Chapter Text
Englesia was exactly as Rimuru remembered it.
Well, maybe everything felt a little more posh this go round. The council had invited him, and they were giving him the royal treatment by lodging him in the best hotel they had. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to checking out the capital for the first time in a while.
He ended up officially bringing Shuna and Benimaru along, with Souei working from the shadows. He might have brought a couple others, but it seemed everyone else was tied up one way or another- Geld building Milim's capital, Diablo with his mysterious recruitment (seriously, where was he planning to get 1,000 subordinates?), Gabiru training team Hiryu... and he didn't quite trust Shion to sit in through this diplomatic meeting with the West yet, given her temper. But that was fine in his mind; a smaller group meant easier travels and fewer problems overall. That's what he told himself anyways, despite the nagging in the back of his mind for a certain familiar presence...
"Lord Rimuru, aren't these adorable?"
Rimuru is knocked out of his thoughts by an enthusiastic Shuna, who's holding up two knit sweaters. He had brought them clothes shopping for some casual wear, figuring they'd need it for perusing the streets (and also because he was just generally grateful to them for their work and it was, in all honesty, about the least he could do).
"Oh! Cute!" He hums, taking one himself to admire it. It was soft to the touch and clearly decent quality. Leave it to Shuna to sniff out the best options... He peruses the rack Shuna had pulled them from. There's one in their favorite color. Should he get it? Would they like it? Would it be weird if he got it for them, all things considered?
...Would it be weirder if he got a matching pair for them both? Maybe that'd make for a bad apology gift...
"Lord Rimuru, how about these?" Benimaru asks, holding up some jeans and casual shirts. Him and Souei were doing their own digging, at Rimuru's insistence. Despite this, Rimuru's mind wasn't too preoccupied with helping them choose.
"Oh yeah, you guys look okay in that, so go ahead and take it." A handsome man looks good in anything was what Rimuru figured; besides, it's not like he was a fashion expert of any kind. Most the time he sort of just let Shuna and Shion dress him up however they saw fit.
Benimaru sounds mildly annoyed. "Not much guidance for us, huh?"
"...No."
To Rimuru it sounded like Benimaru had his complaints, but eh... he was sure it'd be fine. As for what Rimuru would be buying, he just went ahead and let Shuna and the store clerks work it out for him.
They were fitted and changed into their new outfits right from the store. Shuna was lovingly clutching her box of newly acquired clothing, and even Souei and Benimaru had a certain pep in their steps now. If he had known they would be so excited, he would have brought them much sooner...
Regardless, they have somewhere to be and someone to meet. They make their way to a cafe Yoshida used to run, one that had been taken over by one of his trainees. It was doing pretty decent business, and since Tempest was a supplier they'd be allowed to make purchases at a discount. A win-win, really.
While they're waiting for their expected guest, Rimuru turns to Souei. The oni had his feelers all over the Western Nations, so certainly he'd be the man to know why this was the timing chosen for the invitation to the council.
"All right, Souei, your report?"
"Certainly. First, I'd like to start with some of the feedback from the Founder's Festival..."
He gave a rundown of the more important rumors and discussions he had heard from across the West, in an easy-to-grasp fashion (which Rimuru was appreciative of).
The response to the Founder's Festival in the west was pretty positive. From royalty at the top to farmers at the bottom, people were talking about it all over the place. The Dungeon was also generating tons of buzz- the ad pitch to the nobility must have worked, because a few of them were forming teams of challengers to conquer the Dungeon. Even people from far away lands, not just the border nations, were reportedly curious. Art this rate, Rimuru was sure they should expect plenty more customers to the dungeon soon. But that was just initial pleasant news.
"So did you investigate the merchants- and who's behind Duke Meuse?"
"I did not neglect that, Lord Rimuru. From the Merchants' families to their business relations, I conducted a thorough investigation. Based on that, I did not find any connections to particularly suspicious figures. However, these merchants did go through several government intermediaries in order to obtain business licenses in the nations they work in, and when I traced these officials, I found they all had connections to Duke Meuse."
So the merchants were just doing Meuse's bidding. That probably meant there wasn't much merit to investigating those merchants further.
But that still left Meuse as an issue; there really must be some secret cabal running the Western nations, and they might be scheming something right this second, as they were all sitting here. Meuse seemed competent enough; it'd probably be best to keep him under surveillance.
