Volume 14 – Ch 1
A+A-
Chapter 1: Rewards and Evolution
The day after the resurrection of almost 700,000 Imperial officers and soldiers.
The guys who were active in this defensive battle lined up and stood in the arena, and the auditorium was filled with soldiers from the base.
Today is the celebration.
The war with the Empire was still going on and morale needed to be kept high, so we got this event going.
The Paladins sent Bacchus and Ruminas’ “supernaturals” also attended.
They had been killed by Jiu, but fortunately things happened in the labyrinth and they all came back to life intact and accepted our thanks as well.
Although they are unanimous in saying “it’s us who are not mature enough”, after all, this is happening in our country, and a formal apology is important.
In short, it’s better that the hazards can be kept to a minimum than anything else. Delicious cuisine was arranged for the second half of the celebration, so I hope they can relax and enjoy it.
There were also guests from foreign countries at the welcome table.
Among them were Albis, who had fought as reinforcements, and Phobio, who had been one step slower, and the Two Wings, who had come with an elite contingent only.
“Lady Frey was so worried about Lord Rimuru that she sent us here.”
“But it’s really not necessary. In fact, we also believed that if it were Lord Rimuru, he would win.”
Lucretia, the blonde, and Clea, the silver, spoke to me in a moving duet.
Milim seemed to be worried, too, but it would be a relief to just tell her about this victory. The town is also blessed with the blessings of Veldora and Ramiris and should soon return to a smooth routine.
“I’m the liaison. I was sent here as insurance because the Magic Call was not working. And—no, I’m being rude.”
In case we lose, the liaison officer will go back to his country and bring reinforcements immediately.
Phobio with the fastest foot range was chosen considering the possibility that the mana force field was scrambled and unable to use magic.
Phobio seemed to have something more to say, but closed his mouth again halfway through. The fact that his eyes were turning to Albis made it a bit of a concern, but the thought of it being in the past anyway, I didn’t take it seriously.
I thanked the three and led them to the VIP table.
The guests have another set.
Guests from Dwargon.
Jane, the old woman who had served as the Chief court-magician of Dwargon, came along as her escort, along with Dorf, the commander of the Knights of the Heavenly Flying Order.
This group is mainly here to complain.
It’s amazing to use the forbidden spell in the Great Forest of Jura.
Plus, why did the “primordials” work for me? The other guy’s eyes changed over it.
Honestly, I’m sorry about that too.
But there’s nothing you can do about it.
It is a force majeure when one realizes that the raw rice is already cooked.
“It’s not a matter of force majeure. I’ve lived so long and never experienced a state of affairs that has shocked me so much once!”
“I’m sorry.”
There is no longer any other way but to apologize.
In any case, first lower your posture and try to impress the other person.
To be honest, I would have liked to see Granny Jane just go straight back, but I couldn’t not discuss the future.
Let’s just say, that seems to be the real purpose of the other side’s visit.
Outside the eastern metropolis of Dwargon, there were still 60,000 of Yuuki’s men laying out there. But I’ve already told Gazel that it’s a tentative alliance with Yuuki, so there’s no war between the two sides, it’s just maintaining the tension.
However, the whole thing can’t be left untouched, so I thought it would be a good idea to have a meeting with Yuuki to discuss the way forward.
Laplace, who was captured earlier, has been released back to take word to that side for me, and now we are waiting for Yuuki’s contact.
Anyway, Granny Jane and Mr. Dorf were also taken to the VIP table. Inviting them to the celebration.
In this way, the celebration began in the presence of many foreign guests.
The position I’m in now is set up on the commendation stage, one level higher than the rest, and is currently sitting in the chair above that in the form of a Slime.
Rigur and Rigurd stood side by side behind me. Led by these two, the other civil officials also stood in two rows.
Underneath the stage, even the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth, who were rarely seen, had arrived. That’s par for the course, after all, they are the main characters of the day.
Originally, the Labyrinth Lords were known to look bad, but today there is no such problem. To say why, it was because the townspeople and the adventurers who served as volunteers were not called in this time.
The first to appear was Shuna, who was standing next to me. She opened with my words and then began her speech of consolation to the crowd.
The presentation was excellent, but it wasn’t something I came up with.
Shuna thought.
More than the first and second secretaries, Shuna is more capable as a secretary.
It was a real help to me who wasn’t good at speaking.
Shion was not fit for a speech, and handing it to Diablo was unsettling—the praise alone was enough for this guy to speak in one breath until the celebration was over.
I started thinking about the next session while being grateful to have Shuna by my side.
This celebration is arranged so that awards will be given along with the publication of merits. In other words, I’m going to let my men try out that thing called Awakening.
………..
……..
…
According to the King of Wisdom, by giving 100,000 “souls”, his men can awaken and evolve, becoming stronger than the “true demon lord”.
The guy has to have qualifications to be a receiver of this, but what is shocking is that there are actually twelve of such guys.
To ask who exactly, it was Ranga, Benimaru, Shion, Gabil, Geld, Diablo, Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera, Kumara, Zegion, and Adalman.
Being spiritually connected to me and being a “demon lord seed” seems to be the requirement.
The one that is more concerning is Adalman.
I didn’t take give this guy a name, but why would he qualify for evolution?
<
Awesome, Adalman. To be able to qualify on one’s own, this power of faith was really not an ordinary fierce one.
Though it tickles the back of one’s mind to think of me as an object of faith, here’s an honest compliment to him.
I understand the Adalman thing.
The next problem is being able to get a few people to evolve.
The number of “souls” I have here is about a million. The secret of this is that I have the King of Wisdom.
<
I had returned a number of energies to Imperial officers and soldiers who had come back from the dead, and had expected the number of souls to decrease slightly, but it turned out to be just the opposite.
There were awakened people like Calgurio in the Imperial Army, and there were also a considerable number of strong people amongst the guys who attacked the labyrinth, all of whom contained a much greater amount of energy than normal people. In addition, although Jiu’s and Bonnie’s strength was borrowed, it was at least an ultimate ability, so it had also seized a large amount of energy.
Some people, though individual, hold the energy of hundreds to tens of thousands of “souls”, simply put.
For these reasons, the awakening of ten men became possible.
But there are a few things to worry about if it’s really going to be implemented.
One is the issue of intelligence leaks.
Is it really okay to do something so exaggerated in front of guests like Albis and Granny Jane?
However, on this issue I decided to trust the other side. It has nothing to do with alliances, mainly because in the end it will be exposed anyway.
Trying to fool Milim was impossible, King Gazel had been trusted with that time in Diablo. As angry as Granny Jane might be, now that even the labyrinthine forces were exposed, none of this was anything.
Anyway, those who participated in the Maze Raid would definitely spread the news of how powerful the Labyrinth Lords were by then.
There is little point in hiding it from those present now.
The second is not knowing what will happen after awakening.
Since this was the first attempt at Awakening Evolution, there was the possibility of unpredictable things happening, so I had Ramiris use her powers to isolate the entire arena of this fight.
That way, no matter what happens, the hazard shouldn’t spread to the outside world. Also, by doing so, one can keep secrets and kill two birds with one stone.
The last thing to worry about is the “harvest festival of evolution” that appeared when I awakened as a demon lord.
At the time, I was in a state of low activity, unconscious for three consecutive days. If the same situation were to happen this time, it would mean putting the main subordinates to sleep during the war.
In that case, there’s nothing we can do in two or three days, and it’s very worrying if something happens.
After some minor annoyance, I decided that this wasn’t a problem either.
The Imperial Army no longer exists. According to the information from Calgurio’s investigation, the Mecha Legion has no more left to fight, after all, nine hundred and forty thousand soldiers have been killed by us, so there can’t be any leftover forces.
There were only the Warcraft Legion and the Hybrid Legion left on the Imperial side.
The Hybrid Legion led by Yuuki were allied with us for the time being, while the Warcraft Legion was transported elsewhere by the Air Combat Flying Corps, the ace unit of the Mecha Legion.
With my Argos (god’s eye), I was able to track the movements of the aircraft—according to calculations, it would take more than three days to reach our country from where they were, even if they turned right away.
The airship’s usual speed averaged about 400 km/h, and its maximum combat speed seemed to exceed the speed of sound, but the excessive consumption of magical power seemed to last only a short time.
When all is said and done, the ability to fly long distances continuously at that speed makes one wonder.
While possessing a boat or train with a speed unmatched by any other, it seems that in the air you will also encounter a threat that only exists in the air. For example, locations where the air currents fiercely turned into whirlpools, or locations where the magic element chaos couldn’t unleash any magic, etc.
Even more troublesome is that there seems to be a habitat for the Empty Monster, so the hovercraft cannot travel in a straight line when sailing, but must set a safe course. The means of moving at the speed of sound is indeed a threat in this world, but it doesn’t seem as beneficial as one might think.
So I don’t think this side needs to be too guarded.
All that remained was the possibility of the Imperial Emperor’s Order of Near Guard going out…
This time we were able to achieve a landslide victory because of the advantage of the maze. It is because of the ability to die and rise again that we can calmly respond.
I should be able to beat those near guard knights.
Regardless, Benimaru should be able to take the win.
However, what about Shion and Ranga?
Gabil and Geld are probably pretty dangerous too.
So that being said, it’s important to be prepared as early as possible to cope.
At least be able to stall for time in sudden encounters with strong opponents. If we can establish a “soul corridor” between my subordinates and my soul, it seems that we can make the connection between us more solid. In that case, no matter what happens, they should be able to contact me through “Thought Communication”.
When you encounter a strong enemy, you contact me and try to reinforce the enemy, and that’s the basic operation.
Be prepared, so I want to help everyone awaken while I can.
Beware of a boat that sails for years.
All in all, it’s arguably a very good time.
………..
……..
…
Then I should get started as soon as I can.
The one initially named was, of course, Benimaru.
As Grand General, he did a very good job of commanding the entire army.
Although Benimaru himself seemed to show some displeasure at the active performance of the Testarossa girls, but that, well, that was an accident.
Benimaru wasn’t wrong, and I’m certainly more innocent!
Nothing went wrong in the end anyway, so it’s totally safe to say that Benimaru’s job was well done.
After Shuna finished her speech, she called Benimaru over.
In response, Benimaru walked up and knelt down in front of me.
“Yes! Then Benimaru-kun. I’m going to reward you next…”
“Can you stop that “kun” thing? You’re definitely—you’re up to something again, aren’t you?”
Unintelligible.
I’m obviously not doing anything yet, how is it seen through.
Actually, this awakening evolution, I’m going to make it a surprise.
Because I think that if we discuss it beforehand, we will definitely be opposed to it, so it’s good to implement it quietly.
Shuna was reading out Benimaru’s feats, and during this time, the whispers between me and Benimaru continued.
“Actually, I’ve gotten a lot of ‘souls’ through this war. The Testarossa girls seem to have given them all to me. And then, it seems that these things can be used to help people who are connected to me to awaken.”
“Why haven’t I heard?”
“Eh? Because I’m just saying it now?”
Benimaru and I stared at each other wide-eyed.
Because I feel like I’m being opposed to speaking out.
Benimaru is unexpectedly serious, always giving people the impression that they want to be strong on their own. When I evolved into the Demon Lord, he seemed to have something in mind as well.
If it was Diablo or Shion, the feeling would have been happily accepted.
“So, what do you mean by awakening?”
Great question.
At that time, I increased my amount and power of magicule levels by more than ten times, and on top of that, I was able to grant blessings to all the magical creatures connected to the Soul Tether Genealogy.
The growth rate of others after awakening is unknown, but the strength will increase dramatically, and this can’t be wrong.
“Well, in short, didn’t I evolve when I became Demon Lord? It’s the same phenomenon. Just think of it as evolving into a demon lord.”
“Huh? That is to say, not only me, but even my subordinates will be affected?”
“I think that’s probably it.”
How widespread the impact will be is unclear, but at least the Kurenai will be blessed.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…It’s so important, how can you come up here without talking about it beforehand—”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute. Maybe you’re right, but this is not the time for a Q&A. It’s not clear what kind of strongmen are still among the enemy, so our battle strength must be strengthened as well, right?”
“Although that’s true…”
Benimaru closed his eyes in annoyance.
