Losing a loved one was never a good feeling. It was both crushing and devastating. Ludwig had experienced it firsthand. However, now that he witnessed such a young girl standing in front of her father's corpse wailing, he felt his own loss was nothing.
Latina buried her face in the embrace of Valerie, her shoulders trembled, a soft sob leaking through the muffled mouth. The older demon girl did his best to pacify the young demon, her hands wrapped warmly around the little body.
No one moved or uttered a single word. The sound of the little girl blended into the sound of the rustling leaves and the wind. Those sounds were like a sword straight to heart to the adults present. Claire already had her hands on her face. Meanwhile, Rimuru just stood, arms crossed in front of his body.
Even though he didn't look sad or upset, Ludwig knew better than anyone that he was anything but unaffected.
Finally, Ludwig decided to break the silence. "Any thought about the cause of death besides the obvious?"
Rimuru was the first to react. He shook his head as his eyes locked into the corpses. Then came Claire. Just like the blue haired man, she also shook her head.
However, as if he still hadn't said everything he wanted to say, Rimuru opened his mouth. "For a demon race, his mana was pure–no. Pure isn't the correct word. It's rather protective. It's sacrificial and protective, a beautiful balance."
"Huh? You can feel something like that?" Ludwig looked at Rimuru.
"Mhm." Rimuru nodded. "It helps me identify the nature of people. Because even though the heart and the mouth can lie, the mana can't."
Ludwig gave him a silent acknowledgement. From what he knew about him from the novel, Rimuru didn't possess such ability. So, it was either this Rimuru came from a story that was different from the Canon or he got the ability because of his restaurant. After all, the butterfly effect was a real thing.
However, rather than dwelling on the matter any longer, Ludwig opened his mouth again. "So, should we bury him? Or should we do something else?"
This time, even Latina looked at him. However, the words that came next were anything but an answer.
"Before that, can I ask Latina some questions first?" Rimuru answered the question with another question. After Ludwig gave him his permission, he lowered himself, knees touching the ground. "Latina, how about living with me from now on?"
That follow up question sent shock to everyone present. Even Ludwig couldn't help but plant his face into his palm. He knew the slime was mischievous and willful. But this kind of out of nowhere decision? Never in his wildest imagination did he ever think about him doing it.
But looking at how serious his face was, Ludwig realized it was not just action born from sympathy and impulsiveness. It seemed that the Great Sage inside him was telling him something. Which, if things went in the right direction, they would know about it soon.
Latina looked at Rimuru in shock and silence. It was obvious from her face that she didn't know what to do.
To be honest, Ludwig had thought about taking the little demon in as well ever since he saw the dissipating mana from inside the restaurant. After all, even a villain would think twice about abandoning such a little girl.
However, with the environment he lived in, it was simply not feasible to take a small kid in. In such formative years, kids would be easily influenced by those close to them. If Latina lived in the restaurant with him and his employees, he would gain super employees in the future. Someone who was capable of serving, cooking, and even socializing. But, he didn't think it was the right thing to do. After all, that would be a result of her seeing and thinking the restaurant was her world.
He hadn't thought about whom he should entrust the young demon to amongst all the patrons of the restaurant, so Rimuru's question to Latina came just at the right time.
Valerie patted Latina's head at that moment. "Little one, his name is Rimuru. He's a good and funny guy. If you want to live with him, you will have so many friends! Sounds good, isn't it?"
A beat passed in silence. Then a small flicker of voice broke through the calm night. "F-friends?"
"Yes. You can play together with them, eat together, learn together, and many more!" Valerie said, all of her beings had returned from the shock from learning the young demon that had walked into their restaurant had become an orphan.
"Will you live with me?" RImuru asked again after Valerie said everything she had to say to Latina.
Another beat passed, but then Latina gave a slight nod. At the same time, her eyes still locked into the ground.
"Good, good." Rimuru's tone curved upwards. A smile bloomed at his face as he ruffled Latina's silvery hair.
The atmosphere became lighter, the pressure all forgotten with that single answer from Latina. But then, Rimuru looked at Ludwig.
"Now, about the funeral." His tone slithered in a stable tone. "I'll take his body as well as his remaining mana with me."
"You mean, you're gonna store it in your body?" Ludwig quirked his brows. At the same time he could see Claire also doing the same thing as him.
"Yes. From the Great Sage's calculation, his mana would help Latina evolve into a better path after I named her."
"I don't know what to say about that, but it's safe, right?" Ludwig asked.
"Of course! What are you taking me for?" Rimuru asked, tone indignant.
"Okay then. Do as you see fit." Ludwig shrugged.
Rimuru walked towards the corpse. After pausing, half of his body started to melt and flew into the air. Then, it enveloped the rotting corpse lying on the ground, no parts were left untouched. Then, all of the liquid gathered back into Rimuru, perfecting his form once again.
