Back in Tempest, a black-haired Lycanthrope walked around as if he owned the place, a confident grin on his face.
"I am Phobio! The Black Leopard Fang! One of Lord Carrion's Three Beastketeers and the strongest of all in the Beast Master's Warrior Alliance! What a fine town this is, truly one worthy of falling under the rule of the Beast Master himself, wouldn't you agree?"
His remark drew confused looks from the townspeople.
"You must be kidding—" Rigurd began, but Phobio moved to punch him. Before his fist could reach Rigurd, he felt a surge of danger.
Following his instincts, he jumped back, but it was too late.
"Arghh!" he shouted, gripping his arm, or rather, where his arm should have been.
Instantly, the group of Lycanthropes raised their guards as they saw Shion holding Gorikimaru on her shoulder with a frown. Souei had reported suspicious individuals, prompting her to ensure they weren't a threat. She had teleported using Shunpo to stop them from attacking the people of Tempest.
"The people in this city are all under the protection of Lord Rimuru. Any attack on them is an attack on Lord Rimuru himself. I will give you one chance to explain yourselves as a sign of kindness to Demon Lord Carrion." Shion declared, releasing her aura to intimidate them.
Phobio, holding the stump of his missing arm, stood up in defiance as his regeneration kicked in. It was clear from the aura in front of him that she was strong enough to rival him, but he was confident enough in his own skills to believe he could win a proper fight without sneak attacks.
"Don't go thinking you are so strong just because you caught me off guard."
Before he could step forward, another wave of magicules similar if not slightly stronger than Shion's also appeared.
"Isn't that what you were just about do with our citizens? You attacked without warning. Truly, I expected more from Demon Lord Carrion's representatives." A soft yet cold voice echoed. Shuna walked towards them, fully releasing her magicules to showcase her presence.
Her eyes were cold and analytical, and despite her usually cute appearance, she exuded the aura of a cold ruler not to be trifled with. Thanks to Eros' Invigorate, she had been growing stronger with every night spent with Rimuru, and that strength was now on full display.
"I am the wife of Rimuru Tempest and the leader in his absence. Tell us, then, why we shouldn't kill you. Our Royal Guard Shion allowed you to speak, yet you tried to continue the fight. Should we take this as a declaration of war from Eurazania?"
Phobio froze in his place. He could tell that the people in front of him were strong, but as he thought of the group behind him, he believed he could take them on. In his eyes, he was only weaker than his boss and even if they had strong magicules, that didn't mean they could match his fighting style.
He had been sent to scout out the magic born that had fought the Orc Disaster and bargain with them, possibly bringing them under their rule or as allies. However, he had chosen the worst possible approach because, if there was one thing Phobio was, it was prideful.
Stared down by Shuna, he felt a wave of annoyance course through him. But after taking a deep breath, he decided to stand down. He wasn't going to throw away the lives of his people and return empty-handed to his king.
Just as he turned around, he heard Shuna's cold voice once again.
"Tempest was interested in forming an alliance with Eurazania. Their fruits and vegetables are said to be like none other. However, if this is the best envoy they can send, then I want you to send a message to Demon Lord Carrion. If you ever want to start a proper relationship with Tempest, we expect a formal apology for the actions of his envoys."
Phobio's expression twisted with anger, but as he turned to fight back, he suddenly felt a massive wave of confusion. He smelled out of his eyes, saw out of his ears, up was down, and left was right. The sudden scrambling of his senses was enough for him to fall to the ground.
Shuna had anticipated his attack, casting an Ogre Illusion spell to disorient him. Stepping forward, she looked down at him and spoke in a firm voice.
"The punishment for attacking our people is death, so tell Carrion that he owes us your life." Then, turning to the representatives behind the fallen Phobio, she added. "You can leave now."
Her cold smile was enough to make them hurriedly nod and pick up Phobio from the ground before escaping as fast as they could.
Once they were out of sight, Shuna turned to the onlookers with a warm smile, brightening the tense atmosphere.
"Mission complete, hehe." She moved to check that Rigurd hadn't been harmed. Souei emerged from the shadows and knelt before her.
"Shall I follow them, Lady Shuna?" he asked as a few other Kijin and Dragonewts appeared from the shadows, kneeling before her.
"Yes, Rimuru warned us that they would be the ones to bring Charybdis, so we need to keep him informed should anything unusual happen. Remember to keep enough distance not to be spotted by the Harlequins. Keep as much distance as possible while still keeping an eye of them, and if they spot you, just retreat." Shuna commanded, and with a nod, the group vanished.
"Mou… I was kind of hoping they would continue to fight. I haven't had a chance to go all out in some time. With all the techniques I've learned, I have only been able to use them against Hakuro." Shion complained, though she still put Gorikimaru away.
With a kind smile, Shuna turned to her.
