Mischief-Making Misfits

Rimuru POV

Staying behind, I'm left in the room with Kalego and some of the other teachers, who happen to be giving me some strange looks. I just want to talk with the man for a moment, but it seems like I'll have a bit of an audience too.

Kalego still looks shell-shocked, sitting in the same place as before with his hand held out. Noticing that I'm looking at him, he finally snaps out of his daze and stares at me.

"I'll keep him in check, don't you worry," I say to Kalego with a smile.

I mean it, too; I don't want things to get too out of hand. Although watching Iruma win an argument with Kalego was a lot of fun, I can't have him running rampant and causing big issues. In this way, mine and Kalego's motives align somewhat.

Kalego squints his eyes disbelievingly as he probes me with his gaze, likely trying to decide if I'm being truthful.

"That is not exactly very reassuring coming from the likes of you." Kalego finally grumbles after a moment of just staring at me.

"Heh, I guess not, but I mean it," I say with a shrug, not too bothered by his disbelief.

"Your brother will fail at this, you know. He is trying to do the impossible." Kalego sternly informs me.

"Yeah, I'm aware. He'll learn from it though, so it's fine. Or maybe he'll surprise us both; who knows?" I say with a shrug.

Ciel said he'd likely fail, but that's just based on current circumstances. He has to get a stamp from every staff member, and I don't think the entire class collectively has enough time to talk with every single one and get their stamps from them.

"Are you planning on helping him?" Kalego probes, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Not really…if he begs enough I might, though. This all doesn't really matter to me if I'm honest." I admit.

"You seem surprisingly level-headed and mature when compared to usual…it's suspicious," Kalego says, again glaring at me with eyes full of doubt.

"With Iruma acting like a loose cannon right now, I have to make up for his lack of self-restraint," I explain to him simply. "But that doesn't mean I won't let him have at least a little fun with his evil cycle…does that make sense to you?"

"Hm…I suppose I can accept that explanation." Kalego responds, not seeming fully convinced.

"Could ya do me a favor, though?" I ask after a small pause.

"Why would I want t-" he starts to say rudely.

I shoot him a small glare and Kalego stops talking and takes a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh.

"What is it?" he asks.

"If he does fail, could the classroom maybe get a renovation and repair? The trash is one thing, more of a student problem, but the classroom itself simply needs some work, and more of a school problem. I'm sure you could pull some strings to get it fixed up, as surely the conditions below aren't worthy of such a prestigious school." I say, thinking this is a perfectly reasonable request.

"I will consider it…but could you not just ask the Chairdemon to take care of such a thing?" he asks, slightly confused.

"This is more of a 'them' problem rather than a 'me' one; I don't really care much either way, but my classmates do. Plus, wouldn't that be exploiting the fact that a close family member of mine is in charge of the school? I thought you were against that kind of thing." I respond.

Kalego seems genuinely surprised for a moment, before he returns to his normal self.

"You truly can act mature when you want to," Kalego grumbles, folding his arms and leaning back in his seat.

"Haha, of course, I can!" I say, laughing a little at his disbelief. I am an adult after all, not that this man knows this.

"Why do you not show this side of yourself more?" he asks annoyedly.

Because I have to be serious all of the time when back home, that's why. I'm on vacation at the moment so I'm embracing my fun, more childish side. I can't tell him this, of course, but that's the fact of the matter.

"Because it's no fun, my dear professor! Well, I better get going; I'm sure you and these other teachers wanna gossip about what just happened, right?" I say a bit teasingly as I turn to leave the room. I got what I wanted, which was to propose a backup plan in the likely case that Iruma and my classmates will fail. I don't want all of their efforts to go to waste, and I do agree that our current classroom does have some serious issues that need addressing.

A couple of the other teachers let out some stifled chuckles and Kalego scowls at them in response. They've been watching all of this, mostly remaining silent; probably since I know for a fact that most of the staff is scared of Kalego. I wouldn't be surprised if the reason they're so amused is that I'm showing no fear or hesitation while speaking with my teacher, despite only being a student myself.

"Get out of my sight!" he shouts, seemingly fed up with me as he waves me out of the room.

"I was already doing that! Sheesh…" I say, laughing a little as I go and giving him and the other teachers a little smile and wave as I step through the doorway.

Iruma POV

As soon as I'm done with talking Professor Kalego into agreeing to my deal, I start running through my head exactly how we're all gonna pull this off. I wasn't expecting that Rimuru would outright say she isn't gonna help, but I don't need her to anyway. I'm sure the rest of us can handle this on our own.

"There's no way we can pull it off…three days isn't nearly enough time!" Lead exclaims.

"Getting permission slips from the whole faculty on such short notice? Really?!" Goemon comments disbelievingly.

Everyone seems to be doubting, but I have confidence this will work. Getting all the forms stamped by the teachers won't be too hard as long as I plan things out properly and spread out the tasks among the whole class.

"Hah, that demand was well within my expectations," I responded confidently, showing them that I'm not at all worried.

"Seriously?! But how-?" Lead starts to ask.

"Master Iruma can get anything done!" Azz insists, interrupting Lead.

"Easy peasy!" Clara adds.

Their confidence in my abilities makes me smile. It feels good to have others know how capable I am.

"I'm confused…don't you all want to attend school in the Royal One? It is the king's classroom." Sabnock says as if it's the most obvious thing in the Netherworld.

He seems to be among those that think we can do this, or at least he doesn't want to believe otherwise. He's obsessed with the Demon King, so using the man's old classroom likely feels like a dream come true to him.

"Yeah…I'm sure it's very cool, but even so…I'm just not all that interested in transferring to a new room." Lead continues, not sounding very thrilled about the situation.

"I don't think our current classroom is super awful. Besides, being seen as outsiders has its benefits." Jazz says with a shrug.

Multiple others nod in agreement with their points.

Ugh…they just don't understand!

"Which is exactly why…" I start to say before sighing and beginning to walk down the hallway.

I'm starting to get a little frustrated, but I know that all I need to do is convince them, which shouldn't be too hard. I'll have all of my classmates dancing in the palm of my hand soon enough; for their own benefit, of course. They just don't see the benefits of what I'm trying to accomplish yet, so I suppose I'll need to show them.

"Walk with me," I say to the group without looking behind me, knowing they'll follow.

Through the hallways and outside the school's buildings, we cross the grounds to a secluded corner of Babyls. This is where our goal lies; the Royal One.

What better way to make my point than to give them a taste of what's to come? Give my classmates a bit of inspiration and a push in the right direction. I've seen it once or twice myself while exploring Babyls, but I'm not sure if everyone here has at any point. Either way, this should help my cause.

We approach the large, ostentatious building that truly does resemble a castle. It's extremely impressive, even from a distance, but I wanna take a closer look. Hopping over the rope quartering it off from the other sections of the grounds, I step closer to the ginormous building fit for a king.

My classmates follow without question despite the fact we're breaking school rules by passing the rope. They all look up at it in awe, gasping, ooohing, and aaahing.

"I've never seen the Royal One up close, it's so beautiful!" Elizabetta says.

