can coexist. That's my dream."
King Gazel, though skeptical, said, "That's an absurd dream you got there, but I will help you because you have the power to back it up. Maybe that dream will come true, but you have to find yourself an artisan. I'm not going to force them to come to you. Are you ready for a change?"
Rimuru nodded eagerly, "Of course."
Rimuru and King Gazel entered the gate of the dwarven city.
King Gazel said, "This is where we part ways. I have a lot to do in my office."
Rimuru nodded, "Okay, thanks for letting us in your nation. And this is the gif..."
Before Rimuru could finish, some guards rushed towards them.
"Your Majesty, there's a big trouble, a big accident in the mine! We don't know why, but armored dinosaurs have come out..."
Gazel, his face grim, said, "If we don't deal with them before they run out of the city..."
The guard interrupted, "About that, Majesty, actually that's not the problem. The patrolling team has already gone to subjugate them. However, the miners went very deep into the mine to collect magic ores, and seem to have been severely injured."
"What about Garum and the others?" Kaidou asked, his voice laced with worry. "The captain here said there isn't enough recovery medicine. If this goes on..."
"We're being ignored," Rimuru sighed.
"Yeah," Gobta agreed.
"Captain, because of the war funds, there aren't enough recovery medicines. If this continues..." the guard trailed off, his face etched with concern.
Kaidou, his voice firm, said, "Don't say dumb things! They're like my own brothers. How can I let them die so easily? Anyways, with the current recovery medicine..."
Before he could finish, Rimuru tapped his shoulder. "Captain, Captain."
Kaidou turned, surprised. "Do you need something, Rimuru-sama?"
Rimuru smiled, "Take this." He held out a small vial.
"What is this, Rimuru-sama?" Kaidou asked, his eyes widening.
Rimuru explained, "This is a 99% potion I made."
"What? 99%?" Kaidou exclaimed, disbelief evident in his voice.
"This isn't the time to be impressed by how I did it," Rimuru said, his tone serious. "You need to help your brothers."
Kaidou nodded, his face filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Rimuru-sama. How am I going to repay this?"
"We'll talk about it later," Rimuru said, his voice gentle. "Save your brothers first."
"Thank you very much, Rimuru-sama," Kaidou said, his voice filled with emotion.
Kaidou and the other guards left, rushing to their brothers' aid.
King Gazel, his eyes narrowed, asked, "It's true, Rimuru, that potion is 99%? "
Rimuru nodded. "Yep, and here's the evidence. Reagan, come here."
Reagan, his face scarred, walked hesitantly towards Rimuru. Rimuru splashed a bit of the potion on Reagan's face. The scar vanished, leaving his skin smooth and unmarked.
Everyone gasped in awe, their eyes wide with wonder.
Rimuru smiled, "See, Reagan doesn't have a scary scar on his face anymore."
But Reagan wasn't happy. His face fell, and a look of sadness filled his eyes. "My lord, that scar on my face reminded me of my last wife. Now she's gone, and it was like a momento of her, a gift she gave me. So, I didn't use the ultra-speed regeneration to get rid of it."
Reagan's voice choked with emotion. His words touched everyone's hearts. The monsters and dwarves, even King Gazel, felt a pang of sadness. Tears welled up in their eyes, but they held them back. Ranga, who had lost his mother, felt a deep sadness as well, but he tried to stay strong.
Rimuru, touched by Reagan's story, felt a lump in his throat. He realized this wasn't just an anime anymore. This was real life. He was about to cry, but he quickly composed himself.
"Sorry about that, Reagan," Rimuru said, his voice soft. "How about this: when we're done with Dwargon, I'll resurrect your wife."
The people were stunned. Before anyone could react, King Gazel spoke, his voice sharp, "Don't be absurd, Rimuru! You can't resurrect a dead person."
The author, breaking the fourth wall, interjected, Yes, Rimuru can resurrect people, even if their souls are gone or destroyed. Because Rimuru can just create that ultimate skill using Creation God Yahweh. And the ultimate skill Creation God Yahweh can create anything, as I said, anything, even copy their soul or copy of bloodline and power, even if it's not a skill.
Rimuru was about to argue, but Kaidou and his brothers rushed towards them.
"Thank you for your potion, Rimuru-sama," they said, their voices filled with gratitude. After thanking Rimuru, they went back to work.
Rimuru smiled. "It's nothing. As I said before, you can just pay me."
Kaidou, still overwhelmed by the potion's power, said, "And how much is the potion, Rimuru-sama? I know it's 99%, but..."
