— –Rimuru– —
Countless Water Elementals moved across space as they organized themselves into a perfect pattern. Each was placed precisely where it needed to be in order to amplify the image. Working in unison, they all became a magnifying glass, one so strong it could differentiate between blades of grass even from space.
"You're getting pretty good at this." Ramiris praised him as she stuck her head out of his hair. "I saw you do it on a smaller scale, but this is truly amazing."
"What can I say, I have a good teacher." Rimuru answered with a chuckle, causing Ramiris to let out a smug laugh as she puffed out her chest with pride.
"Well, I know a thing or two…" Ramiris answered with a giggle.
Across the entirety of the stratosphere, countless Water Elementals floated in place. All of them ready to be used by Rimuru. It was their Odin's Eye project, one that had been suggested by Ramiris.
The concept was simple: Elementals were used as a magnifying glass to see images from space. Something that apparently Ramiris had once done in the past, back before she became a Corrupted Fairy.
Soon, they would be able to see the entire world. Tempest would be able to observe anything that wasn't covered under a roof. Or, anything that wasn't covered under an illusion, since this simply acted as a magnifying glass.
Raphael was currently working on improving the design, but for now, this was more than enough.
In Tempest, he was also going to set up a viewing station for Shadow so they would also be able to use Odin's Eye for their missions.
"You know, a little Dryad told me you've been busy." Rimuru said as he gently picked up Ramiris from his head and held her in his palm. "Someone's been putting in extra effort to help all of the researchers.
"Hm? I don't know what you are talking about? Just a little something you know… Been feeling better lately, so I can help out more than usual." Ramiris answered, flexing her muscles as she threw a couple of punches.
"Oh? Is your recovery going well?" He asked as he sent a surge of energy through his hand to her.
Ramiris shuddered slightly before letting out an annoyed expression.
"Don't do that while we are talking! It makes me sleepy!" She complained before letting out a grin. "Well, I still have a looooooong time before I recover back to 100%, but I can do this now!" Ramiris said as she jumped off from his hand and began to flutter, concentrating and clenching her fists.
Her wins began to flutter even faster as they began to glow.
"Transfooooooorm!" Ramiris shouted as she released a surge of magicules, yet in the end, she only grew by about an inch before shrinking back down. However, that didn't stop the proud expression on her face. "What do you think? Pretty intimidating, eh?"
"Terrifying." Rimuru answered with a chuckle as Ramiris landed on his hand again.
"But I was able to get better control over my Labyrinth. I can more strongly influence what happens, and thanks to that, I can adjust some of the effects of things inside. I was even able to help Mjurran complete her experiment ahead of schedule. Who knows, maybe in a few years, I'll be able to create a Hyperbolic Time Chamber."
"A time chamber, eh? How strong were you before you stopped Milim's rampage?"
"Hehe, even Veldora would be nothing but a bug to be squished under my finger. But it's not all just my recovery through Purifier. The Labyrinth is also changing. Yggdrassyl is getting stronger by the day, which in turn strengthens the Labyrinth. But they are also sapping a good amount of the excess magicules from Veldora, so it's a win-lose scenario."
"Ah, yeah, I remember hearing a report about it. Ygrdrassyl is expanding the Labyrinth, aren't they?" Rimuru asked, causing Ramiris to let out a conflicted expression.
"Yeah, they are making the Labyrinth grow. But it's a bit annoying since I keep having to move stuff around. I've tried talking to them, but they are not much for conversation, and I'd feel bad about taking away their connection to the Labyrinth when they are trying to help." Ramiris complained. "Even the Dryads are struggling to talk to them."
"Aye, I'll talk to them. I speak fluent Magical Tree." Rimuru said with a chuckle. "Other than that, we are good with the rest of the projects, right?"
"I think so. Emiya and Mjurran are almost done with the mass production of bodies for the Daemons. They just had to slow down near the end because their gold supply was starting to run low."
"Damn, they used their allotted gold that fast?" Rimuru asked, to which Ramiris nodded.
They had a massive amount of gold in storage, most of which had been sourced from Jistav and Falmuth. However, it was all already allocated for future and ongoing projects. Turns out that gold is one of, if not the most efficient material when it comes to the conduction of magicules, surpassing even magisteel at times depending on the project.
The main reason magisteel usually took the crown in magicule conductivity is that gold just wasn't durable enough to use for weaponry. That was unless you turned it into an alloy with magisteel to create orichalcum. Which is what they were mainly using to create the Daemon Vessels.
Now, they were using gold in practically all areas of Tempest for all kinds of different projects. From golem creation and experimentation to assisting with creating some of the infrastructure needed for future protective magic circles planned to protect Tempest.
