章 80: 75th Move | Resurgence
Ririna's cold stare made any attempt to start a conversation worthless. After Rimuru had everyone including Mobius leave, Ririna's hostility was fully unleashed in a passive-aggressive manner now that they're alone.
Rimuru wanted to start the conversation, but the looks he was receiving made that hard. Taking a deep breath, the slime decided to screw it and continue.
"You hate me." Rimuru stared at Ririna, the hobgoblin looked startled before a mask of professionalism replaced it.
"You're not worthy of being a President." Ririna glared coldly at Rimuru, causing him to sweat a bit in instinct, "you're too incompetent, weak, and naive. Commander Scientia was worth far more than you'll ever be."
The harsh words don't affect him as much as Rimuru had initially thought. More accurately, it hurts to hear such scathing words from someone he knew and considered a coworker, but it didn't hurt as much as it would've had when he reincarnated.
"I recognize that. Just..." Rimuru trailed off, not knowing where to take this.
<Ririna idolized Scientia. Her death probably devastated Ririna but she doesn't let it show due to her military professionalism>
Okay, that's a vector. Rimuru draped his head like a bell before continuing, "I know that Scientia is perfect and all, and that you idolize her and you probably wanted to—"
"Scientia is perfect." Ririna insisted as her gaze skyrocketed in intensity, "Everything about her is flawless. Every action that she takes, every word that she speaks, every time she creates something, every moment of her existence is perfection incarnate! She is just so perfect!"
Mania and obsession colored Ririna's eyes as her body seemed to scream 'craving'. Her hands each made constant grasping motions as her smile grew in fixation, "She is too perfect. Every memory I have of her I cling onto them so that even if she died in the real world, she will never fully die. Scientia is supposed to be President, not you. Scientia would've never taken us into this situation. If she were President, she'll still be alive. She should've never resurrected you."
Even if the way Ririna's speaking and behaving should be creeping any normal person out, Rimuru remained unfazed. Well, until that last part.
'She should've never resurrected you.'
That was a step too far.
Rimuru stood up.
"And what do you expect me to do about it?" The coarseness of Rimuru's words was like a rough sponge as it shocked Ririna out of her mania. "Resurrect her? I'd done it a million times already so long as I'd known there would be at least a quintillionth of a percentage of a possibility that she would be alive. Nobody knows how she died, hell based on the legends about Relentless you'd think Scientia was unkillable, yet clearly, that's not the case. Do you think you're the only one hurting? That you're the only one who loved her? That you're the only one who wakes up every day and thinks that maybe if you'd done just a bit more she'd be alive? As a slime, I don't need to sleep or rest, so during the brief moment of respite I do get, my mind always subconsciously wanders to the What-Ifs. What if I never became President? What if Shizue never asked Scientia to help her save her students? What if I had worked just a bit harder? What if I was never resurrected? What if I was never reincarnated? I think about these what-ifs all the fucking time woman! In case it isn't obvious, you're not the only one who's grieving!"
As Rimuru ranted, he started to slowly walk toward Ririna until he was at the seat beside hers.
Ririna was speechless, stunned by the current Rimuru in front of her. Usually, the President was almost always a pushover during a talk or a negotiation, and he could continue being a pushover since Scientia always bailed him out. In debt? Scientia would just open up her coffers and transfer some 'tax credit'. Bad deal? Some words from the Director of Research and Development and the renegotiation would commence in earnest.
Such a weak President would've made him into a puppet had it not been for Scientia's intervention. Ironically enough, Scientia's constant, watchful gaze made things like embezzlement, bribery, and corruption all but impossible.
Rimuru took a deep breath and closed his eyes, opening them only a few seconds later. His eyes practically glowed with sincerity. Due to the fact that Ririna was sitting and Rimuru was standing, the slime had to look down to maintain eye contact.
"I know I am not fit to be President. Like holy fuck I know that beyond the shadow of a doubt. But real life is hardly so kind to anyone and I'm forced to be President. If Scientia were still alive I would've resigned no matter what anyone else said. The whole world is ending soon due to the breakdown of the System, Scientia has made an Ark and a hatch for us to escape through."
The slime then reached into his stomach— into his internal subspace [Stomach]— and pulled out the 'Key' to the Encyclopedia Universalis that Scientia had given him, "Before escaping, I want to win this World War. If victory is unattainable, at least get Veldora— the last of my family member— and our civilians onto the Ark before we leave. I can't do it alone."
The key was different from the last time that Ririna saw it. Its form isn't solid, instead, it's better to describe it as a constantly shifting fractal of crystalline shards in the general shape of a teardrop
The crystal's glow temporarily caused Ririna's attention to focus completely on it. The sheer alienness of the Key was absolutely captivating, like a lighthouse in a stormy sea.
