Kumara's POV:
-"Rimuru, get up. It's noon already."
How can he still be sleeping at such an hour? Mithra warned me he sometimes likes to be lazy and remain in bed all day, but once is enough. He hasn't left his room since yesterday. I know it was tiring to name all the Orcs, as he did only that for a few days, but he needs to take some fresh air... How can a slime be sleeping anyways?
I went to wake him, and saw his sleeping position. He's half out of the bed, his head where his feet should be. I won't question how much he squirmed to be like that. Seriously, he may be the co-leader of Tempest and really powerful, but he's so goofy at times. Well, that's also why I feel at ease with him.
-"Hey, Rimuru. Wake up you sleepyhead. You hear me?"
I raised my voice, tickled him, even gave him a few slaps, hoping he would respond. I only managed to get a small groan, as he rolled under the sheets. He needs something stronger, huh? I'll give him what he wants. If he doesn't react to this, I'll have to ask Mithra to do it herself.
They trained me to use aura, space magic and gravity spells, so let's say it's some kind of training. I engraved a spell on the bed to not break it with what I'm about to do. I floated above him, charged a gravity up spell. When I felt it became strong enough, I coated my body with it, raising my weight to the max. Before dropping at high speed, I used aura to give a boost to my landing. The result is:
-"Gwaaaaa?! I'm up, I'm up. Stop, stop, you're crushing me!"
-"Morning, you took your time."
-"Kumara?! I yield, you win! Please, let me go!!"
I stopped my spells, and let Rimuru get up in a hurry. Trying to recollect himself, he smiled awkwardly, still groggy from such brutal waking up.
-"Hey, you've gotten better at manipulating gravity, haven't you? It's good to have such a dedicated student."
-"Thanks. It's easy when I have good teachers."
-"Hehe. Man, I felt the full extent of your weight. You were so heavy you could smash a wyvern with it."
-"..."
-"..." He looks at the ceiling, probably thinking about what he just said, before giving me an embarrassed face. "...Ha. I... messed up, did I?"
I feel a burning sensation rise inside me, while I'm trembling, clenching my hands. I think I could just say a few words before reacting from anger.
-"Rimuru you idiot!"
Rimuru the douche slime's POV:
...I deserved that slap. I let Kumara storm out of my room, not wanting to add fuel to the fire. I really messed up, and won't use my sleepiness as an excuse. I just broke one of the biggest rules when talking to a girl: never talk about her weight. Especially when saying something crude like I did.
Haaa... Just when I managed to make her forgive me about the ordeal with the invasion. When I returned home to bring the news before going back to naming the Orcs, she sulked because I left without even telling her what happened. It was understandable. The forest was invaded, such an event could have made her remember about her own tragedy, and she learned about it by the old hag. I returned only when it was over, making her worry for me, even if I was out of danger. And because I needed to get out, naming all of them, this awkward situation lasted a few days.
About the Orcs, thankfully I could speed up the process with my freshly evolved [Gluttony]. I gained a whole day, and [Great Sage] managed to recalculate and optimize the naming with flying colors... Hmm? Talking about her, she's abnormally quiet. She would normally have warned me about Kumara's 'attack', even if it's not filled with ill-intent.
-'[...]'
-'...Wait, are you sulking?'
-'[...]'
-'You're kidding? You disliked being put into 'sleep mode' for the night that much? I know it was the first time, and I may have forced it upon you, but I have good reasons. You know, no one likes to be awoken in the middle of the night by untimely notifications when they're dead tired."
-'[...]'
-'I'll call that our first quarrel...'
I'm sure the old hag would call me lunatic to get into fights with my own kinda sentient Skill. Anyways, going back to Kumara.
I know what I'll do. Cooking with all my abilities, and preparing her favorite meal. I don't expect her to forgive me that easily, but I must redeem myself for being an idiot... And she's weak with food, so it's my best chance. Before doing that, I'll go to Shuna's place. She's good at making pastries, and improved quickly when I gave her some tips and new recipes. While she prepares those for dessert, I'll do the main course. When I got out, I decided to take a small detour by the hill outside of the city. I saw some berries once that could be great for a Black Forest cake.
