The Incoming Disaster

The two Primordials had to admit the bodies Rimuru had offered were a perfect fit. Blanc, who had spent countless years crafting an ideal vessel in the past, found this new body rivaled even that of her old friend in its suitability for her.

Both Blanc and Noir knelt, their voices harmonizing as they pledged themselves.

"We are at your service, our Lord."

Smiling, he motioned for the two of them to stand up.

"Now, how about we get to know each other? I have a few plans in mind, but I want to see what the best way to use your talents will be."

Using Spatial Motion, he moved all of them into Tempest, where Blanc got her first proper look at the city of "Monsters." The bustling streets, filled with a diverse array of creatures working in harmony, was a sight to behold.

"Welcome to Tempest." Rimuru said with a chuckle as he saw Blanc taking in the sights. Noir was already all too familiar with them, so he only nodded and smiled as he followed Rimuru.

Blanc observed the scene, impressed despite herself. The organization and unity among such a varied population were remarkable. 

"You've built quite a place here." She admitted, her voice carrying a hint of admiration.

"This is just the beginning. In a few months, this place will look entirely different. Who knows, maybe in a year, you'll be too attached to Tempest to leave?" Rimuru joked, drawing a smile from her.

"We will see…" Blanc replied, playing along as she began to follow him.

Her eyes carefully analyzed everything around them, searching for flaws. Yet, even with her high standards, there weren't many. Suddenly, she froze as she saw a young Kijin girl run up to them. The girl had pure white hair, slightly pale skin, and crimson eyes, an albino Kijin.

The young girl beamed as she approached Rimuru, showing him her basket full of fruit and vegetables. She was the same girl who liked to give him some of the crops her parents farmed whenever she saw him.

"Lord Rimuru! You wouldn't believe the plant that Mr. Emiya created! It's awesome! It looks like a potato but tastes sweet, like strawberries! Do you want to try it?" She offered with a bright smile, causing Blanc to take a few steps back in surprise.

"Ah, thank you, Blanchette. I've been meaning to check on his progress. I'm not supposed to spoil this, but Emiya actually has a couple more surprises ready. I'll make sure you and your parents get the first try at the new plants." Rimuru smiled as he ruffled her hair, causing her to giggle.

Blanc couldn't help but tremble slightly upon hearing her name, but before anyone could notice, she straightened up and faked her usual smile, though her eyes looked warmer as she gazed at the young girl.

"Ah, you too, Miss! Here, have a try!" Blanchette beamed, offering Blanc a piece of the fruit before running to Noir and offering him one as well.

After giving them the potatoes, Blanchette skipped away, joyfully passing fruits and vegetables to her friends.

"Is something wrong, Blanc?" Rimuru asked, noticing her lost in thought.

"No, it's nothing." She replied quickly.

The rest of the tour around Tempest continued smoothly, with countless residents greeting them with smiles. After about an hour, the trio returned to Rimuru's office, where Souei awaited with a few reports in hand.

"Lord Rimuru, all the preparations are ready. I have the reports you needed on the best ways to infiltrate Jistav and Falmuth."

"Ah, perfect timing." Rimuru smiled as he closed the door behind them.

— — —

Falmuth thrived on trade, strategically positioned as the bridge connecting the West to Dwargon, the trading superpower. The Forest of Jura was too dangerous for most traders, allowing Falmuth to impose high taxes without much resistance. 

Merchants preferred paying the toll rather than risking their lives or hiring expensive guards to traverse the forest, home to Veldora, the Storm Dragon. Or rather, his prison.

The Storm Dragon was a menace that terrorized the world back when he was free, so when the Hero had sealed him away in the Forest of Jura, the entire world collectively agreed that they would not enter the forest in fear of accidentally breaking the seal. However, from the news, the dragon had passed away. His aura all but vanished in the forest.

This disappearance unsettled the world, as many feared Veldora's resurrection was imminent. Yet, nearly a year had passed without any sign of the dragon. Instead, news of a new Kingdom of Monsters, Tempest, emerging in the forest spread. Though still the size of a city, Tempest's growing influence worried many.

