Chapter 140: Volume 16 - CH 2

Chapter 2: Personal Interviews 

Anyway, I'm in a big crisis, too. Ramiris and the others have reported to me. 

What an unexpectedly big event. 

"How's Chloe now?” 

“There are no more problems. She regained her childish stance and consciousness. She’s just resting in the infirmary now.” 

Shuna told me so, so I was relieved. 

Although zero casualties were reported at the outset, there was no way to be reassured without confirming it yourself. Now that she's probably rested, I'll visit tomorrow. 

That being said… 

This time the enemy was a real pain in the ass. 

Use the intruder as a feint to draw attention away from Ramiris. 

Then take the opportunity to have Dino betray. 

Dino's strength far surpassed Beretta's, and the pair of Beretta and Apito joining forces were unable to fight him off, as if almost having Ramiris taken away from them. 

But in the end, thanks to Zegion's timely arrival, Ramiris did not have an accident, but if one step had gone wrong, it would have lead to a big catastrophe. 

It was creepy to think of what would have happened if Zegion had woken up a little later. It was really nice to catch up, and I couldn't help but rub my chest in relief. 

Still, the return of Velgrynd came as a bit of a surprise. 

At the moment, Masayuki is discussing with the Imperial Commander and others about the way forward, and although there is a need to meet and talk later on, the other party should also want to discuss it after they have sorted out their opinions. 

That being said, since Velgrynd protected those people, then what happened about Masayuki? 

Understanding some of the questions meant new ones were added. 

But then, I’ll think about those questions later. 

I met, in order, with the people who came to give me their account. 

"Ramiris, I'm so glad you're okay!” 

“It was nothing. But then again, that guy didn't really seem to want to do anything to me, and it would have been awful if I had actually left the maze. But why? If he's really strong, I still could’ve knocked him down with my forty-eight deadly moves!” 

Ramiris was the same as always. 

Although she still looks puffed up, this kind of place where she puts on a show as soon as she's safely secured is kind of cute. 

Thought it would get tough only in a dream, and it seemed the same as long as I wasn't in front of her. 

"Lady Ramiris didn't use all forty-eight of her deadly techniques on him, so Dino should be grateful for that!” 

Treyni, who had taken care of Ramiris, immediately went along with the flattery. 

"Right, right!" 

Ramiris nodded happily in response. 

It's because she’s always like this that Ramiris gets carried away. 

Stop it, you guys, I thought in my heart. 

"I'm so sorry, Lord Rimuru. It was all because of my poor supervision. I didn't expect that Dino would betray…" 

It was a drooping Vesta who said so. 

He wanted to come as soon as possible to apologize, so he showed up on the occasion, and the responsible Vesta seemed rather depressed about the affair. 

I said with a smile to reassure Vesta, 

"No, no, don't worry about it. Dino's been weird from the start, hasn't he?” 

When I finished, Ramiris and Treyni, and even Beretta, nodded in agreement. 

"He's a demon lord after all. He's been suspected since the beginning.” 

"I didn't expect him to do something so bold, but I've been watching him with a careful eye so that I can deal with him in time when he causes problems.” 

"By and large, he also showed an unbelievably serious attitude to his work, which surprised me.” 

It's a sad comment and even makes me want to say you guys should trust him a little more. 

However, there is no way around it. 

In the end, Dino was here because of Guy, and it was only natural that Dino himself, who hadn't the slightest intention of hiding that he was a spy, would still be suspected. 

But, I think… 

“Don't be so depressed, Vesta. I don't think that Dino really wanted to betray us from the bottom of his heart, either.” 

This is from my heart. 

While Dino's betrayal was predictable, there was a presence of his own moves that showed he wanted to be watched from the start. 

Presumably, Dino probably thought it would be that way one day, too, and I couldn't help but think so. 

"That guy, after all, is clumsy. If that's the case, it would be nice to talk to someone else about it…" 

“Once you're in a good relationship, you'll want to trust each other a little more. Besides, Dino may have had some kind of a grudge.” 

I say this, and Vesta accepts it. 

“Indeed, I want to trust him. I've been lost too, but thanks to King Gazel and Lord Rimuru, I was able to return to the right path, so even if it's just someone to be around, it's encouraging.” 

Perhaps because the confusion dissipated, Vesta's expression eased slightly. 

That's fine, I'd like to trust Dino too. 

I can't say it out loud with any certainty yet, but I've got some idea. 

That is, Dino may be under the Angelic System's Domination ability. 

This coincidental convenience of making unique skills evolve towards ultimate skills in combat doesn't just appear. If such a thing is going to happen, it is to hold the means to make it possible. 

<<All in all, evolution happened in combat, but that's generally not something that happens.>> The one who agreed with me was Ciel. 

Both a friend and companion to my soul and the presence I rely on the most. 

I was in high spirits during the battle with Velgrynd, and obediently named the King of Wisdom. 

The result is the birth of the theosophy nucleus (manas), the sentient body called Ciel. 

It is only a thinking being—not something so simple, as is the case with "Chronoa", who also performs the functions of a different algorithmic device from her master. 

It should be thought of as another core that exists in my "soul". 

There is no doubt that it has an ego and it's reaction is more human than before. 

<<Is that so?>> 

As soon as Ciel said this, I suddenly felt my persuasive power drop. 

Ciel has done all sorts of things herself, so what are you saying now? 

Besides, even if Ciel still had time to say that now, if she had still been the king of wisdom before evolution, wouldn't the situation have been bad? 

Come to think of it now, with Rudra—or was it Michael? When confronted, I think the reason why I don't feel well is because of the influence of the “angelic series domination.” 

<<……>> 

The habit of remaining silent when circumstances are unfavorable remains the same. 

That is, if she didn’t evolve into Ciel, I was likely to have lost the battle. 

It is only now that I realize that victory and defeat are only a matter of minutes away, and I can't help but be horrified. 

<<It’s meaningless to wonder about what could have happened>> 

Hey, hey, you're more unconvinced than I am. 

I forcibly came to a conclusion, stopping my thoughts. 

Of course, we are an exception. 

It's more prudent to turn the conversation back to Dino, or to think that he hid some kind of power. 

<<Perhaps it was intended to be camouflage. However, because of his unnatural manifestation, we can be sure that he has other powers.>> Mm-hmm. 

Since Ciel said so, that should be it. 

In other words, Dino was manipulated by Michael through the "domination of the angelic series" 

because he has the ultimate skill of the angelic system. 

Since Dino and I aren't connected through the Soul Corridor, there's no way to disarm it directly, but I might be able to do something if I can fight him. 

Of course, there is also the possibility that Dino is genuinely intent on betrayal so we cannot be careless, except that there is no need to treat him indiscriminately as an enemy. 

For Vesta, it would have been nice if things could have made sense that way, however there was one more person who was feeling sullen. 

"I'm so sorry, Lord Rimuru. I put Lady Ramiris in danger…” 

Beretta knelt before me and bowed his head in apology. 

"Wait a minute, Beretta! You've done a great job!” 

I agree, as Ramiris said. 

With Dino far more powerful than him, Beretta's actions were excellent, let alone negligent, and the time he bought was actually commendable. 

I was worried that Beretta's character would make him feel upset and responsible about his defeat. 

Like Vesta, they were both too serious. 

"No, succeeding in buying time like you did in training is an excellent result!" 

"However, I have assumed the role of Labyrinth Guardian entrusted to me by Lady Ramiris, as well as the responsibility of guarding Lady Ramiris entrusted to me by Lord Rimuru. And yet here I am, in such a state of distress…” 

Beretta didn't take my word for it and got more and more upset the more he talked. 

Perhaps he was indeed rather disheartened, but Beretta's actions were all right and proper. With Dino as his opponent, Beretta finished well with the right understanding of whether or not he could win. 

If there had been a lapse in judgment in the first place and a reckless attack, knowing that it could not be won, there was no doubt that Ramiris would have now been taken away. It is impossible to think of the losses that would have occurred as things were developing. 

"So I tell you, Beretta, you can be proud of yourself.” 

I complimented Beretta on his excellent actions to finally calm him down. 

As a result, the enemy's strategy was thwarted. 

Beretta and the others handled the whole battle. 

"If that's the case…” 

He had calmed down, but was not all the way convinced yet. 

“If you're still upset, then talk to me later and come to my room.” 

"Hm! Yes, thank you very much!” 

Ramiris was safe and sound, so there were no problems, but Beretta was still too concerned. 

All in all, after that, it would be a matter of slowly calming Beretta, and that was that for now. 

***

Ramiris and Beretta's report ended, followed by Geld and Adalman.

"Geld, excellent protection of the town! Thank you.” 

"I can’t say the words, but I love this town, so how can we let the fruits of our own work be easily destroyed? My companions feel the same way, and will continue to do our best in the future, trying not to let Lord Rimuru down!” 

"You're so reliable. Don't push yourself.” 

Until now it still feels like Geld is overworked. 

Any more effort would make everyone else look like they're slacking off. Geld's men probably couldn't relax either, and a moderate amount of rest and relaxation from their superiors was also necessary. 

After admonishing Geld not to be too unreasonable, the debriefing on this incident began. 

The enemy seems to be close to Dino. 

Both are women, named Pico and Garcia. 

Their true identities were also confirmed from Ramiris, who was under the name of the "Seven Angels of the Origin" of Veldanava. 

Originally as one most superior and powerful of the Killing Angels, he worked hard to keep this world stable. 

Dino was one of them, but the enemies that appeared on the fiftieth and seventieth floors were presumed to be other forces. 

"The duty of the Originals is to watch over the powerful monsters of the Otherworld that are difficult to dispose of and to govern the Otherworld. But, nevertheless, from what Dino said, it seems that three of them stayed on the ground." 

Those three, I think, were Pico, Garcia, and Dino. 

Transformed from a killing angel (seraphim) to a fallen angel, living on earth. 

The purpose seems to have come from a surveillance mission, but it is not known based on whose orders or my own thoughts. All in all, since all that was obtained was fragments of intelligence, one can only speculate on their intentions. 

"The opponent was quite powerful, and if I hadn’t evolved, it would probably have been impossible to fight against it.” 

It's pretty hard to even say that about Geld. 

Pico's opponent seemed to be the Nine-Tailed Kumara, and this side was also a fairly intense battle, and the fact that the opponent was still able to interfere with the labyrinth during the battle was enough to speculate that the opponent hadn't made the full extent of her abilities. 

"I see. That's a tough one.” 

“Yes.” 

I really don't want to make an enemy of them if I can, but things have come to this after all. 

Place a bet on the possibility that Dino is being manipulated and think about countermeasures based on this. 

Next, there are the other side forces at work. 

“And what of Zalario?” 

Adalman began to debrief. 

“He was a formidable foe, and before I went there, it was Lord Charys and Lady Treyni who were his opponents, and indeed were utterly unbearable.” 

It's hard to do this way too. 

Referring to the battle records within the labyrinth, the fallen angel race was not the same race no matter how it looked. 

He seems to call himself the "Three Admirals" and says that he is a subordinate of the Demon King. 

In other words, the remarkable Feldway was once the chief of the Seven Angels of the Origin. 

The three originals who traveled with him to the Otherworld are now known as the Three Admirals and are under Feldway's command. 

During their journey to the Otherworld, Veldanava disappeared and they became unable to return from the Otherworld, unknowingly changing their nature and becoming a "Phantom race". 

Totally understood. 

They were different from Dino, and it must be because of their past friendship that they had formed a mutually supportive relationship. 

These are just my subjective inferences. 

<<I think so too>> 

Wow, that's reassuring. 

With Ciel's approval, then that's basically it. 

"In any case, the Demon King's gang is the enemy, and we must use this as a basis for our future actions, so be on guard!” 

I gave everyone all the information I knew. 

It is mainly about Michael and Feldway. Of particular importance is that of Michael's power, and in this respect I have made no secret of it all. 

“Then, then! Maybe that Dino is controlled too? Is that why Rimuru said he wanted to trust that guy?” 

I'm sure you're aware of that. 

In my position, it was intended not to say it directly until I was sure. 

"I hope it's not just a happy ending, but it's possible to be manipulated. So Ramiris, if that's the case, forgive the guy.” 

“Well, yeah. I hope so!” 

Ramiris said happily and smiled, looking as if she was better than she was just now, that was good. 

After that, one can only hope that Dino is indeed truly manipulated. 

***

During the exchange of information, the atmosphere of the banquet was gradually heightened.

Rigurd wailed with joy at the peace of everyone, and Rigurd got the budget from Myourmiles and went to great lengths to prepare for the feast's delicacies. 

Myourmiles also joined in the preparation, showing off a hidden skill. 

The subordinates are very competent and I am very happy. 

After the main debriefing, the atmosphere more or less eased and we all had a good time. 

"I don't know what the Three Admirals are, but I'll beat the shit out of them!" 

So reliable, Benimaru. 

But he’s a lot different than from before the trip, so what happened? 

"Hohohoho! This is also the intention of my generation, and the next battle will undoubtedly be won!” 

Gabil also let out a boast that he was qualified enough to say it. 

He had performed extremely well in this fight, and like Benimaru, somehow his strength had grown. 

"Whew! Lord Gabil, how handsome!" 

“Exactly.” 

"You're getting more and more manly. I'll follow you for life.” 

Gabil's men were also very excited. 

"Brother, you must not be too proud of yourself. Besides, this time I was close to dying! It's because you're always being praised like that that you've become so obnoxious.” 

It pissed Souka off, but let's not be so strict today. That being said, there was something wrong with Gabil that worried Souka, so I'll leave it at that. 

It's definitely not an escape. 

That must be made clear. 

The more important issue was this big uncle who was posturing next to me. 

"Kuahahahaha! Charys, I hear you seem to have been beaten to a pulp. Not enough cultivation, not enough cultivation!” 

“It’s a shame.” 

"Kuahahaha! No excuses! Be a man and be brave enough to admit your failure!” 

He's already admitted it. 

That said, didn't Veldora lose to Velgrynd too? 

You can’t exactly laugh at people either, can you? 

"Didn't you lose too?" 

"Oh, say, what are you talking about, Rimuru!? Me! When did I lose? I was just in bad shape!” 

And making excuses. 

I don't know if I'm going to be able to say the same thing about Charys, but it's not going to work on me. 

"Master, there's nothing you can do because your opponent is too vile, and there was interference from outsiders, weren’t there? That doesn't count.” 

"Yes, exactly! Very well said, Ramiris! That's right, I didn't lose!" 

Velgrynd is around here and hasn't forgotten about it, has she? Seeing your poor excuse, one can't help but want to point this out. 

Speaking of which, I wouldn't have had to worry so much if Veldora hadn't lost to the other side, and this guy actually… 

"Charys. Don't abandon Veldora, even if you don't like him.” 

"Hahahaha, please be at ease. I have only one lord now, Lord Veldora, and I will continue to improve in the future so that I can be recognized.” 

That's serious. 

He’s way too good to be Veldora’s subordinate, reminiscent of Geld. 

It's great that Charys is becoming Veldora's entourage, I can't help but think. 

And with that, the feast went on. 

Wine is also constantly being presented. 

I was the only one who thought I was too alert, but it seems that the executives are doing nothing more than neutralizing sake. 

That would defeat the point of drinking so let’s leave that aside. 

We were able to enjoy the drunkenness, and the conversation was very animated. 

I feel the same way about that, so don't want to bother with the details. 

"Come on, Lord Rimuru, I'll pour you a drink!” 

"Please wait Diablo, it's my turn this time!” 

Behind me, Diablo and Shion seemed to be in the middle of a tumultuous argument, but it was completely incomprehensible whether the relationship between these two was good or bad. 

Don't compete in this weird place… 

“Okay. Don't argue about something that doesn't matter. You guys go drink too.” 

“Kufufufu, then I'll make myself at home.” 

"I won't be fooled! If you drink, you'll fall asleep, and today you have to give priority to Lord Rimuru!” 

Is Diablo a wine drinker? 

I'm not quite sure about the taste differences of wine, but red wine does go well with Diablo. 

And Shion… 

This one’s drinking habit is pretty bad compared to falling asleep. 

When she drinks, she gets delirious and pester people to fool around, so Shuna keeps a very strict watch on her. 

I would have let her drink something like grape juice, but I won't say much more if she has this self-control herself. 

On closer inspection, these two have gotten stronger too. 

Looking back, the executives seem to have had some sort of growth, not just an awakening, but something else after that… 

<<Please Don't Doubt Me>> 

Ah, sorry. 

Yes, indeed. 

Even for Ciel, it's a little difficult to help someone evolve. 

<<I Only Helped a Little.>> 

It still helps! 

It is necessary to pursue this in detail, but there is still a banquet going on, after all. 

You can do it now, but you can do it tomorrow as well, so go all out and enjoy the moment. 

I threw all my problems at myself tomorrow and enjoyed the feast wholeheartedly. 

***

The next day, I gave the executives a full vacation.

Although I still felt bad for some of them who had to manage the affairs of the Rigurd government office, as I asked them to confirm the status of the city and explain the situation to the residents. 

Although the metropolitan area was returned from the maze back to the ground, it is still necessary to check whether there is a failure of the pipeline facilities. 

Once the confirmation is complete, the residents who have taken refuge can be given permission to go home. Because of the massive battle that had just ended, it would have been nice for the affairs staff to get some rest, but the life of the masses was also important. 

