Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (LN) Volume 11 - Ch 2

New Companions

That demon crossed the border like a strong gust of wind, devastating this evil realm. Crossing the Gate of Hell, he arrived at a spiritual worldwhich could be called Hell, or the nether realm. He beca the symbol of violence, slaughtering powerful demons along the way.

The weaker demons had already fled, while the strong grouped up to battle him. But to him, this was rely a aningless struggle of the weak.

He destroyed his enemies in a flawless fashion, crushing them with ease.

Demons were spiritual life-forms. Thats why, even if their bodies were to be destroyed, they would self-restore and over ti, resurrect once again. Perhaps it was due to knowledge of this facet, that he obliterated his foes without rcy.

The fearso personification of violencethis demon was nad Diablo.

Kufufufufu, it has been a long ti since I returned. Looks like a bunch of scum is squatting the place. Theres no use in collecting these weaklings. I must hurry and see my old friends.

These old friends were even capable of rivaling the strength of Diablo. The goal of his expedition was to recruit these people.

Kufufufufu, if its those guys, Rimuru-sama would surely be pleased!

After saying so, Diablo teleported away from the location without a trace, only leaving behind the remains of aningless fools who knew not of Diablos power

After inspecting the construction in person, I was able to understand the current situation. The laying of tracks for the magitrain was far from complete. We still had a lot of work left, naly: Laying the track between the Dwarven Kingdom and Tempest, between Tempest and Blumund, constructing a road between Blumund and Farnas, and creating the road that started from the Dwarven Kingdom and went south to Eurazania via Sisu Lake, which was ruled by the lizardn

We still had to finish building the road connecting Blumund to Sarion. We also needed to open a tunnel through the Coscia mountains. Only after these plans were complete could the railways be laid down. We must be ntally prepared for long-term construction efforts.

Furthermore, I really wanted to lead the route to the coastline soon so we could provide sea products at a cheap price. We also planned to establish a main railway line between the kingdom of Blumund and Ingracia.

Now that I was considering all of these new connections, it would take so ti before the whole traffic network could be considered fully operational.

We also couldnt forget about the developnt of the trains. Since the prototype had been completed, we had jumped across the biggest hurdle. Now, all we had to do was to put the prototype through the wringer. Although we had already established our fantastic motor core, the rest of the magitrain still required further developnt.

It was important to ensure the trains were comfortable to ride. We also had to tackle the issue of noise that the trains would undoubtedly unleash upon its surroundings. Our train was already substantially quieter than traditional steam locomotives. However, traveling at such high speeds still generated a botherso racket.

The research team headed by Kaijin was currently working to address such concerns. We were breaking down these troubling problems to smaller, bite-sized pieces to tackle them in finer detail and find theoretical solutions. anwhile, I also hoped that they kept a record of the processes they took to resolve these issues. It was my wish that this journal would eventually beco useful reference material for future research prospects.

With that being said, since we had managed to develop the most challenging component, the Spirit Magic Core, it was fine to hand all train-related matters to Kaijin.

For other recently initiated research projects, we spared no expense in their financing from the national treasury. I had to appeal to Myourmiles so he could allocate more funds.

And so, I started to visit the research facility frequently. I even got quite familiar with the researchers and had plenty of opportunities to discuss useful ideas. The knowledge I possessed as an Otherworlder was all too intriguing to them. They often stopped to consult my opinions.

Although, when they posed a question that I couldnt answer, I had Wisdom King Raphael-san handle it. By entrusting my problems to Raphael-sensei, whose ability rivaled that of a quantum computer, no matter how difficult the questions were, it could solve them with ease. And I have been putting it to use relentlessly as well.

After finishing the days work, it was also important to squeeze in so ti for socializing at night. While not all the night shops were luxurious, they were still one of the go-to spots for researchers to take a breather from work. There, they could relax and engage in casual conversation.

I, for one, was no exception. Sadly, I didnt get paid overti.

Pretty incredible stuff, not gonna lie.

By the way, even though I ntioned that our budget had increased, we definitely did not spend the money on booze. It was all for the sake of research! Surely you guys understand what I an.

In addition, among Veldora, Ramiris, and myself, Ramiris was the one getting paid the most. Her salary was still very promising even after deducting the costs of running the labyrinth. She was compensated with twenty percent of the labyrinth revenues. It was no longer just the two gold coins we had estimated at the start. Nowadays, she could earn up to twenty gold coins or more.

Twenty gold coins were about two million Japanese yen per day. However, Ramiris was also responsible for paying the salaries of Treyni-san and her sisters, as well as Beretta. That said, she was still projected to profit nearly one hundred gold coins by the end of the month.

My daily allowance was the sa as Veldoras: one gold coin a day from the national treasury.

Veldora was the labyrinth master, so Ramiris also rewarded him with extra pocket money. Since the labyrinth greatly depended on Veldoras magicules, the treasury granted him special bonuses as well. Thats why he actually got paid more than I did.

In spite of this, I did keep so pocket change around. I had been investing in many varying fields and the profits were incredibly favorable.

Motivated by everyones enthusiasm for work, I also decided to work hard. I was diligently trying to craft the bodies I had promised Diablo for his demon friends to possess.

The person assisting was Ramiris. In addition, I also couldnt forget to prepare bodies for Treyni-sans sisters. I needed Ramiriss opinions on that.

Ramiris agreed imdiately, though she was also insistent on providing her with more subordinates.

We have a lot of work to do and not enough people to do it. With only Treyni-chan and Beretta, my job would be very challenging

Isnt this gal doing this just so she can brag about her having new servants?while that was my assumption at the ti, my viewpoint changed after witnessing how hard Treyni-san and the others were working in the labyrinth.

Ramiris wasnt just my assistant, she also had endeavors of her ownnaly, reconstructing the Elental Colossus that Hinata disintegrated. The most vital component, its heart core, was already completed. In addition, I had also completed the outline and general sketch of the body. We did have an Elental Colossus available for reference though. We could always refer to that during research. However, the actual construction would require ti.

Moreover, Kaijin was busy with the magitrain while Vesta was focused on developing the Magic Armor Soldier by himself. If Vesta were available, hed co to assist Ramiris. However, it would certainly be awfully tiring for him.

We would be incorporating the completed Spirit Magic Core, so I also wanted to collect empirical data, and in order to achieve that, the more help we could get, the better.

By the way, what has Veldora been up to?

HmmI dont know what ntor has been up to. Every ti I asked for his help to do so detailed tasks, he suddenly goes missing

I see, so Veldoras still not that reliable, huh?

Yeah, now that she ntioned it, I felt the sa way, too.

Veldora always appeared to be assiduously working, moving back and forth from place to place. I thought he was going to be a nuisance for everyone, but it also turned out not to be the case. Despite his appearances, he was actually quite knowledgeable and had been of so help. He also seed to enjoy being praised. Thats why instead of letting him labor as Ramiriss assistant, I might as well cut him so slack and let him do as he pleases.

I get it. Ill try to do so recruiting on my own.

Umm, sorry for the trouble!

After making this promise with Ramiris, I began to worry about the potential new candidates, and if they were right for the job.

And so, the days quickly passed by. Our daily routine had been quite peacefuluntil one day, That Guy suddenly arrived without warning.

I was inside my office. In front of were stacks of docunts that required my attention. It would have taken an average person an eternity to review them all. But luckily, I had Wisdom King Raphael at my aid. I ordered it to precisely scan through the files and prioritize the more urgent cases. Then, I scrutinized each docunt like lightning, swiftly approving or rejecting them.

In reality, I wasnt toiling nearly as hard as I had described, but performing such monotonous tasks was still quite the chore. I fantasized over Diablo being here and laboring in my stead, as I continued the sa repetitive motions with my hands, gradually chipping away at the pile.

Then ca post-work break ti.

I transford into my original sli self and relaxed on the sofa. So comfy. My body itself was super soft, and the pillow was quite plushy as well. With the two combined, it felt as if I were swimming in a sea of soft feathers.

Now that I had a knack for sleeping, this was my little secret hobby.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.

Just when I was about to slack off for a bit, it appeared soone was stopping by. It cant be helped then. I turned back to human form and sat down on my chair.

Co in, I responded while posing stylishly.

Soon after, Shuna opened the door and entered. She bowed deeply to .

Rimuru-sama, you have a guest. He said his na was Dino, and that he is an acquaintance of Rimuru-sama?

As I suspected, I had a visitor. He said his na was Dino and that he knew . Then, I could only think of one person that fit the bill.

Hes a demon lord like , a part of the Octagram. What is he doing here?

A demon lord? Then perhaps, just in case, I should call Onii-sama here and surround him with our army?

No, that wont be necessary. If a fight really were to break out, simply call for Benimaru and Shion. Although there truly is no need to worry about since hes probably just here for fun.

While comforting a seemingly concerned Shuna, I stood up from my chair.

Nothing to worry about.

I recalled during the Walpurgis Banquet that Dino had comnted sothing along the lines of Ill drop by to hang out with you. Although I didnt pay much attention to it at the ti, it looked like he was serious.

Understood. Then, I shall do as you have ordered.

Shuna nodded first before leading to the guest room where Dino was waiting.

Having a ton of rooms made it super convenient for differentiating who you were receiving. The rchants and noblen would be shown the luxurious suite. On the other hand, if our guests were suspicious individuals or monsters with great power, we would bring them to a plain room built with sturdy walls. The reason for this differentiation was to minimize losses on our side if the guests were to start a fight in the opulent suite. That was why the space we currently had Dino in was more practical than fancy.

I followed Shuna into the room and saw the disheveled Dino. He was sitting casually on the sofalying down on it, to be precise. He was quite laid back despite being in soone elses house. To put it bluntly, he was a thick-skinned, airheaded man.

Hey, long ti no see, whats popping? he greeted , showing no intention of getting up, still comfortably sprawled on the sofa.

His reaction made Shuna glare at him with distaste. However, she stayed silent and simply left the room after bowing. She was presumably preparing tea for us.

Umm, Ive been good. Its just that Ive got a ton of problems to deal with, so I cant say my lifes been carefree, thats all, I answered as I sat down on the chair on the opposite side of Dino.

I began to carefully observe him. Just like our last encounter, Dino still looked decidedly nonchalant. Despite appearances, however, he had an oppressive aura around him. No wonder Shuna acted so cautiously.

What do you an? Are you having difficulties? Sounds like a big hassle.

Indeed. Ever since I beca a demon lord, nothings been easy. By the way, what are you doing here?

Eh, ? Just as Ive said before, Ive co to hang out, Dino quickly replied to my question.

However, it sounded as fake as it could get.

Both of us fell silent.

It was then that Shuna entered the room with a tray of tea and desserts. In this room filled with deafening silence, she soldiered on with her duties as if there was nothing wrong. She expertly served both of our portions and left after giving us a bow. She really was professional.

I first took a sip of tea, then stared at Dino. He appeared to have given up the pretense and began speaking slowly, Not really. In reality, Dagruel chased out.

Huh?

Ahh, its nothing. I dont actually own a ho or anything, so Dagruel took in. Also, Im broke

Oi, oi. Are you really a demon lord?

He spoke those words without a shred of sha. This guy seed to be the worst kind of trouble.

