Naruto; A Love for Milim
-Chapter 4: The not romantic confession, and the plan-
Marriage. The people of the empire had been whispering that word lately. It annoyed Milim to no end. Not because she disliked that word or something alike, but because they brought her name along with Naruto's when they're talking about that. "To finally official Naruto-sama as our emperor," they said, or, "To help our empress confess her feeling," or something along those line. It annoyed Milim because some of, perhaps all, their words were absolutely true. She loved Naruto. How could she not after so many years had passed and the many things they done together and everything they had been through, not to mention Naruto liked to tease and flirting with her, sometime he even dared to seduce her, how could she not?
But there was a glaring problem, this kind of feeling was new to Milim and she was afraid that Naruto did not really feel the same as her. Perhaps it was a paranoid side of her, not because she did not confident with herself but her body was not gorgeous like Escana; it was a common sense that men often preferred big breast woman over someone like her.. but she somehow convinced that Naruto was different. Even so, she was still afraid to let the blond knew.
However, they had been kissing for numerous of times, it meant Naruto loved her too, right?
Yes, that's right, Naruto loved her too. If not then why would he bother showing so much affections toward her? The only sense thing was that Naruto loved her as well. The problem was, how to make the blond admitted that he loved her? As awesome as she was, telling the blond that she loved him was a feat even the mighty her could not handle, not only it embarrassing but also she afraid if that was not true, and the feeling of rejection.. she did not want to feel it.
But if Naruto was the one who confessed first, she did not need to think of what if. And so, Milim averted her blue eyes to the blond haired man who's sitting right on her right side, seemingly lost in his own thought.
"Naruto?"
Naruto blinked his eyes when the soft-tone of Milim invoked his ears. "Yes, my dear Milim?"
"U-um, what is love?"
That certainly was not something he expected coming from Milim's sexy mouth. He was genuinely surprised. "Love, what about it, Milim? This is the first time in our hundreds years being together you ask me that.. have you finally realized that you have fallen in love with me?"
"I want to understand it properly, besides, I'm curious whether you have fallen in love with me. Your past actions were showing that you have fallen to the mighty me, that's the reason you kept pestering me to kiss you or stealing my kiss, no?"
"W-well, we have been through this conversation, right? Y-you have to take responsibility for turning me into half dragonoids, with your blood runs through my vein, it is impossible for me to control my lust without feeling your warm. Y-you have to be grateful that I manage to control myself from em.. taking your innocence."
Milim could not help herself from blushing, technically what the blond had said was true, even she could not control herself from the heat. She had never felt this kind of feeling before Naruto came to her life, the feeling that brought pleasure to her body whenever they were kissing, more so when Naruto massaging her. "T-that's true," Milim finally said, "however, there must be a reason why you managed to hold yourself, right, Naruto? You do love me, right?"
However, before Naruto managed to give the pink haired girl his response, Haku had entered the room they currently in, with a little smile on her lips.
"My apologize for disturbing your special time, my lord, Milim-sama."
"H-hi, Haku, what's up?"
"The meeting place has been decided, the devil Gelmudo himself have just stopped by to inform Meyrin. It will be held in the late noon, Milim-sama."
"That's good! It has been long since I last go out."
The previous devil named Gelmudo had promised a good show for Milim to watch. Naruto did not interest in the supposed-show, however, Milim felt attracted to the devil's offer. As expected of Milim, if he did not know any better, he would say that the girl was indeed a child. Sighing, Naruto gave in. However, he would not let the girl left by herself.
"I think it is better if you don't go by yourself, i will make a special clone, you can take over it so there's no need to go there yourself."
"Hm, that sounds interesting.. as expected of Naruto."
Naruto let a little smile appeared on his lips, those sparkling irides of hers were so fascinated. He did not know what he would do if he didn't have a good self-control. Sighing, Naruto raised his right hand in a single seal creating a clone that soon taking shape of Milim cladded in imitation of Virgo cloth with eyes closed and no life detected. This clone worked like pain's body, it could be controlled from afar away with using a rune that worked like the transmitter and receiver.