Thinking about it this way, one can't help but think that politicians really are slaves to the nation. 

There are a lot of problems, and in the event of an emergency, you don't even have to think about rest days or anything. Fortunately, with the demoness trio helping the administration, it was more or less easier over there, but the talent pool still needed to be further secured. 

Me? 

I'm just an amateur, so it's my job to read the material and give permission. 

It’s like rejecting or returning it to the relevant department for more thought. 

The process holds up because the detailing is all done by Ciel, and if it were just me, it wouldn't have been done long ago. 

All in all, although it was the second day after the banquet, I also needed to work on the documents. 

Rigurd and the others are also busy running around, and it was more off a relief than a piece of mind. 

But before that. 

Before I set to work, I decided to visit Chloe first. 

As soon as I entered the infirmary, I happened to lock eyes with Chloe. 

“Rimuru…-san!” 

"Hoo-hoo, don't force yourself to talk like an adult, Chloe is Chloe in my opinion." 

"Really! Despite my appearance, I've long been an adult. Let's just say I'm older than Rimuru-san." 

Even if you say so… 

Sure enough, appearance is still very important. 

Just like me, people who don't know me well will only think I'm a young pretty girl when they see me, and it makes me feel a little inferior sometimes. 

In any case, careless talk can step on a landmine, and it's important to be prepared from time to time. 

To Chloe, whose cheeks were red, I said from the bottom of my heart that it was good that she was okay. As a result, the other hid her face behind a pillow. 

"Really! That's foul, Rimuru-san!” 

Huh? 

This sentence, how should it be interpreted to mean… 

<<Unknown. The problem is too complicated.>> 

If even Ciel doesn't get it, then I can't help it. 

So I soothed her by saying “Oh well.” 

Wait until Chloe calms down and ask about what happened. 

What happened in the battle, and the outcome of the battle. 

"I don't have any problems myself, but I've become unable to communicate with Chronoa, and it seems that ‘Hope King Sariel' is going to storm out, so she's suppressing that.” 

Sure enough, she was influenced by Michael's domination. 

It's a real fight against someone important to me, so it seems that there is no need to forgive them now. 

“What exactly is the situation?” 

"Whoo-hoo, how do you say? I'm now completely unable to use the ‘Space-Time King Yugoslavos’, and unable to talk to Chronoa, so I’m completely confused.” 

It seems that it was more harsh than expected. 

Although Chloe was not expected to fight from the beginning, it was also naive to think that she could at least protect herself. 

This perception of myself bores me, but as things have been, the priority must be to keep Chloe safe. 

<<Since I have the power to interfere with the Intelligence Sub, I can influence Chronoa, who is the 

"Theosophy Nucleus.” If we can invade Chloe’s spiritual world and exercise our power to change, we should be able to eliminate Michael's influence.>> As it turns out, Ciel was able to intervene. 

"Chloe, if I could interfere with your skills, I think it would improve the situation…” 

"Rimuru, this won't do. At that time, Chronoa finally said to me, 'If we continue to rely on that man, we cannot stand on our own, and in order to be able to walk alongside him, we must get rid of this situation by our own strength.' That's what I thought too, so I can’t accept the help of Rimuru-san." 

Chloe looked straight at me and said that although her face was young, her expression was very firm, and she couldn't help but remind me of her beauty when she became an adult, which completely tugged at my heart. 

No, I'm not a loli. 

Simply, Chloe’s transcendence—Oh, it’s useless. 

It seems to be the same idea as a certain blonde demon lord. 

I rushed and switched my way of thinking because I thought it was a loss. 

"I know. However, if there's anything you want to tell me, I'll always be available to discuss it with you.” 

With that said, I stroked Chloe's head. 

Chloe smiled happily, whispered a 'hmm' and nodded. 

***

Upon returning from a visit from Chloe, Vesta made a request for a meeting because of an urgent matter.

"What is it?” 

"Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with us. It's King Gazel who's sent us the message.” 

“Ah!” 

Pushing his glasses, Vesta said. 

"Yes, as you may think, it’s for you to explain.” 

Sure enough. 

Despite the war, it came back, leaving cleanup behind. 

For that, indeed, I’m going to be scolded. 

It probably wouldn't have been a problem if it was only within our territory, but after all, the Dwarven Kingdom was involved… 

"Mmm. Are you angry?" 

"Rather, unpleasantly so.” 

Vesta was also wiping the sweat off his face. 

It's no wonder. 

Last night, we had a drink together. 

A moment's thought shows Vesta that he is also responsible. 

I don't think it was too much to think about, and I don't feel the need to be too harsh about it, but Vesta seems to be reflecting on himself for not advising me. 

Still, it was me who did the most wrong. 

"We'll explain later, so let's get back to each other.” 

"After all, you need to think of an excuse.” 

As expected of of Vesta. 

He’s very reliable. 

In any case, it is not possible to explain our situation without sorting it out, and it is up to the schedule to decide when to hold the briefing. 

Therefore, as for the response to King Gazel, I will leave it to Vesta to discuss the matter after we have gathered our opinions. 

Then, lunch break. 

Throw those troublesome questions behind. 

After enjoying today's menu with my favorite fried chicken and bean noodles, I suddenly remembered. 

I remember, Ciel seems to be doing something behind the scenes. 

Last night, Ciel said she had given the executives "a little help," and I think it's necessary to get a clear picture of what she had done and how much she had helped. 

After all, it was highly unlikely that what Ciel called 'slightly' was not slightly at all. 

<<Well, I'm very surprised to be suspected of this…> 

The next thing you know, Ciel is making a confession. 

As I had guessed, it was a grand affair. 

First of all, the biggest thing was the unauthorized modification of my skills. 

The transformed power is the ultimate skill of the ‘Harvest Lord Shub-Niggurath’. 

Indeed, relevant reports have been received. 

Now, although it is an afterthought, it is true that it said that after the 'power change' of Velgrynd, the remnants of the ‘Covenant King Uriel' was united with the ‘Charity King Raguel,’ and the essence was inherited by the ‘Harvest Lord Shub-Niggurath.’ 

At the time, I was dealing with the Velgrynd issue, so I missed a note on that. 

While browsing through the document, I listened to the detailed explanation of the “Lord of Harvest,” 

the ultimate skill. 

This power is like the crystallization of the bond and relationship between me and my subordinates. 

-Skill Creation…to create new abilities with information obtained through ‘Food Chain’ and ‘Analysis.’ 

-Skill Duplication…to make a copy of the acquired ability. 

-Skill Gifting…the ability to copy an ability and bestow it to the right person. It is also possible to take it back. 

- Skill Bank…information (data) of acquired skills is instantly reproduced. 

Well, that's how it is. 

There is a limit to the capacity of a “soul," so the number of skills that can be mastered seem to be limited as well. So there are also skills that are attached to the body and not kept in the “soul,” but those types of skills seem to be a little weaker in terms of will. 

I hold a total of four kinds of ultimate skills, and I think the capacity is already very tight. 

<<No, not four, it's five.>> 

Ah yes, that's right. 

By swallowing Velgrynd and analyzing it to become the same being as Veldora, I gained a new power, the ultimate skill, the “Scorch King Velgrynd". 

Thinking of it this way, it was indeed not a matter of overcapacity. Ciel gave the ‘Covenant King Uriel' 

to Velgrynd, presumably because I was reaching my limit. 

<<Exactly! I had no choice but to optimize the abilities!!!>> Suspicious to the point of being shocking. 

Ciel— rather even before, it seems that the tendency to collect skills was already there when it was still the unique skill 'Great Sage’…is it a hobby? 

The capacity is full, but it's too good to throw away, so that's why evolution is being strongly promoted, right? 

<<…this is the end of the matter, and it is time to proceed with the explanation.>> That's digressing! 

After becoming Ciel, not only is it more humane, but the number of instances where it feels useless has increased. 

No, no problem, no problem… 

I don’t have a problem. I just prayed and chose to trust Ciel. 

According to Ciel, the ‘Lord of Harvest' was created to take charge of the information by completely integrating the skills that were unnecessarily occupying a large amount of space after dismantling them for intelligence. 

With this power, it is possible to influence magical creatures connected through the “Soul Corridor,” 

specifically, to grant power. 

It’s easily understandable how much the ability grants. 

Therefore, Ciel had used ‘Lord of Harvest’ to help Benimaru and the others. 

As for the degree of help received, everyone varies, and there seem to be two situations in which one is really only slightly assisted, and the other is strongly assisted. 

Some situations are likely to be defeated if placed regardless, so it's not good for me to complain about anything. 

Or, more to the point… 

“Thank you, I express my gratitude.” 

<<No, I'm just doing what Lord Rimuru wants me to do.>> I'm always judgmental and Ciel has really helped me out a lot. 

I'm going to ask you to do the same in the future, and I'd like to express my gratitude to Ciel. 

***

Listening to Ciel's instructions made it generally clear to me what had changed in everyone.

Since it was necessary to raise one's strength to be an enemy of Michael and the Demon King, it did not mean that anyone could grant the strongest strength to anyone. 

Excessive power leads to its own destruction. 

In that respect, Ciel is very trustworthy. 

While still so fond of remodeling skills I don't think there will be any reluctant reinforcement, at least. 

I think it should be a skill that won't be gifted to someone who can't use it, but it's still necessary to check it out. 

At this point, Ciel asked me as if she suddenly remembered something. 

<<By the way, the "power change" to the master is still in place.>> I'd forgotten all about it. 

Ciel seemed a little nervous. 

It's as if a more powerful makeover has been thought up after constant fumbling. 

It was said before that the Ultimate Skill “Storm King Veldora" and “Covenant King Uriel" could be combined to create the Ultimate Skill “Stellar Wind Lord Hastur" or something like that. 

But after that, the ceding of the 'King of Covenant' to Velgrynd should now have been unchangeable in any other form. 

Because it is Ciel, it is unlikely for the makeover to makes it weaker. 

In the final analysis, there is no report, but presumably the analysis of ‘Charity King Raguel' has been completed. 

<<Of Course.>> 

I thought it was. 

In that case, I am equivalent to having six ultimate skills. 

With all that, and with the evolved executives offering power through the 'food chain,’ Ciel would indeed need the ‘Lord of Harvest'. 

A larger number does not mean that they can all be mastered, and it is reasonable to combine them. 

I think that if the 'King of Scorch' and the 'King of Gluttony' are combined, perhaps something new will come out. 

I was also a little concerned about what happened to the ‘Wisdom King Raphael' after separating Ciel. 

Ciel wanted to optimize the pile of skills saved up, and I had no reason to stop it. 

I’m not in a battle right now, no problem. 

'Well, then please—uh, ah!” 

<<Got it!>> Implemented immediately. 

I was going to say wait a minute, but it was too late. 

In retrospect, I was a man who repeatedly failed. 

Always ignoring the consequences and regretting them… 

Why is it so easy to give permission…? 

It's not okay to agree without even confirming what horrible makeover you're going to get. 

However, “Ciel,” who was fully prepared, probably expected me to stop, and started the "skill change" 

immediately. 

The end result was Ciel humming and feigning deafness with the <<There's No Way to End It Already>> strategy. 

Having given permission without paying attention, and then giving panicked attempts to stop things afterwards—it was all within the scope of what Ciel had envisioned. 

With a swift reply, Ciel began the transformation. 

In that state, I just kept waiting, and with great momentum… 

Ciel, who doesn't even give a response, buries herself in the transformation. 

Ahhhh, presumably some unusually surprising results will be made again, but I give up. 

In short, no progress could be made in organizing the paperwork with Ciel's absence. 

I switched moods and decided to do some other work. 

***

During Ciel's focus on transformation, I decided to have a personal interview with the executives.

After telling Shion and Diablo about it, they were kicked out of the room, so for the time being it's just me here. 

Shion also needed to confirm that her men were safe and left without complaining about anything. 

Diablo was more trouble, pestering me about the need for an escort and so on, before I finally said, 

“Based on the results of this interview, there will also be a discussion about whether your position as 

"secretary" should be abolished. Maybe Testarossa, who’s both powerful and beautiful, being a secretary can be a good fit, right? I'm sure you are, but I don't think you can be strong enough to be a secretary and an escort.” Such half-threatened attempt to convince him made him leave in a panic. 

Heh heh, although I didn't have that in mind, he's such an easy man to deal with. 

Presumably, he is now desperately trying to engage the evolved Testarossa in a mock battle. 

I don't think Diablo is going to lose, but maybe it will be unexpectedly brilliant, and defeat is a good medicine, and occasionally a bit of a crisis is good as well. 

With that, use this time to start the interview. 

I called in Shuna and had the schedules adjusted. 

From dusk onwards, people who were available were called to my room in turn. 

The first is Beretta. 

An appointment had been made earlier to talk about it, so he was the first to be called. 

For receptions like these, the first and last tend to be the most stressful, though in this country, the first seems to be the most honorable. 

I wasn't quite sure, but Beretta seemed to be happy by it. 

"Well, you may be troubled, but you don't need to care about this failure. Let's just say, preventing the enemy from achieving his goal should be victory.” 

Without anyone being killed, this can be described as a big win. 

I said so with certainty, but Beretta remained sullen. 

"I understand what you mean, but to lose is to lose, and defeat is very unbearable for us black dependents.” 

That is to say, even if one agrees that this is a victory for one's side, is it still a defeat for Beretta himself? 

Charys too, and Beretta too, are both too serious. 

If it were me, it would have been time to tout the results of the big win. 

It doesn't make a lot of sense, but as long as one can take it on themselves it's fine, and a spiritual victory is welcome. 

By the way, the black dependents refer to the genealogy of demons. 

I also only recently learned that Beretta is a demon who’s head was Diablo, the Primordial Black. 

Indeed, their weirdness was similar in some ways. 

It's really convincing when they both hate losing. 

So I can understand Beretta's reluctance…having said that, there really isn't much I can do about it. 

My men have evolved by awakening as a reward for their victory, but only if they have the "Demon Lord Seed" and are connected to me through the “Soul Corridor". 

Did Beretta meet this condition…? 

<<It’s fine.>> 

Well, wow, that scared me. 

Ciel, who was focused on the transformation, seemed to be listening to this side of the conversation as well. 

If that's the case, it would also help me with the paperwork— 

<<Just for this, there's enough souls for one person to awaken. What will you do?>> 

…is this another digression? 

Wasn't this a little better before evolution? 

<<No. There is no confirmation of such a thing.>> 

No, no, no. Don't try to act like you're degenerating. 

But well, if that’s the case. 

It seems that during the battle with the Imperial Army, some "souls" were also acquired. If those are used, Beretta's wishes will be fulfilled. 

Beretta clearly worked hard and I didn't reward him, which was partly considering he was a subordinate of Ramiris, but Beretta was an important companion to me. 

After all, there was the important task of protecting Ramiris, and the next thing that still needed to be asked of him, let's remove Beretta's troubles with gratitude. 

Of course, there are limits to such things, and it's still up to you afterwards. 

“I see how you lament at your lack of ability. Then, I’ll grant you more power!” 

While talking, I got up from my chair and struck a pose of not knowing where the big demon lord's feelings were as I covered Beretta with my hand. 

"Don't forget, all I can do is help, and it's up to you after that." 

After saying that, I performed the evolutionary ritual to Beretta using 100,000 souls. 

It was I who "named" Beretta, and Beretta's path of self-evolution was thus closed, perhaps I was in the sense of taking responsibility for the ritual. 

"No, no way!” 

"Beretta, you'll evolve in this way, too, so protect Ramiris in the future!" 

To Beretta's surprise, the evolution was done without a problem. 

Very much in keeping with its Diablo’s dependents, he did not enter the sleep of evolution. 

Incidentally, his evolved state is… 

Name: Beretta [E.P.: 1,970,873] 

Race: Higher Divine Spirit - Chaos Metalloid 

Blessing: Labyrinth’s blessing 

Title: Guardian of Ramiris 

Magic: <Dark Magic> 

Ability: The ultimate skill, “Machine God King Deus Ex Machina” 

Resistance: physical attack invalid, state anomaly invalid, mental attack invalid, natural influence invalid, divine attack resistance It was— Beretta's body, the ultimate metal (hihiirokane), was equivalent to Mythical level, so Beretta's existence value was greatly increased. 

By the way, EP is the existence value (presence). 

It's “Existence Value,” not the ability value, and it's in English, but if I care, I lose. 

This was the result of the original lifeform magic steel absorbing the huge magic element generated by Beretta. 

The most important skill is the "King of the Machine Gods", which is a ultimate skill that has been sacrificed for the unique skill “Reverser.” The powers included are "thought acceleration, universal perception, demon lord’s haki, mineral control, earth attribute manipulation, inverse fusion, space manipulation, multiple barriers… 

<<I worked hard!>> 

Ah, good on you. 

You're really chasing after what you're interested in. 

While my skills are important, I won't forget my interests. 

It's a very deft toss up of skills… 

So true to Ciel's style, I couldn't help but think so. 

Ah, never mind that for a moment…Beretta that's some serious shit. 

He can manipulate and make minerals freely by using the new power of "Mineral Control" and "Earth Attribute Manipulation" together, and you need materials, but there is a storehouse of magic steel in the maze. The earth is also joined to the earth and a certain amount of minerals can be raised. 

