(AN: Sorry for this chapter being a day late. I was celebrating my birthday (a bit early) and it kinda got in the way of finishing the chapter on time.)
Into the Hubbub Forest
Iruma POV
"You were assigned chaperones for a reason! I know I was not there, but my point still stands! From what I've been told, you have acted incredibly recklessly throughout this entire incident, putting yourself in grave danger many times to try to save others. But, you need to learn that you cannot do everything!"
Professor Kalego is lecturing me after finding out about how I jumped in front of that attack from the composite magical beast, saving Ronove in the process.
"Summoning me at the start of all this would have been the best option. The situation was chaotic and nobody there was capable of fully handling it. Having me, a Chet, on the premises would have been beneficial no matter the circumstances." he continues brutally driving his point into me.
I'll be honest; I never even considered summoning him back when this all happened. Professor Kalego never seems happy when I do that, and with Rimuru at my side, I felt like things would be fine.
"But I didn't want to put anybody else in danger…Rimuru said she had things under control…" I explain sheepishly, trying to justify my actions, at least a little.
"Your sister may be a Vau, but that does not mean that she is invincible! I have learned that during all this, she had split herself into seven bodies, somehow! There is no way that ability doesn't weaken her in some sense, even if she hasn't shared that limitation with you!" Professor Kalego shouts, sounding even angrier now that I've tried to make excuses.
Did that actually weaken Rimuru? It's hard for me to know. But, Rimuru has said to actually hurt her, the 'laws of reality' would have to be bent or something like that. Still, it makes me think about where her limit might be. Maybe I should ask her later to elaborate?
The professor holds his head, clearly annoyed by me, and all I can really do is sit here and take his complaints.
But what he just said gave me something to think about. Rimuru is very strong in multiple ways, but she also has her weaknesses, I have learned. I can't just trust that I can rely on her for everything, partly because of that and also my desire to be more independent.
"And if you were so worried about putting others in danger, then you should have fled with those close to you instead of confronting the danger in the way you did. It makes no sense to be against summoning me, but still be willing to keep your companions in the line of fire," he grumbles, calming down somewhat.
Professor Kalego leans back in his seat, closing his eyes and gathering his thoughts for a moment before continuing.
"Things may have turned out alright this time, but your luck will eventually run out, do you understand? To think I have to supervise fools that throw themselves at dangers that they know they can't handle…it's a miracle all of you misfits survived this ordeal…"
He's saying all this and he doesn't even know about what happened right before…I think I wanna keep that to myself, or the professor's head might explode with anger. Rimuru probably wants to keep it a secret too, based on how secretive she tends to be.
"I understand, professor. I managed to make it out of this without getting badly hurt, but I might not next time."
He nods, appearing satisfied with my honest response. I really do get what he's saying; I was reckless back there…multiple times.
"I also need to have a word with Rimuru; she has also acted foolishly. I understand her background, but taking on as much responsibility as she did in this was not advisable…" Professor Kalego grumbles under his breath, not really focusing on me at this point.
Suddenly, the door is violently thrown open.
"Alright Iruma, let's go. Clara and Azz are waiting."
Rimuru just entered the room, and completely ignoring the professor, starts talking to me about leaving this place. A lot of my classmates have already snuck out the back door to escape the press, but my two friends have waited for Professor Kalego to finish speaking with me first. We're all going to Clara's place for a bit since Grandpa's mansion is surely surrounded by reporters, the same as this hotel.
"Not so fast, Rimuru Tempest, I must have a word with you first!" Professor Kalego shouts.
"Nah, I'm not in the mood. We're on break from school too, so I have no reason to take that from you right now." Rimuru immediately casually brushes him off, clearly not wanting to talk with him.
She then walks over to me, takes me by the arm, and starts leading me toward the door.
"Don't you dare walk away from me when I am speaking to you!" the professor complains.
But Rimuru doesn't even bother answering before we both exit the room, leaving our professor behind in the room.
"Oh Iruma, are you leaving now?" Ameri asks after we ran into her in the hallway on our way to meet with Azz and Clara.
"Yeah, I'm going to Clara's house for a bit," I explain.
"Clara's…house?" Ameri asks, a hint of sadness leaking out in her tone.
