Rimuru's POV:
I'm heading to Dwargon with Kumara in her child form and Ranga. The scenery passes at such a high speed, we will arrive in a couple of days. I would normally appreciate such a journey, but not with what the old hag told me before departing...
*A few hours after the council, at the Treant Settlement*
-"A good thing done. Now the whole forest has accepted us, I can rest a few days in Hell. And don't forget 'your' money before you go, rascal."
-"..."
-"Rimuru? What's up?"
I didn't pay attention to it earlier, but when we talked about Demon Lords, she said something unpleasant... There's no way I heard it right?
-"Just before you caused a commotion with the porcupine's name, you said another one."
-"Ah, right. Well, his daughter too is a Demon Lord."
Really? What happened to her in all these years? It's best if I sit down before listening to the whole thing, there's no way it was a happy story.
-"Tell me."
She recounted to me how a few years after Veldanava died, Milim's pet dragon died at the hands of foolish mortals. Overloaded by sadness and wrath, the poor child lost control and rampaged, destroying the country responsible for her friend's death and endangering the whole world.
She evolved into a True Demon Lord, and was only stopped thanks to Guy who faced her for a full week, and the spirit queen Ramiris who appeased her rage. Her evolution also triggered the resurrection of her pet, but she sealed him when it appeared he became corrupt because of his severely damaged mind and soul.
Because of her new reputation, she couldn't remain in Rudra's nation. So she fled southward, in a place later called the City of the Forgotten Dragon. And apparently, the Dragon family is in shambles, almost never interacting with each other in millennia, worsened by Rudra and Guy petty games.
-"... I better let you take your time, thinking about it. Just, don't forget. When the time comes, you won't be alone trying to help her. I'm sure you made a promise with him, but since I'm here I will lend you a hand."
*End of flashback*
*Sigh* That's a problem, but not insurmountable. It would have been more difficult to approach Milim casually if she were in the Empire, but now I must only think of a way to draw her attention.
-"My master, we're almost arrived."
Hm? Already, barely a day? Ranga is really fast, that's Star Wolf for you. He evolved even further than the rest of the pack in the spawn of 2 weeks, resting in my shadow and absorbing my magicules.
I can see in the distance Dwargon's gates. We'll stop in the woods, Ranga returning in my shadow to not cause panic. I changed to my chibi form, it will be easier to talk with Dwarves like that. With Kumara following me, for outsiders it will look like a weird short human with a cute child with fox ears. Still better than a fox girl holding a blue blob. I was told Dwargon isn't really discriminating toward monsters, but I want to reduce the risks.
We came close enough to see the waiting line. Shit, it's too long. At this rhythm, we'll pass the gates in 4-5 hours. I don't want to take too much time for it... Okay, let's break in with a teleport spell.
Hoping it will also draw attention of the spying corps. According to the old hag, Dwargon possess one of the best spying network of the world, and the head spy is a true expert at her job. Having trespassers using a teleport spell in such a protected nation is normally bad news, so they will search for us. I'll use this opportunity to pass a message to the King. Why taking the longest path when you can cheat your way for a good result?
-"Hey Kumara, wanna see a little trick?"
-"Sure. We have time to kill after all."
-"Okay, take my hand."
'[Great Sage], find a good spot to appear and take us there.'
'[Understood, probing the dark cave before illegally penetrate it.]'
'Did you just try to make a dirty joke?'
'[Error: cannot process your question. Try again after defining 'dirty jokes' and giving a sample.]'
I'm sure it's not the first time she replied something out of character for an AI. When I drifted in the void between dimensions, I recall she tried to appease my mind by telling me about silly history facts and classical jokes of Earth. I was annoyed sometimes, but glad to have a presence with me, preventing me from going mad.
Moments later, we teleported in a small dark alley, just outside the merchant district. I can't believe it. It took me more than a century and half before starting to understand how space magic works, and now, I only need to let my overconscious, sassy supercomputer do the job for me.
As a precaution, I also cast a special illusion magic on Kumara, altering her magicule signature and look. It's better if she's mistaken for a fox lycanthrope, I don't want to cause a panic by letting others see her true nature as a Ninehead. She's good at controlling her aura, but I prefer to be safe.
Only a minute later I felt a presence, hiding in the shadows of a roof behind us. I see the head spy's reputation wasn't usurped.
-"You can get out, let's talk a little."
-"How did you know I was here? And what are your motives?"
