Rimuru POV
Sipping my coffee and working through some paperwork in my office, I enjoy the quiet of the early morning. The city of Rimuru is quiet now that the festival has concluded, but now I have to sift through a bunch of after-work associated with it. Whenever you have a party, there's always clean-up afterward, and festivals are just scaled-up, widespread parties if you think about it.
Yeah, a lot of the trouble that comes with hosting something like this never makes it to my hands, but that doesn't mean that none of it reaches me, which leads to what I'm taking care of right now.
A soft knock breaks my quiet and a blue-haired head pokes its way inside. It's Iruma, of course. I told him as long as the door isn't locked, that he's allowed to enter my office. When I'm not here or possibly meeting with someone important, the door isn't able to be opened by anyone without authorization, but when I'm just doing busy work like this, I don't bother securing it. There are guards and such around that wouldn't let anyone suspicious in the building anyway, so this isn't a concern.
Without looking up from my work, I can see that he's accompanied by the maid I assigned to him, silently standing against the wall, her eyes calmly directed at the floor. As far as I understand, after the little incident of her 'losing' Iruma (that totally wasn't my fault, don't get the wrong idea), she's been sticking even closer to him. Not under my orders, but of her own choice, or possibly that of her boss. I'm not sure about Iruma's thoughts on this, but if asked, I bet he wouldn't be able to say no unless he was very against it.
"Mornin'." I mutter while continuing to write on the paper I'm currently working on.
"Are you busy today?"
"Kinda. If you're wanting to do something together later, I can only give you a maybe."
"Oh...um, well...I just thought that maybe we could visit the Netherworld for the day and do something with Azz and Clara."
That sounds like more fun than this paperwork, but I don't want to deal with Shuna's scolding if I sneak off before finishing this up...
Another knock on my door happens before I can respond to Iruma.
"Aw shoot, it's 9 already?" I mutter to myself, realizing that I'd lost track of the time while delving deep into my work.
"Oh, do you have a meeting or something? I'll just leave."
"No, no, you can stay, Iruma. This'll be quick, I promise."
I wave my hand at the nearby couch and Iruma takes a seat off to the side.
I guess my omission of Katelyn's name signaled to her that she should leave because as soon as I say this, she started toward the door. Honestly, I didn't care either way whether she stayed since she is someone that works directly for my executives and important guests, but I don't feel the need to stop her either. Plus, this isn't gonna be anything confidential anyway.
"Come on in, Ultima."
"L-lady Ultima?" Katelyn fearfully mutters with wide eyes.
Yup, this is about the expected reaction from any of the maids when it comes to Ultima and to a lesser extent Carrera, which is why most of the maids try to give them a wide breadth. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the maids with seniority had developed an actual detection skill to avoid the two of them given how good they are at it. And yet poor Katelyn finds her only means of escape blocked by the very thing she'd want to avoid.
The door flies open and the purple-haired girl steps inside all the while Katelyn quickly shuffles out the door, avoiding eye contact with Ultima as though she was Medusa and looking would mean a fate worse than death.
Ultima for her part just gives a small grin at Katelyn's reaction to her, probably getting a kick out of her fear. It's precisely this behavior that results in her poor reputation. Of course, Ultima would never go out of her way to punish maids for no reason and even if one of them made a mistake it is generally up to their superiors to handle it. Though, needless to say, the reason Ultima doesn't do anything is that I wouldn't like it if she did and not because she somehow got soft.
Instead, I think she and Carrera started to get more enjoyment out of putting the fear of God (me) into them through rumors and their presence alone.
"Good morning, Lord Rimuru!" She cheerfully greets me, smiling cutely. "I've got a post-festival report for you!"
Presenting me with a small stack of paper as I start leafing my way through it.
"Hi Ultima, you're right on time, as always. Nothing too concerning happened, right?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, my Lord. All who dared to attempt any crimes during your wonderful festival have been taken care of."
Iruma gives me a questioning look, clearly very worried about what Ultima meant by that statement. I'm sure the sadistic smile that Ultima gave me as she said it didn't help what he was picturing either.
"Good work, Ultima. You're dismissed."
