Hearing Raphael, Rimuru froze momentarily. Ramiris, noticing his strange expression, floated up to his face.
'Can you show me?' He asked softly in his mind.
[...]
[...]
[...]
Since it appeared Raphael was really struggling, he decided to place his trust in her. If she really believed he needed to see it, she would have shown him without hesitation. The fact that Raphael was so conflicted meant that it would only cause more problems in the future if he saw that future.
'Just… be careful, Raph. I am trusting you, but don't let us do something stupid. Ok?'
[Understood… Thank you.]
"Is it too much information? What did I tell you? It's a pain to manage. Just take a deep breath… wait, do you even breathe?" Ramiris fluttered in front of him, snapping Rimuru out of his thoughts.
The news from Raphael was a bit heavy, but he decided to take everything one step at a time. For now, he would focus on dealing with the Beastketeers. Though he wanted to play and mess around with the Labyrinth, he had to focus on what needed to be done.
Falmuth should be a mess right now after losing their army, Jistav would be moving, and Milim was about to drop a nuke in Eurazania.
"Don't worry about it, Ramiris. I was just thinking about something. Apparently, we have some visitors from Eurazania, so I will have to leave what I had planned until later. But we will be able to mess with the Labyrinth soon." Rimuru chuckled as Ramiris nestled comfortably in his head.
"Ah… A meeting…. Uh…. I think I will stay here then. I have some, um… hard work and stuff to do. You know?" Ramiris muttered, jumping off from his head while whistling. It was clear she wanted to goof around.
Rimuru couldn't help but shake his head with a slight smile.
"I'll have someone bring you some snacks."
Activating Spatial Motion, he teleported to his office, where the three Beastketeers awaited. Albis, a snake Lycanthrope with dark hair and yellow highlights. Suphia, a tiger Lycanthrope with white hair and cat ears. And Phobio, kneeling on the ground in apology.
It was a strange sight, but it was clear that Shuna still held a small grudge from Phobio's last visit since he was the only one not standing at the moment.
As Rimuru appeared, Albis and Suphia immediately knelt, their heads lowered.
"Sir Rimuru, thank you for meeting with us." Albis said first, her voice tense despite her composed demeanor.
Shuna, maintaining her professionalism, smiled brightly at Rimuru. She stepped aside, allowing him to address their guests directly. As he took his seat, she motioned for the Beastketeers to speak. Surprisingly, they all appeared to be looking at her for permission.
"Demon Lord Milim has declared she will destroy our country," Albis began with a troubled expression. "Lord Carrion has sent us to request your help. We know we don't have a formal alliance, but…" Her voice trailed off, uncertainty clouding her eyes.
Rimuru leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping the table in a measured rhythm. His curious gaze swept over the three Beastketeers, noting their nervousness. They weren't telling him the full story.
"Why come to me?" Rimuru asked, arching an eyebrow. "Carrion has plenty of contacts and already owes me a favor. Surely he knows what asking for my help means?"
Albis' expression strained slightly before she hid her emotions.
"Our Lord remembers your conversation after you defeated Charybdis. You mentioned seeing yourself protecting Eurazania." Albis began, but after noticing Rimuru's deadpan expression, she sighed.
"Demon Lord Frey's representatives have denied our requests for help. They said they would only assist if we went through you. Every other potential ally has rejected us, insisting we approach you first." Albis continued.
Chuckling slightly, Rimuru thought back to when Frey said she would help him take over Eurazania. Apparently, she had set up some things, and he was sure that if she were awake right now, she would be making demands from Carrion.
Knowing Frey, she would use the situation to fully bring them under Rimuru, and though that probably would have required a fight against Carrion himself, that wouldn't be an issue now that he had Awakened.
He was their last option.
"How long ago did Milim declare war on Eurazania?" Rimuru asked.
"It was just two days ago, which means we have eight more days to evacuate our citizens." Albis answered. "It is not enough time to move all of them here, but it should be enough time to send some reinforcements."
Rimuru looked at the trio before shaking his head.
"No, if they don't evacuate, they will all die. This is a trap set by Clayman." He snapped his fingers, and a Shadow appeared, handing him a set of files. "Clayman plans to annihilate Eurazania."
The Shadow handed the files to the Beastketeers, and as they read them, their eyes widened in surprise.