It seemed that his body's evolution into divine steel had allowed it to master such power as well. 

The ability to manipulate the elements, presumably this feeling? 

Metal can turn into all sorts of shapes regardless of hardness, so you can't deal damage to Beretta if you're not using a strengthened weapon with something like magic or aura. 

What's even more awesome is that Beretta's body can deform freely. 

Most weapons were ineffective in front of him. He’s like the difficult fluid metal that appeared in the movies, kind of that feeling. 

Approaching as quietly as a Slime, wrapping his arms around his opponent and suffocating them…it was terrifying just thinking about it. 

He is usually like a high art humanoid doll with spherical joints, but his essence is not the same as his appearance, so be aware of this. 

In this way, Beretta evolved into what could be called a subspecies of spiritual lifeforms—the dreaded metal lifeforms. 

Although I built the doll on a whim, it's really something that it has evolved to this point. While making observations and wallowing in such sentiments, Beretta knelt before me. 

“I will never forget your kindness, Lord Rimuru, and I will carry out your orders, even if I die!” 

He swore. 

Although I want him not to force it, Ramiris must be more important than that when she encounters a crisis, and there will most likely be more severe battles in the future, so Beretta will certainly respond to my expectations, right? 

I'm also relieved to have Beretta guarding Ramiris. 

“Please.” 

I said to Beretta with this nod. 

Beretta's troubles were thus resolved, a job well done. 

I told Beretta to have a good healing session and let him get back to his job. 

***

Waiting for the next interviewer, I was thinking about skills-related questions.

The intelligence gained during the recent evolutionary festival, as well as the battle with the imperial strongman, made me question it. 

Skills are based on the roots of the laws of this world, rooted in the power of the "soul". 

The "Voice of the World" will award them after they have worked on themselves or achieved great feats. 

So far it has not been thought about in depth, but it is an incredible phenomenon. 

It had been taken for granted before…but the chain of events that had taken place had turned it into a doubt that could not be ignored. 

In other words… 

What exactly is the nature of skills? 

This question. 

I had unique skills when I first arrived in this world. 

The "voice of the world" was heard at a time when I was dying in the original world. 

From this fact it can be inferred that skills are not unique to this world alone. 

If this is the case, the question becomes even more difficult to answer, and directly speaking, it is a matter of concern whether there are people who can use skills in the original world. 

Originally, a unique skill was thought to be something only heroes could acquire. 

Just because unique skills = unique skills, the performance varies widely, as the name suggests. It is my own desire that shapes me and empowers me to do what I want. 

I acquired 'Predator' and 'Great Sage', but I didn't expect to acquire 'Great Sage', which is a bit suspicious. 

<<Impolite. I'm here because Lord Rimuru wants me to be!>> Huh…? 

Just because I'm a virgin…no, I'll stop thinking about it. 

Since Ciel said so, it might be that such a desire existed in my deep psyche, and it was somewhat dangerous for the topic to go deeper, let's just call it that. 

Change the subject back. 

This means that skills, although rooted in the “soul," are different. 

The skills acquired at the limit of physical training are not carved into the "soul" but are attached to the body. This is especially true for skills gained from magical creatures, which can be gained by simply eating the opponent. 

This skill is known as an inherent skill of the race, and if the same race holds such a skill, then future generations can also inherit it. 

Skills acquired through cultivation often only reach the level of extra skills. The point is that after that, it's still relatively useful to weave original techniques by increasing proficiency or fusing with sword skills. 

In fact, magic is also a form of a skill. 

I was able to learn by eating, as evidenced by this. 

There are many styles of skills, the most important of which are unique skills. 

The so-called unique skills are the unique powers generated by each person. 

Performance naturally varies. 

While there will be similarities on the larger classifications, unique skills that are identical will not usually exist. With the flow of time, there will also be cases of skill reproduction, but that is an extremely special exception. 

The unique skill ‘Starved' possessed by the Orc Lord was such that he could only board the same bloodline by awakening the inherent skill of the race. 

Starved is engraved in the flesh and is not normally applied to other races. 

In my case, because of the direct unification with ?Predator?, I have not cared about it so far. 

I think Shizu-san's "deviant" was created by her “soul." 

Then it was entrusted to me. 

That's why I was able to use it, and if it wasn't for that, maybe I wouldn't have been able to get it. 

Somehow, the skills carved into the soul will be a bit more powerful. 

Incidentally, there is no doubt that the 'proxy skills' given by Rudra are inscribed in the flesh. If one is not a "sage," one does not have enough energy to use it, presumably because one does not receive the power oneself, and therefore does not use it efficiently. 

It is for this reason that more powerful and unique skills can do the trick against it. 

Diablo defeated Jiu and Bonnie, who held the ultimate skills, but originally this should have been impossible to do. 

Unique skills do not work against the ultimate skills, only the ultimate skills can fight against ultimate skills. 

Although there are exceptions such as Chloe's 'Infinite Prison' and 'Absolute Severance' and Masayuki's 

‘Chosen One,’ it is unusual to defeat a person with ultimate skills only through unique skills. 

Even if it's just a unique skill, the strength will be very different, if it's an ultimate skill, it will be even more different. 

He who has acquired the ultimate skill, knows the reasoning of the world. Thus, one can become a higher being through magic that comes from the world's laws. 

The most powerful magic of the divine system, the "Aura Collapse" or the "Original" magic, can be used against it. 

So, it's also possible that Diablo used ultimate magic to defeat his opponent, but it doesn't feel like that. 

It feels like he's going to force his way straight through, which is probably a rare occurrence in the world… 

In short, depending on the situation, it is possible to outperform a person with ultimate skills, even if they do not have them. 

In fact, practicing the ultimate skill would be useful everywhere, rather than relying on skills, perhaps mastering the arts would be even stronger. But most fundamentally, there is no doubt that it is the best way to fight against the Ultimate skill, and also to acquire the Ultimate skill. 

Summarizing these reflections. 

-Skills can be carved into the "soul" as well as the flesh. 

Based on experience so far, unique skills can be acquired through a strong desire or desire. The point is that it’s not so much talent as potential. No matter what the expectation, there is no way to get it if the existence value is not enough. This is not something that can be obtained by desire alone, but requires the achievement of various trials or conditions before it can be reached. One gains more power by oneself than by ones given. Further, the power born of the "soul" seems to be stronger than the power born of the flesh. 

-Next, the exact same skills do not exist. 

Even if the name is the same, the performance and the laws will not be the same, I'm afraid. This is what desires translate into form and will vary a thousand different things depending on the various thoughts within the owner. 

-Next, the gap between the unique and the ultimate skills are not absolute. 

The strength of the skill acquired is swayed by the owner himself. To have a stronger effect requires a strong enough will. Skill, is the power to influence the laws of the world through desire alone. It is certainly not possible to use the kind of power that can be called the root, without enough willpower. 

When you look at it in this way, it's clear that the most important thing is willpower. 

This is followed by a thorough understanding of the nature of the skill and exploring its true and proper use. 

I had the King of Wisdom telling me the right way to use them, but that's generally not possible. 

Although it is a skill born of your own desire, there are cases where it cannot be used because of a mistake in usage. 

<<Hehehe, a recent example is Dino's funny failure.>> Huh? 

I couldn't help but ask out like that, so Ciel felt amused and spoke up. 

........... 

........ 

... 

Dino's abilities, as stated before, evolved during the battle. It has evolved from the most powerful of the unique skills, the “Sloth," to the ultimate skill, the "King of Slothfulness". 

This was supposed to be the power that could wield the power of terror, but instead it was beaten to a pulp by Zegion. 

Of course, the overwhelmingly strong Zegion was also a reason, but the more fundamental reason was actually because Dino hadn't been able to fully utilize the 'King of Slothfulness' 

Since he was only using this ability as a disguise, he probably doesn’t have the full understanding of it. 

The characteristic of Dino’s “Sloth,” the "King of Slothfulness,” was born out of the character of Dino's Sloth, and the character of his Sloth is that the more he moves, the weaker he becomes, so the real way to use it is to "support his subordinates or companions.” 

If Dino had lent his accumulated power directly to his companions like that, the true value of the 'King of Slothfulness’ could’ve been realized. 

........... 

........ 

... 

Although it happened while we were away, the battle log images of the maze remained intact, and parsing was of interest to Ciel, so it benefited me. 

If it had been Guy, there would have been no such failure. 

He should understand the nature of the ability to use it correctly. However, it is a slacker, like Dino, who is so baffled by the surface of skill that he fails to perceive its essence. 

Or should I say, it’s the failure of the enemy that made Dino make a move. 

If Dino continued to skip work and slack off like he usually did, and only let his companions Pico and Garcia make their move, it might’ve been hard for Geld and Kumara to cope. 

Thinking about it this way, it's really good luck. 

It's because the work I assigned down the line awakened Dino to the joy of labor that this one was lucky, right? 

It's too bad this kind of comment is failing more and more the more action is taken, if we can make peace with Dino, we'll teach him a good lesson when the time comes. 

Anyway that's it, it's not easy to properly understand one's abilities. 

But there are also cases like Masayuki's where he would start it without expecting it. 

But such skills are hard to master, and even harder to use thoroughly. 

Knowing the essence of a skill and using it fully is the same as seeing your inner meaning. It's very difficult, and I think it may be necessary to spend a lifetime dealing with it. 

That is, if one mistakenly believes that skills are weapons of convenience, etc., one will definitely not be able to perform to their full potential. 

<<That’s right. Please take me more seriously and face me well.>> Well, well… 

Somehow, I felt misinterpreted, but stopped thinking about it. 

***

As I pondered the end, there was a knock on the door.

It is Benimaru who was guided by Shuna. 

“Did you call me? I heard it's a personal interview. Do you have anything you want to ask?” 

After sitting face to face with me on the couch, Benimaru asked in this way, perhaps he was expecting an important close conversation, but unfortunately not. 

"Sorry, it's just on a whim.” 

"On a whim?” 

"Yes. Didn't everyone's strength increase dramatically during this battle? You can also measure your presence in the labyrinth, so I want to get a good grasp of your fighting power.” 

“I see. That’s really important!” 

Hearing my explanation, Benimaru's expression became bright. 

He seemed to have been expecting to be asked about newlywed life, and that's why he was so formal. 

"Well, I do care about that too, but wouldn't it be forceful and sexual harassment to ask further?” 

"Is that so? That guy Souei said, ‘Hmph, just because you can evolve smoothly, it means you've done everything you need to do. You're so late in life, I thought I'd have to give you some help’… 

Just as Benimaru was talking about it… 

“Brother?” 

His smile was overshadowed by the smile of Shuna, who sent the cake in. 

The crushing force was so intense it felt like one's back was going to freeze. 

“Did you say something rude in front of Lord Rimuru?” 

“I'm sorry…” 

Couldn't even the hard-core Benimaru beat Shuna? 

"So Lord Rimuru? I shouldn't have said such useless things to my brother. I should have scolded him.” 

“That’s right. I’ll be careful” 

It's not okay to choose to resist at this point. 

I understood the matter deeply and waited for Shuna to get in a good mood. 

It's clearly a rare cake, and it's tasteless because it's so stressful to eat. 

The moment Shuna withdrew the cutlery to exit the room, Benimaru and I were both greatly relieved. 

"Phew, that was a failure.” 

“Yes, you should think about the time and occasion when you say such things.” 

“I see. I originally disliked this story, so why did it turn out this way…” 

Well, that’s right. 

Maybe some do, but it just feels to me like you are showing off. 

Let's wait for that later. 

Confirming Benimaru's status as previously intended. 

Name: Benimaru [EP: 4,397,780 (+ "Red Lotus" 1,140,000)] 

Race: “Flame Spirit Oni", Divine Monster Spirit 

Blessing: Rimuru’s Blessing 

Title: “Flare Lord.” 

Magic: <Fire Spirit Magic> 

Ability: The ultimate skill, “Blazing Sun Lord Amaterasu” 

Resistances: physical attack invalid, natural influence invalid, state anomaly invalid, spiritual attack resistance, divine attack resistance It was like this. 

That's so strong! 

The ultimate skill “Blazing Sun Lord Amaterasu" was acquired at the expense of the unique skill 

"Generalissimo", and its powers include "Thinking Acceleration, Universal Perception, Demon lord’s haki, Will Control, Light and Heat Control, Space Control, and Multiple barriers". 

According to Ciel's confession, it also reflected a portion of Velgrynd's powers, though Benimaru’s seemed to be an ultimate ability acquired through his own power. 

Ciel said she only slightly helped. 

But this is really… 

The existence value of the Benimaru itself exceeded four million, plus the holding of the "Red Lotus" 

sword will increase it by a million more, this is higher than Ruminas… 

Incidentally, there is no way to deceive the existence value—probably. 

To be more precise, people inside the maze measure existence values with a fairly high accuracy. 

To try to cheat, one would either have to have a mythical-grade weapon hidden behind their back, or place an ‘other body' in some other venue like Velgrynd did. If it was just body splitting, the values would be too small to be seen directly as artifacts. 

If it was outside the labyrinth, it would be easier to fool around, but if you invaded the labyrinth, it would be like sinking your head into the hot springs together, and you would not be able to escape Ramiris' 'identification'. 

Ramiris is great at this kind of detail, alongside her regrettable aspects. 

In short, they don’t understand what they can and can't do. 

The reason why it is possible to identify it in this way is because someone said in a chat that "it would be nice if we could measure the value correctly.” 

The one who asked this was probably Shinji, and Ramiris, who heard it, and replied, ‘I can do it!’ 

It is said that the entire space was surrounded by subtlety at the time. 

Everyone was probably thinking, ‘Couldn't you have said that earlier?’ 

If only it had been done that way sooner, it would have been possible to measure the existence value of not only Ruminas, but even Guy and Velzado… 

Also, if Dino hadn't been taken lightly and was measured because he was a guest and research partner, it would have been possible to find out how powerful he was that he couldn't have imagined just by his appearance. 

…only that it would be pointless to measure but not to be sure that the other person would betray. Just a little more vigilance may not have helped in this case. 

That aside, although the measured values are reference values, it is useful to use the existence value as one of the indicators of strength. 

This way, you can be sure that Benimaru will not fall behind even if he is competing with the "Three Admirals" or Dino. 

Even among the Super Awakened (millions) class, they are in the upper ranks and are very reliable as my helpers. 

There was just one thing that mattered anyway. 

“If I remember correctly, if a monster has a child, doesn't that make it weaker?” 

"Yes. Generally speaking, the amount of magicules is drastically reduced.” 

"Then why did you get stronger?" 

"Ahahaha, that's incredible!” 

Ah, what a refreshing smile. 

But don’t just try to smile and muddle through. 

"What the hell is going on?” 

"I don't know! It's also something that Souei is always pestering me about it, which bothers me.” 

Yeah, I'm not the only one interested? 

If this problem can be solved, it will be good news for the monsters. 

The number of people and monsters getting married was relatively high, but I hadn't heard much about people suffering from weakening… But the higher up in the hierarchy the monsters affected were, the greater the impact would be, so this was something that would need to be resolved someday. 

“Let me know if you know anything.” 

"Got it. Then I'll replace with Souei." 

Leaving one question unresolved ended the interview with Benimaru. 

***

Souei stepped in, replacing Benimaru.

After taking his seat face to face, I grumbled to Souei. 

“I'm talking about you. Don't tease Benimaru too much.” 

"Heh, that guy's been a late bloomer in strange places since before. In my humble opinion, if we don't get straight to the point, he'll just keep on grumbling.” 

Woah, that's a good point. 

After all, Benimaru had said that there was no way to evolve without a successor, and it was understandable that Souei would be worried. 

"Well, let's leave it at that. And then there's the thought about your evolution…” 

Souei was influenced by the Benimaru's Evolution. 

Name: Souei [EP: 1,281,162] 

Race: “Fair Oni", medium divine spirit - dark spirit 

Blessing: Shadow of the King 

Title: Dark Shinobi 

Magic: <Dark Spirit Magic> 

Ability: The ultimate skill “Moonshadow Lord Tsukuyomi” 

Resistance: physical attack invalid, natural influence invalid, state anomaly invalid, mental attack resistance 

Hmmm, very strong. 

Resistance on all fronts is also very good. 

If you want to defeat Souei, you can only use the sacred attacks or the sacred sword skills, or an ultimate skill. 

Souei's abilities were given to the 'King of Moonshadow' by Ciel, and they were rich and varied, including 'Thought Acceleration - Universal Perception - Eye of the Moon - One-hit Kill - Overdrive - 

Spiritual Operation - Parallel Existence - Space Operation - Multiple barriers'. 

"Hey, is it true that you can even use 'parallel existence’?" 

I was so surprised that I couldn't help but ask, and Souei replied calmly. 

“Yes, it's not possible to have as many of them at the same time as Velgrynd-sama, but I'm confident enough to be useful even if there is only one.” 

That, indeed, is something to be confident about. 

One alone is enough. 

In that case, even Souei was infinitely close to being indestructible… However, the one that deserved special mention was the 'eye of the moon', right? 

With this, shadows can be manipulated at will, and various things can be done without the other party noticing, and the scope of influence is wide, so that the whole town is under the influence. Not only for intelligence-gathering-specific capabilities, but also for assassination. 

“Souei's skill is my masterpiece, and to recreate the ninja in my memory, I have filled in the ninja elements with Souei’s wish.” 