"Our King, we should exterminate them while we have the chance. If we delay, the consequences for our economy could be severe." Urged one noble.

King Edmaris of Falmuth winced as he read the reports. A road was being constructed between Dwargon and Blummund through the Forest of Jura, boosting Blummund's trade while Falmuth lagged behind.

He began to look around the room as the countless nobles began to voice their concerns. It had been weeks since this issue had sprouted up, and even through constant meetings, they couldn't quite solve the issue at hand.

"It's only a bunch of monsters, my King. If we gather our knights, we can take them down in one fell swoop." One noble suggested confidently.

"We can't be too hasty." Another cautioned. "According to the report, a group of Kijin resides in the forest. I heard the queen is a beautiful Kijin, implying the king might be one too. They are A-ranked threats. We'd need at least 100-200 A-ranked knights to defeat them."

"But if we delay, the Harpies will take over the forest, and we'll lose control. Worse, we might face a Demon Lord. Reports indicate countless Harpies moving between the two nations." Duke Ravengard added urgently.

"Duke Ravengard is right! If we delay, we'll have to deal with Demon Lord Frey. Rumors say she's a master manipulator." Another noble agreed.

As the nobles' discussions grew heated, a man in priest robes, Bishop Reyhiem, stood up.

"When it comes to the threats of monsters, our church has already identified them as a problem. We are more than willing to provide support. In fact, I have already contacted the church, and they are ready to send Temple Knights to assist in an attack. A nation of monsters must not be allowed to grow any longer."

The king couldn't help but smile at this news. With the church's support, their fear diminished. He nodded, letting a small smile play on his lips.

"I see... if that is the case, we should not be afraid. Instead, we can use this opportunity to expand our nation and take control of everything that nation has built. We can turn all of the monsters there into slaves of our nation."

His mind wandered to the various products they had bought from Dwargon, which were of unparalleled quality. From the weapons to the clothes to the food to the produce, all high-quality products could make Falmuth rich if priced accordingly.

His greed was already taking over him as he heard the noble begin to talk again. If they were able to enslave the new rising city, then they would be able to become a nation with even more power than Dwargon. However, they had to be careful.

"We still don't know the full power of their nation. We might be dealing with Harpies and Orcs if we invade, so even with our army, we should-" Edmaris began before being interrupted.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted the meeting. Moments later, a few maids entered, guiding a man dressed in an impeccable butler suit. His dark hair was streaked with gold and red. The butler was followed by a masked woman. The mask had an intricate design, and it hid her entire magicule signature.

"What is the meaning of this? There are strict orders not to interrupt this meeting unless there is an emergency," one of the nobles shouted. The man, Noir, was in disguise, his human form so convincing that even Razen, one of the wisest humans, couldn't see through it.

Souka was next to him, wearing a different version of Shizue's mask made specifically for her by Rimuru. 

Noir had begun to chuckle madly as he saw Rimuru creating the masks as if they were nothing, and though his focus was still on the temporal mask, he couldn't help but fall more and more into obsession with Rimuru.

"King Edmaris." Noir began, his voice smooth and commanding. "My Lord has sent me to negotiate with you. I hope you will accept my offer kindly. After all, it will make your dealings with the nation of monsters far easier. My Lord has discovered new methods for creating potions and weapons and wishes to support your army."

The room fell silent, all eyes on the mysterious butler. King Edmaris leaned forward, curiosity piqued. 

"And what exactly is your Lord offering?"

Noir smiled, sensing the king's interest. 

"My Lord proposes a mutually beneficial arrangement. In exchange for certain resources and cooperation, he is willing to share these supplies with Falmuth. This could significantly boost your nation's power and wealth."

The nobles exchanged glances, their initial suspicion giving way to intrigue. The potential benefits were too great to ignore. King Edmaris, eyes gleaming with renewed interest, gestured for Noir to continue. It was all too suspicious, but he couldn't help but want to learn more.

"Tell me more about this arrangement." Edmaris said, his voice betraying his eagerness.

Noir nodded, his smile widening. 

"Of course, Your Majesty. Let us discuss the details further."