Ultima, with a bow, leaves, looking happy about my little compliment as she positively skips out of my office. It certainly fits her cute childlike appearance if you forget for a second it's the façade of a primal evil.
I wonder if Katelyn has put some distance between herself and my office or if she's waiting outside the door like she's supposed to given that Iruma is still here even though she knows she'd run into Ultima again if she does.
"Those people will be okay...right? The ones that broke the rules."
"Uh...yeah. Going by the reports it seems to just be mostly drunkards, the occasional scammers, and people who got a bit too excited from the festival atmosphere. You know, your usual petty crimes that you'd expect to see in large crowds like these."
I'm going to keep the request she included for further interrogation on two cases a secret for now. Depending on what they did Ultima earned herself a little reward.
"But that Ultima lady looked awfully scary a moment ago..."
I sigh, "Yeah, she's got a sadistic streak a mile long (on a good day) but as the chief prosecutor of Tempest she won't do anything that would go against the laws of Tempest or that would put Tempest in a bad light given her position as an executive. So, take the things she says with a grain of salt, she just likes to get a rise out of people."
After a moment's pause, Iruma nods and smiles, apparently relieved.
"If you say so, Rimuru... I still wouldn't want to be alone with her."
"Haha, fair enough."
Our conversation is interrupted by another knock on the door. Strange as I didn't expect any other appointments yet.
"Come in."
The door opens to reveal Katelyn once more, this time holding a tray with tea and some cookies.
"Ex- excuse me please Lord Rimuru, I j- j- just thought that Lord Iruma might like some tea if he's to stay with you for longer, so I went to fetch some from the kitchen.
"Pfft" I had to suppress a laugh which resulted in Iruma giving me a weird look.
So that's how she chose to avoid Ultima huh? A good strategy I must say.
Still, I wouldn't want to expose her so I try to change the topic while she sets down Iruma's tea.
"Oh, that reminds me, though. I need to check in with Testarossa too. She's been awfully busy with some extra work lately."
"Extra work?"
"Sorry Iruma, you don't need to worry about it. I was just thinking out loud."
"Haha, now I'm curious though." Iruma softly chuckles.
"If you must know, she's been directly involved in Tempest's efforts to help those affected by that war between Gustrela and Floidor."
"Oh...that..."
Iruma drooped, now looking troubled after I brought up that subject.
"I know you're limited in what you can do about that, and that I'm just one person, but...is there any way I can help? I feel so bad for all those suffering people." Iruma quietly explains.
"You know what? I think there is. It's something small, and I can't say it'll be very pleasant for you, but I can arrange for you to help out with the people currently being sheltered by Tempest. I'm sure that Testarossa would be glad to take more orders from me, actually, and Geld might be available too."
"Geld? Isn't that the orc guy? I think I met him during my first visit."
"Yes. He's been involved in the setting up of the zone we set aside for refugees. He's a bit more...friendly than Testarossa, not that she isn't a polite woman. I think you'd get along with Geld better, is what I'm trying to say."
The lovable gentle giant who loves kids or the ruthless, cutthroat demoness...yeah, I think I should have Iruma go along with Geld over Testarossa...
"I'll make arrangements to go there later today if you want."
"Thanks, Rimuru!"
"I have some more work to do, so I'll have someone come get you later, okay?"
**Meanwhile, back in the Netherworld**
Ameri POV
Pacing back and forth in my room, I hold my plans in my hands.
After extensive research utilizing the forbidden texts, I've finally put together the perfect date plan! Now, all I need to do is ask him to meet me at the location.
I pull out my hell-phone and unlock it, but as soon as I go to press send on the text Iruma, my hands start shaking.
"Wh-why am I so nervous? After all this planning...no, I can't let myself choke at the last, crucial moment! Get yourself together, Ameri!"
Closing my eyes, I force myself to press send.
"I did it...I actually did it!"
Now, all I need to do is wait for a response. Holding my breath, I stare intensely at the phone in my hands, clenching it tightly from the tension I'm feeling.
"Hey, Ameri! I'd love to meet up with you tomorrow! Just tell me when and where and I'll be there!"
The cheerful text accompanied by Iruma's smiling face in his contact picture immediately eases my worries and makes me question why I was so apprehensive in the first place.