That crystal was replaced by Rimuru's outstretched hand, looking for a handshake, "I need your help. I need an advisor. I need my Field Marshal. With the addition of Gunboat Diplomacy, I realized that it's quite possible for such power to corrupt me. I wish for you to be my anchor, criticize me, tell me why my future decisions are wrong and object to my wish. Because if you don't look at the other side of the argument, you can never know if you're right. A Hegel's Dialectic."
There is a reason why Freedom of Expression and the Freedom of the Press are foundational to a proper democracy. No single person is smart enough to accurately predict and dictate the resource management of an entire nation, and if the singular ruler makes a mistake, it's the people that will absorb the cost. That's why if one cannot criticize their regime, they cannot improve.
With most of the government gone, Rimuru could very easily usurp control with the aid of Mobius from the remaining population. He could replace every Minister with a loyal AI. Yet the slime doesn't want that, and in order for him to not be tempted by absolute power, it is necessary even during times of war for regulations to be in place.
Ririna will serve as that regulation. She will act as the new opposing party, scrutinizing every act that Rimuru makes to ensure that it truly is the best one. In a Synthesis, the sum becomes greater than its parts.
Two heads are better than one after all.
Ririna looked carefully at the outstretched hand like it was a glowing lure attached to an anglerfish, just waiting for someone to bite into it. She bit her lower lips in frustration before opening her mouth to speak.
"... I loved her, you know? I loved her so much. She was... she was the one who made me into who I am today. I can still vividly remember, over a year ago, how shy I was. How weak I was. When she made me the Captain of a Group, I was so scared. Yet, she still entrusted it to me. I never had anyone entrust anything to me." Her tone then grew bitter, "for my entire life up till that point, I've been told that I would best become a bride, a prize to be married off to either another goblin village or someone from my own. The most I had was a pointless crush."
Rimuru's gaze softened, "Ririna..."
"The way she talked, the way she moved, the way she planned— the way she simply existed! It was all so perfect, so superior, so much better than me. I could never be as brave as she was when she dispatched those direwolves and saved my village."
The way the Field Marshal spoke was like a lovesick maiden, the hobgoblin then looked down at her gloved hands, "She was an existence far above me, one that I could never become equal to. Thus, I knew that unless I worked harder than anyone else, I would never be worthy of her. So I worked, and worked, and worked my ass off, never stopping, always striving to be better, to be perfect, just like Scientia, just so that the Commander could see me as something that approaches an equal."
"And now she's gone..." Her hands came up to cover her eyes, her voice broken up by hiccups, "like the wind... it is just so painful. I... I loved her. I loved her so much that it hurts... I truly loved her so, so much, and I still do. She was my everything. But now she's gone, all that's left is her legacy..."
The mask of professionalism was long gone. Vulnerability was all that remain. Words, words of how she felt, words that she kept hidden finally spilled out of Ririna's mouth like gushing water out of a hole within a dam.
<Ririna is an individual burdened by an unreachable love for someone she placed on a pedestal. Her belief is that for love to truly work, two individuals must be at least close to equals, so she dedicated her entire life to working for the singular goal of becoming at least somewhat equal to Scientia since she knows she'll never be truly equal no matter how hard she worked. Ririna's world was flipped upside down when Scientia died. She was experiencing so much emotional pain that she delved deep into anger and hatred so that she could cope>
Ah, so that's why she was so outwardly passive-aggressive, Rimuru realized. The slime was tempted to give her a hug before realizing it was probably a bad idea.
"...A legacy that I shall protect." Ririna raised her hand up to meet Rimuru's own, before standing up and shaking it. The Field Marshal quickly calmed down from almost breaking down to neutral in the span of a second, showing just how deeply military discipline was ingrained into her, "very well, I shall become your advisor. Prepare for constant criticism because I swear by the name of Scientia Tempest, I will make sure her legacy endures for all time."
Ririna's violet eyes were ablaze with determination and a begrudging sense of respect. Rimuru smiled, "And I'll try my best to not taint her legacy."
United by grief, united by a single person, a single act, and a single future, Ririna agreed to work with Rimuru.
"Mr. President." Mobius suddenly materialized next to the two, her arms crossed as though she was unsatisfied, "I've just received a report from King Gazel; Dwargon has taken Siltrosso, and Granbell Rosso is dead. We may have a situation brewing in Sarion."
_____________________________________________
Siltrosso, the Policy House.
The Policy House of Siltrosso serves as the city state's legislative decision-maker, composed of 70 members, each of them coming from either one of the Great Merchant Houses or the Nobility.
The Policy House is situated near the center of the city, deep within Shia. The physical building of the Policy House is designed by an Otherworlder who came from a nation called the 'Ottoman Empire', thus its multi-dome and spire design reflect heavily on an otherwise Otherworldly culture that developed independently of any in this world's history.