"What a coincidence, neither have I!" Camui exclaims, trying to relate to the girl in any way he can.

"I come here any time I have a free moment to spare. My heart races every time I gaze at it!" Sabnock says with eyes full of inspiration.

Clara then runs up to the door and knocks on it and Azz quickly follows her.

"Stop that! No trespassing you gremlin!" Azz scolds, trying to stop Clara from touching the giant door.

A few comments doubting that we're going to get the classroom come from my classmates. Once they all seem to calm down, I start to say my piece.

"So, that recent dissolution election…I need whoever voted for Ronove to raise their hand." I say to the group.

I watch as around half of my classmates raise their hands and give justification for their decision, some of them looking reluctant to admit it to me. I'm sure they fear I'll get mad if they admit to voting for the other candidate since it's known that I'm friends with Ameri. I'm not, though, since my relationship with her has nothing to do with my point here.

Nervous or not, they proved my point.

"You always prefer whatever's more fun, feeding your own desires, even if that means putting yourselves before others. All of you have a strong sense of pride in how different from everyone you are…it's almost as if…you're dangerous, ego-driven demons." I say to them all.

They all seem surprised by my conclusion but completely hooked on what I'm saying so I continue.

"Which makes you prime candidates for the return to demon origins. For this very reason, the Royal One should be all the more appealing to you…I mean, isn't it? It's the one place in this school that nobody's been to for centuries because they lock it up like a secret treasure! The most respected classroom that should never be touched or sullied. And you misfits, who couldn't care less about any of that will be using it! Isn't that what true fun is?"

I go on to list all of the rooms rumored to be inside that I learned about recently, making sure to mention the ones I think my classmates will find the most appealing. One by one, the entire group becomes more and more inspired and excited; just what I wanted. I've opened their eyes to my vision; my ambition to achieve this.

All of this stuff, the special rooms, and the fun doesn't matter to me. It's the idea of us, the underdogs of the school getting our hands on the Royal One and showing everyone that we're not the losers that many people think we are! I want everyone to see in them what I see, that's my main goal!

"...and we'd be super popular," I say without a hint of nervousness in my voice. The thought of standing out used to scare me, but right now, all I'm feeling is excitement.

"If we're really going to stand out then, let's be as mischievous as we can!" I declare to them all, smiling widely.

"I will follow you to the very edge of this world or any other, Master Iruma!" Azz announces, sounding like he's on the verge of tears from my speech.

"Yay! Let's go, go-go!" Clara shouts, adding her own enthusiasm.

"This means so much because nobody believes we can do it…even my own sister seemed doubtful…" I say, grumbling a little during that last part.

I remember what Rimuru said. It wasn't direct, but she was implying that she didn't think I'd be able to pull this off. I'll prove her wrong.

I shake my head a little, dismissing the idea before continuing even stronger. I need to show Rimuru that I can do this, with or without her! I still don't think she was serious about the 'not helping' part anyway, simply annoyed by some of the things I've said.

"This is our chance to get back at Babyls; back at all those people that look down on us! We're students of the Misfit Class, so let's show them all what we can do!" I shout.

With my speech finished, I point at the first person I want to use in my plan. I've been thinking it all through most of the day, planning and plotting to figure out the best way to do all of this, with my classmates' special Bloodline Magics being integral to it.

"You'll be our vanguard, Jazz M. Andro."

Jazz looks surprised for a moment, but quickly grins and gives an anticipatory crack of his fingers. He seems to get why I picked him right away.

"Tell me what I need to do, Boss." Jazz says, chuckling a little as he jokingly calls me 'Boss'."

"I need you to steal something…from Kalego," I explain with a smile.

Jazz's confident grin falters and many of my classmates let out small gasps and nervous chuckles.

"Are you serious?!" he asks, shocked.

"I am," I assure him.

"Wh-what now?" Azz asks cautiously, surprisingly doubting my plan despite his fervent desire to serve and follow me.

"W-we won't go to the Royal One if you do that…he'd send us straight to the hospital!" Lead says, very hesitant about my plan.

"We're comin' out the gate fast…but don't you see? That's what we misfits are all about! Aren't you excited?" I ask.

More gasping from my peers happens.

They're acting like I should be scared of that man, but I'm not. As far as I know, he's nothing compared to what I've seen. Rimuru is much scarier than the professor, and if he tries anything that might hurt me, she'll jump in and stop him, I'm sure of that.

This means…I have nothing to worry about.

"Heh…alright troublemaker I'm in. So…what exactly am I taking?" Jazz says, now convinced and excited just like I am.

"Oh, nothing special, just his personal planner that he keeps with himself at all times," I reply matter-of-factly.

"Wow…you really are something else right now Iruma…I kinda like it, though!" Jazz responds.

"So I assume you're in then? You're not too scared to do the deed, are you?" I ask.

"Hell no! I don't mind pickpocketing Kalego, I'm pretty pumped in fact!" Jazz declares, his eyes full of enthusiasm.

We all walk back indoors, discussing what to do next as we go. It doesn't take long before we happen to stumble across Rimuru.

Rimuru POV

After my little conversation with Kalego, I start walking the hallways and quickly meet my class. They all seem more worked up than when I last saw them just a few minutes ago so I'm wondering what's up.

I'm guessing it has something to do with however Iruma plans on getting all of those permission slips.

"You guys seem excited…what happened while I was gone?" I ask them all.

"Ah, Rimuru, there you are! We're just getting ready to make our first move, that's all." Iruma explains with confidence, looking very sure of whatever this 'first move' is.

"First move, huh? Could you fill me in?" I ask.

"I thought you said you weren't getting involved?" Iruma asks.

"I'm not, but that doesn't mean I don't want to know what shenanigans you're up to," I reply.

I may not want to do the job myself, but that doesn't mean I want Iruma to hide his plans from me. I can't let him do anything too crazy, especially after promising to keep him in check.

"As long as you don't snitch; sure, I'll tell ya," he replies.

"What makes you think I'd sabotage you like that? I'm just curious, nothing else." I say, a little annoyed.

Iruma whispers to me, laying out his plan. All I can really say is that it's a very reckless one, but I can't say I don't like it. It's fairly well-thought-out too as long as they can pull off the vital first step without alerting their 'victim'. It's definitely not something I want him doing, but it's not bad enough that I'll stop him either.

"Well, have fun with that. Don't get caught either, Jazz." I say calmly, warning the two.

"The only time I've been caught by anyone outside of my family is when I tried to steal your ring, Rimuru. I'm sure I can handle this. The person to really feel worried about is whoever has to get Balam's seal." Jazz says to me.

Balam? I don't think that's a teacher I've met before…

Much of the class looked alarmed by what Jazz had just said. They were obviously terrified of this figure and knew one of them would be tasked with confronting him.

Lead raises his hand to get everyone's attention. "Look, I'm just putting this out there, but I think the strongest and highest-ranked student in our class would have the best chance of survival."

Wait…isn't that me?

"Clearly we need someone very smart and strong to take on this challenge!" pleads Elizabetta.

"Silky blue hair is a necessity for this ordeal!" squawks Camui.