While I was thinking of a solution, I recalled that Dagruels sons were living in the care of your nation right now. Thats why Ive co here to be in your care as well!

I must not show any weakness or compassion.

Nope, nuh-uh, I rejected Dino imdiately.

EH?

Eh what?

The room fell silent again.

Dino was clearly shocked that I had rejected him. Although, I should be the one surprised by how naive his idea was. Even if you knew , I had no obligation to take care of a suspicious individual like him. Moreover, I instinctively knew this guy was definitely the type to say: Also, I dont want to work at all!

H-hold on a second. What is this? Do you want to starve to death in the street?

No, but you can get a job.

Please dont be so difficult! My philosophy is to never work. Ive never made a single coin with my own hands for hundreds of years, nor have I spent a single coin earned by myself, either.

No wonder. If you dont work, you obviously would be broke. And consequently, how could you feed yourself with your nonexistent funds?

Wow, how impressive! Please leave after you finish eating that.

You have to chase this type of person out as soon as possible.

Completely ignoring Dino, I reached out for the dessert in front of : tea and cream puffs.

How delicious. Will I ever get sick of eating this?

Dino seed unusually frustrated, but still followed in my footsteps and reached out for so of the cream puffs. His expression changed the mont he took a bite.

Right, I am going to be this nations citizen, so let work for you.

He suddenly started spewing out so nonsensical crap.

Huh? Hey man, what are you talking about

No, I am serious. If I can eat sothing this delicious every day, I wont regret it at all. Rimuru, no, I shall address you as Rimuru-sama. Please command as you wish!

No, I should be honest with you. I really dont wanna hire you.

Are you kidding ? Even though weve t before, it was only for that one ti. So what are you really here for?

After finishing my pastry, I sampled my tea, and gravely questioned him.

Dinos eyes darted around. He was a lot like Ramiris in that regard, except this guy, unlike Ramiris, was not cute at all. Finally, Dino gave up on making excuses. He shrugged and dropped his previously presumptuous attitude entirely.

Heres the thing. Guy told that I should stay in this nation, but he never said why. Hes a selfish fellow, after all, and defying him will be problematic. Moreover, Dagruel really did kick out, so its gonna be troubleso going back to his place. Thats why I ca here.

Guythat red-haired man said this?

Yeah yeah yeah, that red-haired man.

Uhhhe didnt seem to be lying.

Guy probably did suggest sothing like that.

But why ?

Answer. Individual Guy Crimson, likely in the hopes of not having to deal with individual Dino, decided to push the problem to master. The possibility of this scenario is very high.

Oi. Can you not put it so bluntlyalthough, its definitely plausible.

Ah, right, Guy had a letter for you, Dino said as he handed over a folded sheet of paper that was sealed with youki. It was indisputably laced with Guy Crimsons aura. The piece of paper contained only one scrawled sentence: Take care of Dino for . It looked rather authentic. Since Dino had the letter, he really must have gone to ask Guy for help. It was undeniable at this point.

This was like soone just forcibly gave the joker card in a ga of old maid 2 .

See?!

See?! my ass!

Fuming, I began to ponder the situation I was in. While this was indeed troubleso, it would also be unwise to go against Guy. He was the dominating elite among the demon lords. I wouldnt have been able to defeat him in my current state. Instead of antagonizing him, it would save a lot of headaches if I just took care of Dino now.

So my only option is to accept the proposal?

However, I didnt plan on letting him laze around all day. Even though I never invited him as a guest, I didnt want to start off on the wrong foot, either.

It was then that I unexpectedly rembered sothing. This guy was pretty well-behaved whenever Ramiris was around. She always wanted more subordinates, and Dinos arrival might as well be perfect timing. Although this demon lord couldnt be underestimated, he did say, even in a joking tone, that he would serve . Then service you shall provide. Appointing Dino as Ramiriss assistant was a stroke of genius.

I cracked an evil grin after settling on the idea.

Okay, I understand. But you will have to work as well!

What are you babbling on about?!

And you have the audacity to talk back! Werent you the one saying, please command as you wish! just now?

I masked my inner irritation and divulged details about the position to Dino.

Well, even though it is a job, its responsibilities are extrely simple. I want you to be Ramiriss assistant.

Ramiris? That gal is also here?

Yeah, shes been helping out a lot for my work.

What the hell? That pixie has always been a recluse in her maze, and I thought she was one of us

Dino had incorrectly assud Ramiris was just like him. Although, I could sympathize with him; it was only recently that I realized Ramiris was a surprisingly diligent worker.

Weve been collaborating on a bunch of projects lately. She even seems to be having fun! That said, I want to hasten the research process, so theres still a lotta work to be done. Having her around has been really helpful.

She would undoubtedly get all smug if she heard praise her like this. That was the reason why I would never bring this up in front of her. However, these were my genuine thoughts.

Dino was baffled for a bit before asking timidly, T-then, when you said job What exactly am I supposed to do?

Looks like he really hated being productive. I was struggling to co up with an explanation on the spot when I realized that may not have been the best approach. I should bring him to the actual research site. We could educate him once he was introduced to the people in charge.

Dont assu it is anything too difficult yet. Accomplish what you can to the best of your ability. First, let show you where you will be working.

Uh, umm, right. Just dont expect much from !

Hmm? Ahh, dont say sothing like that before you even try. I dont think there will be any problems. Just follow Ramiriss instructions.

With a sense of uneasiness in heart, I decided to bring Dino to the private research facility located on the one-hundredth floor.

We teleported directly to the one-hundredth floor, crossing the room that Veldora was guarding. It was a large chamber whose purpose was to receive the arriving labyrinth challengers, while Veldoras private quarters were situated beside it. There were two rooms in total. There was also no sign of Veldora in either of them.

Where did Veldora go? Hes probably off horsing around sowhere.

Oi oi oi, how co the magicule concentration here is so dense?

Oh, because thats Veldoras room over there. Dont go inside, the guy is really selfish. Youll piss him off if you touch anything.

Ah, so this is where Veldora lives. I was wondering what your relationship was with him back during Walpurgis.

We arefriends. Good friends.

I half guessed that you guys were not just acquaintances, but friends Well, lets talk about it later.

My answer surprised him so much so that even his sleepy eyes suddenly widened a bit.

I see. That explains why Veldora hasnt been easy to detect lately; its because hes been hiding inside Ramiriss labyrinth this whole ti

Oh, thats not it really. His presence disappeared because he learned how to conceal his magicules. That guy used to let his youki go wild, so his magicule leakage was all over the place too. Wouldnt it be dangerous if I wanted to attract more people to our nation? Thats why I have been telling him to practice and get his youki under better control.

Whaaat? Are you saying youre demanding that egocentric troublemaker, the forr guardian of the Great Jura Forest, to listen to you? Moreover, youre commanding him to regulate his youki so well, that even I couldnt sense it? That Veldora?

Can you not make it sound so easythis was what Dino implied as he feverishly questioned . Even if what he said were true, it still wouldnt change anything. And that was a fact.

Umm, yeah. In fact, he agreed imdiately. Otherwise, half of the residents in this town would be dead by now.

No, even if you put it that way Isnt this the Veldora with an insane pool of magicules that were talking about here? Isnt he the flying catastrophe, the tyrant that everyone fears, the one unleashing his youki all the ti before the Hero sealed him up?

Peoples opinions of him seed rather negative, but they were probably justified. After all, we had an actual example of a victim: Luminas. From what I had been able to gather, this guy truly had committed all sorts of horrible misdeeds in the past.

In any case, that guys changed a little. Nowadays, if I want to ask him to do sothing, hell listen to so degree. Hes not that selfish.

Werent you the one who was just complaining about how selfish he was?!

Eh, did I say that?

Answer. Yes, you did.

I-I see.

Selfish as he may be, hes not that unreasonable. And concerning the whole deal with controlling his youki

Its tis like these that I needed to quickly change the subject. I began to describe what had happened when Veldora was released.

On the matter of his youki, I told him that Youll be super cool if you can suppress it. Since then, hes been practicing hard to mask everything. It was equally tiring coaching him by myself.

But the hard work was worth it, otherwise, I couldnt even let Veldora outside. This was sothing that couldnt be compromised on.

Likely out of admiration, Dinos expression shifted slightly as he gazed at .

I-I understand now. You are quite impressive, Rimuru. I knew you had it in you.

No no no, you only ca here to mooch off . Im not gonna be swindled by your sweet talk.

The fact that you were able to ta Veldora is incredible, Dino complinted, feeling impressed yet again.

Speaking of being selfish, Milim was worse than him. Yet, in spite of her self-centered attitude, she couldnt even raise her head in front of Frey. Everyone had their own kryptonite, I guess.

Veldora wasnt the only selfish one, Milim also

And so, I divulged to Dino about my experience with Milim, how I knew her, and how egocentric she could be. Since Milim wasnt here, I had the rare opportunity to spill my guts.

I even generously shared the ss Milim had been giving recently to Dino. I also revealed Veldoras self-indulgent acts of late, since I wanted to hear his opinion regarding which one was more difficult to handle.

I ranted on and on.

Dino demonstrated his enthusiasm by putting his brain on autopilot mid-way through our conversation. I was going to ask him whether Milim or Veldora was more annoying, yet wound up with no answer.

And so, I brought Dino to our research facility.

I glanced around in the facility to discover Veldora, who I was looking for, helping Ramiris out. Evidently, hed been toiling away today. Despite Ramiris ordering him all over the place, this dragon was surprisingly diligent.

V-Veldora is working?

See, told you.

While Veldora often complained about having to do work, he nevertheless decided to support Ramiris in the end. He was probably happy to be called ntor all day that he took a predictable liking to Ramiris.

The sa applied to my requests as well. Ultimately, he would agree to help out. After all, if he werent easily instigated and manipulated, I wouldnt have nicknad him Gullidora 3 for nothing.

Even Vesta, who was in charge of constructing the Elental Colossus on the ninety-fifth floor, was present. Ramiris did ntion before that she was short on personnel, but was that just an excuse to make the project a priority?

Ramiris and Veldora were happily going about their business with evil grins on their faces. On the other hand, Vesta appeared utterly drained; he was practically on the verge of death.

Is he all right? I was kind of worried.

Hey heywhats up? Hows the research going? with a casual greeting, I entered the facility.

Upon noticing my arrival, Vesta imdiately stopped writing on the docunt he had been busy with and stood up.

Ahh, Rimuru-samas co to see us.

Yeah, but dont let distract you. Speaking of which, are you okay? You look thoroughly exhausted.

Im fine is what I really want to saybut researching down here has been bad for my health

Hmm hmm? It was apparent that he wanted to get sothing off his chest.

Just when I was about to inquire, Veldora suddenly cut in, Oh, its Rimuru. I showed up to help as well. Ramiris begged to co and help her, so I had no choice.

Thanks for the help. She does seem to be lacking manpower.

My research was classified as top secret, so I couldnt summon just anyone from level ninety-five here. I could only bring people that I wholeheartedly trustedactually, I just wanted people who wouldnt complain about the upcoming research.

After all, I was preparing a bunch of bodies whose sole purpose was to be possessed. And as for who was gonna possess them, those would be demons, of course.

People may recognize this as a military threat rather than research.

Its best that we keep this a secret from the other nations.