I shouldn't forget to call Shizu too. She's stable now, albeit diminished, and needs to eat a lot to recover a semblance of normal strength for a human. She gave me a few recipes of Japanese food, a fine addition to my collection. I'll fetch some fish with the Lizardmens before going back.
It was a blunder, calming Eren's party when they met with Mithra in Shizu's room. Those three recognised the famous 'Demon of Honor', but got confused because they hadn't witnessed what I did to their comrade, and accused the dangerous Demon to have cursed the poor girl when they saw her pitiful state. They apologized for way too long when the imbroglio was explained. They left the next day, promising Shizu to visit her soon.
As I was on my way, I had a weird feeling. Someone is watching the city in the shadows, and did a good job at hiding. I noticed its presence because I have experience, but I assume neither Lycaon nor Souei would have noticed it unless it was dangerously close. Before doing anything, I scanned it, to ascertain the potential threat. The result wasn't exactly reassuring.
I was blocked. Well, not completely, the target only has Unique Skills at best, but I'm sure it's strong. Actually, it's stronger than me, by a fair margin. I saw its aura, and that's nothing compared to the masked majins from the invasion. I have no doubt, we're being watched by an Awakened Demon Lord. Which one? I can't know it from here. I couldn't bypass enough of its Skills to have any hint about its race, the only thing I know is it's not human. Maybe I could get better results with [Great Sage], but...
-'[...]'
Still no response. Nevermind. If it truly was dangerous, she would have stopped pouting and helped me. At least this is reassuring... Somewhat.
-'Old hag, listen without interrupting me. We're having an intruder, a strong one. Awakened, by all means. Thankfully, not hostile, I managed to sense its intentions. I'll make contact, so be prepared to watch my back just in case it goes wrong.'
-'Okay, I'm coming. We're lucky you noticed it, I haven't felt anything. Even now I can barely sense someone because you told me.'
-'Don't worry, I know you're weakened at the surface. And to be honest, you're not the best when it comes to these kinds of things.'
-'Hey, low blow.'
I approached the intruder calmly, without letting out any ill-intent, to not put it too much on guard. I'm way weaker, so it will be dangerous if we truly fight. Even if Mithra helps me, our best bet is to force it to flee if necessary. Let's hope we wouldn't need to go to such lengths.
-"I know you're here, so I'll ask you to get out and state your intentions toward us."
-"Oh my, I didn't expect a majin like you to notice me. Even less coming to me," the intruder remained in the shadows for now, and let out a small fragment of its power to intimidate me. "Now I gave you a glimpse of my strength, and want an answer. Are you a fool who can't properly judge its own power, or a brave one who will take a risk for its country?"
-"Heh, you're good at hiding, I admit. When I felt your presence, I also saw your hidden might. I know I'm weaker, but when such an intruder comes so close to our city, I'm obligated to meet it. That's my duty as this place's leader."
-"Hmmm, so a brave one it seems. Perfect, it would've been a pity if I came to watch over a fool. It will be interesting."
My interlocutor finally got out. She's a young girl with heterochromatic eyes, long silver hair, dressed in a gothic fashion. I think this description reminds me of something, but it's vague. Maybe among one of Veldanava's unending chatter sessions... I don't think my grumpy Wiki wants to help me with that one.
-'[...]' What did I say?
-"You don't seem to be an enemy... So, may I ask who you are? And what can I help you with?"
-"My name isn't really important, for now. As for the reason for my presence, I originally came all the way to see for myself if this wretched lizard really met his end." The girl let out a small aura outburst at the mention of the 'wretched lizard', and only one name could correspond.
-"You speak of Veldora? With the tone you used for him, I assume he did something foolish, didn't he?"
For now, I try to extract some intel and remain neutral, without antagonizing her. I shall wait for Mithra to get into position to act before going more into details.
-"Ho? I thought the forest's dwellers revered this overgrown lizard as a god. But you're right. Long ago, that thing destroyed my country, and we were obligated to flee from desolation. I'm bitter about never having the opportunity to give him payback, but it's good enough."
...Okay. One more problem to deal with in the future. I'll have to explain a few things to him when he gets out of his prison. We can't have an incarnation of natural forces destroying everything again and make an enemy of the world, especially if he's related to this land.
-"Well, as one of this forest's momentary guardians, I assure you we will completely dissociate ourselves from this big oaf's previous lack of manners. Many here may revere him, but we know he could help a few scoldings."
