16 A Day Off

(A/n: Ouch. I'm normally not over a week late when it comes to updates, but Thanksgiving Week was completely hectic. I had family coming over from out of state, a wedding to go to on Monday, and had my schedule pretty much packed full the entirety of Thanksgiving week. I was able to get some writing done throughout the week, but the bulk of it was done today. The chapter's a little longer than normal, so enjoy!)

"They're doing quite well."

"It's decent enough. There's still some minor gaps that can be exploited though."

"Well, good for humans is what I meant. Not everyone has the abilities we do-." Rimuru was interrupted by a large gust of wind blowing into him. "Haaah. Though I do wish they learned how to hold back when training."

Currently, Rimuru and Hinata were watching Aisha and Liscia spar. However, unlike how Hinata sparred with Ludwin, they were full on using magic. Additionally, rather than training swords, they were using their actual weapons, so one wrong move, one wrong block could lead to serious injury or death. The main reason they were being so reckless in their spars was because they had healing mages on-call immediately in case something happened.

After a few more minutes passed, Aisha was able to sneak out a victory with multiple air blades that were bound to throw Liscia off-balance, and she placed her greatsword at her neck.

"Alright, alright. I give. That was pretty dirty though."

"Forgive me princess, but weren't you the one who said that enemies wouldn't hesitate on the battlefield?"

"Yeah, yeah." She smirked. "Let's take a quick break first before I see you get clobbered by Hinata."

Aisha pouted at the insinuation. "I won't get clobbered! At the very least, I can put up a proper fight!"

Though she tried to be angry at her, the atmosphere crumbled as soon as Liscia started laughing, and Aisha quickly joined in.

"She's really something else, isn't she?"

"More like terrifying. I never thought someone could be so far above me in combat."

Hinata started off as being a sparring partner for Liscia and Ludwin, but that soon included Aisha when Souma practically had to order her to not accompany him wherever he went. His words essentially were, 'as long as I'm in the castle, you don't need to guard me.' Aisha initially had some complaints with this, but acquiesced to him, nonetheless. Afterwards, with little to do when Souma didn't require her presence, she gravitated to the barracks, and specifically the training room.

That was where she experienced the real monster that was Hinata. Back when dealing with the bandits, her martial prowess wasn't really shown off, and though she saw her spar with Ludwin, it was a whole different level when it came to experiencing it.

In fact, originally, Liscia wanted Hinata to go all out and use magic, but after the second time of being knocked out cold by lightning immediately after the match started, she realized just how ridiculous it could be. As such, she practically begged her to not use magic on her, but only to counteract her magic. Hinata thought that it was a load of bullshit, but out of a sense of pride, she agreed to the terms.

While that solved the problem of getting immediately knocked out, it was readily apparent just how far the gap was between her and Liscia. Liscia, much like Ludwin, could not even get a strike in, and from how the first few bouts went, it was clear that during the spar with Ludwin, she was holding back. They would only be able to exchange a few quick blows before Hinata would swiftly win.

Her often unconventional approach mixed in with the vast amounts of techniques she is able to apply made her unbelievably versatile and a very skilled teacher. In all of their battles, she would push them until they fell back on their habits, what she called a set rhythm, and punish accordingly until the new movements were ingrained into their heads.

This is also why she was highly coveted as a trainer, even back in Tempest. Though the two women in front of her were sparring, not only to test themselves, but to also get first dibs on who Hinata trains first. Just as she was about to walk into the arena, Souma came into the barracks.

"Souma! I've never seen you here before!"

"Yes, Liscia. But before any of that… why is the floor all icy?"

She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Eheheh… never mind that. Is something up?"

Souma then recounted the story of why he isn't working, and it wound up being quite an ironic one. Many of the ministers had signed a petition to have Souma take a day off. Ever since he took the throne, he has been working nonstop without a single day off. While Souma didn't feel particularly drained, perhaps due to his multiple consciences, many of the ministers did not have that same ability, and they felt a sense of obligation to keep pace with him. The really interesting thing was that Hakuya's and Marx's signature was on the paper as well.

"A break, huh. Sounds like a great idea."

"No, you weren't listed, Rimuru."

He looked horrified at this. "What do you mean I'm not listed?! I deserve a break too!"

