Rimuru POV
After getting my composure and feeling absolutely bad about leaving Veldora to die, I headed to Tempest, where we had a banquet in celebration of the passing of the sixth month and a half for Tempest, in reality Rigurd would do anything to have a banquet and here he was.
The party was lively, but I felt like it was missing a vital part, Milim, who I couldn't spot anywhere, I remembered how I lashed out at her, and felt sadness rise within me, but then I immediately snuffed it out with better thoughts of how I would make it up to her, to not let the mood die in the banquet.
I decided to ask Souei if he's seen her around, I needed to talk with the guy, I haven't spoken to him properly for a while.
"Hey Souei."
"Lord Rimuru, it's a pleasure to see you, we've missed seeing your face properly, the town got gloomy after that attack." Souei responded with facts and care for my well being, still a dreamboat.
"Heh, always focused on the job, how's the shadow squad? Are they living up to your expectations?" I decided to start the chat with him with a simple question about his teammates.
"They are still not used to it quite yet, but they are shaping up good, given more time they will probably end up the best spies in the world, rivaling the Kingdom of Blummund's and the Sarion Dynasty's."
"Sarion Dynasty? What's that?" I asked, it sounded like a bigshot country, I took interest in it.
"It's a nation consisting of 13 Kingdoms, all with their own autonomy, but all their military and politics is united by one Emperor, that being the High-Elf Elmesia El-Ru, that's all I could find."
I was taken aback, since there was pretty much nothing Souei couldn't find.
"I see, so they must be quite secure."
"They are, yes, but in due time I will get more information for you, Lord Rimuru."
"Good, that's the spirit." The mood got lighter with me praising Souei.
I decided to just ask him about Milim.
"Hey Souei, sorry for asking you so suddenly about an unrelated topic, but have you seen Milim at all these past few days? She's just gone missing."
"She has come to Tempest twice, she looked for you twice, stayed a bit for some food and then left, she was here just yesterday in fact, she said she would return the day after tomorrow, that is tomorrow."
She wasn't mad? I'm genuinely surprised, I thought she would be angry with me for such lashing out at her and her father.. Maybe she was, but got over it.
No point in worrying about it anymore tho, what's gone is gone..
Pretty funny I just said that... When I was breaking down about things that happened and went by.
I mustn't let myself think such things anymore, I have a responsibility with the new skill I got.
"Thank you so much, Souei.
I feel relieved talking with you, since I can now pretty much think clearly."
"Think nothing of it, Lord Rimuru.
I will be off now."
I said my goodbyes to Souei and began heading back to the celebration before feeling an odd presence.
"Kufufufufu... Magnificent.. It seems I made the right choice.." A tall, black haired man with a strand of red, with the most exquisite of eyes you could see, black as the void of despair with the gold of hope for pupils, and with the.. weirdest laugh ever.
"Pardon, do I know you?" I was confused.
The being felt as if they were just stabbed in their heart, I just watched him have a mental breakdown in 2 seconds.
"I was insignificant.. I am sorry my Lord.. I have failed you..
I didn't do enough to get your attention..
But I have captured the man that was alive that you have told me about.
'What the hell is he even saying? Raphael, do you know this.. thing?'
{Yes, this is a demon I've summoned, I tasked him with finding the remaining living forces, he found one person by the name of Razen, a mage with considerable power.
It seems this Demon is eager to serve you, and from my view it seems that you should accept his offer, master.}
'Well.. an extra powerful demon in my army never hurt anyone...'
"Fine, you can come."
I said that as I felt a wind current come in my general direction, I looked up and saw the pegasus knights of Dwargon.
"Hold onto this for me, will you? Consider it your first task." He gave the demon Shizue's mask.
I don't know why his eyes were about to cry a river after I said that.
"Rest assured my lord that I will not let such a precious artifact go to waste!"
"Good, you can go now, I'll talk to you later."
The demon left and I headed back to Tempest and met with Gazel.
Which basically went like this:
"You became a demon lord??!?"
"Yes."
"Do you know how the people will react?!"
"Yes."
"How do you plan on explaining your view of the world to the people, who fear Demon Lords?!?"
"Yes."
"Yes? What is that supposed to mean?"
Oh shoot, I forgot to turn off auto reply.
"Apologies, anyways, I don't need to.
What's done is done, they saw what happened to Falmuth, they take it or leave it and become like them.