If they continued to use their gold at this pace, they would run out of it in just a few years. So, in the end, they were planning to import some gold from different countries to obtain enough to carry them through until they stabilized their gold usage.
"Yeah, but we are about to head to El Dorado so I can bully Leon into giving us a good deal. He said I was always welcome over there, so I can probably nag him for a while. He's got a soft spot for me." Ramiris said with a proud expression.
"Bully Leon, eh? I'd make that deal." Rimuru answered with a chuckle. "Though let's try to save that for our next meeting. Don't wanna leave a bad impression."
In preparations for the upcoming war with Luminous, he wanted to finish making solid alliances with the remaining Demon Lords. For one, he wanted to stop any of them from overreacting once his war escalated. And on the other hand, he wanted to make sure they wouldn't become his enemies in the future.
From Raphael's analysis, Leon, Dagruel, and Guy Crimson were people he shouldn't antagonize.
Shizue, Ramiris, and even Milim had spoken about Leon, and from their words, there was a high chance that he had an Ultimate Skill. He had firsthand seen the potential of Ultimate Skills, and he had a big enough sample size to know that they were bullshit.
Who knows, maybe Leon could have an Ultimate Skill that just let him delete people or one that trapped people in a time loop. Anything was possible when it came to Ultimates.
He'd love to analyze and strengthen his own Ultimate Skills, but that was something easier said than done. First was the issue of finding Ultimate Skill users, but then came the analysis.
He still remembered when he had tried to analyze Milim as he had done with Ramiris, but in the end, he got nothing. Raphael was simply unable to analyze either her skill or her Skills, even with Asmodeus looking directly into her soul. The best she had managed was to make a copy of the data. But that copy couldn't do anything other than just sit inside of Raphael.
Hell, he had tried to analyze Veldora to try to obtain a True Dragon transformation. But just like Milim, he had gotten nothing.
[Reminder. Higher level existences cannot be analyzed… yet.] Raphael said, sounding somewhat frustrated. Though this time, he was sure it wasn't his imagination.
When he first tried to analyze Milim, she smacked her metaphorical head against the metaphorical wall over and over, trying to understand what she was seeing.
[Further research is still in progress. However, the data has been stored. An estimated 1,890,129,509 years are left to decrypt the process of becoming a True Dragon. In addition, 192,130 years are left in order to decrypt Milim's Dragonoid existence.]
[In addition. Research of Ultimate Skills outside of your own is still being decrypted. Frey's Tezcatlipoca has an estimated 5 years left to be fully decrypted and integrated, while Milim's Satanel has an estimated 1,251 years for complete analysis.]
[...]
[...]
[Estimated numbers are expected to go down as more and more data is gathered.]
'Don't worry, Raph. However long it takes.'
[Understood.]
"You know, that reminds me. When are you going to visit Guy? You should probably do that sooner rather than later. He gets kinda antsy when Demon Lords try to take over. If stuff starts going crazy then he might come beat you up for making a mess…" Ramiris muttered before shrugging. "Don't worry, I can talk to him. Hehe, what would you do without me?"
"Guy Crimson… honestly, I get a weird vibe from him. He was staring me down during Walpurgis, so I'll take your deal. I'll bring you with me when I go to him. I'll stop there after El Dorado."
[Notice. Envoys from Raja have arrived in Tempest. They are being led by a Kijin representative who has been recognized by the guards. He appears to have a favorable impression from the Kijin members.]
'Raja? Doesn't that country also have a ton of gold?' Rimuru asked, thinking back to when he had looked over the countries in the West while planning for his war with Luminous. 'It's next to Jura, right?'
[Answer. While it used to be a major exporter of gold, the mines appeared to have dried up in the past 12 years. However, you are correct, Raja is located to the West of the Forest of Jura and it is within the original locations planned to be overtaken during the initial facets of the war.]
"Sorry, Ramiris, duty calls." Rimuru said as he teleported the two of them to the Labyrinth.
"Nah, I had to run and finish packing for our trip to El Dorado either way. I'll see ya later." Ramiris said before fluttering and giving Rimuru a kiss on the cheek and laughing mischievously before fluttering away.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself in the entrance, where a few of the Kijin guards were looking at the Envoy from Raja with sparkling eyes as they surrounded him. They were launching a barrage of questions.
The Kijin envoy had long crimson hair and a pair of horns. One was just like Benimaru's pitch black with a sharp tip, while the other was white, only a quarter of the size. Almost as if it had been broken.
'Wait… isn't this…'
When he talked to Shuna about her past, she mentioned someone who used to be like a brother to her and Benimaru who had left before Rimuru had visited their village. And other than the changes from becoming a Kijin, the description matched him perfectly.