Souma sighed at his exaggerated antics. Though Rimuru was working everyday like him, it really didn't feel like it. Part of the reason was that he would do everything in his power to make sure that he never had to see a document, and so Souma would only see him actually working if he went to the daycare, and he rarely made that trip. Either way, he knew that Rimuru would take a day off with or without his consent.

"Well, Rimuru, you can take a break whenever you want to. I'm sure looking after children isn't easy."

As if his previous expression was a complete lie, he now looked intrigued. "Ooh. Where were you thinking of going?"

"Actually, I was thinking of taking Liscia and Aisha with me. Don't take this the wrong way, but yours and Testarossa's looks aren't exactly… common, and I want to go out without everyone gathering around me."

He gave him a sidelong glance. "And the princess and a dark elf are?"

Souma saw the abnormality of this and gave a wry chuckle before explaining his point. "Well, the main reason is that I just want to go with those two."

"Oh? I see… Do have fun. Make sure to bring a condom." He punctuated with a wink.

Souma turned red at this and was about to lambast him before Aisha adorably commented, "What's a condom?"

*I guess contraception hasn't made its way here yet.*

"… Never mind. You three have fun. We're gonna go on our own date."

As soon as Liscia and Aisha walked out with Souma, the other three were going about planning their day. The first thought was to completely alter their appearance via magic, but that might cause more harm than good in the long run if people looked too deeply into their aliases. The nobility of this time, while large, had connections with everyone of their class, and this was especially true in the capital.

The next thing on their agenda was to decide where to go. Though they had plenty of ideas, many of them got shot down because of their popularity. If they went outside the castle-city, they would probably be swarmed by people wanting their attention or keeping them around as a good luck charm. Rational thinking hadn't completely enraptured the masses, partly due to the low literacy rate, and partly due to the existence of magic.

A good example of this was healing magic. Currently, the Orthodox Papal State had a large share of the healers in the world and would dispatch them to people who needed them. Sometimes it was out of the goodness of their heart, and sometimes it was to acquire something in return, such as recognition of their religion as the one true religion and denunciation of all others, specifically the main competition which revered Mother Dragon.

Healing magic, like all magic, worked on a state of applying the world's laws, much like how physics is used back on Earth, and recreating a strong mental image and channeling their will. This meant that it could be reproduced in full by those who could wield it, much like how a science experiment would always yield the same result if all variables could be controlled.

Currently, there was no known way for diseases to be cured through healing magic, and the best that someone could do with it was to reattach a severed limb. While this was phenomenal in of itself, it was almost always performed by healing mages who were acquainted with the battlefield and struggled to resolve any internal hemorrhaging.

A theory that Testarossa brought forth was that if someone knew how diseases worked and had a clear mental image of how they attacked the body, not only could they rid themselves far easily of disease, but they could also heal all the internal damage done.

Souma was initially ecstatic of the discovery, but it quickly proved to be far too difficult to actually implement. They were stuck at the first hurdle, which was a major one. While many could connect disease to dead bodies, which is why all the dead were buried in the first place, loved or not, it wasn't because they understood germ theory, but rather it was out of respect and hoping that the dead person wouldn't come back as a demon to haunt the living.

Convincing the people that it wasn't a being that didn't exist which caused diseases, but rather billions of incredibly tiny things that caused them would make anyone look like a fool. After all, without the proper instruments, it was impossible to see, and therefore held as much ground as the demon theory.

While there was a race called the Three-Eyed-Race who might be able to see these 'tiny demons' as Hakuya put it, they were heavily persecuted due to them accepting the fact that these organisms were responsible for disease, and not some made-up entity. This meant that, not only were they difficult to find, but they were also slightly xenophobic to anyone else. While they would accept anyone who understood what they saw, convincing them to listen to you was a different story.

After plenty of deliberation, they decided to walk around for a bit and then go to a popular coffee café where Juna worked. Each of them sported a different style of attire, with Rimuru wearing an academy style uniform with stylish metal buttons, Hinata wearing her normal paladin attire, and Testa wearing a knee-height academy dress. This struck a portrait of beauty from the two women and a perfect match of handsomeness mixed with allure from Rimuru.

Despite their appeal, there were none who tried to court any of them, perhaps due to Hinata's intimidating presence. Though they did get more than their fair share of looks from others. Along their walk, multiple different conversations were tossed around, the most discussed about one being Souma himself. Rimuru genuinely admired Souma to the point where, if he knew about him during his rise as a demon lord, he would have recruited him no questions asked. However, with the current state of Tempest, it was hard for someone with Souma's qualities to truly shine, and so he believed that he fit best right where he is.