"Oh, thank goodness...but now I need to decide on an outfit!"
I immediately start tearing through my closet, trying to find the perfect thing to wear on my date with Iruma. I need to impress him; this is almost like a first impression, even though we know each other well by now. Still, this context is entirely new, so I want to make myself look as nice as possible.
"Ameri? What are you doing?" my father's voice asks from the slightly-open door to my bedroom.
"Nothing! Nothing at all, Father! I was just...j-just reorganizing my closet! Yes, it was quite messy!"
Father skeptically pushes his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and sighs.
"You aren't going out, are you?"
"No! I'm not-"
"With that Iruma boy?!"
"I said no, Father!"
"Hmmm...if you say so."
Before I can fully read whether he bought my little white lie, he shuts the door to my room and I hear his footsteps carry away from my room.
Rimuru POV
"Hehehe...dumb kid, leaving his phone behind with me around!"
I'd just talked with Iruma, and he went and left his phone on the couch before leaving. I didn't even notice until I heard it buzz, then out of curiosity, I took a quick look. And whaddya know? It was Ameri asking him out on a date! Being a gentleman, I'm not going to leave a girl hanging when asking such a stress-inducing question, so I answered for Iruma in a way that I think he would, or at least the way I think would turn out the best for him.
It seems like Ameri bought my impersonation, too, based on her response. I guess I'll have to bring him back to the Netherworld in time for his little jaunt with his demonic girlfriend.
What, you think I invaded the boy's privacy? He should've put a password on his phone if he didn't want his 'older sister' peeping on his business! I mean, what kind of self-respecting teen doesn't password-lock his phone? Plus, carelessly leaving it lying around is fully Iruma's fault too, so you can't really blame me for this.
Iruma POV
Arriving at the refugee site I am greeted by the hustle and bustle of people and orcs milling about. The area is littered with tents and other provisional housing methods to accommodate the influx of people. The ground, unlike the well-paved roads to and from Rimuru City (still weird she named the city after herself), is just mud and solid ground. The area had probably been grassy originally, but thanks to the heavy foot traffic, it's been trampled down to this over the past weeks.
Aside from the ground though, everything seems to operate at a fairly high standard, as expected from Rimuru and the people working for her. The tents look anything but flimsy where there even are still tents because the site is littered with wooden houses that appear solid enough to withstand a storm despite how quickly they must have been built.
The people who are temporarily sheltered here don't seem too bothered. While some adults give the orcs wary looks, the kids seem to be having fun playing just outside the building zone.
According to Rimuru, this area is being managed by Testarossa while Geld and his 'yellow numbers' (again with the weird naming) are taking care of construction and manpower.
Geld is giving me the tour.
"You are a courageous young man." Geld's voice pulls me out of my musing.
"Huh?"
"To care so much about people you've never met that you'd confront Lord Rimuru about it and even come here in person to see how they are doing for yourself. You are quite the caring one is all."
"Uh... thanks I guess?"
Truth be told, I didn't mean to confront Rimuru about this at all. I just... happen to get a bit worked up when I heard about this and I'm too used to speaking freely with Rimuru that I probably committed a serious affront in the eyes of the citizens. But I guess Geld doesn't seem to be terribly upset with me; he seems like a pretty patient man to me. I try to continue our conversation.
"The people here seem to be doing well."
Nodding in agreement, Geld answers. "Yes. Lord Rimuru puts great importance on easing the worries of the people who seek aid here as well as making sure they don't see us as hostile and feel like they are in some sort of confinement, as we need to hold them here until the administrative business is taken care of and when know where we can send them to next."
I guess taking care of refugees is a lot more than just housing and winking them through huh?
"Here, let me show you something else."
Guiding me away from the temporary village he shows me to a small cliffside, overlooking some plains with the refugee camp and the Jura forest behind us. Only a small dirt road is cutting through the grassy fields and led up a hill to our left into the camp. I can see various groups of people either walking the road or sitting in small carts dragged by horses.
"That right there is Gustrela/Floidor, we are right at the border of Tempest."
So that is a nation at war. It honestly looks way too peaceful like this. I have never seen war but somehow my mind imagines the likes of trenches, barbed wire, and mud from the shelling... I guess they don't really have any of these here, do they?
