Chapter Text
He looked around. What was this? First he was just chatting with Veldora, then he left the cave and now he was surrounded by soldiers. Didn't Veldora say Slimes weren't seen as a threat?!
Then again, maybe it changed in the last 200 years he'd been sealed away. But from the description he got it was highly unlikely. So why was he encircled? They wore some kind of uniform, so a military force? Now this made even less sense! Why was military present in the first place? And just why were they cornering him?!
"H-hi...?" He tried out his newly acquired voice. Was this volume alright? Did they hear that?
Yeah, they did. Pointing weapons in his harmless visage as a result. He ran. And was caught. Don't blame him, he couldn't just slice humans up!
"Easy!" He shouted "What do you even want from me?!"
"So it really did talk…" One soldier muttered.
The one who caught him brought him up to his face "What are you really? Don't try to deceive us! Are you one of the dragons' underlings?"
What… Veldora's? "No, we're just friends."
The soldiers burst out laughing "Why would the Storm Dragon make friends?"
'So they can deal with assholes like you for him!' Rimuru had a tick-mark on his body "Why should I answer that?"
The one holding him shook his head at the two "Just tell us what you are."
"A slime."
"I meant what you really are."
"A Slime."
"I'm serious."
"So am I!"
Sparks flew between them. Neither backed down.
"There's no way a slime can be as poweful as you, even if it was born from the True Dragons power!"
So that's why they were wary of him. A True Dragons power can enable monsters to spawn.
"Oh yeah?" Rimuru mocked "Seems like you're too dumb to comprehend the reality before you!"
"Why you-!"
"Lieutenant." A stern voice called out, making the humans present jump a bit "Don't you have something better to do? We can't have Veldora beat us again."
The man and the soldiers bowed "Your majesty! My apologies, I was curious about this being and lost sight of our goal. I will proceed again."
"Do that." The man, a king?, looked around "Just get Veldora on our side. You can leave that here."
"But your highness-!"
"I have Velgrynd with me. There is no need to worry. Just fulfill your mission."
"Right away." Glaring at Rimuru one last time, he set him down and left with his forces.
The only ones remaining were the royal and the miss at his side. Besides, get Veldora on their side? Hello? He was sealed!
"You radiate with the Storm Dragon's power." The man noted "What is your name?"
Hoh? "I'm Rimuru Tempest, the slime."
He assessed that he was named with a glance? Impressive! According to Veldora, monsters usually had no names so asking one about their name wasn't normal etiquette.
He laughed "Who would have though? You really are named! This is the first time I see a talking slime. What about you?"
His companion, who he had just addressed, looked surprised "To be honest, I haven't either. It must be a by-product of my brothers energy."
By-product…? What the hell?! "I'm not some energy by-product!" He protested.
"Then what are you?" The lady asked.
He decided to be as rude to her as she was to him "Why would I tell you?"
"Because I asked?" The area around him grew hot. Not that he felt it, he could see it. Alarming was the only way to call it.
Intimidated, he answered "An otherworlder that reincarnated into this world as a monster." Better not get on the bad side of someone who can melt the environment.
"I never heard of that before either." Oh, the man spoke again "But I've seen a lot of strange things."
"You have?"
"Yes, I've lived for a long time."
"You don't look very old though?" Rimuru tilted himself slightly.
"I'm a reincarnator native to this world. I have a lot of things I need to accomplish, so I have no choice but to keep living."
"Accomplish?"
"I made a promise once. I want to fulfill it." He smiled sadly "But I fear I won't hold on much longer…"
"Why? Is it some horrible secret?"
"Not at all. I'm trying to unite the world. But my skill, it's breaking my mind. Give it another hundred years, maybe I'll be gone by then."
To the chagrin of his companion, he laughed "Rudra, you can't be serious! Don't joke like that!"
"Haha, I'm sorry." He smiled at her "But you know I can't do this forever."
"Why are telling him anyway? We don't even know him! Spilling important things like that…"
Well, Rimuru understood her "I won't tell anyone. In fact, I don't even really know who you are and who would believe a slime in the first place?"
"Thank you." Rudra looked happy and knelt down, patting him "You know, something about you reminds me about someone I once knew."
"Really? Who?"
Velgrynd tensed at his next words "My late friend."
He understood that "Can I ask what happened?"
"..." He looked so sad "He was killed. His wife, my sister, with him. Their child probably as well…"
"I'm sorry." He apologized, truly regretting that he asked such a sensitive thing "For asking."
"It's alright. It's never good to bottle things up and at this point I think I've annoyed my trusted friends with this too much already."
"Your Majesty!" Came a shout from within and he rose.
"What is it?"
One of the soldiers appeared around a corner "The seal is still in place. Freeing him at this point is impossible, he also threatened to kill us if we asked him to serve under you again."
"Is that so?" The amusement was hidden under his stern tone "Shall we bring Velgrynd in?"
"Uhm…" The soldier seemed hesitant "About that… he said 'The only one I'm willing to follow around is my best friend! So screw off!'"
Velgrynd raised an eyebrow "His best friend? That child has no friends."
"Well, he mentioned that it was a slime, so..." He looked at Rimuru nervously "That is, probably… that friend…"