I would also like to say that this skill can be rich, but the original reason is this. 

The highlight of this "Moon's eye" is that it can be used even in the "split body". Souei can send a "split body" to each place and share information with the "eye of the moon", so that you can access information from all over the world through the "thought transmission". 

I totally get why this is self-confidence at work. 

This power really gets more and more powerful the more you hear it. 

It's like a superior version of my spying magic, "Argos". With the ability to monitor the world and visualize the accompanying sound, he has become an all-powerful and trustworthy man. 

In the future, we will also continue to hand all our spying activities to Souei. 

“Well, then you are given the new title of Lord of Darkness and will continue to lead the Shadow Squad in the service of our nation.” 

“Yes, sir! All actions are for Lord Rimuru!” 

Not for me, but for our country…forget it. 

"I'll leave it to you, then.” 

I comforted the Souei for a while. 

There was about an hour after that, talking to Souka about whether there were any grievances, and how they were doing and such. 

The five of them, their existence values seems to have grown to nearly 200,000, while Souka's own existence value reached 260,189 which is already quite high, considered to be a former demon lord’s deputy officer level. She is also considered to be able to fight with the upper ranks of this level. 

In this fight, her strength has improved greatly. 

Combat was the best training, as I had heard Souei say. 

But one thing to be aware of is not to think that what you can do, others can do as well. 

Everyone has their own personality and is different in what they are good at or not good at. 

Souei was indeed very capable, but he could not impose the same amount of work on his subordinates, as that would make even the best people lose their motivation. 

“Isn't it only natural to give our all for Lord Rimuru?” 

Well, not quite right. 

“Don't you see, if that's what you think, no one will come after you after that? It's also the responsibility of the supervisor to value your subordinates more and think of ways to make them work more effectively and happily.” 

Sure enough, only by giving meaning to the other person's work will someone follow. 

Of course, it's work after all, and fun alone won't hold up. 

Even so, I think a sense of accomplishment is important. 

The joy of reaching your goals cannot be gained if you are always given an absurd amount of work. 

What's more, if forcing yourself to finish once and giving yourself more work the next time… 

Then even I have the confidence to be angry. 

Things like “just do it,” this will fall on your own head later, except that Souei always gets it done. The end result might be blaming yourself, or perhaps become sick or get a heart disease. 

I was worried that this would happen. 

"So that's it. I must use my tools with more care, right?” 

"Don't call a companion a tool. Truly, it's important to keep glory in one's work, but it's not mandatory. 

If you, as a supervisor, can show recognition for the work of your subordinates, they will be very happy.” 

“…So it seems. Indeed, I myself regard Lord Rimuru's praise as the greatest joy.” 

Hmmm, should I say he’s too serious or too heavy? 

"Anyway, how about taking this opportunity to have a party with your men?” 

"Got it. It is also the responsibility of the boss to control the mood of his subordinates, so I will take care of them more thoroughly in the future.” 

"Remember to take advantage of the situation.” 

Anyway, for the time being, I'm conveying to him what I care about. 

After that. 

A letter of thanks was received from Souka. 

Tears of joy permeated the letter, and I felt satisfied that I had done a good thing. 

***

The next person to be interviewed was Gabil, who came after dinner.

"Hohohoho! Because of Lord Rimuru's summons, I, Gabi,l have come to visit!” 

Today—or rather, tonight—Gabil was full of energy too. 

I told him it was nighttime and to be quiet and sit down. 

After Shuna serves tea, I get to the point. 

"You've been a great help this time. It's because of your efforts that everyone came back alive, it's really thanks to you that you were able to hold out until the end, and personally, I have you to thank for that!” 

Not from the standpoint of the nation, as my personal expression of gratitude to Gabil. If Gabil doesn't hold out, there will be quite a few casualties. 

"Ah, Lord Rimuru! That's the only thing that makes me emotional.” 

Gabil suddenly burst into tears. 

I was so impressed that I didn't go to throw cold water on it. I waited for Gabil to calm himself down. 

"It goes without saying that I was able to win, and it's all thanks to Lord Rimuru that I survived. That voice—I was convinced after hearing Lord Gedora's whisper—that was Lord Rimuru's voice, wasn't it?" 

Ah, well, it was the sound of Ciel's voice that was heard. 

"Hmm? Well, sort of.” 

It's troublesome to explain, and since Ciel's existence is my trump card, it's better not to publicize it, so let's go along with Gabil's misunderstanding. 

"Yes! I understand that I cannot win without that power. Since I'm always reminded not to get carried away, even if I'm wrong, I don't take credit for it.” 

The tone of voice was high and the expression on Gabil's face was very subdued, which I think is what he really meant. 

“You're growing.” 

"Yes! I am very grateful for this assessment…” 

As with the flow just now, Gabil cried again. 

I couldn't wipe it off with a handkerchief anymore, so I handed the towel over. 

Gabil is still this virtuous, but his growth has also been amazing. 

Name: Gabil [EP: 1,263,824] 

Race: “Dragonewt" Medium Divine Water Spirit 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Dragon Lord" 

Magic: <Dark Spirit Magic> 

Ability: the ultimate skill “King of the Mind (mood maker)" 

Inherent skills: "Magic Sense - Super Sense - Dragon Scale Armored - Black Breath of Inflammation - 

Black Thunder Breath 

Resistances: pain invalidation, state anomaly resistance, natural influence resistance, physical attack resistance, spiritual attack resistance, divine attack resistance Unknowingly, he had reached an intensity that could rival Souei. 

Gabil's ultimate gift, “Mind King,” is the masterpiece of Ciel. 

The ability will not be low just because it is not acquired on its own, it is precisely because Gabil has the adaptability to acquire this power. 

The five main powers are "Thinking Acceleration, Fate Change, Unexpected Operation, Space Operation, and Multiple Boundaries", and if you can fully control the overflowing power, you can also learn "Demon Lord Haki". 

One of the most powerful is the "change of fate,” which is limited to once a day, but has the potential to change the battlefield against an opponent who is stronger than himself. 

This…what would happen if someone other than Gabil learned it? 

If it was Diablo who obtained this 'change of fate,’ he would probably be the undisputed strongest. 

Thinking about it this way, it feels like Gabil is a pretty good guy too. 

What particularly shocked me was how it looked in that battle. 

Gabil, who dried his tears, told me about the part of the battle he was proud of… 

"Thus the enemy's spear came so close to my face that I laughed and fired it!" 

This, this is it. 

Gabil's weapon was a special-grade magical weapon, the Water Vortex Spear, which was heard to be the secret treasure of the Lizardman race, but it was only special-grade. 

However, that water vortex spear bounced off the mythical-grade Green Dragon Spear, which I thought was some kind of joke. 

"Looks like poor performance can't sway victory or defeat, goohahahahahaha!” 

Why is Gabil able to laugh out loud like that, I think it's obviously going left and right. 

If the weapon is Legendary class, even a hundred steps back, it's not that you can't forcefully accept it, but if the opponent is Mythic class, it won't work. 

All that can be thought of is the possibility that… 

It's possible that Gabil unconsciously applied his skills to the water vortex spear. Presumably, it is precisely because there is a polarizing level of power protecting it that the spear is not broken. 

Indeed, it seems to be so. 

Gabil would have been awesome in that regard as well. 

He's actually a hard worker because of his usual words and actions. 

And a jack-of-all-trades who can study, fight, and do everything. 

His future activity is also something to look forward to. 

"Regarding the water vortex spear, could you leave it with me for a while? I want to ask Kurobee to renew it.” 

“What is it?” 

"That is, to let the experience of the weapon be inherited and to bring it back to life. The materials are scheduled to be supplied with divine steel, so isn’t it possible for it to evolve to mythical level as well?” 

Although divine Steel was still rare, it was not a waste to give it to Gabil. 

It was my sincere wish to strengthen Gabil's weapon as a reward for this battle and to enable him to endure more brutal battles in the future. 

If Gabil is unwilling to modify the weapons handed down from ancestor to ancestor, then I’ll think of something else. 

"Please, please, please!” 

Gabil cried out again and handed me the spear. 

In this way, the direction of the weapon's transformation is also targeted, and Gabil will become stronger. 

If identified with the master by the mythic level, the existence value also increases. Gabil himself could become a semi-spiritual lifeform, and resistance should increase accordingly. 

Gabil's men, the "Heavenly Flying Crowd", now have an average presence of over 120,000. It is said that 200,000 of them are in the upper echelon and it is hoped that they will continue to support Gabil in the future. 

Thus, the interview ended without a hitch, despite Gabil's tears. 

***

Late at night.

In a private room in a special members-only store. 

Reclining in the same seat as the elven sisters, Geld and I made good face-to-face. 

"How's it going?” 

"In good shape. I'm used to this power and won't break the cup again.” 

Geld said with this smile, deftly sipping his wine. 

Being held in such a large hand, an ordinary sized cup also looks like a small wine goblet. 

"Well, I didn't call you here today for anything else. It's also meant to comfort you, so drink it up.” 

"I'm grateful. I feel unparalleled happiness to hear Lord Rimuru say such things.” 

The normally cool looking Geld could tell by the look in his eyes and excitement that this was what he was thinking from the bottom of his heart. 

I nodded and toasted with Geld. 

After listening to Geld's tirade, I moved on to another topic. 

"Actually, there's something I'd like to say that might be a little rude to you, okay?” 

"Whatever it is, I don't think Lord Rimuru is being rude to me.” 

No, no, I'm also a little slow to point out, if I care, that there is a saying, "He who speaks without listening intends. 

I said to the girls in elementary school, "No, let's not. That's more than black history, and I've grown since then.” 

Up until now I was not subtle enough to be thoughtful, but I also struggled with it daily, warning myself from time to time not to say annoying things. 

Let's not think for a moment about whether this approach has yielded results. 

Anyway, Geld gave the go-ahead, so I'll just talk about it. 

"Then as I said, it's okay to just say no if it's not.” 

Having said the opening, I'd like to make a suggestion to Geld. 

The content is about whether or not to accept the 'ability to change' from Ciel. 

Ciel-sensei's presence has to be hidden, so I tried to ask myself ''Can you fiddle with your skills?' 

Then, without hesitation, Geld answered 'Yes'. 

"I think it's because I am this way, I’ve even worried Rimuru-sama. If I can become strong, I don't need to ask you anymore.” 

Geld drained his glass of wine in one gulp. 

It wasn't an agreement because there was no way around it, it was an indefensible declaration of acceptance that Geld rightfully arrived at by his own determination. 

I nodded as I poured the wine for Geld. 

Name: Geld [EP: 2,378,749] 

Race: “Orc King" 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Barrier Lord" 

Spell: Recovery Magic 

Ability: The ultimate skill “Gourmet King Beelzebub” 

Resistances: pain invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, natural influence resistance, physical attack resistance, spiritual attack resistance, divine attack resistance After Geld accepted my proposal, the waiting Ciel did it immediately. 

This is the power of "Thinking Acceleration, Magical Sense, Demon King Haki, Super Speed Regeneration, Predation, Stomach Pockets, Isolation, Needs, Supplies, Corroded Food, Iron Wall, Guardianship, Substitute Service, Space Operation, Multiple Barriers, Super Smell, Full Body Armor", which has the power and is a slight degradation of my "King of Gluttony" and is composed of various other skills. 

By empowering the subordinates with “protection grant,” the entire defense can be formed. 

Geld was also personally able to share the damage received by his companions by using the 'Iron Wall' 

and 'Substitute Service'. 

Corrosion is an offensive and defensive skill that by no means focuses on guarding, but is also valuable on the offensive side of the game. It's a good idea for Geld, who is specializing in guarding, to make the most of this ability, which is so unique to him. 

It's not just the skill that deserves special mention, Geld himself is outstanding. 

After upgrading Geld's defensive gear to Mythical level, it could be said that it became the same existence as Geld's own flesh and blood. As with the monsters' clothes, they can be reproduced at will according to Geld's heart. 

It's the same with the Meat Crusher weapon, as if even if it were destroyed it would immediately create a new one. After being repaired by Kurobee, the weapon is said to have left a memory of being in that state. 

Honestly, it just seems like a cheat. 

In any case, by acquiring weapons, Geld's existence value has grown substantially and the base is very adequate. Coupled with the acquisition of the 'King of Gourmet', Geld's strength was already overwhelmingly strong in front of Souei and Gabil. 

The current Geld should be able to buy time even with the "Three Admirals" as his opponent. Trying to defeat the defensive Geld without a super powerful blow is difficult. 

"I'll have to ask you to do this again.” 

"That's encouraging. And I will continue to do whatever it takes to protect everyone.” 

After telling him that I would need his help in the future as well, Geld and I both smiled. 

***

I went back to my little room.

Thinking about the meeting tomorrow. 

The meeting had only started today from dusk, so there were only five people to meet. 

Since everyone was busy too, I couldn’t spend days. 

In addition to the remaining nine of the Twelve Patrons, there were several others who wanted to have a conversation. 

At least with Apito, there was a need for an interview at the request of Ciel. 

As if out of a desperate desire to fiddle with her skills. 

I feel too faithful to desire some of that, but can't deny that it will serve everyone well. There was no reason I had to stop Ciel either, so I intend to keep at it tomorrow as well. 

Shuna intended the same and I let her make arrangements for the reservations. 

The instructions to postpone have been conveyed to Diablo and Shion, and I think we should be able to end tomorrow without a hitch. 

The meetings seemed to have been going on for a long time. 

I've received some reports, but there's also the question of whether I should be involved, so until I've finished talking to the people of the Empire, I'm going to stay out of it and wait and see what happens. 

However, the presence of Velgrynd was one of the reasons why the meeting couldn't end, the current seventy levels had an atmosphere that no one could approach. 

Veldora, for example, had long since panicked and fled back to his room, and I was slightly disturbed. 

Being apart from Velgrynd didn't take long, but I cared about what kind of experience she had accumulated… 

All in all, one can only wait for the attitude given over there. 

In the meantime, I’ll just keep doing what I'm supposed to do. 

As I was engrossed in my thoughts, I suddenly noticed an aura. 

From my shadow, Ranga suddenly showed his head above the tip of his nose and stared at me. 

"Wow, that scared me! Isn't this Ranga, waking up smoothly?” 

I happily turned human and touched Ranga's head and ears. 

The next moment Ranga showed a happy then lost expression, dropping his ears. 

"What's wrong with you? Are you in a bad mood?” 

I was worried about whether it was a failure of evolution or not, but it doesn't seem that way. 

"Master, I didn't make it to the battle because I overslept…” 

“What? That's it!?” 

"I don't know how to apologize, but I'm the reason they missed out on the opportunity to be active.” 

That's true, but it can't be helped. 

Compared to that, Ranga had already evolved smoothly, and it was enough to be able to do something big in the future. 

"The hobgoblins are so active with their chores and stunts at parties that no one will complain about you Ranga, so don't worry.” 

"My lord, I'm grateful to hear you say that." 

Ranga came to the floor with a "Coo" sound from his throat, and rubbed his face against mine as if he was pampering me. 

So I rubbed his fur, enjoying the long-forgotten fuzziness. 

Now, back to the main point. 

It was a rare opportunity to confirm Ranga's status. 

Name: Ranga [EP: 4,340,084] 

Race: “Divine Wolf,” upper divine spirit - wind spirit wolf 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Star Lord" 

Magic: <Wind Spirit Magic> 

Ability: Ultimate skill, “Stellar Wind Lord Hastur” 

Resistances: physical attack invalid, natural influence invalid, state anomaly invalid, spiritual attack resistance, divine attack resistance Ah, Ranga's race also carries divinity. 

Just now, I was so concerned, it seems like it's all better than the indigenous gods that are believed in in the borderlands, is that okay? 

With the exception of Souei, who may be treated as Benimaru’s submissive spirit, it's as if a race carries divinity if the existence value exceeds two million. 

Not sure, but that's how I felt. 

"A few more examples are needed, but this perception should be correct.” 

Hmmm. 

After all, an existence value worth more than a million is a "saint", and if it exceeds two million, it may become a "god". It is not the same as the conceptual "god", but it is a powerful symbol that can be trusted. 

The value of Ranga's existence actually exceeds four million. 

This is rivaled to Benimaru without his Taishou, in what is a terrifying evolution. 

"Very impressive, Ranga!" 

"Hahahaha, it's all thanks to the master.” 

According to Ranga, it's all thanks to bathing in my shadow. 

There has always been a magical element absorbed in my shadow, so his evolution seems to have gone very smoothly as well. 

And there just seemed to be a flash of awesome power. That’s what the ultimate skill “Stellar Wind Lord Hastur” is. 

Then there is no doubt about this… 

<<Correct, it's me doing a little bit of minor work.>> Sure enough. 

It wasn't a gift, it was Ranga's own power, but how could Ciel not intervene? 

But well, since it's an ability that matches Ranga's, so I don't have any complaints. 

This power consists of seven types of "Thinking Acceleration, Universal Perception, Demon Lord Haki, Weather manipulation, Sound and Wind manipulation, Space manipulation, and Multiple Barriers", which are completely different levels of power. 

I can understand the extent of this superpower, which is capable of controlling even the weather. 

An ability that is indeed commensurate with Ranga. 

I’m starting to worry about whether or not Gobta could handle Ranga. 

