Bab 20: Ruler of the Jura Forest, Rimuru Tempest!
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Voice of the World: <<>>
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Today was an important day in Tempest, and the city was bustling about. Rigurd, the acting Mayor of the city, was tirelessly whipping everyone in the city to be on their best behavior as people from other villages were going to visit them and the last thing Rigurd wanted was for people from Tempest to ruin the reputation of their beloved lord, Rimuru.
By afternoon, the expected guests had already arrived and were waiting for Rimuru in the meeting room, half an hour before the designated time. After all, the last thing they wanted to do was offend the man who could destroy their existence and homes with just a thought.
The atmosphere in the room was tense, as each representative cast wary glances around, silently gauging their soon-to-be allies. Until recently, they would have been at each other's throats for a variety of reasons, but now here they were, sitting under the same roof, waiting for the man they were about to serve.
Just then, the door of the room swung open, and an oppressive aura filled the room as Rimuru entered, flanked by three beautiful women. One was a rabbit-eared girl, the second was a black-haired human with a strong aura, and the last was a white-haired demon they had all interacted with the most.
Taking the seat at the head of the table, Rimuru sat down with Shizu taking a seat on his right while Framea sat on his left. He then glanced over everyone before leaning back and gesturing to Testarossa who stood behind him, along with Rigurd, to commence.
Testarossa stepped forward, her smile warm yet not a single soul except for Rimuru and his aides felt at ease under her gaze. "Greetings, esteemed guests and allies of Tempest," she began. "Today, we are here to discuss the formation of the Jura Tempest Federation under the leadership of Lord Rimuru Tempest. Please keep all discussions civil and express any concerns or objections by raising your hand." She then gestured to the attendees, introducing each in turn.
"First, representing the Orc tribe, is the new leader, Geld." A towering Orc rose to his feet, bowing respectfully. Some attendees eyed him warily, particularly the Ogres who bore fresh memories of the Orcs' invasion. After Geld's people had settled in the camps outside Tempest, Rimuru had personally visited him and told him to attend this meeting before naming him Geld, after his brother, as a sign of trust in him and his people. Overcome with emotion, Geld knelt before Rimuru, vowing undying loyalty for himself and his tribe.
"Next, representing the Lizardmen Village is its chief, accompanied by his daughter," Testarossa continued. An elderly Lizardman rose, bowing alongside his daughter. Internally, the elderly Lizardman sighed, since he wanted to bring his son to this as well but decided against it. He didn't want his son to say something rude to Rimuru, only for the other party to make an example out of him.
"Now, representing the Ogre Village is Lady Edelgard, joined by her children and the village elder." The group rose and bowed, though their gazes briefly flickered toward Geld. Edelgard knew that two of her children, as well as guards standing behind her, were glaring at Geld. However, she had already warned them not to do anything, as Rimuru had expressed his wish to take the Orcs under his rule. She understood that not everyone was pleased with this decision, but she had made it clear to everyone in the village that they would have to accept it or leave, as long as she remained the leader.
"Next, representing the Dryads are Treyni and her sisters, Doris and Trya," Testarossa announced as the three sisters stood up elegantly and bowed to the room. Rimuru had already informed them about his intentions of taking over the forest, and with Veldora's disappearance, they had no objection to Rimuru's decision. He had been kind to them so far and was willing to protect them and the forest.
"And finally, representing the Giant Ants is their queen, Cassandra," Testarossa announced. The queen of ants stood and gave a nonchalant nod. After spending two days in Tempest, Cassandra had learned quite a lot about surface dwellers and formed a good relationship with Shizu, who had acted as her guide during that time. At the moment, Cassandra didn't care about any of the present in the room aside from Rimuru, whom she had chosen to serve under, and Shizu, whom she had genuinely come to like after spending time with her.
After introductions were done, Testarossa turned towards Rimuru, gesturing for him to begin. Rimuru nodded and looked over the room once more before he began speaking. "Everyone, today, in the presence of all the major forces in Jura Forest, I declare myself as the new ruler of Jura Forest," Rimuru declared, releasing a wave of his aura that weighed heavily on everyone in the room. "If anyone has any objection, speak now," he said, and just as he had expected, no one said a word. "Good. Now, let's discuss the future I envision for Jura Forest and the role each of you will play," Rimuru leaned back in his chair and began explaining his vision.
"First of all, I have plans to make Jura Forest into a country that will welcome and house any and all different kinds of races in the world," Rimuru began. "But before that, I will be improving the living conditions of all the races currently under my rule. And to do that, I will need all of your cooperation."