*In Rimuru's stomach*
*pssssssssssssssshhhhh*
-"What was that, Lord Veldora?" asked Ifrit, looking up from the goban.
-"Mmmhhh... My ears are whistling. Someone's badmouthing me."
A.N: Same thing as the Japanese sneeze when someone talks about you. That's a French version, maybe other countries have something similar but I don't know. Do comment about your country's version of this trope.
*Return to reality*
-"Not really what I expected, but I'm quite elated to see that monsters and majins can be wise enough to condemn their guardian's misdeeds." She gave a small, yet sincere smile at my words. A smile, who let out signs of developed canines, a true mark of Vampires.
Soon, I felt Mithra coming close to us. And what happened next wasn't what I could expect.
-"Wait. The horny lesbian vampire queen?" Mithra revealed her presence to the girl, casually walking with a stupid grin on her face.
-"No way, the irksome wrinkled Demon? Why are you here?" The vampire looked at the old hag in disbelief, as if she recalled some unpleasant memories.
-"...You know each other?"
-"I remember vividly how you dared stop me from getting my hands on those appetizing young virgins, in my own territory nonetheless." The girl's eyes twitched, clearly she tries to compose herself but still looks annoyed.
-"Oh yeah. Funniest vacation I had in years. This game of hide and seek in Lune's streets lasted for days, and the face you made when I disturbed you... Priceless." Mithra looked pleased at her past shenanigans, imitating a chef's kiss.
-"Those were mere vacations for you?" The girl wasn't amused, barely holding back from jumping at Mithra. "And how did you manage to enter the city anyways? No mere Demon could achieve this, not with such a barrier encompassing it."
-"You'll see I'm not a common Demon, 'your Holiness'. But I admit it was goddam hard to find a way in, good job about it."
Your Holiness? Wait, isn't Lune the capital of Ruberios? And it's this girl's territory... A Vampire, in a country who revere a goddess called- Oh okay, now I know her identity. I know I've heard about her somewhere. Twilight's masterpiece as she was called.
-"So, you're the Vampire queen Luminous Valentine."
She immediately turned back to glare at me, not really happy at having her true identity exposed.
-"How do you know about me? Only a few are in the loop about the True Demon Lord Valentine."
-"To be honest, it isn't that hard for someone who learned about the ancient times to make a link between the goddess Luminous and you. Maybe it would've been best to tinker a little with the name."
I say that, and yet I almost forgot about her... Not really my fault, I don't have many recollections about Twilight and his 'Pupils'. Veldanava never really listened when the True Ancestor spoke, as this guy was the definition of an irritating chatterbox.
-"Haaaaaaaaa... Very well, I'm indeed Luminous Valentine. But hear me, do not reveal my identity to anyone if I don't allow you. Or I'll devour you entirely, and not really in my usual pleasuring way. Got it, young girl?"
When I heard that I turned to Mithra, who's now rolling on the ground, laughing like a maniac and holding her sides. Luminous gave her a questioning look, while I'm thinking about how this will be only the first of a long series of misunderstandings about my gender.
-"Sorry, but... I'm a 'he'. To be precise, I'm genderless." I changed to my slime form, as the tension dropped for good. "I'm Rimuru Tempest, pleased to make your acquaintance."
-"Oh..." The revelation surprised her, but she composed herself quickly. "The pleasure is mine, Rimuru. And about this gorilla?"
-"She's Mithra Tempest, the other guardian of this forest." The old hag finished rolling like an idiot and got up, still chuckling but in silence now. "Now we're introduced, would you like to visit our city? It's still in construction, but we can host guests."
-"That would be great. I could use a good meal."
-"Good, actually I went to gather a few ingredients for a special course before I noticed you... But before that, how should I introduce you to the residents?"
-"Suit yourself, as long as you remember our agreement and it looks believable."
-"Okay, so... Let's say you're a distant cousin of Demon Lord Valentine, going on a journey. With your strength, even if you hide it, some of our subordinates won't be completely fooled, so it will be understandable if we keep this link. We just need to find you a less recognizable name..."
-"Easy, let's call her Lulu." Mithra has a beaming smile, totally in the mood to mess with Luminous further. "Not too much and kinda cute."