***

It's time to work.

Although I played with Ranga without sleeping, I'm in very good health. 

The first one to come over was Nine-Tailed Kumara. 

Her first words spoken after greeting me were, 

"I heard Ranga-sama's complacent boast that it was Rimuru-sama who could modify our skills. In any case, I hope you can give me new powers.” 

The young female posture of Kumara adorably made a request. 

Ranga's abilities were acquired by himself, but he seemed to have exaggerated the help he received. 

Actually, I think he should praise himself more, but for some reason Ranga keeps bragging that he got my help. 

It wasn't me who helped, but Ciel, only that was a secret, so I nodded ambiguously. 

All right, so what do we do now? 

<<Let’s do it.>> 

I knew you'd say that. 

Facing Ciel, who had no intention at all of feeling sorry for herself, it was disconcerting to entrust her with the aftermath…As long as there are enemies, all measures that can be taken should be completed. 

"Well, you're mostly on your own, but I’ll take a look.” 

Even for Ciel, what can't be done still can't be done. 

Skills that don't fit Kumara's skills cannot be gifted. 

After getting a response, it was left to Ciel. 

Name: Kumara [EP: 1,899,944] 

Race: Heavenly Star Nine-Tailed Spirit. Upper-tier Earth Monster Spirit Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Chimeric Lord." 

Magic: "Earth Spirit Magic 

Ability: Ultimate skill “Mythical Beast Lord Bahamut" 

Inherent skill: "Beast Demon Control - Beast Demon Unity 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, natural influence resistance, spiritual attack resistance, divine attack resistance It took some time and seemed to work. 

Kumara was given the ultimate skill “Mythical Beast Lord Bahamut", which includes six powers: 

You are reading story Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (LN) at novel35.com

"Thinking Acceleration - Universal Perception - Demon Lord’s Haki - Gravity manipulation - Space manipulation - Multiple barriers". 

She can even interfere with planets, seemingly manipulating a wide range of gravity. 

The race of the Kumara had also changed. 

The nine-tailed beast evolved into the Heavenly Star Nine-Tailed Spirit. 

The nine-heads turned into nine-tails, which sounded like it had weakened, but it wasn't. Having previously led eight demonic beasts, and now just one head, meant that the Kumara could achieve complete dominance by her own consciousness. 

Like the original, eight of the nine tails of the Nine-Tailed Kumara boarded the consciousness of the monster beast, so it was still possible to assign the free consciousness to the ministry. 

At that time, it was possible to isolate eight magic beasts with an existence value of approximately 200,000, but even so, Kumara still had an existence value of over a million. 

The value of the subordinate presence is a multiple of the isolated value, which, when viewed in this way, is clearly substantially enhanced. 

Although she does not possess divinity, her existence value without relying on equipment has also reached nearly two million, and there is a feeling that it is only one step away from evolution. 

As with Geld, she’s the earth attribute. 

As a semi-spiritual lifeform, the earth spirit beast has an excellent match with gravity to operate this skill. 

In terms of specifications, Kumara, which unites all the demons and beasts, can be ranked among the 

“Twelve Patrons.” 

But unfortunately, there is still a lack of experience. 

The only ones who could win the fight would be Adalman and Gabil. 

However, the prospect was certain, and Kumara was full of possibilities. 

Still a toddler, her future growth is something to look forward to. 

***

What followed was the duo of Apito and Zegion.

Zegion stayed out of the room first, with only Apito coming in. 

It's actually okay for the two to be together, it's a personal interview in name only, but Zegion chooses to comply anyway. 

Sitting down face to face, Apito handed me a package. 

"Lord Rimuru, this is the honey that was just collected." 

"Oh, oh, thank you!” 

I couldn't help but be happy. 

This honey can be used as a panacea and is really amazingly delicious. 

It's the same thing that tamed Milim, and it’s very famous among the ministry. 

Because of this, honey became a highly popular commodity. 

I laughed and tucked the package into my arms. 

I'm not a man who will give in to a bribe, but I'll still be gentle with the yuppies. 

As for Apito's current state. 

Name: Apito [EP: 775,537] 

Race: Star Wasp. Medium Divine Spirit - "Wind Spirit Bee" 

Blessing: Zegion's Blessing 

Title: "Insect Queen" 

Ability: Unique skill “Queen of Worship Valkyrie” 

Resistances: pain ineffectiveness, physical attack resistance, natural influence resistance, state anomaly resistance, mental attack resistance For an ordinary adventurer, it should be impossible to defeat her. 

Apito's strength has long surpassed that of the former demon lords, and although she is still one step away from the Special S class that our country has identified, she should be stronger than the old awakened Clayman. 

Also, according to Apito, the ‘Queen of Worship' can create nine insect-type majin. 

They are still in the state of a chrysalis, but it seems that majin with considerable power will be born. 

"In that case, let's celebrate.” 

"That's great! I beseech you to give them a name.” 

A name. 

“Yeah…" 

I try to avoid answering directly, and want to change the subject. 

“‘Naming' is dangerous, so…" 

<<No problem, I've learned to fully master the skills to eliminate the danger.>> 

Learned…… 

That’s right, it was the same with Charys back then. 

I can't help it. 

It's a bit of a hassle to come up with nine "names", and I would have avoided it… 

“Reichi, Reni, Resan, Reyon, Rego, Reroku, Renana, Rehachi, Rekyuu—how about this? (***Didn’t fully understand this translation so I couldn’t get it exactly right, but I think Rimuru basically put numbers together in a sequence to make obvious names) Don't ask me, I’m just doing it. 

Although it's just a combination of number variations, I still hope you're okay with it. 

I don't know if the majin are male or female, so I'll just assign them the appropriate names once they're born. 

“Well! My children were so happy to feel Lord Rimuru's loving kindness, too!” 

"Hey, can you know that too?” 

"Of course, I'm connected with those kids.” 

The children born of their own skills are given orders through the 'insect domination', and the speed of communication is only a split second, and unlike the 'Thought Communication', there is a clear order of priority. 

I hear you, but let's leave that alone for now. 

Ciel has been so noisy since just now. 

“What a surprise. I was just asking for permission to change my abilities.” 

I know. 

It was as if Ciel wanted to change Apito's skills so badly that she was hungry for more. 

In fact, if you want to, you can force me or Apito to do it, even without my permission, because I have the authority of the higher power over those who have a connection to the "Soul Corridor". 

But that was only for emergencies, and now it was the usual, and it seemed impossible to do it without my permission just to be considerate of me. 

What's more, Apito is in Zegion's genealogy, which in my case counts as a secondary dependency, and it's still easier to contact a slightly weaker one and get permission to do it. 

By this time all this came to mind, I asked about Apito. 

"On the other hand, what do you say I can help you redirect your power if I can?” 

"What do you mean?” 

"Mmm. There are also evolutionary possibilities in your skills—in a nutshell, one is to continue to be the queen of the insects as you are now, as the commander type who is served by her dependents. The other is the hero type who leads her dependents in battle herself. The difference is simple, the commander will retain power to create the insects, while the hero will not have that power, and in lieu of that, physical abilities will be strengthened and skills will be strengthened towards the combat side. 

I directly conveyed the words of Ciel, which would reveal that it was precisely because there were two possibilities that Ciel did not force a revision. 

It's up to the Apito to make the choice, otherwise the true power of the skill cannot be used. 

"Of course, you can also choose not to change anything." 

After hearing what I said, Apito immediately asked back rhetorically. 

"If I choose the heroic type, will I be able to have children?" 

Why do you ask? 

<<Although the power of "Birth of Dependant" in the "Queen's Worship" will be lost, the ability to reproduce in addition to the skill will be preserved and will not affect the conception of a successor.>> "It's just that you can't create dependents through the skill. It doesn't affect the birth of children.” 

"I see, then there's no problem. Now that my children have acquired the skill of 'Birth of a Dependant', they will be able to produce an army exactly as I want them to as an army of the Queen.” 

Really? Apito has already given a part of her power to the dependents. 

So, Apito's answer was… 

"I, for one, am willing to lead the charge!" 

Apito's answer was what I thought it would be. 

Ciel, who had waited half a day, immediately sprang into action. 

<<Skill modification of Apito is a success, and the unique skill "Queen Worship" evolves into the ultimate skill “Queen of Worship Valkyrie.”>> It really took just a moment. 

I don't know if it was analyzed early, but it was done in less than a second. 

“After you're done, go back and make sure you practice your skills.” 

Queen Worship and "Worship of the Queen" are skills that are enhanced by choosing and choosing from the original "Worship of the Queen", including the powers of "Thinking Acceleration, Magic Sense, Super Sense, Insect Domination, Army Command, Super Speed Action, Death Attack, Space manipulation, Multiple Barriers. 

It's just a matter of strengthening the power that she already has, so I'm sure Apito won't feel any dissonance, even if I don't say so she'll still practice. 

"I am thankful for the great good fortune that hides in my heart this supreme joy, that I may once again swear my loyalty to Lord Rimuru.” 

With that said, Apito fell to her knees. 

I nodded generously, and the interview with Apito ended there. 

***

Apito went out and switched with Zegion who came in.

Instead of sitting on the couch, Zegion politely sat in a wooden chair. 

It was obvious that he was already the strongest in the maze, but he was still so thoughtful. Zegion seemed to be thinking meticulously to prevent his exoskeleton from breaking the leather couch. 

That being said, Zegion has done a really good job. 

Zegion was already a high-spec existence, and even before awakening, he was an influential character who formed the double wall of the Jura Tempest Federation with Diablo. 

Compared to the other “Twelve Patrons,” there was a clear gap in strength, and this time the evolutionary power had made him even stronger. Looking at the battle records, it seems that Dino was defeated with Zegion’s strength still hidden. 

It's horrifying. 

Honestly, it's a good thing that this guy’s on our side. 

"Zegion, you did a great job this time. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't woken up in time." 

"You're flattering me. Even the time I woke up was in Lord Rimuru's calculations, right?" 

How is that possible!? 

"Come on, even though I knew Dino was suspicious, I just didn't think he would strike when the defense was at its weakest." 

"Oh-ho-ho, so I see. It was in anticipation of this that I woke up.” 

That’s why I didn’t expect that to happen!! 

Speaking of which, I didn't even know that Velgrynd existed—no, that's not true, I did know, but I just didn't think she'd come straight over here. 

Otherwise, I wouldn't have run off with the executives to negotiate directly with the Emperor. 

This strategy was initially a complete loss, and it was only with good luck that I survived it and everything succeeded. But no matter how I explain it, Zegion just gives me credit. 

I've given up. 

"Anyway, I’m grateful for your help.” 

"No, I'm not much. Rimuru-sama would have killed Dino with a blow that crossed space and time even if I didn’t come out, right? I'm just responding to the opportunity you've given me to be active… 

What the hell are you talking about? A shot at hyperspace?? How could that be done… What kind of monster am I in this guy's eyes!? 

"Ah, well, yeah… Maybe, it can be done…” 

“Yes! It would be a breeze for Lord Rimuru.” 

Zegion enthusiastically affirmed my powerless reply. 

This was beyond the level of deep respect and I felt like I was being watched with a reverence to god. 

Actually, since Zegion has compound eyes, all this is just my imagination… 

Renewing my spirit, I continued the interview with Zegion. 

I heard the insights into the fight with Dino directly from the mouth of Zegion. 

I had expected Dino to be thoroughly successful in escaping, but that was not the case, in fact, Zegion had expected that he would escape and carved a mark in him. 

It’s a terrible thing that holds the power of life and death. 

To even do something like that…how far has Zegion evolved? 

Name: Zegion [EP: 4,988,856] 

Race: Water Insect God. Upper-tier Divine Monster Spirit 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Mist Lord" 

Magic: "Water Spirit Magic 

Ability: Ultimate skill “Illusion King Mephisto” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance Feh!?!? 

I almost made a strange noise. 

The numbers Ciel reported far exceeded my expectations. 

Of course, Zegion also had divinity, and with an existence value of nearly five million, there was now another surprisingly high value next to Benimaru. 

His attribute is water, but according to Ciel he seems to have the spatial attribute as well. 

Now a semi-spiritual lifeform with superior resistance, not only does he not have weaknesses, but his skills were also pure. 

Undoubtedly powerful. 

Zegion seems to be able to condense the water molecules in the atmosphere, constructing temporary bodies. 

The lifeform magic steel I gave him has evolved into a dense ultimate metal, and it is this metal that possesses the fantasy nature that makes such a thing possible. 

Zegion's obsession with his exoskeleton should be because it is the appearance I originally crafted. If it wasn't for that, it would probably have been stripped off and he’d be a full-fledged spiritual lifeform. 

It is also a pleasure to see him be able to take such an interest and use it. 

What's more, it is strong enough for the close combat specialization of Zegion. 

After all, becoming a full spiritual being without a physical body would be meaningless in close combat, so perhaps it should be said that this form is now the completed one? 

<<That’s right! And now Zegion is exactly the best masterpiece that master and I have ever created together! Although the teaching was given by Veldora, many of the key points were given by me to guide him with knowledge, so you don’t have to worry.>> Well, basically I don't understand the meaning, right? 

Ignoring my bewilderment, Ciel was smugly boasting herself. 

Zegion dominates the “water element" and is especially strong where there is water. 

The world’s atmosphere is also laden with moisture, so for Zegion, all places on the planet are battlegrounds in his favor… 

Additionally, a creature's flesh is mostly made up of water, and the fact that Zegion could manipulate that water was enough to see how strong Zegion was. 

About sixty-five percent of human flesh is water, so to be hostile to Zegion is clearly suicide. 

But what Zegion is really good at is yet to be said. 

Zegion's ultimate skill, 'King of Illusion', contained high performance powers such as 'Thinking Acceleration, Universal Perception, Demon Lord Haki, Torpedo Control, Time and Space manipulation, Multi-Dimensional Barrier, Morroworld, Spiritual Control, Illusion World', and there were some more powerful powers in it, but none of them were the “marking” used on Dino. 

That skill is called "The End of Dreams". 

This so-called engraving is actually a technique created by Zegion. 

With this move, even Yuuki's 'ability blocking' could be broken through, and to fight against it, one had to have strong willpower, but it would be very difficult to be stronger than Zegion in this regard. 

"The End of Dreams" and is a combination of the three powers of "Torpedo Control, Spiritual Control and Illusion World". 

Zegion's 'illusion world' can create situations that are beneficial to him, and he can become almost invincible in that environment, like the kind of power that belongs to the 'world system', which seem to be very rare. 

Even I don't have it, so no wonder it's so strong. 

<<I can prepare it for you if you want?>> 

“………” 

I don't know how to answer that question, so let's just ignore it. 

Now we're talking about "The End of Dreams". 

After using this skill, if the subject takes actions that do not match the caster’s intent, it is possible to kill them immediately. However, because it is not possible restrict the opponent in great detail such as behavior, the opponent can still move fairly freely. 

In situations like this one, Dino is still free to act as long as he doesn't go against Zegion's wishes. 

"So, how does that marking work?” 

"Yes, I don't need to do anything on my end. Just the moment Dino makes a move, it will activate.” 

Zegion's engraving is an unmanaged, auto-controlled type that Zegion can detect when it's activated, and ignore it entirely except for that. 

And the key to the activation lies in Dino's actions, that is to say, aiming "killing intent" on my companions. 

The moment he decides who to kill, the engraving would go and destroy Dino's core, and even spiritual lifeforms could not escape from this spell. 

However, this is limited to Dino's conscious actions, so if he goes out without knowing if he was my companion or not, it will not cause the engraving to start. 

I can't say I'm absolutely relieved, but if the town is attacked indiscriminately with killing intent, it will be judged to be triggered, which should be enough to keep Dino at bay. 

It's a good thing Zegion was able to impose such a horrible restriction on Dino, who had an ultimate skill. 

"That's great, Zegion. Even the threat was removed.” 

“Thank you very much. I'm not experienced enough to be complimented by Lord Rimuru, but I feel a surge of enthusiasm inside.” 

Are you serious?? 

Charys, Geld, and Souei were this way. 

And also Beretta. 

Thinking about it this way, there are kinda a lot of serious guys in our group, and Geld and Zegion in particular are especially serious. 

The growth of all these talents was really a threat to the enemy. 

Hopefully they will continue to refine in the future as well and not be careless. 

Anyway, I have understood that the ultimate skill 'King of Ilusion' is a very powerful ability. 

Dino should be unreleasable, but there are no absolutes in the world, and maybe there is some unknown power that can lift it easily. 

Even if that happened, it wouldn't lower my opinion of Zegion, as in situations like that, one can only honestly praise the opponent. 

Honestly, Zegion is really an all-around jack-of-all-trades. 

This time Dino seems to have taken the opportunity to escape, and it was the keen sense of judgment that was the frightening power of Zegion. 

There's no point in just being good at your skills. Being able to use them is the real threat. 

From that point of view, it seems like there's no one else like Zegion, who is close-combat-specialized and super-adaptable in his skills. 

The two complement each other. 

While many tend to play to their strengths to gain abilities, Zegion eliminates his weaknesses to gain abilities, and is skilled and flexible with his skills. 

Stunning. 

There are no more words of praise to be found anymore! 

Zegion's battle sense and skill in adapting to the situation is also top-notch among my men. 

Thinking of it this way, it is understandable that even the veterans of our fighting nation could not win against Zegion. 