After a while, he opened his eyes again and looked at me with a deep sigh.
Looks like he’s come to his senses.
He might as well have just given up on rebuttal, but it wouldn’t have made much difference.
“Well, I’m not the only one who needs to be awakened, am I? I think there’s a danger that this will lead to a temporary decline in battle strength, have you considered this aspect?”
“There are twelve guys who are eligible for awakening, but only nine can be awakened at the moment.
I was going to let Testarossa and the girls stay as escorts. A few days of reduced battle strength should be no problem.”
“I see. There’s the maze, too. It’s not a problem if you just stall for time.”
Benimaru seemed to accept my instructions.
The rest of the question is the possibility of storming out.
“But there’s one thing I care about.”
“What is it?”
“You are stronger now than I was when I first evolved. Since the growth rate after awakening is unknown, it’s possible for you to be even stronger than me after evolution.”
In that case, I probably would have received some kind of feedback through the ‘food chain’ of the
‘King of Gluttony’ with the extreme power.
Even so, it was still possible for Benimaru to become stronger than me. That said, it always felt like Diablo was definitely going to get better than me.
I don’t think Benimaru and the others would betray, but the possibility of these guys being swayed by forces that cause a rampage is hard to dismiss.
It felt like it would be okay to have this isolation space in place to prevent a rampage, but I was still uneasy about it.
“Even if we have such anxiety in our hearts, will we be awakened?”
“Something like that.”
“We are loved. In order not to lose to any enemy, we must use all means at our disposal, right? Well, I’ll be sure to respond in anticipation of showing it to you.”
Without having to make my words very clear, Benimaru already understood my thoughts, and even made a bold promise that he would never storm out.
Really reliable.
“I trust you.”
“Look at me.”
That’s exactly when Shuna’s speech ended.
So, I gave the reward right away.
*** “Benimaru! This battle command, it was brilliant! From this day forward, you can call yourself The
‘Flare Lord’!”
“Yes, thank you!”
The ceremony begins.
Even though normally casual, in front of the soldiers is a big deal. Benimaru’s response to this public-private distinction was perfect.
The title of “Flare Lord” was given to Benimaru because he had become a “true demon lord” but still could not claim to be a demon lord, a title that implied being a substitute.
What is called wrath is intense anger.
Benimaru, who was originally irritable, has now become able to keep his cool. Its essence, however, there remains the burning flames. Only now he’d switched to a quiet burn and has become able to control those rages.
As a monster in the form of following me, there is no more fitting title for him than this.
<
At the same time, a “soul corridor” was formed between me and Benimaru. Not something as thin as it used to be, but a clear and solid connection formed.
One hundred thousand souls flowed to Benimaru through this connection.
At the same time, the evolution of the Benimaru began…and it did not.
No change.
Huh, it failed?
When I thought so, Benimaru replied with a puzzled expression.
“It seems that my evolution requires another condition.”
“How so?”
“Ah, no, it’s not Lord Rimuru’s business, it seems I’m the one who’s the problem…”
For some reason, Benimaru became ambiguous.
Huh?
It always feels suspicious.
“What kind of an answer is that?”
I whispered a question to Benimaru and got a surprising answer.
“Actually, I just heard the voice of the world. It’s as if I can evolve from a kijin to a demigod, but after that evolution it seems I won’t be able to have any more children.”
According to Benimaru, after becoming a demigod, there is no longer a limit to life expectancy, so there is no need to have children.
Well, that’s right.
Monsters were already a fairly long-lived race, and if it was its superior race, there was nothing incredible about it indeed losing its life limit.
In other words, the so-called spirits and kijins are mostly a kind of spiritual beings. The demon race doesn’t seem to be able to have children either, which is probably some sort of destiny for the life-limiting race.
After all, you can come back to life even when you’re dead, so it’s no longer relevant to population continuity or anything.
“So, what’s the problem?”
Sadly, I can’t have children either. But it didn’t cause any inconvenience, so I didn’t see it as a problem of any kind…
” —It seems that I still have a soft spot for the identity of the Great Ogre Clan. Even I forgot myself, it seems like I can’t do my job as patriarch without doing it properly.”
“The so-called job, is that you can’t evolve without having children?”
“Well, um. It seems that it is necessary to leave children and grandchildren behind…”
Benimaru glared at me again.
The ceremony is still going on, is that a good look?
The participants thought I was congratulating Benimaru and that if I didn’t figure it out soon, something was going to go wrong.
A little anxious, I took a look at Benimaru’s face, and as a result, Benimaru looked around again with an embarrassed look on his face.
This kind of Benimaru is really rare, he usually always has an unruly attitude, now his appearance is even more emotionally appealing.
“Make up your mind, Benimaru.”
“No, so what?”
I ignored the Benimaru that wanted to argue and raised the volume especially.
“So, as a reward, do you wish me to allow you to marry? So, who is the target?”
“Wait, Lord Rimuru!”
It’s time to show your manhood—it’s none of my business, I’m hanging myself up high.
With such a pavement, Benimaru couldn’t make up his mind. To get the late blooming Benimaru to act, not being rough doesn’t work.
The…This action, which has the potential to result in a damage blow to the owner.
Huh?
To my query, the King of Wisdom made no answer.
No, no, no, I don’t mind.
I said this to myself inwardly, and at this point a loud cheer rang out from inside the fighting arena.
Everyone heard what I said and understood the meaning of the words.
“Brother, you’ve finally made up your mind!”
Shuna smiled brightly.
“Young master, who are you going to name?”
Hakurou put his hand on the hilt of the knife as he asked.
Before Benimaru could answer the question, Momiji and Albis from the guest gallery stood up.
“Your Majesty Rimuru! Allow me to speak!”
“Can I do the same? Like Lady Momiji, I have something to ask His Majesty!”
The two women’s pressing power really isn’t covered.
I can’t afford to say more.
“I know, I know. So, you two can come over here, right?”
At the ceremony, it wasn’t supposed to be the occasion to say such a thing, but the guys inside the arena have all turned into spectators waiting for a good show.
So no one is complaining, rather, it feels like they’d be more upset if they interrupted now.
The two came forward and I gave them permission to speak.
“Your Highness, as a reward for this, I hope you will allow me to marry Lord Benimaru.”
Momiji was the first to put such an extremely bold request out of her mouth.
Moreover, Hakurou followed close behind.
“Lord Rimuru, the reward shall be that which is given. This one understands that taking the initiative to ask for a reward is not in line with the rules. But I’d like you to listen to my daughter’s request.”
For this request, Hakurou was willing to cede his martial arts honor to Momiji.
The way things are going, it’s going to be hard for me to say no to this father-daughter pair.
Benimaru, who couldn’t keep up with the situation, was still in petrification, and his high judgement had obviously always been highly regarded, but it seemed that this guy’s head hadn’t even been working up to now.
Then the statements that made the situation even more confusing came up.
“Your Majesty, allow me to be the second wife of Lord Benimaru.”
Slowing Momiji to a beat, Albis uttered such words.
Benimaru and I couldn’t help but use “Huh?” at the same time we responded to her.
Momiji and Albis’ increasingly intense offense and defense around Benimaru, a situation that seems to be known as free fighting romanticism, has become a well known topic. That is, have the two already split the spoils before we know it?
“So, that means Momiji as first lady and Albis as second lady?”
“Yes!”
“Exactly.”
Momiji and Albis replied with a happy face.
Benimaru had rolled his eyes.
While it is not known what happened between the two, a clear sequence seems to have been generated.
“It’s unbecoming of a wife to let Lord Benimaru worry about such things. Albis and I will not ask Lord Benimaru to choose one of us, please marry both of us.”
“Wait, this can’t be…”
“It’s okay. I’ve agreed with Lady Momiji—with Lord Benimaru’s talent, there will be no problem, that’s our conclusion.”
No no no no, how on earth did you come to that conclusion!?
Benimaru looked at me with a pleading look.
Well, I’m not sure it’s that easy to help…
<
There is indeed such a thing.
Although a little concerned about why the King of Wisdom would be so active in providing assistance, this way Benimaru would be saved.
“I’m sorry, Miss Albis. In our country, only survivors who wish to have children can be second ladies.
In the future I intend to make better laws, and by then these rules may still be changed, so I can’t give you permission yet—
I was ready to reject Albis’ request with an apologetic tone, and Benimaru nodded with a relieved expression on his face, but we who thought this topic would stop there were mistaken.
“Don’t worry. The rules for this, I looked into carefully beforehand. Actually, I just got married a little while ago—”
Hey, did you get married not too long ago?
With whom?—that said, wouldn’t it be even more impossible for you to marry Benimaru?
What Albis said next, however, went far beyond my expectations.
“—and yet experienced a sad state of affairs with the death of my husband. Therefore, I have now fulfilled the conditions to become Lord Benimaru’s second wife.
Huh?
Give me a minute, that wouldn’t be because of the war, would it?
If that were the case, it would be a big problem, but Albis’ next sly explanation made me feel so stupid that I felt so worried about myself.
“Wait, wait, wait? So, who is that husband who married you?”
“That’s Phobio over there in the guest gallery.”
Albis told me with a smile.
……..
So, Mr. Phobio, it looks like you’re still alive?
Benimaru and I looked at each other in confusion.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know if you ask me.”
“And so it is…”
It didn’t even take ‘thoughts to convey’, and the two of us were able to complete the conversation just by sight.
Phobio came to us and knelt down with a very guilty look on his face.
“I’m really, really sorry. My Albis, who speaks in such a self-righteous way.”
“No, no, no. You’re married? More importantly, what’s the deal with death?”
“About that…”
And then the fodder began to break.
Momiji, Albis, and Phobio, after listening to these three’s explanations, I finally got a general idea of Albis’ plan.
In short.
After several fist fights, a certain friendship develops between Momiji and Albis. So the two changed the general direction of things from competing with each other to assisting each other.
What should we do if we want the two of us to marry Benimaru together?
The answer to this question, after much trouble, is that Albis married Phobio first. After the marriage, the two went to a duel in the labyrinth, with the condition of victory until one of them died in battle, and Albis won the title of survivor.
Since the duel took place in the labyrinth, Phobio certainly survived in the end.
“And on one condition, if I win, then really marry me. So, can I cry?”
Is that the reason Phobio was willing to join the program…?
The drooping panther looked so pathetic that even I couldn’t help but begin to pity him.
So, what should we do if things turn out this way?
“Rigurd, is it okay to do this?”
“Yes! It’s really a simple and straightforward theory of power. To get what is wanted, to make all wisdom and strength to pursue the results. If you ask me, it’s totally fine to have it!”
I see.
To what Rigurd said, the three of them, Regurd, Rogurd, and Rugurd, also nodded in unison.
Seriously.
In the eyes of magical creatures, Albis’ approach really works.
“Brother. Both Lady Momiji and Lady Albis have shown themselves to such a degree of enlightenment, please behave like a man and answer people properly!”
Shuna is also a proponent of the Albis Initiative.
No, it’s not just Shuna.
“If you hate it, you hate it, and if you’re troubled, you’re troubled, isn’t that what you’re saying? What’s there to worry about?”
Shion doesn’t seem to have thought much about it at all, but makes a fairly correct argument. However, she didn’t seem to object to Benimaru marrying both of them at the same time, and saying so was simply an attempt to urge.
Surprisingly, there were no objections.
What ethics, what impurity, seems there’s no one to have such feelings.
Indeed, when you think about it, the rule of magical creatures is of the weak and the strong.
The strong can get their hands on everything, and the rules I’ve laid down will keep them in check at best. If I want it to be so, and no one expresses displeasure, then it doesn’t matter even if I agree.
“Benimaru, how long do you want to worry? If you act so indecisive, you’ll be laughed at by your father in that world.”
‘’Souei…don’t say such things. So I expect to be like my father too, what’s wrong with that!?”
Was it the feeling that Souei’s words were harsh, Benimaru rarely got excited.
However, the Souei remained indifferent.
“I don’t want to make it sound too hard. It looks like you’re doubting your love, but isn’t all you really have to do is have kids? It is impossible for a man and a woman to have children if they do not care for the other. If you don’t have an idea about the two of them, just say no in the first place. But if you’re more or less interested in both of them, wouldn’t it be just fine to have sex with them and bear fruit?”
