Chapter 111 - Sudden Visit

A/N: In the revise, do you guys want Rimuru to have a lover(1), harem(2-3), or none(0). No suggestions on who, just the three options: Lover, Harem, None.

....

"Understood, Rimuru-sama. I, Gabiru, will make sure to follow your words." A newly evolved Dragonewt kneeled with his subordinates in front of the throne where Rimuru sat.

"Good." Rimuru stood from his throne and patted Gabiru on the shoulder. "I expect great news."

"O-of course!" Gabiru saluted before quickly exiting the room.

"Rigurd." Rimuru called to the hobgoblin standing by his side. "Have Gobukyuu lead the group to start the planning and construction. He should have enough experience to lead them. Though, just in case, bring Geld with him."

"Of course, Rimuru-sama." Rigurd bowed respectfully before leaving the room.

Rimuru left the throne room and returned to his office. There, Velgrynd sat in her regular spot on the sofa as Rimuru took his seat beside her.

Velgrynd placed her head on his thighs as he sat down next to her. "So, how's the plan for the city in the marshes coming along?" she asked, her voice soft.

"It should be looking good. Gabiru, the son of the chief, is already passing along my word. That place has abundant resources aside from just fish, after all. The marshes, and the one I plan on building in the south, will become our trade cities." Rimuru absentmindedly played with her hair as he explained, his gaze focused elsewhere as he thought through the plans.

"The south is where those demon lords are, right?" Velgrynd turned her head to look at him, her eyes narrowed slightly with curiosity. "Do you plan on trading with them?"

Rimuru nodded, poking her cheek lightly. "I'm not sure about Frey yet, but Karion has very fertile land. In fact, you could say Orbic, the orcs' territory, is part of the land but was separated from it."

"Hmm..." Velgrynd thought for a moment, letting Rimuru continue caressing her head. "Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing the contemplative expression on her face.

Velgrynd shook her head, her fingers brushing his hand. "No, I just thought... wouldn't it be better to just make Orbic your trade city? You basically own them anyway."

"That's..." Rimuru paused, deep in thought. "You have a point. I'll contact Gheld about it. They can be a vassal kingdom used for trading between the forest and the demon lords."

Rimuru leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Thanks."

"Anytime," she giggled, pulling his face toward hers for another, deeper kiss.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud crash, splintering the wood. "Uncle! Auntie! The egg!" Milim shouted brightly, her face alight with excitement. She carefully placed the egg on the table in front of the sofa.

"What's wrong, Milim?" Velgrynd, who had shot upright with a quick, almost reflexive movement at Milim's sudden entrance, asked with concern.

"Oh, is the egg finally cracking?" Rimuru observed, his eyes narrowing as small cracks appeared on the egg's surface.

Milim nodded excitedly, her voice full of joy. "Yes! It took a while, but its finally back!"

Rimuru placed his arm around Milim, gently guiding her between him and Velgrynd as they both watched the egg crack open.

As the crack grew larger and larger, a bright light filled the room, growing more intense until it revealed a newborn baby dragon. The little creature had purplish scales and tiny wings on its back.

It stared at Milim for a few moments before letting out a small, cute cheep. The baby dragon then lunged toward Milim, who had her arms open, ready for it to jump into them. Tears flowed from Milim's eyes as she hugged the small dragon tightly against her chest.

Rimuru patted her head, smiling warmly. "It's good that it went well," he said, genuinely happy for Milim. Seeing the child held so carefully, and her joy evident, left him with a smile of his own.

"Uncle, thank you!" Milim turned to Rimuru, still holding the baby dragon as she hugged him tightly.

"Milim," Velgrynd smiled wryly, watching as the baby dragon squirmed uncomfortably. "You're squishing... um..." She paused, realizing she had forgotten something important. "I forgot, it doesn't have a name yet."

"Gaia!" Milim quickly answered, grinning widely. As she did, the baby dragon, now named Gaia, jumped from her arms to Rimuru's face, clearly seeking refuge from being squeezed between their bodies earlier.

Rimuru, holding Gaia gently, stared at the baby dragon. "Gaia, huh? I guess that makes you Velgaia...!" His feet wobbled. "Wait... why me...?"

Rimuru felt his strength suddenly drain, his energy leaving him in an instant. He quickly passed Velgaia back to Milim, but before he could fall to the floor, he felt Velgrynd's hand supporting him from behind.

"That is strange," Velgrynd muttered, placing Rimuru carefully back on the sofa. "Milim was the one who named Velgaia."

Then, something unexpected happened: a glowing, pure white light suddenly left Rimuru's body, and it entered Velgaia's.

