Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 38: The Tournament!
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- Felix -
"Now, enough with the introductions! Let's get this started!"
We all focused on the screen now that the preliminary rounds are finally starting.
I noticed Carrion sneak into the crowd with a lion mask.
It's probably best that the other contestants don't know they are competing with a Former Demon Lord.
Even as just a Demon Lord Seed, he was strong, but he was only about 30% below Hinata energy-wise.
"Alright, this is going to be a free for all so the contestants are free to do anything to survive! The top 8 will be allowed to participate in the upcoming rounds! Now on my mark start. One! Two! Three! And GOOOOO!"
The moment the announcer started the free for all, every contestant sprung into action.
There was a mix of Humans and Non Humans, I could even see some of Hinata's Crusaders in the mix.
It didn't take long for the riff-raff to be removed, leaving 10 figures standing in the arena.
There was Carrion, Gabiru, Geld, Gobta, one horse Majin and another ox Majin, some Human Adventurer, Leonard who is one of Hinata's Crusaders, and then two other Majin I had never seen before.
I didn't bother watching anymore as I already knew who the top eight would end up being.
Those two unknown Majin were good, they had to be to outlast the hundreds of other contestants, but they weren't at the A Rank which everyone else in the arena was at.
Hell, there were Demon Lord Seed individuals down there.
Those two stand no chance.
"Hey Milim, you wanna bet on who will win this tournament?" I asked.
Milim looked interested.
She nodded. "Hehe, yup! What does the winner get!?"
Hmm, there isn't much of a point in asking for a favor as I'm sure Milim would do me any sort of favor I asked for, and I'd likely do the same.
"Ara, I'd also like to participate." Said Elmesia.
Milim and I looked at her in surprise.
Now that changes things, I'd love a favor from Elmesia. Who knows if it will come in handy someday, but she is the ruler of a superpower. Having a favor from her can only be useful.
"Hmm, then how about the two losers owe the victor a favor." I offered
Milim looked thoughtful before nodding. "Okay then!"
Elmesia also nodded. Heh, I bet she is quite hopeful to get one favor from two separate Demon Lords.
"Ah, but nothing too over the top. I'm not going to go fight Guy for your amusement or anything like that." I told Elmesia.
Elmesia sighed exaggeratedly. "Darn it! I hoped I would get to witness a fight between the legendary Guy Crimson and one of the newest Demon Lords!"
I rolled my eyes. "Well then today isn't your day."
"I guess I will have to settle for what I have." Elmesia said with an amused smile.
Rimuru shook his head with an amused smile.
"So who are you all betting on?" I asked.
Milim looked thoughtful before nodding. "Umu! I bet on Gabiru! He's a Dragonewt after all!"
I nodded at her and then looked at Elmesia.
She was looking down and observing the contestants.
"I wish to place my bet on the High Orc." She said.
"Ah, that's Geld." I responded.
A respectable choice. He is very bulky and has two Unique Skills.
Heh, I bet no one will see this coming.
"I bet on Gobta." I have a feeling that the Goblin will surprise me.
Rimuru looked at me in surprise. "Seriously!? Gobta of all people!?"
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be supportive of your subordinates?"
Rimuru coughed lightly. "Ah yes, you're right. As expected, you are able to see Gobta's genius."
We looked down to start at Gobta who was… picking his nose.
I sighed. "Maybe I picked the wrong guy, but my gut feeling says I am right!"
Rimuru nodded. "Alright, cope harder buddy."
"Heh, just you watch. I'm sure Gobta will pull off some super secret bullshit at some point!"
Please pull off some super secret bullshit Gobta.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! We have our eight contestants! We have the mysterious Lion Mask! And then we have two of The Dungeon Bosses, Mezul and Gozul! Be sure to be at the opening ceremony of The Dungeon tomorrow to witness more of their strength!"
Ah, so that's who they are.
"We then have the famed A Rank Adventurer Gaiye! His swordsmanship has been compared to dancing! Will he show us a wonderful dance today or is he doomed to slip and fall!"
'Notice. It has been detected that the individual Gaiye is being enhanced using a Skill.'
'Are you able to tell which Skill?'
'It has been detected that the Unique Skill: Greed was being used to enhance Gaiye.'
One of the Sin Series huh? I wonder who owns Greed then.
'I assume you analyzed Greed Odin?'
'Of course.'
'No need to be so sassy Odin.'
Hmm, now what does this Skill do?
…..
Ah, it's one of those huh?
A Skill that can control others by using their own greed against them.
It seems the user of Greed is quite merciless. They are using Gaiye's own life force to give him this temporary power-up.
Oh well, none of my business. This is a dog-eat-dog world. People gotta do what they gotta do.