"We're going to Clara's house, and so is Azz. Our places are being mobbed by the press right now and Clara lives somewhere remote, so we're staying there until things calm down a bit."
"Oh, I think I understand. About what you said last night…?" Ameri asks me expectantly.
"I'll think of something fun we can do after I'm home again, okay, Ameri? I haven't forgotten." I promise Ameri.
A smile forms on her lips, clearly happy to hear that from me.
I pretend not to notice the smug, knowing grin that Rimuru is giving me right now, she's been acting like me and Ameri are a couple for a long time now and it's pretty clear she's getting a kick out of this. But it's not like a date or anything, right? Ameri is a friend of mine too, but I don't get to spend much time with her, so a day out together sounds great!
"One more thing I should mention…my father is taking care of that publicity problem for you, but it may take a few days for the proposition to go through. He mentioned submitting a request for a restraining order on the press." Ameri adds.
"Really? He didn't say anything about that when we were talking earlier." Rimuru replies, sounding both surprised and a little pleased.
"Knowing you, Rimuru, my father probably didn't get the chance to say so before you pushed him to his limit." Ameri points out.
"Touché," Rimuru says, paired with a shrug.
We keep walking, leaving Ameri behind. Once we're alone, Rimuru stops and turns to me.
"Hey, what exactly was Kalego going on about to you?" Rimuru asks.
"He was tearing into me for putting myself in danger…" I explain, remembering the long lecture he gave me.
"Well, he does have a point. And that was without him knowing about what happened in the prison, right?" Rimuru asks, sounding a bit worried that info about that possibly got out.
"Yeah, of course. I kept that part to myself since I thought you wanted to keep it a secret." I genuinely answer, making it clear I didn't go revealing that to our professor. I know how they don't get along so I don't want to tell him anything about Rimuru that she doesn't want him to know.
"Well, Henri knows because Ameri told him, but yeah, Kalego doesn't need to know the details about that. He went on and on, interrogating me earlier alongside Ciel, which is partly why I was against getting an earful from Kalego too." Rimuru clarifies, making it crystal clear that keeping my mouth shut about the subject was the right choice.
"He seemed pretty upset when I told him that you said you could handle stuff during the disaster…I think he thought you were taking on too much responsibility, just like with me." I explain.
"He can think what he wants about me, I guess, but with you, he does have a point. Like, that stuff at the end; if it wasn't for Ciel telling me things would've turned out fine, there's no way I would've let you do what you did!" Rimuru scolds me, but in a gentler way than Professor Kalego did.
"I was convinced Ali could handle it and I couldn't just stand there and let Ronove die," I explain.
Rimuru pauses and lets out a tired-sounding sigh.
"Look. I know that things turned out fine and that I was a safety net for you back there. But…coming from someone who has thrown themself into danger for the sake of a close friend…don't make a habit of it. I usually think things through first and am cautious when it comes to threats, but I also know how when your emotions are running high, all that can go out the window." Rimuru says, her tone darker and more serious, but this quickly fades to a warm smile.
"Literally throwing yourself in the face of danger, twice in one day…you're something else, let me tell you! Put a little more thought into your actions next time, alright?" Rimuru says in a lighter tone.
"That time you just talked about…what kind of danger were you in? You're so strong that I find it hard to imagine something being that dangerous to you."
"Heh. This is not the time and place, okay? I've said too much already and I don't want someone overhearing. Maybe once we go to Tempest." Rimuru suggests in a whisper.
"Oh, then can I ask why you were so against the beach thing this morning?" I probe, wondering what all that was about.
Rimuru seemed surprisingly against the whole idea, and it wasn't even to do with wearing a swimsuit, although I think that also might be part of the problem. Whatever her main reason was though is something entirely different.
"Asking all the hard questions today, aren't you?" Rimuru asks wearily, not too happy to be talking about this again.
"I'm just a little curious…" I mutter.
After a pause of reluctance, Rimuru finally answers my question.
"I'm not a fan of salt water…for reasons. That's all."
I think for a moment, not exactly sure what she means by that, but then I remember something that happened to me before I came to the Netherworld and it all makes sense.
"Ooooooh…is it because it tastes bad when it gets in your mouth? I got splashed in the face with ocean water when I was working on a fishing boat and it was nasty!"
"Sure. Let's go with that." Rimuru flatly agrees.