The thing that drew him to gradually like Souma more and more was his resourcefulness. Currently, Mjöllmile was one of the few people who he could safely say was top of his craft. Not only was he the first, and presently only human to be an executive, but because he was incredibly intelligent and loyal. Souma definitely fit the loyal category, but he didn't think he quite matched up with Mjöllmile in intellect. Smart, certainly, but many of his ideas were not really original, just very well applied. Fortunately, originality wasn't entirely needed when it came to running a country. As for raw intellect, someone like Hakuya would more fit the bill.

Their conversation slowly came to a close as they arrived at the café. It was a posh one-story building with plenty of luxury seating in the form of sofas and chairs, and live music performed by plenty of people. Juna was singing on this day, and instead of the normal siren songs that her race is known for, she is singing more upbeat songs from their world. The surprising thing was that she was singing in perfect English. Of course, she didn't know the words in the slightest, but the rhythm was more than enough to uplift the people present.

Giving a wave to the songstress, they approached the desk to order a drink and received a warm welcome from the hostess.

"Welcome to our establishment! Can I start you off with anything to drink?"

The three looked at the menu for a bit before Testa started off. "I'll have black tea with a cube of sugar."

"Black tea for the young miss. And for the other two?"

Hinata and Rimuru were contemplating for a bit before the former spoke. "I would like a hot salted caramel mocha with two pumps of mocha, light whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a piece of caramel on top."

"… Understood. And for you?"

"I will take a coffee."

Before the hostess could answer, Hinata chided him. "Oh, come on, live a little."

Rimuru scoffed at this. "What? All I want is coffee. Not some D&D enchantment table of a drink."

She feigned a hurt expression. "D&D enchantment of a-! At least spice it up a little with some sugar!"

"You know what, you're right, you're right. Black coffee please. And three lunch specials."

She gave him a deadpan stare, and Rimuru shrugged his shoulders in response. "There are two kinds of people in this world. The 75% of people who drink coffee with milk and are weak, and the 25% who drink it straight and are strong."

With their drinks and food ordered and Hinata heaving a sigh, they went down to an empty sofa with a table there. Shortly after, Juna finished her song and declared a short intermission before joining them. They each quickly caught each other up as to what they have been up to these past several weeks. Even though Juna visits the castle at least once a week for the broadcasts, she rarely stays for any length of time as her duties often require her to be mobile.

One thing Testa did note when she was going through the records in the royal library were the lineage of the three dukes. What she learned was that Duke Carmine had a wife and child that were unaccounted for currently, Duke Vargas had a son and had a wife that, interestingly enough, was the child of Duchess Walter. According to what she could find, with Duchess Walter being a descendent of the sea serpent race, which were a subspecies of dragons, she had a very long lifespan, and as such, married and gave birth multiple times throughout her life.

Though she has never seen Excel Walter, according to the records, she was an alluring shapely woman with blue hair and eyes, much like Juna. Unlike the woman in front of her, Excel carried more of her serpent traits with small seahorse-like antlers protruding from the top of her head and a serpent-like tail snaking from her backside. Knowing this, she made the deduction that if Juna's claim is true about her race descending from sirens, which, if they were anything like how Rimuru described them, there was a very real possibility that Juna was either one of Excel's daughters or granddaughters.

While she had this information, it was unfortunately not very useful. Even if she did wind up being related to Excel, that didn't really narrow down the reasons as to why she was serving Souma in the first place. Of course, if she really wanted to, reading her mind would be painstakingly easy, but that would ruin the fun for her. That along with the fact that Rimuru forbade it against those who weren't explicitly enemies. While she normally wouldn't bat an eye about this sort of thing, as it didn't really matter to her or Rimuru in the long run, she figured it would be beneficial to know what her intentions were as it would help Souma move forward, and by proxy earn her some extra brownie points with Rimuru.

"Juna, dear, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Lady Testarossa. I'll provide as best an answer as I can."

Juna was expecting a question related to her duties, or something other that she can reasonably answer, and was therefore taken off guard by how brazen she was with her question.

"You're related to Duchess Walter, correct?"

Juna was reeling in her thoughts and wondering how she would go about answering this question. The first thought in her mind was just to lie about any relations with Excel, but that would quickly come to bite her when the truth was inevitably revealed. Avoiding the question would not shake off the newfound suspicion she was in, which left her only one real option. However, curiously enough, when she looked around the table, the faces they were presenting to her were completely outside of her predictions.