Mr. Souei, you are also too direct.
It was hateful that the words, which were clearly shockingly sexual harassment, were uttered by Souei and yet they made people feel cool.
Monsters seem to be able to accept that as well.
I’d forgotten that couples can’t have children if they do not care for each other.
What’s bothering Benimaru is probably that it’s dishonest to love two people at the same time or something. Also, if he chooses one himself, the other person who loses will be miserable. It was because of this that he kept dragging his answers back.
I don’t hate it when you think like that.
But on this occasion now, wouldn’t it be better to rely on the results to solve all the problems, as Souei had said.
“Miss Albis, let’s see who will bear Lord Benimaru’s child first, and let’s fight it out!”
“I won’t lose, Lady Momiji. My love is the real deal, and the rest is just enough to make Lord Benimaru fall in love with me!”
This was supposed to be the most troublesome part, but the girls didn’t seem to be bothered by it. That being the case, it was only a matter of Benimaru’s expression.
“Benimaru, it’s a celebration, and it’s still the part that honors your achievements. So whatever capricious statement you have I will allow you to make, just say what you mean. Which side do you choose for Momiji and Albis’ courtship—accept or reject?”
If Benimaru doesn’t want to, that’s the end of the conversation.
But if it is not so…
“Momiji, Albis, I may not be able to stay by your side forever, as Lord Rimuru guardian. Even so, are you still willing to choose me?”
Sure enough, Benimaru was honest no matter what, he seemed to have even thought about the future situation.
After resolving this attachment of leaving a son behind, Benimaru evolves into a demigod. And when he becomes the kind of existence that has no lifespan limit, there will come a time when he will be forever separated from Momiji and Albis.
Right. Because only he evolved himself, then he must have to live longer than his two wives…
To rush an answer in such a scene is too much.
Me too, nothing real yet, but I think it would be painful if a loved one passed away before themselves.
But then again, I’m not talking about a specific person, but all of my peers.
I can understand what’s bothering Benimaru. Momiji and Albis’ moods may have wavered, but looking at the results shows that I’m completely paranoid.
“No problem at all! After raising my children, I’ll also tried to evolve myself.”
“I feel the same way. Even if you can’t evolve, my children will be able to take care of your worries.”
Women are so strong.
Momiji and Albis unflinchingly showed their awareness.
Hearing these responses, Benimaru revealed a valiant smile.
“Lord Rimuru! I want to marry them both. Will you allow me?”
That being said, I can’t say no to that, and I didn’t mean to.
Although this time it sets a precedent of using ploys to forcefully bend the rules, as long as one has to exchange permission for achievements like this one, it might instead give many people hope of becoming more diligent.
Forget it and leave it at that, I’ll make that judgment.
Although Benimaru is hard-core, he is a pure lover, if you leave him alone, God knows how long he would be single, I think this is a good opportunity.
To put it mildly, “Do you really love Momiji and Albis at the same time?” That’s the point…but I’m sure Benimaru will be able to get over the hump.
Add some gas for him by the way.
I jumped out of my chair and changed into human form.
Then it was announced loudly.
“Permission granted! In my name, acknowledge Benimaru and Momiji, and the Knotted Soul of Albis!”
For magical creatures, so-called marriage is something like souls joining to each other. So the statement that you can’t have children without love is indeed an unmistakable fact.
It is for this reason that the act is appropriate for the term “spirit-knot”.
Hearing my proclamation, the corners of Benimaru’s mouth showed a smile, his expression tinted with joy, and his face turned red…But he still raised his chest and stretched out his arms to take Momiji and Albis into his arms.
“Thank you very much. I will love both of them well and show everyone how sincere I am!”
Hearing Benimaru say so, Momiji and Albis both had tears in their eyes with happiness, a look of emotion that could not be uttered without words.
Honestly, I’m so envious of Benimaru.
Being married to a beautiful girl and a beautiful woman at the same time is a real handful.
Count, count, I’m not qualified to say anything about anyone else.
Since I don’t have a gender, there’s nothing I can do about it…
Benimaru’s words caused a loud cheer to erupt from inside the arena.
Shuna happily sent her blessings to her brother, and for some reason, Shion kept applauding with a proud expression on her face.
Of course, there are not only blessings in the cheers, but also words like “I’m so jealous, I hate you so much,” but that’s a blessing.
Just like that, surrounded by the solidarity of the participants of the celebration ceremony, Momiji, Albis and Benimaru became husband and wife.
As much as it’s tempting to just go ahead and celebrate them, the ceremony is still going on and I want to make it a priority to complete the evolutionary ritual. Let’s get the word out now and wait until the evolutionary ceremony in the name of the celebration is over, and then make it good for a Benimaru wedding.
We were going to have a banquet today, and it would have been more fun to celebrate more.
Anyway, let’s get the celebration going first.
After letting a blissful face of Benimaru retire them, I ordered Shuna to prepare.
The cheers, which continued unabated, finally subsided when I raised my hand.
What an unexpected surprise.
In the corner of the line of sight is found the weeping of others, and Phobio, who somehow goes up to comfort, but now that time is precious, let’s continue to carry the ceremony forward.
***
I morphed into a Slime again and sat back in my chair.
After that, the voice of Shuna’s majestic voice rang out in the venue, which was still in a state of excitement.
“Three army Chiefs, move forward!”
The so-called three army Chiefs, the officers of the First, Second, and Third Corps, that is, the three of Gobta, Geld, and Gabil, all of whom are now kneeling before me.
Let’s start with the Hobgoblin.
“Ahem! Gobta-kun. You, no reward!”
I let out such words to Gobta, who was looking at this side with a look of expectation.
“Hey! That’s too much! So, why did you call me here fizz?”
“Good question. You don’t have a reward, but in lieu of that, I think I can give you a right.”
“Right?”
Even if given a “soul”, Gobta would not evolve.
Although this kid can be described as a result of his talent, but there is nothing that can be done about it.
I’ve thought about giving him weapons or defensive gear, but I don’t think Gobta would be able to use it even if he got something more powerful than what he has now. Besides, this guy is able to play “magic wolf” with Ranga, so he doesn’t need any equipment.
Given money, this kid certainly wouldn’t use it for serious business.
What’s more, the army Chief is supposed to be a highly paid position. Money for money translates into a good number of points per month, so life on the hobgoblin should be pretty easy.
Usually, in human countries, there are presumably territorial awards and the like, but we have no territory that can be ceded. Also, the hobgoblins are not estimated to be able to do the business of ruling the territory, so such rewards are meaningless.
That’s why it occurred to me that I could reward Gobta with some sort of special privilege.
Gobta looked puzzled at my words.
Speaking of rights alone, he probably couldn’t understand what was going on.
Then, I’ll just tell him the answer.
“That is, your right to be with me in the same casual tone as you have always been with me!”
I flashed a bad smile at the puzzled hobgoblin and made this declaration.
Before Gobta had a chance to comprehend my words, the meeting hall erupted into a cheer that was even louder than Benimaru’s at that moment just now—rather, it should have been a roar. It’s all loud voices that don’t hide their jealousy.
Even Shion and Shuna stared at Gobta with terrifying stares.
They seemed particularly envious.
“So, that, is it true?”
“After all, you guys can’t even say a word of respect, can you? It’s better to take this opportunity to acknowledge that you have the right to do so than to fail for such reasons in the future.”
While one can feel the reverence, the tone of the wording doesn’t work at all, that’s the kind of guy Gobta is.
I usually tell people to feel free to talk to me, but it’s hard for them to do so. Quite a few of them seem to complain regularly about the overly ordinary way of talking like Gobta.
Considering the external face, wanted to ask me to think of something like this.
If it’s going to be a problem, just recognize it as a “right” of the hobgoblin.
The foreign guests, Phobio and Granny Jane, were also present, and at this time it was specially advertised that the Gobta problem would be solved.
Well, while there are all sorts of troublesome issues like decency and authority, we are magical creatures and don’t need too rigid a system.
I have my standards of conduct.
It’s not the surface that matters, it’s the inside.
Gobta is a good example.
It was spoken in that tone, but his loyalty was genuine.
Just look him in the eye and you’ll see.
I could see in his eyes that Gobta didn’t care if he died as long as it was for me.
That’s why I gave him this “right”.
“Many thanks…Thank you very much.
The smiling Gobta gave me a ninety degree bow of thanks.
Very happy.
Presumably, Gobta had been adjusting his tone of voice.
But absolutely nothing works just fine.
The reward seemed better than anything to the hobgoblin, and I was happy.
It’s kind of hard to prepare the right rewards.
***
Well, after Gobta is Geld.
“Geld, from this day forward you will call yourself the Barrier Lord!”
“I, Geld, accept this title! I will not disrespect the name of the “Barrier Lord” and improve!”
Geld responded forcefully.
To great cheers, I secretly told Geld the behind-the-scenes details.
“Like Benimaru, I’m going to try an evolutionary ritual on you too.”
“What the hell is that…?”
Since it was too much trouble to explain it again every time, I connected all the people who were going to give “souls” to them with the “thought transmission” and explained the evolution ceremony to everyone.
I didn’t forget to use “Thinking Accelerator” during this time. In this way, important conversations can be completed in less than a few seconds of real time.
It was only after my note had ended that Geld opened his mouth to respond.
“Much appreciated, but I think there is someone better suited to this reward than I. In this battle, Lady Carrera, who is the Controller, gets more credit. Since she too is qualified, be sure to give this opportunity to Her Excellency Carrera, not to me—”
Uh-huh, he’s trying to get away with relying on the soul power to awaken?
I didn’t plan on letting Carrera evolve this time, she’s undoubtedly done a great job, but she’s dangerous enough now that it would bother me for her too get more power and storm out.
Because I had to watch the situation first, I chose to advance the old subordinate that I could trust with peace of mind.
Hearing this explanation from me, Geld was still a bit confused.
“But, I…”
By the way, Geld had his share of uneasiness.
After getting the power, you will not storm out.
Also, there’s atonement in this, right?
Because of the stormy departure of the orc clan at that time, the Great Forest of Jura suffered quite a disaster.
As the one responsible for that event, one must be strict with oneself.
Geld looked at me with that look of strong will, full of determination.
That’s why I answered him like that.
“Don’t worry, Geld. Even though Geld, the orc disaster king, had stormed out, it was all for his companions, right?”
Geld is not going to storm out.
As long as there was such an enlightenment, no matter what kind of power he should be able to control.
And…
There is no longer anyone who will denigrate Geld for what he did in the past.
“Although you still hold a sense of responsibility for what happened then, I believe in such a you. If it were you, you’d be able to use your new power to protect everyone!”
If Geld had evolved, his minions would have been blessed. In other words, our country will be more solidly guarded.
Hearing this clarification from me, the glow in Geld’s eyes grew stronger.
“…in that case, I will accept your kindness!”
Then promised me.
This is Geld, a man who does not exert his strength for himself but for his fellow men.
By the way, no one other than Geld has rejected evolution. Some people, though uneasy, are more expectant.
It’s not good to not consult with them beforehand, but it’s important that things like this go with the flow. I was also relieved to hear that everyone was willing.
I will continue with the ceremony after I have lifted the ‘thought transmission’.
“You’ve done a great job, and as a reward, I’ll give you this.”
After saying that, I signaled to Shuna.
Shuna smiled and nodded, handing the pre-prepared outfit to Geld.
The armor and shield are legendary equipment seized during this battle, and are still something that was personally modified by me after discussing it with Garm.
After the equipment reacted to Geld’s monster aura, it became a dedicated equipment that only he could use. The principle is the same as “armed with the Holy Spirit”, a precious commodity that not even Garm can reproduce.
What’s special about the Mythic and Legendary levels is the maturity of the equipment itself, that is, the existence of something of similar rank, which evolves after a long period of time.
Although the forms of evolution vary widely, depending on the material, a certain number of years must be met. But if the user is excellent, the speed of evolution also seems to go up several levels.
Geld’s ability was defensive specialization, and even if it was only legendary-grade equipment, it was estimated that the defensive power could even be raised to a level that rivaled mythical-grade equipment.
