The Freed One
Wouldn't Resurrection Festival work? My words decided『Tempest Resurrection Festival』as its official name.
We are planning on celebrating it every year.
And now, two days have passed since it ended…
There are a few problems that are giving me a headache. No, I'm being serious this time.
After a knocking sound came from my door, Rigurdo and Bester came inside.
The 14 yet-living assailants.
We are currently in the middle of gathering information.
And, all our "sources" are meekly confessing all they know.
It seems that Farmas Kingdom and the like have begun to beg for mercy.
Even the well trained Blood Shadows and Church's messengers quickly give up and confess when a demon is presented to them
A demon can inspire fear into its enemies hearts and thus control the soul.
While there is a chance to resist a greater demon and inferior, an archdemon like Diablo doesn't take "no" for an answer.
As a result, one usually goes mad, so they decided to confess all they knew rather than meet such a fate.
By the way, even if they had committed suicide, we can just directly manipulate their soul or tamper with their brains.
That, too, is a well known ability of greater demons, so no one is foolish enough to kill themselves before one.
So if you want to disappear along with all of your secrets, you'd have to kill yourself by completely destroying your body.
I hadn't thought that capture meant a complete leak of information, but it is common sense in this world.
So it would be an understatement to say that the spies of this world risk their lives.
Well, as a result, we were quickly able to obtain information from them.
As for the headache I mentioned earlier, that would be: what do we do with them now?
My wrath has subsided when Shion and the rest resurrected.
As a result, I lost the desire to kill the shabby old man and the church's dogs.
Wait, that list does not include the fanatics. Those die no matter what.
I cannot forgive the perpetrators of that incident.
According to the information we obtained, they were not ordered to attack the inhabitants during their "visit".
The orders came from Cardinal Nicholas.
It was simple: declare war.
But, as deploying the elite knights would require Hinata's approval, they decided to send their Blood Shadows pets instead, which lead us to that tragedy.
Thirsting for blood and assured of their superiority, they rampaged without being ordered to.
Which I found out just as I was thinking of treating the as prisoners of war or by some other martial law.
Moreover, the general opinion among us was, as we are not humans, we should live by monster rules.
Anyways, we can kill them at any time.
So I decided to investigate what other countries do in such situations.
Ellen and Youmu didn't know much about the internal dealings of the countries, so it was pointless to ask them.
That's when I remembered about Bester.
Thus, I went to ask his opinion.
Entering, Bester greeted me by saying,
「It has been a while, Rimuru-sama! What a calamity we have endured」
A calamity it is. It's not over, after all.
「That it was. There's something I want to ask, what are human wars like?」
I tried asking Bester.
I'm not good at haggling, nor is there a need to.
Thus, I heard about human wars from Bester.
First, members of Conference Coalition do not normally wage war.
For example, there's a rule that stipulates that a country has to declare the war at a general conference prior to beginning hostilities.
If this is not done, the country loses membership, and is recognized as a common enemy for all states.
Wars are easy to start, hard to stop. I'm surprised to see that phrase has become a rule.
For now, let's consider the situation where they did declare war at a conference.
First, they decide on a date for combat and use that time to evacuate civilians.
Next, they are not allowed to engage their opponent until the opportune date.
Information gathering and failure to abide by the above rules constitutes a violation of the Coalition's code.
As a result, the concept known as "spy" is generally considered to be currently absurd. Even if they do exist, they must always be on their guard to escape before the civilians are evacuated.
Any reported violations constitute transgression of the Coalition's code.
Well, considering such strict rules, they might as well say that spies are forbidden. Though what kind of spy chooses the profession expecting to be caught?
After the war has begun there are two kinds of wars: limited war and extermination war. (Well, there's also economic war, but let's leave that one aside)
Limited War is one which seeks to alleviate the burden on the civilians and restrict the battle to a designated battlefield.
It's kind of like a sport, the extremest of the extremes, though.
Of course, to prevent the overwhelming advantage of the terrain, the defending side chooses the field of battle.