It was a face of mild intrigue mixed in with indifference. As if they were wondering what the weather would be like tomorrow. While she always harbored caution of the two summoned ones by virtue of not knowing where they had come from, they had been working exceptionally well in the affairs of the castle. Souma shared their same work ethic, but the reason she held no suspicion towards him was that he was practically an open book about his past. Hinata was another anomaly, but she barely held any suspicions towards her by virtue of her past, at least if it could be believed.

This made the look they were giving her all the more strange. Rather than adopting looks of caution, anger, or disgust at the thought that the person in front of them was a potential traitor and someone who threatened all the hard work they had put in in the past few months, it was as if whether or not she actually was a traitor even mattered to them. Hell, she would even accept joy, as it would at least let her feel out their intentions. And yet, the looks remained. She found the whole situation… slightly off-putting.

*Maybe I'm just reading into this too much…*

Remembering they were still waiting for an answer, she decided honesty was the best course of action. "You are correct, Lady Testarossa. I am one of Duchess Excel Walter's grandchildren. As for the reason I am serving His Highness, I am afraid I cannot answer that right now. Just know that I have only the best intentions for serving him."

Testa looked content with the answer she gave, but Hinata noted something else. "That creates quite the conflict of interest, doesn't it? I mean, with all things pointing towards a civil war, it would pit you two against each other, wouldn't it?"

Juna gave a melancholic smile at her. "That's true, but that's always the way grandmother has operated. She eventually disowns all of her children once they become of sufficient age to make decisions for themselves and will try not to interfere in their lives unless they are reprehensible. Of course, she will always try to spare her family whenever possible if she finds herself against them."

The three sitting across from her were internally remarking about the answer she gave them. They could not detect a lie in her statement, but also noticed that gave a very roundabout answer without actually answering the initial question. It was like finding a needle in a haystack and picking out all the hay while leaving the needle on the ground. She answered the parts surrounding the question and evaded talking about the most essential part, and that led them to a conclusion.

*It's very likely that Duchess Walter is already on our side.*

Deciding not to press the issue any further, Juna dismissed herself to go back to performing, and their drinks arrived shortly after. They continued their conversation, this time going towards more sexual things, but it got quickly shut down by the arrival of someone Rimuru recognized.

Beckoning them forward, he exclaimed, "Kaede! C'mere and sit with us! Bring your friend too!"

Kaede, the fox-girl that helped out with the construction of the sewers, looked across the room and smiled at them. Saying something to her friend, she happily bounced towards them and sat down across from them. Before she could even say so much as a hello, Rimuru turned on his teasing factor immediately.

"So, that's the guy you're after, huh?"

Her face flushed and she looked down but didn't try to deny it. The man walking towards them was quite handsome and standing at an above average height with red hair and eyes. His dark brown military outfit contrasted nicely with Kaede's own dark green one, and his overall physique was bound to catch the eye of many women.

As he approached the table, Kaede prompted him to introduce himself, to which he proudly exclaimed, "I am Halbert Magna, son of Glaive Magna and graduated top of my class in the military academy!"

Saying that last part with a bit of added theatrics, Rimuru found him quite likeable until he realized that Halbert was seriously waiting for some sort of praise. With his arms folded, head held high, and eyes closed, he was oblivious to the awkward silence that filled their table, somehow seeming all the more impressive considering the otherwise lively atmosphere of the café.

*Oh god, he's one of those types, huh.*

He didn't doubt any of his claims, but Rimuru was now silently regretting asking them to sit with them. Halbert seemed exactly like the type of man who, by sheer virtue of his talent paired with hard work, had yet to experience a serious setback. This often led to people who tended to be overconfident and develop a pretty big ego, which is exactly what he seemed to be suffering from.

Mechanically turning his head to face Kaede's, she seemed horrified from shame by his antics.

"Hal! Sit down!"

"But Kaede-!"

"Sit!"

With the man being cowed by her, she covered her head with her hands and dragged out a heavy sigh. After cupping her face, she said, "Sorry for my friend's antics. I didn't think he'd be so dramatic."

Accentuating her last words by pointedly looking at him, he felt sheepish and figured he should reintroduce himself. "Again, the name's Halbert Magna, but you can just call me Hal."

With the awkwardness cleared, Rimuru took the lead and began asking questions. "How long have you two known each other?"