Behind him was a group of Wyverns and a few other people in armor, but it was clear by the way the others behaved that he was the leader.
"Ah, Lord Rimuru!" One of the guards yelped in surprise as he quickly ran back to his post.
His announcement seemed to stir the rest of the people as they all quickly focused, with the guards running back to their position.
"Sir Rimuru." The crimson-haired Kijin said politely as he gave a bow. "I am Hiiro. Thank you for taking care of my village."
He held his bow for a few moments to show his thanks before finally rising and looking at Rimuru.
"When I heard about Tempest, I wasn't sure what to feel. But I am glad everyone appears to be happy here. Once again, I thank you for taking care of them."
"You're the 'brother' that used to beat up Benimaru, aren't you?" Rimuru asked, causing Hiiro to stiffen slightly. "Poor guy, probably whacked him in the head a few too many times. I bet he is eager for a rematch." Rimuru added with a chuckle, causing everyone to relax as he turned around and waved him over.
"Come on, I've heard all about you. Shuna told me how you saved her that one time she tried to sneak out to follow Benimaru during his first hunt, so I owe you a couple of favors. Make yourself at home."
'Tess, could you ask some people to organize a celebration for the Kijins? Someone from their tribe just returned.' Rimuru asked through Thought Communication.
'Tess?' Testarossa asked with some surprise.
'Don't like it?'
'No, no, I was just caught off guard. I will make sure everything is ready.' She answered.
Judging by the reactions of every Kijin they passed by, Hiiro was quite the popular person. Every single Kijin would drop what they were doing to swarm him and ask him a barrage of questions.
It delayed their trip through Tempest enough for the preparations Tesstarosa worked on to finish.
Entering the Chancellor's building, he saw Shuna run up with a massive smile. Shion was right behind her, unable to hold back her smile.
"Brother!" She shouted as she gave him a hug. "I thought you were dead!"
"Princess… or should I call you Queen now?" Hiiro asked with a warm smile. "You look like a proper ruler now. And to think we were gonna put our village under young master's leadership. Maybe we should have asked you to rule us instead." He added with a chuckle.
"Oi, I would have been a great ruler." Benimaru said with a grin as he walked in with Luchia next to him. He had been training with Middray just a few hours ago, but Testarossa had gone to pick them up personally. "But it's probably for the best that Shuna ended up taking the title."
"Young master!" Hiiro said as he shook hands with Benimaru before bringing him into a hug. "It's good to finally see you both. I'm sorry for not coming to visit sooner. I can feel both of you have gotten stronger. You might even be able to beat me now, Shuna." He added with a laugh. "Now, that's something I never thought I would see."
"I would be down to have a rematch." Shion said as she let out a grin. "You always beat me before, and I think I finally stand a chance."
Then, she leaked out more of her aura, leaving Hiiro with an open mouth.
"How… even stronger than Benimaru?" Hiiro asked, unable to hide his shock.
"Uh…" Shion said as she retracted her aura, letting out a few awkward coughs. "Training… Come on, the old man is waiting to see you again."
"The Chief?" Hiiro asked with some excitement. "Is Master here too?"
— — —
The celebration party got slightly out of hand as each of the Kijin ran up to toast with Hiiro, yet in the end, the new Kijin was welcomed into Tempest with open arms.
The guards next to him, although somewhat awkward at first, also got to enjoy the celebrations until eventually passing out from getting too drunk. In the end, after the rest of the Kijins returned to their houses. Rimuru led Hiiro to a smaller meeting room.
With the calmer environment, Hiiro straightened up his clothing before sobering himself up.
"Thank you for the welcome party, Sir Rimuru, Shun– Lady Shuna." Hiiro said formally before kneeling down. "I come as a representative of Raja requesting help."
Hearing the country, Shuna's eyes widened with some panic, yet as she looked at Rimuru, she relaxed.
"What do you need?" Rimuru asked, and as he did, Hiiro lowered his head even more until it reached the ground.
"Raja's land has been poisoned by the water supply, so it can no longer cultivate crops. We are starting to run out of food, so we would like the chance to cultivate in the Forest of Jura. We cannot afford to buy the crops Tempest produces, so all we ask for is for some land."
"Is that it? Sure." Rimuru answered as he waved for him to rise up. "If you want, we can even give you some food for free. We have a bunch just sitting in storage. Is there anything else you need?"
"Huh?" Hiiro asked as he raised his head.
Usually, Rimuru would have tried to find the best way to grab as many benefits as possible from a trade like this. But since Hiiro was someone so close to Shuna, Shion, and the rest of the Kijin, he was practically a Tempestian in Rimuru's eyes.