But even after his form returned, Rimuru just stood still. Through his enchanted sight, Ludwig could see his Mana—or Magicules Rimuru called it—soared for a split second before returning to his body.
It seemed like his conjecture about the identity of Latina's father was right. After all, no weaklings would affect Rimuru to such an extent.
Once the mana around Rimuru calmed down, he finally turned towards them. With a smile on his face, he told them: "I gained quite a bit from the corpse. Don't worry, I'll make a grave for him in Tempest. In addition, I think Latina will be quite strong once I named her."
"Remember, Rimuru. Her happiness comes first. Don't just make her fight because she's strong." Claire chided at that moment, her tone was sharp, so different from when they were talking normally.
"Hey now." Rimuru whipped his head towards Claire. "I never asked anyone to fight for me. It's always them who eagerly fought for me."
"Sure, sure." Claire scoffed.
With the bickering of the two as the background noise, they went back to where the door leading to the restaurant stood. Their short yet enlightening journey to a new world finally ended.
That too, on a high note.
* * *
The hustle bustle inside the restaurant was nowhere to be found, leaving a silent hum and echoing voice between the walls. The open and close switch inside Ludwig's system had also been touched, so no one would accidentally walk into the restaurant anymore.
Even so, Claire and Rimuru were still present, they sat across from him with beverages of their choice in their hand. Aside from them, Celes was also in the restaurant. However, rather than sitting with them, she was asleep on the second floor after some coddling from Valerie, her proclaimed best friend.
How such a little girl thought a demon girl older than her was her best friend was unknown. But what could he do?
After taking another sip of the cold bitter ale from his mug, Ludwig opened his mouth. "Before you guys ask me, I really don't know the restaurant can give us such ability."
Claire and Rimuru looked at him, their eyes devoid of any playfulness. Then, the black-haired woman opened her mouth. "If you don't know the full capability of your power, don't you think it's dangerous?"
Ludwig gave her a smile. "It might be. But, I don't think giving us the ability to speak in different tongues should be considered dangerous. And from all the things I knew about my system, it didn't really give me absurd power. You guys knew it, I only got this restaurant's power only after toiling for years on the battlefield."
Rimuru's voice entered the conversation at that moment. "Don't worry too much about it Claire. Most of the system that people have is not evil. Strict, maybe. But in the end, it will always benefit the host of the system."
Ludwig offered Rimuru a support by nodding his head. Yes, some of the systems in novels he had read would give the host some outright outlandish task. But not his system. In his opinion, this system of his only gave him a mission when it aligned with his path.
When he wanted to open a restaurant, the system gave him the mission. The same applied when he was poached by the Hero's party. The system gave him a mission to slay the demon king.
So maybe, if it ever gave him a mission again, it would give him something about feeding someone or make them satisfied with his food.
"But we are not the host of the system, are we? Shouldn't it only affect Ludwig alone?" Claire rebutted.
To be honest, Ludwig didn't have any answer regarding that matter. Thankfully, Rimuru came to help him. Well, maybe not him, but The Great Sage.
"Actually, I have a theory regarding that." Rimuru started. "It seemed like the restaurant was planting the knowledge of the language into us the moment we entered the restaurant. I mean, we can understand each other well ever since we walked into this restaurant. Planting it directly into us is more practical than translating it in real time."
"Doing something like that without our permission is bad." Claire's face turned grim as she said that. "Imagine what else it could do without us knowing."
"Again, don't worry too much." Rimuru chuckled. "If it's a different kind of system, I'll also be worried about it. But Ludwig's system is all about the restaurant. The most vile thing it could do is manipulate our minds to keep telling us that we are hungry."
Claire sighed, offering no more rebuttal. But from her face it was obvious that she still couldn't accept it fully. However, her silence spoke louder than her expression. It was evident that she was willing to trust the words of both Ludwig and Rimuru.
"By the way." Ludwig opened his mouth. "About gathering samples regarding the change from visiting more worlds. Any thoughts on which world we should go to next?"
Rimuru crossed his arms and hummed. "You're still going to come to my world next week, right?" He looked at Claire.
After Claire gave him her answer through a nod, he continued. "How about going to your world too, Claire? And your world too, Lud."
"I'm fine with that." Ludwig shrugged.
"I'm also fine with that." Claire nodded. "Just don't bring anyone who resembles an elf and we are good."
Ludwig and Rimuru chuckled at that moment. "Your world is weird… How come elves in your world are the villain."
"Shut up." Claire glared at both him and Rimuru. "But what if it's not enough? Which world should we travel to next?"
"No matter how fun I think it might be, I don't think we can go to Kushina's world. The Hokage and the whole Konoha would be in chaos if we went there." Rimuru chuckled. "That leaves us with Akane's world, Cale's world, and Kashi's world."
Ludwig raised one of his brows at that moment. "Why not Ryouma's world? You are still afraid of him?"
However, rather than answering at Ludwig's jab with other barbed words, Rimuru just pleaded his silence.
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