Not only that, but according to the King of Wisdom, there is a high probability that Geld will be blessed with this evolution. Since this is the case, then I think that Geld must be able to reach the mythic level.
In this way, his defense must have gone up several levels.
Geld respectfully accepted the reward and then gave me a bow.
<
“It’s been hard on you. This is a good opportunity, just picture in your mind the posture you expect and rest well.”
More than just fighting, it’s going to take an active performance in urban construction in the future, but so far he’s always working and rarely gets a good rest.
He’s probably the hardest working one of us, isn’t he?
It’s a rare opportunity and I hope he gets a good rest.
“Yes! Thank you very much.”
After answering, Geld showed a very happy smile.
Then, as if resisting the side effect of evolving into a demon lord, the dormancy of evolution, Geld returned to the queue with a bemused attitude.
***
Good thing Geld could hold back that sleepiness. With that sentiment, I turned my attention to the next person.
Gabil.
He led the Third Corps and fought a beautiful air battle.
Hearing my words of comfort, Gabil bowed his head with a sincere face.
“Not yet. Under my generation’s command, there were many injuries…I’m ashamed of my own incompetence.”
—If truth be told, Gabil has done it to himself this time.
The idea of doing magic endurance training at the height of battle is too much for anyone to imitate.
Or rather, it’s not that imitation doesn’t come, it’s that there’s no way to imitate at all.
I didn’t get a detailed report on the whole thing from Ultima until after the war, the level of idiocy of this guy is beyond words.
I wish I could give Mr. Gabil a punishment—Ultima has even advised me so.
When on earth did he become such an experimentalist…?
However, it was also because of those experiments that the secret of the Dragon Warriorization, an inherent skill of the Dragon People of Gabil, was unlocked. This time, let’s be a little more self-respectful and not be so fierce as to reprimand him on the spot.
Besides, there are more important things now.
I switched again to “Thought Communication” and spoke to Gabil.
Scolding him in front of everyone would be counterproductive, so this is a personal line.
“I’ll talk to you in detail about experimenting in the war later. And Ultima has a proposal. She seems to be willing to teach you how to control mana.”
“What did you say?”
“It is said that the demon race can control mana as easily as breathing. Since she is willing to look after you, go to her and ask her for advice.”
If it’s up to me to give the punishment, it might just make Gabil feel happy, and for their sake, it’s better to let Ultima train him hard. It’s nothing. Ultima must have known to be lenient and let them suffer a little before they could reflect on themselves.
Out of that thought I handed down this ruling.
“My generation is not mature enough. I, Gabil, can’t thank you enough for wanting to give such a generation the opportunity to grow further! I will do my best to respond to Lord Rimuru’s expectations, so that all of us will be able to use the Dragon Warriorization freely!”
I thought Gabil would be reluctant, but he got an unexpectedly positive response.
He seemed to have come to his senses long ago.
Come to think of it, Gabil’s loss to Gobta because he got carried away is already a nostalgic memory.
The once flippant character has now become much more subdued. Not only can you see the atmosphere around you, but you are also gaining the majesty of a general who has been through hundreds of battles.
As he himself had said, there were still a lot of shortcomings, but this guy was originally well qualified, and had learned what it meant to be thoughtful after suffering a painful defeat and interacting with the Orcs.
He has now become very reliable.
Through accumulated experience, Gabil has grown.
Because of this, I believe that the power can be entrusted to him.
“The power is given to you, use it to your advantage and awaken as the Dragon Lord!”
I gave the “souls” to Gabil to help him awaken to evolution.
Unlike Geld, Gabil’s evolution was drastic.
The black-purple scales turned russet, as if the burning magical essence was swimming through Gabil’s body.
However, Gabil brilliantly put up with it all. He maintained his consciousness by relying on his qi and controlled the storms.
It seems that his experiment was not in vain and did bear fruit.
“Oh-oh-oh-oh! It’s expanding, the force is expanding! Thank you very much, Lord Rimuru! From now on, we will call ourselves the “Dragon Lords”. From now on, I will use this power for Lord Rimuru and this country!”
Gabil’s body radiated purple electricity that toasted his body, but then instantly began to heal itself, eventually turning into a much stronger flesh.
It seems, it seems, to have worked.
Is it because I said he could have the title of lord, Gabil’s forehead grew beautiful horns.
This look was both handsome and suited him well, and would even make one think that Gabil was actually so arrogant.
But that’s just fine.
It is a remarkable evolution of both majesty and power.
“And so Gabil, the Dragon Lord, was born.”
That said, the evolution towards the “true demon lord” seems to be different for each individual.
While I was in an irresistible deep sleep, Geld seemed to be able to resist it, and Benimaru was required to meet certain conditions.
And Gabil didn’t need sleep at all, it was all over in a flash.
“Lord Gabil, my strength has expanded!”
“Exactly!”
“So am I, Lord Gabil!”
Such a voice came from the corner of the Third Corps formation.
The voice came from a hundred “flying dragons”.
The members of the Cyan Legion, the Lizardmen Clan, seemed to have received their own blessings, and all three thousand of them had actually evolved into the Dragon Clan.
The “Flying Dragons” have beautifully crossed the A-level wall and gained the fighting ability of a median monster.
It has now become normalized to unleash the ‘Dragon Warriorization’, so the ability itself has disappeared. The ‘Dragon Scaling’ skill that made the skin deteriorate into dragon scales seemed to be gone as well, but in exchange, they gained a new skill called ‘Dragon Scaling Armorization’.
As for how to control the power, I’ll leave it to Ultima to tune them up after that, the problem was that newly acquired skill.
Absorb the magical elements around you, covering the body with armor that can repair itself. Although the principle is the same as that of Body Armor, the latter’s high defensive power is completely incomparable. Minor damage can regenerate itself, and without the need for other protective gear, ‘dragon scale armorization’ is really an affordable ability.
Also, the effect of this skill varies from person to person, which means that it increases the strength of the armor in proportion to the user’s own strength, etc.
Like Gabil’s ”Dragon Scale Armorization”, the defense strength actually soared to a level close to mythic level, which really surprised me.
Of course, that kind of completeness on defense is also reflected in the physical attack. Although the race was still the Dragon People, its strength had increased so much that it was not too much to say it was another species.
Although in the end it’s impossible to humanize it, it’s a matter of personal will, so whatever works.
And then there are a few people who can’t be forgotten.
Surprisingly, even the five of them, Souka and the others, had been affected by the Gabil Evolution.
This group is the Draconians who remain humanoid. Since it’s still human, the defense is a little worse, but the speed and attack power is greatly increased.
The holding skill is still ‘Dragon Warrior Transformation’, but the transformed look has many human elements, which is a completely different style from Gabil’s.
The dragon scales and wings seem to be able to be retracted and put away freely, and the transformation into a dragon-like pose with a wizard-like appearance.
Souka and Gabil were obviously of the same race, but the Souka group seemed to have taken a completely different evolutionary path. It feels like if they continue to evolve this way, they’ll probably be another race next time.
In terms of strength, the Souka Five are more powerful than the “Flying Dragons”. Each of them had been strengthened to the extent that they could be called superior monsters, and Souka even harbored an amount of magical element that rivaled that of superior demon generals.
As expected, the success has strengthened the battle force considerably.
***
Okay, now let the three army Chiefs retire first and call the others up.
“Ranga, Hakurou, Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera, come forward!”
One can’t forget Ranga and Hakurou who served as the advisor at the mention of Gobta.
There is also the trio of demonesses that I appointed as intelligence marshals and ombudsmen.
Ranga answered the call and silently emerged from my shadow.
Hakurou also eliminated the breath that appeared.
Testarossa elegantly, Ultima breezily, and Carrera majestically, everyone came to the podium and knelt before me.
When everyone arrived, it was time to give them their rewards in order.
First, Ranga.
He assisted Gobta very hard.
“Ranga, you not only fought with Gobta, but you protected him well, and I thank you.”
“What a word you are, my lord. It’s all taken for granted for me!”
Hahaha, cute guy.
However, I was well aware that Ranga was happy about getting a reward from me, after all, his tail hadn’t stopped wagging.
“So, from today on, you can call yourself the ‘Star Lord!'”
“Yes, sir!”
Ranga responded with a growl.
During this time, a “soul corridor” was established between him and me.
Like me at the time, Ranga immediately began to evolve, and the harvest sacrifice that belonged to it seemed to have begun as well.
“Well, well, well, my Lord…”
“Do you really want to sleep? Then don’t push yourself.”
It’s not something to hold back either.
Back in my shadow Ranga fell into sleep.
Judging from his appearance, the monster wolves under his command must have been blessed as well.
What they will look like when they evolve seems very much to be expected.
Ranga didn’t storm off, just fell asleep in my shadow.
That’s four completed.
It looks like there is no need to worry about it anymore, but let’s tense up and carry on with the ritual.
Next up is Hakurou.
“Thank you, Hakurou, for your excellent work as Gobta’s advisor.”
“It’s nothing. Gobta has also grown, and he may soon no longer need this one’s assistance.”
“No, no, there’s a big difference between the presence and absence of Hakurou. So, as far as rewards are concerned—”
“Just a moment, please, Lord Rimuru. You have just fulfilled the request of Little Momiji, and that is enough for me.”
Ahhhh, so you say, Hakurou said something like that just now.
However, I couldn’t really just do what Hakurou said.
“Two different things. I also wish Benimaru and Momiji happiness. Besides, even Albis broke in at the end. You’re in a complicated mood as a father, aren’t you?”
I set up the “Thought Communication” again and talked to Hakurou. It’s a valuable skill to be able to communicate your thoughts in front of a large group of people who don’t even need to worry about time.
“That is a point. But this one has always believed in the Young Master and trusted Lord Benimaru.
Besides, my daughter is equally discerning. In that case, I’m satisfied.”
“That’s great. I’m sure Benimaru will give them happiness.”
However, whether or not the two end up having children is a matter for only God to know.
“So…”
“Wait a minute. It’s important to reward merit, right? Besides, the prize for you is the one I asked Kurobee to create. Even if it’s just to keep Kurobee from getting busy, I want you to take this.”
That’s right, I’ve prepared a newly built knife for Hakurou.
Kurobee’s craft has been getting better and better lately. Therefore, his delightful work was really powerful, and it was a first-class item comparable to a legendary-grade weapon.
By the way, Benimaru’s “Red Lotus” was also given to Kurobee to be rebuilt.
In previous battles, Benimaru was unable to make a true feat because of the poor performance of his weapon. Kurobee, who had heard about it, struggled as if he was blaming himself.
To be sure to recreate a knife of the finest quality—after so demonstrating his determination, until now he had shut himself up in the workshop to try.
Although it wasn’t quite as fond as Red Lotus, Kurobee had put his heart and soul into this sword, so I’m sure he would like it.
”So, Kurobee he…In that case, I’ll take it with gratitude!”
“Oh, you’re welcome to take it!”
Great, great.
I was also troubled as to what to do if Hakurou refused to accept.
While humility is a virtue, I always feel like everyone is a little too polite.
All right, go ahead.
“Don’t care. This is a special knife for you, so take it!”
“Indeed, Lord Rimuru must not be allowed to care in vain. Then I, Hakurou, accept this sword!”
With that, the knife was handed over smoothly to Hakurou.
Next it was the turn of the demon women’s trio.
In fact, at first, it bothered me what to do with a few of them.
If only to consider the enhancement of war power, it would be the right thing to let the three demon females evolve. But as I said to Benimaru and Geld, this evolution belongs to temptation.
The lack of souls is also a reason, and more importantly, I am troubled by the question of being able to harness them well after evolution.
Since we don’t know how strong these three can become, we’ll keep them for now this time.
The three of them are on the same level as Diablo, so I wanted to try and get Diablo to evolve first and see what happens.
The Diablo side, in another sense, gives me great unease…forget it, it’s better not to think too much about it.
According to my observation, Diablo gives the impression of being a head taller than these three women. Even as a “primordial”, this guy’s personality seems particularly strong.
The trio of demonesses were handed over to Diablo to manage as my immediate subordinates, in that case, it was better to let the three of them evolve after Diablo had finished evolving.
However, the souls I collected this time are not enough to help them evolve.