"So Meuse did a good job covering his tracks, huh?" Rimuru hums plainly. "What's the potential threat up to now?"
Souei was always above and beyond competent; Rimuru figured no matter what kind of seedy group Meuse tried to buddy up with, Souei could catch him red-handed... but the thought was quickly banished by Souei.
"He's dead, Lord Rimuru."
"Huh?"
"We believe he was felled by some manner of long-range attack."
But wasn't Meuse some kind of big-shot? It's not easy to kill a duke. If someone like him was murdered to escape capture, it put the power of this mystery group in perspective.
[Report. There is a possibility that they have noticed the subject Souei's investigations.]
So they shut him up, huh? These guys were no joke.
"And you didn't see who did it?" Benimaru asks.
"No," Souei flatly replies. "I didn't detect any presence at all until Meuse fell to the ground in front of me."
He had only heard the sound of Meuse collapsing, so there wasn't a whole lot he could do to stop anything. He sounded pretty despondent about it, and the only thing Rimuru could do was console him.
"That's pretty unbelievable. If not even you could spot them, they must've been attacking from thousands of feet away. You would've detected the magic if they used any, and if it was from a flying projectile, you would've picked up the lingering aura from that, right?"
Rimuru turns this over in his head for a few moments.
"Maybe it was a sniper?"
"A sniper?"
"What's that?"
Evidently it wasn't a concept Benimaru or Souei were aware of. Even Shuna gave him a curious look. It was obvious this world didn't have guns- or at least, not generally. But for an otherworlder-?
"You said a gun? I'm pretty sure Yuuki has a handgun."
"WHA-?!"
Rimuru nearly falls out of his chair at the sudden voice behind him. It was Hinata, who had perilously snuck up behind him to startle him. Benimaru laughs in his face, and Souei was stifling a chuckle behind his hand.
"Come on, Brother! And You too, Souei!" Shuna was scolding them on Rimuru's behalf, but honestly even that was half-hearted because she was stifling down her own giggles.
He'd have thought Raphael would have said something to him-
[Report. No Malicious intent was detected.]
...Right. So it came down to Rimuru's karma for being haughty, like always. He sighs to himself and plays it off with a chuckle as Hinata has her seat at the table.
They all ordered lunch. One silver coin a pop got them a pretty fancy spread; they avoided any serious conversation and just enjoyed the food.
Full and satisfied, Rimuru decided to order some coffee- a little mature bitterness to round it out. And with enough sugar and milk, it'd create perfect harmony between bitter and sweet-
"That's pretty much a cafe au lait, now, isn't it? I'd call you mature if you took it black, but that's liquid candy you're drinking."
Hinata hit him back hard. Guess he accidentally let his inside voice leak a bit...
"Will you shut up?" he huffs. "This is fine! It's all part of the atmosphere!"
"Oh? Because between that and your outfit, there's nothing 'mature' about what I'm seeing at all."
Rimuru looks down at himself. Is that really how I look? The clerk at the shop had arranged a neat poncho-type thing for him. He had briefly thought it was a little on the young'n'springy side, but he had trusted the staff and Shuna seemed to approve as well.
He furrows his brows and sighs. "Dammit! This does seem like kids' wear, doesn't it?"
"No, no, Lord Rimuru it's lovely on you!"
"R-right. Yeah. Looks great."
"I thought you liked it."
That about summed it up. Rimuru figured he had been looking a little more mature lately, but maybe it was just his burden to carry in this life. At the very least, the clothes were comfortable; and it's not like he disliked them at all. But he was supposed to be high-society here!
"It makes you look cute. Those are the facts. Give it up." There came Hinata again, dashing away his meager attempts at clinging to dignity.
He changes the subject back to Duke Meuse.
"So if there are handguns around, do you think a sniper did it?"
"I don't know much about guns, but a handgun's range doesn't go beyond fifty yards or so, does it?" says Hinata.
"Are there sniper rifles in this world or anything?"
"I couldn't tell you. I've certainly never seen one, but I can't guarantee there aren't."
Maybe it was better to assume there were and act on that; better safe than sorry. Rimuru sends some thought communication to Benimaru and the other to describe exactly what was being envisioned.
"Hmm.... Interesting weapon."
"Yes, if someone used that, I can understand why I didn't detect it."