— — —

As Clayman looked at the orb of domination in his hands, he couldn't help but feel like he was about to make his biggest mistake. His instincts were screaming at him. He had wanted to use Frey to deliver the orb, but now that she had left, he was left to do the job himself.

He had summoned Milim some time ago, expecting her arrival any moment. His maids had set out an array of treats, but the sound of Milim's voice froze him in place.

"Yo! You called for me? I heard you wanted to talk about our Demon Lord pet plan." Milim announced, striding in as if she owned the place.

For a split second, Clayman stood paralyzed by the sense of danger. Then, the feeling dissipated, replaced by a surge of confidence. He relaxed, turning to her with a smile. As if he would be afraid of this buffon, no he would succeed.

"Ah, Milim. It's great to see you. I wanted to ask about that new friend of yours. I keep hearing rumors about how much fun you had with him. Honestly, I'm a little jealous. We've known each other for so long, and I feel like I haven't been as friendly to you as I should have. I want to pause the Demon Lord Puppet plan for now and get to know you better."

His voice was smooth, exuding confidence, and his smile was warm. His eyes caught the small star necklace around her neck, and he chuckled softly.

"Ah, I wanted to give you a necklace too. I hope you don't mind having two of them. But I worked quite hard on this one." 

Milim's eyes sparkled momentarily as he looked at the orb. She fell silent, seemingly deep in thought. Clayman's discomfort began to bubble up again, but the next moment, she broke into a bright smile.

"Cool! I love it! I didn't know you had it in you to be nice, Clayman." She giggled, running over and snatching the necklace. "Let's hang out and get to know each other too, ok?" She said as she put on the necklace, her eyes losing focus as she let her arms drop to the side.

Milim figured that if she played along, she would be able to find out more about him and the people he worked with. She would get to play spy for a few weeks and help out Rimuru that way. She would stick next to Clayman and observe everything he did.

'Rimuru is going to owe me big time after I discover all the secrets of Clayman. Honestly, sometimes I think I am too great a friend. He'll have to shower me with gifts and food when I get back to him.' She thought as she looked at Clayman, who was looking at her with some fear that quickly turned into mad laughter.

In one swift movement, Clayman struck Milim, his hand shaking slightly as he saw her not react at all.

"Good… good…" Clayman muttered as he began to plan in his head, then he turned to Milim with a twisted smile. "I want you to destroy Fulbrosia." 

Milim's eyes widened slightly as she heard him, her act breaking slightly as she began to wonder what Rimuru would think of her if she attacked his wife's kingdom.

'He would hate me, wouldn't he?'

Panic flickered across her face, making Clayman step back. He interpreted her struggle as an internal fight against his control.

"Ah… I guess you are still too attached to the likes of Frey…" Clayman muttered, his mind racing as he changed his plans. "Destroy Eurazania instead." He added, testing the limits of his control.

Milim's nervousness instantly vanished, and her act again became perfect, making Clayman relax.

"I see… even my Lord's curses are not strong enough to fully dominate you. Don't worry. I will have my Lord make another orb. Soon, you won't be able to resist me even if I order you to kill that slime."

Milim maintained her poker face, letting Clayman believe he was in control. She followed him through the palace, her expression deadpan. But as she observed the maids, something felt off.

'Isn't that one of Rimuru's workers? I saw her in his office once...' She fought the urge to facepalm. 'Am I doing this for no reason?'

Continuing to follow Clayman, she noticed more familiar faces among the staff.

Her mind was rushing with different thoughts, but in the end, she simply had to continue with her act. She was already too deep and didn't want to make Rimuru angry by messing with his plans.

She even saw one of the maids sigh as they exchanged glances. Milim clenched her fists, resolving to see this through. The stakes were too high, and she couldn't afford to fail. At the very least, she had to discover something his spies couldn't.

— — —

Special Thanks to my Beta Readers/Editors: The one, the only, the amazing @Basilisk, the Aussie @LuluViBritania (FF.N, SB, WN and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord) and @Kiyan Tribe (FF.net/AO3/QQ/WN) | kiyan_tribe( Discord)

Go Check out Basilisk's great story "I'm a Daemon, so what?" 

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