I'll only intervene if the user does anything untoward during the Festival, which they likely will.
One does not unlock a Sin Series Skill by being a benevolent saint.
But for now, I'll just watch.
'Do you know who the user is Odin?'
'Yes.'
Odin then focused my senses on an individual in the crowd.
Mariabell Rosso, huh?
The granddaughter of Granbell Rosso, the ruler of the west.
There could be a multitude of reasons for her attendance, such as to scout the competition, form an alliance with Tempest, or take control of Rimuru or some of his executives.
The list is practically endless.
Yeah, I should seriously tell Rimuru.
I sent Rimuru a Thought Communication, which caused a few people in the room to look at me curiously.
They could probably sense the Thought Communication.
"Felix? Did something happen?"
"Not yet, but a possibility in the future. Someone is in attendance with a mind control Skill. You should be wary of that, her mind control can work on even your executives."
"Seriously?! That's bad! Who is she?!"
"Her name is Mariabell Rosso, and you could say she wields considerable influence in the West. You definitely shouldn't have her disappear in Tempest. That's a political incident waiting to happen."
"Why would I make her disappear?! You always jump to the most extreme options! Just like Diablo, no wonder you two are in the same Lineage!"
"Haha, I guess we are similar in some way. Anyways, just keep an eye on her."
"Got it, I'll send Souei to monitor her."
With that, we went back to watching the tournament.
Hopefully Rimuru can handle everything on his own. I didn't want to give too much information. He needs to learn some of these things himself; me helping him may cripple him later down the line.
I gave him enough information to work with, he should be able to figure out the rest on his own.
And if something goes incredibly wrong, I can always help. That's what friends are for right?
"We then have some of Tempest's own, they are some of the proud Lieutenants of The Tempest Federation! They are said to be some of the strongest in Tempest, and if they end up winning they can become one of the Four Heavenly Kings! A force so mighty that they are under the direct supervision of Demon Lord Rimuru!"
It seems someone has spread some rumors.
"There is the mighty Gobta! He may look small and weak, but he sure packs a punch! We then have the powerful High Orc Geld, good luck getting past his defense! Then there is the Dragonewt Gabiru of the Science Department! And then last but certainly not least we have one of Humanity's proud warriors, the mighty Leonard Jester, member of the Ten Great Saints!"
The cheers were thunderous, though it is understandable. These guys need as much excitement in their lives as possible.
I noticed Diablo show up on the field now. Well he is the referee, I doubt anyone will be willing to disobey him.
I pointed to Diablo on the screen.
"And that's Diablo, the Primordial of Black." I introduced.
"Is it really safe to have him down there Rimuru?" Asked Gazel.
Rimuru nodded confidently. "Of course! Diablo would never disobey one of my direct orders!"
"It will be quite interesting to see to what extent the Primordial of Black is tamed, well interesting or catastrophic." Commented Elmesia.
I laughed hearing her. "I wouldn't worry too much."
"Unfortunately not all of us can afford to brush off a Primordial." Responded Elmesia.
"Indeed! Only the most magnificent of beings like my Master are afforded such an honor. Not many can claim to match, let alone surpass us. The only one that comes to mind in recent years is that Hero, Chronoa, I think her name was." Responded Lalatina who was now lounging on her throne with some wine in her hands.
Just where did she get that wine from?
I noticed Arcueid and Megumin nodding along from beside her. These overzealous Primordials.
"Indeed!" Added Saeko.
While Raiden just silently stood behind me.
"Kukuku. Of course, our magnificent Lord has no reason to take some riff-raff seriously." Said Sukuna with a proud smirk.
Wait a second.
"Chronoa?"
Lalatina nodded. "Indeed, she was a Hero that I had crossed paths with. She was able to fight me on even footing, though I'm not sure what happened to her, she has not been seen in a long time."
I'm fairly certain Chronoa is the name of the Hero that sealed Veldora, she was known as a Hero throughout the Western Nations some decades ago.
Who knew that Lalatina had fought her? These Primordials have seriously been all over the place.
"Ah, quite some interesting subordinates you have." Said Elmesia with an amused smile.
I nodded. "Yeah, that's one way to say it."
These guys are basically my own personal hype team.
We focused back on the projection as the tournament finally began.
The first match was Mezul vs Gozel. It was a fairly boring match since those two were only in the A Rank range. I'm guessing they will only be floor bosses up to the 40th Floor, they are far too weak for higher than that.
Their fight ended up in a tie as they both fell unconscious at the same time, talk about an anime moment.
Well, at least the crowd seemed to like it.
After that was Carrion vs Gabiru, though Carrion was under the alias of Lion Mask.
This fight was a bit more interesting. Carrion did end up holding back from fully utilizing his Unique Skill but it was still enjoyable to watch.
