Chapter 16: Milim Nava, The Destroyer.
(Extra chap, cuz why not. I'm feeling nice lol)
— — —
After their battle, the pegasus knights followed Rimuru into Tempest. With the alarms silenced, everyone emerged from hiding. While Rimuru prepared for a meeting, Hakuro, along with the Goblinas stepped forward and escorted the king, ensuring that everything would proceed smoothly.
Meanwhile, Shuna hurried to the cooking department to start preparations for tonight's feast. Rimuru, on the other hand, sent thought communication messages to various departments across Tempest to coordinate the event.
Hours later, all the pegasus knights gathered in the dining room of Tempest's capital building. They sat down to enjoy the feast that had been prepared. Despite the simple ingredients, the food was delicious.
As they savored the meal, they sampled the prototype wine and mead that Great Sage had helped Rimuru create. The mead, made with Apito's honey, was almost like an elixir, potent enough to be considered a weapon against a Demon Lord.
The king and his guards were especially pleased with the silk kimonos Shuna had provided. Made with the finest threads, they were soft yet durable.
"Junior, this is truly luxurious," Gazel said with a smile, turning to Kaijin. "You should have given us more information when you left. I almost had you killed. But I am glad I didn't. Otherwise, I would have never met my teacher."
Kaijin wore a conflicted expression before sighing.
"I understand… thank you for sparing my life, my King." As a former commander of the Department of Engineers, his sudden departure had likely seemed like desertion. He had used the knowledge gained under Gazel to improve Tempest, but fortunately, his king seemed more than pleased as he enjoyed the food and drink.
"King Gazel, I'm glad to see you are enjoying your stay here in Tempest," Rimuru said with a slight smile. He remained in combat mode, not wanting the constant use of magicules to distract him during their discussions.
After some more time, the king's smile eventually became serious as he saw Rimuru waiting for him.
"I am guessing you want to talk about an alliance between Tempest and Dwargon, are you not?" Gazel asked.
He had a skill that could read minds, but every time he tried to use it on Rimuru, he only received a flood of gibberish, courtesy of Sage's vigilant defenses. But he had enough common sense to know what Rimuru was looking for.
"Yes, Dwargon is a country that specializes in trade, and since there are plenty of things Tempest will need in the future, I wanted to make a formal alliance with you."
Gazel looked thoughtful for a few moments, considering the proposal. After a pause, he nodded.
"Alright, what are your terms?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to scrutinize Rimuru's response.
A few of his pegasus knights looked like they wanted to say something but since their king had a determined expression, they backed off.
"As you can see, my people are starting to build roads from the forest in different directions to facilitate future travel. However, I want full ownership of these roads. I will manage the repairs, the fees for usage, and the protection of travelers in exchange," Rimuru stated, testing the waters.
"Full ownership? Even of the roads built on my land?" Gazel asked, a small smile appearing on his face as he raised an eyebrow. "Continue. I want to hear all of your demands before we begin to negotiate."
Rimuru knew the request was ambitious. The potential revenue from the roads was immense, and Gazel wouldn't allow his kingdom to suffer major losses. However, he wanted to see the full extent of Rimuru's plans before adding any counter offers.
The whole experience was a learning opportunity for both Sage and Rimuru. Neither had much experience with diplomacy, and the few books they had gathered were insufficient to give them a clear advantage. Yet, Gazel's demeanor remained encouraging, guiding Rimuru while ensuring his own kingdom's interests were safeguarded.
After intense negotiations, they managed to settle on several key agreements:
A Pact of Non-Aggression: Neither country would raise its sword against the other, ensuring peace and stability.
Political and Diplomatic Support: Dwargon would provide political and diplomatic backing to Tempest. Gazel would help guide Tempest's diplomacy and oversee the formation of bonds with other kingdoms. In return, Dwargon would receive preferential trade deals and reduced taxes on items produced in Tempest.
Trade and Commerce: The silk clothes and other commercial items in development were set to be major profit-makers. Dwargon wanted lowered prices when buying, allowing them to sell these items at higher prices within their territory.
