While Feldway was racking his brain with worry and planning what would essentially amount to a full-scale espionage operation against Guy, Rimuru, the actual culprit behind the disappearance of the World-Destroying Dragon, remained completely unaware of the commotion his actions had caused. Instead, he was spending the day enjoying a pleasant walk around Rimuru City with his daughter, Aurora, and his best friend, Milim, who had predictably invited herself along without giving Rimuru much of a choice.
After leaving the house, Rimuru decided to take Aurora around Rimuru City and introduce her to the people who made up Tempest. Since she had only recently become part of his family, he wanted her to gradually become familiar with the citizens, while also giving them a chance to get to know their new princess.
******
Their first stop was the market district, which was already bustling with activity despite the relatively early hour, with merchants calling out to passing customers, children running between the stalls, and residents going about their daily business.
Amid the crowd, Aurora walked alongside Rimuru, occasionally glancing around with quiet curiosity as she took in the lively atmosphere of the city she would now call home. She also couldn't help but notice the respect and devotion in the eyes and gestures of the monsters under her father's rule whenever they greeted him.
Just then, they heard a booming voice. "Lord Rimuru!" Turning toward the voice, they saw a tall, muscular Hobgoblin practically run-walking toward them with an enthusiastic smile on his face. "Good morning, Rimuru-sama," he said as he came to a stop before them.
"Ah, Rigurd! Good morning to you as well," Rimuru replied, nodding toward the Hobgoblin who served as the chief of Rimuru City and one of his most reliable subordinates, taking into account both this timeline and the previous one. "Actually, I wanted you to meet someone," he added, gesturing toward the cute white-haired girl standing beside him. "This is Aurora, my daughter."
The moment Rigurd heard those words, he froze. "Your... daughter?" he repeated slowly, his eyes widening as he stared at the young girl standing beside Rimuru.
"Yep." Rimuru nodded with a smile before turning toward his daughter. "Aurora, this is Rigurd. He's an incredibly competent subordinate of mine, the chief of Rimuru City, and one of the people I rely on the most to keep things running smoothly," he said as Aurora gave Rigurd a small wave. Rimuru then continued, "With him handling things around here, I don't have to worry about personally managing every little problem that comes up. He takes care of most of them before I even hear about them."
"My Lord..." The moment those words left Rimuru's mouth, Rigurd's eyes began to tremble before tears suddenly started streaming down his face. "I am not worthy of such praise!" he cried dramatically, covering his face with both hands as the tears continued pouring down his cheeks. "To receive such words directly from Lord Rimuru himself... This humble servant could never hope for a greater honor! It is only natural that I should devote every ounce of my strength to Lord Rimuru and the prosperity of Tempest! To be entrusted with the administration of this magnificent city is already an honor beyond measure!"
"Whoa, calm down, Rigurd. It's not that serious," Rimuru said, hurriedly trying to calm the muscular Hobgoblin down as he made a spectacle of himself in the middle of the busy market.
Aurora, who had been watching the entire exchange from beside Rimuru, wore an expression that was equal parts amused and bewildered. By now, she had already realized that her father was deeply respected by the people of Tempest, but seeing someone become so emotional simply because he had received a few words of praise from Rimuru was something she hadn't quite expected. Still, she figured it was probably just part of the personality of the person standing before her.
Meanwhile, after several more moments of dramatic sobbing, Rigurd finally managed to regain his composure and wiped away the tears from his face before turning toward Aurora and immediately bowing deeply. "It is an honor to meet you, Princess Aurora," he said in his usual booming voice.
"Ah! You don't have to bow!" Aurora was startled by Rigurd's sudden gesture and quickly waved her hands. "Really, it's okay. You can just talk to me normally," she added, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden display of respect.
"I am afraid I cannot do that, Princess." Rigurd immediately shook his head, and his expression became incredibly serious as he placed a hand against his chest, and before Aurora could even ask why, he answered, "As the daughter of our beloved Lord Rimuru, you must be treated with the respect befitting your position. I shall make certain that everyone within Tempest understands this."