The main thing to decide the match was that Carrion could not use his transformations as that would out him as the Ex Demon Lord Carrion. Using a combination of Dragon Body and Dragon Scale, Gabiru was able to elevate himself to the Demon Lord Seed level and make quick work of Carrion.
Though I later learned that the two agreed to a rematch when they could both go all out.
Next was Gobta against Gaiye. Gobta easily basically stomped Gaiye. Gobta might not be very confident in his abilities but his swordsmanship spoke for itself.
Gobta was somewhat strong, I'll give him that much. Hell, he could even be considered a prodigy, a stupid prodigy but a prodigy nonetheless.
I don't even consider myself a prodigy. Without Odin or her lesser version, Cursed Sage, I doubt I'd be where I am now.
After that was a bit of a closer match. Geld against Leonard. Leonard had to pull out all his cards, meaning his Light Spirit Magic, his Battlewill Arts, and his Elemental Mail.
For an Enlightened, he is incredibly strong, likely near the top of the Enlightened range and at the Demon Lord Seed level.
What the fuck is Hinata feeding these guys?
Still in the end Leonard lost, he wasn't able to match up to two Unique Skills, each incredible on their own.
Though I could tell, both Leonard and Geld gained some respect for each other.
Who knew the best way to make Humans and Majin get along was through battle?
And then there were three.
"We now have our three final contestants! There is Gobta The Black Horse! Who knew such a scrawny-looking Goblin could have so much strength?! Even I was surprised watching him systematically take the A Rank Adventurer Gaiye apart! Then there is the Dragonewt Gabiru, King of the Sky due to the sheer control he has when in the air! And finally, we have the High Orc Geld, also known as The Wall!"
"Hehe, King of the Sky! You hear that Frey!" Taunted Carrion.
"Ara, even I can admit that the Dragonewt is incredibly powerful, after all, he beat you, did he not Carrion? I think I can allow him to hold a similar title to my own." Responded Frey.
Carrion looked offended. "Hey! I couldn't go all out, or my identity would be revealed!"
Everyone ignored their bickering as we watched on.
"Who will win between these three mighty forces!?"
The Semi-Finals were soon under way. The matchup was decided by picking names in a basket, so it was as random as possible. Rimuru or I would be able to detect if someone tampered with the odds, so it should have been quite fair.
The first matchup was Geld against Gabiru. This guaranteed Gobta a spot among the Four Heavenly Kings.
Now to see if I will win our little bet.
"The Semi-Finals of the first Tempest Tournament have been decided! Now, who will win and advance to the finals!? Geld The Wall, or Gabiru, King of the Sky!"
The match soon started with Diablo standing at the ready in case he needed to intervene.
Gabiru brought out his Vortex Spear and took to the skies while Geld remained on the ground, though Geld did boost his defense using a sub-skill of Guardian.
"Hmm, that seems to be a fairly decent weapon." Commented Gazel.
Rimuru nodded. "Yeah, it is apparently something that was passed down through the Lizardman tribe. It's a Unique Grade spear."
Gazel nodded. "I see, it seems to have the potential for further growth."
We continued to observe the fight.
Once Gabiru had a height advantage on Geld, he aimed his Thunder Breath at Geld who was easily able to avoid it.
He may be a large Orc, but he is still fairly quick.
"That body enhancement ability of the Dragonewt is quite impressive. It seems to be taking in the surrounding Magicules and boosting his physique, enhancing his strength considerably." Commented Elmesia.
I nodded. "Yeah, with Dragon Body I'd say Gabiru would be able to rival Carrion, and probably surpass him eventually if Carrion keeps slacking off." I answered.
Carrion looked at me in shock. "Boss!?"
However, I just ignored him. Hopefully, he will start training with more intensity now that he knows just how many people can rival his strength.
In Tempest alone there were multiple that were likely stronger than him. Carrion really needs to get it in his head that he ain't shit in this world.
At this point, Gabiru was fully decked out with his Dragon Body.
Gabiru kept sending potshots using his height advantage while Geld defended and occasionally returned fire.
The fight itself was not very action-packed, but the audience still seemed to enjoy it, as evidenced by their cheers.
Eventually, Gabiru grew bored of his potshots and began imbuing his Fighting Spirit into his spear, which created a water vortex.
Geld, seeing this incoming, quickly prepared to defend and then counterattack.
The moment Gabiru's attack reached Geld, he used Predation to consume the attack. Sadly for Geld, his Predation was far from that of Gluttony's, it could only consume something armor-sized at most.
Geld pushed himself a bit too hard to consume the water vortex. So, while he was able to consume it, he ended up falling unconscious due to overexertion.