Yahoo! Rimuru, Ive been waiting for you! ntors support is like giving an extra pair of wings. But I still need more help, fast!

I knew youd say that, and for that reason, I brought soone new to assist you. Ramiris, dont you know this guy too? From today onward, Dino-san, whos also a demon lord, is going to cooperate with us. You can rely on him for all sorts of nial tasks.

Although Dino didnt exactly give the impression of being an academic type, he could probably still contribute via manual labor. As an amateur, he really shouldnt be an assistant researcher. At most, he would provide help by carrying heavy stuff or collecting data. With that being said, we definitely needed more people to do the grunt work. I thought he would be of use to so extent.

Dino appeared to have taken an interest in everything, swiveling his head around to scrutinize the place. He addressed everyone after hearing my introduction.

Im Dino. Although you probably already know at this point, allow to reiterate, I am one of the demon lords. I personally dont want to work, but Im being forced to contribute. Ill be in your care now.

This person ishow should I put this?obviously not motivated in the slightest. But thats fine. At least he seems willing to lend us a hand.

After a general exchange of greetings, I found out the reason why Vesta was down here, and the current circumstances of his visit.

The motive for Vestas lengthy pilgrimage to my private research facility, located on the one-hundredth floor of the labyrinth, was due to Ramiriss persuasion. As I had suspected, because of the lack of authorized staff, Vesta had to suspend his research and prioritize mine.

However, I also heard that Ramiriss so-called persuasion was, in fact, quite effective. She didnt care whether Vesta was available or not.

That couldnt be helped. She needed people to handle secretarial tasks such as filing docunts or collecting references.

Berettas schedule was already packed.

Treyni-san was in charge of managing the labyrinth and taking care of Ramiriss daily life.

Veldora didnt carry out the aforentioned job, which was why Ramiris chose Vesta.

Will the Elental Colossus be okay? I asked.

UhI cant confidently conclude that no problems will arise. But when our work here is finished, Treyni-chans sisters will have bodies too. We may as well construct the Colossus at the sa ti.

I see, that does sound very sensible.

Sorry for the trouble, Vesta, I replied with an apology. He responded with a weak, yet sowhat enthusiastic smile.

I am still rather disappointed in the failure of the Magic Armor Soldier, but the research here is also

Vestas internal feelings were conflicted. On one hand, he wanted to resu with his own work, but on the other hand, he was overjoyed to participate in my project. As a researcher, Vestas interests seed to be torn between the two. Just the fact that he had these inner turmoils was a testant to how far he had co along. Even now, he demonstrated an example of his maturity. He was able to overco the initial shock of finding out that Dino was a demon lord, and he was quick to regain his composure.

Since he has experienced nurous traumatic scenarios, he had grown a nearly unshakable heart. And because he was exceptionally competent, I assud that Vesta would probably want to devote himself to his own experintsbut it appeared that I was mistaken. The contents of my project were the reason why Vesta was so exhausted.

Please allow to continue researching here. I want to see the bodies that Rimuru-sama wishes to create through to the end. There have been so many astonishing discoveries every day, to the point that I forgo sleep just so I wouldnt miss out! he inford without even trying to contain his excitent. It beca clear that Vestas exhaustion was naturally due to sleep deprivation.

Despite the ability to restore stamina with magic, the spell wasnt omnipotent. It couldnt just completely replace the need for sleep; you still needed to achieve a minimum amount of rest.

That was why I decided to pressure Vesta into taking a break. Because we just so happened to have a new helper, we could hand the chores to Dino and let Vesta get his well-deserved rest. Thus, he began giving Dino a rundown of the job he needed to do.

I hoped Dino would have a good ti with everyone here.

Vesta didnt look afraid, by any ans, even though he was talking to a demon lord. His explanation was both concise and natural.

Then Dino-dono, I know this is all very sudden, but you will be my assistant.

Eh

Please dont eh . Co now, we are short on ti!

But Im a demon lord, you know?

So what?

What do you an so what

Phew, Vesta sighed, eyes aid at Dino.

Please hear out. It doesnt matter if you are a demon lord or not here. As you can see, Veldora-sama and Ramiris-sama are both enjoying their work.

Yeah, it does seem that way, but

How wonderful that you understand. Well then, let us begin!

Okay.

Vesta was simply phenonal. I observed the situation for a bit and there was no indication of any issues. That was when I felt reassured to let them handle it.

Now, lets examine the intriguing results of our research.

Even though this was a reward for Diablo, assembling almost a thousand bodies was still a monuntal project. I wanted to build a magisteel doll like Beretta and replicate it with Wisdom King Raphael. But that would be dull. That said, it also wasnt feasible to build each one from scratch. It was then that I unexpectedly thought of a better alternative: create a workshop that could mass-produce them.

I prepared a one ter wide, three-ter-high transparent cylinder made of tempered glass. I officially nad it the Growth Capsule. As the na implied, the goal was to grow entities such as monsters inside them.

The capsule would be filled with the water I had stored in my Stomach from the underground lake within the Sealed Cave. Since the lake water contained a high concentration of magicules, I decided to na it magiwater. It could be added to fortify our Tempest potions or even restore mana in humans. The useful properties it exhibited had a wide variety of potential applications.

The growth capsule had a pipe fitting that allowed additional magicules to be added. By inserting supplentary magicules, the density of the magiwater increased, which subsequently improved the chances of spawning a monster.

When the concentration of the magiwater dropped below the minimum threshold, the capsule would automatically refill with magicules in order to revert this change.

I prepared one thousand growth capsules. When I had finished assembling them, I suddenly realized it would have been much more convenient to simply build one thousand dolls from scratchwell, dont sweat the small stuff. That was my belief. The point was to be romantic enough 4 . After all, I was delighted to have worked on my project and had zero regrets.

The hall was now filled with growth capsules. Magnificent.

In order to spawn monsters, specific conditions must be t firstit was thanks to our recent research that we had discovered this fact. Otherwise, no matter how many magicules we pumped into the filled capsule, no monster would spawn. However, if you were to combine certain factors, then you attained the ability to spawn strong monsters as a result.

For instance, if we threw a snake into the capsule, the dense magicule concentration would poison it to death. Regardless, its flesh would combine with the magiwater and be rebuilt as a tempest serpent. And as a result, an A-minus ranked monster would be created. Now, you probably have so idea of just how incredible the growth capsule was.

It was evident that monsters produced from the growth capsule were several tis stronger than their original counterparts. The reason these monsters were so strong was likely due to the fact that they were born in a stable, lab-controlled environnt filled with magicules.

Despite this, sotis an individuals body would break down upon birth and quickly die. Whether these monsters could survive was all down to luck.

There was still room for improvent, and I planned on taking advantage of the growth capsules properties to generate the necessary thousand bodies.

Well then, hows progress coming along? I inquired.

Quite fine! Ive also been doing a lot of research lately! Ramiris cheerfully replied.

Ho? Then Ill be looking forward toeh, what the hell is that?!

I got spooked upon noticing the floating object inside the growth capsule. It was almost hard to believe; a complete one-eighty from what Id expected.

For my original plan, only the skeletons of the one thousand bodies would be crafted out of magisteel, and then they would be subrged in the magicule dium. Theoretically speaking, the skeleton would be used as the foundation to form a bone golem.

Since the frawork was artificial, there was little possibility of their bodies decaying. There wouldnt be any soul possessing the bodies, either. Only the magicules in the liquid would crystalize on the skeletons. The probability that the bodies would abruptly gain self-consciousness was theoretically zero.

Unlike when I had created Beretta, they did not require detailed modelling. The demons planning to acquire the bodies would no doubt use their own magicules to alter their appearance to suit personal tastes.

At least that was how I initially envisioned it

Within the one thousand growth capsules were humanoid dolls drifting in them. However, various asures were taken to implent each essential body part. The most eye-catching one was the central component. Inside their chest was the artificial representation for the heart, the pumping Spirit Magic Core.

This is

I ca up with the idea! If they have a strong enough core, the monsters would probably be even stronger, Ramiris casually revealed with a smirk.

In laymans terms, it was already very difficult to prepare one thousand Spirit Magic Cores. It wouldnt take too long to craft them, but with a lack of interest and passion, I considered it a chore and didnt have the motivation to make them. That was why I wanted to resort to sothing simpler. Yet, Ramiris was apparently too stubborn to compromise. Looks like she did the work the traditional way to prepare the portions for one thousand bodies.

They even had Emulated Souls installed. It seed that the technology to possess a homunculus from Sarion was also being utilized here.

Although Beretta easily possessed his body, if it were Treyni-sans sisters, they presumably would struggle to achieve the sa result. With that being said, using Emulated Souls was probably the right choice.

On the downside, this would obviously have led to a ton of work No wonder why she complained about the lack of manpower.

Ramiris-samas ideas were wonderful and truly intriguing. When I saw what she was trying to integrate, it wouldve been impossible not to assist her endeavor, Vesta explained with distant eyes.

That was only natural. With the sheer amount of stuff here, he could have gotten as much data as he wanted.

These fist-sized Spirit Magic Cores were all top-quality products. When combined with the skeletons I had built, the alteration greatly differed from my original design. There were even enchantnts on the tallic bones. As magicules enveloped the skeleton, they began materializing as muscle tissue. We could further observe the process of how monsters were born.

I finally understood why Vesta considered sleeping a waste of valuable ti.

How about it? Arent these all super fascinating?

GAHAHAHA, seeing that expression on Rimurus face has already made it worth our ti!

Ramiris and Veldora were visibly pleased with themselves.

Yes, its very interestingbut did Ramiris really co up with this?

Of course! Well, how about it? What do you think?!

Apart from shouting her line, Ramiris also proudly puffed out her chest.

Mhm, you can show off all you want this ti. This is truly extraordinary stuff.

While Ramiris looked a bit ditzy at first glance, she was still intelligent. She was highly knowledgeable about spirit engineering to the point of mastery, and right now she was also learning about magic science. I heard that shed been visiting level ninety-five quite frequently.

She didnt just idle around during her imnse, cyclic lifespan. Her proficiency in the laws of physics was exceptional. Surprisingly enough, she was fully qualified as a researcher.

I cant allow her appearance to deceive .

Ahh, these are really impressive. And theyre all hand-crafted as well. How much work did you put in making this?

It was super tiring. Although they arent dolls with ball joints like Beretta, but rather simply bodies imitating human skeletons, if we prepare heart-emulating cores like this, Im sure that they will absorb a large quantity of magicules when subrged in the capsule.

I wholeheartedly agreed with a nod after listening to Ramiriss opinion.

Thus, we now had the ability to manufacture bodies that were far stronger than I had predicted. They would be the cream of the crop.

Gazing at the vessels that were suspended in the capsules, I tried to estimate their potential strength. I suspected their magicule content would be at the top of rank Aand there were a thousand of them.

This was all thanks to the integration of Spirit Magic Cores and Emulated Souls.

What an incredible feat. I was thoroughly impressed from the bottom of my heart.

A few days had passed since Dinos unanticipated arrival. Diablo had yet to return, but I suspected that it was almost ti. In order to complete the bodies early, I headed to the research facility today as well.

The place was bustling with activity; Ramiris was in a heated argunt with Veldora.

Like I said, I want to pour ntors magicules directly into the capsules to accelerate the growth!