There seems to be some sort of check and balance formed between the three guys, so they can’t be allowed to create the question of who is better or worse.
If I had to say it, it would be too dangerous.
If the three women are not allowed to evolve simultaneously, they will clash.
It wasn’t as if Geld had made the suggestion earlier, nor had he thought of letting Carrera advance alone, and the reason why he had stopped was for that reason.
Besides, just looking at the amount of mana, Carrera was already above Diablo. To give her more power in this situation, I think it was a gamble that was too dangerous.
Uncontrollable forces will destroy themselves—there is such a feeling.
For example, the nuclear strike spell that Carrera used, ”Gravity Collapse,” really didn’t work. If that one trick had failed, even the Geldites would have been blown away.
Although Carrera is in complete control of Gravity Collapse, the fact that she doesn’t hesitate to use this magic on such occasions is also a bit unsettling.
No matter what, it’s important to confirm safety.
It is better to let them not evolve based on their future performance.
“Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera. All three of you have produced very good results as intelligence officers.
The “souls” that you have collected, I have put to effective use. These are clearly things you have collected and not used on you, and to do so may displease you—“
I wanted to keep quiet about the evolution, but most of the “souls” used this time were collected by the three of them.
It was so rude to say nothing that I made myself clear, but what I had to say was interrupted by a retort.
“What do you mean, Lord Rimuru!? What a grievance, how could we have that thought!”
“Yeah! Let’s just say the three of us don’t think it’s enough to repay your kindness.”
“They are both right, my lord. We are content, not only with the flesh, but even with the “name”. Just that’s enough, we’ve gotten stronger.”
The trio collectively stated that they had no grievances.
Indeed, they are now overpowered.
Even just maintaining their current intensity, they were more powerful than the Awakened Gabil.
Hearing them say that, it did seem to me that that was indeed the case.
But giving or not giving rewards is a different matter.
“I am happy to hear you say so, and my heart is with you at all times. It is for this reason that I hope you will accept the reward I have for you.”
“You mean, a reward?”
“But…”
“There’s no way out of this. If the Lord has said so, then you can’t refuse.”
Right?
It would be a pain in the ass if they refused, so they had to block their way back first.
“According to your merit this time, from now on I recognize you as part of the patrons. Just keep doing your old work in the ordinary time, and in wartime you will be given partial command. Besides, I have a title for you too.”
Testarossa, the “Killer Lord”
Ultima, the “Pain Lord”
Carrera, the “Menace Lord”
This is the title I came up with after sending a few people to do an inquiring survey. The names all sound pretty brutal, but what they reflect is what they have done in this war.
As subordinates, they specialize in war-related matters, and I think this arrangement may be unexpectedly well suited to them.
“From this day forward, you are permitted to call yourselves by these names. I look forward to your active performance in the future, just like my senior subordinates.”
“As you wish…”
Hearing my words, the three girls all bowed their heads in thanks.
They seem to like the new title.
I thought to myself how nice it was that no one protested and watched the five of them return to the queue.
***
The evolutionary ritual advances with such a feeling all the way through.
Next to be called to the stage were the minions who were active in the maze.
Gozu and Mezu were awarded a new set of gear.
Gedora was officially appointed as the 60th level’s class guardian, and the Floor Guardian Colossus Statue was handed over to him. From now on, Beretta stepped down from his position as Chief of the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth. In other words, Gedora has officially become one of the “Labyrinth Lords”.
In addition, I also gave him permission to enter and exit the research facilities of all walks of life as a reward, and the old man will join the research team in the future anyway. Taking this as an opportunity, I began to choose to trust him.
Gedora is very happy about this, and it seems that I was right to give this reward.
If he steals research data, let’s talk about it then. However, there was always the feeling that there was no need to worry about that. That old man is the type to hate and later be expected to work well for us as a companion.
All in all, it’s been going well so far.
So, let’s get down to business.
The four Dragon Kings, and Beretta who retired from the Ten, are not my men, they belong to Ramiris, so they will be placed first.
Ninetieth levels of floor guardians—the “Nine-Headed Beast” Nine-Tailed Kumara.
Zegion, the “Bug Emperor”, the guardian of the 80th level of the hierarchy.
Apito, the “Bug Queen” of the Seventy-Nine Levels, the guardians of the realm.
Adalman, the “Immortal King”, the guardian of the seventy levels of the hierarchy.
The seventy-tiered front guard—the “Paladin of the Dead” Albert.
Here come a bunch of awesome guys.
At this point in the ritual, I feel like I no longer have to worry about anyone storming out.
Still, it’s better to come alone.
First up is the Nine-Tailed Kumara.
I gave her the title of “Chimeric Lord”.
Was it because of the outstandingly accomplished revenge in this battle that Kumara also looked a bit more majestic?
Thinking about it, she was still an enemy when I first met her.
One never knows what kind of turnaround is hidden somewhere in the world.
Kumara was manipulated by Clayman at the time, and Colonel Kansas, the culprit behind the phenomenon, has been knocked down, and her transformation now is something I am both happy and proud of.
The reason why I put her in the labyrinth was also because Ranga told me that the she was good at pioneering the forest and suggested that she be the class guardian of the 90th levels, so I gave permission.
Without that suggestion, Kumara might still be a small fox to this day. Although I knew that she was a young beast of the powerful race, I never thought that she could reach the level of being called a “Labyrinth Lord”.
No, from the moment I named her, Kumara may have been destined for this fate.
I’m grateful for Ranga’s offer.
Nowadays, Kumara had become the master of the eight demonic beasts.
The strength of each of these magical beasts that served as guardians of the 82nd to 89th realms was equivalent to that of the Calamity level.
They’re the eight sects of the Nine-Tailed Kumara—er, actually, I have an impression of these eight guys too.
After a few days had passed since I first named Kumara, I took the opportunity to go over and check on her condition while walking. It was then that Kumara asked me to call out the names of these friends of hers.
I was introduced to a group of monsters that looked very cute and young.
I have had countless failures in “naming” magical creatures, and it is because of this that I can understand how dangerous the naming thing is.
However, that time it was just a matter of calling the name of the tail beast that the Nine-Tailed Kumara had told me once, so I easily agreed out of the idea of ‘It doesn’t matter, does it?’
Of course, I said yes to a request from a young girl or something—there’s no such thing as an unseemly thought, and everyone understands it even if it’s not explained carefully.
I didn’t expect that it would turn out like this…
In retrospect, I doubt that was actually a “naming” of sorts.
After all, the eight tailed beasts introduced to me at that time were all high in fighting power to the point where they are now.
<
Since they didn’t turn into low activity, the tails didn’t notice any change at the time, so I didn’t realize it until I saw the sight of them fighting, and it occurred to me that that might be the case.
Those lovely magical beasts have now become the eight monsters that contain the fierce power.
What an amazing back and forth of cause and effect.
No matter who was surprised, I was the one who was the most surprised.
In fact, it’s the equivalent of nine names that Kumara got from me.
Also as a result, the ties between the eight tail beasts and Kumara were strengthened. Then, when the power of the tail beast’s growth after absorbing the dense monster aura returned to Kumara, it displayed that kind of powerful combined strength.
Forget it, it’s no use thinking about what’s done.
If it hadn’t done that, there was a chance that Kumara would have lost this time, so let’s take the result to mean everything.
I give the souls to Kumara.
Just after giving, Kumara had successfully evolved and awakened.
The eight beasts in the back also returned to her with a glow. Next, Kumara turned into a state of nine tails. Except for the one that was originally there, which was golden yellow, the remaining eight tails all glowed with a white-silver glow.
These furry tails are very pretty.
But even more beautiful was the beauty of Kumara herself.
And, she turns out to be a plump and seductive figure that was completely unimaginable as a young girl. I think she’s taken her charm to a whole new level.
The long, teal brown hair that had hitherto been a golden yellow, looked like a tassel of rice reflecting the sunlight, shimmered with light and hung softly at the back.
Could evolution be beauty?
Alas, the amount of magicules has certainly increased considerably. The present stage alone has surpassed the Awakened Gabil.
I didn’t expect her to reach this level.
The body of the Nine-Tailed Kumara alone already possessed considerable combat power. Of course, it wasn’t until she and the full eight-beasts congregation merged into a synthetic beast form that she was able to exert her greatest strength.
And on the flip side, Kumara becoming stronger meant that the Eight Beasts would follow suit and become more powerful.
What’s more, because of being able to connect through the name souls I give, the blessings of the Nine-Tailed Kumara will only be given to the eight beasts…
And then the most foul point was that those given powers would again be returned to Kumara to further strengthen her.
Kumara is, in a sense, exclusive to the power I gave her.
Just from that beautiful appearance alone, it’s really hard to imagine such a ventriloquist and masterful calculator, and the current Kumara makes me feel that way.
No wonder she didn’t have a good relationship with the somewhat awkward Apito.
But with such a drastic evolution, Kumara certainly couldn’t be without any burden. As she was now, it looked like she was doing her best just to stay conscious.
If she kept going like this, she would be in danger of storming out, so she had to stop pushing herself.
“Go home and rest.”
I gently ordered.
Although Kumara looked somewhat discontented, she still obeyed my order honestly.
Mostly, she would fall into a deep sleep like Ranga, taking advantage of the power that she had gained through habit.
All in all, her growth makes one look forward to it.
No, just now, she’s already one of the most beautiful women in the world.
In short, Kumara exited the venue and returned to their guarded realm.
***
The celebration continues.
Next up were Zegion and Apito.
Zegion lined up behind, starting with Apito.
“Apito, your earlier fight was brilliant. That man, Minute, is said to be a powerful man among the Imperial soldiers. It’s true that you’re strong enough to fight someone like that. You can be proud.”
When all is said and done, what I’m after in Apito is not power. What I hope to get from her is honey, and as long as the honey is high enough in yield and quality, I am satisfied.
The fact that she has unwittingly become one of the “Ten Lords of the Labyrinth” as the “Bug Queen”
is, in my opinion, an incredible phenomenon.
“You’re joking. I’m not even close. After losing all my compatriots, I was unable to draw with my opponent.”
“No, no, nothing like that…”
I was just about to deny it, and seeing Apito’s smile made me speechless again.
“I didn’t get a complete victory this time. As a result, I don’t think I’m eligible for the award.”
“That’s not what it says…”
“However, if you will allow me to make my own wish, will you please board the souls of my compatriots who died in battle once more?”
What did you say?
Just said there was no need for a reward, but then suddenly this outrageous conundrum comes up!
These guys, they definitely mistook me for the super-duper guys who can do anything. How could anything like that be…
<
Can you do it?
Not to mention me, the King of Wisdom is really superb.
“Got it. Then let the spirits board you.”
Apito’s compatriots are the ones who didn’t get the “resurrection bracelet”. While it’s doubtful that these bugs can be called Ensign, that’s what I’ll say on such occasions.
“I am grateful.”
Although Apito is not eligible for evolution, I think she should be able to receive the blessings that come with Zegion’s evolution. So, I decided to ask her what she wanted anyway.
Apito looks happy now, and this should be the right thing to do.
Then came Zegion.
Zegion is the strongest, which is why I wanted to leave him behind, but it seems I’m worrying for nothing again. Just looking at this calm and collected state that Zegion was now in, it was impossible for him to have anything to do with storming off.
He deserves to be the strongest presence in the maze.
The unparalleled battle judgment that even the King of Wisdom agreed with, the amount of mana that could rival Benimaru. After taking Veldora as his teacher, he became proficient in the eccentric fighting techniques from manga.
Such a Zegion is certainly strong.
This war was also the one in which the other “Ten Lords of the Labyrinth” were locked in a bitter battle with the imperial powers, and he alone broke them all.
Also when everyone’s an opponent, it’s just an idiot to fight and lose. However, Zegion was able to easily crush his opponent, taking out all those strongmen in a few strokes.
That’s more than enough to show how good he is.
Although it was only speculation, Zegion was more than a normal demon lord. Even I, who had awakened as the “true demon lord”, might have fallen into his hands.
If Zegion awakens again…
It was estimated that even Diablo and the few of them couldn’t beat this guy, and they were really a little worried.
However, that was then and this is now.
