Inside the primary reception room of the Jura-Tempest Federation, the atmospheric pressure felt as though it had instantly plummeted to the bottom of the ocean. Rimuru Tempest, sitting firmly in his humanized form, was currently enduring a state of pure, unadulterated internal panic. His outer expression was a frozen mask of polite compliance, but beneath the surface, his thoughts were screaming at a volume that could shatter glass.
'Are you absolutely kidding me right now?!' Rimuru thought, his mental voice cracking under the sheer weight of the realization. 'That is her. That is explicitly her! The absolute ruler of the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion!'
Rimuru vividly recalled a private conversation he had shared with King Gazel Dwyer not too long ago. The stoic Hero-King of the Armed Nation of Dwargon had possessed an incredibly grim, unyielding expression when he leaned forward and delivered a strict warning.
"Listen to me very carefully, Rimuru," Gazel had rumbled, his voice dropping to a cautious whisper. "The Western Nations are filled with ambitious rulers, but there is one entity you must absolute avoid crossing at all costs. The High Elf, Empress Elmesia El Ru Sarion. She may project the youthful elegance of a maiden, but her political acuity, historical leverage, and raw hidden power are ancient, calculated, and utterly terrifying. If you ever find yourself in her sights without proper diplomatic armor, you are already dead."
And right now, that exact legendary entity was standing directly in the center of his tatami-matted reception room.
However, Empress Elmesia was not currently paying an ounce of attention to the trembling slime leader. Her piercing, silver-green eyes were locked entirely onto Loki, shooting absolute daggers of imperial fury that would have driven an ordinary man to his knees. Her long, elegant robes fluttered slightly from the residual magical energy of her sudden displacement.
"Loki!" Elmesia snapped, her refined voice losing its diplomatic calm as she crossed her arms tightly. "What in the heavens possesses you to abruptly warp me across space-time without so much as a formal notification?! You cannot simply utilize your spatial privileges to abduct a sovereign ruler whenever the whim strikes your chaotic mind!"
Loki merely let out a boisterous, completely unbothered laugh, waving his hand lazily in the air as if dismissing a minor complaint about the weather. "Oh, come on, Elmesia, don't be so incredibly serious all the time. Live a little! You looked thoroughly exhausted by those endless stacks of parchment anyway. Consider this a highly exclusive, spontaneous vacation. A little change of scenery does wonders for the immortal soul."
Rimuru's jaw practically unhinged inside his mind. He stared at Loki with a look of profound, existential horror.
'Is this guy completely insane?!' Rimuru shrieked internally, his slime core shivering. 'He just casually abducted the Empress of a global superpower, and now he is talking to her like she is a college roommate who accidentally borrowed his favorite sweater! How is he still breathing?!'
Elmesia let out a long, aristocratic sigh, running a slender hand over her temples to stave off an impending headache. Realizing that attempting to lecture a walking natural disaster like Loki on proper international protocol was an entirely futile endeavor, she forcefully regained her composure. She smoothed down the front of her immaculate dress, glided over toward one of the plush, low-profile sofas arranged in the center of the room, and sat down with absolute grace.
Once seated, she turned her sharp, calculating gaze directly onto Rimuru.
Rimuru instantly stiffened, his physical body breaking into a cold sweat. He scrambled to find his words, bowing his head as politely as his small frame allowed. "Y-Your Imperial Majesty! Please accept my humblest apologies for this incredibly chaotic welcome! I swear upon my name as the leader of this country, I had absolutely no prior knowledge that you would be arriving in Arashi today! If I had known, we would have prepared a grand royal procession!"
Elmesia looked at him for a long, silent moment, her intense gaze gradually softening into a look of dry, weary amusement. She waved her hand dismissively. "Relax, Rimuru. I am well aware of Loki's incredibly impulsive tendencies. To be entirely frank with you, I did not know I would be coming here today either."
Before Rimuru could let out a breath of relief, Elmesia's eyes drifted down toward the low table situated between the sofas. Her gaze landed directly on a plate containing a strange, undulating purple substance that seemed to actively defy several fundamental laws of physics and organic chemistry.
She tilted her head, her nose wrinkling slightly. "Tell me... what exactly is that peculiar substance in front of you?"
Before Rimuru could formulate a diplomatic excuse to grab the plate and hurl it out the window. Shion stepped forward with a radiant, incredibly proud smile plastered across her face, her violet hair swaying as she gestured grandly toward the table.
