Chapter 23
The party was in full swing. Everyone was having a lot of fun. Until something unexpected happened.
"Sir, urgent news!" - said a soldier, suddenly entering the room.
"What's going on?" - Rimuru asked slowly, trying to calm the soldier down.
Just as Rimuru asked this, a large group of guards from different nations rushed into the room.
"A long flying object is flying this way! It's out of town!" – continued the soldier.
A flying object? It seemed that someone had copied my method of transportation.
As the soldier gave his report to Rimuru, the other soldiers reported to their bosses as well.
"Reporting, sir! The Empress of the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion has appeared!"
"It's an emergency! The Heavenly Empress, Elmesia ElRu Sarion herself, has set foot upon this land!"
"Her Excellency the Empress and her entourage are walking toward this reception hall!"
So, Empress Elmesia had arrived?
Honestly, I didn't know how to feel about this. I didn't have any sort of personal grudge against Elmesia or the Elves, but I couldn't help but resent her a little on behalf of Tuatha and the Dark Elves. I didn't plan to antagonize her or anything like that, but before I thought of any kind of alliance with the Elves, I had to talk to Tuatha first.
Finally, the Heavenly Empress entered. She had the ethereal beauty that both Elves and Dark Elves possessed, but one hundred percent magnified. Her skin was pale as snow, and her hair was silver and shiny. Her ears were long and pointed at the end, her eyes the color of jade.
Elmesia's gaze swept the entire room, stopping momentarily on me. I realized that I was using my Dark Elf form, and she seemed to be curious about me. When our eyes met...
Warning
Heroic Aura Spirit Interference detected…
Such interference has been blocked.
Spiritual interference? Elmesia was trying to do something against me?
No. Spirit Interference seems to be a natural effect of Heroic Aura.
Her gaze finally left me, to land on Rimuru. She slowly walked up to him. "I have accepted your kind invitation." – She said with a clear voice.
"It's an honor to meet you, too." - Rimuru said. "Now, we have some food prepared for all of us, so I hope you will enjoy the remainder of the evening."
"Yes, I am most pleased to see so much careful attention paid to these proceedings. I do look forward to the festivities beginning tomorrow, and I hope they prove to be eminently enjoyable. Also… Doesn't have to be today," she whispered so only the few with great hearing could hear, "but I want you to make some time for me, you know. There's something I want to discuss frankly, in a more relaxed environment."
"All right," - He replied. "I'll let you know when I work out a time."
Once the conversation ended, Elmesia continued to enjoy the party.
The next day in the morning, an Elf soldier appeared at the door of my room, with an invitation from Elmesia, to have breakfast together. Moved by curiosity, I agreed.
Our meeting happened shortly after, in one of Tempest's new coffee shops. Elmesia, it seemed, had a sweet tooth. Outside the coffee shop I could see the long line of guards, all Elves, who guarded the Empress's safety, though I doubted she would need any of them to defend herself. Ignoring them, I entered the coffee shop, finding the Empress already sitting at one of the tables, eating what appeared to be fruitcake. At her side was another Elf. I assumed this was the famous Erald Grimwald, Elmesia's uncle and a Duke of Sarion.
I walked over to their table and took a seat across from both of them. Again, my gaze met Elmesia's.
"So, you are Demon King Rogan." – she began.
Clearly the game had begun. There were only a few people who knew that I was a Demon King, and Elmesia was trying to throw me off balance by letting me know that she knew. But she was not the only one who had investigated.
"Who would have known Leon was such a gossip." – I said, without altering my voice in the slightest. "Anyone who looked at him would say he doesn't seem like the type."
My comment about Leon caused only the slightest change in her face. It was almost imperceptible, but thanks to my skills I could detect that she was surprised that I knew about her friendship with Demon King Leon Cromwell. It wasn't surprising, really. Only the other Demon Kings knew that I was one of them, and during dinner after the Walpurgis, Ramirys let slip that Leon and Elmseia knew each other, so I just had to add two plus two.
"Yeah, well, Leon and I have a very special relationship." – she continued. "It was quite a surprise when he told me about the rise of not just one, but two new Demon Kings. One of them, sporting the face of a Dark Elf. Tell me, how long do you plan to fool everyone by wearing that face?"
"I don't know. How long has it been since you've been wearing yours?" – I asked her, and I could see how Erald got nervous at her side.
"Don't you know that asking a lady's age is rude?" - she asked, her voice like ice.
"I just answered one rudeness with another." – I told her, immediately following her question.
"Ha, ha, ha! This is the first time that someone has spoken to me so brazenly!" – Elmesia said, suddenly bursting out laughing. "You don't have to worry; I didn't come here to start a fight. In fact, I have come to apologize." She continued; her voice serious again.
"An Empress apologizing?" – I asked surprised.
"Even Empresses can make mistakes." – she said solemnly. "Although I'm only wrong every thousand years or so" – She continued, winking at me.
This empress seemed to have a split personality or something. One moment completely serious, the other laughing, and then being seductive or something.
"I take it your apology is due to your dispute with the Dark Elves?"
"It is. When Tuatha and her people asked for my help, I decided not to help them for fear of getting involved with Clayman and the other Demon Kings. Although Sarion is a strong country, it is my duty as Empress to protect it from any threat. I can't afford to let my feelings dictate how I rule. I hope you understand." - she said.