"Give me your palm."
Milim happily offered her right hand to be held by the blond and soon he started making rune on her palm that was similar to the rune on the clone's palm.
Just then the clone started moving its eyelids before finally revealing the blue irides that were similar to Milim's.
"Whoa.. I can see my awesome mighty self!"
"Yes, you can see everything the clone see, listen every words it hears, talk through its mouth and even using it to fight."
"Whoa.." Milim's eyes were shining like a star in the midnight sky. "If I can control it without the need of thinking then I can use it to replace me and at the same time play the game!"
"Sadly, it is impossible to do that. Though, I can use rune to program it so it can act on its own. However.."
"However?"
"I will never do that. Did not you say you want to be the best Empress ever?"
"A-ahaha.. I was joking! Really!"
Naruto gave the girl a deadpan, clearly saying he was not believing her. Milim was pouting when her words failed to convince Naruto.
"Anyway, it is lunch time already, let us see what Schnee and Meyrin have prepared for us." Naruto said and grabbed Milim's right hand forcing the girl to stand from the luxury sofa. "You can join us as well, Haku," added Naruto while at the same time walking toward the door with Milim beside him, hand in hand.
"E-eh.. do we walking there, Naruto?"
"Yes."
"B-but there are many people below, so it is.."
"Embarrassing?"
"Um."
"Haku has watched us kissing before, right?"
"W-well, that's Haku.. and it was not planned."
"Don't worry, you will get used to it. Besides, you are the great Milim, such little embarrassment would not enough to make you stop, no?" asked Naruto as he leant on to her left ear and whispered, "About our previous conversation, we will talk about it some other time."
"Well.. if you say it like that then.. l-let's go!" Milim yelled and stormed the door, making Haku who was watching the two from behind smiled.
Later on, Somewhere hidden
A wide conference room. The room was shrouded in silence. Several shadows of men and women were sitting surrounding the large round meeting table. A large crystal sphere was nested in the middle of the table. From the lowest position of the seat near the entrance of the room, a man was casting some kind of spell towards the sphere. The man dressed as a clown, his name was Gelmudo, he was the one who was entrusted with this meeting, and also the person responsible for certain project. The project that he had worked for many years, and that project was to give birth to a new demon lord for the sake of his own ambition. The project must not end in failure. And then, it was finally the last day of the project. He succeeded in inviting the four whimsical demon lords, though the hardest was inviting the empress of Minava Empire. Thus, it had to succeed at all cost, because it's impossible to make the demon lords move with money, you would need things that attracted their interest like a prey or a hard to obtain magic tools/artifacts.
This time, Gelmudo succeeded in making the four demon lords moved. In other words, the compensation he paid was enough. When the time came for the birth of a new demon lord, the other demon lords would not stay silent. If a fool freely calling himself a demon lord, he or she would be killed because they invoked the demon lords' wrath. Moreover, if there was such person that managed to turn the table against an infuriated demon lord, such person would then be recognized as a demon lord.
These past several hundreds of years, there was no such demon lord. The last born demon lord, the human "demon lord" Leon Cromwell, with his overwhelming magical power he increased the number of Majin he controlled and claimed himself as the demon lord of the frontier. In response, one of the demon lords, the curse lord Kazaream, who was furious with him had waged war against Leon. But unfortunately for the curse lord, Leon had managed to slay him instead. In response to the situation, the other demon lords recognized Leon as a new demon lord.
But, demon lord with such ability was not a common thing. Therefore, to claim a stranger as a demon lord, it was necessary to get the support of at least three or more demon lords. If you messed with the new demon lord, the supporting demon lords would become opponents at the same time, that was what to be expected. And following such procedures, for the sake of the birth of the new demon lord, Gelmudo became fired up because of his ambition. This time, to make the Orc Lord as demon lord would require one more step. For the bored demon lords, he prepared the stage for the birth of the demon lord as a spectacle.