Yup, they're all talking about me for sure…

"Just say her name you stupid bird!" angrily shouts Azz before he turns to me, wearing a much nicer expression. "But as much as I hate to ask this of you, Rimuru, it would be too risky to send anyone but you for this job. If only I were stronger, I could bravely take your place!"

"The people have spoken, Rimuru," says Iruma with a smirk as he holds a form out for me to take. "Mind helping us out?"

I look around at all the kids, most of them giving me pleading, expectant expressions. It takes a few moments, but my determination not to get involved starts to slip. I have a hard time saying no to looks like that, especially when it comes to kids.

So much for not helping…I guess taking care of one stamped form shouldn't be too hard.

I facepalm at how childish this all is. "You guys really aren't gonna let me turn you down, are you? If the only thing you're worried about is this teacher being 'dangerous', this should be a piece of cake."

"Best of luck out there, Rimuru! Don't let the teacher bite!" calls out Iruma as I go to leave them again.

"Rimuru is scarily confident during her evil cycle…" says Lead in a hushed tone that I still hear as I separate from my classmates.

After a bit of walking, I got to my destination. I know the layout of the school perfectly by this point, so it didn't take me long at all to 'find' the classroom.

"Shichiro Balam, huh?" I mutter to myself, now outside his office door.

That's the full name of the professor I need to get a stamped form from. I said I wasn't going to get involved in this 'Royal One' mess, but here I am, helping anyway. Iruma convinced me to get one for him and that's all I intend on getting.

I know a little about this man from when I was sifting through the records of students and staff alike for the investigation I was doing, but there wasn't much on him. He's rank 8, I know, and is the teacher for the 'Mythical Zoology' class.

I didn't look into him much when reading files since he was actually off-campus during the incident. He seems to like researching, from what I could tell from the records, so I'm guessing he was off studying something during that time.

I don't feel like I have anything to worry about, but something about the expressions my classmates made when telling me that's who I'm in charge of convincing raised some red flags. I feel like they were all hiding something from me.

They said he was dangerous, a detail I dismissed as nothing, but somehow I think there's more to it than that.

Oh well…whatever it is, I'm sure I can handle it.

Balam POV

I heard a knock on the door of my office during my planning hour. Dropping what I was working on, I went to answer it. Opening the door, I find a young girl standing in front of me; a first-year student, if I'm correct. Short stature, long light-blue hair, sharp golden eyes; this can't be anyone but the well-talked-about Rimuru Tempest.

My friend Kalego has told me a lot about her. She's very smart, but can be quite defiant. The older member of the pair of twins that are the Chairdemon's grandchildren; a very popular pair among their peers.

Kalego finds her irritating, but that's only because his strict form of teaching conflicts with Rimuru's boldness and brazen disregard for his authority. He's also talked about her actions at length, ranting about all of the 'trouble' she's caused.

I've also been told by him that this girl has quite an interesting unique magic; some sort of perfect self-replication. A magic-sourced clone that's nigh impossible to discern from the original, unlike 'Doppler' a spell that has a similar effect.

I find the idea of this fascinating and have been wanting to see it for myself since then, and this may be the perfect opportunity, delivered right to my doorstep!

Unable to contain my excitement any longer and not wanting her to run away just like every other living being I show interest in, I scoop her up in my arms.

No struggling, no resistance, not a hint of fear or intent to flee. This is not the usual reaction at all, especially from a first-year student.

"What are you doing?" She asks me calmly, staring up at me with her golden eyes.

Never once have I not had someone or something not try to escape like this, that's exactly why I grab living creatures that catch my interest since for whatever reason, they always run away.

And those eyes…those golden eyes of hers seem to be seeing right through me, analyzing me and picking me apart. They show intelligence and curiosity much like my own. The gaze of a researcher; someone that wants to learn everything about everything; but this look to them only lasts for a mere moment.

This made me feel unnerved, but also even more thrilled to learn about this girl.

Rimuru POV

What the hell is this man doing?!

All I did was knock on his door and this Balam fellow grabbed me as soon as he laid eyes on me. I know he's not hostile, I can tell that much, but it's freaking weird!

He's holding me tight and stroking my head like I'm some oversized cat to him. I also heard him mutter something like "So soft…" while petting me.

This must be why the others pushed the task of getting his stamp onto me; I'm sure of that now! I'll have to get back at them later…I wouldn't be surprised if they're laughing about putting me in this predicament right this moment!

Out of all the teachers in the school, I had to get the 'touchy-feely' as the only one I'm collecting a stamp from. At least I'm used to it since I've been dealing with Guy for quite a long time, though, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. I don't mind being held in my true form, but when I look human it just feels strange and different for whatever reason.

He's a strange-looking demon. He has bird-legs, much like a certain scantily-clothed harpy, and very long white hair. He's also quite tall and large, like a certain dwarf I've been wanting to prank for a while now, which made it easy for him to grab me up like a small child, I suppose. For some odd reason, the lower half of his face is covered by a metal grill/mask, hiding his mouth from view.

With the look he's sporting, I'd say he resembles some sort of serial killer from a horror genre b-movie; not the most inviting appearance. It's not anything that fazes me, though, I'm just wondering to myself why someone would intentionally make themself look like that, especially a man that works with children. He is a demon, I guess, so that could explain things.

After a few uncomfortable moments of him cradling me in his arms, I ask him. "What are you doing?"

He looks at me, both surprised and curious before releasing me.

"My apologies…I just got a little too excited. You are Rimuru Tempest, right?" he asks.

That doesn't really explain immediately grabbing me on sight, but I'll let it go for now for the sake of getting what I want from this man.

Despite never meeting him, Professor Balam seems to recognize me right away. I guess I do have a bit of a reputation so it's not too unreasonable.

"Yeah," I reply, still puzzled why his excitement led to grabbing and petting from him.

"Yes…I've heard a lot about you. My good friend Kalego is always talking about you." he continues.

"Oh, he has been?" I ask.

I'm not sure what I think about that. Whatever he's been saying about me probably isn't good, but this man doesn't seem to have a negative opinion of me.

"He has, yes. Usually venting about your antics, but I've learned from his stories that you are a very talented and interesting demon. That bloodline magic, for example, is very intriguing." Balam says, great interest leaking out in his tone. It's making me think of when Vesta gets inspired by something; the tone of a man speaking about his passion. But there is one thing about what he said that I find a little confusing.

Bloodline magic? I don't have one of those, man. Hell, I don't even have blood! I'm made of completely identical slime cells for Veld- oh wait, he's dead, and there's no other higher being, so I guess for my sake?

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Being able to create clones that are completely identical to the caster…that's an incredible ability you have, young lady!" he says, seemingly smiling, looking at his eyes.

It seems like Kalego assumed my parallel existence was the result of my bloodline magic; an assumption I'm not upset about. It's a good way of explaining that ability away and an excuse that I welcome.

After a moment of him just staring at me, he continues.

"There are other things about you I find very curious. Your body's structure is not typical either, is it?" he asks, leaning in closer and inspecting me with curiosity.

Now I start to get a little worried about how much he's figured out about me.

"Uh…what? I don't know what you're getting at." I respond, playing dumb.