"I think I could handle this weapon well enough. We can mix up the required gunpowder, and I imagine Dold would be able to make the unit itself for us."
All three of them had a variety of feedback. Benimaru didn't seem particularly impressed, but to Souei it was a threat he clearly didn't have a countermeasure against. It was a different sort of mission- a whole new sort of challenge to face.
Shuna perhaps had the scariest reactions of all; she was right down to the nitty gritty of making her own. Rimuru was sure it was possible, but a better question was should they? The development of guns changed the entire nature of wars- even if war in this world was more about quality of offense than the quantity, making it different from Earth strategy. Rimuru thought bringing guns into the mix seemed dangerous, so he pumped the brakes on that idea.
"In the other world, this is a brutal weapon, something that can make even a powerless person the strongest out there. I can't say how effective it'd be over here, but maybe you could defend yourself against a magic beast or the like."
"Well, you can run out of bullets, but you will never run out of magic. But you could always make higher-caliber weapons for extra punch, and with enough of them, you could be a serious threat." Hinata eyes Rimuru in particular as she speaks. "But I hope you won't start mass-producing them just because you can, alright?"
It certainly wasn't impossible. Actually, it was very possible. That's why Hinata was putting her foot down so fast.
Rimuru nods along. "...We'll see. I think magic's gonna win out in a fight, but arming the general populace with guns would still be dangerous." Based off things he'd heard from overseas in his last life, he figured giving everyone access to such a lethal weapon out of nowhere would be pretty hazardous.
"All right," Shuna agrees. "We'll keep this strictly confidential and stick to research only, then." That much seemed to placate Shuna, so in the end it was decided to leave it at that. Besides, the guns wouldn't work on them, so it probably wasn't that big of an issue-
[Report. Someone without the relevant knowledge would not understand what happened if they witnessed someone being shot to death. There is a potentially high chance someone near the victim would be suspected as the killer.]
If someone right by Rimuru got assassinated, he'd be the prime suspect, wouldn't he? That would make sense. And since Hinata was so closely involved with him, she wouldn't be allowed to testify on his behalf. If the killer got away, and the weapon was never found, he could be framed for murder.
It was a damn good thing they were having this talk.
"Either way, we'll all have to be real careful at tomorrow's Council meeting."
"I don't think non-magical lead bullets would do much more than sting if they hit us though. I don't see much cause for alarm," Shuna mentions.
"No, I wouldn't underestimate it like that. Like Hinata said, high-caliber weapons are more of a threat, and for all we know, there may be magic-infused bullets out there. Plus, if anyone got shot in the middle of the conference, I think people would point their fingers at me first."
"I worry about that as well. I will station Replications around the Council and stay on enhanced guard," says Souei.
"Right. Thank you."
"Of course."
Rimuru turns back to Hinata. "So why are they calling me here, anyway?"
He technically still hadn't heard what would be discussed the next day, though he had a few hunches. Ramiris and Veldora thought it was about a dragon causing trouble, or a mystery demon lord rearing his ugly head, or some other nonsense, but it wasn't any fairy-tale junk like that- they just wanted to see if they could accept Rimuru as one of them. And based on the four-star treatment they were receiving, Rimuru was expecting some good news.
"Well, the resolution to let tempest into the Council passed at the last special session. At the regular session tomorrow, you'll be asked to sit for a Q&A before they officially enact it."
Exactly as Rimuru suspected; he thought he was pretty smart to ignore the crazy suggestions of Veldora and Ramiris.
"Oh really? I was expecting as much." He nods like he knew it all along, but Hinata casts him a doubtful glance (one which he very dutifully ignores). He only gives a nervous cough, sipping his coffee...
"Regardless," Hinata sighs, "It's still not official yet, so try not to do anything dumb, all right? And I think, during the Q&A, they'll probably ask you some tough questions and try to get under your skin as a demon lord. Don't fall for their tricks, okay?"
Rimuru huffs. "Oh, you're worrying too much. Unlike you, I know how to deal with adult social situations."
"Huh? if you're picking a fight, you know I'm game anytime."
Rimuru back-tracks. "Uh, no, um, not like that..." He just goes right ahead and closes his mouth, for once. He figures he's already gotten himself in enough trouble with one person; no need to add Hinata to that list too...
"Seriously," Hinata adds, frowning deeply. "Don't let them rile you up. Honestly, I've no idea why you didn't bring Y/n along for this; if anyone can keep you in line it would be them."
