Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 33: Plans and Festivals!
- Yuuki Kagurazaka -
Yuuki looked towards his remaining friends who were sitting in front of him. There was Laplace, and Tear. And then standing behind him was Kagali.
Footman and Clayman's loss could still clearly be felt amongst them.
Rimuru would soon be coming to pick up his students, he would likely come up with an excuse for them to continue their education in Tempest due to his mistrust of him.
Though Yuuki wasn't too put off by that, those kids weren't all that special outside of their Elemental blessings, and while he was loath to give them up it was worth it.
All things considered, each of those kids were fairly strong, around the A- Rank, but he could let go of them if it meant regaining some of Rimuru's trust. The less a Demon Lord considers him an enemy the better. It will only make his dream harder to achieve after all.
Conflict is bound to happen between him and Rimuru, but it was in his best interest to delay it as much as possible.
Still he will have to shut down one of his businesses, summoning otherworlders in secret, primarily for the Demon Lord Leon. Rimuru has been very serious about outlawing summoning otherworlders so it's best to nip that connection in the bud.
Yuuki still isn't quite sure why the Platinum Saber needs so many otherworlders, especially since he specifically asked for children.
After all, children aren't usually summoned with Unique Skills causing them to eventually die due to their bodies not being able to handle the raw power of an Otherworlder. A Unique Skill could take on that extra energy.
But thanks to Rimuru he has come to the realization that he may be turning those children into powerful soldiers.
Before he didn't think it was possible to save an otherworlder who did not have a Unique Skill, but Rimuru had proved him wrong. So what if Demon Lord Leon was also capable of summoning Elementals and having them bless the children he summons? With some training he would then build up quite a powerful force with the potential for growth.
Some might even reach the realm of Shizu-sensei and beyond.
Quite the sneaky Demon Lord should that be the case. Using him for the hard work and reaping the benefits.
Hmm, maybe he can use that though. He can have Leon be informed that the reason for cutting off their deal was due to Rimuru. Some extra conflict between Demon Lords might give them more opportunities.
Yes, he will have Kagali inform him during the Festival. Perhaps Leon will even show up during the attack causing even more chaos. It was unlikely but a man can dream.
"So Boss, you were saying that you wanted to use this Festival to get rid of some people?"
He looked to Laplace and nodded. "Yes, I have already informed you that Mariabell plans to use the Chaos Dragon in order to disrupt the Festival and halt Tempest's progress."
It was quite amusing that Mariabell still thought he was under her control. She truly had a bloated opinion of her own abilities.
As long as some important guests were injured or killed it would significantly disrupt Tempest's plan to create peace with Humanity.
Yuuki did not believe it was possible for Rimuru to prevent all casualties even if the Demon Lord Felix assisted.
There were just some things outside of the realm of possibility.
The Chaos Dragon is a foe that even a Hero failed to vanquish. Quite ironic seeing as the result of that failure was sitting in front of him in Laplace.
Though he could understand why, even in the chaotic state it is in right now the sheer power it radiated was unimaginable.
Power that he would need to acquire for his dream. But that can wait.
"So who do you want gone then?" Laplace asked.
He smirked. "Hinata Sakaguchi."
Both Laplace and Tear's eyes widened.
"For real Boss!?" Tear shouted.
"Indeed. I have always planned to get rid of her at some point, she is an obstacle to our goals. I was hoping she and Rimuru would take care of each other but it seems they somehow managed to make… peace. Now we must take matters into our own hands."
Laplace's Unique Skill: Falsifier was ideal for such operations, not to mention his other Unique Skill: Seer may help warn him of threats as well.
It was quite easy to understand how Laplace's former identity used to be a Hero, the Hero of the Elves, Sarion.
He was easily the most powerful of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance, a group that contained the Former Demon Lord Clayman.
With the Chaos Dragon rampaging throughout Tempest Laplace will be able to take Hinata off guard and finish her off.
Both Demon Lords present should be busy with other things at the time, they would have no reason to suspect someone as renowned as Hinata Sakaguchi would need assistance.
He was even willing to give Laplace some insurance to make sure he completes his task successfully.
"I see. So you want me to use my Skill to hide myself until the perfect opportunity presents itself?" Laplace questioned.
"Exactly." Yuuki nodded.
Kagali took this chance to speak up. "Ideally it would be best if you take care of her as soon as possible so no one has the chance to meet up with her. That way you will only have to deal with Hinata rather than Hinata and whatever reinforcements she may have."
"Indeed, as Kagali said, take care of her as soon as you can. Rimuru's forces are formidable, do not underestimate them."
Laplace nodded. "Got it Boss."