I’ve already created several Awakening Demons, and to worry about this kind of thing is a complete afterthought.
Now there are five guys who have gotten the “souls” and are in the middle of an evolutionary ritual.
The proof is that from just now I have felt a power passing through me constantly.
The harvest festival of those who fell into slumber was returned to me through the ‘food chain’.
Although it was a very large force, my body was like a tank that was short of oil, receiving all this force without any problem.
It shouldn’t be a problem.
It’s important to have a good attitude at a time like this, so don’t think about it in one breath.
Fear not, move forward!
That’s how I feel when I put my mind in order.
It’s better to think backwards for now. For example, think about how far Zegion can actually get stronger and such.
Thinking about it that way, it becomes a lot to look forward to.
Although Zegion has the possibility of surpassing even me, as long as the ‘food chain’ remains, my advantage will not be reversed. Having been convinced of this, I no longer had any qualms about starting the ritual again.
“You’re really something. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d grow this far.”
“It’s all good to be guided by Lord Rimuru.”
No, it was Veldora who guided you, wasn’t it—wait?
The King of Wisdom has also made a lot of small moves behind my back. So, Zegion may have mistook the King of Wisdom for me.
It’s also a pain in the ass to correct, so just pretend I did it.
“No need to be modest. These are the results of your unrelenting efforts all along. Next, keep sharpening this power for me. Then I give you permission to call yourself “The Mist Lord” from this day forward.”
“Yes, I’m awestruck, I’m glad!”
Zegion’s words were still so few, but he still shuddered with emotion at my words.
Even if I’m just saying that, it’s probably the same as hearing the gospel in Zegion’s ear, it’s like having a worship filter installed, but it’s nice to be admired at this level.
I originally took Zegion out of the idea of protecting the rare insects, but now it’s become a position of being guarded by him.
Zegion’s growth wasn’t something I deliberately cultivated; it’s just that his talents are really overblown. Add to that, the fact that Zegion lived in the dense magical aura that Veldora had leaked out, and the cultivation environment where one could die and come back to life. Also, there couldn’t be a more perfect cultivation opponent that was more powerful than him.
Never mind, the reasoning and all that is just a small thing.
It was enough to have this result that Zegion eventually became strong.
I give the “souls” to Zegion.
Although he shuddered for a moment, Zegion immediately suppressed the torrent of power with his spirit. Unlike Gabil, he really put up with it by sheer perseverance.
Seeing such a great performance, I feel more and more that I have no perseverance when I wake up and fall asleep easily.
Usually, it’s not a problem that can be solved with courage and perseverance…but the examples of what can be done are right in front of us and it’s really impossible to refute.
Zegion evolved into an extremely terrifying being.
Part of the Zegion’s shell, according to Zegion’s will became metamorphosable into polar metal.
Coupled with the various laws that dominated, the hardness of Zegion’s exoskeleton had rivaled the mythical level.
In other words, his flesh is a murderous weapon in itself. If one looks only at the fight, Zegion is undisputedly the strongest.
Although for spiritual beings, the strength of the fighting battle did not determine the superiority or inferiority…Even so, it was undoubtedly still a very threatening strength.
Zegion is still evolving and seems to have acquired all sorts of other powers. After feeling it, I’ll have to go over it to find out what he’s evolved into.
The Harvest Festival undoubtedly took place despite Zegion’s reliance on will to force a suppression.
As I suspected, the object of the blessing seems to be Apito alone.
The only people I’ve rescued with my own cells are Zegion and Apito. Because of this, for Zegion, Apito counts as his only blood relative, I guess.
Although there were other dangerous species in the insect class, they suffered near total losses in this offensive and defensive battle. The lost worm can’t be resurrected and can only wait for the natural birth of a new worm again. As for Apito’s dependents, they too were all killed.
The “souls” of these worms have just been transferred to Apito. At the time I wondered what she wanted this for, and now it seems to be used to strengthen herself, as evidenced by the evolution of Apito.
During the ceremony, Apito likewise did not give me a pained look. That bland attitude remained intact, maintaining the majesty of the Queen.
Like Zegion, no less a first-class character.
With admiration for these two, I told them they could return to the queue.
………..
……..
…
After the celebration, Zegion and Apito returned to the labyrinth where their habitat had been turned into a cocoon, and then smoothly completed their evolution.
While receiving the blessing from Zegion, Apito uses the “souls” of her dependents and subordinates to keep a huge amount of energy inside her body. The result was that her flesh collapsed at once, then reborn and transformed into a body that was stronger and better suited for battle.
The newborn Apito used her unique skill, ‘Queen Worship’, which she acquired by her own power, to create insect-type monsters with the characteristics of plural insects, and she managed to get nine of them at once.
The unique skill “Queen Worship” can devour the ecological characteristics of an insect and create a monster with the corresponding characteristics.
In the future, swarming groups will be formed in the Insect Order, culminating with these monsters.
Then, Apito will be the true queen of the King’s Landing Bug class.
Apito is both one of the “Ten Lords of the Labyrinth” and subservient to Zegion. As a result, Zegion would not be shy about pouring favor on her. In this way, an evolutionary anomaly such as this one can be explained.
It’s just that the blessed Apito was able to evolve so much, and one can only imagine how much Zegion himself had evolved against the sky.
Even just looking at the strength of the flesh after the completion of the evolution, the amount of mana in Zegion’s secret collection was enough to overpower the Awakened Clayman. The main problem, however, still lies in an ability that Zegion acquired through evolution.
Apito’s ‘Queen Cult’ had a destructive performance that was close to matching that of the Great Sin skill, which was already very powerful, but Zegion’s ‘level’ was obviously completely different.
He has acquired the real power of the ultimate skill, the ultimate skill Mephisto ‘King of Illusion’.
As a disciple of Veldora, this ability was simply too good for Zegion.
Having gained this power, no one could ever again shake Zegion’s position as king of the maze.
Apito created the insect paradise, and as the king and queen who ruled the paradise, Zegion and Apito established themselves as absolute in the maze.
***
Well, the maze group still has Adalman left of them.
Adalman who took me for a faith, was a bit—no, rather a largely eccentric character. Take, for example, Diablo’s kind of eccentric. Although it was also because of this that he was able to use ‘divine magic’, so it wasn’t too bad…
Then again, Adalman seems to be a close friend of Gedora, and the two are said to have embarked on various studies in the past. That’s also why he was able to write the special skill ‘Holy Demon Reversal’, which eliminates weakness attributes.
I don’t particularly care about that either, maybe they’re some kind of genius at it.
It’s an odd situation to think about when you think about it without having a brain, a device used for calculation. But if it’s a magical creature, there’s nothing incredible about it.
Among magical beings, there are some races of astral bodies and spirits that have arithmetic loops that allow them to think even without physical bodies.
What’s more, there are those who can think with their “mind” without a brain, and there are those who have such powers.
The Japanese word for a person with superpowers is “psychics”, so he is called that.
I myself have Shion, who has acquired ‘complete memory’, by my side. The one she had was simply reproducing her memories, but as she continued to develop, she was able to use her “soul” and astral body to think, and became a spiritual life form free from life.
In this way, almost all physical attacks would not be able to inflict fatal injuries on Shion, and even things like regeneration after losing flesh became possible. Nothing can pose a threat to her unless a special attack or a weapon of legendary level or above is used.
However, Adalman was not able to reach that level, and although the King of the Necromancers was a monster of the spirit body type, he was still bound by the shackles of the flesh.
Because the thinking circuit is in the spirit, the life-limit has nothing to do with Adalman. Even so, he could not reach the point where he could continue to exist as long as he had a Soul and an Astral Body.
Just infinitely close to the existence of a spiritual lifeform that is not entirely immortal, that is Adalman.
The same goes for the Paladin of the Dead, Albert, and the Dragon of the Dead.
On top of that, they will also complement each other’s weaknesses and fight cautiously.
Adalman excels at long-range attacks with magic; Albert, who is a forward guard, supports him and occasionally uses magic to aid him; the Necromancer Dragon makes strong attacks from above and immediately replaces Albert as a meat shield if he falls into a state of exhaustion, or if he is wounded.
This fit pattern is their must-win battle template.
It takes a special attack to beat them as a small team.
However, this time the opponent was just too bad.
There are always people outside the world, and there is a heaven outside the world.
This is also the principle of Hinata’s “Spirit Armor”, which makes it possible to cut down various attributes when you meet a master who can use the legendary armed weapon with ease.
Even the immortality attribute is not a problem.
That’s the way it is with the Hakurou. The legendary sword that I gave him as a reward must be able to use it freely. In this way, his fighting ability was greatly enhanced.
Such a person would be reliable as a companion, but this time the legendary weapon was in the hands of the enemy.
Moreover, the user is also the strongest fighting force on the imperial side—the superiors of the Imperial Emperor’s Order of Near Guard.
Although the swords of Albert were a failure of Kurobee’s creation, they were also the equivalent of a quality-class masterpiece. However, the enemy’s sword was legendary.
Even fighting with lesser quality weapons, it barely matched the opponent’s, suggesting that Albert’s fighting skills were higher than the enemy’s. In the end his sword was broken by the enemy, and the whole squad was defeated for this reason, but it would have been obviously unreasonable to blame Albert for it.
Rather, I should compliment him on being so belligerent.
“The results are unfortunate, but you fought well. Especially you Albert, your swordplay can only be described by the word wonderful.”
“I’m ashamed to be.”
“Adalman, you too. It seems that unknowingly, all the magic I imparted to you is now available. Your spirit of excellence is something I should learn from.”
I’m just as scared of trouble as everyone sees me, I’m not going to learn this and that. The idea of drilling into something other than your interests does not arise.
But by contrast, I have the King of Wisdom as my excellent partner, so Adalman’s research may come in handy for me in the future.
“How can that be? A man like me is not even remotely the tip of the iceberg of Lord Rimuru’s wisdom.”
It’s not me, it’s the King of Wisdom.
Well, I’m not going to correct him either.
“Don’t be so modest. Adalman, I will give you greater strength. I expect you to turn failure into strength and grow even more!”
“I, Adalman, would be willing to die for you, offering my powdered body and broken bones, if I were defeated in battle.”
Adalman said gratefully.
I wish he’d stop saying unsettling words like “powdered body” and “broken bones”.
In fact, he had refused to come here when I expressed my desire for Adalman to evolve.
“Lord Rimuru, I am not like the rest of you, but am in defeat.”
Hearing Adalman say that, I got a general idea of what he was thinking.
It took a lot of convincing and consoling before I finally got him to accept it.
When all is said and done, I didn’t expect much from Adalman in the first place.
Even when Shinji and the others reached the 60th level, I thought for a moment that Adalman and the others would lose.
And now, Adalman has long since grown far beyond my expectations.
It was just that this time the opponent Krishna was too bad for them.
So, Adalman’s efforts were not too much. With that in mind, I gave him the “souls.”
Although it is a significant departure from what was originally intended, the maze will be our last bastion in the future. Fortifying the defenses here is a very important thing, which is why I let Adalman evolve.
All the important research facilities are in the maze, and in some cases even the entire capital is isolated into the maze. When he first recruited Ramiris, he had no idea that the maze could be so convenient.
The maze that had been used by us as a playground had unwittingly become something like a fortress.
It was all thanks to Ramiris, and Veldora. I thanked both of them in my mind and spoke to Adalman while I did so.
“Although you are lamenting the lack of fruit of your labor, I have a very good opinion of you. Just use future work to justify my opinion!”
“Yes! I, Adalman, will live up to your expectations!”
Adalman’s evolution began, looking the same as I did then, and an irresistible sleepiness assaulted him.
It’s not good to let him push himself too hard, so hurry up and finish the ritual.
“Well, I believe you. So, from today onwards you can use the name “Gehenna Lord.” Keep up the good work from now on and don’t lose the name!”
“Yes, as you wish…”
Whew.
It’s exhausting to speak with a sense of majesty.
By the way, it’s hard to think about these titles, I’ve been thinking about them all night long without sleeping.
Granted it’s just too idle because I don’t need to sleep…
In short, Adalman also received the title of “lord”, which symbolizes the highest position among my men. He is one of only twelve “lords” today, although there are still possibilities for more in the future.