"Ah, what an anti-climactic end." I commented.
"Hehe, it was still a little fun to watch! Now for the finals!" Said Milim.
"Heh, it seems you've lost your part in the bet Elmesia." I said, looking at her.
Elmesia only pouted at me before nodding. "I will keep to my end of the deal so long as the favor is not too much."
I nodded, hearing that.
As I watched the screen, I expanded my senses and headed down towards the arena itself.
Huh? That's odd.
It seems Gobta developed a Unique Skill of his own in this short period of time that I wasn't observing him.
The Unique Skill: Give Me Strength is a Skill that greatly helps Gobta when fighting together with Ranga.
Give Me Strength allows Gobta to summon Ranga and unify with him, creating a single being out of two beings.
This new single being has the combined strength of both Gobta and Ranga. This included all their Skills. And while Gobta's strength lies in his swordsmanship rather than power, Ranga's lies in his pure power.
Together, they make a fairly interesting team.
"We now have our final two contestants! No matter who wins between these two, both will become members of the Four Heavenly Kings, Lord Rimuru's most elite subordinates! Now, without further ado, let's get this started!"
The moment the battle started, Gobta raised his hand. "Ranga! To me!"
I noticed Rimuru look down at his shadow in surprise. Heh, it seems he wasn't aware of Gobta's new skill.
Once Ranga appeared on the field, Gabiru stopped what he was doing and just looked confused.
Unfortunately, that gave Gobta enough time to fuse with Ranga. The two sorta looked like a werewolf now. And they were far, far stronger than before.
Stronger than even Carrion and Glenda, though still weaker than my Eight Demonic Lords.
Still, this Ranga and Gobta combination is approaching that level.
I noticed Elmesia and Gazel looking down at the arena in shock.
"Heh, I told you that Goblin has a trick or two." I commented smugly.
Rimuru was just confused.
"...Is that allowed?" Said Rimuru.
I snorted. "Isn't this your tournament?"
"I mean, technically Ranga is a summon, and he was summoned using Gobta's own power. It's no different from Leonard summoning an Elemental." I added.
"That is technically true." Said Rimuru.
Some of the audience protested but were calmed down by the announcer.
I noticed Gobta was having trouble controlling his newfound strength. He charged at Gabiru but overshot slightly, causing him to miss.
Still, Gobta was expertly wielding Black Lightning full of Veldora's Storm attribute.
This battle was decided the moment Gobta fused with Ranga.
Even Gabiru's aerial advantage was negated since Ranga could manipulate Lightning like it was his limb.
"Ladies and Gentleman, we now have a winner of the First Tempest Tournameeeeent! I'm sure no one saw that coming! We now have our third and fourth members of the Four Heavenly Kings, Gobta and Geld!"
The cheers of the audience were deafening.
"Heh, guess who owes me a favor?"
Milim pouted at me. "Fine, fine, you win this time, Felix!"
Elmesia nodded. "Indeed, I shall have my revenge!"
Heh, I bet hearing that from Elmesia would scare most people to death.
"Hehe, of course, my Master's choice would win!" Said Lalatina.
"That was quite an enjoyable show." Commented Arcueid.
Megumin was pouting. "I wish there were more explosions!"
"Uhhh, I'm glad you liked it!" Responded Rimuru with a nervous smile.
Rimuru then looked to Elmesia. "Ah, for that meeting you wanted, would tonight work?"
Elmesia nodded. "Very well, that will suffice."
"Alright, I'll have one of my subordinates lead you to the meeting room tonight when the time comes." Rimuru then turned to look at me. "Ah, did you want to attend too Felix?"
I shook my head. "Nah, we already had a talk before, but maybe Arcueid might?"
I looked at Arcueid, who nodded. "Ara, I am willing to represent My Lord during this meeting."
"Well, you heard her then."
Rimuru nodded. "Yup, I'll have someone bring her over too then."
Heh, at least I don't need to attend some boring meeting.
Rimuru should be able to handle himself, so it should be fine.
For some reason, Milim seemed to have a thoughtful face. A Milim who is thinking could be catastrophic.
"What's up, Milim?" I asked curiously.
"Hehe, I think I'll bea- train that Goblin up a bit! He has some potential so he can be my playmate!" Said an enthusiastic Milim.
Poor Gobta.
Rimuru seemed to be ready to throw Gobta to the wolves.
Rimuru looked at Milim and nodded. "I have no problems with that! If Gobta gets stronger, that can only be better for Tempest, but don't kill him."
"Ooh! I can use The Dungeon so he can keep reviving." Said Milim.
"Ah, that's actually a good idea. That way, he can get some real life and death experience while, you know… staying alive." Agreed Rimuru.