This is also chosen at the moment the war has been declared.
The latter, the War of Extermination, goes by the "anything goes" rule.
It doesn't end until one state becomes the other's vassal or falls completely. Not something you'd want to choose unless you had no other choice.
In this case, whether you win or lose, you have to have a legitimate reason to invade.
If you don't, then it's a simple war of conquest.
And, you'd incur the risk of being attacked by other coalition members as a result.
In other words, this type of war rarely, if ever, happens.
But wouldn't declaring neutrality be optimal for avoiding conflict? Of course not.
The Dwarf Kingdom, for example, has advanced technology and great value.
Thus, they had to build up a power to resist those who would try to conquer them.
Powerless justice is useless.
But in reality, it would be hard to explain to other countries why you're declaring war on the neutral Dwarf Kingdom, and even more so, considering their military might.
Nobody wants to kill themselves by getting caught up in another's greed.
Thus, after some wars resulted in the creation of the Conference, which brings us to the current state of things
Such are the rules set by the Conference Coalition.
Now, what about the non-members?
For example, the Eastern Empire.
That's a military nation that increased in size by absorbing its weaker neighbors.
Coalition's Rules do not apply to this state.
It invades when it wants and tramples down anyone in its wake.
So it also makes full use of spies.
Death to those who disobey!
That's the principle they live by, so if the target state does not swear allegiance within a week, they immediately invade.
Luckily, their sphere of influence fails to extend into the Jura Forest, so there have been victims among nearby states.
But, considering what has happened to states that battled with the Empire, the Conference Coalition cannot ignore this threat.
The Dwarf Kingdom was somehow able to establish diplomatic relations with the Empire and so avoided a potential invasion.
Well, their military strength and strength of that king certainly has something to do with it.
Having heard this information, I can't help but think of the Coalition as a bunch of weak states coming together for mutual protection.
Powerful countries decide war and fate by their own strength.
Of course, even if they don't violate the rules, it's not like they won't deviate from them.
I see; I understood all of this to a certain degree.
Now, as for when the war has ended…
What happens to prisoners of war?
That, too, Bester had explained.
The Conference forbids the murder of messengers. That is true in any world, I guess.
Next, it's rare for a country's king to become a prisoner of war.
Even wars of extermination rarely end up in complete annihilation. Unless you're a fool, you'd surrender when the war has reached your own soil.
Refusing the surrender and slaughtering everybody would earn you animosity from other countries.
In the first place, a king that allows his own land to be invaded quickly loses the trust of his men and is disposed of.
In other words, since he's been dishonored, there's no need to kill him. That's how it is.
I see.
In that case, while I can just kill him off, sending him back might be a better idea.
「Thank you for your input. I'm glad you're here, Bester」
I said.
"No, no, not at all!" Bright red, Bester replied with a beaming smile.
Sorry, honestly, that's damn creepy.
I'm glad he's gotten rid of that sharp personality and mellowed out… but he really is just an old man.
「Oh, before I forget. On my journey to the Dwarf Kingdom, how much can I report?」
「Ah, as much as you want. They might have a useful opinion」
I gave my permission.
Even if we hide it, they'd find out eventually. So we might as well be honest from the start.
I thanked the bashful Bester again and had him leave.
That guy, maybe he's not bashful but just fascinated by me…
I had taken my human form half way through the conversation.
And, I'm not wearing the mask since it's in the middle of repairs right now.
No way… is he a lolicon? A terrifying possibility filled my mind.
I pray that's not the case!
I think about our earlier conversation.
If that's how it is, letting the king and the messengers go is the best choice… maybe.
I still have the unique skill『Heartless One』as well.
Their hearts have been broken long ago so they can no longer betray me.
When I though that,
≪Announcement. Unique Skill『Heartless One』has been absorbed by ultimate skill『Beelzebub』
Therefore, it has been erased and is currently unusable≫
O-oh…
Just when I thought I have gotten a useful skill.
To only use it once–for what purpose did I acquire it? Well, I did think that I didn't need it, though.
