"......"
"...Ahem."
"......You hit... a [Demon Lord]'s envoy...?"
At the very heart of [Tempest], inside Rimuruber's assembly hall.
While checking the potions in the Sealed Cave, Rimuru had heard the brief sound of an explosion from the plaza. She immediately left the envoys from [Eurazania] in the care of the [Kijin] for the moment, then summoned Adelio and Milim.
Milim having the childish personality unbefitting a [Demon Lord] was one thing, but hearing that Adelio had personally gotten into a fight when he normally never stepped in unless it was something serious—that was both unexpected and shocking to her.
"...What exactly happened?"
When Rimuru finally asked the two of them, Milim quietly pointed at Adelio with the eyes of a puppy looking at its owner, and he closed his eyes with a bitter smile.
"It was nothing much. Those so-called envoys had no manners and started running wild, so I just disciplined them a little. It was perfectly justified self-defense."
To begin with, he had held back, and it had been the other side who attacked first after openly provoking him, so there was no real issue with it—at least, not from Adelio's point of view.
"......That feels like a very heavily abridged version..."
Naturally, Rimuru didn't seem inclined to accept Adelio's explanation so easily, but soon she let out a sigh as if she had no choice.
"...Well, since the envoys are the priority right now, I won't dig any deeper for the moment."
Pointing toward the guest room where Phobio and the [Three Beastketeers] were waiting, Rimuru continued.
"Instead, Milim, wait quietly in the next room until the conversation is over. Adelio, help me persuade those envoys. You can both manage that much, right?"
"Mm! I shall wait quietly!"
With instincts bordering on animal intuition, Milim had judged that it would be best not to involve herself in the current situation if at all possible, so she eagerly agreed with Rimuru.
"I was going to help even if you hadn't asked."
Adelio, too, perhaps aware that he had responded a little too aggressively, simply nodded without complaint.
Thanks to Adelio and Milim's cooperative attitude, Rimuru had thought things might go a little more smoothly. But a short while later, when she began the meeting with the envoys and revealed her true form...
"Ha... to think the master of this village would be such a lowly slime."
...the moment she heard Phobio's first words, she had no choice but to realize it.
Not only that this meeting would never proceed easily, but also exactly why even Adelio had resorted to provocation and fists.
"......"
"...How insolent."
"A mere [lycanthropes] dares..."
Naturally, the [Kijin] standing behind Rimuru and Adelio showed their anger at Phobio's attitude. Shion, Benimaru, and Souei in particular were barely suppressing the killing intent that made it seem as though their hands might reach for their swords at any moment.
"......"
"You call me lowly, but I'm stronger than you."
However, perhaps because of the [Kijin]'s furious bloodlust, Rimuru became calmer instead of angrier despite the provocation, and answered Phobio lightly.
"I know nothing about the [Demon Lord] Carrion, and depending on your attitude, we could become your enemies. So I guess you're planning to turn this entire Jura Great Forest against you?"
No matter that Carrion was one of the [Ten Great Demon Lords], as long as he had not surpassed the limits of a Demon Lord Seed, [Eurazania] had less than even odds of defeating [Tempest] in a war.
Especially in the current situation, with Milim and Adelio both watching closely.
Rimuru understood that point even better than Phobio did, so there was no need for her to handle him delicately.
"......Tch. You're awfully full of yourself for someone who just happened to luck into the protection of Lady Milim and the [Grand Duke of the Underworld]."
Of course, as one of a [Demon Lord]'s close aides, Phobio still had no intention of lowering his nose. Looking down on Rimuru, he tried somehow to seize the initiative in the conversation—but then—
Rumble...!
"...Ugh?!"
"[Black Leopard Fang]. Stop trying your pointless tricks and state your business already."
—the instant Adelio barked that out while releasing [Demon Lord's Haki], Phobio lowered his head at once.
Adelio had suppressed the aura enough that, to his own senses, it was only a slightly stronger threat. But to Phobio, a [lycanthropes] with sharpened senses, it felt powerful enough to rival his master Carrion's.
"......W-we... came here under Lord C-Carrion's orders... to scout those mysterious monsters as subordinates...!"
"...Hmm."
In the end, unable to withstand the pressure, Phobio gave the reason for their visit in a completely drained voice and then stood there motionless, like a stone statue. Rimuru, who had listened quietly, turned her gaze to Adelio.
"It sounds like this [Demon Lord] Carrion, just like Milim, saw us fighting the [Orc Lord] too... So what do you think we should do?"
What Rimuru meant was the treatment of Phobio and the [Three Beastketeers] who had come with him.
If Carrion, unlike Milim, was a [Demon Lord] who intended to stand against them, then it might be better to detain them here. Since Adelio would know him well, she left the choice to him.
"Hmm... if you ask me..."
"......"
After being given the choice, Adelio swept his eyes once over Phobio and the [Three Beastketeers], whose tension was obvious in the air, then met the gaze of Phobio, who had slowly begun to raise his head again.
"...!!"
And then—
"...For now, I think it's better to just let them go."
—he said there was no need to take them prisoner, a faint smile touching his lips.
But at that final moment, his eyes as he looked at Phobio... unlike that smile, were cold enough that not even the slightest trace of warmth could be found in them.
As if warning him that if something like this happened again, he should not expect to get off this easily next time.
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