Zegion, what a terrifying guy. 

It's no wonder that Ciel calls him the best masterpiece. 

The strength he has shown all along is just the tip of the iceberg. 

I can now confirm the status and authority of my subordinates like this, and it's been a pretty frightening feeling too. 

The title “Mist Lord" was originally given from the point of view of the mysterious, but now it has a meaning as hazy as a fog. 

That’s such an apt description. 

It's also very fitting in terms of attributes. 

Uh, did that mean…Zegion misunderstood the words but his evolutionary direction was set… 

If it turned out that way, Ciel would have surely pointed it out. 

You’d point it out, wouldn’t you? 

<<……Of course!>> 

No way! 

The response was slightly slower, and the pause in the middle made me feel very concerned. 

***

Keeping this suspicion of Mr. Ciel's wastrel tendencies hidden inside, I continued to wait for the interviewer to arrive.

Next up is Adalman. 

"Lord Rimuru, I am truly happy for the opportunity to attend this meeting today, and my gratitude is as great as a flood!” 

This is beyond the levels of serious now. 

I casually coped and let him sit down on the couch. 

It's a waste of time to let this go on. 

This is the mood right now, to forcefully let Adalman sit first. 

"How's it going? How did you feel when you woke up?” 

"Wonderful! I’m full of energy, and the holy energy fills every corner of my body.” 

Adalman said so, while looking like he was glowing a bit. 

Let's make sure it's the way I want it to be… 

Name: Adalman [EP: 877,333] 

Race: Necromancer Spirit. Medium Diving Monster Spirit. Light Spirit. 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Gehenna Lord." 

Magic: “Necromancer Magic," "Holy Magic, 

Ability: The ultimate skill "Book of Magic, Necronomicon” 

Resistances: physical attack invalid, mental attack invalid, state anomaly invalid, natural influence invalid, divine attack resistance I knew it. 

A dead spirit, but also with a light attribute. 

From the looks of it, Adalman was probably the most demon lord-like in appearance, and it felt ironic that he was the light attribute. 

However, Adalman could also change attributes with the special skill ‘holy demonic inversion', so there wasn't much more to say now. 

If you care too much about it, you lose. 

Because there are other things to be aware of. 

His existence value has reached the level of an awakened demon lord, and there are just so many things I have to say about it that it gives me a headache…The biggest problem is that the ultimate skill "Book of Magic" has been given… 

What the hell is this…? 

<<It's From Me.>> 

I don't have to hear it. 

I can't think of anything else, but it's really the result of Ciel's meddling. 

"The best part is that the power given by Lord Rimuru, the Book of Magic, has become the source of my power as a result of wisdom.” 

Adalman recounted excitedly. 

Adalman's "Book of Magic" includes powers such as "Thinking Acceleration - Universal Perception - 

Demon Lord Haki - Chant Annulment - Analysis and Appraisal - All of Creation - Spiritual Destruction - 

Holy Demonic Inversion - Domination of the Dead". 

"Necromancy" and "Divine Magic" can be used without chanting. 

The dominance over the dead and the intensification of their protection made Adalman's army even more formidable. 

Adalman explained this excitedly. 

If you’re happy, then that’s fine. 

I won't say anything unscrupulous. 

<<By the way, this “Book of Magic (Necronomicon)” is the same as the ultimate skill "Book of Magic" 

that was given to Gedora, except only the necessary powers have been added by removing the knowledge unsuitable for Adalman from it.>> Ciel seems like she wants to be praised. 

I’ve also learned that Gedora has also been given this power just now. 

I know it's awesome, but it always feels like there's no way to honestly understand it. 

To put it another way, either Adalman or Gedora are good researchers, and they both seem to be close friends who work together on the study of magic. 

As far as I'm concerned, these two are magic idiots, and since there's no harm in it, let them do their research. It's good to be able to focus on what you like, maybe one day they’ll find out the truth. 

These Book of Magics can complement each other and are also quite suitable for the powers of these two, indeed I also feel that this is the right answer. 

The interview with Adalman is over, but there's still a bit of research to be done here on the status of Albert and Wenti. 

The two of them said they did not dare to expect an interview with me, and they were overwhelmed with fear. 

They said that if they did not earn more, they were not qualified to meet with me. 

Overly reverent and even a little incomprehensible to me. 

What on earth did they all take me for…? 

In short, it's important to grasp the situation of all the subordinates. 

Albert is a servant to Adalman. 

And Wenti is a pet that belongs to Adalman. 

Presumably, these two, if Adalman were to die, would also be destroyed as well. On the flip side, as long as Adalman is okay, they are immortal beings. 

Thus, the exquisite gift given to them through Adalman was successful. 

<<I worked hard>> 

It’s because it’s a hobby, right? 

There is no doubt that Ciel's character is really quite agreeable enough, and it is with that certainty that I listen to the report that follows. 

Name: Albert [EP: 682,639 (+ 600,000 for the "Spirit Sword")] 

Race: Necromancer Spirit. Medium Divine Monster Spirit - Flame Spirit Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Gehenna Paladin" 

Ability: The ultimate skill “Immortal". 

Resistances: physical attack invalid, mental attack invalid, state anomaly invalid, natural influence invalid, divine attack resistance Name: Wenti [EP: 984,142] 

Race: Gehenna Dragon 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Gehenna Dragon King" 

Magic: "Dark Magic", "Necromancy". 

Ability: the ultimate skill “Eternal" 

Resistances: physical attack invalid, mental attack invalid, state anomaly invalid, natural influence invalid, divine attack resistance Under the influence of evolution, their existence values became very high. 

And with increased resistances, they’ve become near-perfect. 

The same goes for Adalman, presumably with the kind of resistance that only someone who has died once can have. 

The powers of the two, though different in name, are the same in content. 

They all include the three powers of "Thinking Acceleration - Complete Regeneration - Subordination Immortality.” There seems to be room for others, but they are still under consideration. 

If Ciel likes you, there will be some problems but I don't think it will go wrong. 

Since their "souls" are kept in Adalman, their flesh seems to be imperishable. 

They will die together with Adalman—which, as I predicted, has the same outcome. 

And Adalman is again undead, which in essence feels arguably invincible. 

What a foul this team is, I can't help but think. 

By the way, there's plenty of room for growth in Albert. 

After all, Mythical class weapon potential is in the millions, and as long as the existence value of Albert continues to rise, he will continue to spark the potential of his equipment. 

That shouldn't be too far away for Albert, who had outstanding sword skills. 

With that anticipation, I watched Adalman and the rest walk out of the room. 

***

After lunch, the interviews continued.

Shion had been well prepared for this long ago. 

"Lord Rimuru, I've kept you waiting. Finally, it's my turn.” 

I didn't wait, but it’s better not to say those words anyway. 

I simply replied, “Hmmm," and sat down face to face with Shion. 

Name: Shion [EP: 4,229,140 (+ 1.08 million for “Gorikimaru")] 

Race: Fighting Oni. Upper tier Divine Monster Spirit 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “War Lord" 

Technique: Shinkenjutsu 

Ability: Unique skill: “Chef” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance With a proud face, Shion explained her power to me. 

All the while I was listening to Ciel's instructions and by and large nothing went wrong. 

The power of Shion is not dependent on skill. 

The weapons of Shion were of Mythical grade, and even if she didn't have an ultimate skill, she could still hurt the holder of an ultimate skill. 

Her flesh alone was enough of a threat, plus the 'infinite regeneration' was a nightmare. 

If you want to fight an endurance (energy consuming) battle, take a look at the existence value of Shion first. It is enough to match the high value of Benimaru, that is to say, the amount of mana is very large, so endurance battles are obviously not a good strategy. 

Her resistance is also perfect. The only way to win is to challenge head-on, which is really only a way to have a little sympathy for Shion's opponents. 

"You've gotten stronger.” 

"Hey, hey, thanks for the compliment, it makes me panicked!” 

You look so happy, so you don't feel any panic. 

However, getting stronger is a fact, and I have nothing to say about it. 

That said, the people in front of me normally had ultimate skills, but Shion only had unique skills, which surprised me a bit. 

Ciel, could it be that Shion has refused? 

<<No, Shion is a crystallization of possibilities, so after looking at it carefully, I think it's enough to do nothing.>> Hmm, quite strong indeed… 

Lately, I've been able to read Ciel’s emotions as well. 

It's mostly intuitive, but it’s basically accurate. 

To believe this feeling would indicate that Ciel is now hesitating about adjusting the skills of Shion. 

<<……Correct.>> 

That's a rarity. 

Asking for reasons, Ciel answered reluctantly. 

The amazing fact is that if the unique skill of Shion is strengthened, it is possible to gain powers sufficient to kill me. 

It was because Ciel felt that this was less than ideal, that the evolution of Shion was sealed. 

It seemed pretty unbelievable for Ciel, the skill cultivator, to make such a decision. 

Although I don't think Shion would be harmful to my intentions, but such a horrifying skill does need to be considered. I do not want to have problems, so I chose to support Ciel's actions. 

After the status was confirmed, I chatted with Shion for a while. 

Listening to Shion flaunt this and that, I appropriately applauded. 

During the battle with the Imperial Army, Shion was very active and occasionally I wanted to listen to her like this and praise her. 

In retrospect, normally I would either be angry at Shion or speechless at her behavior. I know that Shion is working hard and the results are gradually manifesting, even so, the miserable situation when messing up is still too great, and it is inevitable that I want to criticize a couple of things. 

So, it's nice to have a peaceful chat like this after a long time. 

I feel like an old father to Shion, but— 

"By the way, I almost forgot to report that I ran into a depressed Masayuki in the cafeteria…" 

Huh? 

“I thought he was troubled, so I told him I could talk to Lord Rimuru.” 

Why are you so smug!? 

Again without permission! 

She’s always so presumptuous, and it always ripples back to us. 

I don't want to get involved in this… 

After all, the sudden appearance of Velgrynd who was supposed to disappear was surprising. But after calming down and thinking about it, there was undoubtedly only one reason why Velgrynd was here. 

Velgrynd is the only one who made the subdimensional leap in pursuit of Rudra, and the one who will eventually go after him. 

Not to mention, Masayuki and Rudra looked exactly alike. 

With all the conditions put together, even I could have predicted it. 

But… 

Even so, when I think about it, I can't betray Shion's trust in me. 

"Maybe it won't work on the date we meet.” 

One can only push the issue back first. 

However, at this time, Shion replied blandly. 

“Ah, that's no problem! We'll have a meeting early tomorrow morning!” 

No problem, my ass! 

You can't even negotiate beforehand, so instead you just cross over to the interview to have some kind of meeting? 

Masayuki's personal counseling became a must-have. If Shion acts as an intermediary, the problems that arise can’t be underestimated. 

I mean, who will be attending these talks? 

The big question that came out of nowhere made my head hurt so bad. 

The personal interviews were still in progress, but suddenly this happened. 

There's also the fact that I haven’t met with the Demon legion yet, and if I don’t finish today, it probably won’t happen until a few days later. 

If so, the fear is that there will be an uproar… 

"In that case, tell Rigurd and Benimaru to prepare properly!” 

"Got it. I'll leave you to it then!" 

Shion said and went out high and happy. 

Only I was left bruised and hurried to call Diablo and the others over. 

***

Those left to be interviewed were Diablo, Testarossa, Carrera, and Ultima, along with their minions.

It felt a little forced to talk to the whole crew, so it was just too dangerous to do it together. 

"Kufufufufu, is it finally my turn? How anxious I've been waiting for this moment.” 

He was kicked out only yesterday afternoon, but he’s a dramatic guy. 

"You've got to be kidding me, Diablo! The decision hasn’t been made yet, so it's fine for me to meet with Lord Rimuru first!” 

A tattered Carrera is still dead set on Diablo. 

Ultima joins in. 

"Yes! I haven't given up yet.” 

The little girl was scarred too, and looking at her injuries, it felt incredible that she was able to stand. 

Their clothes were also part of them, and since they had not recovered, it meant that they had indeed been quite badly injured. 

But they were still fighting cheerfully. 

The demons are really tenacious. 

"Stop it. It's disrespectful to argue in front of Lord Rimuru." 

Thanks to Testarossa's intervention in mediation, it was finally quiet. 

Still, Testarossa was elegant. 

She prepared tea for me without worrying about the three fighting. Her clothes were not disturbed at all, and she showed a different kind of sophistication. 

"So, Lord Rimuru, the matter of dismissing Diablo and selecting a second secretary, unfortunately, has not yet come to fruition, so what now?” 

I don't think there was such the thing. 

Maybe it was a mistake to leave the demons for the end. 

Even if Shion doesn't take over the extra work, there is still the reporting work with King Gazel to be left, so I want to deal with the troubles first. 

It's too late to think about that, and time is running out, so I must unleash force. 

"Actually, there's not enough time for a slow interview, not to mention calling your men…" 

"It's not necessary.” 

"I don't think it's necessary. It's too much of a luxury for them.” 

"Well, if you need information from your men, we'll report it!" 

"That's right, I’m not going to cut my time short to meet Rimuru-sama…there's no such fool among my men.” 

The four replied with smiles on their faces at the same time. 

"Oh, oh.” 

I have no choice but to answer. 

***

Ciel said that it was not necessary to call all the demons as well.

The reason was that Diablo said they all answered, ‘please do what you want.’ 

It seemed as if he had ignored my wishes, but Ciel had actually grasped it and told me it was for the management department, and I accepted it with a straight face. With that thought in mind, the time is set. 

The first of the four to be interviewed, then, was of course, Diablo. 

Diablo shooed the remaining three out of the room and sat happily across from me. 

Name: Diablo [EP: 6,666,666] 

Race: Demon Peer. The Primordial Black of the Seven Primordials Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Devil Lord." 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic 

Ability: Ultimate skill, “Temptation King Azazel” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance You're, like, so weird. 

The numbers are so neat, it's like telling someone they've made a fake. 

But since Ciel didn't say anything, I was too lazy to pursue it further. 

Sure enough, having said all that, the strongest of my men is still Diablo. His existence value is overwhelming and his resistances are perfect. 

Diablo's 'King of Temptation' has powers such as 'Thinking Acceleration, Universal Perception, Demon Lord Haki, Time-Space Manipulations, Multi-Dimensional Barriers, All of Creation, Punishment Domination, Charm Domination, and Temptation World.’ It feels like he can do almost the same things as me. 

He seems to have been keen to show off, illustrating with great enthusiasm and care. 

Diablo's full comprehension scores made even Ciel feel satisfied. 

I can’t use my skills without the help of Ciel, so Diablo is actually stronger. 

The amount of mana is high, his level is high, and the quality of his skills is high. 

An all-around versatile and excellent demon. 

Why he’s under my command is a mystery. 

Despite his combat-obsessed tendencies and the drawback of being too clingy to me, this guy's incalculable strength is still very reliable. 

After his evolution, I was curious what the mock battle between him and Zegion would look like. 

It's sure to be a great fight. 

Also, Benimaru. 

Benimaru is usually reserved when he fights, and if he gives it his all, he burns everything else before it even starts. 

In the Labyrinth, one doesn't have to worry about surviving, except that Benimaru should be less willing to expose his trump cards. 

Water vs. Fire. In this regard, Zegion would be more advantageous against Benimaru…but the answer will only be known after the actual battle. 

In fact, there is no need to deliberately differentiate between the pros and cons. 

As long as Benimaru, Diablo, and Zegion are used as the three apexes of the ministry, there should basically be no disputes. 

That’s it for Diablo. 

Speaking of minions, other than Venom, Gedora also seems to have officially become his dependent. 

“Dependent?” 

"Yes. If he is my servant, you won't have to worry about his betrayal.” 

It turns out that I thought it would be fine, but now I'm completely relieved. 

Gedora also had a position as a Maze Keeper, so there’s no way to stuff him with too many chores, but Diablo didn't seem to care much. The name was disciple, and in his head that seemed not to be the same thing as a subordinate. 

"That's fine, but why did you take him?" 

"Yes, this man's faith in Lord Rimuru is not enough, but he has a real heart for magic. He does have merit as a human being, and I would like to teach him personally and intervene in his mysterious reincarnation.” 

“So…?” 

"This man is not very useful. Because he was killed in battle before, he went against the order of Lord Rimuru. To avoid this, I let him turn into a demon race… Somehow, he turned into an unheard of race of unbelievably metallic demons…” 

Diablo stopped talking at this point, not knowing why he looked at me. 

I don't even know. Did I do something? 

<<Oh, I interfered.>> 

Oh, what does that mean!? 

That's why you need a personal interview too. It's a lot of work. 

To interfere, think more. 

This metallic demon race, felt like a repeat of Beretta… 

<<In this regard, rest assured, it is a completely different concept.>> That's fine, I don't care to think about it. 

I simply find it troublesome. 

“I guess I interfered a little?” That's all I can answer. 

Instead, Diablo became cheerful again, and so the two of us talked for some time. 

In a nutshell, Diablo was also quite fond of Gedora, and that's why he took him in as his dependent in case something happened to him. 

Gedora was well known as a wizard, and was also the master of the Razen, and would not hesitate to become a demon even to satisfy his curiosity. 

Gedora is such a man, so as long as he doesn't cause me any trouble, I’ll let him be. 

I didn't hate the old man either, and so made a no-brainer judgment. 