The whole table stiffens. Silence hangs warily in the air. Hinata, ever perceptive, frowns.
"...Did I say something wrong?"
The oni present all look at Rimuru, expecting him to speak on the matter to Hinata since it primarily concerned him.
He physically cringes; so it was up to him to explain it to her, huh? He felt a little bit like his own subordinates were throwing him to the wolves here... He averts his eyes.
"...They're not really involved in this..."
She doesn't let up, pressing it. "If it involves Tempest, it usually by default means Y/n is somewhere along the line. What, were they held up by duties in Jistav?"
"Well, they aren't really my advisor anymore..." He murmurs hesitantly. He didn't really care that you weren't his advisor anymore; it was just a title loaned to you as a matter of convenience from the start. But you hadn't just renounced your position as his advisor; you had renounced your position as his friend, and that stung a hundred- no, a thousand times more.
Everything is quiet for a few moments.
"What did you do?" She scoffs at last, crossing her arms.
"Does it have to be something I did?!" Rimuru bristles. The insinuation bothers him more deeply than it should. He hadn't ever expected it to escalate to this point- maybe that's why.
"I suppose not but it's pretty likely it was, given their usual temperament."
"What do you know about their 'usual' temper, huh?"
Hinata doesn't have a proper comeback for that, but Rimuru doesn't get long to celebrate that minor victory over her.
"Whatever," she huffs. "Your lovers' quarrel is none of my business."
He blusters, almost spilling the latte in his hands. "L-lovers-?!"
"I'll simply take this as my sign to swoop in," Hinata murmurs, totally unbothered by Rimuru's reactions.
"Your what now?!"
She ignores his protests, looking over at Souei. "You- Sir Souei. Have you talked to Y/n recently?"
"I don't see why it's of your concern if I have."
"I agree with Souei," Benimaru butts in. "What's it to you?"
"Oh please," Hinata rolls her eyes. "I know that one-" she points to Souei, "-is the ring leader when it comes to Y/n's business. What does it take to get into your circle?"
Souei is silent for a few moments. "That depends what you can offer."
"Can you maybe not talk about this in front of me?" Rimuru says flatly. It was like they had forgotten he existed- and if he was honest, this conversation wasn't helping anything at all.
"I agree with Lord Rimuru," Shuna adds, her lips pursed into a thin line.
Thank goodness for Shuna, Rimuru thinks. At least she could keep her head on straight-
"It is too presumptuous to assume neither I nor my brother have the upper hand in regards to Y/n, Lady Hinata!"
-never mind.
"...were you interested?" Hinata asks, quirking a brow.
"But of course!" Shuna says, steadfast. "Y/n is second only to Lord Rimuru for me!! As for my brother-"
"Shuna, I'm sitting right here," Benimaru says, sounding a little exasperated. "I think I can speak for myself. It's not really like that, per se..."
He can't even meet the disbelieving looks from Souei or Shuna after saying that, sweating bullets and getting particularly fidgety in his seat.
"Can we please get back on track?!" Rimuru tries again.
All of the oni give quiet agreement (looking a little like scolded children, Rimuru thinks), and Hinata just sighs.
"Fine. But I'm not done with you, Sir Souei..." She gives him a pointed look, though he seems relatively unbothered by it. Rimuru admired Souei's guts, facing down a woman like Hinata Sakaguchi...
"...You've got a point about things being a little too good," Rimuru sighs, redirecting things. "They're giving me all the bombast of a royal guest, so I am worried they'll want something from me in exchange. You've been looking into that too, right Souei?"
"Yes, and I do have some information along those lines. Beyond that, it'll come down to the motives of the royalty involved in this affair, as well as what their subordinates think.."
"Right. I'd appreciate it if we could talk that over later."
"Yes, Lord Rimuru..." Souei pauses a moment, his gaze flitting to the side. "...But there is one thing I'd like to ask Lady Hinata."
"What's that?"
"It seems that several ministerial-level government officials from around the region are attempting to take advantage of our nation. Their aim-"
"-is to have Tempest serve as a defensive wall against the Eastern Empire?"
"Yes. Exactly, Lady Hinata."
Rimuru was about to scold him for going back to the previous topic, but it turned out it was actual business. I almost made a fool of myself again.
