Unwanted Attention

Rimuru POV

"Ahhh…bed, sweet bed…"

It's not my bed, but it'll do just fine; especially since it's not just the bed I'm lying on. My pile of Parallel Fragments is also here, already fast asleep since they were outright forced to be earlier. When relaxed like this, even my human form is soft and squishy, so the mound of Rimuru copies is surprisingly comfortable to lean against like this.

This comfort can't last, though, since I need to go through the not-so-comfortable process of absorbing these five. Yeah, I don't normally feel any physical pain, but taking in all those memories and perspectives at once isn't fun.

"Alright, I guess I'm ready…" I mutter, a bit reluctant.

In an instant, all five copies disappear without a trace and I'm hit with the subsequent headache I was expecting.

This only lasts for a moment before my consciousness rapidly fades, as planned, and I slip into sleep.

**The Next Morning**

"Sooo…how're we gonna decide what group won?" I ask, after a few minutes of eating breakfast with my class.

We were having a little competition to see who'd have the most fun at the park, at least up until that whole mess happened. Still, we need to pick a winner anyways.

"Oh yeah…that contest. I almost completely forgot after everything that happened!" Jazz chuckles.

"Hehe, me too." Lead agrees.

"...does it really matter at this point?" Keroli quietly asks.

"Of course, it matters!" Jazz shoots back. "Like I'd give up on the chance to win something…"

"Calm down everyone! Um…who should we have decide the winning team though?" Iruma asks, trying to get everyone to be on the same page.

"I can be the judge!" Sullivan happily butts into our conversation, wearing a grandfatherly smile.

"Are you sure you won't be biased?" I ask skeptically.

I mean, I think the old man can be objective in a lot of cases, but when it comes to me, and even more with Iruma, he's not; not at all.

Lead taps my shoulder leaning in to whisper "We could always make Kalego decide once he gets here. He isn't biased, he hates us all equally."

This comment, overheard by Jazz sitting next to me, has him chime in with "I'm pretty sure he hates Rimuru and Iruma more, though."

"I promise I'm not biased! I choose…everyone!" Sullivan says, still smiling.

"Everyone?" I ask, kinda annoyed by his copout of an answer.

"You all had so much fun, so that means everyone wins!" he replies.

"Doesn't that defeat the point of it being a competition? Plus, the terms for the winner is that they can ask the losers to do something for the winners, so that doesn't work if all the groups win." I explain.

"Nonsense, you kids will just have to agree on something you want, that's all! I'll take care of the details, so don't worry, Rimuru!"

"I would like to offer that we go to the beach together!" Camui immediately and enthusiastically proposes.

I instantly know his intentions are less than innocent.

"No." I sternly disagree without hesitation.

"But Rimuru, it'd be a lot of fun!" Iruma says, seemingly oblivious to Camui's reasons behind the idea.

And looking around the table, I seem to be the only reluctant party here. Well, I guess Ameri might be, but not exactly. She's blushing and looking down, probably freaking out over the idea of Iruma seeing her in a swimsuit, if I were to take a guess.

"Don't tell me you don't like the sand, Rimuru! I know it's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere, but that shouldn't be a problem for a big girl like you!" Jazz teases, jabbing me with his elbow.

"That's not my reason, Jazz," I say with a scowl, annoyed that he's calling me a 'big girl' in a condescending way. "And the sand is not a problem for me, okay?"

After an awkward pause caused by my anger, Elizabetta cheerfully chimes in.

"Really, a beach trip would be a wonderful thing! We could all shop for swimsuits together too, so we're all prepared for it!"

"I…know a nice place for that…" Keroli shyly mutters.

"Hey, I thought we all had to agree on this!" I protest.

Camui chirps out to the horror and amusement of the boys "Fear not, a gentleman like myself would never judge you for your chest size Rimuru!"

The room falls silent as everyone turns and looks at Camui like he's insane for saying something like that to me. He seems to be under the impression I'm against it since I'm body-conscious and don't wanna be seen in a swimsuit.