As soon as it left Rimuru's body, he blinked in confusion. "Huh?" He felt a surge of energy return to him, as if he had fully recovered, even after naming what seemed to be a pseudo-true dragon.

"Okay, now that's even stranger." Velgrynd massaged her temple, a deep frown settling on her face as she and Rimuru watched Velgaia with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. The baby dragon was now calmly nestled in Milim's arms.

"Is something wrong?" Milim asked, her innocent eyes wide as she held Gaia protectively.

"No, nothing's wrong, Milim." Rimuru gestured reassuringly, though his brow furrowed in thought. "Why don't you take Vel to the kitchen and get him something to eat?"

Milim puffed her cheeks out, a pout forming on her lips. "Uncle, baby dragons only eat what they hunt. Also, if we're going by nicknames, it would be Gaia!"

Rimuru chuckled, the sound light but full of wonder. His mind was still racing, trying to process everything. What was that? Why did the glowing light go to Velgaia, and why do I feel like I should call him Vel? And... how do I even know it's a he?

"There should be some magical beasts fit for Gaia to hunt," Velgrynd said, observing Rimuru deep in thought. "Ask Rigurd where they're usually spotted."

"Okay!" Milim nodded enthusiastically, cradling Gaia in her arms as she left the office. The broken door still lay on the floor, an unintended casualty of her excitement.

"What was that all about?" Velgrynd asked, turning to face Rimuru.

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure yet," Rimuru replied vaguely, his expression thoughtful. "The other me does things without my knowledge, after all. It was him who did something." He rolled his eyes in mild frustration, his tone light but laced with exasperation.

"So, do you know what he did?" Velgrynd raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, well... at least, I think so," Rimuru shrugged nonchalantly, though there was an uncertain edge to his voice. "Basically, it's..."

......

Months went by and Milim watched as Gaia devoured a horned rabbit. She turned to observe the number of horned rabbits they had hunted. "We should start small, Gaia. The next hunt will be for a cattledeer."

As Gaia finished feeding, Milim looked up at the sky, sensing several strong beings approaching. "Oh! That's a herd of Pegasus, and a tamed Dragon Lord," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she watched them approach.

Rimuru stepped out of the castle to greet the visitors who had arrived in his city. "She should have given me some word before coming," he muttered under his breath.

Nearby, in an open space by the castle, the Pegasus knights landed gracefully, followed by the Dragon Lord, which had been used as transportation.

"Rimuru, I was not informed that she would be here as well," Gazel said, shaking hands with Rimuru. He gestured with his eyes toward the Dragon Lord. "It gave my men quite a shock and kept them on edge the entire time." He sighed, clearly weary from the surprise arrival.

"Oh my, did I inconvenience you, Gazel-chan?" Elmesia's voice rang out from behind him. She walked past him with a mischievous smile, her eyes twinkling as she greeted Rimuru warmly.

Gazel, unfazed by her sudden appearance, didn't seem surprised by how she had snuck up behind him, despite not having seen her leave her transport. He glanced over his shoulder, his expression calm as if this was an everyday occurrence.

"Rimuji, sorry for not contacting you. I wanted to surprise you!" Elmesia chuckled, her playful demeanor clearly visible in her bright eyes and the way she hopped lightly as she approached Rimuru.

"It's fine," Rimuru replied with a smile, his voice warm. He placed his hand on his chin as if thinking. "I can guess why you're here as well. Let's go inside."

Rimuru led the group into a formal room, the spacious and finely decorated interior giving off an air of both comfort and authority. They seated themselves around a large table, polished and gleaming under the light. Elmesia and Gazel sat on either side of Rimuru, who took his usual spot at the head of the table. Behind each of them stood a subordinate—Erald for Elmesia, Dorf for Gazel, and Benimaru for Rimuru.

"So, to give an overview of what we know," Rimuru began, his voice calm but firm, his hands resting on the table as he looked between Elmesia and Gazel. "Gazel here has told me that Falmuth and many of the nations in the west are stockpiling weapons from Dwargon. And all of us have gathered intelligence that the movements of the west are aimed at attacking the forest."

Both Elmesia and Gazel nodded in agreement, their expressions serious as they absorbed Rimuru's words. Elmesia, leaning back in her chair slightly, crossed her arms thoughtfully, while Gazel's brow furrowed in concern.

"I've delayed the orders, but I can't do it forever," Gazel informed Rimuru, his voice steady despite the tension in his shoulders. "What do you plan to do?"

"Do you require my support, Rimu-ji?" Elmesia added, her voice light but carrying a hint of concern. "My nation can officially declare itself an ally, you know?"

Rimuru leaned back in his chair, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Thanks for the support, Elmesia," he said. "Gazel, you don't need to delay them anymore. Just make sure to mark up the prices to get more benefit."

