Reincarnation with Rimuru from Tensura

Departure

"Besides, who says I need to be a King to protect a place I care about? I have the power to address such issues even if someone questions it, Do I not?"

He considers my somewhat sarcastic question and finally responds affirmatively and nods deeply.

"..Yes, you are right."

Sigh~ This guy... Well, it's good he is thinking about it seriously,

"Let's protect this place together, even after Veldora returns. Once this village blossoms into a thriving city, I'll introduce you to some spectacular aspects from my world. And we'll experience this together with Veldora, the people from village and our future allies. How does that sound, Hiiro?"

Hiiro nods in agreement, his determination evident from his words.

"..Understood. I'll devote myself to this cause."

Again, you're too serious.

I chuckled warmly and added, "Thanks Hiiro, but remember to do it in moderation. I wouldn't want you to become sick or overexerted from working too seriously, Y'know."

Hiiro gave a faint smile with his seriousness fading and replied with a soft yet firm voice.

"..Got it."

....

And soon enough, it was time for me to depart from the village to recruit some skilled craftsmen. I had already discussed the details with Rigurd and instructed him to defer to Hiiro in case anything significant arose in my absence.

Our destination was a country named "The Armed Nation of Dwargon," as Gobta had once informed me.

As you might have already guessed, the primary inhabitants of this nation were Dwarves, who renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship skills. However, this country boasted a diverse population, including a particularly intriguing group know as – Elves.

Yes, those captivating beings with their long, elegantly pointed ears, Elves. Even in my previous world, where they were purely fictional, I was always fascinated by them in more than one ways.

Now that I had the chance to meet them in person, I couldn't contain my excitement.

Ah, Elves!

<....>

Ahem!

Anyways, the King of this nation was not only renowned for his Wisdom but also for being incredibly powerful. He bore the title of "Hero-King Gazel" and was ruling A Kingdom that has remained undefeated for an entire millennium.

My goodness!, Like, just how formidable was this guy?

I was getting shivers for some reason.

I just hope I will never have to cross paths with him.

Wait a minute, I just did that, right? Damn it, I just raised a flag, didn't I? Me and my big mouth..

Well, whatever might happen, The future me will handle it, Isn't that right?

<...>

Our travel party was a small group consisting of myself, Rigur, Gobta, Gobzo, and a few others whose names escaped from my mind at the moment.

Huh? What's that look for? I couldn't help it. Well, why don't you try try naming hundreds of goblins and see if you remember all their name as well? And then we'll talk.

Hmph!

Anyways, We would be using Direwolves as our means of transportation.

However, there was quite a bit of drama during our discussions.

Rigurd suggested that I ride with Ranga, the leader of the Wolves, but Hiiro vehemently denied that idea.

And trust me when I say vehemently, I mean, Rigurd was perilously close to losing his head for even daring to suggest it. Fortunately, I intervened in time, but I must say, Hiiro was absolutely unwavering in his determination not to part with Ranga.

Why, you ask? Well, it wasn't Ranga himself, but rather his incredibly comfortable fur that Hiiro had grown attached to. Even as we discussed the matter, he was perched on top of Ranga, clearly prioritizing his comfort in his life.

But, due to Rigurd's incessant insistence that I shouldn't ride others due to my status, well-being, security and various other reasons, Hiiro had no choice but to reluctantly hand over Ranga, who was also clearly sulking about the whole affair.

Well, the main reason might be because we were tossing him around as we pleased...

Nevertheless, the expression on Hiiro's face when Ranga came over to me resembled that of a man who had just seen his lover stolen right before his eyes.

I mean, sure, it was rather amusing, but it was also undeniably uncomfortable.

"Oh, come on! Relax. It's only for few weeks or so. Why are you so fixated on him anyways?" I sighed.

Hiiro who was now sitting on Hikari's lap, was wearing a sullen expression. Hikari herself appeared quite pleased with the situation. But, after entrusting Hiiro's care to Hikari, who seemed more than willing to look after him, I departed from the village in the following day.