Turning to Geld, he continued, "Geld, you and your people will oversee the construction of the infrastructure. Your tribe's strength and numbers will be invaluable for the labor-intensive tasks ahead."
He then addressed the Lizardman leader. "As for your village, you'll provide the primary supply of fish and other aquatic resources. In the future, I'll arrange transportation and escorts for resources from nearby seas, making the most of your proximity to water sources."
"Edelgard, your village will be responsible for our military forces and weapons production," Rimuru said, meeting the gaze of the Ogre leader. "Your people have a rich history when it comes to combat, and from what I have seen, your village has a real talent when it comes to making weapons, so it would benefit us if we don't have to import them from outside."
"Treyni, you and your sisters continue monitoring this forest like you were doing before," Rimuru said, turning towards the Dryads. "However, in addition to that, you will also work as messengers and mediators between villages. If there is trouble between races under my rule, you come and report it to Testarossa or Rigurd, or directly to me if something you deem to be quite serious. I would also appreciate it if you could occasionally bless the farms to enhance our crop yields."
Finally, Rimuru addressed Cassandra. "For now, Cassandra, there's no immediate task for you. However, I have a future project that will require the expertise of you and your colony. Until then, continue familiarizing yourself with the surface world, of course, Shizu will keep helping you as well."
Once his plan was laid out, Rimuru looked over the room. "These are my plans for each of your villages. If you have any objections, now is the time to voice them." Silence reigned as the leaders absorbed his words, none daring to oppose the vision he laid before them. "Very well," he said, nodding with satisfaction. "In that case, I consider this conference a success," Rimuru declared.
Rimuru stood to conclude the meeting. "You're all dismissed, but be aware that over the next week, I'll visit each of your villages to grant names to those under my rule." A ripple of surprise went through the room, though they quickly composed themselves. Ignoring their reactions, Rimuru offered a final nod. "This meeting is officially over, farewell."
With that, he exited, leaving the leaders of Jura Forest's factions to ponder the new era they were about to enter under the rule of Rimuru Tempest.
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In the luxurious office of the Free Guild Headquarters in the Kingdom of Englassia, Yuki Kagurazaka sat comfortably on a plush couch, a frown creasing his brow as he sipped his tea. Across from him sat Kagali, an elegant elven woman with violet eyes and flowing blonde hair, her gaze fixed on him with a similar expression of frustration. Tear, meanwhile, paced nearby, looking visibly agitated and impatient, mumbling under her breath.
"So, Tear, did you manage to find Footman?" Yuki asked, leaning back on the couch.
"No, I couldn't," Tear replied, her tone uncharacteristically disheartened. "I lost track of him that night, and now… nothing. Not even a hint of his location. I tried sending contracted demons, but they were eliminated before they even got near the town's border." Her hands clenched into fists, her gaze hardening. "It's like he vanished into thin air!" she added, flapping her hands in frustration.
"That does sound troublesome," Kagali remarked, glancing at Yuki. "Yuki, isn't there anything you could do to help Footman?"
Yuki shook his head, his expression remaining calm. "I wish there was, but from what Tear has gathered, it sounds like Footman is trapped in an isolated dimension—likely the result of a specialized skill. Our only option to free him would be to eliminate the skill user themselves, which is no easy feat. I suspect it's either that blue-haired demon that had Clayman enraged or the white-haired one who directly captured Footman."
Tear clenched her teeth, her frustration bubbling over. "Boss, can't you and Clayman go there and take them down? If you two work together, you could easily handle this newly emerged demon!"
"It's not that simple, Tear," Yuki sighed, shaking his head with mild exasperation. "Based on Clayman's observations, this blue-haired demon might be stronger than both Frey and Carrion. At worst, they could even be a True Demon Lord. If we make a move without understanding the full extent of their power, we could lose our strategic advantage in one reckless move."
"Then what? Are we supposed to just let Footman rot in enemy hands?!" Tear's voice rose in frustration.
"Calm down, Tear," Kagali said, her tone measured as she placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Yuki's right. Rushing in without knowing what we're dealing with could cost us more than Footman. Besides, he's still alive—I can still sense his life force, even if I can't pinpoint his location."
"That said," an ominous smirk began to form on Yuki's face. "We may not be able to free Footman right now, but that doesn't mean we can't retaliate as well as gather information on our new enemies."
"What are you planning, Yuki?" Kagali raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden gleam in Yuki's eyes.