Geld appears to want me to take in the scene for a bit but someone else speaks up.
"Quite serene, isn't it?~"
Startled, I turn around and am met with a beautiful woman with long white hair waving in the wind, red eyes, and adorning a military-style uniform. I believe this is-
"Lady Testarossa."
Yeah. Her. Geld greets her politely. I thought they were of the same rank as Rimuru's patrons but Geld just seems the type to speak politely with everyone.
"Good day to you too. I see you brought Lord Rimuru's friend along."
"Yes, young Sir Iruma here wanted to see how the people were faring in the refugee camps."
"Ara. Is that so~? Well, I hope that our checkpoint Alpha is to your satisfaction, I have given it my all to make sure Lord Rimuru is pleased after all."
Somehow I can't help but feel a little on edge around her. She, like Diablo, is a demon so maybe that has something to do with it. But there's also the way she just said how she hoped Rimuru was pleased. Like the people's happiness is only of concern because Rimuru said it is.
"... Yeah. I think he'd be happy."
"That's good then. You see, Lord Rimuru has placed me in charge of this checkpoint as a reward for my efforts on the Council. I thought for sure he would be upset with me for failing to prevent this war in the first place but our Lord, gracious as he is, did not only not punish me but even saw fit to reward me~. Why I bet Carerra and Ultima must be tearing their hair out in frustration!"
Yup, she is definitely similar to Diablo like that. Is that just how demons from this world are? Also, did she say that Rimuru rewarded her with more work? That just seems like punishment. Then again, I remember his punishing Diablo with a vacation and he looked absolutely dejected...
"As such, my job here is to make sure the people are taken care of to the best of my abilities as well as handling any foolish forces who would try and pursue them past our borders.~"
"Wait, what? Why would anyone do something like that?"
"Why? Because they are foolish, after all. Maybe their country sees them as deserters or traitors for fleeing instead of providing taxes and bodies for the war effort. Maybe the other country sees them as targets to inflict more casualties to their enemy and a hit to their morale."
"But, you two are super strong, right? Would anyone really try to attack in a situation like this?"
"My boy," Geld interjects instead of Testarossa. "If anyone were to launch an attack within Tempest's borders, they must already have lost sight of the difference in power on an individual level, for them to not fear the retribution Lord Rimuru would surely bring. When it comes to war, you must not think of people involved to be sound of mind. Because surely someone who was would never want to wage war in the first place during a time of great peace."
"Right you are my dear Geld~. Despite coming up with compromises again and again, they just kept increasing their already ridiculous demands and throwing insults at each other. Despite exhausting my every connection, and despite offering concessions that would be detrimental to Tempest, they went on with only waging a war in mind."
Testarossa says this in a lighthearted tone, but even I can tell she is just about ready to pop a vein... if demons even have those things. In any case, it's clear she's at her boiling point. Despite that, though, her face looked perfectly calm and serene... Diplomats are scary!
"Why don't we head back, Sir Iruma? I think you'd like the soup kitchen and there is no need for you to hold back. I can guarantee we have more than enough rations at the ready and our supply lines are impeccable."
My stomach growls in response. I wasn't even hungry up until now but my body just responds like that when being offered food.
"Yeah, I'd like that. Do you want to come with us?" I turn to Testarossa.
"I will have to decline. I'm afraid the people are a bit too on edge around me were I to accompany you. But please, enjoy your meal~!"
"But don't you want something to eat? We could bring you some food." I'm not sure demons need to eat but I think that even if I didn't have to, I'd still want to.
"My, what a gentleman, but don't you worry about me~. I'm expecting to have my meal delivered and once it gets here... I'll enjoy it to my heart's content~."
"That's... good?"
I guess high-ranking executives might get special meals?
Geld and I leave Testarossa by the cliffside. As we walk, my mind is already wandering to the large housing area up ahead that I assume to be the soup kitchen. Tempest's cuisine so far has been amazing and I wonder what kind of dishes they serve here.
...
Despite my hungry stomach, I helped for a while handing out the meals prepared for the refugees. I didn't feel right taking a share of it before any of them. I'm here to help out, after all, so serving food is the least I can do.