"We need to warn them!" Suphia shouted, ready to run to try to inform all of the refugees.
"We don't have enough time. If their numbers are true, then we will have to split off, and we will probably still lose the majority of our citizens in the war." Albis answered, clutching the papers with frustration.
Phobio, who had still been kneeling this whole time, suddenly shot up to his feet. Carrion had asked him to apologize and ensure they accepted it, so he had been biting his tongue this whole time not to shout, but he couldn't hold it back anymore.
"I- Listen, I know I messed up. If you need to kill me, then just do it, but don't let Lord Carrion and his people suffer because of me." Phobio shouted, clenching his fists. "For some reason, Lord Carrion thinks you can help us, and his instincts have never failed him."
Shuna's eyes narrowed slightly as she heard him, but she didn't move a muscle since she was letting Rimuru take the lead.
"You can't let this happen-" Phobio began before being cut off.
"Why not?" Rimuru's expression turned cold. "They are not my citizens. It's not my responsibility to defend them."
The tension in the room grew, and before it could burst, Albis sighed.
"We understand your conditions. Demon Lord Frey has made them clear. However, please understand we can't offer you Eurazania. We know you are friends with Demon Lord Milim. Perhaps with your help, you can persuade her to stop."
Rimuru chuckled, shaking his head. This conversation was going to go in circles; they wouldn't be able to promise anything, and only Carrion himself would be able to set anything in stone. If anything, he also wasn't willing to simply let all those people die for no reason.
"Milim is hard to reason with once she sets her mind. However, I can protect both your kingdom and your citizens. I'm sure Carrion and I can discuss the details later."
As they heard him, their eyes brightened slightly, and they felt a glimmer of hope in the otherwise lost cause.
"Thank you, Sir Rimuru. It means everything to us. I am sure Lord Carrion will repay you for your help." Albis spoke, bowing once again.
With their meeting over, Rimuru called for a few maids to guide them into a resting place. It looked like they had run as fast as they could, and they probably hadn't slept since the original declaration of war from Milim.
As they left, Shuna smiled and gently hugged him.
"Did you sleep well?" She asked, causing Rimuru to chuckle.
"Yeah, though I should probably start working again; there's a lot I need to get through." Rimuru answered.
"Or is there?" Shuna asked with a giggle. Sitting next to him as she prepared to tell him about everything he had missed while he was evolving.
— — —
{Confirmed. Evolution from type "Kijin" to type "Royal Oni"…successful. All bodily attributes have been greatly enhanced.}
{Notice. As a result of Rimuru Tempest's Harvest Festival, you have awakened the Unique Skill: Queen's Grace. It comes with the following subskills:
Graceful Authority: Grants the user an unparalleled ability to issue commands that are understood and executed with precision. This subskill ensures orders are carried out flawlessly, whether in battle or during administrative tasks.
Diplomatic Charm: Enhances the users' ability to negotiate and persuade others, whether they are allies, neutral parties, or potential enemies. This subskill allows her to communicate effectively and win over even the most skeptical of listeners.
Inspiring Aura: The user radiates an aura of confidence and authority that boosts the morale and fighting spirit of her allies. In their presence, subjects feel more courageous and determined, gaining temporary boosts to their combat abilities and resistance to fear and intimidation.
Royal Haki: An aura that can be used to intimidate or oppress those with weaker wills.}
Her deepest desire was to help Rimuru. Since he was so busy whenever he was "wearing the crown," she wanted to take some of the burden off his shoulders. The Voice of the World recognized her desire and gave her a skill designed specifically for this purpose.
When she was first named, she felt the strain of the three Unique Skills on her soul, but she didn't complain as she began to work. Her constant "training sessions" with Rimuru had increased her strength enough to handle the skills.
Even with the new Unique Skill, she felt only slightly burdened. As she opened her eyes, she connected with those sleeping in the Labyrinth. Her new skill showed its effects immediately as Noir and Blanc appeared beside her.
Noir's eyes kept darting between Rimuru and Shuna, clearly wanting to be by Rimuru's side but unwilling to disobey orders.
"Falmuth is probably in chaos after losing contact with their army and king. Razen is currently in prison, isn't he?" Shuna asked. Graceful Authority allowed Noir and Blanc to understand her intent instantly.
"Yes. We also have the unconscious bird Lycanthrope suspected of serving under Clayman. They are both in the prison," Noir answered.