We exit using the back door and find Azz, Clara, Ciel, Grandpa, Opera, and Diablo all waiting for us. Rimuru, me, Azz, Clara, and Ciel are going to Clara's house while Diablo, Grandpa, and Opera are heading back to the mansion, not too concerned about all the reporters. Rimuru and I would be their main targets anyway, so I guess the others going back there won't be too much of a problem. I wouldn't be surprised if Grandpa and Diablo actually want to talk to the interviewers more since they seemed so happy to do that earlier. I just hope that they don't make things even worse…I'm already so worried about the possible fame I'm getting.
So, after some hugs from Grandpa and a sad-looking Diablo who's disappointed he can't come with Rimuru to Clara's place, we hop in a carriage and head off.
Rimuru POV
Surprisingly, Ciel decided to come with us to Clara's house. I know she'd be with me no matter what, but staying with us in the flesh seems like a bit much. She's not a fan of Clara or her family, so this can't be something fun for her.
She used the excuse of being the adult supervising us just in case we get assaulted by reporters on our way, but I know that can't be Ciel's real reason, so I might as well ask the woman herself.
Hey, Ciel, is there any reason you insisted on coming with us physically?
[[I cannot allow Master to go to such a place alone. I also would like to investigate the source of this unanalyzable anomaly you call Clara Valac.]]
Ciel's cold voice plays out in my head, clear disdain and disgust for Clara in her tone. She's already been eyeing the girl suspiciously throughout the trip, bothered by just being in an enclosed space with her.
Still, I think she could do this without actually coming along like this, instead observing from inside my soul and sending this body back with the others. Maybe it has to do with her being snuggled close to me in this carriage? Ciel does enjoy that with me, so that's probably why.
The entire time we've been in here, Clara has been babbling about this and that creature or place in the Hubbub Forest, where her house is. We haven't quite got to the place yet, I think, since the space outside the carriage isn't forest-like, but I'm curious what it will actually look like once we get there.
Iruma is clearly excited, he's got his face smooshed against the window, taking in all the sights of this strange world. Of course, I wouldn't do something so silly and childish…only because I can see outside without a window just fine with Universal Sense.
"Hey, there's a treeline coming up, is that the Hubbub Forest?" I ask.
"Yeah! You'll love it, it's super fun and has things like-" she eagerly replies, but I cut her off before she gets carried away.
"Right, right, you've been telling us what's there for this whole carriage ride."
Ciel doesn't look enthused at all; in fact, I'd call her expression closer to despair.
Once we get close to the edge of the forest, the carriage comes to a sudden stop. Sullivan's horses, guiding themselves without a person directing them, stop moving forward for some reason.
"Why have we stopped?" Azz asks, confused and annoyed.
"Nobody can navigate the forest unless they're part of my family! The horses must know that!" Clara explains as she hops up from her seat.
"So does that mean we need to walk from now on?" Iruma asks.
Clara nods.
I was enjoying the ride, but if it's necessary, I guess I can walk.
We all exit the carriage and stare at the forest ahead. Strange sounds from unknown creatures fill my ears and I spot movement from some of the creatures from my vantage point. I try to use my Universal Sense to get a better look, but it seems to not be working with this place. Only my human form's senses are working as soon as I try peering into this forest, which is concerning, to say the least.
Ciel looks even more disturbed, her expression sharp and alert as she also seems to be trying to look into the crowded mess of trees whose leaves are many different exotic colors and shapes.
"What a horrendous space…it completely evades my analysis, the same as that fiend…" Ciel mutters quietly while still focusing on the forest.
I'll admit, I'm getting a sinking feeling just looking at it. Forests are normally places I feel pretty comfortable in since my country is located in the middle of one. Nature is beautiful and I can't help but appreciate it, but seeing this particular one that suppresses my senses with an unknown force…it's anything but inviting to me.
"So only your family knows the way in there?" I ask Clara cautiously.
"Yup! Anybody else gets lost forever once inside!" she cheerfully replies, not at all worried by what she just said.
"Lost…forever?" Iruma asks with a scared expression.
"Don't worry, Iruma-chi! You've got me to show you the way!" Clara reassures the boy with a smile and a pat on the back.
"That's concerning. I hope you know what you're doing, Valac." Azz says, sounding skeptical.