"I am willing to give you a weapon imbued with my own Anti-Skill as well as a device that was generously provided by Damrada that will allow you to teleport to an area of your choosing, no matter the Barriers surrounding you."
Damrada had supplied him with such an artifact in order for him to have some sort of insurance for this Festival, so that he could get away should the worst happen. Damrada had been incredibly confident that it would be capable of breaching any sort of Barrier, but he would not share where he got the artifact from. All he said was that a being incredibly proficient in Spatial Manipulation had imbued the artifact with such an effect, in fact he had a suspicion of his own as to who was capable of creating such an artifact.
Still, Yuuki did not push him, Damrada had his implicit trust. So while Damrada's gesture was acknowledged and appreciated, it was ultimately unneeded. He would rather use such a valuable artifact to get rid of the thorn that is Hinata Sakaguchi.
"A weapon?" Laplace asked curiously.
Yuuki nodded. "Indeed, a weapon made out of my bones. Some time ago I had one of my arms cut off and then regenerated. The cut off arm was then turned into a weapon that contained my Anti-Skill attribute."
Laplace's eyes widened. "Woah! That's hardcore Boss!"
Yuuki ignored Laplace and turned to Kagali. "I will be leaving you in charge of Cerberus while I am busy with other matters."
She nodded. "Got it Boss."
Cerberus was an incredibly valuable resource, it was a criminal organization that dominated the underworld in the Eastern Empire. It was structured with him at the head, and then right below him was Damrada of Gold, Misha of Women, and Vega of Power.
Each was useful in their own right. Damrada with his connections, Misha with her intel gathering, and Vega for his sheer power even if his idiocy did get on his nerves on occasion.
But he knew he could keep Vega in line, his motto was simple, follow the powerful. He had a very caveman-like mentality. Yuuki was not sure if that was due to the experiments he did on him or if he was just always like that.
Yuuki shook his head. Now was not the time to think of those things.
"Make sure you are all ready for your job Laplace." He ended the meeting.
As he and Kagali were making their way to his office in the Free Guild Headquarters he heard her ask, "Are you sure this is a wise move? Going in person is incredibly risky seeing as that Slime already suspects you."
He waved her off. "Don't worry Kagali. Rimuru won't make a move until he is sure that I am the man who was responsible for the attack on his Nation."
Kagali nodded. "Very well."
Even if Rimuru did decide to attack, he was confident in his abilities. After all, as long as he wielded his abilities right he was unbeatable.
- Felix -
"Alright Sukuna I'm going to be having a private conversation with Arcueid now."
Sukuna has been my ever present shadow when he doesn't have other duties. Apparently he has gotten it in his head that he is my body guard along with Saeko so I don't have to deal with any insignificant threats on my own.
I don't really mind, having someone who can easily take care of any threats to my person can only be useful.
They give me my privacy when I ask for it as well.
"Very well My Lord, I will be waiting for you outside." He responded.
I nodded and then knocked on the door to Arcueid's office.
The door opened, revealing my beautiful white haired Daemon. "You do not need to knock My Lord."
I shrug my shoulders. "Eh, it's polite to do so, who knows if you're in the middle of doing something important when I show up."
"Ara ara, that is very thoughtful of you, however nothing is more important than you My Lord."
Gah! Critical hit!
Who taught these Primordials how to do that!
Arcueid looked completely clueless, so maybe she casually said that? If so, that's an even deeper critical hit.
Still, I came here to talk with Arcueid, it's best not to get distracted right now.
"Let's talk inside."
Arcueid nods. "Very well." I noticed Arcueid give Sukuna a look before they mutually nodded to each other.
Have they come to some sort of hidden understanding? Well it's good that they are getting along at least.
When I entered her office I noticed one of Arcueid's Dark Elf assistants who promptly left after getting a look from Arcueid.
It's good that she has been making use of the Dark Elves.
Arcueid took a seat on one of the love seats while I sat across from her on another love seat.
Arcueid's office is rather large, not quite as large as the one I inherited from Clayman, but Arcueid has enough room for a lounge of sorts, along with a cabinet of alcohol in case she feels like relaxing a bit.
"So what did you wish to speak to me about My Lord?"
"Oh it isn't anything big, I was just making sure that you are going to be attending the Tempest Founding Festival."
Arcueid nodded like it was obvious. "Of course, there are many useful connections to be made. I can introduce all those other so-called Monarchs to your greatness!"
I choose to ignore the last part.
"I see." Arcueid told me a few days ago that she has already transported all the alcohol we will be supplying to Tempest as well so I don't need to worry about that.
"Hmm, then I also plan to take Saeko, Raiden, and Suphia with us. I'll probably end up taking most if not all of my direct subordinates. Though that may leave this territory undefended."