"That's not my reason either!" I shoot back at him angrily.

Why am I so against this idea, you ask? Well, it's not something I like to talk about.

It's embarrassing, for someone at my level to still feel like this, knowing full well it's completely irrational, but…

It's the salt water. Yeah, I know. Stupid, right?

But…I just don't like to touch it. I wouldn't exactly call it fear of the stuff, but it's something close to that. I think it's some sort of instinctual thing left over from my days spent as a normal slime, because to a normal slime, yes, salt water would be a real threat. It'd dry one out in short order because of basic osmosis, meaning submerging a slime in a pool of salt water would be a death sentence for it within minutes, if not seconds.

I've actually swam in the ocean a few times, but to keep myself 'safe', I've used various methods to stop the water from actually coming in direct contact with my body. Barriers, water manipulation; that kind of thing. I prefer barriers, but if I need speed I'll go with water manipulation and gravity control.

I know I'm being kinda dramatic since there's no way something as benign as the saltwater could hurt a True Dragon/Ultimate Slime like myself, but that doesn't stop me from having this nonsensical fear-like feeling about it.

Now everyone is staring at me expectantly, waiting for my reason.

Honestly, I can put up with it. Hell, I can even just avoid the swimming part if I want to. Since everyone else seems to want it as their prize, I suppose I can go along with it for their sake.

"Fine, I'll agree to a beach trip." I reluctantly agree.

"What, so you're just not gonna tell us why you didn't wanna go to the beach?" Jazz asks, probing further.

"Yup."

Blank stares come from all around.

"What? I don't need to explain myself!"

"You're always so secretive…" Ameri complains quietly.

She's been pretty quiet throughout this whole thing, but she's still a part of all this.

"Oh man, I've never been to a beach before! Going swimming, building sand castles… and a bunch of other cool stuff we can do! It'll be so much fun!" Iruma happily says, getting visibly excited about the idea.

"Then it's settled!" Sullivan declares now that I, the only hold-out, have given in to these kids' wishes.

"What infernal thing are you all planning now?!" A loud, deep voice comes from the doorway.

It's Kalego, in all his pissed-off glory, bursting into the room to ruin our meal.

"Oh, Kalego, don't be such a downer!" Sullivan whines.

But Kalego is determined to be a 'downer', as Sullivan put it since the man immediately starts yelling at all of us. About what? I assume yesterday's events, but I didn't listen and just continued eating.

At some point, Iruma stepped out, wanting some alone time, I suppose. I didn't stop him; he's been through a lot in the last day or so.

Then another headache appears; Henri probably wants that interview he was trying to get yesterday.

"Ahem. I would like to speak with you all, but first, I must know the whereabouts of all who were on the scene during the disaster. That includes students and their chaperones." he sternly explains to the table, causing many of the kids to murmur to each other about it.

"Now that I think about it, Rimuru's creepy butler has been nowhere to be seen all morning." Lead casually points out.

"I think that man said he was gonna 'deal with' the reporters outside, calling them a buncha annoying insects."

"He's where doing WHAT?!" I frantically ask.

I mean, sending Diablo to 'deal with' anyone is a terrible idea without specific orders!

"Don't get all worked up, Rimuru! He's just talking with them, look."

I look over at the tv playing in the corner of the room and see exactly that.

"...yes, my beloved Master truly stole the show, going to great lengths to keep every demon safe from danger. Such a generous move, saving those insignificant weaklings from their demise…"

Diablo is giving a long-winded recount of yesterday's events, specifically focusing on my actions, of course.

"Dammit…" I grumble before standing up and heading toward the exit. I can't let this go on any longer; it'll just cause me more trouble if I don't put a stop to it.

The reporters are a problem, but Diablo is a bigger one.

With this comes a brilliant idea; the perfect way to take out two birds with one stone. Why not have Diablo do something different, taking care of another problem I haven't dealt with yet?