"Of course I do!" Clara assures him.
I guess I'll just have to trust her…
If worst comes to worst, there is a multitude of ways I can get out of this place, I'm sure. I have a large arsenal of skills to pick from, and with Ciel's help, I'm sure she can cook up a solution if Clara fails to guide us properly.
As soon as I take a step toward the narrow path into the forest, following the others that have already started walking there, Ciel tightly grabs me by the hand, stopping me from pressing forward.
I look back at her, confused, but she has a clearly nervous look in her eyes despite the rest of her face bearing a neutral expression. It's a subtle hint that she's truly afraid of this place.
I give her a slight tug with the hand she's grabbed, combined with a reassuring smile.
"It's okay. Even if you can't analyze this place, it doesn't mean it's that dangerous." I quietly try to comfort my partner.
I'm a little worried too, and I'm sure Ciel can tell that, but I know that this place isn't a threat to me, really. There's no way there's anything in this forest that outclasses a True Dragon, it's just that we can't tell what exactly is inside. Based on what I've seen of the Netherworld, even with that limitation, there's nothing that I need to be that worried about.
"I am aware of that fact, but that does not fully assuage my worries…" Ciel answers, resisting the tugging.
But, a few more seconds of my best smile is enough to put a stop to that resistance, and Ciel and I start following the others. She kept ahold of my hand, though, but I didn't mind.
"Sorry for the hold-up." I apologize to the others since they ended up waiting for us two.
"Is Mom okay?" Iruma asks, looking concerned as he sees the look on Ciel's face and the fact she's tightly holding my hand.
"I am mildly carriage-sick, do not worry," Ciel explains, telling a bald-faced lie.
I think Iruma can tell that's not the reason, but the boy has enough sense not to press further.
"Are you scared of the forest, Riri?" Clara asks with a tilt of her head.
"No, why do you think that?" I reply flatly. I know I'm a little on edge about this place, but saying I'm scared of it is a bit of a stretch.
"You're holding your mommy's hand!" Clara points out, gesturing to my hand clasped in Ciel's.
"My Rimuru is not scared, I just don't want my children to get lost in this dangerous place. Iruma, come here." Ciel responds and calls Iruma over, holding out her other hand for him to take.
Iruma happily takes it, probably enjoying this parental treatment. He always seems to like it when Sullivan or Ciel dote on him, most likely because he never got that kind of thing from his human parents.
We keep walking, Iruma and I still holding Ciel's hands for her sake.
Every noise seems to grab her attention, her eyes darting back and forth and her head turning suddenly every single time. A crack of a branch, a rustling of leaves, an odd unidentifiable sound from some unknown animal in the distance; it's all bugging Ciel.
She isn't at all used to having limited senses, and neither am I to a certain extent, but at least I have my memories of my human years to lean back on, unlike her. I mean, she has access to those, but that's different from experiencing them as I did.
Anyway, the point is, Ciel is legitimately scared by this forest and the mysterious creatures that may lurk within, just out of sight, and the not knowing is getting to her. Most of that is probably fear for my sake specifically, knowing her priorities, but it's fear nonetheless.
"This place is very strange…are those butterflies?" Azz asks, looking up at some strange, multicolored butterfly-shaped creatures.
He has seemed just as bothered by this place as Ciel, finding the nonsensical creatures and plants irritating and confusing. But, I think he's not quite as scared as she is.
Other weird things are scurrying around too, like a person-sized frilled-lizard-looking monstrosity that runs around on two legs making ungodly sounds.
Clara just giggles as she skips along the path, not bothered by any of the craziness going on around us. Normally, this kind of thing wouldn't bother me, but since my senses are limited, I'm filled with a sense of unease.
Outside of Clara, the only person that doesn't seem bothered much is actually Iruma, who is looking around with childlike wonder and excitement, happy to see something this unique. I get that; I'm curious too, but I'm also being cautious. I guess he feels safe enough with Clara guiding the way.
"This is such a lovely forest, right?!" Clara asks excitedly, doing a little twirl with her arms up in the air.
"Oh yeah, it's a perfect match for you, Clara!" Iruma replies with a smile.
I'm honestly not sure if that's a compliment to her or not, but I'm sure Iruma intended it as one.