Plus, they were already planning on 'capturing' Raja during their war with Luminous. It was one of the countries that appeared to be on the verge of collapse from the poison the mines had leaked onto the water and, thus, onto the earth.
It used to prosper from the trade of gold, but in the end, it seemed their mines had run dry.
In truth, Raja didn't have much to offer at the moment. It would only become more and more dependent on importing goods in the future, and without any exports, they wouldn't be able to afford much of anything.
Since the country was already doomed, it would have worked as a strategic capture point for Tempest. As a show of 'Hey, we are mean and scary. Look how we conquer more land.'
"Our queen… Towa… she is sick." Hiiro added after a few moments of hesitation. "She is slowly dying, and if nothing is done, she will not survive the year. Please, I beg you, for the sake of Raja, for my sake. Please help me save Towa. I owe her my life."
"Rimuru…" Shuna whispered as she looked at him before letting out a soft smile after getting a nod.
"Sounds good." Rimuru answered as he raised his cup of tea. "We can head out tomorrow. I have some meetings with a few Demon Lords coming up, so we will have to get it done relatively quickly. But I should have enough time."
'Best case scenario, we can get Towa to agree to let Raja be "captured" by Tempest in the future. Ain't that right, Raph?'
[Answer. The chances of convincing Towa to submit to Tempest are at 91.178204...%]
'What do you think, Shuna? One final vacation before we start a war?' He asked, earning a subtle smile from Shuna.
'The calm before the Storm…' Shuna answered through Thought Communication. 'If we are recruiting Raja, then does this make it a work vacation?'
'Only if things get messy.' Rimuru answered.
'Ah, now you've jinxed us.' Shuna chuckled as she gave him a wink before turning back to the conversation.
— –Violet– —
"Hm? Heading towards my territory now, are they?"
She had been keeping an eye on Tempest, or more specifically Rimuru, ever since Noir had visited her. If it had been just Noir, she might have been able to dismiss his whims as trivial. He was always the weird one of the family.
But Blanc? Seeing her trailing after Rimuru like a devoted puppy left Violet thoroughly perplexed.
'What makes him so… appealing to them?' She wondered, fingers idly tracing the edge of her teacup. She'd considered shifting into her cat form and shadowing him, to get a firsthand glimpse of what could possibly charm two of her kind. Yet just as she was debating whether it was worth the effort, Rimuru had begun moving towards Raja.
"Should I test him?" Violet mused to herself.
Yet, before she could savor the thought, a violent tremor shook her palace, rattling the teacup in her hand. Her calm demeanor twisted into a frown. Only one individual would be so brazenly disruptive.
"Jaune…" She muttered with some irritation as she put her teacup down before vanishing from her seat.
Outside, she raised a Multilayer Barrier with a casual flick of her wrist, stopping the onslaught of explosions that filled the sky. Her gaze tracked the colorful, chaotic bursts until she located the culprit.
"The hell do you want?!" Violet shouted as she flew up to meet with Jaune face-to-face.
"I'm bored." Jaune answered with a shrug and a grin, completely ignoring Violet's frown. "I went to look around for Blanc to mess with her, but she wasn't around. So you are the next best thing. Wanna fight?"
"As if." Violet shot back, turning on her heel as if to teleport back. Yet she stopped, frowning as another explosion struck her Multilayer Barrier. She closed her eyes, inhaling slowly as she reinforced her shield.
Glancing back, she saw Jaune with her arms crossed and a massive, taunting smile.
"If you don't wanna fight, then tell me where Blanc is. Otherwise, Imma keep bombing your house. If you don't like it, then fight me."
"Blanc is not here anymore." Violet replied with a hint of annoyance, though a mischievous glint sparked in her eyes. "She found herself a vessel and is currently in the Cardinal World. What, did Noir not come to try and recruit you?"
"What? She won?! How did she pull that off? Didn't her Human vessel die on her? I thought she was sulking ever since that one girl got killed. Was she just building another vessel in secret this whole time?" She clenched her fists, charging up another round of Nuclear Magic in her irritation and carelessly flinging it off to the side, where it exploded, leaving a massive crater behind.
Violet barely contained her laughter, delighting in the chaos her words had unleashed. But Jaune, still fuming, paused as something else clicked in her mind.
"Wait, what's this about Noir?" She asked, her frown growing as she looked at Violet's smug grin. "He hasn't been around either, now that I think about it. Don't tell me… Did he help Blanc with this?"