But what would happen if you ssed it up? Wouldnt all the bla get pinned on ?

These guys are up to no good.

Having piqued my curiosity, I concealed myself and eavesdropped on them. I had beco quite skilled at hiding my presence lately. It seed Veldora didnt even realize I was there.

Its okay with so many bodies here! Moreover, I will also show support for that thing ntor wants to request from Rimuru. So pleeeese, pretty please! Ramiris beseeched Veldora to donate so of his magicules.

They sure are close. I couldnt help but smile at the scene.

By the way, what was it that Veldora wanted to request from ? I had no idea, which further piqued my curiosity.

I just cant get mad at you Just rember to support on that thing, Veldora sighed, signaling his defeat.

Mhm mhm, just count on ! Ramiris hurriedly reassured.

It looked like they both ca to an agreent. Veldora nodded with an Mhm. Despite acting all pompous, his expression clearly gave away the fact that he was more than happy to do it.

On one hand, it was probably because of Ramiriss instigation, while on the other hand, he likely would have agreed regardless.

Veldora raised his hand toward a capsule and bellowed, HYAA! It was quite the spectacle as he injected his magicules. The abnormally dense magicules began to swirl inside the capsule. The pressure within was so intense that it looked capable of sending the entire facility to kingdom co.

Will this really work?

I was a bit apprehensive but continued to quietly observe with high expectations. Even if the cylinder broke, we could still revise our course of action. Compared to that, I was more curious about what Ramiris intended to accomplish.

Within the capsule, magicules crystallized and adhered to the magisteel skeleton, like moths to a fla, forming artificial tissue. Everything followed Raphael-senseis plan to a T.

But with Veldora dumping a massive quantity of magicules, unexpected side effects were bound to arise. A large amount was absorbed by the skeleton and consequently caused structural modifications.

How strange? It seems different from what I expected Ramiris said, perplexed.

Well, that was usually how scientific experints went.

The material that made up the skeleton could no longer be classified as magisteel. We didnt mix any rare elents like gold or silver in, so it was neither orichalcum nor mithril. However, in terms of yield and tensile strength, while it was not as strong as the ultimate tal, Hihiirokane 5 , it was strong enough to rival orichalcum.

But what bothered the most was that despite being a type of tal, it almost looked alive

Answer. Deducing that the wavelength of the individual Veldora has caused its quality to improve. It is a subset of the material adamantite. Following its classification, the corresponding na is most likely dragotite.

I see.

Ramiris had attempted to speed up the completion of the bodies, only to end up discovering a new, interesting tal instead.

Hold on, looks like its not finished yet.

W-wait a second, ntor! Stop, stooop!

Huh? WOAHHH, theres a crack in the capsule!

Ramiris and Veldora both exclaid with consternation.

Are these two geniuses or idiots? By the look of things right now, I cant tell for sure.

What are you two doing?

In order to clean up this ss before it got any bigger, I decided to reveal myself in front of the two. And so, while working to fix the damaged capsule, we grabbed so coffee to tide us over.

We called Vesta and Dino as well and gathered together to enjoy coffee and cakes. The al was prepared by the dryad Treyni-san.

Tsk, we were just about to get to the good part Dino complained.

Ah, so you dont want your cake? Then Ill give your share to Ramiris

Sorry, I was just joking. No, wait. Even though what I said were my genuine feelings, it was just a slip of the tongue.

Dinos reaction implied that he was pissed off about being interrupted while working. Yet, when I suggested taking his cake away, he imdiately lowered his head and apologized.

Are you really okay being like this, Dino-san? Are you really living up to the na Sleeping Ruler?

Still, seeing that he was at least putting effort in reassured a lot.

Vesta and Dino were performing experints together. I was told that they were recording data from the one thousand growth capsules. Additionally, when they had spare ti, they left to examine Kurobees slotted weapons and his interchangeable magic crystal enchantnts.

The reason for their sudden interest was because I bragged about it.

If the outco of the research went well, it may even contribute to the construction of the Elental Colossus. That explained why Vesta was eager to start his own investigation on Magic Marble Combination.

I gave Dino a couple of magic marbles as samples to play around with, while Vesta would observe and jot down detailed notes. Noticing Dinos displeasure when I called him over to relax with us, it beca obvious that he was enjoying research. It was work, but the line between work and play had blurred. Dino would go on so tangent about not wanting to be productive, yet he seed to have already assimilated into this professional workplace without realizing.

It is imperative to enjoy your work.

Next

As I finished the last of my coffee, I turned to face Ramiris.

By the way, Ramiris, why were you in such a hurry to complete the bodies for possession? I asked rather directly.

Ah, about that Ramiris was dodging the question.

Coming to her aid, Treyni-san interjected, Please hold on, Rimuru-sama. Ramiris-sama was doing this for my sisters and companions. She was simply trying her best for them!

I didnt an to chide her, but Treyni-san mistook my intentions and tried very hard to defend her. She was usually like this as well. To be honest, I thought Treyni-san outright spoiled Ramiris.

Its not that, I just wanted to know her reasons. Im not scolding her, dont worry. So, why did you do it, Ramiris?

I attempted to calm Treyni-san down and continued to question Ramiris for her rationale.

Ummnow that I have so ti to think it over, I was being too rash. These children admire a lot, so I wanted them to get their own bodies earlier. This way, they would be happy, and we would also get extra help. The more the rrier, right?

Ramiris was quite embarrassed as she answered.

I could empathize with her motivation. The dryads could move freely around the labyrinth without a body, whereas the treants couldnt. Although treants retained the ability to reposition near where they were rooted, they couldnt possibly leave the forest and enter areas without soil. Essentially, without a body, their mana would steadily dissipate over ti, which was detrintal to their well-being.

The sa concept applied to the dryads, where if they were too far away from their corpus, then their strength would greatly diminish as well. They were considered high tier species among the rank A monsters and much stronger than greater majins. If the sa restrictions also applied to the dryads, then demanding more from the treants, a lower species, would be far too cruel.

From Ramiriss point of view, with the dolls that were cultivated in the growth capsules, not only the dryads, but even the treants would possess the capability to effortlessly travel in the future. That was probably why she wanted to test her idea out on so of the dolls behind my back.

If thats the case, you could have discussed it with . Diablo hasnt co back yet, and theres no telling how many subordinates that guy will bring. If there arent enough, we can always make more later. Lets first prepare the bodies for the dryads, I suggested with a genial tone.

Can we really? Ramiris excitedly inquired.

Of course.

Thank you, Rimuru!

She flitted around , overjoyed.

To be fair, this decision was also made with my best interests in mind. We truly lacked the number of people necessary to operate efficiently. Treyni-sans sisters, as well as the other dryads, were all assisting with running the labyrinth and its related matters. They were already busy enough as is and couldnt spare any more ti. If this were to continue, everyone would be overworked since administering the labyrinth required twenty-four-seven attention. That was why I desperately needed more staff to fill in the shifts.

With these state-of-the-art bodies, even the treants would rise to rank A and be able to move unhindered inside the labyrinth. Furthermore, in the rare case that their bodies were destroyed, their original corpus wouldnt be hard. However, they could only travel as far as their willpower allowedin essence, only within the confines of Ramiriss labyrinthbut that was sufficient.

As for the dryads

By the way, we should turn Trya-san, Triss, Alpha, and the rest of the dryads all into dryas dolls

Huh?

Is it really okay? Treyni-san launched her question at with terrifying fervor, all before I could even finish my proposal.

Can we really do that, Rimuru? Ramiris nervously asked, completely ignoring Dino and the others who were unfortunately left out of the discussion.

Can we do what?

Thatevolving them into dryas doll dryads 6 . But wont that take a lot of work?

I suppose, but theyve also contributed their fair share. I hope they will continue to help us with the labyrinths managent in the future as well.

All because Rimuru-sama allowed us to live here Since Ramiris-sama is determined to support Rimuru-sama, we naturally will follow Ramiris-samas wishes as her subordinates, Treyni-san admitted.

After hearing my reply to Ramiris, Treyni-san seed rather guilty.

With that being said, we benefited trendously from the dryads involvent within the labyrinth. In a sense, this was my token of appreciation for them. I wanted to give them the opportunity to act on their own. Although it required handcrafting humanoid dolls, I was quite keen on matters involving creating dolls for beauties or bishojos.

I originally planned on using the sa bodies I had prepared for Diablo, but that would seem like a cheap gesture. Dryads should use wooden dolls.

No no no, you guys really helped out a lot, so please enjoy these. And whether they wish to directly possess these bodies or beco a dryas doll dryad by possessing extra wood from their original tree host, the choice will be up to them, I proposed to Treyni-san.

She nodded happily.

Ramiris muttered on the side, Hey you, why are you more polite talking to Treyni-chan than to ? I wont take that

But Ill just pretend I never heard that.

As soon as break ti was over, Vesta and the others returned to work.

Looks like this place is beyond my field of expertise, but its still very fun. Ill go finish my work now. Lets go, Vesta-san.

Understood, Dino-sama.

And sowhere along the line, Dino put emphasis on the word work as he left with Vesta.

This guy had clearly never done anything productive until he ca here. He was a waste of space before, but since hed been working hard, I would overlook his past behavior. Speaking of which, I needed to work on my own stuff as well

Hold on, Rimuru. I have sothing to ask of you. Ramiris, its ti to fulfill your part of the bargain!

I guessed that he was going to trouble with sothing, so I was trying to run away. It appeared Veldora had been waiting for the mont right after break ti ended.

And what is it that you need for?

Truthfully, I really didnt wanna do it, but I still begrudgingly replied, nonetheless.

Umm, the thing is

ntor said he wanted an assistant. It will be a good thing if we have more people to help, thats why I alsowell, have a favor to ask

Uhh, my ominous feeling ca true! More hassle was headed my way

Were already understaffed right now, so who could we possibly spare to be Veldoras playmate?

No no no, everyone is very busy. They dont have ti to hang out with you

Wait a second! Rimuru, you got it all wrong. I have been helping Ramiris and guarding the labyrinth, all very important tasks. If I can have an assistant at my side and praise from ti to ti, then it will have quite the therapeutic effect. That way, I wont be exhausted quickly, Veldora passionately argued.

Ramiris displayed her support with vigorous nods. However, since I already heard every bit of their conversation just monts ago, I could only think You really do stick to your end of the bargain. But, since no one available ca to mind, I would have to end that train of thought.

No. Unfortunately

Hold on, hold on, hold on!

I was interrupted yet again.

Veldora apparently did not want to back off. He was adamantly standing his ground.

To be honest, when I was staying inside your Stomach, I t soone whom I can call a friend. I hope that you can give him a body just like the ones you are preparing here, Veldora suddenly revealed.

I was clueless. What kind of friend are you talking about here?

Answer. The individual is deduced to be the greater spirit Ifrit.

Huh? How did Veldora befriend Ifrit?

Answer. Individual Veldora intervened at the ti to move Ifrit to the sa isolated position during Masters Predation.

I see, it is exactly what Raphael-san described.

When I consud Ifrit from Shizu-san, he was moved to the space in my Stomach where Veldora had been isolated. This, however, did not affect us from taking Ifrits data. Thats why Raphael-sensei, or Great Sage at the ti, did not resist the change and allowed it without notifying . Since it wasnt an inconvenience, I only discovered this fact just now. That is to say, unbeknownst to , Veldora befriended Ifrit.