"You know, it sorta sounds like you are planning out Gobta's future torture sessions." I added in.
Rimuru shook his head. "Of course not! As the caring Lord that I am, it is only proper that I have Gobta trained to his fullest potential!"
Carrion looked at me in fear. "I'll train Boss! I'll do whatever you want! Just don't leave me with them!"
I, however, ignored Carrion. "Heh, well, have fun, I guess."
And with that, I teleported our group out.
Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of The Dungeon, which will conclude all the events planned for the Tempest Founding Festival.
Though the Festival does not end tomorrow, people are still free to explore and enjoy the attractions for a few days before the Festival officially ends.
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I teleported to the 100th Floor of The Dungeon. The ceremony is going to be starting quite soon now, there is already a massive crowd gathered in front of The Dungeon.
Rimuru, Veldora, and Ramiris were all discussing something.
I gave them a wave. "What's up? You guys ready to start soon?"
Ramiris puffed up her chest. "Of course!"
"Ghahaha, of course, we are ready! Soon, everyone shall learn of my domain!" Veldora boasted.
"Your domain?" Rimuru asked with a raised eyebrow.
"cough cough Ah, I mean our domain, hahaha!" Corrected Veldora.
"Alright, make sure all the safety measures are in place; we can't have anything going wrong today."
Ramiris nodded seriously. "Don't worry, Rimuru! We got this handled!"
Hearing Ramiris say that makes me worry.
"Hehe, Milim stopped by earlier and took two revival bracelets!" Said Ramiris.
Ah, she must have already started torturing Gobta and by extension Ranga.
"Ah, I see. Where is she training?" Asked Rimuru.
"She is using Floors 96 - 99, The Dragon's Den." Responded Ramiris.
Rimuru nodded in understanding.
"Hehe, well, they should be fine, right?" Said Rimuru.
I couldn't find it in myself to agree. Gobta and Ranga will likely come out stronger but extremely traumatized.
"Ah, will Zegion be one of the Floor Bosses?" I asked.
Veldora shook his head. "Maybe someday. Currently, I am training him up more. Maybe when he is a little bit stronger, I can have him rotate Floors. Haha, he said he wants to be Rimuru's most useful subordinate!"
"Hah! Well, he has some competition then." I added.
"Indeed!"
Veldora all of a sudden snapped his gaze to Rimuru. "Ah, Rimuru."
"Yes, Veldora?"
"Could I ask a favor of you?" Said Veldora.
Huh, Veldora asking for a favor is new. He usually just does what he wants.
"Hmm, if I can grant it I'll do it as a reward for your efforts." Responded Rimuru.
"Haha, great! Then could you release my friend Ifrit from your stomach!?" Asked Veldora.
Ah, Ifrit? I think that was the Elemental of that woman Rimuru bonded with, Shizu.
Ifrit should be a Greater Elemental of Fire, so around the A Rank, maybe A+ if you push it.
Rimuru looked unsure. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. What if he's upset about being sealed inside my Stomach and begins attacking everything?"
"Khaha, no need to worry, Rimuru! While we were in your Stomach, we were able to see the world through your eyes! After everything you've done, Ifrit wouldn't dare to go against you. That experience also helped change him quite a bit! It allowed him to see through a different point of view. He even said he understood why your friend, Shizu, did what she did!"
Rimuru looked at Veldora in surprise. "Seriously!?"
Veldora nodded. "Indeed!"
"Uhh, but wasn't Ifrit serving Demon Lord Leon before?" Asked Rimuru.
Veldora nodded. "He did, but don't worry! Ifrit pledged to be my assistant when I was leaving your Stomach!"
Rimuru sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll give him a chance. But you are responsible for Ifrit Veldora!"
Veldora nodded confidently. "Don't worry, Rimuru!"
Ramiris discreetly gave Veldora a thumbs-up, causing him to give her one of his own.
"This sounds interesting, so I'll stay here and watch." I said.
Veldora nodded. "Haha, I'll introduce you to Ifrit Felix! We can all play games together!"
I nodded. "Sure, that's fine with me."
However, all of a sudden, I sensed an unusual presence right outside The Dungeon with the rest of the crowd.
Now, why is she here?
Even Rimuru looked quite surprised and wary. Normally, we wouldn't be able to detect her unless we were specifically looking for her, but it is far easier when she is practically right next to us.
Even in The Dungeon, which was basically a separate Dimension.
I tapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. There is a good chance she is here for me."
Rimuru nodded.
After all, I don't know what other sort of reason a servant of Guy Crimson would appear in Tempest unannounced.
I just hope he didn't send someone to warn Rimuru about Velzard coming here. That would be very chaotic.
I did tell her to go to my territory first, but who knows if Velzard will listen?