Finally, after everyone else was served, I took some of what was left and looked around for somewhere to eat. I saw a group of teens that looked around my age and sheepishly approached them.
"Can I join you guys?"
"Oh, you're that Tempestian boy that was serving the food. Go right ahead."
I took a seat next to the guy and started eating. All their eyes are on me, which makes it a bit hard to eat, but I don't really blame them for being curious.
"So. Name? Or do you not have one? I heard that not all monsters have names."
"Oh, no I'm not a monster! I'm human." I hurriedly correct him. "My name's Iruma."
"Wait, and you live in the monster country?" The younger boy looks up at me with wide eyes.
"Well, yeah, I–"
"Silly!" the girl of the group scolds him, "haven't you read a history book? There are lots of humans in the monster country!"
"How was I s'posed to know that?" he grumbles softly as he shoves some food in his mouth.
"Oh, and I'm Hannah, it's nice to meet you, Iruma." she smiles.
"So, what are you doing here?" An older boy asks me suddenly. "Besides, helping, I mean."
"Well, that's it I guess..." I answer, not really sure what to say. "I've been hearing about the war while in town, so I asked if I could help..."
"That's nice of you." Hannah nods as she puts a spoonful of stew in her mouth. "Coming all this way. It helps, knowing people care."
"Um... you're welcome?" I say a bit nervously, not quite sure how to reply.
"That's great n'all," the same boy from before spoke up, "but..." his brow scrunches and he puts down his spoon, looking frustrated. "Look, we're like, grateful and everything, but I don't want to be in debt to a Demon Lord!"
"Joseph! Don't say stuff like that!" An older girl sitting next to him berates him. "Tempest has been nothing but kind to us!"
"Yeah, I know!" He scowls, "but it's humiliating, y'know? We should be strong enough to take care of ourselves!"
The younger boy who was unaware of humans living in Tempest leaned toward me and whispered, "Joseph was raised by his Grandpa, so he doesn't trust Demon Lords."
"Really?" I ask in surprise. "I mean... I guess that makes sense, but Rimuru's pretty nice."
All of a sudden they all look at me, causing me to cringe. "What?" I ask.
"Do you know the Demon Lord? Like, personally?" Hanna asked, astonished.
"What're you saying, Hannah? Of course, this guy doesn't know Demon Lord Rimuru personally! That's crazy talk!"
"Y-yeah!" I wave my hands a little frantically. "I've only seen him at a distance, y'know, like at festivals! He just looks nice, is all I'm trying to say..."
"I have heard the Demon Lord Rimuru has a pretty face," Hannah says.
"Yeah," Joseph adds, "I've heard he's so beautiful that people think he looks more like a girl than a guy." Turning to me, he asked, "is that true? You said you've seen his face and stuff."
"U-uh..." What should I say!? I know Rimuru's been posing as my 'twin sister,' but if I screw up here he'll probably kill me! I decided to just mention that Rimuru is technically not a man or a woman, but a slime that's something in-between. "Well, everyone knows Demon Lord Rimuru is a slime, so–"
"What kind of nonsense are you kids talking about over here?!" All of a sudden a stern-looking man leans over the table right next to me, and I squeak in fright. "Did I hear the name 'Demon Lord Rimuru' from you guys?!"
"We-we're just asking..."
"As hard as it may be for you kids to understand, Demon Lord Rimuru has been an ally of humans for decades, ever since he came onto the scene. Some of the older folks may disapprove of 'im, but that doesn't mean you can be disrespectful, especially because it's his country feeding and sheltering us right this moment!" he harshly scolds.
Joseph glances over at me nervously to avoid the eyes of the man, and I took that as my cue to panic because now that same angry man is staring at me.
"Were you the one that started this? I don't recognize your face."
While I'm still speechless trying to summon a response, the man looks me up and down, then snaps his fingers in realization, "So are you from Tempest then, kid?"
"U-um...yes...?" This man's proximity to my face is freaking me out.
"Well!" He suddenly claps my shoulder hard, but not in an unfriendly way. "If you get the chance, give His Majesty the Demon Lord my thanks!"
"U-uh..." While I'm speechless, another teenager comes to my rescue.
"What makes you think that's even possible, old man!?" The younger boy next to me laughs.