Iruma POV

After I finish eating breakfast, everyone ends up just hanging out a bit, talking a little more about our plans for the summer.

Mr. Azazel has been interviewing my classmates throughout the morning, but he hasn't talked to me or Rimuru yet.

But, after a couple of hours of this, I decided to step outside and get a little fresh air. As I get closer to the door, though, I start to hear a buzz of activity.

What's going on out there?

Now I'm curious.

Cautiously, I open the door and peek my head out.

A crowd. A massive mess of people all crowded outside, being held back by hotel staff. Multiple cameras and microphones pointed directly at me.

"It's him! It's that Iruma kid! The hero of Walter Park!"

"Can you give me an interview?!"

"I want a picture with you! Just one!"

Oh crap, oh crap!

I immediately slam the door shut.

My worst fears about that newscast from yesterday have come true! A ton of people have come to interview me and my classmates!

Even worse, I take a quick look out of a nearby window, pulling the curtain to the side, and guess what I find? Even more people!

"They have this whole place surrounded!" I shout out loud, full-blown panicking now.

"I'm surprised it took you this long to notice, actually." Rimuru casually says as she walks up to me.

"Why're you so calm?!"

"I expected this. It's annoying, but not something new for me. Hell, I've seen and dealt with a lot worse than this." states Rimuru monotonously.

"Master Iruma?! Are you alright?" Azz asks as he runs up to my shaking self, closely followed by Clara.

"Cheer up, Iruma-chi!" Clara says, patting me on the shoulder.

"I-I'm okay…"

"He's just freaked out by all the reporters outside," Rimuru explains to them.

"Yes, it is inevitable that Master Iruma would gain a lot of fame after that interview with Lord Sullivan. The same goes for you, of course, Rimuru, especially after what your butler said." Azz states.

"Urgh, don't remind me, I really don't wanna think about that right now," Rimuru complains.

"I believe some of them are likely waiting at our residences as well," Azz says with a worried expression.

"Oh yeah, definitely." agrees Rimuru, nodding at what Azz said.

"What're we gonna do?! We can't even go home!" I exclaim, worried that we might be stuck here.

"Oh, I know, I know! We should all go over to my place!" Clara cheerfully suggests.

"The Valac family lives in the Hubbub Forest, right? I've heard it's a place that slowly drives one insane by defying all logic and sensibility… Which certainly explains a lot about you." Azz says in response.

"Azz-Azz, stop being such an Azz-Azz! It's a forest full of fun and wonderful things, and lots of friends you can sing and dance with!" Clara quips back.

"You shouldn't be so casual around wild animals, Valac! How many times have I saved you from being devoured now? It's astonishing that you even survived long enough to attend Babyls in the first place, with how little regard you have for the danger posed by the wilderness!" Azz argues.

"Iruma-chi! Riri! You wanna see it, don't you? It's super-duper nice and friendly, nothing like what Azz-Azz thinks!" Clara corrects.

"Don't listen to her, Master Iruma! Even if it's 'nice and friendly', if we go there, this won't be so much a vacation from school as it'll be a vacation from our sense of reality!"

"I think it'll be fine, Azz. I'm kinda curious about Clara's home, actually, so seeing it would be nice."

I really do wanna see Clara's house and the forest she lives in. It always sounds so cool and fun when she talks about it, and with a crowd of reporters likely hanging out at my home, we might as well go there instead.

"Maybe after I deal with Ameri's dad…he still wants to 'interrogate' me, or whatever…" Rimuru dejectedly mutters. "Speaking of that, I gotta go 'prepare'..."

"Prepare?"

"Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about, Iruma. Just spend some time with your buddies and enjoy yourself."

Then, Rimuru walks off, leaving me with Azz and Clara.

Rimuru POV

I guess underage drinking isn't a problem in the Netherworld…

And here I was worried I'd be stopped because of my young-looking appearance, as usual when it comes to places that don't know who I am.