"I can agree with you on that, Master Iruma…" Azz mutters, sounding more disgusted than complimentary like Iruma was.
I can agree too, thinking that this forest really does match Clara well, whether that's a good thing or not. Either way, it's just how things are and it makes total sense since I assume she has spent most of her life here.
Ciel this entire time has been in observation mode, collecting data on our surroundings as much as she can, given the situation. I can tell since she's been mostly silent while we walk along.
After a decent amount of time spent walking along the wavy, irregular, and labyrinthine path, we finally arrive at our destination. It's a house (I think), round like an igloo and with a pair of ramshorns matching the Valac family's, and windows that look kinda like eyes and a large nose. The door represents the mouth on the apparent face made by the structure.
Clara runs up to the door and stops, waiting for us to follow with her hands held behind her back bouncing enthusiastically on her feet.
"Wow! It's such a fun shape!" Iruma exclaims, running up to Clara after having his hand released.
"I would be more apt to call it strange rather than 'fun', but I do agree with you, Master Iruma." Azz hesitantly agrees.
Once we're all near the door, it bursts open, revealing the entire Valac family, all excited to see us.
" "Welcome Home!" " they all cheer, pouring out of the door like a flood of chaos.
They start chanting those words over and over while circling us like a pack of wolves.
Is this some sort of strange ritual? It's kinda creeping me out…
"Six seconds in and they're already so loud…" Azz complains, annoyed by the display.
"What an unusual way to greet guests…" Iruma comments, looking at the group with a mix of confusion and nervousness.
"I guess 'unusual' is one way to word this…whatever you wanna call this," I add, annoyed and confused.
After a few more moments of freaking us all out with their weird way of greeting us, things quiet down.
"U-uh…h-hello ma'am! Thank you for having us!" Iruma shakily greets Clara's mom, giving her a small bow.
"Yes, thanks for letting us come over on such sho-" I start to say, but am cut off.
"Welcome, welcome! Come inside and make yourselves at home! You came through Hubbub Forest, right? I was so pleased when Clara said she was bringing over…oh, what did she call them? Friends? It's so exciting having guests for once! Would you like some candy? A bath? Or maybe you want to dance with us?"
Clara's mom gets up close and personal with Iruma, Azz, and me, excitedly going on and on and not even letting us properly introduce ourselves. But, the woman's interest is almost immediately diverted by someone else on the scene.
"Oh, and you must be Iruma's and Rimuru's mother, Amane! Clara told me you'd be accompanying them! It's so nice meeting another mom for once! As I said, we never get guests!"
"Yes, it is nice that they all get along so well, I agree," Ciel replies, keeping her voice calm and friendly.
Her expression is kept blank as she converses with the woman, not amused by her getting so close to her, but also maintaining politeness. I can tell she wants nothing more than to escape this situation, but at this point, there's not really a socially acceptable way of doing that.
Clara's mom just keeps going, though, and I stop listening, pitying Ciel but not seeing any feasible way to stop Clara's mom's onslaught now that she's targeted Ciel. So, looking over at the other Valacs, I see the two brothers not-so-quietly whispering to each other.
"Which one of those two is Big Sister's boyfriend?" one of Clara's little brothers asks the other, pointing at Azz and Iruma.
" "B-boyfriend?!" " both Iruma and Azz shout in shock.
"If it's the sparkly one, then well done, sis!" one suggests, referring to Azz.
"Yeah, but the one she's always going on about is Iru-" the other boy responds.
He's stopped by Clara slapping her hand over his mouth.
"Heh." I let out a small chuckle, finding this funny.
But when I wasn't looking, it seems that the toddler twin sisters of Clara have grabbed onto my legs. I still remember how one of these two little demons climbed all over me and chewed on my hair before, and I'd rather not become a teething toy again so I pick both up so I'm holding one child in each arm.
They then cling to me tightly, hugging their pudgy little faces to my chest.
Cute.
This definitely beats being climbed or chewed on.
"Hey Clara, it looks like these two like me." I lightly laugh about the two small children now stuck like glue to me.
And I mean it when I say they're stuck like glue since I even let go of the two kids and they're still hanging on tight showing no sign of letting go of me.
Clara's mom hears this and it grabs her attention, giving Ciel a well-deserved reprieve from her onslaught.