I do not care for my public image as much as you do, Gazel, because I know people are kept in check through the harsh truth, which you know about first hand."
I swear I saw Gazel having eyes filled with pride for a split second.
"Well said, Junior, well said.
It seems I've trained you well, your response was well built and was determined as the best choice by you I presume?"
"Yes, I'm saying this as my final word."
Gazel stood up shaking hands with me before he left, not before he told me something more tho.
"If you hear anything about a certain Sarion Dynasty, don't mention me, that's a request, Rimuru."
I wondered why, but just nodded, he might not seem like it, but Gazel is a great drinking buddy.
"Alright, I'll see you later."
After seeing him off I went on with my night, recalling everything that happened over the last week.
First thing in the morning of the next day, I see Milim standing in front of Tempest Central Court, I take a deep breath and approach, she was eyeing me, everyone around just stood to the side or took another street entirely for their movement.
"Hello, Mili-" I couldn't finish my sentence before she appeared right before me and squished me into a hug, I thought my soul left my body for the 3rd time these past few months.
"Don't you ever get mad like that again! You made me and everyone sad!"
She just ignored the fact I semi-insulted her father and her, oh well.
This hug felt nice, my mood got even better, I returned the hug.
"Besties?" She asked me.
"Besties." I replied.
After hanging out with her for a while, I decided to go visit the children who have been staying at Tempest for a while now, they were scared and stranded at first but after a while they became accustomed, Shuna had been teaching them all kinds of things, with Hakurou acting as their weapon's instructor, and Ranga taking them out for all kinds of trips, they were living better than ever.
When I entered the room they were all sitting face to the front looking at the board.
What did Shuna do to them to make such disciplined children.
After they saw I was not Shuna, they relaxed.
"Who are you? And why do you look like Shizue-Sensei?" An orange haired boy asked me.
Soon all the 5 of the children got up and swarmed me.
"You really do look like her." A blond haired girl affirmed the orange-hair's words.
"Alright settle down, as you know, Shizu is gone, much to all of our.. sadness."
The mood got sadder as I couldn't hold back my sadness, effecting all the students, where most of them began tearing up.
I tried to compose myself.
"But, she has left me with the will of saving you guys."
The kids immediately lit up, and began crying.
They were all crying tears of joy and sadness for Shizue, who thought of them to the last.
After getting all of them on board, we went to the dwelling of spirits with the guidance of Treyni, whom I sat down and had a good conversation with, since I didn't talk much to her, she introduced me to one of her sister's, Trya, and some other woodland creatures, most notably two insects that really piqued my interest.
After arriving at the dwelling and entering, we were challenged by an annoying voice and a golem was summoned to attack us.
As soon as it entered the scene it left it.
"Beelzebuth." Was all I needed to say for the fairy to come down and scream in my face to return her golem, which I told her I would do on one condition.
"Let me get some spirits."
"That's all? Easy, now, give me the golem."
"Spirits first."
"Ughhh! Fine!"
What an annoying little creature.
She told us how to summon spirits, and the first one up was Ryota Sekiguchi, a black haired timid boy, at first I thought he was related to Hinata, the woman who was there when Tempest was being raided, then I realized her last name was Sakaguchi.
All he got was lower spirits, but I had the genius idea to steal these spirits, combine them, analyze them, take their skills, then give them to the kids.
Ryota ended up getting two greater spirits, Kenya who was the orange hair, got a greater light spirit.
The blond girl, Alice, got one.
Gale, who seemed to be the most mature of the kids, got one aswell.
The last one was a doozy, Chloe Aubert she was called, when her turn came she wanted me to stand near her, as she felt scared, suddenly a massive spirit was summoned and it rushed at me.
I was too stunned to move, but when she got near me she whispered something to the extent of "Lubelios, Save me, Rimuru." And lunged at me for a kiss, to which I just dodged.
She looked at me shock, then disappeared into Chloe's body.
That was that...
"What happened? Why did you let her enter the girl's bod-"
I just grabbed the fairy and squished her.
"Can't you shut up for a minute? I'm trying to figure out what was that."
After a while, we let it go, it turned out that the fairy was in fact the spirit queen AND a demon lord, much to my half-assed surprise.
We left soon after and returned to Tempest..
Did I forget something? Oh.. yeah..
Her demon.
I'm sure she wouldn't mind.