"Ah! Your Imperial Majesty!" Shion beamed, her voice booming with absolute confidence. "This is my latest, highly refined culinary masterpiece! I spent hours in the kitchen perfecting the texture, temperature, and nutritional balance just for Rimuru-sama! Since we have an esteemed guest, I highly insist that you take the first bite and experience my cooking!"
Rimuru's entire life flash before his eyes. The Great Sage had not even begun to calculate the political fallout before Rimuru's survival instincts completely overrode his cognitive functions. If the Empress of the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion was accidentally assassinated by a single bite of Shion's lethal cooking, it would trigger an instantaneous, catastrophic world war.
In a blind panic driven by pure adrenaline, Rimuru lunged across the table with terrifying speed. He snatched the plate from the table, spun around, and violently shoved the entire undulating purple mass directly into the wide-open mouth of Gobta, who happened to be standing nearby.
Gobta's eyes instantly bulged out of his skull. A terrible, pathetic croak escaped his throat as his green skin turned a distinct shade of dark blue. He collapsed face-first onto the tatami mat, his limbs twitching violently in rhythmic intervals.
Right on cue, a familiar, mechanical voice echoed within Rimuru's consciousness.
[Notice: Individual Gobta has successfully endured the lethal toxin. Evolved skill acquired: Poison Resistance.]
'Thank goodness, he survived!' Rimuru thought, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, completely ignoring the fact that he had just used his subordinate as a biological shield.
Elmesia looked absolutely horrified. Her imperial poise cracked completely as she stared at the twitching green goblin on the floor, her face turning a slight shade of pale. "What... what in the world did I just witness?"
Shion, completely missing the life-saving nature of Rimuru's desperate intervention, clenched her fists tightly. Her face flushed with absolute anger as she bellowed at her master. "Rimuru-sama! How could you be so incredibly greedy and thoughtless?! You didn't leave a single, solitary bite for our royal guest to try! It is alright, Your Majesty, do not worry, I shall immediately march back into the kitchen and prepare a triple portion of my special stew just for you!"
Rimuru looked utterly horrified, his mind screaming for a savior. "Wait, Shion, no, there's really no need to—"
"There is absolutely no need for that, Shion."
A calm, serene voice cut through the panic. Shuna stepped gracefully into the room, carrying a tray of pristine, beautifully arranged tea sweets. Her gentle smile carried an unshakeable authority that instantly halted Shion in her tracks.
"As the head of the domestic affairs, I shall personally oversee the preparation of a proper, multi-course royal luncheon for the Empress," Shuna said, her eyes narrowing slightly with a subtle, terrifying warning directed at her Lords secretary. "Shion, your primary duty is to remain right here and ensure Rimuru-sama's absolute protection. You must not leave his side under any circumstances."
Shion blinked, her sense of military duty instantly triggered. "Ah! Yes, of course! You can count on me, Shuna! Leave Rimuru-sama's safety to me!"
Shuna offered a graceful, perfect bow to Elmesia. "Please forgive the brief commotion, Your Majesty. I shall return shortly with suitable refreshments." With the aura of a true saint who had just averted a global chemical disaster, Shuna swiftly exited the room.
With the immediate culinary threat successfully neutralized, Elmesia let out another soft breath, attempting to realign her shattered dignity. She turned her focus back toward Rimuru, her eyes instantly sharpening into the calculated, brilliant gaze of a true monarch.
"Now then, Rimuru Arashi," Elmesia began, her voice dripping with professional gravity. "I originally intended for our very first interaction to be a highly structured, official diplomatic meeting through proper channels. I had fully hoped to discuss the long-term prospects and strategic alignment of your nation under standard protocols..."
She paused mid-sentence, her left eyelid twitching violently as she glared over Rimuru's shoulder.
Loki was completely and utterly detached from the reality of the room. He had sprawled himself out horizontally across a long wooden bench in the corner, his heavy boots dangling carelessly off the edge. He was entirely buried in a bound volume of paper, completely ignoring the geopolitical discussion. The volume had been pulled from a massive, meticulously organized stack tucked away in the corner. Stacks of modern entertainment manga that Rimuru had personally recreated using his past-life memories to keep a certain ancient entity occupied.
Elmesia took a deep, stabilizing breath, forcefully forcing herself to ignore the lounging deity as she focused entirely on the slime leader.
"Tell me, Rimuru," Elmesia questioned, leaning forward slightly. "What exactly are your true plans regarding this monster country? You have rapidly established a functioning society, secured advanced infrastructure, and centralized power within the Great Jura Forest. Where do you see your nation standing on the global stage?"