"How sweet!" the woman coos as she takes both children off my hands. "Why don't we all go inside? Make sure to take your shoes off first!"
We all step inside, revealing that the house is full of strange objects and toys, looking just as kooky as the outside, and literally seconds after we sit down and relax a little, Clara's brothers start tussling with each other.
This entire household is a bit crazy, which I already knew from when I briefly met them before, but still…
We chat for a few minutes, Azz getting clearly annoyed by the strange words they all seem to use to refer to simple everyday objects. Clara does have a habit of calling foods weird nicknames, but it seems to be a family thing and not just a quirk of hers. Ciel thinks it's annoying too, I can tell, and she's been mostly silent throughout all this, just sitting next to me with a blank expression.
Clara briefly leaves to make us all some tea and her mother jumps at the opportunity, using the girl's absence to pull out a book that I'm sure she'd be against us looking at. It's a baby book, so a book full of embarrassing childhood pictures of Clara, and Iruma seems very curious about what's inside.
"Is this Clara…?" Iruma asks in disbelief.
"Why do they all have the same face?" Azz asks, looking back and forth between the old pictures of Clara and her twin little sisters nearby.
I have to admit, the resemblance is crazy. They really do look almost identical, although their haircut is a bit different.
Then, I get this horrible feeling as if something embarrassing is about to happen.
"If we are showing off pictures of our children, I just so happen to have this with me," Ciel comments out of nowhere.
She's now holding a book I've never seen, but I can tell whatever is in it is trouble. I don't immediately recognize it, but then it occurs to me.
"Uh…what is that?" I ask, even though I have a sneaking suspicion.
But Ciel just answers by opening it, revealing a bunch of pictures of a mini-me doing humiliating, childish things.
Ciel took these while 'mothering' my mini-me a while back, compiling them into a book. It's a mix of real pictures and ones that are completely fake and also some that are just edited. All to put up a front of mine and Iruma's fake childhood.
I can't tell if Ciel is just trying to imitate the 'mom' tropes or is actually trying to one-up Clara's mom, but either way, I'm not very thrilled about this.
Iruma looks even more confused than I am as he stares at the simulated pictures of his fake childhood. I bet he has no clue how something like this came to be, and I don't blame him.
Azz is intensely staring at the book, no longer interested in Clara's book. Sparkles fill his eyes as he looks at photos of baby versions of Iruma and me.
"May I take a closer look?" he excitedly asks Ciel, sounding thrilled for the first time during this trip.
"Wait, wait, wait! Can we please not look at that thing?!" I desperately ask.
I know the pictures are somewhat fake and staged, but that doesn't mean I'm not feeling embarrassed by this!
Ciel just hands the book off to Azz, though, happy to let him look at the pictures. She likes him a lot more than Clara since he's usually respectful toward me, complimenting my actions in a similar way to some of my subordinates. He's definitely more focused on Iruma than me, but Ciel still appreciates the way Azz looks up to me.
So, it's not surprising for Ciel to let him see the book on request. If I really badly wanted this to stop, I'd need to be firmer with Ciel.
"I want everyone to see how cute you are, Rimuru." Ciel quietly comments, looking less unsettled than earlier. "...and Iruma too," she adds at the last second.
Clara then comes back with the tea, just to find Iruma pouring through her baby book and Azz admiring one full of pictures of me and Iruma.
"Don't look at thaaaaaaat!" she screams, blushing like crazy at Iruma seeing pictures of her baby self.
"Oh, sorry…" Iruma apologizes, lowering the book a little. "But you look so adorable in these!"
"R-really…?" she asks, blushing for a different reason this time.
"Master Iruma and Rimuru also look adorable in their pictures!" Azz adds, taking this opportunity to compliment us, just like usual.
"Pictures of Iruma-chi and Riri?" Clara asks, her eyes lighting up at the idea.
She runs up behind Azz and peeks over his shoulder at the book, getting an eyeful of the pictures in it.
I tolerate this for a few minutes, reminding myself that they are fake pictures, but I can't shake the unpleasant feeling of being exposed by that book being shown to them.
I mean, there's a lot of dumb stuff in there from what I was able to spot. I've about reached my limit of tolerance for this, so I take action.
"That's enough!" I snatch the book away from Azz.
He holds his hands out, stunned and disappointed for a few seconds before giving up and slumping his shoulders.