"I've known Hal since we were kids. We grew up together and went to the academy together, so we've grown quite close."

And yet no progression on the romantic side of things? Well, it makes sense given his attitude. If he keeps up like that, he'll wind up losing her. The real question is will it go the hentai route where he keeps the girl or the anime route where she leaves him?

Barring his… questionable analogy, to Rimuru, and also Testa and Hinata, it was clear that Hal had some affection towards Kaede, or at least cared enough about her to actually listen to her. The main issue that Rimuru was imagining is that his ego was getting in the way of trying to be romantic. He didn't think it was getting to the point where he felt he 'deserved' her, but to either not be able to recognize her feelings or simply not respond to them because of his misguided pride was not doing anybody any favors.

As if to prove his hotheadedness, he continued on to boast, "Kaede is amazing in her own right as an earth mage, but I was able to be heads and shoulders above the competition with my flame magic and my proficiency with the spear. In fact, I wanna fight that dark elf chick and really see who's 'the best fighter in the country!'"

Rimuru took a deep breath and thought of the best words to say to the pompous man in front of him. "Hal, she'd wipe the floor with you."

He immediately retaliated. "What do you mean? You've never even seen me fight!"

"No, but I've seen her fight. She'll wipe the floor with you."

He retained his irritated demeanor before changing to a much more understanding one. "Oh, I see. I don't mean any offense, but when looking at a fight from the standpoint of someone who's never fought before, any fancy display of skill looks impressive. You're summoned right? If you've never fought before, it's hard to fully understand their skill."

Though he truly meant nothing but the best when he said it, the word choice he used combined with his assumptions still managed to piss him off a bit. Even Hinata and Kaede were slightly irked by the way he said it. Still, first things first, and that was to calm down Testa, now bearing a very chilling smile. Skinship always seemed to do the trick, and this time was no different.

With his arm wrapped around her waist, he managed to get out his own rebuttal. "Hal, I'll wipe the floor with you."

Initially, he first thought that he was joking, but upon realizing that Rimuru was serious, his face formed into a cocky smile.

"Oh? Pick a time and place and I'll be there."

"The training arena at the barracks. 8 A.M."

"Deal. I'll see you there."

Right at the perfect time, their food came and dissipated any bad feelings among them. Even Testa and Hal made perfect 180s when the smell permeated their noses.

"Ooh. That's the new gelin dish, right? That thing's so good."

"Mhm. The best part about it is that you barely even need to add spices thanks to its natural flavor. You can keep costs low like that."

After taking her first bite, Hinata asked, "By the way, Hal. I've never seen you in the barracks before. You're a part of the military, are you not?"

"Ah, he didn't go the same route I did. While I went to the royal army straight out of the academy, Hal hasn't made up his mind as to what he wants to do yet."

"Don't mislead her. I've perfectly decided what I want to do, and I was doing it until my dipshit father called me back from the land army under Duke Carmine. I'm going back at the first chance I get."

It was at this time that Rimuru overheard the name 'Kazuya,' and matched the voice with Juna. Looking over to who she was speaking to, he saw Aisha, Liscia, and Souma all ordering food. They were all dressed in the military academy style with all of them wearing glasses and Liscia sporting pigtails. It didn't seem like the best disguise, but it seemed to be doing its job as there was no one surrounding them or really paying them any attention. Unfortunately, Hal's loud voice was bound to get them to notice their table if they haven't already.

"Hal, I've told you time and time again! Don't do it!"

"Why not? My old man was in the land army his whole life! Now he calls me back when I want to follow in his footsteps because of some weird drama?!"

"It's not 'some weird drama!' It's because Duke Carmine's actions are incredibly unusual! With a civil war on the rise and him going against the king, do you have any idea what will happen to you?! Siding with Duke Carmine is basically guaranteeing your death!"

At this point, Rimuru felt it was pointless to ask them to quiet down, as Souma's crew had already taken notice of them and begun walking towards their table. They were currently in their own little world in regards to their argument. While it wasn't loud to the point of shouting and drawing the entire café's attention, it was more than enough to get someone's attention if they were just listening.

"Duke Carmine will undoubtedly win! Plenty of nobles have already sided with him, far more than either Duke Castor or Duchess Walter! I'm sure he's thinking of something…"

"Hal! Please think for yourself for once! Stop blindly following Duke Carmine just because he's Duke Carmine!"