"Ah, Suphia is that Tiger you have stationed at the border outpost no?"
I nod in response.
Arcueid tucked her hair behind her ear as she said, "I see, but you need not worry about that My Lord. The subordinates you have gathered are more than enough to ward off the riff raff that may attempt to take advantage of your absence."
Hmm she might be right. I'll have two Daemon Dukes along with basically a legion of Daemons and Dragons. That's a force I don't see many capable of defeating.
Besides, Adalman will still be stationed here since he claimed to not be interested in The Festival and would rather protect my territory.
A hard worker that one, and then he also has Hel and Albert to assist him and his Undead Legion.
Then there is Sukuna as well, I haven't completely decided if I want to bring him and have him be known to the general public or not. Though I'm leaning towards bringing him, after all he is my subordinate now, he might as well enjoy life a little bit.
He's practically a different person compared to the previous Sukuna.
Not to mention the Majins that have joined under my employ thanks to Arcueid incorporating those ideas I gave her a while back. Along with that I can quickly teleport back should I need to.
I think it's safe to say my territory is safe.
"I see your point."
"Very well then." Arcueid nodded.
Ah while I'm here I might as well hear about how Arcuied is actually running my territory since I don't know all that much about what she has been doing. I only know bits and pieces.
I really am just throwing all my work onto Arcueid huh? Oh well, she volunteered, and I'm a Demon Lord, why should I have to do work?
I doubt any of the other Demon Lords do all that much work either. Guy probably just lazes about all day, Milim constantly tries to escape from Frey's nagging, Ramiris bugs us all day, I'm not too sure about Dagruel though from what I heard Dino just lounges about all day. According to Hinata, Luminous does absolutely nothing, I also don't really do any work.
I think Rimuru is the only one who actively does work, so he's clearly doing something wrong, though I guess it shows when comparing Tempest's success to any of the other Demon Lord's territories.
The only one that even comes close is Luminous, but that's less due to her own efforts and more due to her subordinates' efforts.
In fact from what I've heard Luminous is a bonafide NEET. She's really living the good life.
"While I'm here could you explain to me how you are running the government?" I sure as hell know it isn't a democracy.
Arcueid nodded. "Very well My Lord. Perhaps you can offer some more advice as well, I'm sure it will prove useful." Ah, she's probably basing that on my idea for increasing military recruitment.
Though I basically just copied fictional works from my past life.
"Would you like me to introduce you to some of the people that are in charge of governance?"
Hmm, I'm assuming that those Daemons that were with Arcueid that day are some sort of officials. Then there is Lalatina in charge of my intelligence agency, and Megumin is the Supreme Commander of the Military. Moss also helps Arcueid out with her duties mostly since he can be in multiple places at once. And then Veyron basically serves as Lalatina's butler as he always has.
That guy has an absurd amount of experience in being a butler, he has been serving Lalatina as her butler for thousands of years.
But I still haven't met a lot of the people helping in the governance of my territory. You need more than just a couple people to successfully run a territory after all.
"That would be acceptable." I respond.
I could sense Arcueid sending multiple Thought Communications. Moments later I sensed multiple beings arriving just outside the door to Arcueid's office.
Ah, it seems Sukuna is confronting them. Probably since they showed up all of a sudden.
I should take care of that. "No need to worry Sukuna, these are just some people Arcueid is going to introduce me to."
"Ah. Very well My Lord, I apologize for my impudence."
"It's fine Sukuna, you were just doing your job."
He really is like a Diablo 2.0.
Arcueid then waved her hand opening the door.
"Do not keep our Lord waiting." She said, her voice cold.
Hearing Arcueid's words all the accompanying Daemons lowered their heads and quickly entered.
It seems she mostly only has some other Daemons helping her run the territory. I don't blame her, their loyalty is far easier to guarantee, and they are extremely competent.
I could spot those three Daemons from that day in the group along with a few others I haven't had the chance to actually meet after naming them.
Lalatina, Megumin and Moss weren't present but that's expected.
All the Daemons greeted me with a bow.
"You don't need to bow."
Thankfully they all listen and straighten themselves.
"These are all the Daemons in charge of monitoring and enforcing your will upon your territory My Lord." Arcueid commented.
I gave her a nod.
Arcueid was basically at the head of command excluding Lalatina and Megumin. Arcueid, Lalatina and Megumin are all right under me, though they each have their own departments they oversee.
Arcueid along with monitoring everything is also somewhat involved with the Foreign Affairs Department which has Moss at the head.
Lalatina and Megumin each had their own roles as well.
These guys though… I had no clue what they do. I really am a negligent ruler huh?