"Oh, Something interesting," Kagali raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden gleam in Yuki's eyes. Tell me, Kagali, how much do you know about Charybdis?"
******
5 months later.
In the blink of an eye, five months passed since the first official conference of the Jura Tempest Federation and Rimuru was quite pleased with the progress they had achieved so far. During this time, Rimuru named all the monsters under his rule, causing them to evolve and increasing their efficiency and use.
Under Geld's command, the Orcs had quickly integrated into Tempest and worked with unrelenting diligence on each task they were assigned.
The Orc labor force had been organized into five specialized groups. The first was tasked with expanding Tempest's capital, designed as a commercial and administrative hub. Working alongside them was a second group, responsible for constructing a separate residential city for Tempest's citizens. Both of these groups collaborated closely with Framea, Tempest's Quality Control Officer, and the Wolf Riders, who provided essential resources, such as timber and stone, sourced from the Jura Forest's vast resources.
A third Orc group focused on building roads to connect each village under Rimuru's rule, ensuring safer and faster travel across the nation. This group, too, worked with the Wolf Riders, who provided protection during construction and scouted the safest routes. Meanwhile, the fourth group specialized in manufacturing essential building materials, including bricks and slabs, produced with the expertise of Kaijin and his brothers, who had developed a way to produce these materials in Tempest itself.
The last group of Orcs has been responsible for creating and maintaining farms. This group worked with goblins who were already assigned the roles of farmers, as well as wolves who guarded the fields against crop-stealing monsters. As per Rimuru's request, Dryads too showed up once in a while to use their magic on the fields, giving the crops a nourishing and enticing glow.
Edelgard, the chief of Kijin village, remained as faithful as ever and governed her village in perfect alignment with Rimuru's vision. Moreover, after naming all the villagers, Rimuru had also asked for her to send her two children, her younger son Benimaru and her youngest daughter Shuna, to Tempest to work directly under him. Edelgard happily agreed, as she secretly hoped her children would receive similar favor and blessings from Rimuru as she had. Meanwhile, she entrusted her eldest son, Hiiro, with village responsibilities to prepare him for future leadership.
Benimaru and Shuna were joined by Hakurou, Kurobe, Shion, and Souei, along with a select group of elite Kijin warriors. Rimuru assigned each of them roles similar to those they held in his previous life, with a notable change for Shion, who was made Rimuru's personal bodyguard rather than his secretary—an honor now held by Testarossa. Rimuru also encouraged Shion to recruit and train a squad of elite warriors for his private army, a task that filled her with pride, if the stars in her eyes were any indication.
Well, Shion did annoy him from time to time in his original life, but he couldn't refute that she was pure of heart and quite entertaining in her own regard. Not to mention a huge asset when it comes to raw power, which could even rival some top hitters in the world given enough time.
Fortunately, the tension between the Orcs and Kijins started to ease a little as they worked closely in the capital. Surprisingly, it was Benimaru who started chatting with Geld normally. After an unexpected sparring match with Geld, the two warriors gained mutual respect. Seeing their supposed prince talking with an Orc normally, other Kijins also lowered their guards, and the animosity started to fade away as well.
The Dragonewts, led by their chief Abiru, were also fulfilling their roles. Thanks to the wings they developed after Rimuru named them, the Dragonewts could now make the journey from their village to Tempest far more swiftly, bringing fresh fish weekly to supply the capital. After naming the Dragonewts, Rimuru brought Abiru's two children, Souka and Gabiru, and a group of their finest warriors to Tempest to learn under him. Souka and her friends enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to explore beyond their village, while Gabiru was being a little shit but well, there is nothing a good beating can't solve.
So with everything going smoothly, today Rimuru decided to take it easy and hang out with his brother Veldora as he lazed around with him while reading some manga. Surprisingly enough, aside from these two, Cassandra was also there reading the manga with them. The ancient ant had quite a thirst for knowledge, and Veldora managed to convince her that these indeed were sacred texts that Rimuru had conjured from other dimensions, a misunderstanding that Rimuru didn't feel a need to correct.
Just then, Rimuru received a message over his mental link. "Lord Rimuru," Rigurd's voice echoed in his mind. "There is a human woman here requesting an audience. She claims to have been sent by King Gazel."
"Gazel?" Rimuru murmured, intrigued. The Dwarven King was not one to make casual requests. "Did she give her name?"
"Yes, Lord Rimuru," Rigurd replied. "She introduced herself as Towa, Queen of Raja..."
To be continued...
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