-"...Don't you dare-"
-"Sorry, I already explained to my right-hand woman that we have an important guest. [Thought communication] really is a blessing, y'know?" She's almost laughing between each word.
-"Heh, too late. Don't worry 'Lulu', this old hag may be a troll at times, but she's clever and honorable enough to not willingly mess up too hard." All I could do was give her a smile, now her name was chosen.
-"...*sigh* I think I can survive it." Luminous surrendered and followed us.
Lulu's POV:
I admit it was long ago since a day became this chaotic, yet interesting. The overgrown lizard seems to be really dead, and I encountered by pure luck Rimuru, the one Chloe called her benefactor. He's surprisingly strong for a non-awakened, and appears to be well-mannered, contrary to this demonic busted gorilla. At least I've confirmed she isn't threatening, just an oddity who enjoys pissing me off each time we meet.
We've arrived in the city, and up close I see how astounding it is for a place still in construction. They started only a few weeks ago, and it's already good enough to be considered an important place in some small kingdoms. I see hundreds of workers of all races, and most surprising of all, they're all evolved. Meaning they're all named. I can conceive one would have the capacity to name a few monsters of weak species, but this is plain absurd.
We entered into a guest house. The decoration looks rustic, yet finely made. I can feel the dedication of those who worked on it. Rimuru excused himself before going straight to the kitchen. He's apparently a great cook, capable of creating high grade dishes, I must say I'm curious to witness his talents.
With the Demon- no Mithra (such a fine name wasted on this gorilla), we took a seat. A salivating smell comes off the kitchen, with my experience I can expect something worthy. But it appears we're not the only ones who are waiting for this meal. A child fox with a human girl came by the garden behind us.
Those two are peculiars. The human is enveloped in a faint, yet dreadful aura. The smell of death is around her, but strangely acts like it's kept at bay. As for the fox, she's another oddity of this forest. How can a child be almost as powerful as that thickheaded Carrion? She doesn't smell like a beastkin, more like a spirit... Oh, is she one of those Nineheads who lived North of this bastard puppeteer territory? I thought they went extinct.
-"Yo Kumara, Shizu. You're just in time for a special course by Rimuru." Mithra got up and greeted them, putting her hand on this Shizu's shoulder. "I'll give you treatment after lunch."
-"Hello Mithra, thanks as always." The human then looked at me with joyous, yet tired eyes. "We have a guest I see. Can you introduce this charming young lady?" Mmh... She has good manners, not bad at all.
-"Her name is Lulu, she's a vampire and distant cousin of Demon Lord Valentine." She turned to me then gave me a wink. I swear one day I'll get her for that. "She's on a journey and stumbled upon us on the outskirts."
-"Cousin of Valentine you say?" Shizu seems embarrassed about the name, does she hold some grudges about Roy?
-"Is there a problem if I'm related to a Demon Lord?"
-"Oh, no. Sorry if I gave you a bad impression... It's just, one of my students is working for the Holy Church. And even if she's strong, stronger than I've ever been, I still fear for her."
-"Ha, now that you mention it," Mithra gave me another weird look. It's starting to be tiresome and I don't know how long I will manage to keep my calm. "You said her name was Hinata Sakaguchi?"
-"Y-you didn't have to say it in front of her."
Shizu panicked, fearing what would happen. As for me, I met another surprising individual. So, this Shizu is the teacher Hinata sometimes talked about. She said her teacher was a great woman with a strong will, and a fearsome instructor. Not exactly what I have before my eyes, it's kinda hard to imagine. For Hinata to praise someone, she should be quite strong, and I can only sense her actual pitiful state. I'll have to ask what happened to her.
-"Heh, don't worry about me. I'm not in any kind of agreement with Roy, no matter how related we could be. I won't say anything that might put you in danger." I'll keep up my act for now, I'll wait for a next visit with Hinata to reveal my true self. I think they'll be elated to see each other after all this time.
-"Why are you here?" This time it's the child fox who spoke, she's glaring menacingly at me.
-"What's your problem, kid? Is it forbidden for a vampire to take a stroll in this forest?"
-"Don't play dumb with me. Someone related to a Demon Lord appears a week after we get invaded by another one? You search for trouble."