Shuna nodded, thinking for a moment before giving her orders.
"I need you, Blanc, and Souka's team to head to Falmuth to stabilize them and prevent rash actions. We have plenty of blackmail; use it to control the nobility. Keep deaths to an absolute minimum. And make sure that anyone innocent remains unharmed."
Noir chuckled, his eyes finally focusing.
"Kufufufufu, what greater gift could I give my Lord than conquering a nation for him? Do not worry, Lady Shuna. By the time our Lord wakes up, we will have Falmuth under our control."
Blanc, her crimson eyes burning brightly, bowed deeply.
"We will not fail in our mission. However, before I go, I have a message for you, Lady Shuna. Miss Ellen, the adventurer from Kaval's party, intends to call Empress Elmisia of Sarion. I held her off, but she will want to meet with you."
With one final bow, the two of them vanished.
As the people in the Labyrinth began to stir, Shuna called for Souei. Within moments, he emerged from her shadow, kneeling before her.
"I apologize for the delay. I have only just now finished waking up." Souei reported.
Shuna chuckled slightly, shaking her head.
"You're always too harsh on yourself, Souei. Don't worry about it." Her smile caused Souei to nod, hiding his own smile. "I need you to send someone who can use Particle Breath to the prison. Keep both of our prisoners unconscious until Lord Rimuru wakes up."
Souei nodded, ready to act.
"Is there anything else you require, my Lady?"
"Call for the representatives of the army. I need to talk to them about our next battle. I also need you to contact Ellen and bring her to the office once I am done with the representatives." Shuna ordered, and with one final nod, Souei vanished.
Shuna moved to the throne in the center of the room, gently picking up Rimuru's sleeping body and holding him close.
"I want you to rely on me more." She whispered, her voice filled with determination.
Carrying Rimuru, she made her way to the main office. Looking at all of the citizens who had just woken up. Most of them had only received a very minor boost, and even fewer had awakened any Skills, but they all looked more youthful and ready to work than ever.
As she entered the Capital building, she took Rimuru to one of their bedrooms before heading to their office, where Benimaru, Shion, Souei, Claire, and Luchia were waiting for her.
"Lady Shuna… Our Queen has made us the representatives and leaders of Fulbrosia while she finishes her evolution. We are here to support you in any way you need for your future moves." Luchia said, bowing her head slightly.
"Anything you need from us, we are ready to support you." Claire added.
For the two of them, it was strange to suddenly be integrated into a city that was mainly composed of non-winged people. Their whole lives, they had lived by the rules that if you didn't have wings you were inferior but now they were surrounded by countless people who were not only stronger than her but simply didn't have wings.
They also still didn't fully feel comfortable with Rimuru. They had only had brief meetings, and though he had tried to reach out to them, they had simply gotten busy with work to avoid any direct interactions. Their mother seemed happy, but it was still weird for them to so suddenly have a king in the matriarchal society.
Even then, they had to admit that they respected him, and since their mother had ordered them to be of as much use as possible, they would follow her commands.
Shuna couldn't help but smile as she saw the two Twin Wings, and even though she was still acting like a queen, she did give them a reassuring nod.
"I see. I will make sure to keep your opinions in mind. I know what Rimuru's plan is, so I wanted to discuss it with all of you before we set the wheels in motion. If any of you have any comments or opinions, feel free to speak up. We are here to discuss our war tactics." Shuna began, activating thought communication with all of them to share the images of the different tactics they had planned.
"We'll start by having Souei's spies find and locate all of Jistav's troops. Once we know their coordinates, we can use Spatial Domination to surround them." Shuna continued, so Souei took a step forward and spoke up.
"My Lady, the spies I planted inside of Jistav have actually managed to successfully gather information on Clayman's plans of attack, so we have a full overview as to what paths they plan to take… However, we have unfortunately lost Sibylla. She overstepped and got trapped in what appeared to be ruins underneath Jistav. We have not heard from her since."
The tension in the room grew slightly, but with a nod, they all continued.
"I see… I will make sure to inform their family personally…" Shuna began, taking a deep breath to think about her next steps.
They wanted to avoid the loss of any of their citizens if at all possible, but they were all playing a risky game. All the spies knew their lives were at risk the moment they took the job.