-"I have great senses. And I just wanted to get noticed by you. Don't worry, I'm here as a pacifist."
-"You surely have a good reason to trigger the response of Dwargon's intelligence bureau. Speak now."
She's a dwarf, but with those long ears you could mistake her for an elf. Good to see someone breaking the imagery of Dwarves being only good crafters and warriors. She is ready to jump at my throat if I try something stupid, not that she could do anything to me anyways.
Kumara got tense, she's still shy but this time she prepared herself to fight if needed. We started to train her, so she could defend herself with ease without relying only on brute force. She's a fast learner, having talent in earth and space magic, and quite cunning. She even tried to trick us into naming her 'friends', but we understood they are part of her.
I did it anyway, it's better for her to gain the maximum of strength. Almost nothing in the forest can threaten her now, she's the third strongest in pure magicules behind Mithra and me, and can be considered a Demon Lord seed level. Nonetheless we need to be careful about the future, she still has many things to learn.
-"Take a look at this, I suppose your king also got one."
I throw at the spy a copper coin, with a symbol engraved on it. It reminds of a complex magic pattern, with sparks of demonic magic, depicting a hand on a crown. This 'Coin of High Crowns' as it's called was crafted by the old hag, and she handed a few of them to several rulers she deemed good enough. Although she didn't encounter the king of Dwargon, she made sure one of those would reach him.
And why a copper coin? Officially it's only symbolism, like a good ruler shouldn't overpraise the power of gold or something. Officiously it's because she's stingy, no way she would 'waste' gold coins for this.
-"This... How did you get one of those?"
-"I'm the last one blessed by her, and I think his majesty warned you it's impossible to steal them from their legitimate possessor. I would like to meet your king in the best of times, a talk between two of the 'worthy rulers' of this world."
-"... I will see what I can do. Remain in the merchant district until dusk."
She gave it back before disappearing, looking concerned. It really worked huh? Seriously, I still can't believe the old hag got such a good reputation here. Nevermind, let's do some sightseeing.
-"Hey Rimuru, you and Mithra really like to spice up things don't you?"
-"And you saw nothing. You can trust us to make life even more interesting."
Now the spy's gone, Kumara calmed down. She got used to saying my name casually. When she asked how she should call us, we told her to not use any honorifics or titles. We're basically roommates, since we live in the same house, and we are more or less her guardians. So no need to distance ourselves, she is not a mere subordinate.
We rejoined the main street. The place isn't crowded, and not because it's early in the morning. I overheard guards talking about imposed war drills and reinforced security at gates since Veldora disappeared. At least we're not cramped thanks to it.
We are visiting shops and looking at local products. I'm interested in their technology, borrowing ideas for our future country, and at their food culture, widening my horizons. No need to be careful with our expenses, I got a full pouch from Mithra.
She sat in a pile of gold, her contracts were commonly paid with money, books, sometimes blueprints and even cooking recipes. I'm sure she was mistaken as a follower of Noir, with those odd rewards for a demon.
But man, it's hard to bargain with her. She didn't let go of this money until I told her I needed to cover some expenses for Kumara. I recall she dared sometimes to steal from our treasury when she forgot her wallet for a few personal purchases. I never said anything because she did a good job otherwise and she was reasonable, but still. You love cash too much, old hag.
I made a good harvest, but I'm dealing with a little problem: Kumara doesn't let go of my hand. She's glued to me, hardening her grip if I try to leave, giving cold gazes to onlookers. I can tell from experience that trauma heals slowly, but I need to find a way to hasten the process.
For now, I bought her some treats. Food always brings comfort, and I like to see her ears flutter when she eats something delicious. I'm glad she likes my cooking at home, it's maybe the time of the day she demonstrates her feelings more. And we've taken a habit of patting her head when she eats, with Mithra poking her cheeks when she stuffs too much in her mouth. It's relaxing.
Some time later, the spy came to pick us. The king agreed to a private meeting, with only some of his most trusted aides following him. We rushed to a backdoor used for unofficial events. All of this is meant to not bring excessive attention to us, using a 'Coin of High Crowns' as pretext to encounter a king is no joke, especially in troubled times.
As we traveled through the castle, I glanced at the walls, noticing some barriers, traps and other devices making this place a damn good fortress despite the ornamentations and fancy furniture. Dwargon has earned its reputation as a nigh impregnable place for common folk.