"Your hair is unusually soft and stretchy, and your body much lighter than it should be for your size…are you eating enough?" he asks, showing concern in both his eyes and voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I promise!' I reassure him quickly, wanting him to move on so I can figure out how much he's already discovered.

"And according to some of the other teachers, your magic control and mana capacity is immense. You are something special and I want to figure out why!" Balam exclaims, his voice raising in pitch, clearly brimming with excitement.

Balam seems to have picked up on some of the subtle flaws in my human form's mimicry.

This isn't good…I need to be careful or he might find out too much about me.

He doesn't seem cautious or suspicious of me, instead, showing a kind of intellectual curiosity, I believe, but it's making me a bit nervous since I'd rather keep my secrets…well, secret. With how observant he seems, Professor Balam might be a dangerous person to spend time around because he's figured out stuff others' haven't noticed.

I can use his curiosity to my advantage right now, though, since there's something I want from him. I need his stamp so maybe indulging him a little would be a good way to get it. I won't reveal much if anything he doesn't already know. Plus, any inconsistencies in my body's structure can be explained away by how varied the bodies of the demons here seem.

"So you find me interesting, huh? Maybe I can help you with that. You mentioned wanting to see that cloning ability of mine, right? I'll show you it if you do me a little favor." I respond, giving him my signature 'deal making' smile I use to negotiate with people.

"A favor?" he asks, his eyes lighting up a little.

"The reason I came to meet with you, actually. You see, my brother's trying to get our class moved to the Royal One. I don't have much interest in it, but I agreed to get your stamp on this permission slip to help him out. So if I scratch your back, will you scratch mine?" I ask, again giving him a grin and an expectant look.

"And by that do you mean you will show me your magic?" he asks, understanding where I'm going with this.

"If you agree to stamp this form, yes," I say to him.

"I think we have a deal!" he says happily.

With the agreement in place, I created a 'clone' for him…which he immediately scooped up and started handling, touching it all over and pulling on its limbs. I let my 'other self' go limp and unmoving like a ragdoll.

I didn't expect this so I didn't bother to un-link my consciousness from this parallel existence, meaning that I'm feeling everything, but since it's supposed to be a simple clone, I can't say anything.

It's not like it would help if I did split my consciousness anyway since I'll just get the memories from the experience once I merge with it again afterward, so there's no point. I'll just have to tolerate this nonsense.

I don't know what this man considered 'too much' when it comes to his interest in how my body works, so I need to set some limits immediately.

"Make sure you don't…um, go too far with that touching, Professor…" I say, not wanting any sensitive areas poked and prodded for many reasons, most of them obvious but also so he doesn't discover my genderlessness. That'd be hard to explain if it ever got out to the staff and students here.

"Of course not! I do have boundaries, young lady, don't you worry!" Balam says immediately, sounding almost appalled that I'd even think he'd do something like that.

"..."

I'm left speechless by the level of contradiction in what Balam just said, but I'll accept it.

It's a little hard to believe in someone having 'boundaries' when the first thing they do after meeting you is grabbing you up and petting your head, but whatever. He does seem genuine when he says it, though, so maybe he's not very aware of how much that bothers people.

The touching and exploration of my other body continues for a few minutes until he seems to be focusing on my back for some reason, patting around on it as if he's looking for something.

"You did say this clone was a perfect replication, correct?" Balam asks, holding my other body out in front of himself, turned upside-down.

"Yeah? It should be." I say, still trying to not show how uncomfortable I am feeling him touch my other body.

"Interesting…but it seems to be lacking wings. I don't feel wing-bases on your clone's back!" he says, sounding astonished.

Shit! Okay, don't panic, this is an easy fix.

"Hehe…of course it has wings!" I assure him on the fly before creating a pair of bat-like wings on my other body.

That was close…

Balam jumps a little, surprised by the wings springing out right in front of him. He starts to touch those as well, running his fingers along their edges and staring at them with interest.

"Even more intriguing that you can hide such large wings perfectly…yours are actually larger than normal for someone of your size. The more I learn about you, the less I think I know…" he mutters in amazement.

"Hehe…" I give an awkward chuckle, unsure about how to respond to something like that.

I really just wanna get out of here…I hope he's almost done with his 'inspection' so I can just get that damn stamp from him already...

Kalego POV

I'm walking in the corridor after 'punishing' Professor Robin for talking about stamping my form in my place. That fool actually wants to see my class receive the Royal One as their new classroom, something I find preposterous.

"Professor Kalego!" Iruma calls out to me suddenly, his voice carrying down the hallway.

I turn and see one of my least favorite students, one that's caused an inordinate level of trouble for me today. It's Iruma, the Chairdemon's grandson, and with him is Jazz M. Andro.

On his evil cycle, the boy is acting like an even worse version of his twin sister; similar behavior but with much less restraint. Rimuru was actually unusually well-behaved, yet still just as cocky as usual. I wonder why her evil cycle is resulting in more self-control, but that's not something I will complain about. Yet.

"What's this? Are you giving up already?" I ask.

"Nah, we just had a little favor to ask." Jazz responds.

"Y'see, I was hoping you wouldn't mind transforming into my familiar for a bit," Iruma adds in a casual tone.

"Say what?!" I ask angrily.

"Well sir, it's obvious it'd be quite difficult to get a stamp from you as an instructor! So, I was thinking I'd get one from my familiar instead!" Iruma replies, holding up a familiar seal sticker.

"This nonsense again?!" I shout, still remembering him trying the same thing earlier.

"Yup! And Rimuru isn't going to stop me this time!" he says with a wide, infuriating smile.

"You rotten snake! How dare you! Give me that familiar seal this instant!" I shout as I lurch toward him in an effort to grab the seal from him, but he pulls away in the nick of time.

"Nope, I don't think I will! Just relax! I'll use it really quick and give it right back!" he says as if that's alright for him to do.

"That is not the issue you miscreant!" I yell, again trying to take the contraband from him again.

I tussle with the boy, trying to wrench that dreaded sticker out of his hand, but he dodges every attempt to snatch it from him. Again and again, he evades me somehow and this idiocy continues to go on for a few minutes.

"You hear me! My bird feet will not be stamping that form! There is absolutely no chance!" I shout, having fully lost my temper during this exchange with Iruma.

Then without warning, Iruma stops and sighs.

"Fine then. See you tomorrow," he says calmly as he starts to walk away, seemingly giving up all of the sudden.

"Bye now!" Jazz adds, following the other boy.

That was…odd…why did he stop after all that fuss?

Then it occurs to me that he still holds that seal sticker so I must not let him leave until I confiscate it.

"Not so fast!" I yell and both boys stop in their tracks. "Before you go…the familiar seal; give it here," I command, holding out my hand.

"Fine. I guess you win…" Iruma says as he reluctantly places it in my outstretched hand.

Iruma POV

I sigh, relieved and pleased that the plan worked out.

"Nicely done," I say to my partner-in-crime, Jazz, and he hands me the now-stolen planner he snagged from our professor.

"Thanks…that was so fun!" Jazz says, sounding elated.

I nod, in full agreement; that was fun!