As Souei used Thought Communication to share the plans he had in his mind, he also pulled out a few paper copies. Benimaru and Luchia both noticed something and nodded after exchanging a brief glance.
"There is a trap… Clayman now knows we are spying on him," Benimaru reported, pointing to one of the segments in the paper.
"There is no tactical sense as to why he would send troops here." Luchia continued. "But if you think about it, the only path there is through this mountain, which would be the perfect ambush spot. If there were ground troops, they would be surrounded on all sides."
Souei looked slightly embarrassed as he heard them. As he looked at the plans and used their train of thought, he couldn't deny that he, too, had almost fallen for that trap.
"I apologize… I can no longer assure you what parts of my information are accurate or not." Souei spoke, looking at the plans with a disappointed look.
Shuna couldn't help but shake her head.
"No, rule number one of lying is that the best lies have some truth hidden within them. We can use this to try to predict what is going on through Clayman's mind and beat him at his own game. Remember, we have the advantage of information." Shuna spoke, her Inspiring Aura activating to focus everyone up.
"They don't know we can use Teleportation Circles, so they will only expect our troops to move through the forest. We can play his game in order to make him think that the strength of our troops is lower than they expect." Benimaru spoke, a vicious smile appearing on his face.
"Ah, have their own confidence be their own destruction. What a fitting end to the troops of such a piece of garbage" Luchia muttered, smiling too, as she pictured how the war would play out. She knew that Clayman was behind Charybdis, so she had nothing but contempt against him and his people.
Souei, who had been discouraged a few moments ago, nodded his head.
"That is true. I can call back my spies from the Western Nations so we will be at full strength. Using a combination of Lord Rimuru's masks to hide magicules and Shadow Motion, we can detect any enemies before they attack."
"Hmm… but isn't the plan for all this to happen during Walpurgis? We can't move the troops around with Teleportation Circles because we would need Lord Rimuru for that. Plus the amount of Magicules and Magisteel would be crazy, no?" Shion added, pointing out the problems in their plans. Usually, she was a bit of an airhead, but she brought her best when it came to battle.
"I will also be guarding Rimuru, which means I will need someone else to lead my own guards." She added, getting lost in thought.
Shuna smiled, nodding her head as she heard Shion.
"That is true. However, Rimuru is not the only one who can make them. I can also craft a Teleportation Circle, and though we could only make one, we could probably place it outside the forest to catch his troops off guard. With some Illusion magic, we could move everyone in place without being detected." She spoke. With her Unique Skill: Analyst, she could perfectly replicate the Circles wherever needed.
"But that would require you to be in the locations. That's too risky." Benimaru said, objecting immediately.
Shuna's bright expression instantly became serious as she heard her brother. Looked at him with eyes that made everyone in the room feel as if they were in danger.
"Brother, you didn't think I would sit back and do nothing like during our fight against Charybdis. Did you? I am also planning on stepping onto the battlefield and marching directly to Clayman's castle."
Benimaru felt the Royal Haki pushing down on him, but he stood his ground. Not only was Shuna his sister, but she was also the Queen and wife of Rimuru. If anything happened to her, they were sure Rimuru would snap.
"Shuna…. I am sorry, but I can't allow you to do something so dangerous. You are our Queen. Maybe you don't realize how much you matter to everyone, but-" Benimaru began, his eyes turning softer as he tried to reason with his sister, but Shuna interrupted him as she stood up.
"It's precisely because I am the Queen that I must march onto Jistav myself. I am no longer the young girl you need to care for, Benimaru. I need to set an example not only for our people but also for Jistav itself. While Rimuru is fighting against Clayman, I will work to take his Kingdom down."
"Shuna… I know…" Benimaru muttered, still uneasy at the thought of his sister heading into battle.
As the two of them stood their ground, Shion spoke up to break the tension.
"I trust in Lady Shuna. She can be the one to lead my Amethyst Guards into battle. Their entire role is to protect her, so they will not let a single hair on her head get damaged. Plus, I am sure the old man would look after her."
Her words broke the tension in the room, and after a few more moments, Benimaru sighed.
"Shuna… just remember. Tempest needs you, Lord Rimuru needs you, and our father and I need you. Just promise that you will flee at the first sign of danger." Benimaru asked, which made Shuna laugh as she pulled back her Royal Haki.
"Don't worry, you aren't getting rid of me so easily."
— — —
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