Demon Lord Ramiris' foot tapped on nothing as she floated slightly above the central podium. The entire room filled with people remained seemingly unresponsive as she waited patiently with a distraught human girl, a heroic-looking dwarf, and several other important-looking humans behind her.
After finally agreeing to the military occupation by Dwargon forces after the death of Granbell Rosso, King Gazel had just finished speaking with the legislature when a fairy appeared out of seemingly nowhere.
Ramiris then took a deep breath and sighed, "I can't believe he still has that." Seeing no reactions, "I CAN'T BELIEVE GRANBELL STILL HAS THAT TALISMAN I GAVE HIM SO LONG AGO! I thought he'd lost that already! I mean I intentionally made it extremely small so that he'll overlook it!"
"Demon Lord Ramiris..." Gazel's words made everyone in the room realize the importance of this new character that suddenly popped out of seemingly nowhere.
"What was he thinking?! Giving up his life so that someone else may become a True Hero?!"
"Demon Lord Ramiris."
"I mean seriously, who does that? Is he afflicted with the mythical mental illness of 'Denial of Meaning'? Where it causes the person to find themselves unable to believe in anything fully?"
Holding out a small slab of obvious tinkertech, Gazel repeated once again, "Demon Lord Ramiris, I think it's time that we make a complete report to our allies down southeast about our success. Also, I think Tempest has a better term for that: 'Nihilism'. Short, and impactful."
Ramiris shrugged, "eh, it'll do I guess."
As Gazel tapped away at the device, Ramiris' attention returned to the human girl in distress and trying very hard to put on a brave face. Seeing a clear resemblance to Granbell, the fairy had a suspicion of who she is but just to make sure, "Hey you, girl, what's your name?"
The girl flinched, "M—Mariabell Rosso, at your service, your... your majesty."
Mariabell did a curtsey, a well-rehearsed curtsey that Granbell obviously drilled into her.
"Hmm." Ramiris scrutinized Mariabell with narrowed eyes, causing the girl to visibly sweat in nervousness, "you do somewhat resemble her. I can remember how depressed Granbell was after her funeral, saying how 'she was the one key to his frozen heart'"
Ramiris then turned to look at the newest True Hero who was currently fumbling about with that slab of tinkertech, occasionally mumbling 'how does this work?' and cursing silently.
"Anyway, I haven't been outside of the Dwelling ever since the last Walpurgis. I'll give you the honor, tell me Gazel Dwargo, what did I miss during the... three months? Four? Time is weird when you're busy redecorating the Dungeon based on several business textbooks into a resort. Tell me the major events that happened after Walpurgis."
Deciding to deal with the technology later, "The biggest development is probably that we are in a World War."
Ramiris raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term. Oh sure, she understands what a 'world' and 'war' is, only Velda knows what she doesn't know, but the two terms combined?
"'A World War'? Like a war that spans the world?"
Gazel nodded, "There is no nation in the world that is left out of this War. Right now, the harshest battles have primarily been focused in the east between Tempest and Imperial forces. I've also just received preliminary reports that angels have attacked the cities of the Jura Tempest Republic. Apparently, huge, unbreakable domes have encased every major and minor population center within the Republic as well."
"Huh, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it has been a while since the last major conflict, ever since the Triumvirate Era I think." Ramiris said to herself, "you younglings fight all the time. Although, I half expected either Scientia or Velgrynd to decimate the other's nation already considering their power."
"Director Scientia is..." Gazel then turned away, "dead. Slain by Chronoa."
Ramiris stopped all movement and just floated there in the air. A look of indescribable disbelief was on her face, as though the words uttered by Gazel were something completely defying all logic.
"PFFFFT—HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ramiris laughed as she clutched her stomach, kicking her legs around in the air.
It took half a minute for the fairy to stop laughing, and in that time, Gazel's attention returned to wanting
"Okay, I needed that joke. If ruling as King or being a Hero doesn't work out for you, the doors of the Dwelling of Spirits will always be open for you as you're just too funny." Ramiris took multiple deep breaths to calm herself down, "now, where actually is Scientia? I wanna talk to her about cashing that favor in for a tax-free spot near the center of Metropolis where I could place my resort and start raking in some sweet money."
One of the other men in the group insisted, "Your majesty, the Perfect Homunculus is dead. After a battle between the Monster and Chronoa that took out the entirety of Lura—"
"Oh yeah? Listen, I'm way older than you. I saw Relentless rampage across the world 400 years ago. I personally witnessed the collapse of the Thelium Kingdom. I am old enough to predate written record, I was there when Star Dragon Veldanava still walked the earth, I would think I know what I'm talking about. A Perfect Homunculus can't die."
This time, Mariabell insisted, "but your majesty, the Perfect Homunculus IS dead. My Grandfather was there with Chronoa—"
"Yeah, yeah, believe in what you want." Ramiris dismissed them before turning to look at Gazel, who was still fumbling around with the slab of tinkertech, "Is that phone really that complex?"