I was the distraction while Jazz was the thief; that was our plan. All I had to do was rile Kalego to the point of him not paying attention to anything and anyone but me. This left the door open for Jazz to steal Kalego's planner, which was in his back pocket, and it worked perfectly!

"I wonder…if you distracted Rimuru like that for me, would I be able to steal her ring, just for fun? I would give it back right away since we're friends, but I wanna see if I can do it, you know?" Jazz asks, looking inspired by what we just accomplished.

"You better not try that, Jazz. That sounds like a horrible idea…although it'd be fun to see the look on her face when you handed it back!" I chuckle, thinking to myself what would happen. It would be funny at first, but the aftermath could be nightmare-inducing if we're unlucky.

"Haha, yeah it would be…but you're right; horrible idea. I swear Rimuru's scarier than Kalego sometimes like she was earlier with you. I hadn't seen her that mad before, man." Jazz says uncomfortably.

"Don't make me think about that," I respond flatly, not wanting to remember getting unceremoniously carried out of the room by Rimuru.

"Uh…sure." Jazz says, sounding a bit awkward.

I sigh and try to reorient my thoughts.

"Now onto the next step…" I say, changing the subject and getting back on track with our plans.

Professor Momonoki: a teacher rumored to have a huge crush on Kalego. What better way to bribe her into giving us her seal than to give her a peek into her 'dream man's' personal affairs?

So, the two of us went to find her, which didn't take long at all.

We told the woman that we 'found' it earlier, and she believed us without question, completely overwhelmed with excitement about getting her hands on the planner. We may have twisted its contents to be more than what they actually are, but to get the job done, that was necessary.

It was hilarious watching her face turn beet-red thinking about what might be in there, but more importantly, we got what we needed; her stamp on a form.

The plan couldn't have gone any better and I'm filled with satisfaction from pulling this off without issue. Jazz did great too; I couldn't have done it without his special magic.

"Now…let's move on to the others…Whaddaya say?"

Furcas POV

"Matter change and personality change… I require more knowledge. Is it Emenel's Law or the studies of Benzoe?"

I'm deep in concentration, musing out loud to myself. A noisy student tries to get my attention, but I can't allow her to break my focus with her silly games.

"Something is missing. I must try a different approach." I say to no one in particular.

"How about the Damascus Theory of Evolution?" comes an unexpected response.

What a bold suggestion! But how could I apply it?

"What a curious suggestion," I state as the student sits down with me. Despite his words bearing the wisdom of an experienced scholar, I assume he must be a first-year; with his lion-like head and features that barely moved as he spoke, it'd be impossible not to recognize him if I had seen him before.

"A good general makes good men."

"Ah, I see you're a man of intelligence."

"We can enjoy a conversation through the night if we can get your seal."

It's a sure deal for me. I want to learn more about the ideas of this budding new scholar. Without lifting a finger or saying a word, I magically cast my seal upon the classroom transfer paper held up by the noisy girl.

"Looks like I'm going to enjoy a sleepless night."

Third Person POV

"What? That old hag Furcas stamped the form? How ludicrous…" grumbles Professor Morax, the wizened magical instructor of Babyls.

"She said something about getting a clue to her research from a student in the Misfit Class." nervously replies one of the two much younger teachers that are with him.

"Inconceivable. Academia is like a mountain whose summit you can never see. You continuously strive to climb higher and higher all alone. The very idea of seeking help from students…" he grumbles.

Stroking his long beard, Morax finishes proudly with "It appears I am the wisest among the instructors, after all."

The two young teachers were filled with admiration, one praising him with "Magnificent, Professor Morax! You've dedicated your life to academia. A gentleman of elegance and class! Truly a master of your work!"

"From one gentleman to another, should you really climb that summit all alone? After all, true gentlemen cannot exist without the presence of ladies." coos a new voice.

The owl-like student that had joined Morax on the bench while no one was looking is none other than Camui, an admirer of women with love to surpass all.

"You're one of those ruffians from the Misfit class, aren't you? I was expecting Rimuru would be the one to come nagging me for my stamp; I barely know the rest of you," he says, remembering that encounter he had with Rimuru (Ciel) in the staff-only part of the library.

"Oh? Well, I can tell you something about Rimuru…" Camui says enticingly, immediately grabbing the old man's interest.

Camui beckons Morax to lean in and then whispers something in his ear. Morax suddenly has to hold back an intense and sudden nosebleed, eliciting cries of "Professor Morax!" from his admirers.

"How did you learn about that?" Morax asks exasperatedly.

"I'm an admirer of all the beautiful ladies of this school. I can tell you everything I know if you were to just stamp here…" Camui says, holding up the form for the professor to see.

Morax stamps the form the instant Camui offers it to him, wanting to know every ounce of knowledge the boy may possess.

Rimuru POV

God, that was draining. I can't get physically tired and my magic is practically limitless, but after having to deal with all that, I'm feeling exhausted in every other conceivable way.

Meeting Balam to get his seal was really something else. Stuff like that really takes a mental toll on me and I'm feeling the effects of it for sure right now.

Wanting to just rest for a little bit, I head over to the Student Council's dorms and faceplant onto one of the beds, not intending to get up for at least ten minutes. It feels nice and soft as I nestle into the blankets, at peace for the first time today.

Unfortunately, I only get a few minutes of reprieve before I hear Ameri's voice behind me.

Dammit…

"I know you're dealing with your evil cycle right now, but showing up out of uniform and sleeping in the middle of the day is a bad look for a member of the Student Council, Rimuru." she scolds.

"Five more minutes…" I speak in a muffled voice, but I'm picked up by the collar of my shirt.

"Why are you so light? Clearly, you should be putting on more muscle instead of lazing in bed." Ameri continues chastising me. I return the favor with an annoyed glare as she holds me out in front of her.

"Please put me down, I've had enough of being picked up and inspected today…" I grumble, sick of putting up with this kind of thing.

Ameri sets me back down on my feet and I straighten out my clothes.

"Balam, huh?" she asks, seemingly knowing exactly what happened to me.

"Nobody warned me about him! He seemed to find me really interesting, and was very intent on understanding how my body works!" I complain.

After pausing with a look of concern and surprise, Ameri simply sighs and says "That's rough, I know he's an oddball who likes holding students but I've never heard of him giving an impromptu physical examination."

"Thank goodness he at least kept any contact platonic and had some boundaries…I know a Guy who just does what he wants with me and…" I start muttering, shuddering as I remember that first humiliating experience with Guy and the many that followed.

"… You wanna talk about it?" Ameri asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Nah, I've known him for years, I'm used to his antics by now," I say with a shrug.

Ameri looks shocked and appalled, leaving me confused for a moment. It's not that big of a deal, so why does she look like I just told her something horrific? But then it occurs to me…

Oh crap, I'm supposed to be 14! What awful things did I just imply?!

She grabs me by the shoulders and in a demanding, desperate tone she says "Rimuru, you need to talk with people about these things! Are you and Iruma okay at home? Is Sullivan mistreating you at all?" she asks, jumping to conclusions in the ways that I was afraid of.