So that aside.
I feel that the skills that I have gotten used to have greatly changed.
There's a need to verify this. For some reason, I felt that urgent need.
Well, maybe we should release the king and the messenger, but that's something to discuss among all of us.
I left the 12 Blood Shadows to Shion.
After knocking some information out of them, she'll probably have me eat another one of her meals.
Using the『Cook』skill that she has recently obtained.
Doesn't she know that she doesn't have to feed me? Thats sickening… you know?
Having thus decided our next steps, I had Rigurdo schedule a meeting.
A conference of all department heads.
That's what I decided to do.
That being so, there's one more problem to solve.
I look Rigurdo in the eyes,
「How is it? Investigation going fine?」
I ask.
Not just my skills, but every single monster's abilities have greatly increased along with my evolution.
They were told by the "Voice of the World" about the gifts they were to receive.
Those with a relation to me probably includes every monster I have named.
Rigurdo nodded,
「We are still in the middle of surveying the population.
The women have been saying some incomprehensible things like their skin getting smooth and pretty or something.
Their vitality has certainly increased.
Those specialized in combat have acquired individual skills and squad unity skills.
Interestingly enough, the Goblin Riders and the Star Wolves have acquired the rare extra skill『Unification』」
Extra skill『Unification』means exactly what it sounds like, no hidden meaning here.
They became as if one being, able to move quickly on all fours and get a boost of strength.
Their strength puts them at about rank A-. Even the worst among them would dominate the B ranked.
Surprisingly, all one hundred have this skill.
Rigurdo's report continues.
Among the 100 resurrected–the children have all evolved into adolescents.
Perhaps this evolution was inspired by their regret at being unable to fight.
They have all obtained『Perfect Memory EX』and『Endless Regeneration EX』skills.
Though these are merely extra skills, they work well together.
That is, even if their heads get blown off, they can change into astral body state and thus avoid death.
In other words, they obtained regenerative abilities equal to that of Orc Disaster.
And there's a hundred of them. How absurd.
Thus, along with Shion, who got carried away obtaining this absurd ability, they have been calmly enduring intensive training.
I mean, we won't die! The boys and girls of the city told me…
I have no words.
Should I reprimand them or tell them to work hard?
Though they are only C+ ranked at most right now, I have a feeling that they will become our strongest squad yet.
They have even named their squad "Yomigaeri"–those who have surpassed death.
The 4,100 hobgoblins under Benimaru's command have evolved in an interesting way.
The strongest among them, 100 men, evolved into Ogres.
Just as the oni had wanted, probably; these ogres belong to the first village I had saved.
They are now Benimaru's personal bodyguards, and have been named "Kurenai' (Crimson). They possess rank A- strength.
And, as our vanguards with『Fire Manipulation』and『Thermal Resistance EX』skills, the rest of the hobgoblins are thus our fire squad.
Though they are still ranked C+, they are surprisingly powerful.
I had named them the Green Corps, but that's no good following the evolution.
That is, as Benimaru's subordinates, the red suits them…
The name "green" doesn't, however. My failure to think ahead led to this.
But hey, no need to think that far!
Monster evolution is unpredictable.
So in defiance, I had the Green Corps' equipment dyed emerald.
In the first place, color has no effect on their ability to freely manipulate fire.
The high orcs evolved as a herd.
They all obtained『Iron Wall EX』skill that allows them to create a protective wall out of earth.
Moreover, they also obtained『Full Body Armor』defense ability.
The inherited most of my resistances, noting that Physical Attack Resistance includes『Pain, Corrosion, Paralysis, Electricity』resistances.
So, if I have them eat a lot of Shion's cooking, would they acquire poison resistance? What foolish thing I thought!
Though there are individual differences, there are no problems as a whole.
They each can be evaluated as B ranked.
And this is when they have lived up to their "Yellow Corps" name.
A squad specializing in creating walls to ward off attacks. They are Tempest's main force.