Ahh, so you want to revive Ifrit?

GAHAHAHA! As expected from Rimuru, you understood so quickly!

Veldora-san was delighted, but on the other hand, I had mixed feelings. Ifrit and Shizu-san were totally incompatible with each other, and he was also Demon Lord Leons subordinate. If I were to revive Ifrit, would he play nice? With this thought in mind, I couldnt just agree to his proposal so easily.

Hmm

S-so thats a no?

R-Rimuru, I want to ask you too! Please fulfill ntors wish!

While I deliberated, Veldora gazed at with sad puppy eyes whereas Ramiris pleaded for her ntors sake.

What a headache. I was quite troubled with this turn of events.

To be honest, I preferred having more people to work for us, but I just didnt feel safe releasing Ifrit. Despite his modest appearance, he was still head and shoulders above any second-rate greater majin in terms of strength. Although we would win if he were to start a fuss, damage would be inevitable. He might even wind end up fleeing back to Leon. I wouldnt want to wake a sleeping babyI figured it was understandable for to think this way.

However, Ifrit seed to have pledged his loyalty to Demon Lord Leon before Are you really sure hes willing to be your assistant after being revived?

Uh? Umm umm, thats definitely the case. You dont have to worry about it. My sincerity has moved Ifrit. That guy really is willing to be my assistant, Veldora hurriedly reassured.

Oi. Seriously?

For a brief second, Veldora seed like he was talking to soone; it had to be Ifrit himself. In other words, Veldora was communicating with him in my body in so unknown fashion.

Were you just talking to Ifrit?

Yeah, I can do anything.

ntor is super amazing. He asked Ifrit to summon a bunch of fla salamanders for the magitrain! Thats why we should plan for the future and make him one of our companions, trilled Ramiris.

I see how it is.

Indeed, within the labyrinth itself, Ramiris could summon spirits at will with ease. However, once the magitrain comnced operations, it would be much more reassuring if soone could actually command the salamanders. Guuhh, I really couldnt refuse the proposal from a profit standpoint. Moreover, Veldora personally guaranteed that he would take care of Ifrit.

I suppose I will put my faith in Veldora.

All right, all right, since you are so convinced, just make sure you take responsibility for the whole thing!

All right, just leave it to !

This is great, ntor!

Veldora and Ramiris were hyped up like I was going to buy them a pet or sothing. Hopefully, my faith in Veldora being responsible wouldnt backfire.

Then lets

Right, right, Rimuru. Dont we still have the shell of the magic core of Charybdis? That contains the remainder of my mana, so it can adapt to my power easily. Ifrit has been subrged in my youki for a long ti, so using that as a Core would be better.

According to Veldora, the compatibility would work better than an Emulated Soul.

Answer. I agree with the views of individual Veldora.

Since Raphael had agreed, I had no reason to object.

Okay, then we will use this body for Ifrit to take over.

I stood in front of the growth capsule that had just been repaired before our break.

A skeleton originally made of magisteel, which had transford into a unique tal called dragotite, was floating inside. Inferior beings wouldnt be able to endure the exposure to Veldoras excessive magicules. However, since Ifrit was a greater spirit, he should be able to hold his own.

Oh ho, this is great. That guy will be happy as well, Veldora assured as well.

I began to execute the conversion without hesitation.

Report. Remains of Ifrit have been discovered. Transferring to the magic core of Charybdis Successful. Proceeding to phase two, constructing soul container rging with the body made up of dragotite.

The operation was completed in an instant.

As expected from Raphael-sensei, how masterful.

The next mont

After Veldora, Ramiris, and I watched the body receive Ifrits core, its form underwent drastic changes. Muscles and blood vessels started growing on the silver black skeleton. Skin quickly ford the final layer, and just like Veldora, it had a tanned hue. Its head was veiled with wavy long hair, whose black color gave off an impressive sheen. There were highlights of red intertwined, like a burning fla was scattered within. It had golden eyes, while its dragon-like pupils glowed a deep scarlet.

Eh, no matter how you looked at it, that figure was a female. And a superb beauty as well.

Oh oh, Ifrit, how does it feel to return to the mortal realm with a body? comnted Veldora.

Ah, so this fem fatale was undeniably Ifrit. Putting aside whether spirits really possessed genders, I explicitly rembered that it had a more masculine body type. How did this change happen?

Veldora-sama, this is the first ti I have seen you in this world. And Rimuru-sama, I am eternally grateful for you resurrecting .

Despite my confusion, Ifrit kneeled as soon as she finished speaking. I was afraid that Ifrit would rebel out of her loyalty for Leon, but it seed that I had worried for nothing. Imnse relief flooded through .

Oh, oh oh, Im glad you look well. But I want to ask you sothing I wavered for a mont.

Please ask away.

I had so many questions. However, what I was most curious about

I recall that your previous look was more suited for combat, I an, you looked a lot more agile moving around

And you didnt have gigantic breasts like those, right?

I didnt dare say the last line out loud. I didnt have the audacity.

You couldnt exactly bla for thinking this way. Ifrit only had a few thin articles of clothing that covered her private areas. She was aiming for a super-hot belly dancer outfit. Her elbows, belly, thighs were all exposed, which ca off as really erotic.

Are you referring to this look

Upon saying so, Ifrit suddenly sighed for so reason.

I am afraid this was Veldora-samas fauI an his will.

She wanted to say, It was Veldoras fault, didnt she?

Ifrit seed a bit worn out, and I got the impression that she was wholly exasperated. Could it be that shes been suffering the whole ti in my Stomach? Now that I thought about it, Ifrit had been alone with Veldora for approximately two years with no ans of escape. I was pretty sure she had a rough ti.

Hmph! It was thanks to that you got a body. Do rember to be grateful! Veldora reproached.

Understood.

Ifrits reply sounded rather forced.

You said it was the will of Veldora. What did you an by that? I inquired, wanting clarification.

Hmm?

Oh, about that. Even though I am a greater fire elental spirit, now I can sohow wield wind elental power as well. My hair should have been red, yet for so reason its color is mostly dark. I believe that Veldora-samas power has influenced it greatly. Furthermore, it may have been because the Charybdis was a female that I ended up looking like this.

Report. Correct.

She got it right?! Oi oi, can you really change sothing like gender this casually?

I didnt an to offend her, so hopefully she wouldnt hate for it.

W-well, if you are not satisfied with it

How could I be unsatisfied. Putting aside my appearance, I have beco far stronger than I had ever been before, Ifrit declared while cracking a brilliant smile.

Veldora had probably teased her so much to the point where she had grown accustod to it. She seed to be trendously adaptable. It also made her quite affable. Unlike when she was fused with Shizu-san, I couldnt sense any malicious intent from Ifrit anymore.

Do you not hate ?

No, how could I hate you? Veldora-sama taught many things while I was trapped inside Rimuru-sama. Thinking back, the sense of duty and responsibility Shizue Izawa and I both shared was very strong. However, our ideologies were diatrically opposed, and so we werent able to build any other connections. I cant help but think that maybe we could have changed the way we treated each other.

It looked like Ifrit genuinely didnt harbor even the slightest trace of resentnt against . She was even regretful to have never opened her heart up to Shizu-san. I couldnt help but feel saddened.

We decided to go to a different venue to discuss plans for the future.

Thus, I chatted with Ifrit for a while. Just as I suspected, she truly had endured arduous hardships. Before I knew it, she grew on .

If I were to appoint anyone to deal with Veldora, then I would appoint her without hesitation. She was still reminiscent of Demon Lord Leon, but not to the point of pledging her loyalty to him again.

Even though Rimuru-sama defeated and almost killed , I was lucky enough to have been saved by Veldora-sama so that my consciousness wasnt erased. That said, I am self-aware now as well, and I feel different from before. I still think that Leon-sama is an incredible demon lord, but I wish to pledge my loyalty to Veldora-sama now, she explained, clearly expressing her will.

I believed Ifrit was worthy of my trust, and besides, Veldora seed to have complete confidence in her from the beginning. I probably didnt need to worry that much.

I understand. Then please continue to work hard in the future as Veldoras assistant!

Yes sir. I am willing to give it my all and pledge my loyalty to Veldora-sama.

Ifrit sure was serious.

I still felt kind of bugged with the whole ordeal regarding Shizu-san. But since Ifrit had shown remorse, it was all water under the bridge.

And so, I decided to accept Ifrit.

By the way, Rimuru, I have sothing else to discuss with you, Veldora slyly added.

What is it again?!

I legitimately did not want to deal with any more of these annoyances. Yet if I ignored him, hed probably nag to death.

What is it, Veldora-kun?

Um! Heres the thing, I want to na Ifrit. You see, Ifrit is an individual na, but at the sa ti its not. Thats because all the greater fire elental spirits summoned through the Spirit Summoning Fla Giant Ifrit are called Ifrit

Wow, a surprisingly serious suggestion. A na, indeed, was warranted. HoweverNaming could be very dangerous. Now, even if I, who had experienced several miscalculations during naming, was saying this, then you knew it was credible.

Wont it be dangerous naming Ifrit now? Your magicule content is huge, but theres gonna be a big problem if you dont know how much to give!

Giving too many magicules had the sa effect as poisoning, and the one being nad would be in danger as well. The fact that no accidents happened during my namings was purely due to good luck.

GAHAHAHA, but I can leave all that to you, right? If I were to give away too much, you should be able to cut off with our Soul Corridor.

Hmm, that would indeed be safer.

Report. Please leave it to .

Welp, since Raphael said so, we should be fine.

Very well, I shall assist you, I declared.

Oh, I knew youd say so!

And so, Veldora nad Ifrit.

Ifrit, from today onward you shall be known as Charys! he proclaid in a majestic tone.

Charysthat would be Ifrits na. Clearly, the na Charys had nothing to do with Ifrit, but instead was an abridged version of Charybdis. Although, in my honest opinion, a na like Irys would have been more fitting. However, it wouldve been a bit too rude to interject now.

Through the Soul Corridor, I observed a large amount of magicules disappear from Veldoras body.

Ifrits magicule content was already at Special rank Aaning she rivaled the strength of a Calamity-class monster. While she was weaker than Shion and Benimaru, she could put up an even fight against Souei and Geld. And now that Ifrit received a na

Understood. I shall henceforth be known as Charys. I pledge my loyalty to the servitude of the great Veldora-sama!

Ifrit accepted her na. At that instant, Raphael shutdown Soul Corridor and cut off Veldoras power.

It worked. Veldora successfully nad Ifrit. The fla giant began to evolveit was practically exploding with magicules, rapidly reaching the level of a demon lord-class. Ifrit not only surpassed Treyni-san, but seed to have even surpassed Karion and Frey.

Report. Greater spirit Fla Giant Ifrit has evolved into Fla Lord.

Raphael-san dutifully notified .

A fla lord, you say?

This race was a spiritual life-form that gained a physical body through monsterficationessentially, exposure to a massive amount of magicules.

GAHAHAHA! Well done! I knew I could count on you, Rimuru.