Road Management and Revenue: The profits from the roads in Tempest would go entirely to Rimuru, while the roads in Dwargon's territory would have their revenue split 65% to Tempest and 35% to Dwargon. In exchange, Dwargon would provide troops and supplies to help maintain their side of the road. This split would only take effect after ten years, giving Tempest a financial boost to kickstart its growth. After this period, the agreement would last for forty years.
Exchange of Knowledge and Technology: A council comprising members from both Tempest and Dwargon would be established to facilitate regular exchanges of knowledge and technology. They would spend time evaluating the value of their information before making fair and honest trades.
Gazel had proposed a joint defense agreement where each country would come to the other's aid if needed. However, Rimuru decided to postpone this. He had plans to recruit the Harpies, which would give him enough forces to fight Charybdis. Additionally, he hoped to have Milim to help him should things take a turn for the worst.
Currently, Dwargon was stronger than Tempest. While a defense agreement might seem beneficial now, Rimuru anticipated that once he became a Demon Lord, all of Tempest would evolve and grow stronger. This would make future negotiations more favorable. With Veldora's eventual release, Tempest would become an undeniable powerhouse.
For now, it was strategic to accept a temporary disadvantage.
Throughout the meeting, Gazel nodded in approval. Once they signed the treaty, he smiled.
"Good to see my junior brother isn't easy to push around. Makes my work easier for the future."
With those words said, a group of Goblinas walked in holding different glasses filled with sweet mead. And as they placed the glasses, Rimuru couldn't help but smile.
"To Dwargon and Tempest." Rimuru said before chugging down the drink, not that it did anything to him other than taste nice.
— — —
After Gazel left to return to Dwargon, Rimuru continued with more meetings to prepare for upcoming events. Fuse, the representative from Blummund, was due to arrive soon, but Rimuru decided to delegate the initial reception to Shizue and Rigurd until their formal business talks.
Gazel's visit had interrupted Rimuru's vacation, and now he was back to work without much rest. At least he managed to sneak in a few breaks here and there.
Even though he didn't have muscles, Shuna insisted on giving him a couple of massages to help calm his stress. This often led to the two of them having some private fun. After that, they would lie down and just talk about their plans for the future.
"I've heard about your training with Shion. Even Hakuro is impressed with her progress," Shuna remarked as she stretched and let out a yawn.
"Yeah, she's actually quite impressive. She's picking up and adapting to all the new techniques I throw at her faster than should be possible," Rimuru replied with a slight smile as he quickly got dressed again.
"You know... I already told you I was fine with it if you want to go ahead with her. If anything, it would probably strengthen her even more if you use your skill," Shuna said, a soft smile playing on her lips as she echoed Rimuru's earlier words to her. "After all, I am special to you. I am your first wife and always will be."
Repeating the words only made her happier as she ran to give him a hug, and then she added.
"But the moment you learn some more magic, you and I will have some one-on-one sessions, okay? I don't care if I can learn the spell instantly thanks to Analyst; I want you to teach me." Shuna said as she enjoyed the hug.
Rimuru chuckled, pulling her closer.
"Once I go to Englassia, I'll make sure to learn so many spells that you won't know what to do with them.
Shuna giggled, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
— — —
After working nonstop for weeks, Rimuru finally completed all the necessary preparations. Though he often found himself busier than he preferred, he was starting to enjoy the process.
At the moment, he was lying down, using Ranga as a gigantic pillow, with Apito, Zegion, Silk, and Motharella all resting next to him.
"Am I the king of monsters or the king of bugs?" he joked aloud, though he didn't mind their company. As he closed his eyes to relax, he felt a massive surge of magicules heading his way.
[Notice. The-] Sage began before being interrupted as Rimuru sighed.
"Ain't no rest for the wicked, eh Sage?"
Standing up, he stretched slightly before releasing his own magicules to act as a magnet, drawing the surge toward him. As expected, the wave of magicules shifted direction to head straight for him.
"Go away for now," Rimuru commanded. Ranga jumped into his shadow while the others scattered, led by Zegion.
Within seconds, a small but powerful presence crashed into the area next to him. Puffing out her non-existent chest, she laughed loudly. She had platinum-pink hair in pigtails and wore what amounted to underwear.