It was for them to have fun, which was one of the conditions for the support. Of course it's not just that, he would also give them magic equipment and artifacts. For Gelmudo, this was a gamble of a lifetime. The Orc Lord had to eat the Goblins and Lizardment to evolve as demon lord. Today was the day when it would all end. To become a demon lord and getting the support at the same time, one must devastated human city. In doing so, it would become the news of the birth of a new demon lord. If such things happened, Gelmudo's ambition would be achieved. By manipulating the Orc Lord from shadow, he would be on equal standing with the other demon lords. And yet..
..there was no reaction from the crystal ball.
Gelmudo became impatient. This was bad. He did not want to imagine what would happen if he offended the demon lord that were looking forward to the play. Despite how much he growled, the crystal ball was not projecting. There's nothing could be done. At this moment he wondered if he was going to become a minced meat. Even if he's not killed, he might be cursed to become a minced meat with only consciousness left. It's no use. He didn't want to imagine it anymore.
Gelmudo hurriedly casted the spell again, but there were still no reaction from the crystal ball.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
A voice colder than ice echoed. The room turned silence, the intimidation was enough to disturb Gelmudo's spell. Gelmudo was panicking with sweat leaking all over.
"Ple-please wait! I will determine the cause right away!" yelled Gelmudo, his instinct was saying if he left it just like this then it would turn bad. However,
Creak!
A sound of something that was creaking as if it was being squashed was heard. But no sooner than later, something big flew pass by at high speed on Gelmudo's right side, it then crashed on the rear door with thunderous sound. One of the demon lord, a petite and beautiful light pink haired girl clothed in gold armor, had just thrown the big round table with her left hand. It was without any skill, sheer physical strength alone.
"You.. are you treating me like a fool?!" demanded the girl with a somewhat angry tone.
"P-ple-please forgive me! I will immediately confirm the cause myself!"
"Really?" asked the girl, her tone had changed into a casual one. "Then make it quick. Since I'm being generous, I'm going to wait here."
Which parts of you are generous?!
Though, he could not even afford the time to think about it. Gelmudo was trembling in fear, the door was destroyed by the table that flew outside making the wall of the building shattered as well, leaving a big hole on the wall. Gelmudo did not waste any more time as he leapt outside from the hole on the wall and started chanting his flight movement spell.
It was about a moment after Gelmudo left that the light pink haired girl had made used of the devil eyes and projecting it through the water sphere she had created letting the others to see it as well, of course without the devil knowing anything about it.
"How fun!" the girl muttered, her eyes and the others were fully on the screen.
The flustered and irrational Gelmudo had not notice the large gathering of high class monsters, the Oni race. Once every few hundred years, an elderly ogre could evolve into one. Their ability unnaturally high, they were often said to be capable of crushing the heavens. And there were three of such oni were present. Had he noticed, he would know that they weren't someone he could handle. And a fang wolf that evolved strangely was also present. Judging by its appearance alone, it was at least an A rank monster.
Thus, four rank A+ monsters were present, and they belonged to a single child wearing a beautiful mask. The child was certainly not a normal person.
"Who would have thought that Gelmudo would put such a good show!" exclaimed the girl happily.
"Seriously, that monster…, should we crush it? Or, raise it?" another demon lord asked in a disbelieving tone. His eyes were fully on the screen which showing Gelmudo being toyed by the child.
"No getting a head start," one of the male demon lords responded. "Though, negotiating to make it a servant is allowed."
"Hey, about this, can we keep it a secret among the four of us? It has been long since we got something to kill our boredom with, well with the exception of the empress who has her own amusement of course."
The real purpose was, of course, to gain a trump card against the absent demon lords. That's how highly they valued that monster who disguised himself as a child with a beautiful mask. Should that monster selfishly proclaimed himself as a demon lord, they were sure to immediately lose interest and eliminate him/her.