Arcueid gestured to the three Daemons I've already met. "They are part of the Department of Defense, they work directly under Megumin."
I nodded in understanding.
"They are part of the Department of Internal Affairs. They supervise local governments like villages scattered about your territory." I see, it's good that those villages aren't being given free rein.
Though they do pay a tax in return for my protection. Being under the rule of a Demon Lord is protection on its own after all.
Arcueid then pointed to a group of Daemons from Megumin's lineage.
"They make sure everyone is following the laws we have in place." It makes sense that Megumin's battle junkie lineage is in charge of that.
"And then there is the Department of Defense which Megumin is in charge of and the Department of Intelligence which Lalatina is in charge of."
"Yeah, I already know what those two get up to so you can skip over their departments."
Arcueid nodded. "Very well."
Arcueid pointed to a more bulky Daemon. "He is in charge of the Department of Infrastructure."
Ah, so he is the one who is building and expanding everything.
Good to know.
She then pointed to a lone figure standing in the corner of the room. "And then Agriculture is being directed by her."
I gave the Daemon a nod. "Very well. Thank you for introducing me Arcueid."
"Whatever you wish for I will do My Lord."
I shook my head in exasperation.
I looked to the side to see my date for the evening.
I had promised Ingvild a date a little while back and I am now holding up to that deal.
I have neglected Ingvild far too much since she usually just hangs out in my territory. According to Glenda she doesn't want to seek me out since she doesn't want to bother me.
She really is a kind girl. But life is cruel after all she was basically enslaved and forced to do someone else's dirty work.
That thought only made me more determined to seek out strength. In the end strength is what matters, no one can force you to do something against your will if you are stronger. Morals and rules are determined by who is stronger, after all look at the Demon Lords. They each have territories where they are basically worshiped as gods, Luminous is literally worshiped as a god.
Strength is all that matters in the end, though I don't want to lose myself in the pursuit of it.
But I always have Odin to count on to keep me sane.
I swear I could almost feel Odin smile happily.
'Odin will always be there for the Master.'
'I know you will, thanks Odin.'
It's crazy to think that she has been with me basically my entire journey as a Daemon. At first as just the Extra Skill: Sage, then the Unique Skill: Cursed Sage, and then finally her current self.
Having a partner isn't too bad.
"Ah! Can we go try that?!" I heard Ingvild ask in an excited tone.
I looked towards what she was pointing at, it seems she wants to try a burger. Rimuru managed to recreate a bunch of food items from Earth in Tempest, along with the stuff I got him from the Jujutsu Kaisen world he has had a relatively easy time.
Something I have benefitted from as Arcueid and Raiden can easily replicate them with my knowledge and work on spreading them throughout my territory.
"Yeah sure we can check it out."
Ingvild gave me an excited smile before leading me towards the stand. It's nice to see that she can take joy in even the smallest of things, or sad depending on how you look at it.
"Ah! Welcome Lord Felix!"
I gave the Goblin manning the stand a nod. Rimuru has all sorts of stands and shops all around Tempest, partly in preparation for the Festival and partly because he wants the residents of Tempest to have easy access to good food.
He really does spoil them.
"And hello to you too Miss?" Said the Goblin.
"Ingvild!" She beamed.
The Goblin nodded with a smile. "Ingvild then."
Hehe, I can't wait to see Rimuru's reaction to seeing Ingvild Leviathan. Hearing about fictional characters being real is one thing, but seeing them in person is another.
Ingvild and I quickly gave our orders.
I pointed to a couple of benches on the side. "Why don't we wait over there?"
Ingvild nodded. "Yes!"
What an excitable girl.
Once we took our seats I decided to ask Ingvild about what she's been up to. I know bits and pieces but not everything.
"So have you enjoyed your stay in my territory so far?"
"Yes! Everyone is so nice! Saeko occasionally comes by to play her violin while I sing." Huh, I didn't know that. Well good on them.
Ingvild continued on. "Raiden comes to listen to me sing." That's probably her Dragon tamer abilities at work.
"Arcueid makes sure I have everything I need, Lalatina occasionally stops by along with Megumin." Hmm well it doesn't really surprise me that those three don't care all that much. They don't strike me as the type to make casual friends.
"What about the Dragons? I'm sure they would enjoy your music." I comment.
Ingvild nodded. "Yes, I sing for them from time to time, apparently it helps in their training according to Porunga."
Interesting.
"Other than that I just train."
I looked at her in confusion. "Train?"
She nodded. "Strength is something that is always useful in this world. Whether it is to defend yourself or otherwise. If something bad happens I'd like to be able to help my friends, and having strength helps me achieve that."