"...Yes. I've never really used it since if I need to communicate with Tempest I'd just ask one of the specialists. But don't worry, I've sent them an update on the development with Siltrosso."
Afterward, Gazel started addressing the Policy House and laid out what was going to happen and the rules involved with this military occupation during the World War.
First, he assured the room that no dwarven military personnel was going to sack nor conquer the city, emphasizing the difference between conquest and temporary occupation by giving the example of Tempest's military occupation of Falmuth.
Next, came the disarmament of Siltrosso with all soldiers handing in their swords and all mages handing in their catalysts— the 'focus lens' that human mages use to cast stronger magic.
Eventually, it was decided and supported by Mariabell Rosso, the Heir Apparent as decreed by the Will of the late Granbell Rosso—Patriarch of the Rosso family, that the wealth of the Rosso family within Siltrosso will aid in the war effort of Dwargon and her allies.
Lastly, after a period of 14 days, merchants who are registered under the banner of any of the nations within the CCTO or if they have a Tempest passport will be allowed to leave. The city is closed down otherwise with no one allowed in or out save for CCTO military personnel.
After this was done the Policy House was summarily suspended until the end of the war, there were some protests but nothing could really be done since King Gazel holds the most amount of power and the terms he gave were really generous.
Afterward, Gazel Dwargo, Ramiris, and Mariabell left the Policy House and headed towards the main Rosso manor at the heart of Shia. It was decided that any further operations into the Western Council will be done with this manor as the 'brain' that handles all kinds of logistics and paperwork.
The door to the manor was wide open with many specialists from Tempest moving in and out, preparing the place. Once the three entered, they saw how many wires of varying thicknesses were laid all over the floors with lights and other electronics currently being set up.
The Dwarven Military underwent a modernization effort after officially joining the CCTO. Due to how relatively new these technologies were, Dwargon had to rely on specialists from Tempest to set up things like a neutrino communication array and other advanced technologies.
Mariabell was dumbfounded at the appearance of modern technologies.
"Hey, where are we going?" Ramiris asked.
"To my new office. In a bit, I'm going to communicate with President Rimuru about our success in Siltrosso. Also, Mariabell," the girl in question froze again. Gazel next spoke in a softer tone as they both climbed up the grand stairwell, "I am entrusted by Granbell to be your guardian until the war is over. Since this is your house, you are free to roam and I hope you'd forgive us for the intrusion."
"I—It's no problem! None at all!"
Gazel's new temporary office in Siltrosso was Granbell's old one.
The main Rosso manor is massive, comprising three wings: a left, right, and central wing. The architecture of the manor was of victorian design, relatively different compared to the houses of other nobles. The manor had everything one would come to expect: long dining halls, libraries, storage full of magical ingredients, a laboratory, a map room, and even the complete skeleton of a Dragon Lord in the basement.
Granbell's office is situated on the 4th floor, right above the tall entrance lobby dominated by a single grand stairwell that one would see as they enter through the front door. The grand stairwell was split into two that snaked down the sides of the large lobby, and the balcony where the two staircases converge lies the symbol of the Rosso family.
The door to the office was made up of spirit wood— a very strong and very expensive wood imported from Ulgrasia, its receptiveness to enchantment made it popular among the mages. Based on the privacy runes carved upon the wooden door, Gazel could easily tell Granbell saw privacy as a top priority.
The door was already opened a bit to let some electric wiring in but not enough to allow one to peak inside it beyond a tiny sliver. Opening it, Gazel was half expecting the entire thing to creak, yet it didn't.
"—!"
The Office of True Hero Granbell was quite simply breathtaking, the trio aside from Mariabell all looked stunned.
Luxury was one way to describe the office.
The desk was of classical design, and the walls perpendicular to the entrance were filled with bookshelves completely stacked, with an opening in one of the bookshelves taken over by a magical painting that shifts between a map of Siltrosso to that of the Rosso crest. Right in front of the painting was a small coffee table with two single-person form-changing sofas, on that coffee table was a magical interactive globe that must've cost a small fortune.
On the desk was a stack of paper.
"Wow." Ramiris eloquently put it.
Gazel then turned to look at Mariabell, "Now, Mariabell, you're not forced to follow me around, this is your home after all—"
"No, I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine, I feel like as the ruler of a nation I should stay next to the leader of the occupier," Mariabell said with nervousness clear in her voice.
Gazel sighed before relenting.
Taking a seat, Gazel leaned back onto the chair. The job of a king isn't as glamorous as the common man would think of it. Most of his duties are being the head responsible for decisions that would affect the entire nation and reviewing paperwork to ensure everything is running smoothly.
