(A few days later)
The entire town was still in a festive mood. The festival was just as lively as it was when it first started. But that didn't mean everyone could enjoy it. Rimuru was still stuck doing a bunch of paperwork, and Artoria seemed to be nowhere in sight. It was like she had abandoned him to let him do all the work himself. He really wanted to participate in the festival, but he had a lot to manage after gaining so much territory. More specifically, the rest of the Jura forest and its inhabitants.
He'd been getting bugged by everyone. Everyone wanted to come to him for protection and he accepted and took them in, but two species or tribes, so to speak, gave him a lot of trouble. The Gozu and Mezu, an ox-head majin and a horse-headed majin. When Rimuru saw the Mezu, he thought of the horse Artoria had. He thought he might evolve into something like a Mezu, but then he remembered that her horse seemed much more content to be like a regular horse, except better in every conceivable way.
He really didn't know what to do. He just wished he could put them somewhere, give them some tasks that seemed important, and then kind of forget about them. But alas, he didn't. At least not yet.
[Gazel is on his way. Along with many pegasus knights.]
'Oh come on! Problems just seem to keep on coming! I wonder if Artoria is doing any better.'
[You have no idea.]
'Why did you say it like that? You make it sound so suspicious, like I'm clueless or that it should be obvious or something.'
[You are so close to figuring it out yet so far.]
'Whatever. I'll go meet Gazel. Artoria definitely needs to come to this one. She can't ignore this.'
After a short conversation with Raphael, Rimuru went off to meet Gazel.
/\\//\\//\
"What is with all the celebration, Rimuru?" Gzael asked as he got off a pegasus and greeted Rimuru,
"Ah, about that. Artoria and Shuna officially got engaged, so the entire town is going crazy and celebrating. But I still have a lot to do. It's safe to say the celebration is only in this town, and not throughout the entire empire, but that's only because we're in the process of consolidating all our new gains." Rimurus sounded tired, not physically or mentally, but that's just how he felt. He really just wanted to do anything else.
"So I've heard. You're also a demon lord now to. I received a message from the messengers sent after a Walpurgis,"
"Oh, that, you see, I was already a demon lord before. I'm just part of the group now. So I am an official(?) demon lord now or something. Anyway, what brings you here?"
"What you just mentioned. You see, some of my council have doubts about you ever since you joined the demon lords, but if you've already been a demon lord for so long, then it seems this will go very well." Gazel's mood improved drastically after hearing Rimuru's words. He was already going with the mindset that Rimuru didn't turn evil, and his words only confirmed that. But he needed to make sure, at least just so his council could get a piece of mind.
"Wait, so you're here to see if I'm evil or something? Well, I'm not evil, but you're welcome to stay and enjoy the festivities. It's not like it's going to die down anytime soon. It would be a better way to spend your time."
"Maybe, but I still want a sort of private conversation, even it's just a formality."
"Um, ok, I'll get some people to set up a nice meeting place, but don't expect Artoria to show up. I've hardly seen her ever since she got engaged, and the times I do see her, it's for something essential."
Gazel gave a little glance at Rimuru and very quickly pieced together the whole situation. "Hmm, I see." Gazel had a little, knowing smirk on his face.
Rimuru looked at him confused. 'Am I the only that doesn't understand what is happening?' He thought to himself.
[There is a very high possibility, almost 100%, that you are the only one in town who doesn't understand what is happening.]
'Ah, whatever! I don't care anymore. I'll stop wasting time thinking about it.'
[That's probably for the better.]
/\\//\\//\
Gazel and Rimuru met up in a nice gazebo. It was about as private as it could be when the entire town was in the festivities and making a lot of noise from all the people celebrating and the music playing. They would just need to tune it out.
"Well, I don't need to ask you many questions, Rimuru. I'm just going to ask you some basic things, so we can end this quick. This is a good excuse to have some fun." Gazel chuckled a little as he drank some brandy.