"But... I don't really want everyone treating me like some important princess," Aurora said, her expression slowly becoming troubled. "I'd be fine with everyone treating me like any other girl."
"Your humility only makes you more deserving of the title!" Rigurd declared proudly, with a broad smile spreading across his face as he praised her.
Aurora's eye twitched at his response as she realized that no matter what she said, there was no way she was going to convince him. So slowly she turned her head toward Rimuru, silently looking to her father for help, only to find him covering his mouth with one hand and doing everything in his power not to burst out laughing.
"Papa..." Aurora puffed out her cheeks as she called out to him while placing her hands on her hips.
"Sorry, sorry. I just..." Rimuru immediately looked away, desperately trying to compose himself, but the slight shaking of his shoulders made it painfully obvious that he was barely holding himself together. This only made Aurora puff out her cheeks even further as she glared at him, though to her dismay, the sight only made her look even cuter in her father's eyes.
Meanwhile, in the background, Milim had picked up a sword from a nearby shop and was swinging it around without a care in the world, much to the horror and fright of the people nearby.
******
After leaving the market district behind, the three continued their leisurely stroll through Rimuru City until they eventually arrived at one of Tempest's training grounds, where the rhythmic sounds of weapons clashing, along with the occasional groan and grunt of exertion, echoed throughout the area.
Standing at the edge of the training field was Hakurou, the elderly Kijin swordsman who had taken on the role of instructor for Tempest's troops. Despite his advanced age and equally aged appearance, his posture remained perfectly straight, and his sharp eyes missed practically nothing as he watched the soldiers under his strict supervision, making sure that none of them slacked off or fell behind.
However, the soldiers weren't the only ones occupying the training grounds. Further toward the center of the field, two of Tempest's strongest warriors, Benimaru and Shion, were engaged in a fierce sparring match. The two Kijin moved across the battlefield at incredible speed, accompanied by the roar of flames and the violent displacement of air as their weapons repeatedly collided.
Aurora's attention was immediately drawn toward them, and even from a distance, she could tell that the two weren't like the other soldiers present on the field. Their strength and speed were far beyond those of the others fighting on the opposite side of the field, not to mention the eye-catching weapons they wielded in their hands.
"Fascinated?" Rimuru smiled at his daughter when he noticed her transfixed gaze fixed on the battle. "That's Benimaru, the commander of our army, and the other one is Shion, the commander of my personal guard," he explained before pointing toward the old instructor on the other side of the field. "And that's Hakurou, the teacher of those two and the sword instructor for our entire army."
"I see," Aurora said, nodding along with his explanation before asking, "Papa, what are those weapons in their hands?"
"Oh, so that's what caught your eye, huh?" Rimuru said, realizing that it wasn't the clash between his two subordinates that had attracted his daughter's attention, but the weapons they were wielding. "Well, you see, those two weapons were created by me," he added proudly.
"Really, Papa!?" Aurora exclaimed, looking up at him with wonder in her eyes.
"Yep," Rimuru replied proudly as he began telling her about his adventure in Fulbrosia, as well as the little competition he had arranged for the two of them. He explained how it had ended in a tie, so he decided to reward them both with legendary-grade weapons before going on to explain more about the weapons themselves.
First, he told her about the sword in Benimaru's hand, named the Blazing Hope. It was a katana with a striking red-and-black, flame-patterned blade, with the colors twisting along its length as though actual flames had been forged directly into the metal. The handguard was designed in the shape of an open flame, with a brilliant orange core surrounded by a yellow border, while the hilt was pristine white with an orange pommel at the bottom.