Huh, well she's wiser than I thought.
"That's a good way to think. Though you are fairly strong already." I'd put her at around Kurumi's level, and Kurumi has only grown stronger and stronger since I first named her.
Ingvild's Unique Skill Kraken is also incredibly powerful if used right.
Everyone has been growing stronger. Saeko and Raiden are beginning to approach the raw energy levels of Arcueid, Megumin and Lalatina as well. They are still a ways off but they are getting there.
Ingvild nodded. "Indeed, I'm stronger than I ever imagined possible." She clenched her fists. "But I still feel like I need to do more, I need to repay everyone's generosity."
Ah, so that's what this is about.
"Haha, there's no need for that. But if you are that determined then just being in my territory is already helping. People on your level aren't as common as you think, you are capable of fending off most threats as you are now."
Ingvild didn't look convinced. "Really?"
I nodded. "As you are now you are stronger than the Ex Demon Lords Carrion, Frey, and Clayman."
Ingvild's eyes widened slightly. "Really?!" Demon Lords are considered big shots to those who don't know that the strength of each Demon Lord varies a large amount when compared to each other.
"Yup. Though don't let that get to your head." Those three are pretty weak compared to the True Demon Lords but Ingvild doesn't need to know that.
Ingvild and I continued to chat while we waited for our burgers to finish being cooked.
It didn't take long before we each had our food in hand, I ended up getting a burger with two patties, cheese, lettuce, and some grilled onion.
Thankfully most of the base crops from Earth also exist in this world or can be replicated with the right knowledge so this tastes just like home.
"Mmm~!" Ingvild moaned out.
"This is incredibly good."
I ignored her erotic moan and nodded. "Yup, one thing Rimuru takes super seriously is the quality of food. That guy does not mess around."
"I have not heard much about this Rimuru, but if he is your friend and he has done all this he sounds like a wonderful individual." Ingvild commented.
"Yup, look around. He's made a successful country where Monsters can be happy and don't have to live with a constant threat to their survival."
When you think about it like that, Rimuru really has done something quite grand. Even if he had knowledge from his past life and a super computer in his head.
I haven't really done much to change the world, and I'm fine with that. Rimuru saw something wrong with this world and wanted to change it, where I have adapted and embraced this new world.
"This is all in preparation for the Festival right?" Ingvild asked.
I nodded in response. "Yup, normally you wouldn't see nearly as many food stalls or games all around. You are planning to attend right?"
"Of course, you asked me to after all. I'm most looking forward to the concert."
"Haha, well I hate to burst your bubble but I'm fairly certain that Rimuru just used a bunch of music from our previous lives as reference." I wouldn't be surprised if I heard an anime opening or two.
"That will also be quite enjoyable to listen to."
I nodded along. "Indeed, from what I've heard they have all been practicing for this performance for a long long time.
Ingvild nodded. "Then I'm sure their efforts will bear fruit."
I looked into the mirror to make sure I was dressed well. We're all about to leave to attend the Tempest Founding Festival, the Festival hasn't officially started yet but we decided to head over a day or so early. There wasn't any real reason for us to be all dressed up when the Festival hadn't really started yet, but I felt like having everyone dress up.
So they followed my orders. Being a tyrant rules!
These are the clothes we will be wearing when attending the formal events for the Festival anyways, so it's probably a good idea to make sure everything looks good. If something is wrong then Shuna can quickly fix the clothing up.
Instead of my classic Demon Lord attire I was dressed in a fancy black blazer with a dark blue dress shirt underneath with some black pants.
And I look damn good.
Heh, I'm sure I'll charm all those Princesses, that is if they aren't shit scared of me.
They'll probably be scared of me.
I heard a knock on the door. "Come in Raiden."
The door opened to reveal my maid who was dressed in a bit of a different outfit than usual.
Rather than her usual maid uniform she dresses in this time she is in a slightly revealing dress.
She was in a red dress, with a bit of cleavage to show.
A truly sexy look.
Muhaha, all those Monarchs are going to be jealous.
She originally wanted to attend as my maid but I convinced her to wear a dress and just enjoy herself.
That girl is far too serious with her maidly duties.
"You look wonderful Raiden." I complimented.
She blushed slightly. "You as well Master."
I tried to get her to not call me Master tonight but she was adamant. Oh well at least my main goal was achieved.
"Is everyone ready?" I asked.
I was planning to bring Saeko, Raiden, Arcueid, Megumin, Lalatina, Kurumi, Sukuna, Glenda, and Suphia.
Basically all of my direct subordinates and then some.
It shouldn't be too difficult to manage them all, most of them know not to get in trouble and I trust them to not cause problems.