Veldora-san sounded particularly pleased, yet he frowned as soon as he saw Ifrit. Her appearance had greatly altered once again. Or rather, it was restored to its original form. Its hair was still the sa pattern of black and red, but its body had reverted back to more masculine proportions. Although so changes remained, Ifrits will might have strongly influenced this physical transformation.

Tsk, and I went the extra mile for funI an, I thought youd look better, so I made you beautiful. I never knew itd turn out like this, Veldora complained.

So it was his fault, after all.

IfritI an, Charys, sighed in resignation, I see that it was true. I should have guessed so. Luckily, my will has triumphed, which is reassuring. That said, I can change back to my female form if you were to insist

No need, no need, I was just joking around. I wont complain if you can maintain your preferred form!

Veldoras jokes were so la.

Even though Charys successfully restored his appearance, he had the option of reverting back to his old look. I needed to be careful in the future as well.

How are you feeling?

I feel very good, my lordeh, t-this is?!

After my question, Charys suddenly realized the change in his body. Dazed, he began to confirm his strength.

S-such trendous power

He was taken aback by his own power.

Kukuku, you got that right.

Veldora-san gave off a satisfied smile like he had predicted this outco.

About your race, you apparently evolved into a fla lord, I casually added.

Y-you said fla lord?! I cannot believe that I now wield such power

I suppose he really couldnt. To suddenly gain the strength to rival those of the demon lord-class imdiately after being resurrected, it was no wonder he had such a reaction.

Despite the fact that you beca this strong, your job was still to take care of Veldora. In addition, if you were to beco too powerful, you had to be wary of Veldora exploiting you even more. I was becoming sowhat sympathetic to our new addition.

And so, we gained a new companion by the na of Charys.

It wasnt long before Charys settled in and imdiately began being exploited by both Veldora and Ramiris. Although my worries ca true, he didnt seem to mind, so I guess it was fine. With this new assistant, our efficiency in researching improved significantly.

Um, since when did we get such a tough guy as our new mber? Dino asked, dumbfounded.

When you were still addicted to playing with magic marble combinations, I replied.

No no no, you made it sound so simple! This is a spirit lord that can rival demon lords were talking about here!

Actually, its a monster spirit lord.

Whatever! I dont give a crap what type of lord it is! Thats not my point!

Dino was the only one who was shocked. anwhile, everyone else was already accustod to this sort of outco.

Ah ah, dont get so worked up now. This type of thing just happens, you know? added Vesta.

No, butVesta-san?

Ramiris also comforted Dino by saying: Dino-chan, you shouldnt be surprised at trivial things like these while spending ti with Rimuru and ntor.

But, thats

Dino wasnt capable of accepting this reality. However, he finally relented after everyone talked it out with him.

You get used to it. Sotis, it was better to not overthink things.

Afterwards, I began cutting down the necessary wood to craft dolls and evolve the dryads into dryas doll dryads. Unlike their original counterparts, these dryas doll dryads could wield their true strength even when they were far from their roots.

No one was against the idea of evolving, either.

And so, the number of dryas doll dryads we had increased to nearly ten. They didnt have any combat experience, and none of them was stronger than Treyni-san. However, they had plenty of opportunities to train in the labyrinth. In the near foreseeable future, they would surely beco capable servants of Ramiris.

In addition, the bodies that I wanted to lend to the treantsor rather, the humanoid dollswere also near completion. These bodies were only being used for possession, so it didnt really matter whether they were strong or not.

There were no issues with compatibility either. With this, around a hundred plus several dozen treants would be able to roam inside the labyrinth. I regretted the fact that we didnt start recruitnt much earlier. We would have secured a considerable number of capable people from the start.

The dryads were mostly in female forms while the treants were mostly male. Since they were spirits, they didnt seem to have specific genders. That was why I focused more on efficiency when crafting the dolls. The treants could modify the details to suit their own tastes when they possessed them.

Once we were finished, they began the transfer almost imdiately. With so minor work here and there, the operation was finally complete. Now with all the new helpers, we wouldnt be that busy anymore.

Thank you, Rimuru-sama!

I shook my head as I heard Treyni-san thanking . This was really nothing. I had always wanted to express my gratitude for all the help they provided.

Well then, Ill be counting on you guys in the future as well. Ramiris, report to if anything happens.

Roger that! Ill fly straight away to inform you.

I told her to notify should any problems arise.

There was still so work at hand for to do.

For one, I had to attend daily etings with Rigurd and Myourmiles to make executive decisions. Even criminal trials required my verdict now. It was also my duty to diate disputes between my lieutenants. I genuinely wanted to help out with the research here, but reality often intervened. I desperately needed to scout so talent that would alleviate my workloadthat was my task at hand. I could still find ti for my hobbies since I technically didnt require sleep, but sotis you just wanna slack off for a bit, ya know? And I thought I was all mouth and no trousers, but it looked like I was really diligent after all.

While feeling a sense of doubt towards this statent, I headed back to my office.

Diablo-sama has returned with so strangers. He wishes to see you; what should we do?

The long-awaited news had finally arrived.

Now if it were only Diablo, then he would have just casually strolled in. However, he had guests with him this ti. Although I felt that it was troubleso to do this, since there were other people around, I decided we should go through with the standard procedure.

Let see them right now before Benimaru catches wind of this and wants to greet them together.

I shall et them in the reception room. Summon them imdiately!

The attendant bowed respectfully before leaving. Her movents were rather stiff. She must have felt very nervous around . I thought to myself, this really cant be helped, before asking the other attendant waiting next door to prepare so tea.

Shuna was busy with her work. During the day, she would labor at so other venue, though she would always prepare als for in the evening.

Shion, on the other hand, was training the Yomigaeri inside the labyrinth. She seed to be examining just how difficult it was to kill them, and thus was conducting extrely rigorous training. I heard that they were currently residing in the lower levels, so I shouldnt bother them if nothing important ca up.

This was why I had two attendants serving now. Even though they were goblinas that had evolved from goblins, they were indistinguishable from humans. Recently, so simple costic items that Shuna had developed were growing popular as well. This was probably why our female citizens were becoming ever more beautiful.

Had I not been their master, theyd probably be top-tier servants who wouldnt even break a sweat when confronted with foreign dignitaries. Their skills were masterful.

I began moving towards the reception roomthe sturdy one, by the way. Despite the fact that I figured nothing would go wrong, it was always better safe than sorry. Speaking of which, I had no clue just how weird the subordinates chosen by Diablo would be.

When I entered the guest room, the attendants brought out tea and desserts. The preparation was flawless. As I thought so, soone approached the room.

Rimuru-sama, I have returned!

With a happy smile, Diablo also entered. Though I shouldnt be saying this, Diablos smile looked extraordinarily evil. While I may not have seen it that way, other people would probably have considered his smile as a bad on. He was emanating an evil aura as if he were up to no good.

Today, I have brought the people I had hoped to show to Rimuru-sama. I couldnt be happier if your grace wished to et them.

Like usual, Diablo greeted with the utmost respect. It was to the point of being excessive, but I was getting used to it by now. This guy treated like his one and only master, almost like a god.

Three females followed Diablo in.

He told that he was looking for subordinates, so were these won the ones? They appeared to be rather young; however, age was irrelevant to demons. I had no idea how many years Diablo had lived through, but since he said that they were his old acquaintances, they had probably been alive for quite so ti.

Urged by Diablo, the three won bowed to and seated themselves on the sofa.

Are these girls your old friends?

They dont look particularly strong

Negative. These three are the highest race among the demonsarchdemons. It is suspected that these individuals are concealing their magicules perfectly and are mimicking a human being.

Raphael was quick to comnt and correct my misunderstanding. Lately, my appraisal had beco more accurate, but it seed that I still had room for improvent. After hearing Raphaels words, I tried to raise the precision of Magic Perception. Yet, no matter how hard I looked, they resembled ordinary humans.

Eh, did you just say archdemon?

Compared to a greater demon summoning, the chances of calling an archdemon was next to impossible. After all, one archdemon would already be a strategic force to be reckoned with.

Sotis, a summon would fail even after great sacrifices. If humans were to summon them, they would have to prepare a huge ritual at the national level. And right here in front of were three archdemons. I should have guessed, considering that Diablo used to be one as well.

Indeed. I thought only people at my level would be worthy to et Rimuru-sama in this place, Diablo proudly stated.

Is that so? They are truly impressive to have blended in like that. In fact, they all seem like normal humans. Perhaps even the Holy Knights wouldnt be able to tell that they were archdemons.

My words shook the three a bit. Diablo laughed happily in response.

Kufufufufu, as expected from Rimuru-sama. I told them to try their best to hide their race, yet you saw through it with such ease.

Seeing Diablos reaction, I nodded pompously and replied, I guess. This was actually all thanks to Raphael-san.

And the others?

Only seven were worthy

Yeesh. This guy was a bit too harsh.

I already prepared a thousand bodies for you, and in the end, you gave less than ten

With that being said, the treants already used more than a hundred of them, so this might have worked in our favor.

And the remaining are small fry. However, they are the subordinates of these people, so thats why I considered letting them enjoy the honor of joining Rimuru-samas ranks.

Ah, so there were more.

In that case, how many have you brought?

To answer that, they will have to report with the details, Diablo concluded.

Nice to et you, Rimuru-sama. I feel greatly ashad to et you as a naless one. I hope to be in your care. Ive heard that Noir-chan 7 highly admires you, which, to be honest, was hard for to believe at firstbut now I can see why.

Is that so?

An alluring lady stood up and greeted . She had a head of pure white hair. Her movents were refined and elegant, like nobility. She had a dazzling smile, one that radiated warmth and grace; she was nothing like a demon at all.

Indeed, my heart started racing the mont I laid eyes on you. I hope that Rimuru-sama will allow and my two hundred subordinates to join your ranks, the white-haired beauty proclaid with a charming smile.

Being praised like that made blush a little. But thanks to Diablo, I was already conditioned to it. I better take this type of praise as a given from now on and ignore it.

too, sir. I, along with my two hundred servants, wish to follow Rimuru-sama, a purple-haired bishojo declared energetically. Her side ponytail only further accentuated her appearance, making her look extra cute. She was so cute that I earnestly doubted if she really was a demon despite what Raphael-san just told .

I dont object either! I, along with my two hundred soldiers, pledge my service to Rimuru-sama! a young girl with a head of shining blonde hair announced rather arrogantly.

Seeing that a sowhat annoyed Diablo was about to stand up, I reached out my hand to stop him. She seed to be trying her best to show the maximum amount of courtesy she could muster. I saw no reason to scold her for that.

And so, I greeted everyone here.

The three ladies and their two hundred subordinates each.

In total, six hundred demons are about to join I an, join the ranks of Diablo? He sure is a terrifying guy.

I never expected him to prepare an actual army.

Kufufufufu, they each have two lieutenants, and there was one other person that caught my attention as well. That person has around one hundred subordinates of his own. Thus, there are approximately seven hundred in total. I, originally, was planning to recruit one thousand. I must apologize, I feel trendously ashad by my incompetence, Diablo lanted.

Oh, no no! Dont be so hard on yourself. Let see them first.

So, its not six hundred, but seven hundred That just seems a bit excessive.

Oh, thank you so much! Before that, regarding how I recruited them, please allow to report in detail

Is it going to be long?