"Hello! I am Demon Lord Milim Nava. You look like the strongest hombre around here, so I wanted to come and say hi." She declared a large smile on her face.
A smile appeared on Rimuru's face as he looked at Milim. He had prepared for this day and, after careful planning, knew exactly what to do.
"I am Rimuru Tempest," he introduced himself, his smile growing wider as he gestured towards his city. "And this is Tempest!"
Countless fire bolts were released into the sky, exploding in a dazzling display of lights.
Milim's expression shifted to surprise as she watched Rimuru, in his Kijin form, jump and transform into a slime mid-air before returning to his Kijin form, now wearing a strange suit and a hat.
"Now, what brings such a lovely lady like you to a fine establishment? Are you looking for fun? Entertainment? Excitement? Love? Friendship? Good food? Well, you are in luck! All this and more can be yours for a very low, low price," Rimuru said, adopting a salesman's voice as he tossed her a jar filled with honey.
Milim caught the jar, stars in her eyes, and smiled as she opened the lid, sampling the honey and letting out a satisfied sigh.
"This… what is this? I've never had anything so good in my life," Milim said, smiling as she saw Rimuru nod and teleport next to her using Shunpo.
"This, my dear Milim, is the Ultimate Weapon of Tempest. Honey unlike any you have ever tasted before."
Milim giggled, deciding to play along.
"And you said that you had a low price for all the stuff you mentioned, right? What is it?"
"Oh?" Rimuru exclaimed, feigning surprise before pulling out a paper and presenting it to her. "All you gotta do is sign your name."
Milim grabbed the paper, looking at it before bursting into laughter. Her sweet laughter filled the air as she rolled on the ground for a few moments before wiping a tear from her face.
Once she settled down, she looked at the paper and read aloud.
"I, hereby, swear that I will be the very best of friends with Rimuru Tempest, the totally cool and swell slime. No creepy puppeteer, bird lady, or dog guy will get in the way of our friendship. As well as any other Demon Lords not mentioned here." She giggled, recognizing the titles Rimuru had given to Clayman, Frey, and Carrion.
"In exchange, I get to hang out with the bestest and most huggable slime to have ever lived. I get full bragging rights to any other demon lord about how cool my friends are. I get access to the power of friendship," Milim continued, smiling as she read.
"I'll get to see all the cool things in Tempest, making me go 'Oh wow, that's neat!' and then I'll nod to myself, knowing that nothing can compare to me and my besto friendo Rimuru."
The contract was written in an absolutely unhinged way. Sage had even tried to create another contract with hidden clauses to manipulate her, adding things like the protection of Tempest, but Rimuru knew better than to try to deceive Milim. Such tactics might work on someone like Ramiris, but not Milim.
[Noted.]
'What was that?' Rimuru asked, but after receiving no answer, he continued, watching the smiling girl giggle as she read the rest of the ludicrous contract, which essentially amounted to "Let's be friends. I'm cool, you're cool, imagine how cool we can be together."
After a few more minutes of Milim laughing uncontrollably, she eventually stood up and used some magicules to write her name on the paper.
"Signed it! Now we are best friends, okay? No take-backsies." As she said this, she teleported the contract away to who knows where.
"No take-backsies," Rimuru agreed with a smile.
Milim grabbed another handful of honey, eating it and nodding to herself.
"Yup, I definitely did the smart thing by being the first one to come here. Come on, bestie, show me around your town. Let's see if it's as fun as you say it is." Milim said, opening her arms before adding, "Want me to carry you? I only saw your slime form for a second, but it looked very huggable."
Rimuru hesitated momentarily before shrugging, jumping, and transforming into his slime form, landing in her arms.
[Notice. An incalculable amount of magicules have been detected. Activating Eros's Lustful Drain. It is currently at its lowest strength due to the level of intimacy of the contact.]
'Uh… Sage… What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to get me killed over here?' Rimuru thought, but all he heard was a strange sound from Milim as she hugged him tighter.
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Special Thanks to my Beta Readers/Editors: @LuluViBritania (FF.N, SB, WN and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord) and @Kiyan Tribe (FF.net/AO3/QQ) | kiyan_tribe( Discord)
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