Elmesia giggled at his playful smile, her eyes sparkling. Gazel, on the other hand, exhaled sharply, clearly not amused, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes.

"I can handle the invasion. It's barely a problem, so you don't have to worry about that," Rimuru continued, his tone light and nonchalant. He casually waved his hand, as if dismissing the issue entirely. "That's not why I asked you to come here, Gazel."

Gazel raised an eyebrow, his expression turning serious. He leaned forward slightly, "And that is...?"

"My plan for turning the Falmuth nation into a colonized one," Rimuru said, his tone casual as though discussing something trivial. He shrugged, his smile not fading.

Gazel's eyes widened in shock, and he exchanged a quick glance with his knight behind him. "Do you mean you will conquer Falmuth, Rimuru?"

Rimuru simply shrugged, unbothered by Gazel's reaction. "In a way, yeah," he said, his voice unhurried. "I said 'colonized,' but officially and publicly, I plan on making them into a vassal state."

Elmesia raised an eyebrow, her fingers gently tapping the surface of the table. "Does Rimu-ji plan to make Falmuth a monster nation?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity. "While I don't plan on taking any action, I don't think this would end well for anyone."

Rimuru shook his head lightly, his expression softening. "No, the monsters will stay in the forest. Falmuth will just be a new playgro— A new puppet to control humans," he smiled broadly. "With Falmuth being famous for being the gate to the west, and the only connection to Dwargon, their supply of manufactured dwarven products will halt."

Gazel's brow furrowed deeper, and sweat trickled down his cheek as he leaned back in his chair, clearly troubled. "But my people rely on imports for food. Stopping trade will cause us trouble."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Rimuru waved a hand dismissively, his voice warm and reassuring. "I have a lot of wheat and grain courtesy of Orbic, and fruits and vegetables from Eurazania. And if you want meat and materials, we have magical beasts in the forest."

Elmesia couldn't hold back her laughter, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Rimuru. "Then you will hold control of the west's trade with Dwargon. If they want weapons and other tools made by the dwarves, they'll have to trade with the vassal Falmuth."

Rimuru nodded, laughing along with her. His expression was lighthearted, but there was an unmistakable gleam in his eye that spoke of deeper intentions.

Gazel rubbed his forehead, clearly confused and a bit exasperated. "Rimuru, could I ask why you would do something like this?"

Rimuru tilted his head in mock innocence. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice genuinely puzzled. "Turning Falmuth into a colonized state?"

Gazel nodded, his eyes narrowing as he tried to understand Rimuru's reasoning.

Rimuru smirked and leaned forward slightly. "Ah, that's a simple one. It's because—"

"It's fun!" Elmesia finished for him, her voice full of mirth. "Rimu-ji is doing this just to mess with the west because they plan on invading the forest."

"That's right!" Rimuru said, giving her a thumbs up with a wide grin. "I still don't plan on invading the west since Guy might argue that I'm ruining 'civilization' that still has some time to live or whatever. At best, I'll use Falmuth for, let's say, a hundred years. If I get bored, I'll give it back to the humans."

Gazel sighed, rubbing his temples as the absurdity of the situation weighed on him. The more Rimuru spoke, the more his head throbbed. Gazel wasn't alone in this feeling—he glanced around the room and noticed Erald, who was standing behind Elmesia, trying to maintain his professional poker face. Despite his best efforts, it was clear that even Erald found the current conversation more than a little challenging.

Behind him, Dorf, his own knight, stood equally still but with an aura of visible stress. Gazel could almost feel Dorf's uncertainty; the man had no idea how to react to Rimuru's erratic plans and unpredictable nature. Gazel couldn't help but share the sentiment.

Rimuru, noticing Gazel's distraction, casually continued speaking, his tone unperturbed. "Yeah, I plan on doing it when they attack." His words jerked Gazel back to attention. "That's probably... a couple of months from now at best? I'm not exactly sure yet, but they do have to prepare. While that's done, I'll finish up the routes in the forest that can connect with Dwargon."

The mention of Dwargon caught Gazel's ear, and he straightened in his chair, a spark of interest flashing in his eyes. "Does that mean Rimuru plans to trade with Dwargon right now?"

Rimuru nodded, the casual air around him never wavering. "Yeah, we don't really need money, but there are some convenient things in Dwargon. Plus, we can provide all types of magical beast materials. Not to mention the food we get from Orbic and Eurazania. It'll be beneficial for both sides."

Their conversation continued until nightfall, when they wrapped up and hosted a small banquet for the leaders of the two nations visiting the capital city, Sear.

A/N: So yeah, this Rimuru won't join the council nor does he care about how the human view him.

If the politics and economics don't make sense, just ignore them.