"Oh, Jaune, you're so out of the loop." She chuckled, pretending to have sympathy. "Noir and Blanc— oh, excuse me, they are Diablo and Testarossa now. They found themselves a master. A rather charming Majin by the name of Rimuru Tempest. He gave them bodies, names, and, oh, the devotion they have for him now is simply adorable."
"A name?!" Jaune blurted, looking half-stunned and half-enraged. "What kind of lunatic would give those two a name? And you're just expecting me to believe this? You're messing with me, aren't you?" Her voice grew angrier as she began to gather her magicules, preparing a Gravity Collapse spell, the ground began to tremble as rocks and debris lifted under the spell's pull.
"Oh? You hurt me, Jaune. You know I wouldn't lie about things like this." Violet said with a smile, unbothered by the rocks starting to float in the air. "In fact, this Rimuru is heading to Raja, one of my countries. Maybe he's so desperate for my company that he's coming to meet me personally. Could it be that Noir and Blanc simply… overlooked you?"
Violet looked on with amusement as Jaune prepared to launch her attack before finally stopping her.
"Well, if you're so intent on fighting, I suppose you don't really care to hear more about this Rimuru Tempest." Violet said softly, glancing down at her nails as if she was completely unbothered. "Maybe your… 'explosive' personality is the reason Noir decided not to visit you."
Jaune let out an exasperated yell, raising her hands to cast the spell before pausing. She frowned before finally canceling the spell altogether. She shot Violet a glare full of rage, staring Violet down to try to intimidate her.
"You better not be messing with me." Jaune muttered as she flew closer to Violet.
"I'll count this as my win." Violet whispered with a triumphant smile, waving Jaune to follow her inside.
"Shut up before I blow your house up again." Jaune grumbled, though she reluctantly followed her.
Once inside, Violet snapped her fingers, and her servants immediately darted off to fetch tea for the two of them. She took her seat gracefully, watching Jaune's barely-contained irritation with a satisfied smirk. Sipping her tea, she let out a final giggle, savoring the moment before starting her explanation.
"Rimuru Tempest." She began, clearing her throat. "A Demon Lord who, in less than two years, has claimed the entire Forest of Jura. And as if that weren't enough, he's got Veldora, of all beings, under his thumb. A rather… impressive feat, wouldn't you say?"
For a few minutes, Violet explained everything she knew. As she listened, Jaune's eyes narrowed as she took a sip of her tea, now more intrigued than annoyed.
"How did you learn all of that? Were your Daemons able to sneak into his country?" Jaune asked.
"No. Blanc and Noir are quite annoying when it comes to the spies I sent there." Violet answered bluntly. "But Noir has at least given me some leeway to learn about him. Perhaps he hopes that I'll also become infatuated and devote myself."
"Hmm…" Jaune grumbled to herself as she sat back in her chair. "Tsk, I see… well… I don't feel like blowing stuff up anymore."
Violet couldn't help but let out a mischievous giggle as she saw Jaune's frustration.
'I won not once but twice…. Maybe this Rimuru is my lucky charm.' Violet mused to herself.
Hearing her giggle, Jaune glanced back with some annoyance before stepping up to a window and kicking it, causing it to explode.
"Should've put a door there." Jaune grumbled, giving a dismissive wave before flying out.
"Pshh." Violet began laughing as she snapped her fingers, calling her servants to come fix the window.
"Can you believe it? Jaune is jealous of me." Violet said with a grin to one of her servants. "Is that three wins, then? How long did it take me to get three wins against her in the past?"
"I believe that would be six thousand years, my Lady." One of the Daemons answered as he cleaned up the mess. "Every other battle has finished in a draw." He added, ignoring the few times Violet had been defeated.
"I am going out for a bit. Go fetch me some more of this tea. It's my new favorite. It tastes like victory."
— –Rimuru– —
"You're going to Raja?" Hinata's expression grew thoughtful, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered the name. "Luminous has mentioned that country before. There's something I want to confirm… would you mind if I joined you?"
Rimuru raised an eyebrow at the question. He could see the determination in her eyes, so after a moment, he nodded.
Ever since her fight with Shion, Hinata had been staying in Tempest. Her attitude had changed slightly, and she had even decided to join Shion and Hakuro in some of their training sessions.
She wasn't much for words, but Rimuru could tell that her fight had shaken her slightly. And judging by her constant visits to the hot springs with Shizue, she definitely had a lot on her mind.
"That should be fine. We'll add an extra Hippogriff for you. But don't get too comfortable; we're only staying a day or two, at most."
Hinata nodded with a faint smile.
"That's more than enough. Thank you." She gave a slight bow before walking away, already lost in her thoughts.
The hours before departure passed in a blur. They all mounted their Hippogriffs, following a squad of Wyverns leading the way.
