Chapter 114 - Bite

"Rimuru-sama, thank you very much." Shizu bowed deeply at the entrance of Ingrassia's capital, carrying her belongings along with the children as they prepared for their journey.

Rimuru smiled warmly, reaching out to pat her head. "Of course, it wasn't that big of a deal. Make sure to return to Sear safely." His smile softened as he recalled when she was first summoned, and their initial meeting. "You've sure grown so much."

Shizu averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing with a hint of embarrassment. "I'm not a kid... I'm already a very old woman," she muttered, feeling self-conscious as Rimuru removed his hand from her head.

"Ah, but you are to me," Rimuru teased, his tone light. He turned to the two demonesses who would be escorting them. "You two, take care of them, alright?"

"Of course, My Lord," Carrera replied with a confident nod.

"We will make sure they arrive safely," Ultima added, her voice firm and reassuring.

Ciel, who had been watching quietly from the side of Rimuru, glanced at the two demonesses. "Make sure to bring them to Ramiris-sama, and give my message to Velgrynd," she instructed, her tone calm but authoritative.

"Yes!" Carrera and Ultima spoke in unison, bowing slightly in acknowledgment.

Yuuki, still standing with them, gave a casual farewell to both his teacher and the children. "Make sure to visit me sometime, okay?"

"Yeah, next time we meet, we'll spar, Yuuki-san!" Kenya shouted, grinning widely.

Alice huffed confidently. "Next time, we won't lose so easily."

Gale and Ryota chuckled at their boasting, while Chloe, in her usual quiet manner, simply smiled softly.

"I'll make sure to see you soon," Rimuru said with a gentle smile. He glanced around. "I'm just going to visit someone who might be getting lonely."

Chloe nodded subtly, her expression softening in understanding.

"Well then, everyone, see you!" Rimuru called, waving as the others began to leave.

After the farewells, the children, Shizu, and the demonesses set off toward the forest. Rimuru, Ciel, and Yuuki remained by the gates of the capital, watching them go.

"Well then, Rimuru-san, I'll be going back to work," Yuuki said, turning toward the city. "Thank you for saving them."

Rimuru nodded in acknowledgment, while Ciel, ever silent, remained at his side. Once Yuuki's figure was far enough away, Rimuru shifted his gaze toward the path ahead. "I like him," he smirked.

Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the castle in Lune, the capital of the Holy Empire Lubelios, a woman with white hair groaned as she lay on a sofa. A half-empty glass of wine rested in her hand, and the bottle stood on a small table nearby.

Hinata sighed as she observed Luminas's appearance. "Luminas-sama, I have something to report."

"What is it? I'm not in the mood for anything right now." Luminas shifted slightly, glancing at Hinata, though she stayed stretched out on the soft sofa.

"The West is preparing for war," Hinata began, pausing for a moment to brace herself for Luminas's reaction. "They plan on attacking the Forest of Jura, and... they're asking us to take the frontlines."

"What?!" Luminas frowned, setting her glass down on the table. She sat up more comfortably. "A war with Rimuru? Are those idiots serious?"

Hinata rubbed her temple. "Yes... but this is supposed to happen, so there's no need to worry about it." She reassured Luminas, even though they were trying to stay as close to the original timeline as possible. Though Rimuru had said it was fine if some things diverged, it still felt precarious.

Luminas grinned at her words. "Ah, right, you did fight with him." She teased, eyes watching Hinata's reaction closely.

"Yes," Hinata replied, keeping her composure, though she silently glared at Luminas. "But that's not the problem. It seems that the Luminaries are acting suspiciously."

Luminas raised an eyebrow. "And this isn't supposed to happen?"

Hinata shook her head. "In the other timeline, the Luminaries died during the war with Demon Lord Dagruel. They were still trying to sabotage me, but not in this instance. This is just the butterfly effect of Rimuru's actions showing its consequences."

"That's not good," Luminas muttered, her brow furrowing as she sank into deep thought. "We don't have a reference for what they'll do now."

"Make sure to keep an eye on them," she added after a moment. "Though frankly, they're not that strong, so I doubt we need to be too worried."

"That's the problem," Hinata said seriously. "I believe Granbell is making his move."

Luminas sank back into the sofa with a sigh. "Ah, so he's finally making his move?"

"He seems to be using the Luminaries as representatives of Luminism for this war," Hinata continued. "They've openly announced 'our' support for it." She emphasized the "our" part, reminding them of the complexity of their situation.