This went on for a couple more interactions before Souma had gotten to their table and brought his hands together. "Wonderful! Now stop."

Before Hal could take his anger out on the man who interrupted them, Rimuru beat him to the punch. "I'm sorry, who are you again? Do you know these people, Juna? Or are they just here to try and shake me out of some lunch money?"

Illusionary tick marks were forming on Souma's temples. He believed it to be impressive the way Rimuru was able to consistently irritate him. The worst part was that he couldn't come back with some sassy retort like he normally does because he was under an alias.

Apparently, Aisha shared the same sentiment. "Oi. Watch it."

"Why? You three haven't even introduced yourselves yet. Who are you to butt into our conversation?"

Though the façade was decent, it was far from perfect, and the look of realization dawned on Kaede's face. Something that Souma took note of.

"Rimuru, you can stop with this now."

"Firstly, I don't ever recall giving you permission to address me so casually. Secondly, I still need to hear a name."

Emboldened by his antics, Hal joined in. "Yeah, pal. I wanna know why you think you're so important."

Knowing that Rimuru was only joking, Kaede put her hand on Hal's shoulder with a look of apprehension on her face. "Hal, calm down. This is seriously not the time nor place."

Looking at her face, he was worried but still maintained his demeanor. "What do you mean? Sir Rimuru clearly isn't standing for this. Why should I?"

It was then that Kaede seriously realized how out of touch he was with current events. Amongst the public, there was far more talk regarding Rimuru and Testa than there was of Souma when it came to the summoned heroes. It was even to the point where there were paintings being made of the two, and so their notoriety was much higher when it came to being able to immediately recognize someone.

After all, Souma, while handsome in his own right, didn't really have any defining features like Rimuru or Testa. Kaede came to the conclusion that Hal had probably never watched a broadcast before since Souma became king, and therefore had no idea what he looked like.

Rimuru realized that he should put a stop to his charade and properly introduce the two.

"Hal, I take it you've never seen this man?"

"No…?"

"This is Souma Kazuya, the current provisionary king."

Hal's eyes immediately widened, and he was about to loudly exclaim something before Souma put a stop to it.

"Shh. I'm not trying to be recognized right now. I'm just cruising around."

"You're not going to… take me away and execute me, right?"

Kaede also pleaded his case. "Please! I swear that Hal's a good guy, just really stupid sometimes!"

"You don't have to worry. I'm not that kind of person. Though I am curious about what your plans are to join the land army and go against me."

"T-that was just…" Hal's earlier bravado could no longer be found.

Though it was clear that Hal was much more bark than bite, Souma wanted to hammer his point across his head. "That was just what? If I really wanted to, I could have your entire family tried and killed for treason based on your actions here today. A common foot soldier saying such things is something I could probably overlook, but treasonous nobles aren't something I can brush off."

"But killing my entire family for a few words is just tyranny!"

"It's the law." Souma said flatly. "It's something that I want to change in the future, but there are currently way too many things to deal with right now. But if you do choose to join Duke Carmine and you lose, your entire house will get tried under treason under the law, and nothing I can do can supersede your punishment."

Hal audibly gulped at the blunt statement. He realized just how naïve he was with his ideals of grandeur, but Souma wasn't done just yet. Though the heavy statements would probably have more of an effect if the three opposite to Hal weren't casually eating as if nothing was wrong.

Ignoring them, he continued. "Now, let's say that that you join Duke Carmine and win." He paused to let the words sink in. "What do you think will happen to her?"

When he gestured towards Kaede, Hal's face twisted to show disgust, fear, and anger. "You wouldn't dare take her hostage!"

"Don't be silly. Of course, I wouldn't. But as she is part of the royal army, she would be sent to the frontlines to fight in the event of a civil war, and you'd be fighting against her. Even if you manage to take my head, what do you think will happen to her?"

With his question reiterated, Hal was just coming to the realization that he would be forced to fight against his childhood friend. If they won, there was little chance for her survival.

In a meek voice, he said, "She'd be executed."

"Wrong."

Looking at the owner of the voice, Hal was wondering what Rimuru meant before he elaborated. "She'll be raped and made into a slave, Hal. Cute women like that aren't treated in the same way men are treated when it comes to POWs."

"That's not-! Duke Carmine's men are well organized and disciplined! They'd never stoop so low!"