As he looked down, he realized he had never spent much time appreciating the view of Tempest from the skies. He had been up to the stratosphere multiple times by now, but it was only now that he was taking a better look at the Forest of Jura.
It was nice; countless trees spread as far as the eyes could see, and lakes, rivers, and a few different random Monster tribes and villages he had never gotten the chance to look at before. Each one had their own style of building, though most were relatively primitive.
'Raph, are they on the list for assistance and provisions?' Rimuru asked since, if need be, they could always send some of the "For Dummies" series of books to them along with some experienced craftsmen to teach them.
[Confirmed. All of the Monster settlements we have passed have been successfully recruited onto Tempest.]
Throughout their flight, Raphael didn't slack off as she continued to use Universal Perception to scan every inch of the forest. If there were anything that she deemed important or interesting, she would file it away for future research. When they returned to Tempest, they could simply send expedition squadrons to continue exploring the Forest.
With Rimuru's help, they were able to avoid any Flying Monsters from messing with them, as a simple glare with his Demon Lord's Haki was enough to send them flying in the other direction.
Though he had consumed a few with Beelzebuth to try to earn new Skills, he didn't really get anything valuable. So he simply threw those Skills to Raph so she could do whatever she wanted to. But judging by her lackluster reaction, she didn't care much for them.
[Answer. Through Food Chain, I can analyze, copy, or utilize any skill from any named subordinate. In addition, I can utilize it to continue to experiment and research how Skills operate.]
[The Skills obtained by consuming the Blood Hawk, the Lesser Couatl, and the Bladed Vultures were all previously Awakened by Tempestians. However, continued research and consumption of different specimens is encouraged in order to increase the research sample size.]
'Is this for the Skill Gift Art you created? I thought you had completed it?' Rimuru asked.
Just like how he had awakened Infinite Regeneration in Shion, Raphael had been spending her time messing around with Skills to understand them better. And, for his subjects without Unique Skills, she could awaken one in them as long as their bodies were compatible.
[Negative. The research on the Skill Gift Art is still incomplete. However, experimentation is currently underway. The creation of Ultimate Gifts is almost complete.]
[The information gathered from the Ultimate Enchantment remnant in Clayman's soul is too incomplete. And even with further analysis, no more data was obtained.]
'I guess we are back to trial and error, then?'
[Correct. However, do not worry. With enough time, I will be able to decrypt it.]
'Aye, I trust you.' He answered before focusing on the path ahead.
Hours passed, and just as the sun was starting to set, they arrived at their destination. Dipping down and passing through a few clouds, they finally were able to look at the Kingdom of Raja.
Raja was nestled in a natural fortress of mountains, waterfalls cascading down the steep cliffs in dazzling streams that caught the sunlight, scattering rainbow hues across the valley. The city itself sat atop a mountain in the center of the other mountains.
It was a beautiful city, one that was surprisingly well protected from the outside world by the mountains surrounding it. All hell could be breaking loose outside, and they would be able to remain mostly unaffected since few would come out of their way to attack.
"This… is magnificent." Shuna whispered, her wide-eyed gaze darting between the waterfalls, the terraced city, and the sprawling forests surrounding Raja.
One of the Raja envoys riding a wyvern, noticing her awe, smiled proudly.
"You should see it in winter. The snow blankets the mountains, and the whole city looks like something out of a fairy tale. Only a few months away. Come back then if you can."
The Hippogriffs flapped their wings, descending in a smooth arc as they approached the city. Rimuru glanced at Hinata, who was staring at the kingdom with enough intensity to betray her true emotions.
'There's gotta be something hidden in here.' Rimuru mused as he turned back, letting his gaze linger over the waterfalls, glistening in the fading light.
"Shuna, take over Mihawk. I'll be back in a bit" Rimuru asked her as he stood up before jumping off from the Hippogriff and sprouting wings of his own.
Ignoring the surprised looks from the group, Rimuru gave his wings a powerful beat, generating a gust of wind that sent the Hippogriffs and Wyverns fluttering momentarily off course.
He dove toward the ground in freefall, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing past him. As he neared the treetops, he extended his wings with a snap, the sudden drag lifting him back into a graceful glide. Another beat of his wings sent him soaring forward, the ground blurring beneath him.
He weaved between the towering cliffs and dipped beneath cascading waterfalls that sprayed him with cool mist. Each flap of his wings sent him speeding past jagged rock formations and rivers with crystal-clear waters.
Activating Universal Perception, he pushed the Skill as hard as he could to see every small detail around him. He watched animals scatter as he flew by, all of them scattering as far away from him as they could from the sudden fright.