I want to have one stiff drink to calm my nerves before dealing with Henri, and it doesn't seem like I'll have any problem getting one. There's actually a bar located on the ground floor of this hotel, and I just walked in and ordered something without anyone even posing the question of why I'm here.

Well, the bartender did look a little hesitant but didn't argue with me about it. Maybe he recognized me and based on my rank or social status, he let me get away with it? Ameri did talk about there being perks to being in the family of one of the Thirteen Crowns or in my case the Three Greats, which got me free food when I was at that cafe with her. Either way, I'm happy to get what I want without needing to put any effort into persuading this person to give me what I want.

The bartender hands me the glass, filled with a strange-colored liquid, looking nothing like I've seen before when it comes to this kind of stuff.

I just ordered something random off the menu, convinced it'd be alcoholic. I don't know anything about Netherworld drinks so this will have to do.

I raise the glass up to my face, about to take a sip when a hand comes out of nowhere and removes it from my grasp. Someone who completely avoided my detection up until now, hiding their presence perfectly.

I turn around, startled and confused, and find the only person that could pull this off so flawlessly. It's Ciel, wearing a stern, disapproving look on her face.

"You know you are not allowed to drink something like this, Rimuru," Ciel says in a motherly tone while ruffling my hair a bit.

Whether as my manas or acting as my fake mother, Ciel is against me drinking. No matter how much I argue that it's not poison, I fail to convince her and she keeps her negative attitude about it.

"It's just one drink, can't you let me have it?"

Ciel's eyes just narrow and she hands the glass back to the bartender, grabs my hand, and pulls me out of the bar by it.

After we are alone, she sighs and drops the 'mom act'.

"I understand your feelings, Master, but breaking the laws of this land is not an advisable action to take considering your current approach to residing here." Ciel quietly explains.

"I know…"

I suppose I'll have to deal with Henri while sober…hopefully my plan will make it a bit briefer for me.

So, with that little idea for stress relief completely thwarted, I head back to where everyone else is hanging out.

Henri POV

"I finally escaped that man…"

When he introduced himself as Rimuru Tempest's butler, and as a direct witness of what happened yesterday, offering to give me his perspective, I was glad to interview him. But that Diablo…he just kept going on and on about Rimuru, not even giving me a moment to ask any questions!

My head is still spinning from everything he said using flowery, excessive language and verbose descriptions of Rimuru and her actions, praising and complimenting her to no end, and talking my ear off for an excessive amount of time.

"At least I gathered some information from what he rambled on about…"

Now, I have one last person to talk with; Rimuru, of course. I talked with Iruma alongside some of his friends, but he was pretty vague with his descriptions of things, looking very nervous to be asked about anything to do with the incident. It was helpful, but I still need to get Rimuru's perspective nonetheless.

Ah, it looks like she's back.I observe as I reenter the room where most of the students are spending time together.

The last time I was here, Rimuru was nowhere to be seen, but now she's sitting next to a woman who bears a great deal of resemblance to her, but with darker blue hair and similarly-colored eyes.

She is very pretty, much like her daughter, but has a colder air about her, more calculative and imposing. I feel like I'm being seen through to my core like not one part of me isn't able to be observed by her. It's an unsettling feeling that immediately puts me on edge, but I can deal with it thanks to years of experience.

Rimuru can be pretty unsettling herself, but she tends to have a fairly light demeanor most of the time, especially based on what my daughter has told me about her after spending a good deal of time observing and reporting.

I approach calmly, mentally preparing myself for the runaround this girl is sure to give me. Before I can say anything, though, the unfamiliar woman stands up instead of Rimuru.

"I do not believe we have met. I am Henri Azazel, may I ask who you are?" I politely introduce myself and ask her for her name.

"Amane Tempest." she simply states, giving a small, polite bow of greeting.

The shared family name confirms my suspicions that she is related to Rimuru in most likelihood.

"I'm guessing you're here to question me, right, Mr. Azazel?" Rimuru asks, also standing up and taking her place at the side of Amane.