"So if a war breaks out, they want us to help them? Because right now, the only obligation we have along those lines is to Blumund. Is that correct?" Benimaru, for his part, clearly thought Souei was worrying too much- he smiles at him.
But the real issue was elsewhere, and Rimuru figured Hinata knew that as well just based on how worry-free she seemed. And besides, in Rimuru's case, he had Raphael to confirm things like that.
"Benimaru's right. Our only treaty along those lines is with the Kingdom of Blumund. But even apart from that, I don't think we need to worry about the Empire."
"Could I ask why you think so?" Souei asks, apparently fairly worried.
"Well, first off, it's important to think about things from the Empire's standpoint. If the Empire tried to attack the Western Nations, what kind of strategy could they devise for that?" Rimuru explains.
The Empire's goals of attack were also key, but they could be put aside for a moment. If they wanted to wage war, they'd need to select an invasion route. There was a path straight through the Forest of Jura, a harsher one over the Canaat Mountains, a potential sea route (the old trade passage dating from before Tempest's highway system), and the most insane route- a long way around through Milim's territories. And while it depended on how large a force the Empire sent, there were issues with every option.
The sea route was a challenging one. It was the most direct path to the kingdom of Falmuth, but once you left the shores and went into coastal waters, you left yourself open to the large sea creatures that called them home. They'd be sailing right into a nest of over-A-ranking monsters, and even a large fleet wasn't guaranteed to make it through safely.
Even the spear tuna that was a delight at the dinner banquet was tough to face in open water. If one rammed a ship at sixty knots, it would easily tear a huge hole in the vessel. but even a steel-sided ship couldn't breathe easy, because among the creatures in the ocean, a spear tuna was still on the smaller side. These creatures lacked intelligence but brutally attacked anyone who dared intrude on their territory, and there wasn't a military vessel in this world that could take a ramming from their thirty-foot-long bodies and stay afloat.
So, only merchants with intricate knowledge of safe sea routes dared to cross the ocean.
As for the Canaat Mountains? It'd involved traversing the hellscape known as the Dragon's Nest.
Dragons are willing to let a merchant caravan go by unharmed, but something bigger- say, a large army- was a great way to invite their wrath. And negotiation was off the table for the most part; if they decided someone was hostile, it was all over. They were led by a powerful dragon lord, and if they had the army in their sights they'd pare them down before there was even a chance to fight the war. Plus the Western nation's armies would be waiting for them on the other side, having had plenty of forewarning.
Besides, a military march through rugged mountains was an ordeal in and of itself. The path was only open in the middle of summer; when snow and ice settled on the peaks, all the magic in the world couldn't get a few people through, let alone an entire army.
Any strategist worth their salt would avoid that route.
And Milim's territories; it was a long path on foot to get through them, though they could loop around to the western nations. But that spoke for itself; what idiot would rile Milim?
Thus, the most logical choice would be to march through the Forest of Jura. But even then-
"The forest is the territory of a demon lord, and that's me. And there's Veldora, right?"
"Yeah. And now that the whole world knows of the Storm Dragon's awakening, the Empire can't afford to make any funny moves. They feared him even when he was still banished, so right now, they're essentially frozen in place," Hinata nods along.
That was exactly it, Rimuru figured. The news that Veldora had destroyed the Falmouth army had been spread far and wide, and no doubt the Empire had heard of it. Any ambitions they had along those lines must've been shelved. The Empire had feared Veldora for ages, and that fear made them too careful for their own good. If they had acted sooner, they just might have been able to wipe everything out...
But now they had Veldora, and he was the prime reason Raphael told Rimuru everything was fine.
[Report. That was a prediction, not a conclusion. The situation is constantly changing. If I obtain new information, I will need to factor that into my assumptions.]
Rimuru thought Raphael was being a worrywart, but he could begrudgingly admit that was fair. Working on bad assumptions can lead to some serious pitfalls later- he's pretty sure he'd learned his lesson on that matter, at the very least.
"It's true that the Empire is making some ominous moves," Souei begins. "The Shadows I tried as familiars have proven pretty useless, so I was thinking we had better conduct a more thorough investigation soon. However..."
Souei was already occupied with exploring the Western Nations' underground, and members from his team Kurayami were carrying out their own missions as well. About all he could do was send out Shadows, low-level apparition creatures that ranked a D but could use Shadow Motion and Thought Communication, making them perfect spies. On paper, at least. Unfortunately they were too weak to penetrate the barrier that protected the Empire.