Putting down his utensils, Rimuru addressed Hal in a far more serious manner than he had ever seen before. It was reminiscent of the times his father would give him a serious and stern talk.

"Hal, nothing, and I mean nothing is sacred in war. In the heat of battle, all that matters is who is victorious. Even if we go by the naïve notion that raping others is a line Duke Carmine's men will never cross, you forget that they are hiring Zem mercenaries, and you'd have to be truly stupid to believe they would conduct themselves in the same way when their loyalty lies with coin."

Though Hal wanted to point out that there was a mercenary unit under the command of the royal army, he neglected to say anything. It also would be wrong as Souma had long since terminated those contracts.

With his head held down in some serious contemplative thinking, Souma finished off his statement. "Hal, if you're going to gamble on the future, make sure it's one worth living. If you join us and we win, you get both Kaede and your life, as well as getting to make a name for yourself. If you lose, well, your life is forfeit with Kaede's either way. If you go against us and win, you may make a name for yourself, but the cost will be Kaede. If you lose, it will be yours and your family's lives. Choose carefully, Halbert."

With his case finished, he dismissed himself with Aisha and Liscia. Rimuru, Testa, and Hinata excused themselves shortly after, leaving just Kaede and Hal, along with an oppressive silence.

"We should go."

Hal didn't say anything, but just nodded his head.

"We also are going to tell your father about this."

This time, Hal gripped his fists tightly, but didn't say a word of complaint or disapproval. He felt it was time to properly think for himself for once instead of letting delusions take place in his head, and that first started by taking accountability.

A day later, a request for an audience was met with the summoned heroes and top personnel that was relayed by Hakuya. Within a few minutes, everyone was in the audience chamber along with the guards to welcome Glaive Magna, Hal's father, Kaede, and the man of the hour sporting a face bruised in multiple places.

"Jeez, you must have literally had some sense beaten into you."

"Ugh… Yes, Your Highness."

Though Hal initially wanted to come up with a witty retort to Souma, a stern look from his father prevented that. Afterwards, Glaive profusely apologized for his son's actions at the café and begged Souma to be lenient. Whether or not it was all theatrics or if he genuinely believed that Souma would be after his son, only Glaive knew, but Souma pardoned him, nonetheless.

Afterwards, Glaive addressed Rimuru and offered a sincere apology on his son's behalf for missing their duel, as well as offering to give some sort of repayment. Rimuru, however, said that he no longer was concerned with it and brushed it off.

With the two chips off his shoulder, he wanted to say one last thing to the people present in a more secretive environment. After having the only people in the room be the summoned ones, Hakuya, Liscia, Hinata, Aisha, and Glaive along with Halbert and Kaede, he began his recounting of an incredibly tightly kept secret that led up to current events.

After divulging the information he needed, there were a few different types of responses. The most emotional came from Kaede, Halbert, and Liscia. The former two balled up their fists and grimaced, while Liscia was looked emotionally dead with a few tears streaking down her face.

Hakuya, Rimuru, Hinata, and Testa had the most analytical responses, with them simply closing their eyes and wondering how best to utilize this new information. Aisha looked completely dumbfounded and was wondering what the hell was going on before adopting an emotionally numb expression herself.

Souma had the most mixed response with anger, gratitude, and helplessness all mixed into one. Trying his best to not let those emotions bubble to the surface, he addressed Glaive. "What… do you want us to do with that?"

"I believe that is up to you, sire. I just felt you needed to be aware."

"I see." Standing up, he addressed Kaede and Halbert. "With the information we are entrusted with, starting today, Kaede, you will be serving under Ludwin as an officer, and Halbert will be your second-in-command following his transfer to the royal army."

"Yes, sir!"

"Wait! Are you certain?!"

"Yes, Hal. With her new position, part of her responsibilities will be leading people. If they choose not to listen to her on the basis that she is young, I want you there to be able to straighten out those people. Understood?"

This time, Hal bent the knee. "Yes, Your Highness!"

As the discussion was coming to a close, Rimuru had one last question to ask. "Glaive, about this, did it begin before or after our summoning?"

"I… do not know."

"You don't know or can't say?"

"Forgive me, Sir Rimuru, but I truly don't know anything else beyond what I've told you."

Rimuru hummed in response, and the group was dismissed. This entire time, he felt a nagging feeling like things were piecing together very well, and what Glaive revealed just confirmed it. However, the answers he wanted would most likely be found elsewhere, and he intended to get them soon.