"Yes, everyone is prepared to go to the Festival. We are just waiting for Lady Milim, Lady Frey, and Lord Carrion to arrive."
That's right, Milim and by extension Frey are going to be coming with us along with Carrion, who is also going to bring some subordinates.
Middray and Arc will be showing up later, according to Milim they are in the midst of training. Middray has been extremely intense according to Milim, even she is feeling bad for some of the Dragon Faithful.
"They should be here soon, so tell everyone to be ready to leave." I ordered.
Raiden bowed. "Very well Master."
It didn't take me long to finish getting ready.
Once I was done I went outside where we were all gathered up.
"You look wonderful My Lord." I turned to the voice and was met with Sukuna.
"You as well Sukuna." I responded.
He was dressed pretty much the same, in his butler outfit. He insisted that this was his favorite outfit to wear and I didn't see a point to contest.
I'm sure he will enjoy himself plenty. I am curious about how he and Diablo will react to each other.
"Ah! Felix-sama!" I turned to Saeko who was pouting at not having my attention.
Saeko was dressed in a purple suit as she wanted to attend as my secretary, not something I had an issue with as she isn't as much of a workaholic as Raiden.
Saeko knows when to take some time off.
"You look good Saeko."
"Ah! Thank you!" She responded in an excited tone.
"I'll talk to you later okay? I want to see how everyone is dressed tonight."
Saeko pouted but relented.
I moved onto Kurumi who was sitting on one of the love seats in the corner of the room.
She was dressed in a beautiful black dress with a side slit.
She was pouting at me though since I told her she has to be in her humanoid form for the majority of the Festival.
"Stop pouting Kurumi, you'll be able to have much more fun in your humanoid form."
"But I want to be on your shoulder!" She crossed her arms and pouted even more.
"Deal with it for a little bit, maybe once the Festival has begun I'll let you do what you wish."
Kurumi smiled victoriously. "Yes! Thank you Master!"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah yeah."
Next was the Demoness Trio who were waiting for me if their expectant looks were anything to go by.
Once I approached them Arcueid took the lead. "You look wonderful My Lord."
I gave her an appreciative once over. "You as well Arcueid." She was dressed in a white dress with a side slit and some cleavage to show.
Man these girls were really going all out.
Flaunting the goods you could say.
I didn't really mind, I wasn't insecure after all. In fact it will be quite amusing to see how everyone else reacts.
I'm looking forward to the jealous gazes of those other Monarchs.
No matter their fear of me as a Demon Lord the power of horny transcends all.
"Hehe, what about me Master~?" I turned to the seductive voice.
"You look wonderful as well Lalatina." She was dressed in a formal black dress with a v neck.
"Hehe, Master praised me!" I went on to ignore her and turned to Megumin who was dressed way differently from usual.
Instead of her usual black military coat, formal white shirt, and tie she was in a far more feminine outfit.
Her normal outfit could be considered her delinquent garbs.
Hehe the blush on her face was adorable. Even a Primordial can be out of their element on occasion.
"You look good Megumin, different from usual but good."
"T-thanks!" She regained her boisterous demeanor midway through.
I gave her a pat on the shoulder and moved on to Glenda and Ingvild. Both who were dressed a bit more conservatively compared to others.
"Lord Felix!" Glenda intoned.
Ingvild just gave me a wave.
"Hello you two, you both look good."
"Thanks!" Said Ingvild with a giddy smile on her face.
Glenda nodded apprehensively.
Heh, it seems she is still terrified of me, I don't really blame her.
I gave them a goodbye and moved on to the last person Suphia , who was messing with the collar of her outfit.
"Gah! Stupid tight collar!"
"Having some trouble there hmm Suphia?"
She jumped up in surprise. "Gah! Lord Felix!"
"Heh, I caught you by surprise. You can unbutton your collar if you want to, we don't have to be super formal."
She breathed a sigh of relief and unbuttoned the collar.
"Thanks!"
I shook my head. "No problem."
It was at this moment that I sensed Milim and Frey arrived.
"It seems Milim and Frey are finally here." I announced.
Of course I modified the Barriers inside and around my castle so that Milim could directly teleport in.
"I have arrived Felix!" I turned to the voice and was met with a proudly posing Milim, who was surprisingly dressed appropriately for the occasion.
She looked quite cute, and the mature looking Frey next to her offered a nice contrast.
"You look good today Milim. And you look beautiful as well Frey." I complimented.
Milim puffed her non-existent chest out proudly while Frey just gave me a seductive smile.
"Ara ara, you look quite… alluring as well Lord Felix."
Ah, I am technically above her in station now huh?