But it's not like Rimuru could send anyone stronger. If he was going to send people to places with unknown security situations, his applicant pool became limited only to those Souei could vouch for. And if he detached those people from their current missions, that would hinder his orders.
Souei was talented, but not omnipotent. Even after his evolution, he could only deploy up to six Replications of himself at once. Those were the trump cards he used to carry out the dangerous work he was always sent off to. He needed to leave some in tap in case a battle broke out, so if Rimuru sent any of those to the Empire, he was sure Souei would worry over who would be left to guard him.
"The Empire's moves really aren't being looked at that seriously, though. It's more of a cover story, an excuse for letting tempest into the Council, that's being spread around by a few of the louder representatives. But if you're that concerned, Sir Souei, I could conduct some investigations myself."
It was times like these that Rimuru thought Hinata was a lot like Raphael. He always knew how wary she was, but seeing it in action, he kind of had to admire it. He really oughta learn from it, in fact.
But now that she was offering to investigate, he figured he may as well take her up on that-
[Report. Please ask her to look into the Armed Nation of Dwargon as well and see whether military activity is possible within its underground cities.]
So Raphael wanted to work Hinata into the ground too, huh? But that made sense. the Canaat Mountains had some paths that led to the Dwarven Kingdom. The Empire probably couldn't do much with those roads, but it'd be worth looking into.
"Could I ask a favor when you do, Hinata?"
"What's that?"
"I'd kinda like you to investigate the structure of the Dwarven Kingdom, I think."
"Right, the Dwarven Kingdom's a city crafted from a cave underneath the Canaat mountains. Hmm... That could be a possibility, too. You act so careless, but I really can't let my guard down around you, can I?"
Rimuru laughs nervously. "Ha- ha ha ha... Right?"
"Alright. I'll look into the Dwarven Kingdom as well."
Rimuru dodged around that topic, feeling awkward with Hinata's misdirected admiration.
They moved on and carefully went through the rest of their discussions, talking about closely held state secrets and other vital affairs in the early-afternoon cafe space. Which sounds ridiculous and foolish, except they had a convenient Soundproof Barrier over them, so nobody could eavesdrop anyways. Skills and magic were so useful, Rimuru thought.
Hinata was kind enough to brief them on a few other things. It seemed like a lot of people wanted to take advantage of Tempest- and not just for military purposes.
"I just want you to know, all right? There are people out there trying to use and abuse you, so don't let them shoehorn you into anything."
"What do mean, use and abuse me?"
"Well, in terms of your military, at the very least. That's something I'd want from you, too, and that's what you want to see, right?"
As Hinata put it, one condition for joining the council was that Tempest would be responsible for management of the entire Forest of Jura. The member nations were unanimous on that, since Tempest would function as a bulwark against the Empire.
"I got no problem with that. With fewer monsters out there, I'm sure we'll see more people challenge the labyrinth. We do want that, yeah."
"Better not freely admit it so much. I've had to deal with a lot of heads of state in my time, and let me tell you, they're clever. They might even ask you to station troops in their countries to keep monster damage down."
Normally, letting foreign troops stay in your nation wasn't the kind of thing governments liked to see. But as Hinata put it, in a world where monsters were a universal threat, leaders wanted to retain as much war power as they could. Many of them weren't afraid to use other nations' troops for that, including the Western Nations' Temple Knights.
[Proposal. You could deploy troops to their nations to create an obligation to you.]
If Tempest was recognized as a nation, it made sense they could deploy army members to foreign lands as a peacetime maneuver. If something came up, that'd make it easier to exercise Tempest's military authority. It was a strategy Rimuru was familiar with in his past life.
"Hohh... I see, I see. that's not a bad idea, actually. Why don't I let them use us?"
"I can't say I like letting them think they're taking advantage of us, but... yes."
"It's essentially giving influence to our nation, isn't it?"
Rimuru grins as Benimaru and Souei voice their agreement. Shuna kept her own smile, but he could guess her lack of complaint probably meant she agreed. And if they were all on the same page, it meant Rimuru could follow through with what he wanted at the Council the next day.
"Why're you looking all sinister?" An exasperated Hinata asks. But, despite that, she didn't say anything else; Rimuru took that as a sign of tacit approval.
