Have you ever had that moment when you're trying not to remember something, but end up thinking about it all day? That is exactly what happened with this chapter.
I swear, the story is still in hiatus. Think of this chapter as sort of a delayed chapter that should've come before that.
Don't expect more to come so soon. Really.
Now, onto the story.
Felicia frowned.
This wasn't at all what had happened according to the news.
—The Gideon Folde incident.
One of the most terrible tragedies to ever happen in the empire.
According to what she'd heard, Elizabeth Slate had betrayed the empire, declaring to the world her selfish intentions by murdering a fellow mistress of the emperor and the crown prince before disappearing.
"Why?"
Felicia turned her head away from the door beyond which Thomas' dark memory lied to face Jack.
He looked confused and frustrated.
"Why would people kill their own family members?"
Oh.
"That's just how things are with most noble houses."
Based on what she'd seen before this, she thought they were different. But this incident showed that in the end, not even the imperial family was free from this curse.
"This actually happens regularly!?"
The boy gnashed his teeth.
Felicia quickly corrected, "No, but it has happened many times before in the past."
"It just doesn't make any sense! Why would anyone do such a thing!?"
It was obvious to her that Jack was a commoner. Families of the common folk knew not the inner workings of noble houses, though those of sharper minds knew how vicious it could be.
Felicia envied them. They didn't have to participate in that atrocity hidden behind doors. Sometimes she wished that she and her family weren't nobles. That way her father didn't have to leave so often, and that her brother would stop being so mean.
"Some people value power more than their own family."
Jack could only stare incredulously.
If there were people like that, then what was their reason to gain power?
"People are selfish, Jack. Some are selfish enough to put others, even the ones they're close to, to harm just to gain even the littlest benefit."
The boy's knuckles were folded white.
"...that's so fucked up."
Felicia felt squeamish hearing the boy curse. She'd always been taught to be polite, to not behave like her brother.
Felicia coughed.
"Umm, I sense another memory. We should go."
The boy followed behind in silence—his head bowed and his eyes cloudy.
His mind reflected on a certain blue haired Rimuru.
His mom would never do something like that...
...would she?
Beyond the halls of the Folde castle, crimson eyes slowly turned. The sky blue locks curtaining them did nothing to hide their owner's intent. Those bejewelled orbs belonged to someone who had an avaricious vice for absorbing knowledge—
—a vice that almost completely hid the manic paranoia laced within.
God's wisdom core, Ciel, scanned around the little prince's memories.
When her master entered the three children's conjoined minds, she took the liberty of going in before his form could even manifest.
Speeding the kids' minds prolonged Rimuru's manifestation into the dream world, allowing Ciel to take a good long look at the place, though at the cost of headaches on their side.
She had no intention to hide anything from her master, of course. This was just to make sure that no more surprises would come, like say another attempt at forming a corridor with her master.
If it did happen, she'd have no choice but to destroy the girl's soul before the connection could even form. Whether the child was a reincarnation of his master's dear friend or not, Ciel didn't care.
All threats should be eliminated.
Following the kids from behind, she hid herself from any form of detection.
The boy shuddered.
"What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "I feel like somebody's watching us."
"That's... not possible. Unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless we're close to the end. The Thomas of our time might be watching our movements right now."
Jack nodded and said, "Alright, let's go watch and get this over with."
The two and their stalker walked into a hallway that steadily became grander with every pillar they crossed.
Eventually, they reached a gigantic pair of doors that opened and led to what looked like a throne room.
The whole room's walls were filled with glass windows that reached high above from the ground. The light tapping of the rain fell in rhythm with their footsteps, an occasional roar of thunder interrupting it.
They stopped at the foot of the stairs to the throne, a bit behind two individuals who were facing the man sitting on it.
The two could be recognized as the imperial prince Thomas and the crown prince's knight, Sol.
"...that is what really happened, your majesty."
The knight explained as he knelt.
The man in velvet robes sitting on his throne, the emperor, closed his eyes. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers and pinched his nose.
After a couple of minutes, he opened his mouth, "To whom does your loyalty lie?"
"I'm sorry..?"
"Who, or what do you serve Sol?"
He then looked at his son.
"Where does your heart belong?"
The boy avoided his eyes, looking at the floor.
"I serve the empire," answered the knight quickly. He looked over to the youngest prince and continued, "by dedicating my life to the imperial family."
Expecting his anger, the knight was surprised when the emperor merely nodded.
"My son has... had always been one to put others before himself. Ever since his mother's, the empress' death, he'd put his all for this empire. I expect no less from one of his closest comrades."
Knights usually pledged to noble houses, or even organizations, over the common folk. Not even her master's subordinates were an exception to this.
Diablo, Benimaru, Zegion, and many others, they all swore loyalty towards Rimuru, which in turn made them part of Tempest.
The knight before her, though, put his loyalty not on his betters, but the subjects they rule over.
Much like him, Ciel thought.
Rimuru Tempest never bowed his head, never kneeled to anyone but his own people. To himself, he was the servant of his people, not the other way around.
Perhaps that was what made her master so special in their eyes. That, or perhaps it was his power, his charm, his beauty, or any other reason.
And that was what made them dangerous.
If they were to somehow lose that perception, what would happen then?
Veldora Tempest had proven her worries true.
Not even loyalty, Veldora Tempest had been almost entirely dependent on her master.
He himself would never admit it, but it was painfully obvious that he answered to no one but him. Well, maybe also Velzard, but that's besides the point.
Whether it be entertainment, responsibility, or even over life decisions, the black dragon sought for his little brother in all of them.
But then, he changed.
When he fell in love, when he became independent, he tore down their connection without so much as a hint or a warning.
At the tearing of the corridor, Ciel had felt the life of her master nearing an unexpected end.