"Eh, I'll stay here for a bit to read these books," Ramiris took out one of the books from the bookshelf and sat down on one of the sofas to read.
*Ring*
Just as Gazel was about to start working and Mariabell was about to offer them tea, his phone rang.
Taking it out with Ramiris and Mariabell looking on in curiosity, "It's a secure notification. From Mobius."
Something serious must've happened.
"Who?" Gazel ignored Ramiris and quickly tapped on the notification.
Immediately afterward, Gazel was greeted with a password and a retinal scan for security reasons. Inputting the correct Tempest alphabet had caused an extension to pop out the top of the phone, a retinal scanner.
As the retinal scanner did its job, Gazel noted how the bright light of the scanner no longer causes discomfort to his eyes.
Five seconds later, Gazel passed by the informational security. What was inside the secure message made his blood run cold:
'The Great Tenma War has started. We have just been attacked. All is well after a defense mechanism made by [Designated: Creator] Scientia Tempest activated.'
"Great Tenma War..." Gazel mumbled as his eyes stared at the words, "has started?"
"What?"
"The Great Tenma War?"
That can't be right, the Great Tenma War is always a global affair, with the angels attacking every nation everywhere— is Tempest really so technologically advanced that the Angels decided to specifically target them? Gazel gave Rimuru the benefit of the doubt after the Chronoa Broadcast since the President assured him that tinkertech isn't causing the Voice of the World to die off.
Of course, such behaviors could be simply excused to the Jura Tempest Republic being the most advanced nation in the history of the world, far outpacing the likes of the Eastern Empire, and thus the angels decided to focus on this unprecedented threat.
Gazel went with the second explanation as it's the only one that makes sense.
"Hold on." Ramiris flew near Gazel, "what do you mean the Great Tenma War? Has it already started? I thought it was supposed to be every exactly half a millennia, there are still a few decades left!"
A grave look appeared on the newest Hero's face, "I need to talk with Rimuru."
Seeing the current situation, Mariabell quietly left the room.
Tapping a few more times, Gazel placed the phone on the desk in front of him with Ramiris floating just beside him.
The phone rang, ringed, and ringed, serving as the backdrop to the curtain of dread that Gazel was feeling at the moment.
*Click*
Another thin pen-like extension popped out the left side of the phone. From that extension projected a holographic panel above the phone
Such an impressive sight done without the use of magic would've made the old Gazel gap in awe, but has been one of the oldest allies of the Republic meant his nation received the most amount of foreign direct investments.
The panel displayed showed a moving image of Rimuru, who looked surprised at the sudden call.
"King Gazel? I was just about to call you to congratulate you on the success of Siltrosso."
"Rimuru, is it true that your country has been attacked?"
The slime paused, before grimacing, "yes, it is true. The Great Tenma War has begun, but due to a defense mechanism implemented by Director Scientia, the slaughter has stopped for the foreseeable future at the cost of most of our population being inaccessible."
"Inaccessible...?" Ramiris inadvertently whispered, drawing attention to her and causing Rimuru to recognize her existence.
Surprise showed on the slime's face, "Demon Lord Ramiris? What are you doing over in Siltrosso?"
The fairy sighed.
"Oh, just Granbell activated a talisman I gave him as thanks for something I forgot since it's been so long. Anyway, what do you mean by inaccessible?"
Rimuru opened his mouth to speak before closing it as if trying to think of a way to explain without it sounding too outlandish.
"...As you know, Scientia has plenty of technology the Jura Tempest Republic has access to. One of these technologies was the ability to manipulate a gravitational singularity for the purpose of creating a time loop— a region of space where time itself is set up as a loop."
Gazel's gaze hardened. Time magic is one of the rarest and most powerful magics out there. The last S-rank time mage was an Otherworlder under the old Kingdom of Thelium and was slain by Relentless. It was said that the S-rank time mage of Thelium was able to speed and slow down time by a factor of a million, even stopping the time of air itself to create an absolute defense.
"Damn," Ramiris said in a dead tone that someone would use when they're used to the extraordinary antics of another person as if saying they got used to it. Gazel gave her a sideways glance, "that's some advanced science right there. I don't think anyone other than Guy or Chronoa could reproduce it. Guess I shouldn't be surprised considering she time frozen the body of that lich servant of hers."
But what the Demon Lord said next caused Gazel to do a double take.
"A bit cold don't you think? The System is ending and all, why don't you let them party until the End like Guy?"
"WHAT?"
Silence fell like drapery, covering everything in a layer of stillness. The room felt much colder than a minute before, and tension rose like mushrooms after rain.
Rimuru quickly got into damage control mode, "Let me exp—"
"I'm going to assume you have a reason for lying to me?" Gazel interrupted in an overly calm voice.