-"Heh, sorry about that, Lulu. We're almost sure Clayshit tried something shady, like he usually does. And this little one is kinda nervous about it." Mithra is patting the child's head, but she doesn't really calm down.
-"Ho? It's not surprising for that sorry excuse of a Demon Lord to want to profit from the lizard's disappearance." Seriously, his face gives me the creeps. I don't want to think about it more than necessary. "It's annoying none of the others dealt with this pushover already. So be at ease, kid, and let the grown ups do the talking."
-"Grown up? I can still grow up, and I'll do it when my body will be able to fully hold my powers. Contrary to a certain eternally disappointing girl..."
...This little! She looked at my breasts while saying that. How dare you. My body is perfectly proportioned, and I prefer not being a cow. I need to give a lesson to this brat before she ruins my appetite.
-"Wait, stop it. Old hag, separate them."
Rimuru's POV:
I got chills because I sensed two auras gradually flare up in the dining room. What's happening out there? I was kinda stressed already with Shion who waited for me, wanting to cook something herself for our guest. I ate her 'food' a few days ago, and if it wasn't for my Poison Heal I would've had a bad time. Thankfully she at least listened when I explained to her, I managed to avert a catastrophe. She got a little better, now it isn't really poisonous anymore, RIP Gobta who served as a tester the first time. But I need to tinker with her 'cooking' when she's not looking to make it edible... Wait, I'm losing myself in my thoughts.
So, I got out of the kitchen, leaving a Body double behind to prepare the meal in my stead. When I saw Luminous and Kumara at each other's throats, I did what any sane person would do at this time: I freaked out and tried to separate these two before they started to fight. It's at a time like this I need your help, my symbiotic additional brain... It means get up already [Great Sage]!
-'[New OS installation completed. [Great Sage] Vista version has been updated.]'
A.N: Some of you may be too young to know about it, but Vista is infamous for being one of the worst versions ever released of Windows, and painfully slow to update and to run sometimes. Those who can relate with me, show yourselves in the comments.
-'... O-okay, you got me with that one. So you weren't really pouting... Wait, it's not the time for jokes, we have a problem.'
-'[Answer: a huge mass of magicules is approaching from East-Southeast. It will serve as an effective distraction.]'
-'... Now you mention it. Weird, this magicule signature, I know something similar.'
-'[Maybe because it's related to the individual Veldanava's signature?]'
Oh sh- She's coming here? Wait, it's too sudden, I don't know what I should say. I haven't prepared myself like I wanted. Fuck it, I'll handle it as best as I could. The girls felt her presence too, and ceased their bickering. While Kumara wasn't reassured, Luminous looked dumbfounded.
-"Milim? Why is she coming here?"
-"The destroyer Milim Nava? Is that a bad joke?" Kumara is shaking, as she never felt anything close to this raw power.
-"Ranga, Souei, come here."
-"You too Lycaon."
Those three arrived swiftly, ready to get our orders as they also sensed the arrival of the flying catastrophe. Everyone in the forest would have felt it. I have a special order for all of our subordinates, and I expect them to try and argue.
-"Pass the message to everyone: no one shall come close to the landing site of Demon Lord Milim Nava, and I absolutely forbid anyone to try picking a fight with her. Mithra and I will greet her alone. Now go."
They exchanged a few worried looks, but left soon. I ran as fast as I could to a clearing outside the city, Mithra following closely and Luminous behind her. She's curious to know why one of the most ancient Demon Lords is coming here, but I can tell she will remain hidden for a while to see what will happen.
A few seconds later, a great ball of light followed by a deafening boom landed in front of us. In the dust cloud, I could hear a cheerful laugh and a childish voice:
-"Nice to meet you. I'm Demon Lord Milim Nava. Since you're the strongest of this city, I thought I'd say hi."
So, this is her. The Creator's daughter, who grew up without a real family. She's like a preteen, having awakened in her childhood... What are those clothes? I'm not sure neither Veldanava nor Lucia would approve such shameful style... Me neither, if you ask for my opinion, but I'll stay silent about that for now.
We finally met. Your dumbass father grieved about not being here for you, but as his latest friend, I'll take care of you in his stead... I promise you three will one day be reunited again, and I'll do my best to fill your life with happiness until that happens. I swear it, Milim.