Then he moved on to Shion's weapon, called the Gest of the Mighty Wolf, a broad, double-edged blade with a dark metallic center stripe and glowing cyan energy lines running down the middle. Its intricate guard was adorned with sharp, wing-like cyan crystals and dark, spiky accents surrounding a brilliant, glowing gem at its core. The slim, dark hilt ended in a matching teal-and-gold pointed pommel, giving the entire weapon an elegant appearance despite its intimidating size.
Of course, both weapons had been inspired by Rimuru's past life.
Benimaru's katana was modeled after the sword of Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira from an anime Rimuru had watched in his previous world. In Rimuru's opinion, Benimaru's attitude, personality, and especially his fiery fighting style were quite similar to that of the beloved Hashira, so he had thought the weapon suited him perfectly.
Shion's claymore, meanwhile, had been inspired by a game Rimuru had played during his previous life, more specifically, by a weapon he had liked enough to spend an embarrassingly large amount of money on gacha after gacha, only to finally obtain it before spending even more money to create the best 'R6' version of it.
Well, that was one of those memories he preferred not to think about too deeply. Besides, he figured that neither the recipients of the weapons nor Aurora needed to know any of that.
"Amazing," Aurora said with stars in her eyes as she silently admired how her father could craft such cool and beautiful weapons on top of everything else he was capable of doing. "Papa, I want one too," she said, looking up at him with expectant eyes.
"Sure, but not right now," Rimuru said, gently patting her head. "When the time comes, I'll make the best and most amazing blade I can possibly make for you."
"Really!? Thank you, Papa! You're the best!" she exclaimed before hugging him with a wide smile.
Meanwhile, in the background, Milim was playing a one-person game of volleyball against herself, using Gobata as the ball.
******
Meanwhile, in the residential area of Rimuru City, inside a particularly cozy house, Blanche sat at the dining table looking utterly sick and exhausted, while her usually lively expression had been replaced by the miserable look of someone who had long since reached the absolute limits of her endurance as she stared at the empty plate in front of her, which she slowly lifted and placed it on top of the already towering stack beside her with a tired sigh.
Blanche leaned back in her chair and rested a hand against her painfully full stomach as her face gradually turned green, struggling to keep herself from groaning. "I can't eat anymore..." she muttered weakly, only for her stomach to immediately affirm her words with a loud gurgling sound, making her wince as she glanced down at herself with a look of despair before adding, "Seriously, I can't. If I eat even a single grain of rice right now, I'm pretty sure I'll explode."
Unfortunately for Blanche, the universe seemed determined to test exactly how much more suffering she could endure because, at that very moment, a delicious aroma suddenly drifted out from the kitchen as the unmistakable smell of freshly prepared food reached her nose. On any other day, the aroma would have been enough to make her mouth water and her stomach rumble in anticipation, but today, it felt like the scent of death itself was slowly creeping toward her.
"No..." Blanche whispered, her expression becoming increasingly horrified as the smell grew stronger. "Please... anything but more food..." she added, already feeling her stomach protest at the mere thought of another meal.
A moment later, the kitchen door opened, and Testarossa stepped into the dining room carrying a steaming plate in both hands and a bright, satisfied smile on her lips as she carefully approached the table, completely oblivious to the sheer terror written across Blanche's face.
"Blanche, look what I made!" Testarossa said as the delicious aroma grew even stronger with every step she took, causing Blanche to stiffen in her chair. "I decided to try something a little different this time, and I think I finally managed to get the balance of flavors exactly right," she added cheerfully as she placed the steaming dish directly in front of the exhausted girl.
Blanche stared at the plate in front of her with a blank expression while her stomach already felt as though it had been packed beyond its limits, and even the thought of swallowing another bite made her feel as though she might collapse. Somewhere deep inside, her mind was practically begging her to push the plate away, while every instinct in her body screamed at her to get away from the table before it was too late and tell Testarossa that she couldn't eat another damn thing.
Unfortunately, Blanche's resolve immediately began to crumble as she looked up at Testarossa and saw the ancient demoness standing beside the table with an unmistakably hopeful expression and her crimson eyes practically sparkling with anticipation as she waited to hear what Blanche thought of her newest creation.