However, that time had yet to come. Thus, the four—likely three, because they were all understood that the empress had no interest with making the monster a servant, she had many of it already—nodded and formed a new coalition.
Had the demon lords move at this time, Rimuru's fate then would be very different.
Later, Jura Forest
As soon as the child finished eating the Orc disaster, Milim had immediately left the meeting's building and heading straight toward Jura Forest. A pair of dragon wings were majestically flapping behind her back, increasing her already great speed to that supersonic level. Her eyes were glittering in excitement, it was the first time in her so long life watching many strong monsters serving a single slime.
It took not long to reach the forest with her speed. But Milim could not find that slime among the monsters, nor was she found those A+ monsters. Groaning, she sharpened her eyes to look for the target and soon she caught sight of that child of a slime with its follower above the nearby hill. She wasted no time as she shot toward those monsters.
Boom!
Milim strongly landed a few feet before those monsters, they seemed to be aware of her arrival. Milim let a little smile appeared on her thin lips and walked out of the crater, the wings were no longer on her back.
"Who are you?" the red haired Oni asked, the rest seemed to be ready to engage should she try something funny. However, Milim did not say anything, she kept walking toward them with a little smile making those Oni tensed.
"Don't move!"
"It's okay Benimaru," the child slime said as it walked and standing before its follower. "She doesn't seem to be hostile."
Milim ignored their interaction and walked further ahead before she finally stopped a few feet away before the slime that had taken form of, probably, a little girl.
"E-etto, what can I do for you?" the little girl asked.
"What is your name?" asked Milim, her eyes were fully on hers.
"My name is Rimuru, Rimuru Tempest. May I know yours?"
"Hohoho, you have a good name, but my name is far better than yours!"
"O-okay, so, what is your name?"
"I'm demon lord Milim Nava, how? Cool, right?"
"O-oh, awesome, awesome, awesome. Well then, we have to go, excuse us demon lord Milim Nava."
Milim watched as Rimuru and her follower walked passed her, making her blinked her eyes before hastily turning around asking the girl to wait.
"What?"
"I wi-
Poof!
Milim blinked her eyes for a few times before sheepishly shifting her eyes toward the blond who was standing with his hands on his chest. Deceiving Naruto was not an easy task, she had tried multiple times and every one ended up in failure. And this time was no different, however, she did not give up yet. "N-Naruto, the clone was on her way, s-so you should have not dismissed it."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Y-yes!"
"Hm.. I planned on cooking a special ramen for lunch and dinner, but it seems I will change the menu."
Milim's eyes were widening in horror, "No, don't!" she yelled and halfheartedly sighed. "Okay, the clone was not on its way, it was in Jura Forest. So, will you make me ramen?"
"That's my Milim. Come, let us visit your shrine first before we return to our residence."
Three months later
The conference room looked the same as always, however, there's a small differentiation compared to the usual. The number of the chair that surrounded the round table had increased, it were now consisting of twenty six chairs.
It was the first time for Milim to participate in the meeting. Actually she was not needed in the monthly meeting like this since this was Naruto's council, however, due to Milim's change of heart to be the best empress in existence so now this council was Milim's. Naruto would minimalize his role to that of the actual prime minister, he would assist Milim in her reign of becoming the best empress.
"It is nice to see you again, more so with Milim finally decided to involve herself in the empire's affair. In response to Milim's desire, this council is no longer mine, we are all Milim's council from now on forward. Now then Your Majesty, you can begin."
"Of course Na-prime minister Naruto. Now then my ministers and councilors, I want to listen to everything you have done so far. You will begin explaining, Escana, and Fludel will start after you done and so on."