It was the first time Ciel felt utter terror... before it turned into rage.
But her emotions didn't stop there.
Even when Veldora came bawling to him in remorse, asking for forgiveness. Even when her master just smiled, waving it off like it was some minor inconvenience. Even when he congratulated their marriage and threw the biggest celebration party ever created in the multiverse—
—Ciel felt her master hurting.
Not just his soul, but his heart.
Ciel could feel a sense of betrayal emanating deep behind her master's long-perfected smiling mask.
Her master may have convinced everyone, even himself, that he was fine. But he wasn't able to convince her.
She could feel the stakes driven through his heart, even the ones he thought he couldn't feel.
She reached even further, mostly due to her own morbid curiosity. In turn, she felt every single thing that had hurt her master deeply.
From his previous life; his first bad grade, his first rejection, losing in a fist fight, facing humiliation, that time his boss shouted at him viciously, his loneliness and frustration at being alone past middle age.
And then his next life; those first three months spent alone, blind and deaf in that cave, with only her former shell to talk to and some grass to eat. The loss of someone who could have become the love of his life. The heart-rending revelation that was a close one's death. The sudden disappearance of his brother. Being banished into the future. And then the betrayal itself.
Ciel woke up to an epiphany.
Her master, for all his unparalleled power, was not invincible. He could be hurt as much as the rest.
Not physically, but emotionally.
His close ones would try their best to prevent that from happening.
But just like Veldora, even they could change.
Once their perception of him changed, so would they.
She was once again proven right when Chloe Aubert of all people demanded the discontinuation of the Azathoth Mass.
She reasoned that it was morally incorrect.
...Even someone as emotionally stunted and morally absent as Ciel could see through the bullshit.
Stopping the Mass wouldn't only mean the collapse of the multiverse, but also the deaths of countless lives. It would be the greatest disaster that could ever happen.
It was obvious that she'd been hiding something from him.
Only her master didn't see through it.
Rather, it was more like he didn't want to.
Rimuru had a soft spot for Chloe. Much more than any of his other students, though he would never admit such a thing.
But Ciel could sense his demeanor around her. For every punch, every order, every lesson he taught to his students, he would subconsciously lighten his discipline on the girl.
It might've been because she was very similar to Shizue, or that he might just have pitied her.
He simply refused to go against her, to see all her faults and unreasonableness.
Things had escalated quickly.
His former students along with Leon joined Chloe and even declared war against Tempest.
...though, with some of them being the rulers of even the afterlife, there wasn't really any casualty.
But it had ended with them leaving the multiverse to create their own universe, far away from his dominion and even Ciel's sight.
To this day, she still couldn't figure out why the traitor did so.
Ciel had once thought that Chloe would've been a great life partner for her master, at least until her sudden betrayal. It didn't need to be mentioned that another stake pierced through her master's heart that day; a large one at that.
Once again, it all proved that people could change over time—could turn against even their most beloved.
That's why she swore to herself that she wouldn't change.
Even if her master turned back on his words. Even if her master turned evil. Even if he turned his back against the world. Even if he forced himself unto her. Even if he hated her. Even if he wanted her dead.
She would still be his loyal servant.
She would love him, protect him, and give her all to him.
It didn't matter who he was. Rimuru Tempest, Satoru Mikami, or whatever he called himself, as long as he was her master, she didn't need any other reason.
That was right.
That was the reason she refused his hand.
She would never change. She would stay the same even if he didn't.
She wouldn't see him as anything other than her master.
...because, who would stay by his side if she changed? Who knew what would happen if she'd become his lover?
Ciel just couldn't risk it.
She couldn't risk hurting him any further.
In the end, all that mattered was her master's happiness and well-being. That alone was enough for her.
Drip.
Drip.
Ciel looked down at the marble floor.
There were splashes formed from small water droplets.
She looked above at the glass ceiling.
She frowned.
For all the grandeur, they still couldn't afford to seal the glass shut.
She wiped the droplets that had fallen onto her eyes and face without her notice—because what else could it have been?
She swiftly ignored the possibility that there wasn't a leak at all.
This flawed castle was built by flawed humans, after all.
Something that she couldn't possibly understand—
—for she was the perfect Servant.
(A/N: At the first couple of chapters, I had glossed over what had happened between Rimuru and his students. Yes, that was a foreshadowing.)
(All will come in due time. Even Chloe's sudden OOCness will be explained in the future. So hold your pitchforks and torches, plz)
(Alright, time for replies)
(to all who gave me their well wishes: I gracefully accept them with many thanks)
(to GreekFire242: I'm glad you found my story interesting! Welcome to the club!)
(to StaciaPLE: I'm relieved that you find it neat)
(to Guest(William Tempest): Sweet! My days are happier knowing they made other people happy!)
(to JackTheSpades: The reason for Yuuki's consciousness is firstly due to the nature of his consumption. I always assumed it was similar to Ifrit's, just way more guarded. But if that answer doesn't satisfy you, I have something else in mind. It'll take a while to add into the story, tho.)
(to Jubjub3000: Me too! We really need a space exploration FF for Tensura!)
(to Maple: I had translated your words a while ago, but forgot what they were. But I do remember your kind words, so thank you. I'll translate them and read them again later. Much love)
(to sharipovaydar200515: I certainly hope I won't!)
(to Cassnova5424: Oof)
(to Guest 2: Veldora be reckless, smh)
(to Anton Fire: Go Rimuru!)
(to Omnipotente Vargas: I hope so too…)
On an unrelated note, I see they've finally added Ciel as an actual character. It's about time.
Also, we've reached over 300 favorites and followers! Let's freaking goooooo!
And finally, what do you guys think about the upcoming Tensura: Isekai Memories game? Specifically, about their own original story, and Rimuru's apparent daughter, Shinsha?