Yes, very long, in fact. However, this is to inform Rimuru-sama of my exploits

Diablo was ready to start his lengthy brag post.

I stopped him imdiately.

Then never mind. They probably dont want to hear you boasting either, so tell in the future when the chance arises.

Although there wouldnt be any chances like that.

Diablo froze up on the spot in shock.

Seeing his reaction, the three demonesses snickered among themselves. Obviously, they were just as worried about having to sit patiently through Diablos long and laborious speech.

Knowing that my judgent was correct sure was satisfying. I spoke again with a grin, Its inappropriate to let the others wait so long, so do introduce them as well.

Y-yes sir. Then let us change the venue

Diablos face was filled with regret. But I wasnt spoiling him this ti.

Ill admit that Diablo was an outstanding subordinate, but giving him treats like this in front of our new recruits would be a very bad influence. I couldnt let people think that I was endorsing nepotism with him, so he would have to endure it for a bit. And of course, I didnt want to waste ti listening to him blabbering on and onbut since these were my genuine thoughts, there was no need to say them out loud.

Diablo quickly regained his composure. It was probably because he was a spiritual life-form that his spirit was so resilient.

Jeez, why are my words such a big deal to you? He always took whatever I said a little too seriously. What a fascinating guy.

Since summoning all those people in town would be troubleso, lets head to the labyrinth first, Diablo said.

On the bright side, he seed to have matured sowhat. At least now he was a bit more mindful of others.

And just when I was about to be impressed by his newfound growth, Diablo quickly dashed my hopes.

Kufufufufu, it will ruin the barrier if we gather those guys there. That magic circle was ticulously handcrafted by Rimuru-sama, so I must be extra cautious.

Youre looking at this the completely wrong way! And just when I got my hopes up to boot.

Speaking of which, his words did remind about sothing. Here in the capital city of Rimuru, we applied an experintal barrier that encompassed the entire area. It was an improved version of the holy purification barrier, and it could suppress the magicules leaked from monsters. Since many humans were visiting the town, this was created to guarantee their safety.

Even though it was slightly burdenso for the monster residents, it wasnt a big enough deal to interfere with their daily lives. As long as they were able to handle it without any issues, we could ensure that the magicule density was maintained at a human-friendly level.

Moreover, it would prevent the casting of unauthorized magic and protect the town from wild monsters. Any monster capable of destroying the barrier had to be, at the very least, Special A rank; otherwise known as a calamity-class threat. And even if they werent, they still wouldnt be able to just destroy it instantly. If anything abnormal were to happen to the barrier, we would notice right away. During that ti, the guards would take care of the problem. Speaking of A ranked magic beasts, they werent a threat if they were non-intelligent. Mindless beasts would be a piece of cake for our elite soldiers.

I was just worried that there may be people among the seven hundred demons who were capable of breaking this important barrier. The three in front of could easily destroy it, but perhaps there were even more dangerous demons amidst their ranks?

Diablo was no slouch when it ca to evaluating people. When he said that those seven were capable, he clearly ant it

Thus, we made our way to the research facility inside the labyrinth.

I permit you to show yourself. Co now! Diablo ordered.

Seven demons appeared right after and knelt down. Behind them were seven hundred more, that swiftly followed suit.

Should I say that this was to be expected?

There were six archdemons among the seven. The labyrinth had chanisms that prevented the leakage of magicules, so anything that happened inside had minimal impact on the surface. That was why the demons were able to reveal all their ominous appearances.

Speaking of which, the seven in front of were the ones Diablo personally recognized. They indeed had the presence of strong demons. Although one of them was a greater demon, he appeared to be a special case. Surely, he had so level of strength as well. I heard that this demon actively sought after a fight with Diablo, though Diablo promptly beat the crap out of him afterward.

He had guts, which was good. On the other hand, it was never a good idea to challenge soone without knowing how dangerous they were. With that being said, he was definitely an oddball.

According to Diablo, he had challenged him over and over again for so reason. This wasnt a problem about having guts or not. He was definitely an idiot. However, Diablo seed to have taken a liking to this greater demon. Since Diablo liked him, I wasnt going to complain.

Moreover

What I was more concerned about from the start, were the three demons. Each of the three had two subordinate archdemons under their service. Beyond magicule content alone, they definitely had more to them than what ets the eye.

Answer. Demon race has no definite life span. As such, the older a demon is, the more combat experience it has. In the world of demons, they divide classes similar to how divisions between Royalty and Nobility work. Among them, the ruling class has enormous authority, which distinguishes them from other demons like night and day

Is that so?

Ive heard about the demon race having growth limits, and how they could at most only evolve to archdemon. After that point, instead of being judged based on their racial hierarchy, they were ranked based on their combat experience. A class that distinguished their true strength, one could say.

Even though the demons may have similar magicule content, each demons fighting ability varied greatly. This included their knowledge, their ambition, and their willpower. The existence of a demon was established by combining these constructs.

Furthermore

Archdemons are also classified in terms of the era they were born.

There were legendary demons who had lived for over three thousand years the prehistoric species.

There were great demons who had lived for over a thousand yearsthe ancient species.

There were those who had lived for over four hundred years or morethe dieval species.

There were those who had lived for around a hundred yearsthe early modern species.

There were those who had lived for only around half the lifespan of most humansthe modern species.

There were those who were just bornthe late modern species.

And lastlythe primordials who were defined as the original demons.

The extent of a demons power is determined by the number of years theyve lived. The ruling class refers to the ancient species and olderthe equivalent of counts and their superiors.

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

Raphael-sensei was kind enough to provide in-depth information on demons for . Much appreciated.

Well then, lets put this knowledge to the test by observing the demons in front of .

The three ladies who arrived first were among the ruling class, so lets assu the six archdemons here were younger than the ancient species. Did this an that, apart from the three from before, Diablo was also an old demon that was ranked higher than count?

I had no clue before, but it looked like I had gotten my hands on an incredible companion. This realization sent shivers down my spine. It was then that Diablo began speaking with a smile, These fellows have great potential. I enlightened them about just how magnificent and amazing Rimuru-sama was, and they ended up crying and begging for the honor and privilege to pledge their loyalties to you. This was why I considered bringing them along.

And so, Diablo laid out an engrossing tale. Although, I had the sneaking suspicion that he might have embellished the story a little bit there.

I scrutinized these seven demons. They probably did cry and beg, though I highly doubted whether or not they actually said anything about pledging their loyalty. After all, they showed signs of being roughed up here and there, especially the lower-ranked greater demon. I was amazed that he was even alive, given his current condition.

In short, Diablo was concocting fables again.

The seven demons looked like they wanted to say sothing, but with their superior right next to them, they didnt dare speak up. They were pretty taI an, probably because a certain soone had threatened them.

From now on, we are the loyal servants of Demon Lord Rimuru-sama. We await your commands!

The seven demons simultaneously bowed their heads and pledged their fealty to , prompting the seven hundred demons behind to mirror their actions. The synchronized kneeling of seven hundred demons was quite the sight to behold.

Diablo smiled with satisfaction as he nodded, seemingly in approval.

What a terrifying guy. I felt relieved that he was fortunately on my side.

Since the demons were spiritual life-forms, without physical corpora, their mana would gradually dissipate if they remained in this world. It would be difficult for them to maintain this form for a long ti, so it was imperative that we granted them bodies as soon as possible.

The thod was simple.

First, use Gluttonous King Beelzebuth to predate on the demons. Then, use Wisdom King Raphael to fuse them onto the Emulated Souls of the figures growing in the growth capsules.

Of course, the result was a resounding success. After obtaining their bodies, the demons began changing to their preferred forms. They would completely integrate in two to three days.

However, there were problems with the three demonesses. I felt that it was inappropriate to give them the sa treatnt as their subordinates. They were Diablos old friends, so I might as well give them so special privileges. After all, they were gorgeous.

It was ti for , a scholar of beauty, to shine. I wanted to remove their demonic characteristics while preserving their current charming appearances; I preferred that they looked more like humans. And with Raphael, it would be a piece of cake, which was why I proposed my assistance.

Do you need to adjust the appearance for you? I offered.

Could you really?

That would be great.

Then, please indeed help us with it.

The white-haired beauty smiled and accepted my proposal. The other two, witnessing this, also allowed to and their bodies for them.

I readily agreed and comnced with modifications. It was a difficult task to change the exterior while preventing the skeletons from being affected. However, with my hands precise movents and Raphael-sans flawless calculations, re-sculpting the three demonesses appearances was relatively straightforward. For them, once they grew accustod to their skeletons, they would be able to control the flow of their own magicules and perfectly reproduce their self-image.

I could also slip them so extra goodies. I mixed gold into the magisteel skeletons and turned them into orichalcum. Since these were Diablos close friends, I could at least do this much for them. Gold was a widely used universal tal in this world as well. Its compatibility with magicules was excellent. In addition, not only its strength, but also its overall quality was above that of magisteel.

The three ladies all praised how beautiful the skeletons looked; they were eminently well received.

Thank you so much, Rimuru-sama!

Seeing how happy they were, I felt decidedly satisfied as well.

And so, my work here was done.

Now, we just had to wait for them to wake up.

Oh yeah, its inconvenient not to na themand just as I thought so

Oi oi oi, what have you guys been up to since last ti?

YahooRimuru! Did Diablo bring his subordinates? Are you gonna introduce them toeh?

Dino, Ramiris and Veldora demonstrated their hobby of rubbernecking and ran to us.

Just as Ramiris said, Diablo has brought his subordinates. These people are all demons, thats why I was preparing the bodies back then, I explained to Dino, who was out of the loop.

Actually, Ive heard about all that

Then why are you so surprised if youve already heard about it?

This is another miraculous sight. Diablo sure is incredible, to suddenly assemble so many demons.

Ah, it was because of the large gathering. Indeed, there definitely were a lot of them. It was thanks to Veldoras remark that I realized why Dino was shocked. Had I not heard about it beforehand, I would have been even more shocked.

No, thats not all. I was kind of scared as well, since the three over there seem to have lived for a looong long ti Ramiris admitted with a flabbergasted expression while Dino nodded along.

Oh, they appear to be the ancient species of the ruling class. They apparently have lived over a thousand years, I added.

Eh?

Did you make a mistake sohow?

What mistake? Theres no way Raphael-sans explanation could have been mistaken.

Negative. It is a misunderstanding. Because there is no knowing the precise ti and year of their existence, the deduction is purely speculative. The so-called lived for over a thousand years can even include those who have remained alive for over thirty thousand years.

I see, this was the correct definition. The one description, lived for over a thousand years, included three thousand, four thousand, and even ten thousand years. Raphael didnt make a mistake, but it wasnt necessarily the correct interpretation either.

Hmven if you guys say soits inappropriate to ask a girl her age, warned Ramiris.

GAHAHAHA, I learned about this lesson as well. It will make you seem like a troublemaker and piss people off, Veldora boasted.

In any case, how long theyve lived isnt that important. Its enough to know that the powerful demons of the ruling class have beco our companions.

If Rimuru can accept that, I wont object.

What an impressive mindset, I wouldnt be able to mimic it

Kufufufufu, as expected from Rimuru-sama. What you ant must be It didnt matter how long theyve lived, but how theyve lived?

Eh, Eeehhh?