I teleported next to an inconspicuous blue-haired woman. She was standing near the back of the crowd, seemingly trying to blend in.
I sighed. "Why are you here, Rain?"
She easily maintained her expression even though I'm sure she didn't know I was here. Like hell, a Daemon Duke could sense me if I did not want to be sensed.
"Lord Felix." She greeted me with a short bow.
I examined her outfit, and she was wearing a suit with some sunglasses. She looked like a standard secretary.
"I'm going to repeat my question: why are you here? Did Guy send you for something?"
Rain waved her hands in panic. "No, no, I'm just here in my own time! I've always been interested in these sorts of things, and I finally got some time off after bugging Lord Guy for some time off!"
I looked at her with distrust. "You? Interested in something like The Dungeon?"
Rain puffed up her chest. "But of course! I have always been interested in the arts and magic creations! I even created a doppelganger artifact that creates a duplicate of you. Of course, it is limited to a certain level."
I looked at her with interest. "Oh, if you made something like that, then I'd believe you. Can I see it?"
Of course, I already knew she was telling the truth. Having the God of Analysis, Odin, made it easy. Even a Primordial was incapable of hiding anything from Odin.
"Of course, Lord Felix!" Rain said while taking something out of her Spatial Storage.
Ooh, looks like she has some goodies in there. Thanks to Ouroboros it is fairly simple for me to access other people's Spatial Storages, nothing is safe from me!
She presented the artifact which was in the form of a bracelet.
'Odin.'
'As she had said, the artifact seems to have the same effects as what she claimed.'
'Nice, make sure to analyze it so we can replicate it. I can put it in the pool of artifacts my soldiers can choose from as a reward.'
'Affirmative.'
I nodded and handed the artifact back.
"Alright, I believe you then."
Rain sighed in relief. "That's good. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't."
"Run and hide?" I commented.
Rain nodded. "Yes, most likely that."
She seems far more chill than most of her brethren.
"I have decided that I am going to accompany you for a little bit. You do not have the option to reject." I told Rain.
She seems like someone who could be fun to annoy.
Rain's shoulders sagged. "Not another Rouge." She muttered under her breath.
"Haha, well, deal with it." I responded.
Rain nodded. "I must deal with it. Your types never take no for an answer. Ugh, why did I let Misery convince me into attacking Rouge so long ago."
I ruffled her hair. "Don't bring up the past. Look towards the future!"
"Those words weren't as inspiring as you think they were." Responded Rain.
I sagged my shoulders. "Really? I thought they were good."
'They were good, right Odin?'
'....'
Come on, it couldn't have been that bad.
"If you still wish to follow me around in your quest to annoy me, then I must inform you that I will be meeting with someone shortly." Said Rain.
"Oh? Who?" I asked.
"A business partner."
"Huh. I wonder who could catch the attention of the Primordial of Blue. Well, lead the way! I'm interested now!" I ordered.
"Yes yes Lord Felix." She said as she began walking around the crowd and made her way to one of the restaurants nearby.
"It seems she has already arrived. I can sense her in the restaurant up ahead." Said Rain.
I wasn't able to particularly tell the individual apart. There were all sorts of people around, after all. Who knew who it could be?
"You know you're quite different from the image you gave when we first met. You seemed like a proper maid back then."
Rain looked at me, offended. "I am a proper maid! I'm just on vacation, hmph."
"For some reason, I doubt that. No wonder Guy looked so fed up with you. He probably expected a proper maid."
"Lord Guy appreciates and values me! I do not know what you are speaking of!" Rain said, continuing to live in her delusion.
We soon made our way to one of the numerous ramen stands in Tempest.
It looked rather similar to Ichiraku from Naruto, with a curtain and some stools.
Rain moved the curtain aside and took a seat next to a woman. I followed her lead and took the other seat next to this mysterious business partner.
"Ah! Rain, there you are! I was wondering when you would find me! And you brought someone new, too!"
The woman seemed quite messy. Her hair was frazzled, and she was wearing googly-eyed glasses.
"Ah, right. How have you been Hypno-Eyes?" Asked Rain.
"Gah! Stop calling me Hypno-Eyes! How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that!?"
"Heh, you two look like you get along quite well." I commented.
"Ah, right! Who did you bring here, Rain? It's impolite not to introduce me to Mister Handsome over here."
Mister Handsome, eh? This girl has good taste.
"Ah, right. That's Demon Lord Felix White." Rain said dully.
"Gah! Why would you bring a Demon Lord to meet me!? No disrespect, Mister Demon Lord!"
"He wanted to follow me along, so I let him. It's not like I intentionally asked him to come with me to meet you." Responded Rain.