However, it would be a bit disgusting if he turned into another fanatic like Adalman, so I'd have to declare a prohibition on overly faithful hearts. 

One can't get an identical believer just because one is a disciple of Diablo, one must firmly reject it. 

"You're in charge now. Take good care of him.” 

For me, Gedora-sensei is quite an elder, and while I don't speak in a tone that is quite appropriate for elders, Diablo is much older. 

The notion of age has to crumble if it is said, they are too long-lived, and it should be right to speak in this way. 

In this way, the subordinates of Diablo became two. 

***

After Diablo made his exit with a bow, Testarossa enters to replace him.

She sat down in front of me with a graceful demeanor. 

Hmm. 

I didn't mean it, but it seems like it would be nice to have her as a secretary…Oops, no. In that case, I would have to make Diablo a diplomatic marshal, and by doing so, the guy would absolutely run away. 

I don't want to add unnecessary problems, so I’ll just keep it the way it is. 

What's more, there's wanting Testarossa to do it. 

Just as I was troubling myself, Testarossa handed over a document. 

It was a record of the information on her dependents. 

Name: Moss [EP: 1,079,397] 

Race: Demon Noble - Archduke Class 

Blessing: Dependent of the Primordial White 

Title: The Empress’ Confidant 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic 

Ability: Unique skill “Collector” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance Name: Cien [EP: 286,596] 

Race: Demon Noble - Viscount class 

Blessing: Dependent of the Primordial White 

Title: Empress’ Secretary 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic 

Ability: Unique Skill “Recorder" 

Resistance: physical attack invalid, state anomaly invalid, mental attack invalid, natural influence invalid 

Coupled with information that only I can read, presumably it was like this. 

Neither Moss nor Cien, who had been directly involved in the previous battles, had fallen into crisis, nor into the clutches of Ciel. 

Next is Testarossa. 

Name: Testarossa [EP: 3,333,124] 

Race: Demon Peer. Primordial White of the Seven Primordials 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Killer Lord" 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic 

Ability: Ultimate skill “Hell King Belial” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance Compared to before the battle began, her existence value had increased by leaps and bounds, and even compared to when she fought against Velgrynd on the flying ship, it seemed to have increased more than three times. 

"The amount of mana has increased a lot, hasn’t it?” 

"Yes, it would have been a bit more interesting if we were in time for Velgrynd-sama’s decisive battle, but I’m very sorry.” 

Hmmm…fighting isn't how you play, is it? 

However, it's useless to say that. 

Once again, it makes one feel that it's the quality, not the quantity, that matters for combat, and this time, combat experience plays a bigger role than the amount of mana. 

The reason she was able to face Velgrynd so well was because of her skills were equal.A longer fight would be more difficult, but just stalling could still be done. 

And now that Testarossa's amount of mana had increased, it also meant that her fighting ability had increased dramatically. 

Despite her good reputation, my responsibility was to monitor in case she ever wanted to go out of control. This job is basically handed over to Diablo for now, but I'm also thinking that a little more attention should be paid to that aspect. 

“Hell King Belial?” 

It's a good fit for Testarossa, as a skill that exudes a dangerous aroma. 

The powers possessed are "Thinking Acceleration - Universal Perception - Demon Lord’s Haki - Time and Space Manipulation - Multi-dimensional Barrier - All of Creation - Life Domination - World After Death". 

This is also a world system skill. 

And it's a 'post-death world' that one doesn't want to experience at all. 

I’m scared, so I’ll leave it to Ciel to manage. 

"Since it's an interview, there should be something to say that can't be discussed publicly, right? What exactly is the content?” 

After Testarossa provided the information of her own men, Moss and Cien, she then asked the question very clearly. It made me relatively relaxed too. 

I switched my mind and decide to state one of my worries. 

It's about the meeting that is supposed to take place tomorrow morning with Masayuki and the others. 

"Maybe I'm over-reading, but I'll talk to you about it. I'm supposed to talk to Masayuki and the others, but what to do is still bothering me.” 

“I see. So it’s about the treatment of the empire?” 

It's amazing how quickly everything is understood. 

"That's right, Masayuki seems to be worried, but it is difficult to respond so suddenly…” 

Shion didn’t seem to think that much of it, even if Masayuki was the reincarnation of Emperor Rudra, it wasn't as if it would be easy to become Emperor. 

Besides, the current Emperor Rudra—though transformed into Michael—is currently at unknown whereabouts. 

Even if Masayuki declares himself emperor—that is to say, I don't think Masayuki is willing to do so… 

It's also a bit strange that my country pushed him up. 

What's more, Michael's power, the “castle guard,” cannot be broken as long as there are believers of Rudra. That is, what is done with the subjects of the Empire must also be considered together. 

Really wish I had more time to think about this. 

It would also be very difficult to explain this t o King Gazel, and that feels even more difficult to deal with. 

As I’ve said many times, I didn’t want to get involved, but I couldn’t say that. 

"If that's the case, let me join the meeting. The East, where the Empire is located, is my domain, so I'm sure I'll be able to serve as a diplomatic officer." 

Ooooh, so reliable! 

There's no way to leave things like this to Ciel, and even if I could put Ciel's methods in my mouth, how to actually instruct the ministry would still have to be left to the locals. 

What's more, even if the opinion was absolutely correct, the proposal would have to be withdrawn if the imperial side was not going to accept it. 

It might have worked if the empire had been made a vassal state, but otherwise we wouldn't be able to interject too much about how other countries operate. 

In that respect, Testarossa would know how to improvise. 

She was doing well in the Western States, and we could rest easy once the course was decided. 

"Then I'll leave it to you in the morning.” 

“I understand, leave it to me!” 

Testarossa smiled sweetly, and this reliable feeling made me feel a lot more at ease. 

I'd said all I had to say, and just as I stood up and was about to walk Testarossa out— 

"Lord Rimuru, I have something I'd like to report as well.” 

“Hmm?" 

"I think you will remember Calgurio, who was once a Grand Admiral of the Empire. He made a petition for help if Lord Rimuru intended— Hearing Testarossa mention it got me thinking. 

It will be a bit of a hassle, but it's not impossible. 

"I know, then from now on…" 

Thankfully, Testarossa remembered. 

Being able to do so with such meticulous care is also one of the reasons why Testarossa is reliable. 

In order to complete my work before dinner, I headed to the research facility with Testarossa. 

***

Only two more to go.

After dinner, I called Ultima. 

“I've been waiting." 

Ultima said lovingly and sat down gently. 

It would have been so cute to have a sister like that. It warmed my heart. 

The tea was made by my hand, and the treasured snacks were brought out. 

"Whoa, whoa! Lord Rimuru did all of this?” 

"I can make tea, too, but I can't make black tea. I'm pretty good with coffee too.” 

But it's also just drip coffee haha. I’m not even as good as Shion. What an unwelcome reality. 

Although that is limited to beverages, black tea and coffee—Shion’s craft has really progressed there. 

I was thinking that I couldn't just keep giving my opinion on cuisine, so I decided to try it myself…It was harder than unexpected… 

Before being reincarnated, I had been ordering take-out my whole life, and I've never cooked myself. 

After all, work is busy, and the thought of doing it yourself and spending time cleaning and tidying up is not as efficient as taking out money… 

The stovetop in that apartment was still as new as ever, and I had wanted to do it in my spare time, but only the cooking books had changed. 

These memories also play a role today, to the point where they cannot be said to be completely useless. 

Anyway, it’s just pouring boiling water into the coffee beans, which I can do. 

“That’s ridiculous! Just this cup of tea, makes me so happy!” 

I'm glad she's so happy. 

"You're welcome. The coffee will take a while, but it'll be fine as we speak.” 

I want to drink it too, put a strainer on the coffee plate and add boiling water. 

This set of props, made by Kaijin, was mass marketed as a prototype, and the cafe is doing well. 

The aroma of the coffee beans began to emanate. 

That’s how I showed my prowess to Ultima. 

Her opinion of me is sure to rise. 

It's important to earn points in this area. 

<<In my humble opinion, that’s dirty.>> 

I don't think so! 

It's a very high-end strategy that doesn't get dirty at all. 

Besides, there's no point in showing your strength in the face of these battle-obsessed “primordials." 

The best thing to do is to win and lose in different areas. 

Alas… Enough dignity has been shown that these worries are superfluous. 

It’s fine. 

Besides, the dignity wasn't something I intended to show. 

None of this matters, so I’ll get to the point quickly. 

"Then let's hear the report first.” 

"Yes, first this.” 

Handed to me was the report on her dependents. 

Name: Veyron [EP: 882,669] 

Race: Demon Noble - Duke Rank 

Blessing: Dependent of the Primordial Purple 

Title: Poison Princess’ Butler. 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic 

Ability: Ultimate skill “Authentic Writer Artist” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance Name: Zonda [EP: 301,316] 

Race: Demon Noble - Viscount Class 

Blessing: Dependent of the Primordial Purple 

Title: Poison Princess’ Chef 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic Ability: Unique skill “Cooker” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance Veyron's strength was striking, but it was Zonda's unique skill that was surprising. 

I had thought that it might be the same system as Shion's devastating skill, but it wasn't. This power mainly specialized in status and support. 

Whatever the injury, it can be recovered through 'conditioning', not an exaggerated skill like being able to affect the law of cause and effect, which gives me a sigh of relief. 

Next up is Ultima. 

Name: Ultima [EP: 2,668,811] 

Race: Demon Peer. The Primordial Purple of the Seven Primordials 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Pain Lord" 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic" 

Ability: Ultimate Skill, “Poison King Samael” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance Ultima, like Testarossa, had grown substantially. 

After evolution, the amount of mana seems to continue to grow. 

Having already crossed the Super Awakened level, how strong can you become? 

Also, the power of Ultima must not be forgotten. 

The ultimate skill “Poison King Samael” included - "Thinking Acceleration - Universal Perception - 

Demon Lord’s Haki - Time and Space Manipulation - Multi-Dimensional Barrier - Weakness Detection - 

Death Poison Generation - World of Death… 

Yup. 

It was a power that specialized in killing. 

The powerful one was 'Death Poison Generation', and by combining this with ‘Weakness Detection', the most suitable poison for killing enemies could be created. 

However, it is the ‘World of Death' that is more worrying. 

This move will unconditionally kill all people other than spiritual beings who don't possess ultimate skills, and is an extremely vicious world-system type skill. 

It feels like it's a super-enhanced version of my ‘Heartless’ skill, but it doesn't work on the really strong, and it's better to seal it up. 

"Ultima, this is bad…” 

To calm down, I poured coffee into the cup first and began to cut out the conversation. 

“What?” 

“That is, about your world of death…" 

“Yes.” 

Ultima happily accepted the cup of coffee that I handed over. 

If there's anything to be said, it's now. 

“It is prohibited for future use” 

"I know! I also don't think it's necessary either. Lord Rimuru has seen right through us!” 

"Huh? Oh, uh, well of course.” 

I laughed my way through the deception. 

I don't know why, but it seems that Ultima doesn't intend to use the ‘World of Death' either. 

Thinking about it more, with her being a combat maniac, she certainly wouldn't like such a straightforward win. 

Since Ultima agrees, I'll just make small talk at ease. 

***

The final interviewer was Carrera.

"Hi, my lord! If it wasn't for your help, I don't know if I would have defeated Kondo. That man was so strong that one wonders if he is still human.” 

Carrera, who finished her report, looked up and smiled. 

It had heard about it from Ciel before, but it was more clear coming from her own lips. Carrera really seemed to have won by a hair's breadth, and was sincerely praising Kondo. 

Indeed, Kondo seemed to be strong. 

Benimaru who had defeated the third rank Graneet, was also guarded against Kondo, and it should be said that Kondo had the confidence to win. 

Having beaten this highly rated man, Carrera can be considered a success. 

Carrera always said it was because of the "power" that was given to her. 

“To have gained flesh, broken through my limits, evolved and gained more…I want to repay you. My loyalty is always yours, I hope that you know that.” 

The usually unruly and arrogant Carrera is quite honest when she faces me. Though when it comes to 

“levels," she is far above the old “primordial" she once was. 

Regardless of loyalty, my answer was decided long ago. 

"I thank you for that. If I didn't have you, I wouldn't be able to hold trials.” 

Magic creatures still have a tendency to follow the strong. 

The matter of arrest can be handed over to anyone, but the judge should be the right person. 

In the future, it is planned to establish a system similar to that of the Grand Court Judicial System, with the exception of super-violent prisoners, which will be handed over to the people, but all this will have to wait until the country is settled. The Jura Tempest Federation is still developing, and Carrera will still have a big role to play. 

"Yes, it's a pleasure! In addition to me, my dependents will act as Lord Rimuru wishes!” 

Carrera laughed happily. 

And what is the state off Carrera and her dependents? 

I looked down at the information in my hand. 

Carrera's subordinates are Agera and Esprit. 

Name: Agera [EP: 733,757] 

Race: Demon Noble - Marquis Rank 

Blessing: Dependents of the Primordial Yellow 

Title: Tyrant Master 

Magic: True martial arts 

Ability: Ultimate skill "Blade Change" 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance Name: Esprit [EP: 552,137] 

Race: Demon Noble - Count Rank 

Blessing: Dependent of the Primordial Yellow 

Title: Tyrant's Friend 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic Ability: Unique skill, "The Knowledgeable One” 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance They’re really strong. 

They are all old demon lord class. 

Agera could rival the pseudo-awakened Clayman, and if Agera came to fight then, he could probably win… 

There were actually several old demon lord level subordinates on hand, and no matter what one thought, there was something wrong. 

Rather than that, I’m more concerned about friends. 

This is what Carrera’s evaluation is all about, so I guess it’s that kind of relationship Certainly, Esprit has a bit of a gal pal vibe to her, and if one doesn't know the inside story, one would just assume that they are a well-connected pair of sisters. Rather than a master-slave relationship, they seem more like schoolmates. 

Honestly, Carrera's lineage is also really peculiar. 

What was shocking, though, was what came next. 

Carrera really is amazing. 

Name: Carrera [EP: 7,013,351 (+ "golden gun" 3,370,000)] 

Race: Demon Peer. The Primordial Yellow of the Seven Primordials 

Blessing: Rimuru's Blessing 

Title: “Menace Lord" 

Magic: "Dark Magic,” "Elemental Magic 

Ability: Ultimate skill, “ Death King Abaddon" 

Resistances: physical attack invalidation, state anomaly invalidation, spiritual attack invalidation, natural influence invalidation, divine attack resistance The amount of mana actually exceeded Diablo, and both of my eyes couldn't help but turn into two dots. The growth seems to have stopped, but it was by far the highest of my subordinates. 

However, the most dangerous thing is still the ‘Death King Abaddon.’ 

The powers include "Thinking Acceleration - Universal Perception - Demon Lord Haki - Time-Space Manipulation - Multi-dimensional Barrier - Limit Breakthrough - Sub-dimensional Break.” Without the world system powers, the attack power is specialized. In particular, ‘Sub-dimensional Break' is a power that can penetrate through space and distort the defense field to destroy enemies. 

With Carrera’s power coupled with the destruction magic and then the effect of paying for the power, it seems to me that basically no one can withstand it. It even seems possible to destroy Ramiris’ labyrinth, so one can understand how powerful it is at this glance. 

Honestly, even I didn't want to have Carrera as an opponent. 

"You've gotten stronger…” 

I couldn't help but speak my mind. 

"Well, thanks to your blessing, and Kondo, who entrusted this to me. Even if it is only in response to that man's wish, I will crush Emperor Rudra. 

Hearing her say so, I remember. 

Kondo was also manipulated by Michael. 

“That’s right, the real Rudra has disappeared…and all sorts of things have happened. So the Rudra you are fighting is actually a being whose physical control was taken away by the will of the skill.” 

I told Carrera about Rudra now being the theosophy nucleus (manas) Michael, and upon hearing this, Carrera nodded in surprise. 

"So that's it. That bastard Feldway did call out to Rudra as Michael. Now I understand, my lord." 

That's good. 

Don’t make a mistake and run off to get Masayuki in trouble. 

With that in mine, the interview with Carrera was over. 

Carrera, who was about to go out, turned back halfway. 

"By the way, I forgot one thing. There is something I’ve been wondering if I should tell you about." 

“Hmm? What?" 

I finished asking and prepared to take a sip of coffee. 

"Actually, I shouldn't say that I'm bothered…" 

It seemed important if it was able to annoy Carrera. 

In that case, let's just calmly sit down and… 

"Agera seems to be Hakurou’s grandfather." 

Pffft!?!? 

Almost couldn't resist spitting out the coffee. 

I avoided it last minute, but it was so important that you can’t say that casually when you're leaving! 

“You—this!” 

"Hahahaha, this is important, right? I can't handle it, so I'll leave it to my lord to judge.” 

Carrera finished and smiled and went out. 

Totally threw the ball to me. 

She must have been smiling like that because of the burden she had laid off from her shoulders to mine. 

In short, it's a problem that can't be ignored. 

Although Diablo and the demoness trio said I didn’t I need to interview their subordinates, now it seemed like I should meet with Agera afterwards. 

***

I'm not thinking straight at the moment, so I'll talk about this meeting with Agera later.

The individual interviews are now concluded successfully. 