"So, we have to waste our knights on this stupid war?" Luminas's voice was tinged with frustration. "Can't we just make an excuse or something? Or maybe have Rimuru go easy on our knights?"

"That's the best we can do," Hinata agreed. "But casualties are inevitable."

"Then have the incompetent and troublemakers at the very front. Have the useful ones in reserves." Luminas waved her hand dismissively as she suggested the plan.

Just then, she suddenly stood up from the sofa, catching Hinata off guard for a moment. However, Hinata quickly sensed the reason for her sudden movement.

As they both turned, a gate appeared, and Rimuru and Ciel stepped out of it.

"Why there, Lumi—" Before Rimuru could finish his sentence, he was tackled to the ground. Looking up, he found the heterochromatic vampire on top of him. She quickly grabbed his collar and sank her teeth into his neck.

Ciel walked past the two on the floor, casually greeting Hinata, who was watching the scene with one hand on her forehead.

"It's been a while, Lait," Hinata greeted, the two starting to converse as if the chaos around them didn't exist.

"It is a pleasure, but I am no longer Lait," Ciel corrected her. "Due to certain circumstances, I now go by Ciel."

"Oh, sorry," Hinata apologized quickly, but Ciel gestured for her to stop. A small smile graced her lips, signaling that it was fine.

"What's this about a new name?" Luminas, now suddenly standing beside them, asked. "You got a new name?"

"Yes," Ciel replied. "During the fight, I was severely injured and merged my soul with Ein. After that, I recalled my original identity."

As Ciel explained, Hinata glanced to the side and saw Rimuru, now starting to rise, brushing off his clothes. He looked slightly disheveled but otherwise unharmed.

"Am I to guess you came here only to visit?" Hinata asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Rimuru.

Rimuru grinned, stepping closer to her. "What, you don't miss me?" he teased, moving as if to ruffle her hair. "I won't make you any food."

Hinata sneered, swiftly pushing his hand away. "So, what's the real reason?"

"I'm just joking," Rimuru laughed, brushing off her reaction. "Mostly, I'm here just to visit Luminas. The small part is to talk about war preparations and what to do next."

"I see." Luminas nodded in understanding. "Then let's get to it."

"Right, we should talk about the—" Hinata began, but then paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Luminas. "Luminas-sama, where are you dragging him off to?"

Luminas was holding Rimuru by the hand, pulling him away toward a different direction. Hinata had a sinking feeling about where they were going, and though she didn't want to ask, curiosity got the better of her.

"I'm just taking him out to eat," Luminas explained, her tone teasing.

"Out to eat?" Hinata repeated, rolling her eyes. "How long will you be eating?"

Luminas licked her lips, her expression playful. "Until I'm satisfied."

Hinata let out an exasperated breath. She felt a gentle tug on her coat. Turning, she saw Ciel standing next to her, her gaze expectant.

"Leave them be," Ciel suggested. "You can discuss things with me. I'll handle everything for Master."

Hinata sighed, giving in. "Fine." She turned, moving with Ciel toward a more formal setting—her office. Meanwhile, Luminas and Rimuru headed off to a more private location—her bedroom.

As both doors slammed shut, one was filled with strategies for the upcoming battle, while the other echoed with the moans of the ongoing battle in bed.

Hinata sat at her office chair, leaning forward slightly as she clasped her hands on the table, staring at Ciel with sharp focus. Ciel, calm as ever, settled into one of the visitor sofas, her eyes never leaving Hinata as she spoke.

"What plans has he come up with?" Hinata asked, her voice steady but tinged with concern.

Ciel met her gaze and, without a word, created several documents out of thin air. They materialized onto the table with a soft rustle.

"This is the detailed plan I've discussed with Master, with some modifications of my own," Ciel said matter-of-factly, handing over the documents.

Hinata skimmed through a few pages, raising both brows in surprise. "Is this serious?"

"Yes," Ciel replied, her tone unwavering. "The summary is simple: make Falmuth a vassal state as compensation for the war. We will hold the supplies and economy of the West by their necks and take advantage of it all."

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "You know, as a human, and Commander of the Holy Knights, and right hand of God Luminas, I can't have the humans in any real danger."