This shows their height difference more clearly with Amane being the taller of the two.

"You guessed correctly," I curtly reply.

"I will be accompanying Rimuru for that." Amane suddenly says, surprising Rimuru.

"Hey, wait, I don't need you to-" Rimuru protests, but is silenced by Amane.

"Your mother has every right to come along, don't argue with me about this," Amane argues, stopping Rimuru in her tracks with a hand laid on her shoulder.

So they are mother and daughter…which means that she's the adopted mother of that human boy…why have I not heard of this person before?

After quieting her daughter, Amane turns her dark eyes toward me again.

"I assume this poses no problem for you?" Amane asks in a tone that implies she expects me to be alright with this.

A minor having a parent or guardian come along for a session of questioning is not something that is a problem, I suppose, but this Amane woman seems quite demanding and firm. She may be an issue if I try to press too hard when asking Rimuru about everything that happened, but that is just speculation on my part.

Still…I find it odd that a Demon Lord would have a mother around…

It wasn't something I expected, the situation of Rimuru pretending to be Lord Sullivan's granddaughter being an entirely different thing than that. With how close these two's faces are to each other in appearance, I find it hard to deny them being truly related.

The two follow me to a separate room and we three sit down to have our talk.

"So, for starters, could you tell me what you did to those prisoners? They were quite shaken when we found them." I inquire.

I ask the most pointed question to start, wanting to satisfy my curiosity on that specific subject the most. Rimuru will eventually refuse to talk anymore, I'm sure of that, so I might as well get this out of the way first.

With a sigh, Rimuru replies, "Didn't I tell you I taught them a lesson? I'm pretty sure I did, even if it was one of my clones…"

"Yes, but I am asking for specifics."

"It's not something that's easily explained so can we just move on to the next question? Even if I told you, it's not like you'd be able to use it yourself…"

"Could you at least attempt to explain?"

"We are done with this question." Amane sternly says, putting an end to that point.

"If you insist. What about that scythe, then? Ameri was very confused by it talking to her while she wielded it."

"Talk? That thing doesn't talk."

"..."

But Ameri specifically told me it spoke to her in a strange voice…she wouldn't lie to me, so why…?

"I bet Ameri was just tired, so don't worry about it, Mr. Azazel," Rimuru says with a casual grin.

I suppose I should just drop it.

I pause for a moment, mentally reshuffling what I want to talk about. Starting from the beginning might be a good way to begin after losing my way in the questioning like I just did.

"I know about what happened inside Ouroboros Prison; my daughter Ameri told me all about the events, although it seems like many of your classmates are unaware of what transpired. Could you give me your perspective on the matter?"

"If Ameri told you about it, why do I need to? She knows pretty much everything about that."

"Not when it comes to that locked room. Only Iruma, that Kiriwo kid, and you are witnesses to that, and it seems rather significant based on what Ameri does know."

"Fine, I got mad and almost killed the guy, are ya happy? I don't see why it matters in the end what I almost did."

"What I am worried about is that you let a criminal walk free! Why didn't you apprehend them like last time?"

"That's your job, not mine, Mr. Azazel. I'm just a teen, remember?"

"And a Demon Lord!"

Or so you claim to be.

"Fufufufufu…" Amane starts to giggle to herself, amused by what was just said.

"What are you laughing about?" I ask, confused by her reaction.

"Yes, Rimuru is my cute little Demon Lord, but she actually called herself that to you?" Amane asks, still smiling.

"What are you saying? I am a Demon Lord!" Rimuru protests, looking confused and a little embarrassed by what Amane is saying.

"Of course you are sweetie!" Amane teases in a sweet tone much nicer than the one she was using with me.

"Hey, why are you-" a flustered Rimuru starts to say, but stops herself mid-sentence once Amane plants a little kiss on the side of Rimuru's head, causing the girl to blush.