"Soon, Shion. Soon."
Then, turning to the sky with a smile, she asked.
"What about you three? Are you also here to cause trouble?"
There were a few moments of silence before two younger Harpies flew out of hiding.
Both looked identical, with their only distinguishing differences being the color of their hair.
"I am Luchia." The one with blonde hair introduced herself.
"And I am Claire." The silver-haired one continued.
"We were sent here by Demon Lord Frey as envoys. However, we didn't want to interrupt while Carrion's envoys made a scene."
Shuna nodded her head as she heard them, signaling to Rigurd and Shion.
"I see. Rigurd here will give you the Tempest tour while I prepare a proper meeting for us." She said with her beautiful smile before turning to Rigurd. "Take proper care of them."
"Understood, Lady Shuna."
— — —
As they continued to be led around, they eventually found themselves at one of Fulbrosia's mountains. In which a small house had been built into the side of it with a view overlooking the city. It was clear that this was one of Fulbrosia's best rooms reserved only for special guests.
The diplomatic meeting with Frey had just finished, and just as the sun was beginning to set over the city, Souka jumped out of Rimuru's shadow before kneeling down. She had been sent to investigate Fulbrosia.
However, since Sage had calculated that the chance of getting caught infiltrating certain locations was over 70%, he had stopped her from going all out.
As he glanced at her, it was clear that she was slightly tense, judging by how tightly she was holding her fists.
"You did a great job today, Souka." Rimuru said with a warm tone, trying to ease her tension.
"Lord Rimuru, due to my inexperience, I couldn't gather as much information for you. I am not good enough to infiltrate most of the important locations in Fulbrosia. If you had brought Souei with yo–" She began, her expression serious before being interrupted.
"You did exactly as I asked you to. Even if Souei were here I probably wouldn't have asked him to sneak in either. The Harpies Magic Interference would have messed with your Shadow Motion, increasing the risk of either of you getting caught, which would have ruined our diplomacy talks."
Souka sighed, looking slightly frustrated.
"I understand, but I still feel like I could have done more. You brought me with you to this mission, but so far, I have not been able to accomplish much of anything."
Rimuru placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her as he helped her stand up.
"Your vigilance and presence were more than enough. I can overlook things, I can get focused on one thing and lose track of the other. Sometimes, just being there and observing along with me is just as important. And you also kept an eye on Milim while I was busy."
Nodding, Souka looked up at him, her eyes softening.
"Thank you, Lord Rimuru."
Giving her a warm smile, he added.
"I trust you, Souka. You may not have been raised to act as a spy, but in just a few months under Souei's training, you have already surpassed even some of the Kijin he grew up with. Just give yourself some more time to grow."
A small blush crept up Souka's cheeks, and she quickly averted her gaze.
"I'm glad I could be of assistance." She murmured with a smile, and it was then that the pair saw a cloaked figure flying in their direction, accompanied by a clone of Souka.
"Yoo hoo!" Milim shouted as she crashed into a hug onto Rimuru. Instantly smiling she felt Eros activate. "They gave me a bunch of snacks to bring over!" She added with a smile, but she had probably eaten them on the way over since she was empty-handed.
As the Souka's clone disappeared, Milim immediately began to ask what Frey had talked to him about.
"A Skybound Trial?" Milim asked, her face deep in thought before shrugging. "Never heard of it before."
She asked a few more questions before eventually remembering something and running over to shake him.
"Why didn't you invite me to join you and Frey? It would have been so funny to catch her off guard in the middle of one of her serious yapping sessions." Milim began to complain, yet as she did, he heard Sage's voice in his mind.
[Notice. Due to the practice done with Veldora, Great Sage has a suggestion to offer.]
"Wouldn't it have ruined the surprise if you revealed the secret a bit too early? You have to wait until the best possible moment. Make her lower her guard before you suddenly jump out and surprise her." Rimuru said, following Sage's advice.
Instantly freezing, Milim looked deep in thought before nodding wisely.
"Ah, so you had this all planned out, as expected of my best friend. Do you want to go out for a late-night stroll to grab some more snacks?" Milim said with a bright smile before a sudden knock on the door caused her to hide under her cloak again.
When they opened the door, they saw an older Harpy with her eyes wrapped in bandages. Though her eyes were covered, she probably used a skill like Magic Sense to see around.
"Hello, Sir Rimuru. I am Naya, a Priestess of Fulbrosia," she introduced herself with a bow. "I have been sent here to check on you. Would you mind if I took a look at your wings, Sir Rimuru?"
The question was a bit strange, but he sprouted his bat-like wings with a nod.
Naya moved around him, carefully touching the leathery wings before asking.