"Haha, no need to be so panicked. As long as you don't do anything stupid, I won't harm you." I replied, trying to ease her nervousness.
This woman was just a mere Enlightened after all, it's normal to be fearful of a Demon Lord at that level. Enlightened are generally only on par with Demon Lord Seeds, with the very top level of Enlightened being comparable to an Incomplete Saint.
"Ehehe, I wouldn't dream of offending a Demon Lord!" Said the mysterious woman.
I looked to Rain. "What is this woman's name? I keep calling her mysterious woman in my head."
"Ah, her name is Sasha." Said Rain.
I nodded. "Sasha then."
"Eh! How can you be so composed around a Demon Lord?!" Asked Sasha while looking at Rain.
Could she not know who Rain is? I guess that is fairly normal; most aren't aware of Primordials, and most aren't aware of who Guy Crimson's servants are.
Rain waved Sasha off. "Calm down Hypno-Eyes. Anyways, let's order some food."
Rain went ahead and gave her order to the nervous-looking Goblin. I ended up going with Miso Ramen.
It didn't take long for the ramen to be served.
"So, Rain, how did you two meet?" I asked.
"Oh. Sasha is a regular buyer of my work, so I've kept a bit of an eye on her." Responded Rain.
I nodded. "I see."
Sasha nodded along. "Yup! I develop Magic Tools while Rain helps me with some of the designs since I suck at those kinds of things."
"So then Sasha is the one who came up with the doppelganger bracelet while you just made the visual design?" I asked Rain.
Rain nodded.
Wow, she made it seem like she did all the work….
"Ah! She showed you that!? I'm a bit embarrassed that a Demon Lord saw some of my work!"
"Haha, no need to be nervous. The Magic Tool actually seemed quite interesting."
"Hehe, thank you. It's not often people praise me for my work! It only used to be my Master, Lord Gadra!"
"Gadra?" I asked.
"Ah, he is the Court Mage for the Eastern Empire! It's said he is as strong as a Demon Lord! But that rumor is probably exaggerated. Rain here is super good at controlling Magic, and I wouldn't be surprised if she were as strong as a Demon Lord!" Said Sasha.
Heh, she doesn't know how right she is.
But the Court Mage of the Eastern Empire, huh?
"I don't know what he looks like now though. He reincarnates himself to extend his lifespan after all. I had to come up with my own way to increase my lifespan as well." I nodded. Those both seem like interesting Arts.
As we were conversing I noticed Diablo appear rather close by, he immediately hid himself but I could still sense him.
And it seems Rain can as well if her wary looks are anything to go by.
Rimuru probably sent him to make sure everything was okay.
"Being compared to a Demon Lord is no small feat." Though that could also mean Demon Lord Seed level.
"You must be someone somewhat talented to catch the attention of someone like that."
Sasha nervously rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, I really am no good at fighting. The only reason I am an Enlightened is due to all the scientific work I have done."
Hmm, maybe I can recruit her?
I can always put her at the head of the Science Department back in my territory. I don't really care much about all that stuff, but it could come in handy at some point.
"Why don't you come work for me?" I offered.
Sasha looked at me with surprise. "Ah! Work for a Demon Lord!?"
"I can supply you with all the stuff you need and even give you your own personal lab, you know?" I said, sweetening the deal.
Maybe I can have her take a look at the underground ruins under my territory.
I haven't got much of a chance to explore those, so maybe she can gather some more information about them.
Not to mention, she seems to be quite a genius. The doppelganger bracelet is an incredible tool for the weak. After all, for them, numbers do matter.
"Hmm, it's not a bad offer." Commented Rain.
What is she playing at? Why would she help me?
And there's the Thought Communication.
"What are you playing at Rain?"
"Ah, no need to take that tone with me, Lord Felix. I don't mean to offend you. How about this? I will help you recruit Sasha, and in return, I would like to request that you come to spar with Lord Guy from time to time."
"Why would you want that?"
"Lord Guy has been in an awfully good mood since you two fought. When he is in a good mood he is generous, that's why I got this vacation!"
Of course, her reasoning involves her trying to slack off.
What a useless maid. I think I can understand Guy a bit more now.
"Fine, I'll do it." I was already planning on doing that, so this is a win-win situation for me.
"Excellent!"
"I'm sure Lord Felix will offer plenty of benefits. Not to mention, having a strong backer will be helpful! I heard he even sparred with the Demon Lord Guy Crimson!" Added Rain.
Heh, she's already getting to work.
Hearing that last bit, Sasha looked at me in surprise.
"Seriously!?"
I nodded. "Seriously."
Sasha had a determined look on her face. "Alright! I accept the offer! I will be your faithful servant from now on, Lord Felix!"
I nodded in satisfaction. "Good."