I have a meeting with Masayuki and others tomorrow, so I won't work today—but I don't need sleep. 

I changed back to a more relaxed Slime state and hid under the covers. 

In this darkness, somehow the mood feels quiet. 

<<I have something to report.>> 

Excuse me, I’m done with work…? 

<<It's about the master's skills, so it’s not work.>> For Ciel, it's a hobby, but to me it's no different than a job. 

Even if I said that, Ciel wouldn't listen, would she? 

Sooner or later it needs to be mastered anyway, so I give up resistance. 

In fact, I was somewhat expecting this. 

It's sure to be a leap forward and I'm fully prepared. 

The integration was a breeze and was done without even going into a low active (sleep mode) state. It took almost a day and a half, but I completed the personal interview very smoothly during this time. 

So be it. 

<<This time, we had applied for permission to change our abilities during the actual battle, so we could not stop the operation.>> I'd be super pissed if I really had stopped. 

The report began in silence in my mind, and the information immediately showed up. 

Well, let's see what it's like, shall we? 

Name: Rimuru Tempest [EP: 8,681,123 (+ “Dragon Blade" 2.28 million)] 

Race: Highest-tier Divine Spirit. The Ultimate Slime 

Protection: Rimuru’s Compassion 

Title: “Chaos Creator.” 

Magic: “True Dragon Magic", “Spirit Summoning,” “Demon Summoning,” “Others…” 

Ability: Manas: Ciel 

Unique Skills: “Universal Perception, Dragon Spirit’s Haki, Universal Shapeshift Ultimate Skills: “Void God Azathoth,” “Harvest Lord Shub-Niggurath” 

Resistances: physical attack invalid, natural influence invalid, state anomaly invalid, spiritual attack invalid, divine attack resistance As a result, it looked like this. 

I didn’t really feel it, but my existence value is awesome, too. 

If the increase with the Magic Sword is counted, I’m likely to reach 10 million. 

Now the straight sword that I'm very familiar with is right up to mythical level. The shape has changed due to my race's characteristics, and I call it "Dragon Blade" for convenience. 

Two holes were made and the blade seems to have evolved smoothly to my satisfaction. 

If I give it a name officially, would it evolve? 

There’s nothing. 

No no no. 

I've thought about it, but I don't want to give it a name. 

Well, if I come up with a cool name, I can change it then. 

Even though my existence value, or the amount of magic, is outstanding, it does not mean that I can let my guard down. 

Benimaru and Diablo, along with Zegion, and the demoness trio, all had high fighting abilities. 

Just like Testarossa facing Velgrynd, who’s mana levels were almost ten times smaller than Velgrynd’s, she was still so tactful. 

From this example, we can see that what matters most is not the size of the existence value, but how skillfully one uses one's power. 

The overall power is the combined strength of the three in one: the amount of mana, the amount of skill level and the amount of power. 

They had made the most of their strength during the battle against the Imperial Army. 

Looking at the battles ahead, I cannot be left behind. 

All in all, at this stage I've surpassed Carrera and am at the top. 

Reassured by the status quo, I turned my gaze to other things. 

The protection I used too receive from Veldora had disappeared and now I’m a protector. I went from being under protection to providing the protection. I've grown too. 

Now is not the time to be escaping from reality. 

It's not so much that I'm in a good mood, but how did my skills become only two? 

To answer my question, Ciel happily comments. 

<<First of all, I no longer needed “Wisdom King Raphael” and “Gluttony King Beelzebub” so I integrated—>> 

Hey, wait, wait, wait!!! 

What did you just say!? 

What is this guy, in a refreshing tone of voice, saying??? 

The "King of Wisdom,” its own mother—she said she didn't want it! 

<<What's the Problem?>> 

I had not heard wrong. 

No, I knew I wouldn't hear it wrong……but unexpectedly, it actually did it… 

But without the King of Wisdom, shouldn't Ciel be unable to exist as well? 

<<No, I'm out on my own, so don't worry!>> 

Ciel answered my question calmly. 

Even the 'King of Wisdom', who can be considered as her own mother…I was surprised that Ciel could consume it so easily, but according to Ciel, the skill was already an empty shell, so there was no problem. 

What matters more is the contents. 

Ciel seemed to finish have finished her work without any emotion or feeling. 

Eliminate useless abilities and do it really thoroughly. 

However, although there is no problem, was it necessary to consume the King of Gluttony as well? 

<<Of course!>> 

As it turns out, I should have confirmed it before approving it. In the face of my weak questioning, Ciel forcefully said that she had my approval and continued to forcefully explain it as the momentum built up. 

As far as conclusions go, my skills have changed so much that they have changed their original form. 

This is no longer the level of modification. 

Ahhhh, the skills are combined to change, but there's still an unacceptable feeling. 

And that’s the key skill. 

The first, ‘Void God Azathoth,’ was born through the unification of the 'King of Wisdom' and the 'King of Gluttony'. 

Not only that, but it seems that the 'King of Storms' and the 'King of Scorch' that had just been acquired had also become sacrifices, but of course the power had been inherited without any problems. 

The power of the “Void God Azathoth" is the power of "Soul Consumption, Nihility Collapse, Imaginary Space, True Dragon Release [Scorching-Storm], True Dragon Nucleation [Scorching-Storm], Time and Space Manipulation, Multi-dimensional Barrier", and etc. 

Although the original ‘Dragon Summoning' had disappeared, it seems there is no problem with releasing and unreleasing. In the first place, Veldora and the others actually came to me of their own free will, so it was the still the same without this power. 

The “True Dragon Nucleation" is more interesting, and as it literally says, it can become the nucleus core that embeds into the hole openings in my sword. 

Again, if you let a “True Dragon" with huge energy condense into the nucleus of a sword, how powerful it will be…it is terrifying just to imagine it. 

Although it must be endorsed by me…it's too scary to imagine the timing of its use. 

This one looks like it's going to have to be sealed. 

Still, Velgrynd would presumably decline it, but as for Veldora, perhaps he would say to try and see. 

I’m slightly worried, but let’s keep that a secret. 

Rather than that. 

What is truly dangerous is the power of the “Void God Azathoth" which has been perfectly optimized after integration. 

-Soul Consumptino…a super-enhanced version of the predation-gluttony, which can devour the target’s soul along with it. 

-Nihility Collapse…The ultimate destructive energy that fills the Chaos World and become manageable thanks to the Theosophy Core (Manas). 

-Imaginary Space…the world of chaos. The ultra-evolved version of "Stomach" and "Isolation" is a prison where those who need to be quarantined are locked up. 

-Time and Space Manipulation…grasping time and space, and being able to move in an instant by just thinking about it consciously, even affecting time. 

-Multi-Dimensional Barrier…Always activated multi-dimensional barriers, which are absolute defenses formed using the sub-dimensional fault defense field. 

The above is Ciel's explanation. 

It was pretty terrifying. 

It's scary that we were making those changes during combat. 

But there is one thing, the absolute defense formed using the subdimensional fault defense field, only this I feel cannot be trusted, similar to how solid and safe the space distortion defense field preaches, but there is no "absolute" in the world. 

I won’t fall for that. 

Besides…when Ranga was able to obtain the ‘Stellar Wind Lord Hastur,’ I had long thought that my powers would become very powerful. 

It was more than a surprise, but it seemed that with the ‘Void God Azathoth,’ all other powers were unnecessary. 

The second skill, naturally, is the ‘Harvest Lord Shub-Niggurath‘. 

After this 'ability change', my powers became only the above two. 

It is obviously stronger than it was before the strengthening, but it suddenly occurred to me that it seemed that some powers had disappeared. For example, "Thought Acceleration,” was gone but I can use it without any problems now. 

What's going on? 

<<These powers—“Thought Acceleration, future attack prediction, analysis and appraisal, parallel operation, integration, separation, chant nullification, all of creation, food chain, thought domination, law domination, attribute conversion, and etc.—all of these have been integrated into myself, so it is possible to respond with a faster reaction rate now.>> This is a great reason for praise. 

Perhaps a little overdone, but for the sake of the battle that follows, there should be a shift in thinking, which is indeed necessary. 

If I don't stay strong, there will be sacrifice. 

In order to settle down and enjoy a life of peace, there is no need to think about being polite and merciful. 

*** Well, with my own strength confirmed, let's compare it to Veldora.

Name: Veldora Tempest [EP: 88,126,579] 

Race: Highest-tier Divine Spirit - True Dragon Race 

Blessing: Storm Dragon’s Blessing 

Title: “Storm Dragon" 

Magic: “True Dragon Magic” 

Ability: Unique skill: “universal perception - True Dragon Haki - Universal Shapeshift" 

Ultimate skill: “Chaos King Nyarlathotep” 

Resistances: physical attack invalid, natural influence invalid, state anomaly invalid, spiritual attack invalid, divine attack resistance The above is the current state of Veldora. 

Not mentioning his perfect resistance, the jump of his amazing existence value was notable. 

It's just that seeing this number, rather than being surprised, actually made it a little funny. 

That guy, messed up in determining the value. 

........... 

........ 

... 

It was just after dinner. 

Since I had to talk to Ultima, I had to leave immediately after eating. 

However, Veldora came over to get in the way at this point. 

“Kuahahaha! Rimuru, I understand that you are interviewing Benimaru and the others. I’ve got a lot of free time on my hands now—” 

“Ah? I'm busy. I'm sorry, but I'll play with you when I'm done.” 

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!!! I’m not talking about that, but what about the interview with me, is what I want to say!" 

Huh? 

There's no need for an interview with Veldora. 

Well, it's not like Veldora is my subordinate, and most importantly, it's only a matter of asking Ciel to get any answers. 

"No, I've been chatting a lot, so there's no need to make arrangements, is there?” 

“What!? Don't say such lonely things!” 

“That’s right! You should understand how lonely you, me, and master are!” Ramiris joined in. 

Even if you say so, we do see each other a lot. 

It's true, I'd love to play with the Avatar Core, but work is more important. 

More to the point, there is a war going on. 

The whereabouts of Feldway and his colleagues hadn't been found, so I’m just able to rest a little. 

At the very least, there is no time to play until the meet and greet is ready. 

"Don't be selfish. Once things are settled properly…” 

"I told you, it's not that! I’ve gotten stronger and want to show off in front of you. I know you're busy, but what's the harm of keeping me company for a little while!” 

"That's it! You're the only one who can properly measure existence value. I really hope you'll accompany us for a while!” 

“Hmm?” 

"That is to say, I have been concealing my actual existence value from Ramiris's measurements from you, just to prove it.” 

Hmmmm. 

"That's absolutely not possible! It's true that people can't measure the numbers too carefully, but they can't hide them." 

I see. 

So in other words, I actually got caught up in a very boring argument. 

When things get to this point, these guys won't listen to anyone, and it's quicker to accompany them than to convince them. 

"I know, I know. Then let’s go to the control room." 

With that, we began to measure the existence value of Veldora. 

The measuring machine is connected to monitors throughout the labyrinth, and the control panel in the 

"control room" is used to manage these things. Ciel can synchronize with the entire maze and make measurements no matter where it is, but that’s a secret, so we ran to the control room. 

Time is running out so let’s get started. 

“The value of Master's existence is 88 million! It’s amazing, but Master says it's going to be even higher. I hope you can scold him too, Rimuru.” 

It is indeed a value beyond imagination. 

Even a "saint" who has reached the level of a super-awakened person can't win, let alone an ordinary human. 

Then, is this value correct? 

<< Yes. Veldora's existence value is 88,126,579, without a doubt.>> It's almost the same. 

Too high a value will cause the machine to lose accuracy, but it is sufficient to measure maze challengers and intruders, which is enough for now. 

That said, if Veldora can really hide from the numerical calculations, it would basically mean that there is a flaw in the system, which is something that cannot be ignored and really needs to be confirmed. 

It's a slight relief that this trip wasn't in vain. After that it was a matter of whether or not Veldora could really hide it. 

"My estimate is 88.12 million, which is almost the same. So, are the values going to continue to rise from here? Or will they be under-measured?” 

In either case, it is necessary to consider countermeasures according to the approach. 

I started pushing Veldora to actually make the attempt. 

With a long-awaited look on his face, Veldora smugly began to take off his coat. 

Could it be that…? 

My body, which would not have been sweating, felt like a cold sweat had fallen. 

Veldora began to laugh loudly. 

“Kuahahahaha! Watch with wide eyes at my true power!!!" 

With the sound of a thud, Veldora removed the wrist glove from his hands and feet, causing the ground to shake. 

Hello…? 

Taking off heavy clothes…doesn’t mean the numbers will go up… 

If it's going to go up, so be it. 

What is measured here is mainly energy, and has nothing to do with direct combat power. 

But Veldora…… 

“Kuahahaha! How about that!? Try measuring now! I don't care if it's broken—!!” 

Hmmmm, this is embarrassing! 

After understanding what he wanted to do, it felt so pitiful that we couldn't even look away from Veldora. 

"No change in values measured” 

There is no reason! 

“V-Veldora, this…” 

"Master, after all that, it’s still the same 88 million?” 

Ramiris hit the nail on the head and told the truth! 

“Well, I’m not stupid! Rimuru, what's the real situation? I think I've doubled my value, don't you?” 

I looked at Veldora with pity. 

“That is magic energy you were collecting, but that is something different from the existence value…” 

Then I carefully explained to him again that this value is not combat power like the comics say, it's just a measurement of energy. 

Veldora's face turned red as he realized he had made a mistake. 

........... 

........ 

... 

It still makes me laugh in retrospect, but the amount of magic energy is truly amazing. 

Even with more detailed verification, attacks other than the ultimate skills will not work. 

Besides, the power of Veldora is quite difficult to deal with. 

His skill has evolved into the "King of Chaos" after being changed by Ciel, and now has the powers of 

“Thought Acceleration, Analysis and Appraisal, All of Creation, Probability Manipulation, Parallel Existence, Clarity of Truth, Time and Space Manipulation, Multi-dimensional Barrier". 

The practical convenience has been greatly improved after the integration of Ciel. 

Even Veldora has acquired 'parallel existence'. 

This was already known to be quite tough to deal with when fighting Velgrynd, and with Veldora and 

‘Probability Manipulation', he really felt like an immortal. 

Originally, as long as I didn't die, he was indestructible. 

But now with Veldora's heart core inside me, memories and emotions were backed up, and now that I can still use 'Parallel Body', it's estimated that it will be impossible to eliminate him. 

It's a good thing that while the whole measuring the existence value thing is pretty funny, he's pretty reliable as a companion. 

Veldora's existence value is more than ten times mine, and I should not be able to beat him…but it's still slightly questionable. 

Not only did I beat Velgrynd, I even 'predated' her. Velgrynd’s existence value at the time seemed to be 26,877,000. 

At that time, I was swallowing at 50% strength, and about 30% of the state was in recovery, and that 30% of the recovery seemed to be coming back to the side I was swallowing. 

As expected of Ciel, it's a perfect fit. 

To get back to business, I've eaten so much energy, but my existence value seems a bit low. 

Well, I think this is wrong enough an I think the important thing is the sense of combat, but I was still a little worried. 

<<It’s only natural. The energy was absorbed was once taken in, but it was transformed into the flesh and blood of master, and then used ‘True Dragon Release.’>> Well, what does that mean? 

<<In other words, the maximum existence value of Master is correct when the values of Veldora's and Velgrynd's existence values are added together.>> Huh? 

I can't help but be dumbfounded. 

It means that when the ‘True Dragon Release' is lifted, I can use my greatest power. 

Hmm? 

However, since the output is the same, it is estimated to be the same even if the energy is increased. 

Just like Velgrynd too, has reached the cap, so now it's a shift towards increasing numbers. 

The maximum increase in power has no upper limit, but it was meaningless as long as it didn't hit, and the energy was so large that it became difficult to control the force backwards. 

I was deeply convinced that there was no point in maximum power. 

For reference. 

I "predated" Velgrynd, whose existence value at that time was estimated to be 49,829,997. 

Ciel's calculations should be perfect, but now the value of Velgrynd's presence has increased again. 

Name: Velgrynd [EP: 74,350,087] 

Race: Highest-tier Divine Spirit - True Dragon Race 

Blessing: Scorching Charity 

Title: "The Scorch Dragon" 

Magic: True Dragon Magic 

Ability: Inherent ability: “Universal Perception, True Dragon Haki, Universal Shapeshift" Ultimate skill: “Flame God Cthugha" 

Resistances: physical attack invalid, natural influence invalid, state anomaly invalid, spiritual attack invalid, divine attack resistance That's the state that Velgrynd is in right now. 

After returning from a 20% reduction in status, there has been a significant increase. 

Should I say growth or evolution… 

The power was still the same as it had been after Ciel had changed it, and Velgrynd must have mastered it. The content of ‘Flame God Cthugha' was 'Thought Acceleration - Scorching Excitation - Parallel Existence - Time-Space Manipulation - Subdimensional Jump - Multi-dimensional Barrier', and this was the final state confirmation. 

And… 

As far as I'm concerned, it's just a few days' farewell, but it's still unknown how much experience Velgrynd has been through. 

We're meeting tomorrow, but I’m worried about how to talk about it. 

It's also scary if it pisses her off, so I must be sure to take care to avoid a secondary conflict. 

In this way, the status confirmation by Ciel via personal interviews, was completed smoothly.

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