"Wait, wait, I think you've got the wrong idea! Look, he's just part of a club I go to on rare occasions, and he tries to get a rise out of me in any way he can. If I really wanted to, I could kick his ass." I quickly reassure her, shrugging her hands off my shoulders.

"I think you should kick his ass, Rimuru!" she says sternly.

After a moment of thought, I realize she has a point.

"… You know what, maybe I will!" I declare.

"You shouldn't have to put up with harassment!" she continues, gassing me up further.

"Yeah! Next time he tries anything, I'll just…" I imitate grabbing and kneeing someone in a way that would make any man wince. "And if he wants to tear up the place with a fight, nobody's gonna blame me for it, he's had it a long time coming!"

This girl's enthusiasm is infectious! Maybe it's irresponsible to risk a messy and destructive fight for the sake of my dignity, but I'm eager to give Guy his comeuppance!

"I may still think you're a weirdo, but I'm glad we had this talk," says Ameri, with a look of pride on her face as she saw my newfound resolve.

After some pause, I excused myself. "Anyway, I need to bring this form over to Iruma, he's on some crazy mission to get into Royal One."

"Royal One?! Iruma must really be something in his evil cycle to be trying something like that… If you're headed over to see him, I suppose we could walk and talk…" she says, fidgeting with her hair.

I roll my eyes at her attempt at being sly, and then with a chuckle say "All right, come along." and started walking. She looks very embarrassed that I saw right through her, but she follows along anyway.

"Wait, would Iruma even have an evil cycle? You know, as a human?" she asks in a hushed tone.

"Uh… I'm pretty sure humans do have evil cycles, it's pretty common in the forbidden texts for a character you thought was nice to suddenly become evil!" I explain away her worries in a way that should be convincing enough, hoping that the sacred texts she reads won't contradict me too badly.

"Ah, that makes sense, I've seen it a couple of times myself," she responds, completely buying my fake excuse.

We cross paths with Clara, who proudly shows me her form. "Riri, I got the stampy!" she shouts happily, smiling widely.

"Good job, Clara!" I reply and watch her run off in the direction we had come from.

"Iruma is really stirring things up around the school, isn't he?" says Ameri with a smile.

"Yeah, everyone's- wait, I should have told her that Iruma is this way… Looks like he's setting up a picnic for everyone, that's surprisingly nice given he's in his evil cycle." I say with a little shrug, using Universal Perception to peek in on him.

"Iruma is a very unique… demon… How is it that you can see what your brother is doing right now, anyway?" Ameri asks.

"…"

"Don't say it," Ameri says sternly.

"That's a trade secret!" I quip, using that line again to explain away stuff I don't want to, or can't, explain.

Ameri gives me a gigantic eye roll.

"You can't just call everything a trade secret!" she complains, causing me to laugh lightly.

Returning her attention to where we're walking, Ameri picks up her pace slightly, looking impatient.

"Ugh… your tiny legs are making this walk take forever…" Ameri vents at me even more. It's clear she's just digging for some way to insult me as a way to get back at me for giving her a non-answer, but I don't care.

I have to admit, we do look a bit ridiculous walking next to each other. Iruma may be dwarfed by her, but he's still a few inches taller than me; not even mentioning that the gap's increasing at an alarming rate thanks to him being a teenage boy too. I could change my height if I wanted, but I don't care enough to do so.

Realizing that I've gone far enough already, I decide not to rile her up with further teasing, though I can't help but giggle at her frustration.

"By the way…" begins Ameri, after a few moments of quiet. "Iruma told me that for days you stayed here to try and find out who used that perfume on me, and that I should thank you for it. So… thanks," she says, softer than before and looking like she doesn't want to be saying what she just said.

She looks kind of annoyed… I can't imagine she likes feeling indebted to me, especially when my efforts didn't even pay off in the end.

"Yeah, Henri and I worked out it was Schnell, but by the time we were ready to confront him, Azz and Clara had figured it out on their own and hauled him in. I was a little upset to be beaten right at the finish line after all that work, but it is what it is." I say with a shrug, mostly over it by now.

"A little? The way you got 'upset' made Ronove pass out! But I suppose I owe you a favor for your efforts." Ameri says.

"A favor, huh? How 'bout if you ever end up going on a date with Iruma, which I think you will, I get to pick what you wear! No questions or complaints, you simply wear what I tell you to!" I reply, saying the first idea that popped into my head.

"What the- … Rimuru!" shouts Ameri, instantly flustered.

"Don't worry, I promise to pick something Iruma will like!" I reassure her teasingly.

"… Fine. Goodness, does your evil cycle just make you a prankster?" Ameri says with a big defeated sigh.

As we're passing by Morax's office, I hear something that makes me stop in my tracks.

"Oho, that is interesting!" a gruff voice says.

"There are rumors she has a boyfriend, but I'm pretty sure she's a lesbian from how she dresses." chirps someone much younger.

Camui?! What's he doing in there, talking with a teacher about stuff like that?!

Ameri is now listening as well, and we both put our ears to the walls; I could hear Camui and Morax fine without doing so, but I'd look silly just standing around.

"I can see why Ameri has a grudge against her, because wow, is she something!" squawks Camui. "All the attention has really turned away from Ameri now that Rimuru is in the picture. I still think Ameri is hot, but she's just… so big, y'know?" Camui says, talking about something he knows he shouldn't

"Hmm, to each their own…" replies Morax.

"But the way she dresses! Holy shit! She shows off so much, it's like she wants to be gawked at! Rimuru may be flatter than a victim of the Student Council, but if she dressed like that… I could die happy…"

I look up at Ameri with disbelief about what I just heard and I can tell she's fuming mad along with me. I know I can't let this pass, and it seems that Ameri is on the same page. So, without needing to say a single word, we give each other a resolute nod and spring into action.

Camui POV

As I'm lost in my imagination, I suddenly feel both of my wings caught in a vice grip.

I look up, and I can't believe my eyes! I'm being held by Ameri and Rimuru!

Oh my goodness! The smell of their clothes! The feel of their hands! The dark, murderous look in their eyes! … I may be in trouble.

"H-hey, ladies…" I stammer out, but I get no response. They wordlessly began carrying me out of the room, and I started to panic.

"Ladies, what are you doing? Ladies, please! Morax, help! Moraaax!" I plead desperately, but nobody comes to my aid.

Morax offers me a silent prayer in the form of a salute, and soon I'm dragged out in the hall, standing up and pinned against a wall by the shoulders.

I look up at their scowling faces, quivering in fear.

And then everything goes black as they simultaneously roundhouse kick me in the face.

It was a short life, but a beautiful one. I flew too close to the sun, father, and met a fitting end.

My body lies below me on the grass, and scattered around it is the rubble of the wall that I had been kicked through from Ameri's and Rimuru's wrath. Many ladies rush over to my lifeless body in a panic, trying to shake it awake, but my spirit is no longer in there. I can hear them weeping and calling out my name, and it fills my heart with sorrow knowing that they will miss me so much.

"Camui!"

Would I have done anything differently, given a second chance?

"Camui!"

Maybe, but perhaps I'm too proud, too passionate, to not head down exactly the same path.