"...Yes. I didn't want to reveal this information yet but it seems I have to." Rimuru sighed deeply, "According to Scientia, she learned of the End of the System during Walpurgis from Demon Lord Guy Crimson, one of the strongest beings in this world. Guy Crimson said how apparently, after the Creator of the World— Veldanava— died, the World System he put in place started accumulating errors similar to how the human body breaks down as one age. He then said how this breakdown was unrecoverable and how..." Rimuru hesitated about revealing this information, "... how he said that a Perfect Homunculus is a representation of that collective error."
Gazel was angry. Rimuru had broken his trust. He can't know if the slime is telling the truth, so he turned to look at Ramiris, "is this true?"
The fairy nodded before shrugging, "that's about right. Also, Scientia isn't dead, she's a Perfect Homunculus, that race can't die, even when two of the True Dragons came together to try and slay 'em."
Gazel then activated the upgraded version of his Unique Skill [Dictator]— Ultimate Skill [Iskander, Lord of Conquest].
'I can not believe Rimuru actually believes Scientia to be dead! Ha! Who's moronic enough to believe they can permanently kill a Perfect Homunculus? Now I just need to wait until Scientia inevitably comes back and I can rake in the cash until the End. Can't believe I'm saying this but Guy was right, it's better to party until—'
Gazel turned off the Ultimate Skill. He then prayed to anything out there that there is a way out.
Rimuru continued after giving Ramiris an unamused look for her comment, "Even with her ultra-advanced technology, Scientia realized she could not repair the Voice of the World nor fix the cracks in the System. Thus, instead of repairing it, she picked the next best thing: evacuation. So, over the course of three months, Scientia made an escape hatch and an Ark for us to evacuate out of the system before its eventual demise at the earliest a year or so."
Rimuru then looked away, whether out of shame or something else, Gazel could not tell, the distance between them two ensured [Iskander] become unusable.
"I wish, my own selfish wish, is that if we cannot win the World War then at least after Veldora has been rescued before we go on the Ark."
Gazel could not help but feel disgusted over the sheer selfishness currently displayed by Rimuru.
If what Rimuru is saying is correct, to risk so many lives just so a selfish wish could be granted, an act befitting only of a Demon Lord of old.
"I know it is incredibly selfish of me to do such a thing, with the war costing lives, that is why I've decided to end this war with one decisive move."
Gazel's eyes narrowed, in a tone completely devoid of any friendliness, "and what would that be?"
"As you know, Scientia desires the entire universe. She wants us to 'reach for the stars and sail amongst that black abyss', thus prior to learning of the End of the System, she made several ships out in space."
Astronomy and Astrology have not been Gazel's strong suit. He had long thought that such studies of the stars and constellations to be unbefitting of a King, thus he had difficulty comprehending Scientia's words right before Walpurgis. It was only after consulting with the best astronomers that money and respect can offer did Gazel gain a semblance of an idea of what Scientia meant.
Even after thousands of years ever since the first written records, astronomers know very little of what exists beyond the sky. What they are sure of is that the world they're residing in orbits around the sun and that there are several more planets that orbit around the sun, viewable only with a telescope.
Some astronomers propose the theory that each star in the night sky is a 'sun', that each 'sun' has its own worlds which orbit around them, and that out there within the cosmos, there are stars whose light is too dim to be seen similar to how Gazel couldn't see a lighthouse from Ruberios even if he stood at the very top of Dragon's Peak. This theory of 'Stars are Suns' is supported by some Otherworlders while being rejected by other Otherworlders.
The theory is firmly vindicated by Scientia.
After the consultation, Gazel's fear of Scientia grew to such a height that the Dwarven King believes that the Perfect Homunculus is arguably the scariest person in the entire world. Before her, the most ambitious of individuals would only dream of conquering the world, but she thinks of conquering many worlds, conquering the entirety of the starry sky itself.
Madness— complete and utter, ACHIEVABLE megalomaniacal madness. Gazel completely believed Scientia when most would've dismissed her words. Which is why he didn't bother mentioning the Angels.
He knows that Scientia has the capacity to do as she had promised, thus the Angels shouldn't be an issue. This was why Gazel was so surprised to hear the news of her death. For a split second after hearing the news, the Dwarven King wondered if Scientia truly was a Perfect Homunculus or if she had lied.
That moment right after was probably the closest Gazel has ever come to getting out of the CCTO. In truth, Gazel could tell the majority of the CCTO member states were looking for someone else to jump the ship first before doing the same. The foundation of the Organization was built on Scientia and her technology, but no one wanted to jump ship and realize they were the only ones who's done so.
"And how would these ships help?"
"Just one of these ships has the capacity to blow apart an entire star— an entire world by simply stopping too quickly. I'm sure you know, your majesty, anything traveling at a fast enough speed is deadly."
Gazel's mind dug up the memories of rubbles thrown by Granbell and how they had smashed through an orichalcum shield, something strong enough to effortlessly withstand the ground-zero impact of a single rocket artillery strike. The King nodded in affirmation.