"Hai, Your Majesty," Escana said and stood up. "I will begin with the statistic of the people who lives in capital. Until a week ago, the number of people who lives here has reach four millions, halves of them are between fifteen to thirty years old and the rest are children with number below five hundred thousand and followed by people above thirty years old. That is without including the police who are stationed inside the capital. I will not reporting about the people's prosperity because it is the ministry of economic and prosperity to report and so I will move forward toward the current project we the capital's government handle, Capital's Railways. Otherworlders Industry has finally succeeded on creating the magical transportation called Mac-Train, so far they have managed to finish five of it. The railways that connect all around the capital will hopefully finished before the month ends, only then the people of the capital can travel from the capital corner to another with ease and in a short time. We have discussed it with the ministry of technology and industry along with the viceroys of all the ten cities to start building railways that will connect the cities and the capital. Further detail will be delivered by the minister of the ministry of technology and industry, and so I will continue about the problem we have faced so far," Escana paused as she inhaled and exhaled before continuing her report.
Milim's eyes had lost its light, her mind was suddenly overwhelmed by all consuming blankness. She did not know what the woman had just said, nor was she followed the woman's explanation. She had stopped following her words the moment she begun explaining the railways, she did not know anything about what she had said. It's true that Naruto had explained everything to her night prior but she.. em.. forgot about that. In the end when Escana finished explaining her report, Milim could only smile and muttered, "O-oh, good job, Escana. You have done well, I'm so proud of you."
"I'm not worthy of such praise but thank you so much for your kind words, your majesty."
"Um, now Fludel, you can begin."
An old man beside Escana nodded his head and stood up, he bowed his head to both Milim and Naruto before began his report. "I will be reporting on behave of ministry of education and entertainment. I will begin with education department. There are eleven knight and mage academies in total, each located in each city. The biggest is of course the one located in the capital, Namaki knight and mage academy. We are recruiting a hundred students in a year, but the one in the capital is about two hundred. Ever since the academy was founded, we have thirty six thousands alumnus in total. Among them, about eighty percent decided to join the Minava's Police while the rest were opting to be an adventurer. But this year will hopefully different; we have been working along with Konan-sama to increase the possibility of the students to be able to join the Anbu. So far, from the eleven academies, we have filtered twenty of the students who may pass the test of becoming an anbu. Also, we have been working on creating a festival for the students, this festival has two purposes. First of course to present an entertainment for Her Majesty while the second is to create a rivalry among the academies. It has been fixed that we will starting the festival before the year ends, hopefully her majesty will be able to attend. So far we don't have any problem that halting our process, and so I will be moving on the entertainment department," the old man paused as he lifted up the paper on his hand changing it with the entertainment part.
As Fludel continued reporting, Milim's eyes were half opened, her face had turned into a blank expression. Naruto, who was sitting on a chair on Milim's right side, could only smile as he watched her with his corner eyes. He had no doubt that his empress did not pay more attention to the minister, perhaps she was lost in her daydreaming while at the same time maintaining her blank expression. Her half opened eyes were no doubt showing she was deeply thinking while in truth she's not. Though, he had to give the girl credit with her ability to praise the minister when he finished reporting, although with a bit stuttered voice.
The next one who would give report was Hernandez, he was the minister of ministry of economic and prosperity. After him was a woman named Elisca, she was one of the three otherworlders in the room, she was the minister of ministry of otwerworlder. Naruto had specially made that ministry to compete with the eastern empire to attract more otherworlders to side with Milim's empire. It was not easy to gather them, more so with the fact that Minava Empire did not have any international relationship with the other country/kingdom/empire, they were neutral like the Dwarf Kingdom. So far, there were only twenty seven otherworlders here in Minava Empire, lesser than the ones lived in the western empire.
It took a while for all the councilors to finish their report, and longer time needed to solve the problem with a proper solution. When the councilors asked Milim her opinion, Milim fast at offering the best respond she could muster, "Naruto will give you the best solution." She said that with much confident and a big smile, seemingly having figured the best way to lead the meeting—namely, relying on Naruto.