"Camui!"

I snap awake, and find myself in the infirmary, with Jazz and Lead at my bedside.

"What happened, did you 'accidentally' go into the girl's changing rooms again?" asks Jazz.

"I talked… I was talking about Ameri and Rimuru to someone, and then they overheard me…" I mutter, holding my sore head as I sit up.

"Oh, Ameri's the one who brought you here!" says Lead, snapping his fingers as he makes the connection.

"Ameri's the one who brought me here?" I ask.

"Yeah, you're so much smaller than her that she was carrying you under her arm, it looked so ridiculous!" Lead says between chuckles.

My face turns bright red as I imagine the scene.

"I was pressed against Lady Ameri's side, I was pressed against Lady Ameri's side, I was pressed against Lady Ameri's side…"

"H-hey, calm down!" Jazz exclaims.

Iruma POV

Goemon shouts "Special Technique: Wind Sword Kill!", and dices the weeds in front of him with a single swipe of his katana.

"And… Break!" sleepily commands Picero, reshaping the ground with his earth magic.

With skills like that, those two could have thriving careers in gardening. Things are coming along faster than I expected, this class can really do a lot when they put their minds to it.

"Master Iruma, we've gathered intel on the instructors!" Azz declares with a look of glee.

"Iruma-chi! I got a stampy!" follows Clara shortly.

"Good job you guys, consider this your reward," I say, gesturing to the picnic I had prepared under the shade of a tree.

After a hard day's work I was watching the results roll in, and to celebrate all our success on the first day I merely had to tell Sullivan "Grandpa, I'd really love to have a picnic with all of my friends!" and he had brought over everything I needed for one as fast as he could.

As I enjoyed lunch with Azz and Clara, more of my classmates started to trickle in.

"Iruma, we… we got…" Picero stops to yawn, and then promptly falls asleep mid-sentence.

"... He meant to say we got Professor Suzie's seal, and she said she'd give us all the stamps from her faculty as well!", says Goemon.

Rimuru shows up, looking like she's seen better days. "I got Balam's seal, that's an experience I never wanna relive. Also, I've got Morax's seal with me, Camui was the one to collect it but he's in the infirmary since he was kicked through a wall." Rimuru says with a stern look and her arms crossed.

"He was kicked through a wall?!" I ask, surprised. "Shouldn't you have gotten involved?"

"Sure I did, my involvement was kicking him through a wall. Your girlfriend helped out too." Rimuru says as she plops onto the ground next to me, sitting cross-legged.

What? Rimuru must be seriously pissed to do something like that, though whatever Camui did must have been pretty bad if it managed to get the same reaction from Ameri.

"I'll uh… I won't make you do any more seal collection stuff, okay? Look, I have food!", I offer, trying to placate the pouting Demon Lord as best as I can with some sandwiches.

She gives me the "Are you serious?" look you'd expect from an all-powerful extra-dimensional being who just had someone attempt to bribe her with a club sandwich, but she accepts it and starts eating, soon seeming much more calm and content.

"Man, I didn't think that Rimuru was much different in her evil cycle, but it sounds like pushing her buttons is way more risky!" whispers Goemon to me. Rimuru glances at him, which makes him yelp in utter fright, but it doesn't seem she was paying attention as her expression doesn't change.

A few minutes later, the janitor approaches. "Iruma, would you mind helping carry a few things again?"

"For real? Can't you see I'm busy right now?" I groan, frustrated that my meal is getting interrupted.

I don't mind helping him out from time to time, but I have been working all day, and for now, I just want to enjoy this moment.

"That's a shame. Well, enjoy your lunch, it looks nice!" the groundskeeper says with a friendly wave.

"You can join in if you want, though," I say right as he turns to leave.

"For real?" he asks, looking surprised.

"For real."

Third Person POV

Professors Balam and Kalego sit together in the staff room to have lunch together. The two have been friends since their days spent together as students of the same school they now teach in.

Kalego has an even sourer-than-normal expression on his face as he picks at his food, sighing and looking frustrated.

"Is something bothering you, Kalego?" Balam says in-between bites of food, noticing the negative demeanor of his friend. Kalego Naberius rarely smiles anyway, but he's still looking more bothered than he normally does.

"Nothing you need to worry about Shichiro; just some issues with my pupils, nothing much outside the usual," Kalego responds curtly, not wanting to talk much about the subject of his irritation.

"Oh? And I was thinking this had to do with your class vying for the Royal One. That's not something that happens all the time, you know." Balam responds, his smile visible since he's removed the mask he normally wears in order to eat.

Kalego groans and leans forward, resting his elbows and clutching his head in his hands. After a moment of just sitting there with his friend watching on curiously, continuing to eat, Kalego sits up again, looking even more annoyed than before.

"Fine. That is exactly what this is about. I can't believe I was talked into agreeing to that deal…well, it should be all fine in the end since I gave Iruma and his classmates an impossible task." Kalego grumbles, smirking slightly at that last part.

"How cruel of you, hehe." Balam chuckles.

"But somehow I can't get it out of my head that he may manage to pull it off somehow. He and his sister; both of them always seem to do impossible things…" Kalego complains, getting angry just thinking about the twins.

"Yes, that Rimuru is something else, isn't she? I met her earlier today, actually."

"You did? I hope she did not cause any trouble…I still remember how she and her brother Iruma-"

"Like how they 'recklessly used dangerous and unknown magic to gain the favor of their classmates', or maybe that time they 'took the initiative in a situation far above their capability, interfering with police matters'...hahaha, you always do have a fun way of putting things," Balam says, mimicking Kalego's voice when quoting him.

"You know both of those incidents did happen, Shichiro," Kalego says, mildly annoyed.

"Of course! But that doesn't mean that your view of them isn't a little skewed. I am all for protecting students, but the other teachers don't seem nearly as concerned about those issues as you do." Balam responds.

"Hmph."

"But back onto the subject that we were talking about. Rimuru visited me, wanting my stamp on a permission form for the Royal One." Balam explains casually, causing Kalego to sit upright with a start.

"Did you give it to her?!" he asks quickly.

"Of course I did, Kalego. She was quite convincing." Balam responds, not bothered.

"Ugh…" Kalego groans again, returning to the sunken position he was in before.

"I got to inspect her body in exchange for my stamp, you see. Rimuru is a very interesting student, I have to say. Not quite as adversarial as you make her seem, but still something worthy of study." Balam continues to explain lightly.

"So that's how she got you, then. I should have realized sooner." Kalego grumbles.

Balam, unfazed by this, continues rambling.

"She's quite soft and light…a very unique creature. Rimuru was a bit resistant to me inspecting her back closely though…she can somehow fully hide her wings and I have no clue how. I convinced the girl to make one of those perfect clones you mentioned and I could tell it was lacking wing bases, but when I pointed this out, suddenly the clone sprung two huge wings out of nowhere. If that is how her actual body works then I'm very interested in finding out more about it, I have to say."

"You and your research…good luck getting anything more out of that brat, she is quite hard-headed as you've probably already discovered," Kalego says, remembering that time he tried to pin Rimuru down (not literally) and question her about certain things.