Rimuru then paused for a moment to think of how to articulate the sheer potential of these ships to who's essentially a caveman, "There's a saying of how 'there exists no unarmed spaceship' since anything that can travel such enormous distances can cleanse an entire world simply by virtue of speed and mass alone. These ships that Scientia have made have..."
Realizing that trying to describe Dark Matter Recoil and Warp Inertia is pointless, Rimuru decided to go with a simplification, "a tendency to build up energy as they travel. A type of 'debt' from moving too fast. This debt energy must be released by slowly venting it out lest the destination is annihilated in an explosion strong enough to destroy an entire world. These ships will arrive in a week or so."
"You're not lying to me again are you?" Gazel asked with suspicion in his voice.
Gazel is having a hard time wrapping his head around how a ship— a mere creation— has the ability to destroy an entire world. Like someone trying to convince a lifelong atheist their god is real, Gazel's perception throughout his entire life is individuals are the most powerful being in the entire world. Unique individuals like Guy Crimson, Relentless, Milim Nava, and the True Dragons: are the strongest in the entire world.
Even with the Tempest Military's tripods, Gazel is sure they're no stronger than perhaps an Archdemon.
So to hear a mere creation being possibly many times more powerful than their creator...
Rimuru shook his head before raising his left palm facing upward, gesturing towards the Dwarven King, "I'm not. I know it sounds unbelievable but," Rimuru clenched his outstretched hand, emphasizing what he was saying, "your majesty, trust me one last time when I say that the war is going to end once these ships have reached this world."
Gazel let out a tiring sigh and closed his eyes, everything that's been revealed in this conversation— the End of the System, the secret ships, the sudden end of the largest war in history, the Ark— is weighing heavily on his mind.
The shadow cast by Scientia is still prevalent even after her death. Her specter is everywhere, from the phone on Gazel's desk to Ramiris' wish to open a resort: it is nearly omnipresent.
Looking back at the past year, the Armed Nation of Dwargon entwined too heavily with Tempest, becoming a 'ride or die' situation and essentially forcing Dwargon to continue being an unconditional ally no matter how badly the war goes.
This made Gazel wonder if it was Scientia's manipulation that caused Dwargon to be so reliant on her nation, it does fit the mental image Gazel has of the Perfect Homunculus.
Opening them once more, Gazel Dwargo stared at the holographic panel that was displaying Rimuru, "then I shall trust you one more time. We'll reinforce our position here in Siltrosso and await the arrival of your ship and the Ark."
Rimuru smiled and nodded.
"Perfect. We'll just need to hold out for a few days. Also, I've sent you some concerning Intel about the build-up and concentration of Sarion's troops. We can later reconvene to discuss what to do."
Gazel returned with a nod of his own, his posture shifted to radiate confidence, "very well. Dwargon stands with her allies."
Once the holographic window closed, Gazel leaned back onto the comfortable executive chair and let out a heavy sigh.
The sudden information about the entire Voice of the World ending felt unreal as if everyone was conspiring to lie about this.
It felt like a cruel joke.
Gazel stared at the ceiling with empty eyes, the future have never felt so uncertain before.
If his subordinates were to see him in such a state, they would hardly believe the current Gazel and the one a few minutes ago were the same person.
The Gazel before emanated righteousness, charisma, and might.
The current one looked like a broken shell.
"How does one deal with this?" The war, the World War, and now the end of the system...
If he wasn't a True Hero, Gazel could almost swear his hair would start greying from the stress.
"Oh, that? You just accept it. What else can you do other than accept it?" Ramiris explained, "though now that Scientia has an Ark ready... I wonder if I'd still be a good administrator if I abandon my post now that the whole company is falling?"
"An administrator?"
Ramiris waved Gazel off, "I'm the Spirit Queen, a disgraced Spirit Queen but still a Queen nonetheless."
Normally, if someone told another fellow human that a spirit was a Demon Lord, the human would've recommended their companion to see a mind mage for healing.
Of the people who do believe in Ramiris' existence, almost all of them believe her to be a unique type of demon that merely looked like a spirit.
"Will you also go on the Ark?"
Ramiris stared at the world map with a faraway look in her eyes as though she was reminiscing about something.
Seeing how she was not replying, Gazel started work on sighing and reading the paperwork given to him after the occupation of Siltrosso.
After dismissing a proposal made by a member of the Rosso household protesting how Mariabell is too young to be the new head, Ramiris spoke once more.
"I don't know honestly." Ramiris continued to stare at the same spot on the world map. Tracing her eyesight, Gazel found Ramiris staring at the Frozen Continent in the far north, where rogue demons that attack the West originated from.
"I feel like I would be doing a huge disservice to Him if I survived the End."
"'Him'?"