As a strong big subordinate, Adalman’s speaking power will no doubt increase as well.
The premise is that if there is a real opportunity for them to speak.
Well, it’s not just Adalman who’s active.
Beside Adalman, who was resisting sleep, Albert knelt. Behind them, there was the Necromancer Dragon that had shrunk its massive body into a ball.
Both were blessed and there wasn’t much time for me to slow down and talk to them.
I grant Albert a new weapon to replace his broken sword.
He had already been able to use his overwhelming sword skills before, and with the right equipment, he could be a great addition to his game.
Since that’s the case, then it would be fine to give him Kurobee’s highest masterpiece—that’s when the idea came to me.
Among the loot seized from the Imperial Army this time were several sets of legendary level equipment. Then, there was the very scarce mythical-grade equipment held by Grand Admiral Calgurio.
This mythical-grade outfit would be a waste if it was just decoration, and I would have given it to Kurobee, but Kurobee said it wasn’t needed.
He wants to build a mythical weapon on his own!
Kurobee had a point, and I agreed.
The “Red Lotus” of Benimaru, re-forged by Kurobee’s hand, will surely become a mythical-grade divine weapon. I had a hunch, so this mythical-grade outfit wasn’t given to Kurobee.
So, who is the right answer for this one?
One look at Calgurio and one can see that Awakening alone cannot be the true master of mythical level equipment.
Mythical equipment will choose its own user.
It doesn’t take detailed parsing to understand such things.
After a long period of time, the magic steel will evolve into an extreme metal and become a “god of death”, I think this kind of equipment can be called mythical. To this extent, the gear would be unusable if it wasn’t for people with the appropriate qualifications.
The Japanese concept of “paying the gods of mourning” is the legendary concept of monsters, which means that creatures are left unattended for years to absorb the essence of heaven and earth, accumulate grievances, or feel the Buddha’s nature and spiritual power, and then their souls are transformed into monsters.
This kind of thing is just a dream for humans with limited life spans.
Becoming a spirit of the dead and enduring endless suffering, even so, Albert still maintains the sword skills of his life as a Knight of the Templar, and remains a noble soul. Now, he has evolved into the Paladin of the Dead, who has an endless life span.
Coupled with Albert’s continuous study, the sword skill was enough to rival Hakurou. If it was him, wouldn’t it be just right for this mythical-grade outfit?
That’s what I thought.
Plus, the other subordinates had gear that they were used to. Some people and Kurobee had a deep relationship of mutual trust, and some were even reluctant to use weapons made by others other than Kurobee.
There are also guys like Diablo and the Demon Girl Trio who use their own “material creation” abilities to create their own equipment.
The performance of this equipment is directly proportional to the skill level of the holder, but at least it can reach the equivalent of legendary level performance, so they don’t need any other equipment at all.
There were even those, like Shion, who were in love with their weapon and constantly pouring magic into it. Because of this, the big sword that Shion loved to use was turned into a legendary weapon called “True Gundam.”
That said, didn’t the weapon break?
I remember it was supposed to break in two during the fight with Razul, but now it’s back in place.
That’s right, just like the holder, Shion, even this love blade of hers can come back to life like an phoenix.
I’m more speechless than shocked.
Then, there was also a pang of fear.
In terms of cuisine, Shion poured more love into it…what kind of substance is that!?
The so-called love of Shion has the effect of restoring the broken blade. And those dishes made with her full commitment to love…
It feels dangerous to keep thinking about this question deeper, so let’s hurry up and pull the thread back.
Now that it’s been figured out that the phase of the weapon is an important element, there’s no need to replace the subordinate with new gear.
These reasons are actually sufficient, but it is the advice of the King of Wisdom that is most critical.
The King of Wisdom asserted that this mythical-level outfit given to Albert was the most appropriate.
I also nodded without question, so the thing was decided to reward Albert.
Anyway, that’s it, the reward for Albert is a mythical level equipment set.
A kit of long swords and kite type shields, plus full body armor.
“Albert, your sword skills are excellent. After seeing what you can do, I decided to award you this.
Keep sharpening your sword skills in the future as well, and help Adalman well!”
“Yes, sir!”
Taking advantage of the moment when I said this, Shuna pushed the whole set of equipment over on the cart. It was then handed over to Albert.
At the sight of the equipment, Albert shook straight and nervously.
“This, this is…”
Presumably taking in the performance of the equipment in front of him with a glance, Albert made a surprised sound.
It’s no wonder he is.
This is an extremely rare quantity in existence, handed down from mythical times.
To be able to use the highest ranking equipment in this world is the highest honor for a knight, right?
“You should be able to use it, right?”
I won’t let you say no.
Feeling the pressure of my sight, Albert’s dry spirits exploded.
“Of course! I will definitely not disappoint Lord Rimuru—!”
The agitated Albert answered me thus.
Seeing his imposing look, I was also temporarily relieved.
It was only after this that, with a light touch, the mythical-grade equipment naturally wrapped itself around Albert’s body, completely as if identifying with him as his master.
There was only one miscalculation on my part.
Being freed of performance by the true owner of the mythical gear was far more than I had expected.
Wearing mythic-level gear, an Albert would become the equivalent of a flesh-bearing spiritual lifeform.
The ability to allow those who hold flesh to temporarily sublimate into spiritual beings—this was the true power hidden in mythical level equipment.”
The so-called spiritual lifeforms are, in simple terms, demigod-like beings. Veldora is like that, and to say my words feel that way too.
There’s nothing tangible about it, but approaching immortality is certainly not wrong.
Immortality has been established, and the nature of immortality is quite inexorable. Aside from conditions like the destruction of the core of the heart and the disappearance of the magical element, it feels like there’s no way we can die.
That is, a spiritual lifeform is an existence that has no life limit, is invalid no matter what abnormal state, and can overcome death by the power of will alone.
Although it’s only temporary, it makes sense that the performance of the mythical equipment would be so amazing, since it can raise the equipment to the same level as that kind of super existence.
At the same time, I understood the reasoning behind the King of Wisdom’s recommendation that such a thing be used by Albert.
Benimaru intended to evolve into a spiritual lifeform on his own power, Ranga and Shion were similar…no, I should say it must have felt that way. Although Gabil and Geld are still that far off, even if I give them mythical level equipment estimates, it won’t change much.
In this way, it is true that Albert is the best fit.
This is probably the case with the so-called match made in heaven.
Adalman’s pet dragon can’t be forgotten either.
The Necromancer is working hard, so I’m going to give it a reward too.
What to give bothered me a bit, but now the answer is there.
“A name.”
For magical creatures, getting a “name” is the most enjoyable thing they can do.
This was supposed to be accompanied by dangerous behavior, but I had the King of Wisdom to help.
The King of Wisdom must be able to keep the outflow of the magical element well within safe limits.
<
Huh?
The King of Wisdom has come up with an unexpected scenario, and by the way, what would be the approximate level of consumption of the “soul” if that were to happen?
<
According to the King of Wisdom, after analyzing the soul, it is possible to transform it into mana using the “King of Gluttony”.
So safety is assured.
Okay, then let’s get started!
I stood in front of the Necromancer and stroked its head, as a result the Necromancer immediately became nervous. He’s a pretty cute guy, despite his scary appearance.
“You must also be rewarded. So as of today, you are Wenti the Gehennic Dragon King!”
After saying that, I named the Necromancer after the “soul” I consumed.
The dramatic change happened at this very moment.
The gigantic body of the Death Spirit Dragon, which exceeded twenty meters, kept getting smaller and smaller at a speed visible to the naked eye, and finally transformed into a beautiful woman in dark clothes.
Who are you to think so? But I still wouldn’t be careless.
With magic, all things are possible.
This aspect of the experience I’ve experienced so far is annoying. The truth that came from such austerities would not allow me to be in a panic right now.
Without showing the slightest wavering, everything in front of me was taken for granted, and I managed to maintain that attitude.
I’m still trying really hard.
“O beautiful, I wait for the most beloved god! To give blessings to the lowly me is much appreciated!”
Ahem. She can really speak fluently.
And that’s all I’m giving you is the name, the blessing is from Adalman’s side.
Wenti seems to have the effects mixed up, but still, I hope she doesn’t get the wrong idea.
“Oh, oh, oh, oh, that’s great. Drag-no, Wenti!”
“Ahhh, master. The lord has not forsaken me!”
“Yes, this is the gift of our faith, too.”
“Yes!”
What a beautiful love of the Lord and Slave.
It feels like I’m being left on the sidelines, but it’s still great.
And just like that, the session that awarded Adalman their reward ended peacefully.
It’s really convenient to be able to use “souls” for a name.
Originally, if one wanted to name an upper level magical creature of the Dragon King’s rank, one never knew how much magical essence would be taken away in the end. No matter how much the King of Wisdom helps control, the amount of mana I have is still limited after all.
All of the magicules that had been accumulated with the ‘King of Gluttony’ in the past had been used up when they gave the Demon girl trio their names. Although there’s also the “Please Veldora this” method, the guy seems to rather hate it. It’s also hard to reassure him afterwards, so it’s better as a last resort.
Naming without preparation can be a problem in case you fall into a state of low activity.
Now that the magic vein limit has increased, it’s anyone’s guess how long it will take for me to revert to full status.
Nowadays, it’s a time of war, and no amount of negligence could make such a dangerous gamble.
But, as long as you use the done method this time, you’ll be fine.
Earlier, I was agonizing over how to return the favor to Ramiris, and if it was this one move, she would have been happy, right?
That is, to give the names to the four Dragon Kings under Ramiris.
Even if the Dragon Kings don’t have a link to me, it’s fine as long as you use this method. A shout out to the King of Wisdom for coming up with such a proposal.
There are still more than 20,000 “souls” left, which is more than enough to name the four Dragon Kings.
In the end, I was able to get so many “souls” because of Ramiris’ assistance.
But Ramiris just said, “There’s no need for souls, is there?” After that, all the fruits were transferred to me.
At the time, I thought it was a little unpleasant, so the idea came at the right time.
It was enough to make Ramiris happy.
Don’t forget to talk to her about it afterwards.
***
And just like that, the ritual of the maze group was over.
The celebration is finally coming to a close, and now there are just two problem children left.
Needless to say, the so-called problem children refer to two people, First Secretary Shion and Second Secretary Diablo.
Following the course so far, I’m sure there’s no danger of anyone storming out.
However, it is not enough to be careless.
After all, the next creatures were Shion and Diablo.
It’s not an understatement to say it’s the most vicious of the two.
These two would definitely create a huge hazard if they made a scene at the same time, not to mention the fact that the subordinates are still mostly in a state where they can’t be relied on.
For these reasons, I’ll start with Shion.
“Shion, I appoint you “War Lord.” Hopefully from today onwards you’ll be able to take it to the next level, and remember to act with composure.”
“Of course! There is no more calm and mature woman in the world like me!”
Uh, that, who’s that?
It looks like she’s talking about herself, and that’s overrating herself!
I thought she’d finally learned to control herself recently, but it turns out that Shion is really not that far off. Better to keep your eyes on her for the long haul.
“Let’s take it as it is. Don’t go on a rampage, talk to the people around you and watch over everyone.”
After saying that, I awarded the “souls” to Shion.
—And then, huh?
Strangely enough, the Shion had not changed at all.
Shion also seemed to find it strange, looking straight at me.
I watched her again for a while, but there was still no sign that anything was going to change.
Dumbfounded?
At this rate, Shion was equivalent to not getting a reward, and this was super bad.
Suddenly there was a crisis.
After all, I didn’t have anything else in store for her.
Just as I’m having trouble figuring out what to do about it, something unexpected happens.
Shion herself was unchanged, while the “Yomigaeri” fell asleep. Even inside the members of the Mystery Fan Club, the Shion Pro-Guard, there were scattered guys who looked like they were having a hard time. It seems that while there are individual differences, all of them seem to have been blessed in some way.
It was incredible that Shion herself didn’t react at all.
There’s no point in thinking too deeply. There was a reaction because they were direct subordinates of the Shion, so let’s call it that.
As mentioned above, the Shion side feels it is better to leave it alone.
“Well, Shion. If you feel anything wrong with your body, you should come and tell me.”