[Notice. Several large gold deposits have been found inside the mountains. In addition, Moongrove Herbs have been located. With them, the required experiments ran by Emiya can increase in efficiency by 14%]
[Warning. The water appears to be contaminated. However, pollution from mining is highly unlikely. A possible cause is estimated to be a curse or spell formation that releases poison. More in-depth analysis is required for a full analysis.]
Flapping his wings once again, he flew closer to the river before extending his hand and letting it skim the surface. He could feel the water and the poison running through it, though as he did, he also realized it felt familiar.
'Daemons?' He thought as he recalled the feeling from when he had gone to the Daemon Realm with Testarossa. However, as he looked at the water with his Universal Perception, Raphael adjusted his vision to be able to clearly see the trail of poison flowing through the water.
Flapping his wings once again, he shot forward, following the path from the river until he arrived at a massive lake behind Raja.
'There you are…' He thought as a smile appeared on his face as he shot towards the water.
A massive explosion of water shot up as he dived in, his wings serving as massive fins as his legs turned into that of Merfolk, increasing his speed underwater even more until he arrived at a massive spell formation that hid underwater.
From it, a gigantic stream of magical poison flowed out, contaminating the water.
'Yup, Daemons.' Rimuru thought as he soaked in the poison for a few seconds. It was exactly like some of the water he had taken from the Daemon Realm when he passed by with Testarossa.
[Affirmative. In addition, it appears to be using ancient spell formations and runes. Formations like this are no longer used by any of the Western Kingdoms. The likelihood of a Daemon being the culprit behind the poison is 99.98941679…%]
[Would you like to dismantle it?]
'No… not yet… though this does explain why Hinata was so eager to come here.' Rimuru thought as he reached down to trace his finger across the spell.
With a soft sigh, Rimuru activated Universal Perception, pinpointing the exact location of the others. In a blink, he teleported back to his Hippogriff, landing smoothly as the group prepared to descend into the city.
'Remember how I may have jinxed us earlier?' He asked Shuna through Thought Communication with a slight smile.
'Yeah?' Shuna answered with a concerned expression.
'This might not be the full vacation we had hoped for.'
Shuna let out a small sigh as she heard him, yet, without missing a beat, her expression became serious.
'What do you need me to do?' She asked without hesitation.
'For now, just keep an eye on anyone suspicious.' He answered just as they all landed.
As they landed, a group of guards followed by nicely dressed men stepped out onto the terrace to meet with them. As Hiiro jumped down from his Wyvern to speak to them, Hinata moved quietly next to Rimuru.
"Did you find anything interesting?" She asked with some curiosity, though her expression remained somewhat cold.
"Yes." Rimuru admitted. "However, I would like to confirm a few things before doing anything drastic."
Hinata gave a simple nod in response, her expression still somewhat unreadable as she stepped forward to address the guards. Though they had initially looked at them curiously, the guards all now looked somewhat nervous as they gave polite bows to him, Shuna, and Hinata. And, out of the group, one of the nobles stepped out to address them.
"I must apologize on behalf of Her Majesty." The noble who introduced himself as Lord Harbert began, his tone polished but hesitant. "The queen is unwell and unable to meet with you personally. However, as her representatives, we are here to assist in her stead."
He let out a welcoming smile, though he still looked at Hiiro as subtly as he could to ask him for help. Yet, before Hiiro could speak up, Hinata stepped forward.
"Lord Harbert, I may be able to heal the queen. I am Hinata Sakaguchi, one of the Paladin's of the Church of Luminous. However, I must meet her directly for my Holy Magic to work." She explained. "There is also something I would like to discuss with her personally."
The nobles stiffened slightly as they heard her, glancing at each other, looking for answers. Then, Harbert cleared his throat again, straightening his coat before speaking as politely and warmly as he could.
"Miss Sakaguchi… you are aware that our nation follows a different faith than Luminism? I trust that this will not present an issue. Of course, we hold the utmost respect for a Paladin of your standing…"
"That will not be a problem." Hinata answered flatly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The nobles all visibly faltered under her cold gaze, becoming even more nervous. Yet, sensing their concern, Hiiro stepped forward and gave them a reassuring smile.
"Relax." Hiiro said softly. "She's trusted by Demon Lord Rimuru and Queen Shuna. If they trust her enough to travel here with them, I think we can too." He turned toward Harbert and his group, his tone shifting to one of excitement. "Besides, if she can cure the queen, wouldn't it be better to act quickly? The sooner we can help her, the less she'll have to suffer."
Seeing how calm he was, the nobles exchanged a few more glances with each other before nodding.
"Very well. Please follow us. We will take you to meet the queen." Harbert answered as he waved for the guards to follow.