"Isn't it sad?" Ramiris spoke in a tone of melancholy, "I envy you younger species, you can choose your own destiny whereas I, a direct Creation, must adhere to my duty given by God... Even if it's been so long..."
Gazel isn't understanding what Ramiris was saying akin to a 5-year-old child asking their parents why people kill others. Based on her tone and intent, the True Hero didn't think the tiny Demon Lord would elaborate on what she was talking about.
Seeing how Ramiris stayed silent instead of continuing to talk, Gazel's attention returned to the paperwork in front of him.
Unknown to them at the time, high above the clouds, hiding within the misty veil was a certain individual that had just woken up.
"Ahhhhh... Is it that time? Is it really that time now? No? Alright. Well back to sleep I go."
_____________________________________________
The Citadel.
Rimuru sat on the thankfully comfortable chair while using his left arm as a support for his head. Using his other hand to cradle his head, the slime was feeling a really bad migraine from what had just happened.
"Dear god. That thing slipped my mind. I want to tell our allies of the Ark but— FUCK! Our other allies still haven't been told of this development yet!"
"Well, dear President. At least it appears we've managed to retain the loyalty of Dwargon. Please take a rest."
A section of the room's wall opened as an automated Shizue chassis walked out, holding a tea set. The chassis then placed the tea set out on the table before picking up the teapot and carefully tilting it so the spout is right over a teacup, pouring the dark red liquid in.
Within moments, the room is filled with a calming aroma.
<The plant responsible for this tea likely originated from another planet>
Rimuru's eyes started to wander before stopping at Mobius, "That reminds me, why didn't you alert our allies? Or at least, their leaders?"
"I do not have sufficient authority to autonomously reveal such sensitive issues. I am unable to act too much independently"
The Shizue chassis placed the filled teacup near the slime for him to enjoy. Picking up the teacup and taking a sip, [Holmes] started to automatically dissect Mobius' words.
That reminds him, he never told anyone of his new Ultimate Skill, has he?
<Scientia probably made sure a Slaughterhouse Class AI isn't too independent. A homicidal AI with the entirety of the Noosphere at its fingertips probably doesn't bode well for all other forms of life. Do not reveal your trump card>
Rimuru's brow furrowed as he continued sipping on the tea, the heat coming from the liquid was nullified by his nature as a slime.
'Why not?'
<Scientia had multiple secret backup plans. I will be your 'Mobius'>
Rimuru could swear [Holmes] was disgusted by having to use Mobius as a metaphor.
Placing the cup down, the slime then remembered something else that Mobius had said, "you said that there's a situation with Sarion?"
"Ah, yes. There's been an exponential build-up of Sarion troops among their northern border. I've also just received word from Special Circumstances that Sarion diplomats have begun negotiating with the various local Western states for military access."
Rimuru felt a cold chill run down his back at the prospect of yet another major world power joining the fray on the enemy's side.
"Personally, I think they're trying to invade Blumund. They've yet to issue an official declaration of war but when world tensions are so high, I think they could be excused."
"Will our forces within the nation be enough?"
"...Our remaining Officers and other military staff are within both Falmuth and Blumund." The AI then projected a map of the world, "Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion is unique among the longstanding Superpowers of the world, being that they're usually pacifistic. The last time they ever used their army was during Relentless' rampage 400 years ago."
"Wait, so why have they decided to fight now?"
"I think it's a given that their Elven Empress Elmesia El-Ru Sarion is in cohort with Chronoa."
"I see. Damn." Reality really is not kind to dreams.
When Rimuru learned of the entire nation of elves so many months ago, he was practically radiating with joy. Sexy elves! The slime thought, imagining his slime form amidst so many bouncing fleshy mountains.
That joy was quickly dashed when the envoy he sent to establish diplomatic relations got turned away without a single audience.
And now he's forced to fight and kill hundreds of thousands— perhaps millions— of elves.
"..."
So be it.
The slime closed his eyes and took a deep breath, purging himself of any remaining empathy and entering into a mindset of dehumanization.
They're the enemy.
They're mere obstacles.
Leaning back on the chair, the tips of Rimuru's fingers touched the other in a business-like fashion.
For Veldora.
For Victory.
Opening his eyes, the warmth and naivete that was so prevalent were gone, replaced by a frozen sea of gold.
Idly, part of Rimuru's mind could not help but wonder just how much blood would be on his hand by the end of this World War.
Did Scientia have the same doubts as he did when she was fighting against Falmuth?
Would his parents, would his grandparents, still accept him as their son and grandson?
Is this how Scientia felt when she laid down plans for the war?
This is war.
This is a war, a place of savagery and without either sympathy or honor.
Like flipping a mental switch, the moment Rimuru declared 'this is war', all doubts ceased to exist.
"So what are we going up against? But first, get Ririna in here."
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