"...no more of mine too!" Clara says with a pout, taking her book from Iruma too now that her distraction is gone.
"Come now, Clara, don't be so stubborn! Why don't we let your classmates look a little while longer?" Clara's mom says, taking the book from her."Mooooooom! Noooooo!" Clara squeals.
"Mothers truly are the most powerful beings in their households…" Azz mutters, watching Clara struggle with her mother over the book.
[[I am about to do something impolite to you, but please play along, Master. This is for the sake of me playing the role of your mother.]]
Fine, I understand…
"How rude of you, Rimuru, Asmodeus simply wanted to look at that." Ciel says, plucking the book out of my hands effortlessly.
She hands the book back to the boy with a small smile on her lips.
"You must see the one of my little Rimuru after she made her first clone or that time Iruma cast his first spell! Think of it as thanks for taking such good care of my son!" Ciel continues.
"I would gladly serve both of them, but Rimuru was against the idea." Azz explains.
"Of course she was… Rimuru is a very independent child, which has led to trouble in the past, but that does not matter right now. We should enjoy these happy moments recorded in this book."
Ciel really starts to open up a little, ignoring the incomprehensibility of the Valacs and their forest and instead focusing entirely on this 'mom' role she's filling.
"My Rimuru has often preferred male clothes, but I do have pictures in here of her in a pretty princess dress~!" Ciel continues, now with a full audience of everyone in the room.
…maybe she's playing it a little too well.
I feel my face flush with embarrassment as I look at the picture of my mini-me wearing the frilliest, sparkliest little girl's dress I've ever seen. I'd suppressed the memory of wearing that, I guess, along with some of the other memories I gathered from that time, but now it's crystal clear in my mind and just thinking about it sends me into a flustered frenzy.
No matter how many times I'm shoved into outfits like this, I just can't help but get horribly embarrassed by them.
"Wooow…Riri looks so pretty!" Clara exclaims.
"Yes, she does look quite elegant in that." Azz adds.
Iruma gives me a concerned look, obviously aware of my discomfort but lacking the guts to say anything in my defense.
"...and this is one of Rimuru practicing her Bloodline Magic by playing with Iruma using two bodies at once. Even at a very young age, she was very talented at using it. Although she worries me sometimes…"
This goes on for a few minutes and I survive it by escaping reality and not paying much attention to what's happening with them. It's just a lot of made-up fluff, a lot of it made to coincide with the fake backstory we've told people, combined with some concern from Ciel about me overdoing it with my Bloodline Magic.
Azz seems to ponder for a moment, considering what Ciel has just said, they conclude by asking for confirmation of their suspicions "Because the bloodline magic is hard to keep under her own control? We saw Rimuru pass out during her evil cycle in class and she said it was to do with her bloodline magic, does she always need to be controlling it, and the burden of the evil cycle increases the strain?"
"That is correct. It is a very difficult ability to manage, and the excess mana instability caused by an evil cycle makes the problem worse."
"Then I have to say it was astonishing to see Rimuru producing as many clones as she did while we were at Walter Park. That couldn't have been easy." Azz comments, sounding almost prideful about my actions.
"It was only possible because Rimuru took a shortcut," Ciel states curtly.
"A…shortcut?" Azz inquires, head slightly tilting.
"You did not keep full conscious control of your other bodies, am I correct, Rimuru?" she asks me sternly.
"No…" I pretend to play along.
"And what have I told you about doing something so risky?" she continues probing.
Remembering when we talked about the supposed limitations of my magic, I pick a response that would fit the situation.
"Only use it in emergencies…which I did. It was an emergency." I explain.
"Even so…that wasn't advisable."
"I still remember when Clara wasn't in full control of her magic. She would randomly have candy fall out of her pockets in large amounts, one time even filling an entire room with candy! Children are so fun like that, don't you agree?" Clara's mom giggles, making Clara embarrassed all over again.
The comment from Clara's mother cutting into the conversation abruptly causes the 'tension' in the air caused by Ciel's faux scolding of me to dissipate, lifting the mood again to high spirits.
Opera POV
"Oh, sir…" I mutter as I glance at the playing television nearby.