While Ramiris and Veldora voiced their opinions, Diablo seed to have given a really good summary. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I still nodded in agreent, nonetheless.

Dino and the others interruption almost made forget about what I was going to do. I wanted to na the demons. Lets cut to the chase this ti. I planned on giving them supercar nas like Diablo. I wasnt trying to imply that their price tag indicated their strength, but was simply just borrowing the nas of premium sports cars.

From today onward, you shall be known as Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera, I announced in a majestic tone to the three golden skeletons floating inside the growth capsules.

The first female had exquisitely shining white hair and snow-like pale skin. In contrast to her porcelain skin, her elegant eyes and soft, striking lips were a brilliant shade of crimson. That touch of red reminded of the beautiful Ferrari Testarossa sports car.

The violet-haired, energetic girl was the one I nad Ultima. She was full of energy, a characteristic quite reminiscent of the Ultima GTR supercar.

Carrera, which went without saying, referred to the famous Porsche automobile. The blonde-haired girl had a pair of coquettish eyes, just like this famous car that picks its owner.

Hold on, oi! Dino, alone, scrambled in a panic. You cant just na these people so casually

It was too late to give advice like that now. There was no use panicking at this point.

Look at Ramiris and Veldora; they werent the slightest bit freaked out

Isnt he always like that?

Its normal for Rimuru to do sothing like this!and so on and so forth. They quickly changed the topic thereafter.

As soon as I finished speaking, the three archdemons completed their possession. Flesh and blood vessels began to cover the golden skeletons, quickly shaping into the naked bodies of goddesses. Soon after, magicules transford into clothes that covered their bare skin.

The growth capsules shattered, unable to contain the youki that was surging from their bodies. That was to be expected. After all, due to my naming, they had all evolved to demon peers.

They were on a completely different level than before. Their overwhelming power was fearso, coupled with a strength beyond comprehension.

This cant be Even Ex-Demon Lord Karion cant hold a candle to them? Hey, just how deep does this rabbit hole go?! Thank goodness Im not hostile to Rimuru, Dino moaned, though no one paid attention to him.

Vesta, who arrived late, was mumbling in a corner by himself, I didnt see anything, ahaha, I dont know, nope, saw nothing! None of my business

Watching him mindlessly bash his head against the wall, repeating the sa words, was truly saddening. But lets just pretend we didnt see that.

And just like that, we called it a day.

Depleting my magicule stores was never good. I gotta be more careful. To see how much more I could spare, I should take it easy and na a couple more. I suppose it was the right choice to limit the naming to three people a day.

With that in mind, I began to na the demons over the course of the next few days.

Moss.

Veyron.

Agera.

Esprit.

Zonda.

Cien.

Venom.

As such, I nad the strongest ones first.

Testarossas lieutenants were Moss and Cien.

Ultimas lieutenants were Veyron and Zonda.

Carreras lieutenants were Agera and Esprit.

The demon that piqued Diablos interest was Venom.

The three girls alone were already a huge military force in their own right. In any case, the addition of these three demon peers was just the beginning. The seven demons completed their evolution the mont they were nad. They casually hopped out of their capsules.

Two of them were now demon peers. The other four were still archdemons. Nonetheless, their auras felt different from before. Although I couldnt put my finger on it, it felt as if their limiters had been removed. In addition, Venom also evolved into an archdemon, greatly boosting his power.

I, on the other hand, was stunned to the point that my mind blanked. To put it simply, you couldnt simply find demon peers in the wild. They were all legendary demons that reigned supre like the demon lords. Including Diablo, our nation now had six of them. Having this many definitely detracted that legendary feeling though.

What should we do with all these new additions then? I personally wanted to recruit so people who were well-versed in politics and finance. Could any of them handle such a role? I had my doubts, but it couldnt hurt to ask anyway

While I was pondering this, I still had to figure out nas for the other seven hundred demons. Since I had made a promise to Diablo, I would see it through to the end.

However, I soon beca aware of an unexpected miscalculation. According to Raphael-san, I could just na the demons by consuming the magicules within the growth capsulewhat a pleasant surprise!

And so, with this motivating information in hand, it took only two days to finish naming everyone else.

The seven-hundred-strong army of demons was now kneeling before . Most of them were originally lesser demons, but with their new bodies and nas, they were able to evolve into greater demons. And just as I had suspected, regardless of where they stood on the racial hierarchy, all of them were at least rank A.

We now had seven hundred new subordinates that surpassed rank A 8 . While it might sound weird coming from , this excessive addition to our military force was quite frankly ridiculous. So of them even evolved to archdemons.

I might have just overdone it again

Our new military power was terrifying. In fact, the three ladies from the startTestarossa, Ultima, and Carrerawere already insanely strong.

Welp, no point thinking about it now. Ill just pretend like nothing significant happened. Yep, lets go with that.

This was the best way to maintain a tranquil mind.

Rimuru-sama, we would like to offer our utmost thanks for bestowing upon us these beautiful nas and this wonderful power. Please allow us to henceforth pledge our loyalties to you! Testarossa vowed on behalf of everyone else present.

Mhm! I nodded, then offered encouraging words like: Do your best!

Now that I thought about it, Diablo should take full responsibility for these guys.

I rely kept my end of the bargain. Surely, Diablo will educate these demons well, I thought to myself, throwing any notion of responsibility out the window.

While Rimuru was escaping reality

Noir-chanI an, Diablo. I finally understand why you revere Rimuru-sama so much.

Mhm, what an incredible character.

Not only did he completely see through us, he even dismissed us as an irrelevant threat. Yet the ancient Demon Lord Dino was so scared, he turned pale in front of us.

Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera noisily chattered.

Little did Rimuru know, the three originally werent planning to pledge their loyalty to him. They were only temporarily lending their strength and subordinates because their old friend Diablo reached out to them.

They all had imnse longevity. They were the strongest beings in this world. And so were the demons that served them.

Following human definitions, two of their servants were of the so-called prehistoric species. These demons had been alive for a remarkably long ti and had never lost a fight. They were Moss and Veyron.

Mosswho was undefeated for over tens of thousands of yearswas the archduke of the demon world. His strength was only inferior to the primordials.

Veyronwho had lived for more than four thousand yearswas a cunning and sly marquis. He lost several tis to Moss and had repeatedly reincarnated.

The other servants were no simpletons either.

Ageraearly modern speciesheld the rank of viscount.

Espritthe viscount that never suffered a single defeat for the past five hundred years.

Zondathe baron that never suffered a single defeat for the past three hundred years.

Cienyet another baron that had never been defeated for the past three hundred years.

Agera was a special individual. After surrendering to Carreras service three hundred years ago, he hadnt lost to anyone since. What was rare for demons, however, was Ageras specialty. Unlike most demons, his proficiency was in weapons, such as the katana, instead of magic.

Esprit, Zonda, and Cien were like Veyron in the sense that they had reincarnated over and over again. They were born in ancient tis and were individuals very similar to the primordials.

Venom was another special individual, instead born with a Unique Skill. Although he hadnt been around for too long, his rate of growth was rather astonishing.

These powerful entities that even excelled in the demon world were all recruited by Diablo. Rimuru knew nothing of it and held a careless attitude like he usually did. He was even reckless enough to give them nas.

And as a resultthe demons were reborn with power to defy the Truth of the World. They beca a legion beyond comprehension. They were fearso and evil demons. In spite of numbering less than one thousand mbers, this group undoubtedly could be called a legion.

The Black Numbers. 9 They were the strongest force of the Tempest Federation, and the symbol of fear.

Or at least, widely known by generations to co.

The mont the demons were freed from the growth capsules, the Black Numbers was born.

Testarossas white cheeks blushed as she muttered, enthralled, Ah, how interesting. As opposed to constantly playing the sa ga of corrupting nations, or fighting for supremacy with you guys, its so much more fun observing that lord.

Yeah, I think so too, Ultima voiced her support. Rather than torturing those naive demons, itll be more interesting to work in this nation.

Indeed, Carrera agreed with them both. Just like you guys said, Rimuru-sama is incredible. The nace I unleashed just then was like a childs play to him! It really made feel excited, serving a lord like that. Now that he gave a na, I have genuinely decided to pledge my loyalty to him, she affird, giving off a bright smile.

I was planning to kill you then, you know? Diablo proclaid, looking deadly serious. But he probably could tell that Carrera wasnt lying, so he had no intention of pursuing the matter any further with her.

Seeing how Diablo was acting, Testarossa announced: By the way, Diablo. I have to thank you. When you first found , I was actually intending to kill you.

I know. Youre that type of woman after all. I was greatly intrigued about why you would accept my proposal. Had it been you, you would have fought until you were satisfied.

The Blanc Diablo knew was a real rebel and would never obey anyone else. Duels between demons were all about knowledge and techniques. Even though Diablo had evolved to a demon peer, he was still concerned regarding whether he could have won against Blanc or not. However, that uncertainty was part of the fun.

Indeed, we are strong. Do you think there is anyone in this world stronger than us demons?

No, Diablo answered Testarossas question with a satisfied smirk.

Her smile deepened as she continued, Right? Thats why I beca interested in your precious master, Diablosoone who was capable of charming one of my kin, one of the strongest people in the world. Had he been too boring, I was planning to kill him on the spot.

too, Ultima chirped.

Hmph, even though Ive already given up that thought, I did consider dueling him right there, Carrera added.

Diablo smacked his mouth anxiously in response.

It was comndable that you guys didnt embarrass in front of Rimuru-sama. However, if any of you really were to have done that

Dont worry, Diablo. Similar to how you are proud of your na, I also took a liking to the na Testarossa Rimuru-sama gave . I swore with this na to serve him. Dont you also think so, Ultima and Carrera?

Mhm!

Just like what I said before.

The three ladies nodded almost simultaneously.

Diablo shook his head rather helplessly, Anyhow, apart from you three, all the other trash probably wont be of much help to Rimuru-sama. This unfortunately cant be helped. Just dont give unnecessary trouble. You guys are not only answering to Rimuru-sama, but to as well.

You are the one who cant be helped! is what shouldve been my line. I suppose this is returning the favor for introducing us to Rimuru-sama.

Fine, I dont object.

All we have to do is to aid Rimuru-sama and eventually surpass you in status. But until then, I suppose I shall allow you to give us orders.

Diablo was extrely anxious, but since the three agreed to obey his orders, he didnt press the issue any further.

The number of people that Diablo tolerated could be counted on one hand. From that alone, you could tell just how special those three were to him.

And so, unbeknownst to Rimuru, a chain of command was established.

Im not sure whether this conversation above really took place or not.

While I was planning on having a nice, peaceful day, Diablo whispered sothing to , We had this conversation once before. Although these people are under my command, theres no telling what they will do. Although theres no need for Rimuru-sama to worry, please keep that in mind!

Uh-oh.

Eh, what is this guy talking about? Arent those three recruited by you?!

Well, there was no point in crying over spilled milk. All I wanted was to be happy and have a nice, peaceful day. And now hed dumped this unnecessary problem onto . I was looking forward to new companions, you know

Never mind. Im not sure how much of what he said was the truth. After all, they were under Diablos command. He should take so responsibility, at the end of the day.

Employer responsibility? Whats that? Can I eat it?

So theres that. And so, I very casually tossed my problems for other people to handle.