25. A talk between girls

In the imaginary space, in the middle of a beautiful garden, sat three people around a table. Actually, there were four people present, but the fourth one was busy serving the other three attendants. These persons were non-other than  Ciel, Chloe, Velgrynd and Hinata. To an outsider, it might look like an ordinary get together between friends, but to the attendants, it was a really important meeting. After Chloe and Velgrynd finished the first part of their training, which was everything about combatt prowess, improving magical abilities and the use of skills, the second part of the training began, atleast for Chloe. Velgrynd, who didn't want to be let out simply joined them and Hinata was present to fulfill her duties as a maid, which was her training ordered by Ciel, who was annoyed by Hinatas hot headed nature and lack of respect against everyone excluding Luminas.

While Ciel lecturing Chloe, Chloe was silently listening to everything and soaked all information provided by Ciel like a foam. Velgrynd, although looking indifferent from the outside, was eagerly listening and paying attention to everything that came out of Ciel's mouth.

Unlike the other two, Hinata didn't listen intently, but simply blushed from time to time to the things Ciel said. But as she didn't want to be punished any further, she tried to maintain a poker face and acted like she didn't pay any attention at all.

"But Ciel-san, in all those loops, no matter what I do, sensei always treats me like a kid no matter my age, even though I am technically older than him." Chloe complained to Ciel with a pout.

"So you really tell me that you don't know the reason for it?" Ciel said while taking a sip from her tea.

'Why is she saying it like it's obious why? I tried so many times and failed miserably. And what's with that sipping tea right after she said that? Is the reason really that obvious?' Chloe, who was at a loss, pondered to herself. Chronoa, who was also listening to the conversation, didn't know the answer either.

Ciel put her cup on the table, signaling Hinata to have a refill, and let out a big sigh. That further confused Chloe, who was sure that she tried everything and the answer couldn't be that obvious.

"Say, Chloe, how do you address master?" Ciel asked.

"Hm? With 'sensei', why?" Chloe answered.

"Sigh... You call him sensei over countless years over and over again no matter how much time passes and then wonder why he treats you like a child, or rather his precious little student?" Ciel asked.

Chloe's jaw nearly hit the table. She felt stupid for not realizing something so obvious, and to add more fuel to her desperation, she realized that she was still calling him sensei.

"Ciel-san, I realize my stupid mistake, but would it really change that much? I mean I also called him Rimuru-san sometimes, but that didn't change that much."

"The way you adress him is a minor problem. The second problem is- well, it's easier to show you, see it for yourself." Ciel said and touched Chloe's forehead.

As Ciel's fingers touched Chloe's forehead, memories from the original timeline flooded through Chloe's head. Everything from the end of the great war till the moment Rimuru last met Chloe before traveling to the past. The Chloe she saw was simply acting like she did right now, and because of that, Chloe couldn't figure out what Ciel wanted her to realize. As the memory flow stopped, Ciel realized from Chloe's expression that she didn't quite get the point. Ciel let out another sigh before explaining the problem.

"As far as I can see, you don't seem to realize what I'm trying to tell you. I'll make it short and painless. I don't see a difference between the child Chloe and the Chloe who was a teacher in Tempest after the great war, apart from the outer appearance. Although you became more mature, honest and strict, when master is around you, you act like a spoiled child and visit him from time to time to propose while blushing like a little girl. But I know that that's not your true nature. We heard from Alice, Kenya and the other that you became known as the 'demon teacher' and would make Shizue proud. Furthermore, all the students and everyone else around the cardinal world praise you as a hero, you manage to put that insolent Leon in his place when he tries to do something funny. There are many more positive points I could list, but you show nothing of it when you're around master. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?" Ciel finished her long explanation with a question.

Chloe was bright red. The first reason was that she realized how childish she acted around Rimuru and begged to be spoiled by him. The second reason were the praises she received, and it being Ciel who praised her made it much more important to her.

"Y-yes, I understand it now."

Ciel gave a satisfied nod and took another sip from her tea.

"So you know what you have to do, right?"

"Yes! I'm going to show sen-, I mean Rimuru-san that I'm not a child anymore!" Chloe said, passion burning through her eyes.

"But as you already know, master is dense. Not just dense, but really dense. You have to make your point clear. I'll also help you with that." Ciel added.

Chloe gave Ciel a firm nod and smiled. Velgrynd, who realized that their talk was over, stared at Ciel with demanding eyes. Ciel, who realized this, put her cup down before speaking up again.

"Your case is different, Velgrynd. As you have already seen from master's memories, you two had, well, a different kind of relationship in the original timeline. At first, we were enemies and after that, well, our relationship improved, but you were obsessed with Masayuki and pushed around Rimuru like a doll from time to time. I can't say that I'm very fond of you, to be honest. But well, you were one of the reasons I was born, but on the other hand it was because you attacked master and angered him. As I said, your case is different." Ciel shattered Velgrynd's expectations.

Velgrynd looked defeated, but didn't intend to give up at all.

"But Ciel-san, that was, well, the 'me' from your timeline. She met Rimuru at a different time while being dominated by Michael and was for some reason obsessed with Rudra. Unlike her, I have no bonds to him anymore."

"But doesn't it bother you? You put your whole existence for Rudra and later Masayuki and sacrificed so much for them. Even after knowing that master came from a different timeline to have some fun, you're not bothered that he meddled in your affairs and changed your fate?" Ciel asked.

"No! I don't feel the same way as the Velgrynd from your timeline. It's true that if it weren't for Rimuru, I would still accompany Rudra, but unlike her, I simply traveled with Rudra because I was bored, and he seemed like an interesting human. We didn't live together for long enough for me to develop a bond to him." Velgrynd countered.

"Hmm. Well, as I said, your case is still different from Chloe's. Chloe has proven her worth to me, enough to contend for the place of the second wife. I accept that it's wrong to compare you to your other self but nevertheless, you only know master for few months and all you did was accompany him and play cat and mouse with Velzard. For now, you are on your own, but if you prove your worth like Chloe over here, maybe in the future I can also support you." Ciel said.

Velgrynd's eyes lightened up, although it hurt her to be compared to simple animals, and she asked herself if she would be the cat or the mouse in this case. She brushed the thought away and gave Ciel a big smile.

"I will do my best and prove my worth. Even if he won't accept me, I simply want to stay by his side, no matter the outcome." Velgrynd declared.

Ciel nodded in agreement and turned to Hinata, to demand a refill, only to see that she also had hope in her eyes, even if little.

"No. Absolutely not. You're out of the talk, Hinata. On your first encounter, here and in the original timeline, you attacked master several times and tried to kill him. Even after making peace with him, you were one of the reasons why he was doomed to spend years in his office. Because of master's soft nature, he was bossed around by some individuals, and you were one of them. You're thousands of years away to even give me that look of hope, did you understand?" Ciel finished her tirade, looking angrily at Hinata.

"Y-yes C-ciel-sama."

Chloe gave her friend a pitiful look but didn't say anything. Velgrynd on the other hand smirked, as she had one less rival.

And with the talks concluded, Hinata and Chloe returned to their rooms to get some rest, while Velgrynd returned to the Palace of White Ice.