As expected of Milim, and thus, despite Naruto's effort to minimalize his role, he ended up doing everything on the girl's behave. Was not he supposed to assist the girl and not doing everything for her? What was the point of her being the head of the council if he was still doing everything? Though, despite his, inwardly, protest, he did not denying her words. At least Milim had managed to stand this boring meeting and perhaps soon she would be better at handling this kind of meeting. And so, again, Naruto gave the best solutions he could think of and some of them with the help of Escana who was his most competent subordinate.
The meeting finally ended right before the lunch time and the councilors had left the conference room leaving Naruto alone with Milim. However, they did not leave without leaving a glaring question that managed to shade Milim's cheeks with pink color, Naruto's cheeks too to some degree. "When will Naruto-sama marry Milim-sama?"—was that surprising question.
"Naruto," started Milim after a moment of silence, her eyes were fully on his. "You are my prime minister and I'm your empress, right?"
That certainly piqued Naruto's interest, "Yes, what of it then, my dear Milim?"
"I can command you to do as I please, right?"
Naruto now knew what Milim would command him to do, he had no doubt that was something related to the question left unanswered by the people before. Sighing, Naruto decided to play along with the reluctant-looking Milim. "That is technically true, you can command me to do as you please. But Milim, it hurt me that you see me as a mere subordinate, i don't have any value to you, huh? Did it mean that all things we have been through together were only for fun to you? I thought I mean something special to you.."
"No! It's not like that!" yelled Milim, her face was showing her utmost denial toward what had he just said. "Naruto has always been someone important to me, seeing you as my subordinate have never crossed my mind. It is quite the opposite, I-I see you as my closest friend, s-someone I cherish and l-lo-ve dearly.."
"So you finally admit that you love me, eh, Milim? Took you long enough, I've been waiting such words coming out of your mouth for hundreds of years now."
Milim eyes widened in realization, Naruto had taken advantage of her earlier words to make her confessed. It should go another way around! The one who should confess was Naruto, not her! He.. he had manipulated her! How cruel!
"Oh, Milim," said Naruto with a mischievous smile as he pulled the girl into his embrace. "Don't be shy, I love you as much as you love me, my dear Milim, may be more."
"You are cruel Naruto," said Milim as she tightened her hands around Naruto's body. "How could you say all those words just to make me confess?"
"I'm not cruel, Milim, you are."
"Which part of me is cruel? You are the cruel one here by doubting my feeling and used that to force me expressing it."
"Then, tell me, what will you command me to do when you asked that question?"
"U-um, that is em.. um.. e-etto.. um.. I w-want.. em.."
"Hm? You are going to use the empire monarchy to force me to confess, no?"
"No."
"Eh, no? So what?"
"I-I-I," Milim paused and buried her embarrass face deeply on Naruto's chest. "I w-want to a-ask you to, em.. m-marry me."
Milim's stuttered yet honest voice managed to surprise Naruto. The surprised expression last not long as a little yet happy smile appeared on his lips. Naruto tightened his embrace and put his chin above Milim's head. "I should be the one to ask you that, Milim, not another way around."
"So.. does that mean you agree on marrying me?"
"No, the one who agrees on marrying me are you, no?"
"Um, I guess you're right."
Naruto's smile grew wider as he kissed Milim's head. Milim too was smiling, enjoying the affection the blond giving. The two were content with the silence that accompanying their moment, before Naruto finally decided to have a special lunch just for the two of them. Thus, they disappeared from the conference room and appeared on the top of the castle.
Naruto let Milim off of his embrace and raised his hand in a ram seal, a wooden table with two chair coming into existence soon after. It was followed by the cloud which suddenly moved to block the sunlight that raining the castle. Naruto let a satisfied smile and guided Milim to sit on one of the chair, he then sat on another chair on the opposite side of Milim and offered her his most charming smile he could muster. "I have created a clone to prepare the lunch, in the meantime, let us discuss our marriage."
-End Chapter-
The next chapter will mainly be about Monster City Tempest and Rimuru's meeting with Yuuki, it will be longer than any chapter, hopefully it will not take me long to finish the chapter.