I'm exasperated seeing Lord Sullivan once again embracing the opportunity to speak with reporters about his grandchildren, shirking his duties to do so. I already had to take care of some of his work just to make sure he doesn't have any problems, yet the man keeps doing this. At least I convinced Diablo to help with some of my duties. It was a hard sell since he doesn't normally listen to me that well, but saying that Rimuru would be happy with him if he refrained from speaking with the press more than he already has was enough to convince him to stay inside at least. Just how enthusiastic about Rimuru is he...?
But, just as I am growing tired of having my master outside doing something he shouldn't be, the feed to the channel cuts out so I take a look out a nearby window. It appears that the police have appeared and are putting a stop to all that ruckus, ending Lord Sullivan's fun in the process. I am certain he will be mopey when he comes inside, at least until Iruma makes his way home, but that is not a hard problem for me to fix.
After a little while, the crowd outside clears out and a sense of calm and tranquility fills the mansion, no longer plagued by the buzz of activity that has been incessant since our return.
Soon after Lord Sullivan comes inside again.
Just as I suspected, he looks quite upset that he can't speak more about his beloved grandchildren.
"Henri went and scared off the press with his men…I know it was necessary, but it still makes me sad since I wasn't done talking to them…" he grumbles sadly.
"Don't worry, Sir, you know that Iruma and Rimuru would not be able to come home until those people have gone, right? This only means they will come back sooner." I explain to cheer him up.
"Of course, Opera. I should let them both know that things have calmed down here so they can come home and relax!" Lord Sullivan responds, pulling out his phone to text them.
"Let me get you some Hell-Grey tea in the meantime then. I could also prepare some snacks for their arrival if you wish me to." I offer.
"Please do that Opera! I want my grandchildren to have a warm welcome home after all they've been through!"
Bowing politely first, I leave the room and go to the kitchen. Opening a cupboard to get the materials needed to make tea, I first notice it's slightly ajar. Cautiously, I swing it open and find something unexpected.
That small slime that Rimuru brought with her to this world, nibbling on some cookies, slowly dissolving them into tiny fragments and then completely.
"You gluttonous little troublemaker…" I grumble to myself, knowing full well that this creature has no idea what I'm saying.
I scoop the small monster in my hands and it squirms a little, trying to resist, but I have a firm grip on it so the slime quickly gives up.
Diablo should handle this blob…
I go to find him and it doesn't take long. He's assisting me with keeping the mansion neat and tidy, cleaning Rimuru's room specifically, I recall. He offered to do so after I convinced him not to go outside and cause more trouble for his master.
Heading upstairs with the small slime in hand, I enter Rimuru's room and call the demon's name.
"Diablo, Rimuru's pet has invaded the kitchen again. Do you mind keeping an eye on it until she returns?"
Diablo seems to like the slime because of its connection with Rimuru, so his taking it off my hands is something he's likely to agree to.
Diablo smiles creepily as he approaches me and gently takes the blobular monster out of my hands.
"Gladly," he replies gleefully.
He gives it a small pat before placing it onto Rimuru's bed's pillow with the utmost care, and surprisingly, the slime nestles into it and stops moving.
"You are surprisingly gentle with that creature," I comment, finding his handling of the slime much more careful than with much else.
"That is only natural, as Tempestians see all slimes as sacred," he explains simply.
"Are you saying this slime is directly related to Rimuru?" I inquire, thinking that there wasn't any more connection than Rimuru enjoying the slime's company. I am aware that her true form is very similar in appearance to it, but that is where the similarities end as far as I am aware.
"Not in a literal sense, but more symbolically. When we all arrive at Tempest I implore you to keep this rule in mind, for your own sake. This time of year slimes like this are abundant in number, being a very common sight, and you must take care not to harm one, as they are quite fragile." Diablo continues, appearing to enjoy talking about this and lecturing me.
"I see…I will make sure to be careful where I step." I nod, glad to have the advice. I am visiting a new strange land shortly, so any information I can gather ahead of time is a blessing. I have already learned a lot from Diablo's rambling; he loves to talk about Tempest and Rimuru at length, so I have some idea about the place, but my knowledge is still somewhat limited.
"As you should," Diablo replies, sounding even more arrogant than usual, but I don't let that bother me and instead exit the room as to not make Lord Sullivan wait any longer for his tea that I delayed making to take care of the gelatinous cabinet invader.