Following behind him, the nobles led them all through the palace until they reached a door, where they sent a maid inside to prepare the queen. After a few minutes, the maid stepped out and gave them a nod.
"The queen is ready." The maid announced as she stepped to the side to allow them to enter.
As they entered, Rimuru looked across the room, his gaze locking instantly with the queen of Raja. Her condition was evident, and judging from her state, her body was starting to collapse.
Her skin was pale, her eyes had dark circles under them, she was covered in a thin layer of cold sweat, and even her hair appeared to be unhealthy and dull. However, the thing that caught his attention the most was not her condition, but the tiara resting atop her head.
[Notice. The tiara contains an exceptionally high level of Magicule concentration. It is identified as a high-level magical artifact.] Raphael's calm voice echoed in his mind, confirming his suspicion.
"Towa…" Hiiro stepped closer, his voice soft and filled with concern. The queen turned her head toward him with effort, her lips curving into a faint smile.
"Hiiro…" Towa answered weakly before glancing at the group. "I see you managed to get some help…. I'm sorry for my state. I haven't had enough time to fully recover. I should be more presentable in a day or two."
"Towa, this is Demon Lord Rimuru Tempest and Hinata Sakaguchi, one of the paladins of Luminism. They should be strong enough to help you recover." Hiiro said with some hope as he introduced them.
The queen let out another weak smile as she heard him. Yet before she could respond, she was struck by a violent coughing fit. Towa clutched her chest as she tried to stop, yet it was clear that even moving was extremely painful for her at the moment. Without hesitation, Rimuru and Hinata stepped forward.
"Queen Towa, would you mind if we cast some spells on you to try to heal you?" Rimuru asked softly, earning a weak smile from the queen.
"No, I don't mind… if Hiiro trusts you, then so will I." The queen answered, and after getting her response, Hinata raised her hands. "Please… do what you can."
"High Heal…" Hinata whispered as she extended her arms toward the queen. As she did, a warm, soothing green light began to cover Towa.
Yet the spell was mostly ineffective. Only a slight hint of color returned to Towa's skin, yet she still looked as sickly as ever.
One after the other, Hinata began to cast Holy Spell after Holy spell, trying to cure Towa. Yet, no matter what she did, they all had an almost unnoticeable effect.
[Notice. Analysis complete.] Raphael reported instantly.
[The tiara provides the subject, Towa, with significant power and purification abilities. However, it achieves this by contaminating her body with a Daemon's essence.]
'Sounds about right.'
[The ineffectiveness of Holy Magic is due to the tiara altering her body and nature, preparing her to become a better vessel. The contamination stems from a magic circle embedded in the water supply, poisoning it. Each time Towa purifies the water, the contamination intensifies within her.]
[Estimation. This cycle has persisted for generations, creating the ideal conditions for a Daemon incarnation. Queen Towa is near completion as a vessel for this process.]
[However, by stopping the usage of the tiara, a full recovery can be achieved.]
"Queen Towa, would you mind if I examined your tiara? There might be something about it that's interfering with your recovery." Rimuru asked with a warm smile.
"This… it's a relic passed down through the royal bloodline." Towa answered as she weakly reached up to take it off. "It allows me to purify the water for our people… it's a gift from our goddess."
Gently accepting the tiara from Towa, he took a closer look. It had small, intricate carvings that gave it an ancient look. Yet now that he was holding it in his hands, he could clearly feel a similar poison to the one he had found on the lake.
'Diablo.' He called out, and not a second later, he felt him appear behind him.
"You called, my Lord." Diablo asked with an excited smile as he bowed.
His sudden appearance caught everyone off guard, causing the guards to reach for their weapons. Yet, they all froze before they could draw their swords from a simple look from Diablo before he returned his attention to Rimuru.
"Oh? This is…" Diablo muttered as he looked at the tiara.
"You recognize it?" Rimuru asked, earning a nod from Diablo.
"Of course, Lord Rimuru. This artifact originates from Violet herself. It's one of her little… diversions. A tool, if I'm not mistaken, created for her ongoing bet with Jaune and Testarossa. Though, Testarossa won the bet a long time ago now." He explained proudly.
"Violet?" Rimuru asked with some curiosity as his eyes lit up.
"Violet…" Hinata muttered as she heard the name.
"Violet?" Towa asked, confused, as she looked at Diablo.
— — —
Special Thanks to my Beta Readers/Editors: The one, the only, the amazing @Basilisk, and @Kiyan Tribe (FF.net/AO3/QQ/WN) | kiyan_tribe( Discord)
Go Check out Basilisk's great story "I'm a Daemon, so what?"
https://discord.gg/WTgN9J3YgK