Rimuru interrupted him, tapping his shoulder. "I don't need money. You can just introduce me to an artisan. That's all I need."
Kaidou's eyes lit up. "Oh, that's easy. In fact, my brother is an artisan."
"Can you introduce me to your brother? I need an artisan to build my village," Rimuru said, his voice filled with excitement.
"Of course, Rimuru-sama. That's easy. Please follow me."
Rimuru nodded. "Wait here for a moment, Kaidou." He turned to his subordinates. "Hey guys, you can wander around first. Don't forget to buy supplies and clothes for the people in the village. And here's some extra cash if you need it."
Rimuru created a pile of money and gave it to his subordinates.
"And Reagan, we'll talk after this, after we're done in Dwargon," Rimuru said, turning back to Kaidou.
Rimuru and Kaidou started walking again. Rimuru's subordinates, impressed by the potion's power, started discussing who created that sword and other things. After a while, they reached their destination.
"We're here, Rimuru-sama," Kaidou said, leading them into a blacksmith shop.
"Big bro, are you there?" Kaidou called out. Inside, a dwarf was forging a sword, his concentration so intense that he didn't even bother to look up.
Rimuru chuckled, "In the novel and anime, this guy is hardworking as ever. He didn't even look at us while doing his work."
After a few moments, the dwarf finally looked up.
"Oh, if it isn't Kaidou," he said, his voice gruff. "Sorry, I'm quite busy right now. Come back another day if it's urgent." He turned back to his work.
Rimuru stepped forward, "Oh, I'm the one you saved earlier using my potion. You work here?"
The dwarf, startled, looked up again. "Ah, ah! Hello, Master Rimuru." He turned to his brother. "Kaijin-san, it's exactly this one here, the handsome man who saved me and the others earlier."
Kaijin stopped forging the sword and looked at Rimuru. "Is that so? You have my gratitude. Sorry, I can't stop the work in my hands right now."
Rimuru smiled, "No, it's no problem. I'm the one intruding."
Another dwarf, Dord, said, "Old man, how about discoursing with him for a bit?"
Kaijin nodded, "Hm, if it's just a little time, I'm fine with it." He turned to Rimuru. "So, why have you come here today?"
They moved further into the shop to talk. Kaidou explained Rimuru's situation, and Rimuru chipped in when needed. But there was a third dwarf brother, Mild, who never said a word.
Rimuru thought, I hate a mysterious person. It's not like he's doing anything...
Kaijin sighed, "I understand what you want now. But I'm sorry, I don't think I can be of any help. The thing is, we've already received a request from a certain country..."
He explained that many countries were feeling pressured by the fear of war because of "a certain fool somewhere." Orders for weapons and armor were being issued everywhere, which explained why the medicines and other goods were out of stock the previous day.
Kaijin continued, "And so, about the request I received. Although I did manage to make 200 steel spears overnight, regarding the main order of 20 swords, not even a single one has been made yet. I don't have the materials, you see..."
Kaidou asked, "If it can't be done, isn't it fine to cancel the order?"
Kaijin, his voice laced with anger, said, "You idiot! Even I told them from the beginning that it was unreasonable, but then that shitty government Minister Bester butted in and said, 'Famed throughout our kingdom for your skills, can not a man of your caliber, Kaijin, complete a small task of this degree?'...is the kind of drivel he prattled on to me!!! Not to mention, this was said in front of the king! Would you forgive him? That shitty bastard!!"
Rimuru thought, Poor Kaijin. He was furious the whole time he talked. Oh well, I'm just going to solve his problem.
Rimuru looked at the completed sword. "Hey, Kaijin-san, is this the goods?"
Kaijin nodded. "Ah, those are only steel swords. That's all."
Rimuru smiled. "Can I see the complete sword you're working on?"
Kaijin handed him the sword. "Well, that's the complete sword I made."
Rimuru, his eyes gleaming, said, "Hey, Kaijin, are you willing to come to our village and become a technology director?"
Kaijin, stunned, stammered, "Ha? Um, I..."
Rimuru, sensing his hesitation, said, "But I really like the sword you forged." He started to devour the sword.
Kaijin, his eyes wide, exclaimed, "Ah! What are you doing? This is the only product there is! Why did that violet thing eat it?"
Rimuru chuckled. "Raphael, start analyzing the sword and make a little stronger quality than that sword."
Raphael, Rimuru's ultimate skill, replied, "Yes, Master. And the product is complete."
Rimuru, his smile unwavering, said, "I won't force you to come to my village, but please think about it. Think about it. Twenty magic long swords, complete."