"Should you really be saying something like that? I don't think your council will-" [Someone is approaching your location with the intention of chagrin up a spell]
Rimuru instantly looked in the direction using Raphael's information. At first, he didn't see anything, but eventually, some people came out. They were a group of elves, and one of them had a less-than-friendly expression as they looked at Rimuru.
"There you are you evil demon lord!" The elf guy screamed as he seemed to be chanting a spell. Rimuru was going to retaliate, but Raphael stopped him.
[Don't be rash. This will get solved on its own.]
'What do you mean, Raphael? That elf guy looks intent on casting some kind of big fire spell on me.'
[Look at Gazel.]
Rimuru glanced at Gazel and noticed his look of slight annoyance and an uncaring expression. He wasn't defensive or even showing any signs of taking it seriously.
"Dad, stop!" Eren swooped in, swung her staff, and hit her dad in his stomach, causing him to lean over. Eren put her dad in a facelock and jumped slightly as she hit the ground in a seated position, causing her dad's jaw to drop on her shoulder as he was launched in the air in a comical fashion before hitting the ground. Eren got up and talked to her dad. "I already told you, Dad, I'm not bewitched by him or anything! Just cause I talk about him doesn't mean I like him!"
As Rimuru watched everything unfold in front of him, he rapidly blinked his eyes and rubbed them with his hands. 'Am I hallucinating? I swear I just saw her do a pro wrestling move. And why did he say Eren? Isn't her name Ellen?''
"You should've said so, Eren." He got back up and cleared his throat. "Greetings, Demon Lord Rimuru. I am Erald Grimwald, Archduke of the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion. I come representing the Emperor."
Rimuru was taken aback at his sudden change. From looking like an overprotective father to being all serious in an instant.
"Well, this is certainly a surprise. And here I was looking forward to going out and enjoying the festivities. "
"Well, if it isn't Gazel. This celebration going on in this town is probably the only festival you can attend. I doubt you can do anything in that mountain you stay in."
"A mountain will last much longer than a flimsy tree. All I need is a match and you can say goodbye."
"I'd like to see you try."
Rimuru saw Gazle and Erald bickering and tried to step in since he didn't know what this was. "Ok, ok, ok. I think it's safe to assume you two know each other, but is this is something serious or are y'all playing around like friends?"
[It seems that Artoria is rubbing off on you a little.]
'Huh, what do you mean?'
[It's nothing]
"It's just friendly banter. We have some history. Anyway, it seems like I came at the right moment. I also want to talk." Erald said as he sat down at an empty chair in the gazebo.
"Is this also about the Walpurgis and me joining the demon lord council?"
"Precisely. We're not the only ones talking about this. All the other nations are also hearing the news. Some nations won't care, but others do." Erald spoke in a serious voice. "And I'm here personally to judge you're character."
"Except you're not." A seemingly chilling and haunting voice came out of nowhere from behind Erald. Everyone's eyes immediately opened in shock at the person who came out of nowhere and seemingly from thin air. Erald was the most affected. He was stunned by the surprise, not moving a single muscle as he tried to process how someone could sneak up on him without him noticing.
"Am I right, Erald Grimwald? Archduke of Sarion, uncle of emperor, or empress I should say, Elmesia El Ru Sarion. Born into the 13 royal families of Sarion who Ellis Grimwald, your mother, is the leader of." He felt a hand on his shoulder and his eyes widened. "Did I miss anything?" He heard a whisper close to his ear. He glanced over and immediately came into eye contact with piercing green eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul. Eyes that seemed to see through everything, leaving all secrets revealed.
Artoria backed off and stood looking down at him. "My name is Artoria Pendragon. And you, Erald, have some knowledge and information that I want…need. You see, that's a nice homunculus body you have. And due to…recent events, I've taken an interest in researching homunculus and alchemy. So you'll be cooperative and tell me what you know, right?" Artoria gave a "sweet" and "kind" smile to Erald that left him shaken. Perhaps it wasn't Rimuru he should be worried about. This Artoria seemed to be the dangerous one and the one that might be calling the shots in this empire.