"And you won't have to worry about that," Ciel assured her. "This isn't about endangering humans. It's a very aggressive way to harass them. Master sees it not as a ploy to destroy humans, but as a joke—one that will leave them needing to trade with him through Falmuth."

Hinata leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temple. "But what makes you think they won't just wage war again, in the name of saving Falmuth from the Demon of the Forest?"

Ciel gave a small, knowing smile. "Where will they get the weapons, supplies, and soldiers they need? They'll waste their resources on this current war. And with the East Empire always looming around, they need to hold some reserves for self-preservation."

Hinata fell silent. Those words lingered in the air, the weight of them settling over her.

War was expensive—both in terms of supplies and soldiers. Resources were finite, no matter how much they tried to frame it as a holy war or revenge against monsters. Without the necessary logistics, such a war was a losing battle.

The moment those in charge realized they stood to lose more by attacking Rimuru than by negotiating with him, they would stop trying to brute-force their way through.

"I still can't believe you'll do this to the West, just to harass them..." Hinata muttered under her breath, a touch of frustration in her voice. "Can't you just make them compensate or wipe out the army?"

Ciel's smile softened, but there was a coldness to it that made Hinata uneasy. "This is only normal. Anyone who dares to disrespect Master, or even attempt to harm him, should suffer the consequences."

Hinata stared at her for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "...I see."

Seeing that Hinata had no more to say, Ciel continued, her expression shifting to something more serious. "Now that that's over, I have a few things I would like to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Hinata asked, her curiosity piqued. It was rare for Lait, now Ciel, to speak to her like this—especially outside of formal matters.

Ciel leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering. "Due to the differences in the old timeline and this one, I've been looking into several changes. I need your help to investigate some of them."

Hinata tilted her head. "Close to me?"

"Yes," Ciel confirmed. "Granbell Rosso, Mariebell Rosso, Yuuki Kagurazaka, Merchant Dam, and the Luminaries, though the last part is not of much importance." She began to list the names, her voice steady but purposeful.

Hinata's brow furrowed as she absorbed the information. "What do you need to know?"

"Where they are, what their goals are—even the false ones," Ciel continued, her gaze locking with Hinata's. "Who they're aligned with, who acts suspiciously, who acts friendly, who knows who, and finally, do any of them interact with the East?"

It had been more than two days since then, and she now stood in front of Luminas' room. With her were Louis and Ciel as they discussed their plan to knock on the door.

Personally, Hinata didn't want to enter or even know what the two had been doing for the last two whole days. She didn't even want to catch a glimpse if the door had ever been open.

Hinata sighed, rubbing her face with her hand. "Well then, I'll knock—wait, Ciel, don't—AHH!!"

Hinata's panic was clear as Ciel didn't wait for permission and forcefully opened the door. The fact that the door was locked, reinforced, or even had a barrier installed didn't matter; Ciel simply dispelled everything in her way.

Hinata screamed as she caught a glimpse inside the room.

Luminas was lying on top of Rimuru, her fangs sunk into his neck as the two were covered by nothing but a thin blanket.

Hearing her scream and the door swinging open, Luminas reluctantly removed her fangs from Rimuru's neck, licking the spot as she sat down on his chest. She stared at the people standing at the door.

The blanket slid down to her waist, revealing her bare back. Her expression was one of pure bliss at first, but it quickly morphed into an angry frown. "What is it?" Her voice was laced with pure wrath, clearly irritated at being disturbed.

"That is uhm..." Hinata stuttered, her face flushing as she quickly raised her hand to cover her eyes. "I... I don't—"

"Master," Ciel interrupted, her tone matter-of-fact, "It's been two days. We still have many things to do at home."

Rimuru, raising his body from the bed, glanced over at Ciel. "Ah, yeah, I think we got carried away," he said with a light chuckle, placing a hand on Luminas' cheek.

"Are you leaving?" Luminas asked, her voice turning soft, tinged with sadness.

Rimuru smiled at her, though there was a playful edge to his tone. "Ciel, could you give me a little more time? I'll get up soon."

"Of course." Ciel nodded, stepping back and closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Hinata and Louise both sighed in unison.

"Well, that sight is going to scar me forever," Hinata muttered, slumping her shoulders. She quickly turned on her heel, heading down the hall. "I'm going to my room. Just tell me when they're finished."

It would be about a month before Ciel could forcibly separate Rimuru and Luminas. Even with the help of Hinata, Louise, and Roy, it took considerable effort.