Rimuru felt the immense psychological pressure settling over his shoulders. He knew Gazel's warnings were not an exaggeration. Elmesia wasn't just asking out of idle curiosity; she was testing his core philosophy. If he gave the wrong answer here. If he sounded too aggressively expansionist, too hopelessly naive, or too politically ambitious, it could spell immediate political doom for Arashi and the international standing of the Federation.
He took a deep breath, straightening his posture, and spoke with absolute, genuine sincerity. He explained his ultimate dream of creating a global haven where monsters and humans could coexist side-by-side, sharing advanced technology, rich cultural exchange, and mutual trade routes without the constant fear of persecution or racial warfare. He detailed his plans for open borders and fair economic partnerships with the Western Nations.
Elmesia listened intently to every single word, her sharp eyes dissecting his speech for any hidden malice or deceit. Finding none, a soft, genuine smile finally graced her elegant features.
"A truly fascinating and profoundly admirable vision," Elmesia complimented, her tone sincere. "You speak with a level of rare honesty that is virtually non-existent among the human rulers of the Council. It is quite refreshing."
Then, her expression took a slightly complex, weary turn. She sighed softly, resting her porcelain chin against the palm of her hand as she glanced back toward the corner of the room.
"To be completely transparent with you... I would highly prefer it if Loki did not go around actively trying to turn you into a Demon Lord," Elmesia stated dryly. "The sheer geopolitical headache and international panic such an event will trigger among the Western Nations will be monstrous to manage. But..." She watched Loki snicker quietly at a particular manga panel. "...if someone of your specific temperament and peaceful philosophy were to occupy such an influential seat, I suppose I wouldn't mind it terribly. Besides, it is not as though I possess the physical capability to stop Loki from doing whatever he pleases in the first place."
Rimuru's brain completely stalled out. His eyes widened into massive dinner plates, and his jaw dropped slightly as he stared at her in pure, unadulterated bewilderment.
"Demon Lord?" Rimuru stammered, his voice squeaking. "Me?! Wait a minute, what exactly are you talking about?! I'm just a normal slime!"
Before Rimuru could press the Empress for an explanation regarding his alleged career path, the heavy wooden doors of the reception room were violently slammed open with a loud bang.
Veldora stormed into the room with his signature boisterous energy, his massive frame completely hunched over a manga volume held a mere two inches from his face. He didn't even look at the occupants of the room as he began to shout dramatically.
"Rimuru!" Veldora bellowed, his voice rattling the pristine tea sweets on the table. "I have completely finished the final chapter of this specific volume! The narrative pacing of this 'Wano' arc is extraordinary, but the cliffhanger involving the main protagonist is completely unacceptable! Where have you hidden the next installment?! Do not keep the great Veldora waiting!"
Loki's ears perked up instantly at the booming voice. He tossed his current book into the air, sprang off the wooden bench with incredible athletic grace, and yelled out excitedly.
"Veldora!" Loki shouted, a massive, charismatic grin breaking across his face.
Veldora looked up from his book, his draconic eyes lighting up with unholy glee as he spotted his companion. "Loki! My glorious partner in literary appreciation!"
The two walking natural disasters immediately sprinted toward the center of the room, crashing into a massive, boisterous hug that caused the very foundations of the reception hall to rumble ominously. Loki clapped the dragon heavily on his back, laughing wildly. "What masterpiece are you currently indulging in, my friend?"
Veldora puffed out his chest proudly, holding the bound papers high into the air like a sacred relic. "One Piece! The epic journey of the future pirate king is truly magnificent! The concept of the Gum-Gum fruit is ingenious!"
Across the room, Empress Elmesia had frozen entirely in her seat.
The remaining color had completely and utterly drained from her face. Her immaculate imperial poise shattered into a million pieces as her analytical brain experienced a total, catastrophic short-circuit. Her gaze slowly drifted back and forth across the room like a broken metronome.
She looked at Rimuru.
She looked at Veldora, who was currently laughing maniacally alongside Loki.
She looked back at Rimuru.
Her lips trembled slightly, her composure entirely gone as she leaned forward across the low table. Her voice dropped into a soft, incredibly fragile whisper that sounded as though it were on the verge of breaking.
"Veldora..." Elmesia whispered, her eyes wide with existential dread. "Rimuru... what exactly are the mathematical, realistic chances that the individual standing over there is the actual, historical Storm Dragon?"
Rimuru slowly turned his head toward her. His face had transformed into a completely flat, deadpan mask of absolute, soul-crushing exhaustion as he stared back at her blankly.
"100%," Rimuru said.
---
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