"It looks... delicious," Blanche said weakly, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Really?" Testarossa's expression brightened even further. "I'm glad you think so. Go ahead and try it."
Blanche's smile became noticeably more strained as she stared at the food, knowing that she should refuse, but the words froze in her throat, unable to bring herself to say no. After all, Testarossa was like an elder sister to her in all but blood. She was someone Blanche cherished deeply, and it was this white-haired Primordial Demoness who had given her a new chance at life, both literally and figuratively. Because of that, even the thought of seeing that hopeful smile disappear simply because she refused to taste one of her dishes was more than Blanche could bear.
That was why, despite every warning her body was sending her and every desperate plea coming from her mind, Blanche slowly reached for the fork with a trembling hand and picked it up. 'Okay... I can do this,' she told herself, internally, as she carefully scooped a small portion from the plate and stared at it as though she were preparing herself for battle.
However, just as Blanche finally gathered enough courage to bring the fork toward her mouth, a sudden chime echoed through the house.
Ding-dong.
Blanche froze with the fork still hovering dangerously close to her lips, and her eyes slowly widened as she stared toward the entrance, almost as though she had just heard the sound of salvation itself.
Testarossa, however, turned toward the front door before a bright smile spread across her face as she sensed who was outside, and immediately hurried toward the door.
The moment Testarossa's back was turned, Blanche's eyes darted toward the doorway before shifting to the plate sitting in front of her, and realized that this was her chance. Without wasting another second, she carefully lowered the fork back onto the plate and leaned back in her chair with a quiet sigh of relief, silently thanking whoever was at the door for saving her.
Meanwhile, Testarossa reached the front door and opened it. Just as she had expected, she found a familiar blue-haired man standing outside with two girls accompanying him.
"Good afternoon, Testarossa," Rimuru greeted her with a friendly smile.
"Rimuru-sama!" Testarossa's expression immediately brightened upon seeing him. Her crimson eyes then shifted toward the girls accompanying him, and she immediately recognized Milim, the infamous Demon Lord and resident freeloader. However, when she glanced at the other girl, her eyes wavered, and a shiver suddenly ran down her spine. Still, she suppressed the fright she felt in that moment and smiled once more before saying, "What a pleasant surprise. Please, come inside."
"Thanks," Rimuru replied as he stepped through the doorway, followed by Aurora and Milim. "We were just taking a walk around the city and thought we'd stop by."
Aurora quietly followed her father into the house, looking around with mild curiosity as she took in the cozy interior. Of course, she hadn't missed Testarossa's earlier reaction upon seeing her, but she didn't take offense to it. After all, she was keenly aware of her true identity and knew that some beings, especially those who had been directly created by her other self, would be more susceptible to her presence.
Meanwhile, Milim had barely taken a few steps inside when her nose suddenly twitched, and she stopped in her tracks as an incredibly delicious aroma reached her, immediately causing her to turn her head toward the source of the smell. "Whoa! Something smells really good!" she exclaimed, her eyes practically sparkling when she spotted the steaming dish still sitting untouched in front of Blanche on the dining table. "What's that?" she asked eagerly as she approached the table. "It looks delicious!"
As soon as Blanche heard that, her ears perked up, and she shot out of her seat at a speed that probably broke the sound barrier. "Hm... you can have it if you want," she said, doing her best not to sound too eager.
"Can I?!" Milim's eyes widened even further as she leaned close to Blanche's face, completely invading her personal space.
Startled, Blanche gently pushed Milim back before saying, "Absolutely! You can have the whole thing," while practically shoving the plate toward her.
"Really?! Thank you!" Milim didn't need to be told twice, as she immediately pulled out the chair, sat down, and started gobbling down the dish without hesitation, while Blanche quietly pushed her own chair backward, putting as much distance between herself and the plate as possible.