That marked the end of their lunch discussion, but before Hinata left, she paused and turned back to Rimuru like a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
"Oh right. I think there's also a group planning to do something stupid at the event tomorrow, so be on the lookout for it, okay?"
She was once again reminding him not to lose his temper or lash out. Eesh; what was she doing warning a pacifist like him so much?
"Okay, okay, I get it," Rimuru grumbles. "You worry too much."
Hinata contemplates something for a few moments, then points at him almost accusingly. "And make up with Y/n, when this is done and over with."
He frowns. It's not like he wasn't already planning on it. A part of him wondered why everyone was so insistent; he was just giving them both some space too cool off. But even he had to admit he had mostly been goofing off this whole time; playing doing research in the labyrinth was a fair distraction from his personal problems.
He might have sipped from his coffee, but he suddenly remembered that it was empty now; he fiddles with the cup in his hands instead, nodding along with Hinata's words.
"I will."
Hinata, evidently approving of his words, finally takes her leave. The oni idly sip the last of their drinks before leaving with Rimuru, mentally prepared for the meeting the next day.
*****
There was only one thing you could, with certainty, convince yourself of now that you had become a figure of power.
You were patient.
It was a requirement of your status.
...You thought you were patient.
"Have you heard from Souei?"
Phobio sighs, giving you a skeptical look. "Y/n, it's only been two days."
"...So?"
"This is the third time you've asked since this morning. I'm sure that when there is news, Sir Souei will come personally to inform you."
You knew that. But waiting, especially while you knew something potentially risky was happening, was positively torturous. Between how high-strung you were about this argument issue and this, you felt like you were going insane.
You weren't used to not knowing. You weren't used to being left out. Maybe this is the true consequence; feeling so... out of control.
...Since when did you need so desperately to be in control?
"I think a walk might be nice," Phobio announces, like he can sense your spiraling thoughts. He stands, looking at you expectantly. "Y/n?"
You sigh, but relent to his suggestion and rise to your feet as well. "...Some fresh air sounds nice."
He smiles, his tail flicking with satisfaction as he offers his arm to you.
You gingerly rest your hand in the crook of his elbow, and the both of you take your leave. Casual conversation falls from his lips as easily as breathing; light and airy, and not too hard to wrap your head around. He was doing that on purpose; doing a favor by distracting you.
You didn't even realize how intensely you were looking at him until he pauses, curious. "...Am I interesting?"
"Very," you answer with no hesitation, lips tugging up into something warm. "I wonder if you know how much I adore you."
Very typically Phobio, he sputters a bit. "Thank you," he murmurs. You notice he's gotten better at hearing those little professions, recently. Far less embarrassed, far more receptive...
"Do you think we should tell everyone about us?" You suggest softly.
"Everyone?" He blinks, caught off guard. "As in everyone here? Why?"
"I think it might be a good idea just to be open about it." It's an open secret by now, anyways.
"...Maybe," he admits, giving it some genuine thought. "But it might come as a shock-"
["Divine Storm Blessing" fulfilled usage instance.]
Your expression drops immediately as a surge of magicules rushes back to you. You felt your stomache drop, sinking like lead.
"-And what about my position?" Phobio doesn't notice until he finally looks at your face again. His expression morphs into worry quickly. "What's wrong?"
"I need-" You feel like your heart is in your throat. "I need to go-"
"Go? Where?"
"To-" Where did you need to go? Blasted that the damn skill couldn't announce who had lost the blessing. "To Rimuru, I think?" Right. Rimuru would know what had happened, right? He'd know if everyone was still safe?
"Hold on-" Phobio takes your shoulders in his hands, fretful with worry. "Y/n, stop for a moment."
"I really need to go," you answer, trembling. "I need to check on them."
"They can take care of themselves," he tries to reason. "Y/n, I need you to take a moment and breathe."
You were trying to follow his instruction, trying to breathe into non-existent lungs.
"That's it," he tries to coax, though he's unable to hide the concern in his voice.
You're breathing, but you swear you can taste smoke in the air.
"Y/n? Hey-"
It smells like copper. There are bodies in the street. Your limbs feel like lead.
Shion, on the ground. Shion, covered in blood. Shion, dead at your feet-
"I'll be back," you blurt, and suddenly Phobio is left holding nothing but air.