Eventually, we stopped in front of a wide balcony, overlooking a sophisticated indoor garden. There, sitting at the opposite of a large table, I noticed a fierce presence. A tall man for a Dwarf, in high grade armor, looking at me as if he's trying to scrutinize my mind... I see, it's the work of a Unique Skill. I commend you for wanting to inquire about my intentions, but this isn't enough to force your way against me.
But this is a good opportunity. I'll let you see some of my memories, having [Great Sage] select the fittest ones. You'll get to understand who I am, and I'll see what you do next. I'm curious to witness why the old hag esteem you enough to lend you one of those coins, without even having met in person with you.
As I'm inviting him in my mind, he quickly changed his expression. His eyes are almost out of their sockets, and he's struggling to maintain his regal posture after this little surprise. No wonder, those are visions of a long, harsh, but successful struggle for survival, and the establishment of a small utopia in a hidden hell. Well, if we forget about the silliest things we did. The goal of any good ruler, residing here, in my mind.
-"Hmm. When Henrietta barged in my quarters panicking about an intruder 'blessed' by the Demon of Honor, never could I imagine encountering someone like you..." He says while rubbing his beard, acting like he controls the situation. "My name is Gazel Dwargo, third king of Dwargon. I apologize for not receiving you according to protocol, but those are troubled times. I hope you understand our position."
-"Greetings, king Gazel. Don't apologize, I know how the Storm Dragon disappearance has shaken the world. Actually, my presence here is related to it. I bring a proposal as one of the heads of my nation."
-"Ho, your nation? Which country do you represent? I would surely have heard of you if you came from one of the Western Nations. But with this fox child accompanying you, should I assume you're a secret envoy of Eurazania?" he asked while giving a less expressive look at her compared to when he inquired my mind.
That geezer... I'm sure he's strong enough to see past her disguise, and didn't flinch about her true identity. Also, she doesn't have a Unique Skill yet, so he must have witnessed some of the past days events. Past the initial shock, he's good at maintaining a poker face.
-"Close enough, but no. My name is Rimuru Tempest. I'm here as the chancellor of the future Jura Tempest Federation, country of monsters in the Great Jura Forest, and newly appointed guardian of the forest alongside the Demon of Honor now called Mithra Tempest."
The Dwarves side immediately tensed up at my words, an expected reaction. The forest posed a lingering threat to them because of Veldora, and now he's 'gone', something else is emerging from it.
And with the old hag being a protector and getting named, it's still getting troublesome for the Dwarves. Almost surrounded with unfriendly nations, the worst for them is us being hostile and forcing them to defend all their borders.
-"I see, maybe it's the birth of a new era," he whispered while closing his eyes, pondering what to do. "Let's get on the point, why are you here? Don't bother with etiquette and speak frankly."
-"Thanks. It's simple, I'm here to discuss trade agreements and possible partnerships between our countries. Here, take a look at this."
I'm letting out a barrel of potion I've prepared with the hipokute harvested in the cave. According to [Great Sage] it's a full potion, capable of regrowing missing limbs and healing fatal injuries. Very rare because attaining such purity is extremely difficult, it's not sold in the regular market.
As I can process it as easily as breathing with my Skills, do you hear the sound of money raining from the sky? That's my bait for negotiations, no one in their right mind will let such opportunity pass.
-"Y-your majesty, this is! Impossible!" say one of his followers, a tall mustached Dwarf who looked at us earlier in a contemptuous manner. He stumbled while rushing at the barrel when he identified its content. "Such a quantity, when we're barely able to produce a single flask."
-"Impressive isn't it? I made it."
-"Come again? How did you do? What procedure, what kind of tools? Are you a master alchemist? Can I see your researches-"
-"Vesta, mind your manners. You're bothering my guests."
-"AH! Hum, I apologize for my rudeness. Don't mind me."
Funny guy, I see he got a researcher soul. His noble look didn't let it show through, but this kind of enthusiasm cannot be repressed easily.
-"I admit, if you can produce such remarkable goods, it's in our interest to start a healthy diplomatic relationship with you. But your 'country' isn't established yet I presume?"
-"It's as you say, king Gazel. We only met with all the tribe leaders and the Dryads, agreeing on our future political structure. We still have to build our capital before formally revealing ourselves to the world.
The purpose of my presence today is to lay foundations for a hopefully flourishing relationship between our countries, and to trade for some goods. We also need some craftsmans to help us develop the forest."
-"I see... It's almost time for dinner. I invite you two to my table. We'll continue our talk here. Dorf, guide them, I have something to discuss with Vesta and I'll rejoin after."