"I apologize, Sir Rimuru. This might be an improper question, but is there any way you could transform your wings to resemble those of our race? The other Harpies might not agree to the Skybound Trial if they see you with such… peculiar wings. Though our Queen's orders are absolute, it would be best to prevent issues before they arise."
"There is a way. Could I have your hand for a second?" Rimuru asked, and as she offered it, he grabbed it and did the same thing he had done with Souei, drawing a little bit of blood for Sage to analyze.
[Analysis complete. A new mimicry form has been acquired: Harpy.]
[A new intrinsic skill has been obtained: Magic Interference.]
[A new intrinsic ability has been obtained: Union of Feathers.]
With Sage's words, Rimuru instantly activated his mimicry and transformed into a Harpy. The leathery wings were replaced with a beautiful pair of light blue and white wings. The horns on his head vanished, replaced with a small crimson crystal in the middle of his forehead, similar to Frey's. Finally, his legs turned into bird-like talons from the knee down, though he could feel that he could change them into normal legs if he wanted to.
He looked like the perfect version of a Harpy, while his face remained practically the same, courtesy of Sage.
Seeing his transformation, Naya's expression turned to one of absolute joy.
"Perfect! This is perfect! Now, there shouldn't be any opposition to the Skybound Trial."
Raising an eyebrow, Rimuru asked.
"What is the Skybound Trial exactly?"
"It is a challenge that hasn't occurred for hundreds of years. It is truly a special occasion for our race. It was set in place by the first queen countless years ago. Only a few have occurred, but they are designed to fully ally our kingdom with another. With Charybdis about to be reborn, it is only reasonable that we issue another Skybound Trial." Naya explained.
Milim, still hiding under her cloak, peeked out curiously.
"Sounds intense. How do you usually prepare for it?"
Naya chuckled softly as she answered.
"It varies from person to person, but one must prove their qualities of both mind and strength. So, you must be ready to try to defeat Lady Frey in an all-out battle. It is not to the death. However, if you fail the trial, it will mean losing the support of the Harpies."
"Hm? A battle with Frey? Sounds like fun! Can I join?!" Milim asked as she poked her head into the conversation.
"I apologize, but this is to be a one-on-one battle," Naya said with a smile before turning to leave. "I look forward to seeing your battle, Sir Tempest. The Child of the Storm. For now, feel free to enjoy Fulbrosia to your heart's content. All of it will be open to you in your current form."
As Naya walked away with a smile, a few other Harpies arrived to drop off some food. Rimuru watched her leave, contemplating the trial and the hidden meaning behind it.
'Sage, it can't be what I think it is, right?' Rimuru asked.
[Notice….]
— — —
He expected Fulbrosia to be completely wild while they set up for the Skybound Trial, but it ended up being only during the last day when Frey's daughters returned from Tempest that things really got rolling.
Suddenly, the calm Kingdom became wild as countless Harpies flew all over the place with excitement, giving him curious side glances as they hurried to prepare for the event.
The battle was set to take place at the peak of the tallest mountain, surrounded by Harpies who, thanks to their enhanced vision, would watch from a distance.
During those few free days, Rimuru visited the library to do as much research as he could. However, most of the books were similar to what Dwargon already had. There were a few exceptions, like books about Wind Magic, their style of farming, and some of their history.
One story caught his attention: the tale of the first queen. According to the legend, she had been on the brink of death, nearly killed during her fight with Charybdis, when a strange hero appeared out of nowhere and sealed it away. This hero nursed the queen back to health, offering guidance and warnings before disappearing, never to be seen again.
The Hero was clearly an important part of their history, but most of the information was vague. The Hero's appearance was not described, and the details of their actions were sparse. This was mainly because information was passed down verbally or through thought communication at the time. Only recently had they begun to create their library, thanks to Frey's efforts to increase her influence on the outside world.
As he continued to read, he saw that despite the Hero's intervention, the seal on Charybdis eventually broke.
Charybdis terrorized the skies, fighting against the Harpies, until another Hero appeared to seal it away again. This time, however, even less was known about the second hero since they just appeared and vanished without a word.
It made him wonder whether this hero had any relation to the one that had sealed Veldora away. Still, it wouldn't make sense for someone who could seal Veldora until the day he died to be unable to keep Charybdis, a monster who was far weaker in comparison, sealed for at least a few thousand years. It had only been around 700 years since the last Charybdis was spotted, so he would be left to guess on his own for now.
However, with all that left to sit in the back of his mind, he simply continued to watch as the preparations continued, playing a few games with Milim here and there to keep her entertained.
— — —
Special Thanks to my Beta Readers/Editors: The one, the only, the amazing @Basilisk, the Aussie @LuluViBritania (FF.N, SB, WN and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord) and @Kiyan Tribe (FF.net/AO3/QQ/WN) | kiyan_tribe( Discord)
Go Check out Basilisk's great story "I'm a Daemon, so what?"