"No need to call my name with any formalities Frey."
Frey nodded. "Very well Felix."
At least someone listens to me when I tell them that.
"Hey Felix! Pay attention to me!" I looked towards the pouting Milim.
"Yes yes Milim."
Milim's pout only intensified as she turned her head away. "Hmph."
What a drama queen.
Ah, there's Carrion.
It seems he brought only two subordinates with him, Albis, that snake, and that Leopard.
"Boss!"
I turned to the voice and was met with a well dressed Carrion with his two subordinates in tow.
I gave him a nod. "Carrion."
The Unique Skill: Suppressor has been analyzed.
Ah, I haven't had a chance to analyze Albis' Unique Skill huh? The last time I saw her I wasn't able to directly copy Skills like I can now.
It's a solid Skill, it has Thought Acceleration, Spatial Motion, and Spatial Suppressor which puts the surrounding Space under the user's control.
I can already do that with Ouroboros but I'm not going to say no to a free Skill.
Suphia gave me a look, seemingly wanting to ask if she can go hang out with her former co-workers.
I gave her a nod causing a happy grin to spread on her face.
While those three were catching up Carrion and I caught up.
I haven't directly seen him ever since he officially swore his loyalty to me after all, though we have sent some subordinates back and forth along with using Thought Communication.
"You've gotten a bit stronger huh Carrion?"
"Ghaha, and yet I still feel like a drop in the ocean compared to you!" He said boisterously.
I rolled my eyes. "You need more than just training if you even want to approach my level."
"Heh, I can see that. Wanna have a spar later Boss?" Asked Carrion.
Hmm, if he keeps facing me, someone who is a lot stronger than him, he won't be able to improve nearly as much.
"Hmm, tell you what, you can fight against one of my direct subordinates. You will probably learn far more from a fight with her than with me."
I think Carrion facing Raiden would be good for both parties. Raiden is far, far stronger overall but she can practice her swordsmanship and Carrion can use the fights to grow.
Him being stronger only helps me after all so no reason to prevent his growth.
"Alright Boss, you're the strong one so I'll listen to you."
Ah, Lycanthropes are so simple, I like that about them. Just be stronger than them and they will do whatever you tell them.
I looked around, it seems we're all ready.
"Alright everyone ready then?"
Once I got nods from everyone I snapped my fingers teleporting all of us to Tempest.
This time I teleported all of us directly into Rimuru's office so it was a bit crowded.
"Gah! Felix!" Rimuru shouted.
"Sup, we all came a bit early for the Festival."
The Festival itself was going to go on for a week or so, so it isn't a big deal that we came a few hours early.
"You didn't have to teleport directly to my office though! I can already sense Shuna on her way due to all the strong Auras that appeared."
"Ah, oops. Sorry about that." I apologized.
Rimuru sighed. "It's fine." I felt Rimuru send a Thought Communication, likely calming everyone down.
"Haha, I knew you would be okay with it Rimuru!" Shouted an overeager Milim.
Rimuru sighed again but this time it was incredibly depressing. "Please don't be… yourself at this Festival Milim." He said.
Milim looked confused. "Eh? What do you mean?"
I decided to ease her into the explanation. "I think what Rimuru is trying to say is don't cause trouble, this event is important for Tempest and Rimuru's dream, we don't want to mess it up by accidentally killing someone important."
Milim nodded in understanding. "Yup! You're right Felix! I don't want to ruin my friend's dream!"
Heh, Milim might be some evil Demon Lord to others but she is a loyal friend above everything else.
"Don't worry Rimuru, everything will be fine."
"Indeed there is no need to worry Demon Lord Rimuru. I will make sure to keep Milim under control." Said Frey.
Heh, imagine having a handler because you can't control yourself.
"I can control myself Frey!" Milim pouted.
Rimuru nodded. "I'll trust you then Frey. Ah, while you're here I wanted to discuss the rebuilding of the Harpy Kingdom." That's right, Rimuru and Frey did have some kind of alliance going huh?
Frey nodded. "Very well."
I choose this time to jump in. "You two can do that in private, I'll make sure to keep Milim under control."
"You too Felix?!" Yelled Milim.
We all just ignored her though. "Alright thanks Felix!" Said Rimuru.
"I will make sure not to take too long Felix." I waved Frey off.
"Take your time, we're just going to go mess around." Hearing me a grin crept up onto Milim's face.
"...messing around?" Rimuru whispered, fear evident in his tone.
Eh it can't be that bad right?
"Please just don't go around mugging my citizens for your own amusement."
I snorted after hearing him. "But that was funny! The look on Gobta's face was priceless, I'm sure he's always got his guard up now."