"My Rimuru has been calling herself that ever since she came home after running away. I allow it since I find it cute, but please don't take it so seriously." Amane says while pulling a still-confused-looking but silent Rimuru closer to her, patting her on the head with a hand.

Running away…Ameri mentioned that at some point, but I didn't take it entirely seriously since it was secondhand knowledge spread around by students.

"Yes, I have heard some about that from Ameri, but it was nothing but rumors. Would you care to elaborate for me?" I say, eager to get a firsthand account of the events I only have pieces of.

Amane recounts a long story to me, one that describes Rimuru's childhood as quite horrific and also explains how that human Iruma came into her family.

It seems there is a lot of animosity between Amane and her former husband, based on the crude terminology (a good-for-nothing piece of shit) she used to refer to him. She refused to even give me that man's true name, saying that what she called him was a much more appropriate one.

Now I am not sure what to believe…but I was already suspecting that the Demon Lord thing was a hoax, and this story seems much more detailed and credible. My suspicions are not completely gone, but I have less reason to be wary of Rimuru if this story is the truth.

What a history though…no wonder Rimuru has trouble respecting authority and shows no fear in the face of stronger demons.

How did Rimuru learn of what a Demon Lord is anyway? Even being aware of how one is created…I suppose it could be explained by her history and the wealth of knowledge that is at her fingertips at this point, living under the roof of one of the Three Greats.

"If I may ask, how did Rimuru find out about Demon Lords and how they are created? Not even my own daughter is aware-"

"Oh yes, the subject of your daughter. She is quite cute with my Iruma, isn't she?" Amane interjects, much to my annoyance.

"Wh-what?!"

"They make for an adorable couple. If you ever wish to make arrangements for them both, I am open to assisting with that." Amane says with a smile.

"What do you mean by…arrangements?" cautiously, I ask her.

"Don't be so coy, Mr. Azazel. I am sure you know exactly what I mean." Amane continues, her smile only widening.

Dating…marriage…babies…!...I AM NOT READY TO BE A GRANDFATHER!

…

Deep breaths…deep breaths…

"I…do not think those two are ready for that…" I say, managing to keep my voice calm.

"I would think a date would be the first step to take, so why are you so reluctant?" Amane questions, making it clear that I jumped to conclusions.

She didn't mean marriage at all…

"Iruma actually asked her on a date last night." Rimuru points out simply.

WHAT?!

"A-and did my Ameri a-accept?!" I ask, not able to keep my voice from shaking.

"Yup!" Rimuru cheerfully answers, bathing in my reaction.

*CRACK*

My glasses shatter from my shock, but I quickly fix them with magic a mere second later.

"I have gathered enough information, you may go. Thank you for what you have told me." I quietly say, exhausted by the interaction.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Azazel," Amane says before leading Rimuru out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I think I am getting another headache…

Rimuru POV

After Ciel recounted that made-up backstory for me to Henri, as well as a little explanation about yesterday, we two leave Henri alone. He looks overloaded by the amount of info we gave him to chew on, so that should keep him off my back for a while.

"You really threw me when you denied the whole Demon Lord thing, Ciel. Why didn't you work that out with me ahead of time?" I ask when we're alone again, where nobody else should be able to hear us.

"I believed that a more natural reaction from you would lend credibility to my statement." Ciel clarifies.

In the moment, I asked why she was backtracking on the reveal (through my thoughts, of course) and Ciel's reasoning seemed pretty sound. Henri is already suspecting I lied to him about being a Demon Lord, so it's not really doing its job of keeping him from messing with me. So, to get him off my case, Ciel decided to play it off as me being a traumatized teen with some sort of delusion.

I don't like it looking like I have a screw loose, but in the end, she's probably right, as usual.

"That was a lot of cuddling, though, not that I minded, but you sure enjoyed yourself, maybe a little too much, am I right?" I comment, remembering the kiss and hugging she did, playing the loving mother role.

"It is just your imagination," Ciel says using her signature line, causing me to chuckle.

"It's weird hearing that line out loud, for once," I comment.