Meanwhile, Rimuru watched the entire interaction with a smile before turning toward Testarossa. "You picked up cooking as a hobby?" he asked the white-haired demoness, who flushed slightly and looked away. "Come on, don't be embarrassed. In fact, I think it's a wonderful hobby."
"Thank you, Rimuru-sama," Testarossa replied with a smile, warmth filling her heart. "In fact, please take a seat. I would love for you to taste something I made," she said, feeling a little more confident in her cooking after seeing how single-mindedly and happily Milim was gobbling down her dish.
With that, Testarossa went into the kitchen and began preparing two more servings of her dish with a small, pleased smile still lingering on her lips from Rimuru's earlier praise, when suddenly, she felt a presence behind her as two arms slipped around her waist, followed by a warm breath against her neck.
Knowing exactly who it was, Testarossa sighed helplessly before leaning back against the person behind her. "Rimuru-sama... I still have a dish to finish."
He ignored her mild protest and, in one smooth motion, spun her around and gently pinned her against the kitchen counter. "The food can wait," he murmured in a low, warm voice against her ear, "Right now, something far more delicious is right in front of me," before leaning in and capturing her lips.
The kiss started deep and unhurried, then grew hungrier as their tongues tangled, tasting and exploring each other's mouths. Then one of Rimuru's hands slid upward and cupped the soft weight of her breast through the fabric of her dress, his thumb brushing over her nipple until it hardened under his touch while his other hand slipped down to squeeze the plump curve of her ass, pulling her flush against him, causing Testarossa to moan softly and helplessly into his mouth as her fingers threaded into his hair and gripped them lightly as she arched into him.
A moment later, Rimuru broke the kiss only long enough to trail his lips along her jaw and down the side of her throat, nipping gently at the sensitive skin just below her ear. But then, just as his hand trailed down toward her wet snatch, Blanche suddenly rushed into the room, "Rimuru-sama..." only to freeze at the sight of Testarossa and Rimuru in such an intimate position.
For several painfully awkward seconds, nobody said a word before Rimuru finally stepped away and straightened his clothes, while Testarossa turned around, unable to look at Blanche after being caught in such an embarrassing situation, especially by someone she considered to be her younger sister.
"Ahem." Rimuru cleared his throat, doing his best to act as though nothing unusual had happened. "Blanche, what is it? Why did you rush over here?"
Blanche finally snapped out of her daze, and her face immediately turned bright red. "I-I... um..." she stammered, struggling to find the right words. "There's a woman outside who wants to see you."
"A woman?" Rimuru repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Blanche nodded quickly, still refusing to look directly at either of them. "She's waiting in the living room."
"I see. Thanks for letting me know." Rimuru gave her an appreciative smile before turning toward the doorway. "I'll go see who it is."
Blanche hurriedly stepped aside to let him pass, and Rimuru left the kitchen without another word, leaving the two embarrassed white-haired girls behind.
A moment later, he arrived in the living room and found a familiar pearl-haired dragoness standing there with a noticeable flush coloring her cheeks. A teasing smile immediately appeared on his face, knowing there was absolutely no way a True Dragon with Velzard's senses hadn't heard what had been happening behind those rather flimsy walls.
"Oh, Velzard," Rimuru said innocently. "Or should I call you a peeping tom?"
"Peeping tom?" A visible twitch appeared on Velzard's forehead as she heard the nickname, and she narrowed her golden eyes at him with an irritated glare. "It is your own fault for doing something like that here instead of going back to your own house," she retorted.
"So you admit you heard everything?" Rimuru's smile widened as he teased her again, causing Velzard's expression to become even more irritated. Before she could retort, however, he added, "Anyway, what brings you here?"
Upon hearing that, Velzard took a slow breath and composed herself before glancing toward Aurora, who had been quietly watching their exchange with a curious expression. After briefly studying the young girl, Velzard looked back toward Rimuru with a serious expression and said, "Rimuru, we need to talk..."
To be continued...