"I understand perfectly. And I don't hold a grudge against you or your people. I will take your apologies to Tuatha, and I am sure she will understand."
"Well, since the heavy matters are already behind us, let's move on to more important matters! I heard an interesting rumor about something you call ice cream, and they only make it in Avalon, so why don't we make a business between our countries, so I can eat some of that mysterious ice cream that Rimuru seemed to like so much? - The empress suddenly asked, her mood much lighter. Beside her poor Erald looked terribly exasperated.
Elmesia and I talked for a while longer, and then we parted ways. My next stop was a meeting with someone Rimuru had recommended to me. I told Rimuru last night about my lack of finance expertise, and Rimuru, being the great guy that he is, immediately recommended I speak to Mjöllmile, his finance minister. He was busy with everything related to the festival, but he managed to make a hole in his calendar to see me.
I finally found him in his office. Mjöllmile was a short human, but his face showed that he was a very cunning man.
"Hello! Are you Mjöllmile?" – I asked when entering his office.
"Welcome! You must be King Rogan! Please come in and have a seat." – Mjöllmile received me, making a courtesy.
His office was simple, yet elegant. I took a seat on one of the padded chairs, and a butler immediately proceeded to pour me a cup of tea.
"Lord Rimuru told me that you had various matters to discuss with me?" – Mjöllmile asked me.
"That's right. You see, my kingdom has many highly qualified people, but we are in need of someone to oversee the finances of the country, and who also doesn't mind teaching a select group of individuals to help him. As you can imagine, this person must be trustworthy since he or she will take control of the economy of my entire kingdom. When I asked Rimuru if he could recommend someone to me, he told me to talk to you." – I told him.
"Oh! I see, I see. In fact, I think I have just the right person." – Mjöllmile said as he took a sheet of paper from one of his desk drawers. "This is Edward, one of my best pupils. I have taught him all that I could teach him, but I fear he can never reach his true potential if he remains in my shadow. I can assure you that you will not find someone more prepared and loyal than him."
The sheet of paper displayed the image and personal data of a young human, in addition to their qualifications and merits. Deciding to trust Mjöllmile's judgment, I told him I'd like to meet the boy after the festival, and we arranged a meeting at his office.
Having finished my business with Mjöllmile, I gathered with the other dignitaries from the other countries in the northern part of Tempest to hear Rimuru's speech.
"Ladies and gents—er, gentlemen, I am the, um, almighty demon lord…" Rimuru began, although he seemed very uncomfortable speaking in public. "I'm the demon lord Rimuru. Good to see you all. So, um, I'm glad you all accepted the invitation to my country here. Some of you are visiting for the first time, but I don't want any of you to be anxious. It's true—I am a demon lord, but I have no intention of being hostile toward any human. My hope is that I can build a nation where all of us can get along together. I believe that, instead of people and monsters fighting, if we join hands and work together, a better future is waiting for all of us. I am sure some of you are wary of me because I've become a demon lord. That's only natural, of course, but I honestly want you to believe in what you're feeling. I have no interest in forcing my will upon any of you. If you think you can believe in me, I'd be happy to hear that. But if you don't, I'm not going to dwell on it. Trust isn't created overnight. I'm not going to press you for a conclusion on that, because I feel trust is something we earn by building it up over the course of our relationships."
I had to admit, it was a pretty good speech. Maybe I should follow Rimuru and create my own festival, when I open my first vacation spot on the island.
"To all the nobles here, when you return to your homelands, I ask you to be honest and relate everything you see to your countrymen. We have already established friendly relations with several countries. Even if you don't trust us, are those other nations worthy of your trust? If you are biased against me because I am a slime or a demon lord, I hope that you cast that aside. Personally, I have no intention whatsoever of waging war simply because someone will not join hands with us. However, if you try to push unequal treatment on us because we are monsters or attempt to wage a war in order to eradicate us, we will not show you any mercy. I think all of you can understand that much looking at the recently destroyed Kingdom of Farmus. And to all the merchants, adventurers, and regular peasantry gathered here: I swear to you that I will not lay a hand on any of you. I mean, unless you commit a crime or something, but otherwise, no. My nation is facing a lack of workers. We have many jobs that need to be filled, so if you seek work, I would like all of you to consider moving here. Wherever people gather, new opportunities, and new chances, are bound to follow. As a rule, we guarantee your right to free expression. This includes free speech, as well as the right to choose the job you want. You do, of course, still have responsibility for your words and actions, but regardless, it holds true. If this sounds like a nation you'd be interested in, then by all means, give some thought to what I just said. Going forward, our nation is planning a multitude of events. The Tempest Founder's Festival starting today is only the beginning—and I hope all of you enjoy it!"
After Rimuru's speech ended, the crowd began to clap energetically. I never thought Rimuru was so good at speeches! I definitely had to ask him for some advice for when my own festival was held. Hmm, I could already see it! The Great Festival of Avalon!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm so sorry for the delay! My city is being affected by massive blackouts, which slows down my writing tempo a lot, but I'll try to do my best! Broadly speaking, I already have thought about how the story will continue until the last volume that came out of the Light Novel, so don't worry, there is still story for a while.