"Heh. I'm just pulling your leg, son." The man straightened up and laughed, ruffling my hair. "You kids try and stay out of trouble, 'kay?"
"Uh... we will!" I wave at him, a bit stunned by the encounter.
"Pssh," Hannah snickers. "Yeah, like you could personally meet the Demon Lord."
"Ah-haha... yeah." I rub the back of my head and start digging into my food again.
We stay quiet for a bit, all focusing on our food. I was just about finished when Joseph spoke again.
"I just wanna go home..." he grumbles, poking at his food.
His statement brings the mood of the whole table down, and I look around a bit in surprise.
"You know we can't." The younger boy says bitterly, his tone suggesting he doesn't want to talk about it.
"I know that!" Joseph's frown just grows deeper. "I want to go back to before this whole mess started."
"...I'm sorry." I quietly whisper, feeling cowed.
"You don't have to apologize!" Hannah blurts out. "This isn't your fault. You're even here helping."
"Yeah, but..." I clench my hand in a fist. I want to say something to help these people, but I don't know what. "I... I might not look like it," I said, "but I've been through some pretty hard times as well, and maybe you don't want to hear this," I face them seriously, firming up my resolve, "but there are lots of people working hard to help you, and–and even if it's hard now, things will get better!"
There's an awkward silence as they all just stare at me and I shrink in my seat.
Joseph then breaks out into loud laughter.
"Man, I haven't laughed like that in a while! Thanks a lot!"
Hannah scowls at him disapprovingly.
"You're awful rude today, Joseph. What's gotten into you?"
"What?! This rich-lookin' kid from one of the most prosperous countries in the world is trying to compare whatever problems he's had in his past to ours? What a joke! Of course, I'd laugh at that!"
Then, I look down at my clothes, and they are pretty expensive looking, I guess. Most of my clothes are since Grandpa likes to spoil me, and the few outfits I've gotten from Tempest are also high-quality.
I want to go into what I've gone through, but at this point, I've lost my footing and I know it wouldn't sound very genuine no matter how much it actually is.
But, I can still try.
"I've had my life turned upside-down too, many times actually...thankfully it was for the best this last time, but it still happened. Believe me or not, I guess, but I'm no liar." I quietly continued, hoping that they won't see my words as lies.
Feeling that it's the right thing to do, I stand up and walk away, shoveling the remainder of the stew into my mouth and returning my dish.
...
"So, how'd it go?" Rimuru asks as soon as I get back.
"Well, I talked with some other teens there and helped serve some food. Geld showed me around too.
"Oh? What did they say? The other teens, I mean."
"Lots of things..."
"So you don't wanna talk about it, then? Fine; I'm not gonna interrogate you on it, I was just curious. More importantly, you have plans for tomorrow!"
"Plans?"
"Here. Catch."
Rimuru chucks a small object in my direction and I scramble to catch it, it bouncing between my hands a few times before I finally get a grip on it.
It's a phone...my phone.
I immediately reach for my pocket, confused, but find it empty.
"Why did you have my phone?"
"You left it over there on the couch earlier." Rimuru points to the spot I sat when I was here last.
"Whoops...hey, wait...what did you mean by 'I have plans'?"
"A date with Ameri!" Rimuru declares, wearing a wide smile and looking satisfied with herself.
I open my texts with Ameri just to find some messages from me that aren't truly from me!
"You pretended to be me by using my phone?!" I loudly ask.
"Look at it as me helping you out. You said you wanted to spend some time alone with her, didn't you?" Rimuru replies, not at all bothered.
"Well...yeah...b-but..."
"I didn't want to keep Ameri waiting." she continues.
"You could've just returned my phone..." I mutter.
"I just did!"
"But, like, before you...ugh, never mind...I'm glad, I guess. Will you take me back to the Netherworld tomorrow?" I ask nicely, deciding that this argument isn't worth it.
"That's a given. You'd miss your date if I didn't!" Rimuru laughs.
"Thanks. Just...please don't get into my phone like that again." I plead with Rimuru.
"Put a password on it and that'll stop me."
"Why do I feel like that's a lie?"
"Haha, I don't know what you mean!" Rimuru laughs me off.