Prompted by Gazel, Rimuru hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the [Kijin] and the [Goblin]s before speaking.
"Of course. We'll support them."
She gave the same answer he had hoped for.
'Whether Adelio really is a demon or not, the path we should aim for doesn't change at all.'
The road Rimuru wanted was one where humans and monsters could live together, and Adelio being a demon did nothing to change that.
If anything, it only made it easier to align Adelio's plan with the future Rimuru wanted.
"Sure, Adelio and Ria's true identities were a little shocking... but I still trust the two of them."
Ria had been someone she was wary of at first, but after spending time together, she had grown attached to her. And Adelio had been helping them from the very first time they met. For demons, the two of them were far kinder and more trustworthy than most of humanity.
"You all don't object either, right?"
Rimuru turned and asked the monsters.
"Yes, of course."
"They both sincerely helped us, so I don't think their race really matters."
"I agree with Rimuru too!"
Unlike the knights of [Dwargo], the [Kijin] and [Goblin]s, who believed only what they had seen with their own eyes, voiced their approval through Benimaru, Shuna, and Rigurdo, each speaking as a representative.
Even if Adelio and Ria had some other reason for saving them, the fact that they had saved them would never change.
"Hm."
Watching that, Gazel murmured, "A wise decision," then brought the conversation back on track.
"Then let us confirm it here and now. Rimuru, are you prepared to shoulder Sir Adelio and Sir Ria—Ruber, the [Grand Duke of the Underworld], and [Blanc], one of the [Primordial Demons]—and found a nation of monsters in this great forest?"
"Y-Yeah. Of course."
Startled by Gazel's solemn voice, Rimuru stumbled over her words for a moment, but soon nodded as if nothing were wrong.
"Good. For now, as the king of a nation, that resolve is enough. Now tell us your country's name."
"...C-country's name? Th-that's..."
She had gotten through the first question, but the second left Rimuru speechless as she frantically started trying to come up with a national name in her head.
"[Jura Tempest Federation]. For short, the Monster Federation—[Tempest]."
At her side, Adelio, who had been quietly smiling, answered in her place.
"It's a federation because various monsters and human powers will be tied together, and you told me before that you wanted to take the name [Tempest] from your surname. Right?"
"Uh... r-right! I did say that...!"
Rimuru, who had never even dreamed that she would become the ruler of a nation, naturally had no memory of ever telling Adelio anything like the country's name. But she was so flustered that she reflexively agreed with him.
"Ho... [Jura Tempest Federation], hm."
"It's a fine name."
"As expected of Rimuru!"
It had been a name blurted out on the spot, but fortunately Gazel and the monsters reacted well to it. Finally able to breathe again, Rimuru kept a calm smile on her face while firing off [Thought Communication] at Adelio.
<Whew... Thanks for helping me. I almost stumbled over my words again...>
Rimuru thanked him, saying he had really saved her there.
Still smiling as he looked at her, Adelio gave a tiny shake of his head, small enough that no one around them would notice.
'Think of it as a reward for trusting me. No need to thank me.'
Adelio had always been sure that generous by nature, Rimuru would still trust him even after learning his true identity. But seeing that she hadn't voiced even the slightest complaint toward him, he felt genuinely grateful and sent her another [Thought Communication].
'I'll repay this favor properly, even if I have to stake my name on it.'
Even if they were both reincarnated people from the same world, it was hard to completely trust someone in this world, where even their values were entirely different, based on nothing more than a reason and a few acts of help.
But Rimuru had trusted Adelio from the very beginning, even if she had received a little help along the way, and he believed it was only right to repay that faith.
<...R-Really?>
There was, however, one thing Adelio had overlooked...
<Then... can you repay it right now?>
...namely, that the Rimuru standing before him now had a personality that was similar to the one from the novel, but different in just as many ways.
'Uh... I don't mind, but what exactly do you want...?'
<......>
Sensing the thick anticipation in Rimuru's [Thought Communication], Adelio felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
But by then, it was already too late.
...
"Then! To match the national name [Tempest], let's call this village 'Rimuru'—"
"Wait!"
While Adelio and Rimuru had been talking through [Thought Communication], the monsters had been deciding on the name of the village that would become the capital of [Tempest].
The instant Rigurdo was about to name the village "Rimuru," she cut off the [Thought Communication] and jumped in.
"Since this country stands for harmony between monsters and humanity, wouldn't it be better to mix two names together instead of using just mine...?!"
In truth, Rimuru had been listening to the monsters' conversation the whole time she was speaking with Adelio through [Thought Communication]. The moment she realized her own name was about to be used for the capital, she demanded Adelio repay his debt partly to at least get the second-best outcome—
"For example... a name like 'Rimuruber'!"
—and partly to satisfy her own very personal desires.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register