"A [Demon Lord] is boring... [Demon Lord]s are boring... boring, boring..."
"......"
Maybe Rimuru's counter had hit too hard, because Milim's mood had crashed straight into the ground. Even after Adelio gave her permission to enter the village, she kept muttering to herself that [Demon Lord]s were boring.
"...Hey, Adelio, is she really going to be okay...?"
Walking a short distance away from Milim, Rimuru let out a low groan as she watched the gloomy aura pouring off her.
Adelio had said not to worry because she'd be back to normal soon, but given who they were dealing with, it was hard not to worry.
On top of that, Milim looked much younger than Rimuru did. That made her feel a little guilty too.
"Well, just wait a little longer. She'll snap out of it soon enough, even if something has to force her back."
Unlike Rimuru, Adelio kept a perfectly calm face as he said that with a small shrug.
"I hope so..."
She had no idea what he was thinking, but Rimuru could tell there was real certainty in his answer, so she quietly nodded.
......
A few minutes later, Adelio, Rimuru, and the rest finally reached the village, where they were met by the other monsters waiting for them at the entrance.
Gabiru and Souka, along with the [dragonewts], Vester, and even Kaijin.
"Lord Adelio! Lord Rimuru!"
Gabiru stepped forward as their representative, his eyes shining as he looked at Adelio and Rimuru—
"Welcome ba... huh? Who's this little br—"
"—!!"
KABOOOM!!
Milim's fist shot forward at the speed of sound and smashed straight into Gabiru's face.
"Kyaaaagh?!"
Boom! Crash! Rumble!
Thankfully, it looked like she had pulled her strength before it landed cleanly. Even so, her fist—belonging to someone who stood at the absolute peak of martial combat alongside Guy—sent Gabiru flying all the way to the center of the village in an instant.
"Who are you calling a little brat? Do you want to die?"
Milim strode over to Gabiru, who was planted headfirst in the ground, completely ignoring everyone else's stares. There wasn't even a trace of the gloomy aura she'd had a moment ago.
"......"
"...Adelio, when you said she'd come back even if she had to be forced... did you mean this...?"
"Half and half, I suppose. In the end, the gloomy aura's gone."
It had been a somewhat violent method, but Adelio had already expected Milim to hold back to some extent. Turning his gaze away, he added that maybe this would teach Gabiru to be a little more careful.
"Milim, no rampaging inside the village. That's enough—let it go."
"...Hmph! Since Rio is asking, I'll let it slide this one time!"
Milim glared at Gabiru as he received a healing potion from Rimuru, then shut her eyes and turned her head with a snort.
And in the meantime, Gabiru recovered and came back to his senses. Shaking his head, he muttered in a low voice, "...U-ugh... for a moment, I saw my father waving at me from beyond the river of the dead..."
"...Your father is still alive, you know?"
Rimuru stared at Gabiru in disbelief as he spoke as though Abiru, the leader of the [Lizardmen], were already dead. Then she looked around at the monsters who had gathered because of the huge impact and let out a short sigh.
"I was going to introduce her slowly so nobody would panic, but at this point I guess I have to do it now..."
*
A short while later, after gathering all the monsters who still hadn't heard about Milim, Rimuru stood on a temporary wooden platform with Adelio and Milim beside her.
"Everyone, I'd like to introduce a new companion. She's a guest for now, but her status is a little special, so I'd like you all to treat her with as much respect as possible."
Rimuru gave an awkward smile, pointed to Milim, and stepped back. Milim, now fully back to normal and wearing the bright grin that suited her personality, shouted in a loud voice,
"My name is Milim Nava! I look forward to being with all of you!"
Milim's introduction was simple and direct, without any pointless ceremony—just her name. But the moment the monsters heard it, ripples of shock spread through the crowd.
"A [Demon Lord]...?!"
"Ooh... this is our first time beholding your august presence!"
"...To think you're close enough with Lady Milim, the one called the tyrant... With this, [Tempest] will know nothing but peace and prosperity...!!"
Before long, the monsters reacted even more strongly than the [Kijin] and Shizue had before, raising their hands over their heads in excitement. Milim's smile only deepened.
"I am Adelio and Rimuru's best friend, so if anything happens, just leave it to me!"
Even though they still hadn't talked all that much, Milim had already decided to treat Rimuru the same way she treated Adelio—as her best friend—and declared it proudly.
At the same time, the monsters' eyes filled with amazement.
"Oooooooooh!!!"
If she were an enemy, a [Demon Lord] like Milim would be the worst possible opponent. But as an ally, there was hardly anyone more reassuring. Since she had personally introduced herself as their best friend, it was only natural that the monsters' reaction turned fervent.
......Of course,
"...Huh?! B-best friend?? Just like that, all of a sudden?!"
for Rimuru, it was nothing but another bewildering declaration.
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