Balam nods and continues.

"But there is one thing that truly bothered me about her…" he says.

He pauses for a moment, formulating a way to put whatever he's thinking. This grabs Kalego's attention and he sits up straighter in his seat.

"Listen. I don't mean to add to your headache, but I couldn't read her…at all. This is the first time I recall this happening with anyone." Balam explains, in a much more serious tone than before.

"What? Your 'Buzzer' failed to work on her?!" Kalego asks loudly, standing up from his seat in shock.

"Exactly. It could be that she didn't lie at all, but this felt different than that. It was as if she just…wasn't there; that's the only way I can put it. It was quite disconcerting…" Balam continues, looking both troubled and curious.

Kalego just stares at Balam, completely in shock.

"I…have a hard time believing that. Nobody can escape the watchful eye of your 'Buzzer'...it's a bloodline magic that lets you detect any lies, cheats, or deceptions from any demon…how could that girl be able to perfectly resist it?" Kalego asks, still full of shock and surprise.

"I'm just as puzzled as you are, Kalego, but doesn't that make her all the more ~interesting~? I truly do want to find out what makes that girl tick…" Balam ponders, now looking much more intrigued than disturbed by the fact.

"Sometimes I think your obsession with research is unhealthy, my old friend…" Kalego says with a sigh, knowing that it's hopeless to argue with Balam when he's like this.

"Maybe so, but that will not stop me!" Balam says cheerfully.

The two continue eating, trying to put the subject of Rimuru Tempest out of their minds. Balam hasn't given up, though; he's intent on learning more about the Chairdemon's granddaughter whether that may be dangerous for him or not. He's a rank 8 demon, after all, so not much truly poses a danger to him anyway, so what does he have to worry about?

**Later That Night**

Rimuru POV

Stepping through the front gate shortly before nightfall, I realize I've never been so glad to be back at the mansion. Today has been a nonstop parade of annoyances from the moment I woke up, and it was enough to push my patience past breaking point; I even sent Camui to the infirmary despite my promise to Sullivan that I wouldn't attack students.

Hey, stressed people like to relax in bars, right? Ciel, would it be okay if I went to the elf-

[[Absolutely not.]]

Boo, you're no fun…

[[I am lots of fun. For example, I won't warn you about what will happen as soon as you set foot inside the mansion.]]

Uh… Now I'm worried…

[[Oops, did I say something~?]]

I gesture for Iruma to stand back, and then slowly open the door…

"Lord Rimuru, I missed you so much!" Diablo says gleefully, yanking me inside and pulling me into a tight hug.

"Ack! Diablo, I know you missed me but this is the fourth time I've been unwillingly picked up today and I'm starting to feel like people think I'm some kind of toy!" I complain, starting to feel like reality itself is playing a prank on me today with how much it's happened.

"I'm sorry my lord, I became overly enthusiastic." apologizes Diablo, and he sets me down gently, then sits on the floor himself so that he doesn't tower over me.

I resist the urge to groan at the gesture, instead deciding to just get to the point.

"Look, Diablo… Did you at least figure out why I sent you away for a week?" I ask him.

"Yes! I earned your ire by bribing Veldora into leaving his post and going to Walpurgis, did I not? I would have gone myself, but-" he starts to say.

"No, you daft butler!" I yell, grabbing the front of his shirt. "I'm mad about what you had him bring to Walpurgis! Why in the name of… Why would you trick me into showing that embarrassing video to everyone?" I ask, trying not to lose it with him.

Diablo looks mortified, so with a sigh, I let go of him and decide to be more patient as he explains himself. He seems genuinely confused and there's no way he'd directly lie to me so Diablo must really think that's the reason I was so upset.

"W-well, I thought you were absolutely wonderful at that concert! So I wanted to show off how wonderful you were to all the other demon lords, especially that arrogant and brutish Primordial Red…"

"And you can't think of why I might be embarrassed by the other demon lords seeing that concert?" I ask patiently, talking to him almost like he's a child that doesn't understand the consequences of his actions.

Diablo had a look of confusion on his face and gave a slight head tilt. Does he really not get it, even now? He really is blinded by his admiration… Diablo is smart and cunning but surprisingly stupid when it comes to things like this…

"Listen, Diablo, that concert was just a one-time thing that I did to help someone out. I don't want to be known as the demon lord who sings lovey-dovey songs in the guise of a little girl. Even if you think I look 'wonderful' like that, it's not the kind of reputation I want to create for myself." I explain to him calmly.

"Ah, so this iswhat you meant by being embarrassed in front of the other Demon Lords?" Diablo asks, sounding like he just figured it out.

"Yes," I say, giving him a nod.

"I now understand the offense I caused, my Lord. Please forgive me, and allow me to serve you once more." Diablo says with a kowtow, and I give another long sigh at how unpredictable and dramatic my subordinates are.

"Well, I'm glad you understand now. I'll be in my room, could you bring me tea later?" I say as I head to my quarters, needing to catch a dozen winks before dinner.

"Certainly, my Lord," Diablo says with a polite bow, smiling at the fact that I'm letting him serve me again.

"Wait, Rimuru, I need to-" Sullivan says as he tries to catch my attention, but I'm not in the mood.

"Sorry Sullivan, I'm done dealing with people for today. I'll see you tomorrow." I say with a sigh, not having the patience left to deal with whatever the old man wants.

Sullivan POV

It doesn't sound like there's any chance of getting her help for this… I had intended to ask Rimuru to help me confront Iruma about his change in attitude and all the reports of brash behavior I had heard coming from the school, but it now looks like this is something I'll have to do myself.

This makes things more difficult since I have no idea how to deal with this type of thing. Iruma, up until today, has shown no sign of defiance. Rimuru seemed to know what she was talking about when describing human teens having 'rebellious phases', but without her help on this, I'm left in the dark as to what to do about it.

I'm a rank Tet demon, and he's a human teenager; why should I let myself be so strongly affected by his attitude problems? Hmm… Now that I consider it, I'm not afraid of confronting him in the slightest!

I stride over to Iruma's door with Opera at my side, and I declare my resolve.

"I was so shocked this morning that I couldn't say anything, but I'm going to set my grandson back down the right path and make him a good boy again," I say to myself, fully determined to address the issue.

Opera nods, not saying a thing with his ears laid flat in anxiety but still loyally remaining at my side.

"Iruma, I'm coming in!" I call out moments before bursting into his room.

"Oh, Grandpa…" Iruma says with a look of shyness that makes this old man's heart skip a beat. "I was hoping you could stamp this permission form for me…" he says, holding up the form and peeking out from behind it, looking as adorable as ever.

No sign of the arrogance he was showing earlier, just my pure, sweet adorable grandson asking for his grandpa's help! How could I say no to him?!

"Sure thing!" I cry out without a moment's hesitation, and I stamp the form with a *Bam!*, making my grandson cheer with a happy "Yay!"

"Sir…" mutters Opera defeatedly.

*Bam, bam, bam, bam!* I enthusiastically stamp the form multiple times, hoping that my helping him out will keep Iruma sweet just like he seems right now.