***
Gazel's POV:
Incredible. This Rimuru is strong. Noticing my [Tyrant] and defending against it is already a rare occurrence , but never before has someone used it as an opportunity to let me see their memories as they want.
Not only that, he has a sharp mind. Our conversation was short, but all along he dictated the tempo. This invitation to my table is also a way to temporize, so I mustn't get swept away.
However, this is not a bad situation either. I saw this fox girl's memories, it confirms the Demon of Honor involvement and who really is this guy- no, slime. I'm sure Dwargon will greatly benefit from befriending them. I look forward to this future. But for now...
-"My king, you wanted to talk with me?"
-"Vesta, what do you think about him?"
-"Honestly, if he can really produce full potions at such quantities, we must do our best to get him and his 'country' on our side. With war looming at our gates..."
Heh, this guy really is fascinated by the prospect of discovering new knowledge. I should thank you for it, Rimuru. It's the first time since the failed magisoldier project Vesta displayed interest for research. It reminds me he still hasn't told the truth about his responsibility on this matter.
-"He talked about needing craftsmans, I assume he wouldn't say no to developing a scientific department once the construction has started."
-"My king, you think about sending some of our men with him? "
-"Indeed. For construction work, I've already a few names in mind. And for the researchers, you'll be the first we'll send with him."
-"What, me? But what would happen if the minister of science is dispatched-"
-"Worry not, as you no longer are a minister, Vesta."
-"Your majesty?"
-"For years I waited for you to assume your responsibility in the magisoldier incident. Yes, I knew all along, and gave you a chance to admit your wrongdoings. But yesterday, I received a report stating you provoked Kaijin into accepting an order regarding the production of an absurd amount of magic swords. An impossible task, even for such a great blacksmith. After all this time, you're still targeting him?"
-"...I have no excuse, your majesty. I just wanted to be useful to you, and jealousy took the better of me."
-"I see. If you really seek repentance, you'll go to the nation of monsters. By helping them, you'll help Dwargon. I hope you'll recover your passion for science and clear your honor. For now, leave at once."
It's done. Let's go, I mustn't let my guests wait too long... When was the last time I enjoyed such an unplanned meeting? My guts tell me I'm not ready for the chaos those individuals will cause. Strangely I'm getting excited, nevermind the incoming headaches I can foresee.
*Some time later, in a private reception room.*
Bwahahaha! This is a refreshing sight. This girl really enjoyed her meal, while looking guilty about it. Rimuru told her he doesn't mind since the ingredients quality and variety is better than what he can find in the forest, and she should just savor it as much as she can.
I saw he's usually cooking for her, I think we can trade some rare ingredients for them. If she can enjoy it longer, it's better. Our storehouses are almost full anyways, so it's not a problem.
With Rimuru, we planned the draft of a treaty, stipulating our two countries will be linked by trade agreements, scientific exchanges and a mutual defense pact. It will be formalized in a few months, when their capital will be developed enough to host foreign delegations.
Officiously, we don't need to wait for some of those terms. Regarding trade, Rimuru will provide a few barrels of full potions in exchange for quality food and help from craftsmans. 20 dwarves will go to Tempest and among them, Kaijin and the three brothers. Their talents are wasted here.
He also sold us some blueprints about intriguing technological pieces drawn by the Demon- no, Mithra. Surprisingly she originally worked as a military engineer and logistical support in their previous life. I can tell from Vesta's reaction that she's good. I recalled him in a hurry to ascertain their accuracy, and he's dithyrambic. Our military and civil infrastructures will profit from her expertise.
We paid him a hefty amount of money for it, a small price compared to this country's prosperous future. I'm definitely sure, allying with Tempest is the best bet I can make. No one can imagine how fast they will grow and what height they will reach.
Rimuru seems delighted about this gold, his eyes shining in the same light. I heard him mumbling something about not having any debt anymore with the 'old hag' and how he won't budge even if she tries to exchange some coins for her collection.
I didn't see the time pass, I've appreciated this little break out of my routine. I asked if they wanted to rest in a guest room for the night, but Rimuru denied, stating that the girl would feel more secure back in their house. I understand, her memories showed the nightmare she suffered.
Even for a monster, witnessing such slaughter is a dreadful experience when you lose everything. They will use a teleportation spell to go back home, and Rimuru will return in front of the back door tomorrow. I should take a rest myself, having a fresh mind to greet and send out our delegation properly.