As for Gabil's 100 Dragonewts,
Of course, they are at least ranked A- each.
They acquired『Dragon Knight Transformation』and『Flame Breath』or『Thunder Breath』abilities.
Though their efficiency dropped, their power greatly increased.
Honestly, I still don't really know what『Dragon Knight Transformation』does. Though they obtained it, they can't seem to use it yet.
I have a bad feeling about it, so maybe that's a good thing.
"So just use it when you're in danger!" is pure negligence.
Such a phrase is almost sacrilegious to Gabil and his troops.
But to think that they have also acquired flying abilities and can now shoot their breath from the sky…
Though they haven't obtained any new resistances, they did have high resistance to begin with.
With their scale armor being strong as steel.
Only a direct strike could penetrate their armor.
So being able to fly puts them at an overwhelming advantage over their enemies.
Their name, "Hiryu" (Flying Dragons).
Unfortunately, they currently might be our strongest unit.
And thus the report continued.
Seems like my efforts up till now truly paid off.
All I got from that was: our strength greatly increased. Just that.
Though we are not even ten thousand strong, we can easily crush larger armies.
Compared to the one I annihilated, we are overwhelmingly stronger.
You know, I'm not even surprised anymore.
Our only weakness is our small numbers.
Since we can't easily increase our numbers, that will cause us problems from now on.
Thus we concluded surveying the populace.
Next up: management…
According to Rigurdo, they are not yet certain.
Well, that's just how it should be.
Even I am not yet completely aware of my abilities.
Rather than worrying about others, it's best to worry about yourself first.
Requesting that Rigurdo continue the investigation, I left the place to verify my abilities.
I headed straight to the Cave of the Seal.
Meeting Gabil on the way, I ordered that no one intrude, and entered the cave.
Now then, let's call forth ultimate skill『Raphael』
I ordered that it teach me about the changes that occurred as the result of the evolution.
Here's what I found.
Status
Name: Rimuru Tempest
Species: Demon Slime
Blessing: Storm Crest
Title: "Demon Lord"
Magic:〈Magic Energy Manipulation Archive〉〈Great Spirit Summoning〉
〈Great Demon Summoning〉
Skills: Species-skill『Decomposition Absorption, Endless Regeneration』
Ultimate Skill『Wisdom King Raphael』
…Though Acceleration・Appraisal・Parallel Processing・
Chant Annulment・All of Creation・Fusion・Separation
Ultimate Skill『Gluttonous King Beelzebub』
…Predation・Analysis・Stomach・Mimic・Segregation・
Decomposition・Supply・Food Chain・Soul Eater
Daily Skills…『Magic Perception』『Heat Detection』『Auditory
Perception』『Super Olfaction』
『Demon Lord's Ambition』
Battle Skills…『Thread Manipulation』『Cloning』『Chaos Breath』
『Law Manipulation』『Attribute Change』『Thought
Domination』『Demon Lord Transformation』
Mimic: Demon, Spirit, Black Wolf, Black Snake, Centipede, Giant Bat, Giant
Spider, Lizard, Goblin, Orc
Resistances: Physical Damage Nullification, Natural Attack Nullification, Status
Change Nullification
Spirit Attack Resistance, Holy Magic Resistance
That is all.
A bunch of things seemed to have disappeared, but since I am in the middle of receiving the skills that my allies acquired, I should be able to use many more.
I had thought that only the name changed for many of these, but I was clearly wrong.
Thought Acceleration, for example, has now increased to 1,000,000 times as fast.
I can't explain it in words very well… when I used it, time seemed to stop.
While intending to ask Raphael about each skill,
≪Announcement. As ordered,『Infinite Prison』has been analyzed.
Will you release Individual: Veldora? [YES]/[NO]≫
What an announcement it so casually made!
It was so sudden, that I couldn't respond…
But… finally!
It has taken a year, but I can finally keep my promise.
All that's left is… procuring a spirit medium for him.
The thought of testing the skills has completely fled my mind.
I release you, Veldora!
And, I chose [YES]!