“Yes! That said, Lord Rimuru. Do I have any, special rewards like the Gobta’s—”
Shion wriggled out such words.
Uh-huh, indeed. Although the evolutionary rituals are going on, on the surface I’m just giving Shion a new title. Some shouted that it was enough, and that there was no need for Shion to give her any new weapons…
Like Gobta’s, eh?
“Got it. Then, let’s teach you how to make special dishes!”
“Hey! In other words, you admit that I’m already ahead of Shuna-sama in terms of cooking skills…”
“Absolutely not!”
How on earth did you come to the conclusion that even this heaven and earth reversal is impossible?
Shuna next to me was also speechless at this remark, but immediately became in a super good mood again after hearing me immediately deny it. Although she looked a bit displeased, she muttered, “We’ll have to expand the kitchen now,” and returned to the queue with a satisfied nod.
That’s a good one.
However, Shion’s men, the “Yomigaeri”, have evolved into something very interesting.
It was quite interesting that they had turned into some kind of spiritual beings, and that they still had a physical body unlike the demon race.
Possessing both flesh and being close to the demon race. And then most importantly, there is no mating incapacity.
That is, these guys were actually reborn for a whole new race.
If I had to say it, it would be the Dead Ogres, right?
The Ogre Factor from the Shion manifested even more strongly, and its strength increased dramatically.
Some people have also acquired the special skill of the Body Strengthening System, “Divine Power”.
However, no one grew horns.
Although the amount of magic is lower than that of the Flying Dragon, it’s hard to tell which is stronger when the immortality of the Yomigaeri is taken into account.
No one would believe me if I told people that these guys were originally human ogres, but the ecology of magic is incredible.
It was a bit of a surprise that Shion herself hadn’t changed, and the ceremony ended with that feeling.
***
Well, it’s finally the last man’s turn.
Problematic Diablo.
Diablo has long been with an impatient look.
‘Is this the one? Is this the one?’—his smile gives off this feeling, looking at me with anticipation.
Honestly, it’s more likely that Diablo will make a scene now if the ceremony is aborted than the risk of storming out after the naming.
If anyone dares to get in the way now, I can assert that the guy will never get his life back.
All right, here we go.
“Diablo.”
“Yes, Lord Rimuru!”
Aside from the unsettling foreboding, it’s still unsettling foreboding.
After this evolution, Diablo would undoubtedly take the position of being the strongest in the Demon World.
Not only was he the strongest among my men, it felt like he would definitely be stronger than me.
Although Diablo himself said with his mouth that he couldn’t win against Zegion, anyway, that must have meant qualifiers. The proof was that Jiu and Bonnie, who were supposed to be strong enemies, he had solved it all by himself.
As powerful as Zegion is, Diablo gives the impression of being even more superior. That is to say, even in this current state, he is the strongest one among my minions.
If Diablo shows his true talent, even now, before the ceremony, he may be even better than me. The person I was when I first awakened was simply no match for the person I am now…
It is a matter of great concern as to what such an anticlimactic Diablo would eventually evolve into.
“The title of ‘demon lord’ must be very appropriate for you. Then, please continue to command those demons that are my killer weapons in the future as well!”
Especially the demon female trio.
“Kufufufufu, leave it to me, Lord Rimuru!”
Please, oh, I’m serious.
I nodded, then performed the ritual on Diablo.
—And then, the devil was born…
Diablo’s evolution seems to have ended in a flash.
I thought he was also dumbfounded like Shion, but no. Because all the energy was perfectly controlled by Diablo, it all went unexpressed.
Not bad for Diablo—beautifully done.
The evolved Diablo has become a being that occupies one of the strongest corners in the world.
A portion of the power was reversed back through the newly formed “Soul Corridor”.
This is not good.
Diablo’s power cap is as high as I can imagine it.
In the present of the evolutionary dumb fire of Benimaru and Shion, he has become the veritable strongest of my ministry.
Not good, this.
The amount of mana is already comparable to mine, and if you take into account Diablo’s long experience and skills, it feels like even I’m no match for this guy.
Sure enough, the probability of an unforeseen hunch coming true is always high.
But beforehand, I thought it was going to turn out this way, so I didn’t feel shaken at all.
“Excellent evolution, Diablo.”
“It is a great honor to receive this compliment from you, Lord Rimuru.”
That’s all right, right?
His personality remains the same.
He’d have that kind of fun if he gave me the following offense now.
If that happens, I’ll be able to fight him in earnest, but of course my idea is a secret.
Such a Diablo had obviously completed his evolution, but he seemed to have his sights set on acquiring some kind of new ability again.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s nothing. The previous battles have made me realize the value of my extreme abilities. In the past I ignored this power because of Guy’s showing off, but now I’ve changed my mind and think I should use everything that works.
“Hey, how about this…?”
Is this guy an idiot?
That’s called being a smartass, right?
I always felt that I was surrounded by a lot of these types of guys.
“I’ll have to take this opportunity to show him off next time I see him, Kufufufufufu.”
“Hm, hm, hm, hm.”
Hating to let Guy show off, is it okay to show off yourself…?
Never mind, one only has to look at his attitude so far to roughly imagine that Diablo has always been capricious to people other than me. Even without relying on the King of Wisdom, I can perceive this myself.
Anyway, the victim is Guy, so I don’t need to be kind-hearted. As long as I don’t get involved, it won’t matter if I turn a blind eye to it.
Diablo still maintained his attitude so far, and looking at him like this, the fear of committing a crime against him seemed to be unfounded. Evolution is also in his complete control, and as a capable minister, let me rely on him in the future.
By the way, it was only later that a fact was figured out—
Diablo’s blessing was given to his adjutant Venom, and to the hundred demons under Venom.
However, it’s just my gut feeling, one suspicion is that Diablo depressed the energy used for the blessing. It’s also unclear whether something like that could actually be done, but if it was Diablo, there’s nothing incredible about even doing it.
To be strong is not to be given by others, but to be gained by oneself—it feels like Diablo would have had that in mind.
But then again, Venom is also a guy to watch, after all, he has evolved into a demon noble.
It’s just that, let’s not say for a moment that compared to the demon girl trio, even compared to Moss and Veyron, Venom lacks a sense of majesty.
There’s no reason why guys who have been on top for a long time would lose to a rookie like Venom.
Even though they are also demon nobles, there are clear “hierarchical” differences between them.
“That’s for sure. I’m just a newcomer who’s only been around for less than a hundred years. I’m no match for those big shots.”
That’s what Venom himself said.
It seems that the Venom is a special individual, belonging to a modern species with less experience.
Since he was born with unique skills, he might be a reincarnationist who has experienced a strange fate.
Venom himself said that although he had no memory of a previous life, he seemed to occasionally remember languages that he had never heard before. After arriving in our country, there have been many such visions.
Well, if Venom is a “reincarnationist,” it makes sense that he would be so special.
But Venom knows his place.
Even those who have evolved to the same level as the demon girl trio are not ashamed to forget, or look down on their peers. After confirming his evolved strength, he seemed instead to understand the gap in strength between each other more. For demons, it’s more important than the amount of mana or experience.
I thought the kid was pretty good, and ended up hearing something inside from me again.
“Geez, actually, I’ve challenged Lord Diablo before, and I’ve been taught what a strength gap is since then!”
This guy’s a fool for saying that with a face full of joy.
This tidbit of Venom becoming Diablo’s beloved is presumably the reason why Diablo likes him.
Still, not bad in terms of results. After all, Venom has learned a lot from this experience and won’t make the same mistake again now. And I always felt that in case he did get carried away again, he would definitely be dealt with by Diablo.
For Diablo, even his own men, no one would show mercy to anyone who dared to disregard his power.
And Venom seems like a man who knows how to reflect, so look for him to do well in the future.
By the way, there are other blessed demons.
In fact, these guys were originally still constructing flesh in the culture tank. As a result, these one hundred demons were born to become the upper demon knights.
Although they were not as powerful as the upper demon generals, these demon knights had also gained the power to rival the upper demons, turning into fierce fighters who could kill the upper demons with a single blow.
To put it bluntly, they’re a super-spec existence, however, Diablo seems completely uninterested in them and just throws it all out to Venom as his henchman.
To keep the position that belongs to me and to be able to move freely is the priority.
In this moment I was sure that this guy hadn’t changed.
Even if evolution is going to overtake me, Diablo remains Diablo.
***
The patrons’ evolutionary rituals were completed with such feeling.
It’s better than anything to be able to end peacefully.
That being said, the celebration is not over yet. I called others who were active to the stage and consoled them for their hard work.
Then, gather those who are still sober for a celebratory banquet.
The all-around banquet will have to wait for the next one.
Enjoy today’s feast for now, and those will be the fun for next time.
Sadly, Granny Jane and the Two Wings have gone back first. They told me with an apologetic face that there was a sudden emergency, and as soon as the ceremony was over, they hurried on their way back.
Next time, be sure to put together a schedule they can attend at their leisure.
That said, the guys at the banquet who got really drunk were also a big deal.
“…Anyway, a person like me is not worthy of Lord Benimaru. I’ve known this kind of thing from the beginning!”
“Well, well, you’re pretty too, Gobya. Look at me, I was even killed by the longing Lady Albis.
Monsters just love the strong, either seeking to be on the same level as themselves, or seeking a stronger opponent as a companion. If you’re strong enough, you can marry a lot of them. It was supposed to be like this, but instead I…”
“Lord Phobio, aren’t you already strong enough? If I had been stronger, I could have gotten in between those two as well—”
“Just call me Phobio. You’re also strong enough, only the comparison is too bad. That’s an opponent that even I can’t beat, there’s no way.
“Lord Phobio…no, Phobio. In that case, please call me Gobya.”
“Aaah, Gobya.”
“Phobio…”
Hey, hey, hey, hey, I can’t watch this anymore!
I’m an adult, so I’m not angry, but this isn’t the place for you guys to go on a date and get a good feeling, is it?
However, it can’t be said that it’s a bad thing that two people who have been dumped have come together with the same intention. There’s just something so bizarre about being in love.
I’ll take that as a no-brainer.
The party climaxed with such a feeling that the whole evening passed in a good way—
Thus, new “lords” were born in our country.
According to the rules, they could not call themselves Demon Lords, but in reality, our country had nine characters who could match the Awakened Demon Lords. In addition to this, there are three pillars of the “primordials” As long as nothing particularly serious happens in the future, we’ll be able to handle whatever happens, right?
For the twelve men whom I had awarded the title of “Lord”, I thought I could add the title of “Twelve Patrons” to the list.
“The title of “Lord”, although duplicated in some people by the title of “Four Heavenly Kings” or “Ten Lords of the Labyrinth”, is still given the highest priority in formal settings. In addition, these “Twelve Patrons,” unlike other positions, does not replace its members.
In fact, since the “lords” have exceeded their lifespan, the Twelve Patrons are a kind of permanent subordinate. In the future, the most desirable development would be for them to be removed from day-today management, etc., and to perform actively only in times of war or emergency.
Rigur and Rigurd, as well as several other big subordinates like Gobta and Myourmile, all have life limits. There will be alternating generations of subordinates, and how subordinates should be treated differently from permanent ones, something that must be carefully considered. No immediate conclusion can be drawn at this time and it feels like it will become a topic for the future.
It’s the hobgoblin that keep me occupied.
This kid is a subordinate for the time being, and is also unexpectedly resourceful and strong in combat.
He and Ranga’s ‘Monster Wolf’ were a foul play to be honest. Ranga has become stronger because of this evolution, but if it were Gobta, he would still be able to handle it.
The hobgoblins are really quite heterogeneous in their existence.
Even if the name evolves and the appearance doesn’t change, my dream-like explanation that “all evolution happens in talent” may still be true.
Having taken this reward, Gobta’s position was also determined. He got closer to my position than the rest of the subordinates and attracted the attention of the crowds.
Gobta may have gotten the best reward by accident.
Looking out over the companions who were enjoying the feast, I developed this feeling.
More on that by the way.
After the events of that day spread to the world, my name unknowingly became the “Demon Lord Ruler of the Monsters,” Rimuru.
I also consciously did a lot of work and willingly accepted this new “nickname”.
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