Rimuru smiled slightly. "Hehe, yup. Even Hakurou has increased his training so he doesn't get mugged again."
Hehe, sucks to suck huh Gobta?
"I'll make sure we don't do anything too crazy."
"Ah, is that a new subordinate of yours?" Asked Rimuru who was looking at Sukuna.
I nodded. "Yup, I wanted a butler. This here is Sukuna, my very own Diablo!"
Sukuna gave Rimuru a bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Rimuru."
Rimuru nodded. "It is nice to meet you as well Sukuna."
I turned to the rest of our large group. "Alright, let's go!"
Once we were outside the building where Rimuru's office was located I turned to Carrion and his group.
"Alright, feel free to wander around, just don't cause trouble." I ordered.
Carrion saluted me. "You got it Boss!"
I turned to Suphia. "You can go with them."
She gave me a grin and ran to catch up to them. "Thanks Boss!" I heard her yell as she was getting further and further away.
Now for my group.
"You guys can also do whatever you want, just don't cause trouble."
Saeko was the first to speak up. "Is it fine if I visit some of the Onis?" Ah she probably wants to see her old friends huh?
Ah, I haven't told her that Ponytail is going to be here have I? I told her he was alive, after all she has the right to know that but she doesn't know that he is going to be coming here.
He was like an older brother to her so I guess it can be a surprise for her.
I nodded. "Sure."
Once Saeko was off Raiden said, "I would like to stay with you Master."
I don't have any problems with free eye candy! I can also drag Raiden around so she can have some fun for once.
"Alright that's fine."
Arcueid, Megumin, and Lalatina were discussing something. Once they noticed my attention was on them Arcueid took the lead.
"My Lord, the three of us would like to visit this Dungeon you have spoken to us about."
Ah, they are totally going to fight each other huh?
"Alright, just make sure not to kill too many Monsters, those are needed for the demonstration later on in The Festival."
Even though there are hundreds of thousands of Monsters inhabiting The Dungeon I don't doubt they could easily clear the entire thing, except for Veldora of course.
Zegion has the potential to match them eventually, but as he is now, not a chance.
The three of them nodded.
"Got it Master!" Said Lalatina.
With that I teleported them directly into The Dungeon. I'm sure they can figure everything out. They are millions of years old Primordials after all.
"I would like to accompany you with Raiden Master." Said Kurumi.
I nodded. "Alright, that's fine with me."
I looked to Sukuna. "And you Sukuna."
"I wish to secure the area in case there is an attack on your person My Lord." I'm pretty sure I'm safe in Tempest but being careful couldn't hurt.
I nodded. "Very well."
I turned to the last two. "What about you Ingvild, Glenda?"
Ingvild is the one who responded. "Glenda heard about all the good food we tried here on our d-date and she wanted to try it so I'll show her around."
I nodded. "Alright have fun you two." I waved them off.
Though Glenda had a shit eating grin for some reason while Ingvild had a tiny almost unnoticeable blush.
Then it is just Raiden, Kurumi, and Milim with me huh?
I could sense a bunch of new attractions that weren't here the last time I came to Tempest.
- Rimuru Tempest -
Rimuru looked towards the seductive Sky Queen as she apologized for her delay.
"Thank you for inviting us to this Festival, I apologize that we had shown up unannounced but Milim was adamant about attending with her Best Friend." Aha, Milim is even causing trouble for Frey huh?
Somehow Felix is the only one who she doesn't really cause trouble for, though that's probably because they both cause trouble together for others.
"Ah, hahaha, don't worry about that Frey, just enjoy the next few days free of hassle. Felix might not look it, but he can control Milim very well."
Frey nodded. "Indeed, it is quite remarkable that those two get along so well. If only they didn't cause so much trouble."
Frey went on to explain that whenever Felix shows up he kidnaps Milim, giving both Frey and Arc a heart attack.
Haha, Felix really isn't making it easy for them huh?
"Ahh by the way I didn't have the chance to ask before but we have a multitude of dishes made. One in particular is made of bird, will that be a problem?"
For some reason Frey seems to be angry. Did he say something wrong?
"Eh? Are you putting me on the same level as a bird Rimuru?" Frey asked with a polite smile on her face. But for some reason he felt that smile was anything but polite.
"Th-That isn't what I meant Frey!"
She giggled. "Ara, I know, I was just teasing you."
Grr, damn seductress!
I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.
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Author's Note:
Sup guys, this chapter was more of an in between chapter as we finally get into the festival arc. Hopefully the last few prep chapters haven't been boring to read but not every chapter can be super action packed.
Need a little bit of filler in there to develop characters and introduce new things.
Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed, if you did leave a like!
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