Rain shot me a discrete thumbs up.
"Ah, but what about my mansion, though?" Asked Sasha.
"Eh, I can transfer it over to my territory, Azeroth." I offered.
"Woah! You can do that!?" Asked Sasha.
I nodded. "Of course."
Even Rain seemed to be quite surprised. It seems she hasn't seen very high-level Spatial feats.
"Ah, how do you do it!? Is it some Skill?! Something only you can do, or can it be replicated?!" Sasha said, a mad hint in her voice.
It seems I have recruited myself a mad scientist.
Perfect!
"Haha, I'll give you some time to study it another time." I offered.
"Thank you, Lord Felix! I will notify my customers of my move as soon as possible!" Said an excited Sasha.
Ah, of course, she has other customers.
"Alright, that's fine. I'll move your mansion to some open land another time after The Festival is over."
"Yes, Lord Felix!"
Rain looked at me smugly. It was as if she were saying, 'See, see! Look, I can be useful too!'
"You can come out now Diablo." I spoke to the open air.
Diablo, in his standard butler outfit, appeared behind me.
"I apologize for the distraction, Lord Felix. I was ordered to make sure nothing had happened and did not wish to disturb your conversation."
"That's fine, Diablo. We were just finishing up here. Tell Rimuru it'll be fine."
Diablo nodded. "Very well, Lord Felix."
And with that, he vanished, not even sparing Rain a glance.
"Grr, that arrogant piece of-"
"Alright, let's get moving." I interrupt.
Rain sighed, releasing her anger.
Once we had left the ramen stand, I looked at Rain and Sasha. "Alright, you two. I'll leave you to do whatever you want now. Make sure not to cause trouble. I'm looking at you, Rain."
"Yes, Lord Felix!" Responded Sasha while Rain just pouted at me.
"Ah, by the way, Sasha. Head to these coordinates whenever you are free for the day. One of my subordinates will give you some much-needed information." I said, handing Sasha a parchment.
I can just throw Sasha onto Arcueid's head! Proper delegation!
"Very well, Lord Felix."
Rain shouldn't be causing any trouble now, so it should be fine if I leave her alone.
With that, I teleported back to the final Floor of The Dungeon where Rimuru, Veldora, Ramiris, and one new being were still located.
"Ah! My friend Felix! You have arrived just in time for me to introduce you!" Veldora said while pointing at a masculine-looking being. That must be Ifrit, then.
"This is Charys! One of my new subordinates!"
The now-named Ifrit bowed towards me. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Felix."
'Notice. It has been detected that the being known as Charys is inhabiting the core of Charybdis. His body is also made of Dragotite, and he is of a new race known as Flame Lord. Flame Lords can be considered to be monsterized versions of an Elemental Lord of Flame. Flame Lord is a race that is a Spiritual Lifeform that has gained a Physical Body through monsterfication—essentially, exposure to a massive amount of Magicules.'
He even has the Flame Element, huh? The Flame Element can be considered the superior version of the Fire Element.
Along with that, Odin compared him to an Elemental Lord, and from the power I am sensing, her comparison is not wrong.
Charys has an incredible amount of power inside of him, easily at the Awakened Demon Lord level.
Though he would still be defeated by each of my direct subordinates, they have each grown strong, even slightly surpassing the standard Awakened Demon Lord level. Still, even then, Charys could be considered to be on his way to approaching their level.
Veldora really got himself one hell of a subordinate.
"Amazing right?! What do you think, Felix?!" Asked Veldora.
"He's definitely… something. Having a subordinate who is this strong will be quite useful."
Veldora nodded. "Umu!"
"Alright, enough about that." Said Rimuru. "What was up with that super-strong visitor?" Asked Rimuru.
"Ah, I thought Diablo would have told you."
Rimuru nodded. "He did, but I want to hear it from you too."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, fine. You don't need to worry about the visitor. She is one of Guy's maids, the Primordial of Blue, Bleu, also known as Rain."
"Ugh, there is seriously another Primordial here!? The only one missing out of the pack is Guy himself and his other maid!"
I nodded. "Yup, that's right. Still, chill out, I made sure Rain isn't here to cause trouble."
Rimuru sighed. "Fine I trust you. Anyways the opening ceremony is about to start. Are you coming to the VIP area with me?" Asked Rimuru.
I nodded. "Yeah, my subordinates are already there waiting for me too."
Rimuru nodded in understanding. Well, it's time to kick off the last true event of the Tempest Founding Festival.
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Author's Note:
Sup guys, we get to see a bit more of the festival this chapter. I gave rough summaries of the pretty boring events so hopefully you guys didn't mind that. I didn't want to just skip past them all so a summary is what I went with.
Anyways I hope you all enjoyed!
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