ch11

Just InCommunityForumMoreRegrets and Wishes: One More Chance by jnscrtm Anime » Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken/転生したらスライムだった件 Rated: T, English, Hurt/Comfort & Romance, [Rimuru T., Ciel], Words: 104k+, Favs: 190, Follows: 196, Published: May 20, 2022 Updated: Jun 13, 202221Chapter 11: 9 - The Blacksmith

CHAPTER 9 – THE BLACKSMITH

(Rimuru's Perspective)

I can feel a gentle warmth surrounding me, a refreshing breeze blowing through my body. When I open my eyes, lies a world so bright and colourful in front of me. I tilt my body and then turn my head around to see what is going.

The sun has risen, revealing itself to the world on the eastern horizon, shining with a dazzling beam on the cloudless morning sky. The shadow of the tree where I've been leaning protects me from being directly hit by the sunbeam.

Rather than "me", it is "us". At my side is a beautiful girl. I know that her face is exactly the same as mine, and yet for some reason, I always think that she is more beautiful than me. Her head is resting on my shoulder. She's still closing her eyes with a peaceful face.

"Ciel-san..." I whisper while carefully shaking her body as not to surprise her (or so I was worried about).

She gradually opens her eyes and raises her head. She rubs her eyes then looks at me.

"Good morning, Ciel-san," I greet her, smiling.

"Oh, Master." Her face still looks sleepy. "Good morning."

"Let's get ready to Dwargon." I stand up, offering my hand to her.

She stares at my hand for a moment, then at my face, then back at my hand. "Yes, Master," she finally says, taking my hand then standing up.

Two sounds of yawn are heard. The sources are Ranga and Fuuga who just woke up. "Oh, my masters." Ranga gets up and stretches his body. "Is it time?"

"Are we going now?" asks Fuuga.

"Ah, yes," I answer. "But I'm sorry. For now, please you stay inside our shadow, okay?"

Fuuga seems disappointed and worried, so does Ranga.

"Are you sure, my lord?" Fuuga states his concern.

"What if some foolish creatures try to mess with my lord and my lady?" adds Ranga.

"It is fine, Fuuga, Ranga." This time, it is Ciel-san who answers their concern. "We alone are enough. Do you forget how strong your masters are?"

"Moreover," I add, "we don't want to draw too much attention by bringing rare monsters."

"I-if you say so, then as you wish." Fuuga reluctantly jumps into Ciel-san's shadow, then Ranga jumps into mine.

I look down at the foot of Canaats from this clifftop and focus my [Universal Perception].

Hm, hmm...

It looks like people lining up in the entryway there aren't too many in number—below thirty people. Well, the sun has just risen, after all. If we don't want to wait for too long, we gotta get going now before more and more people gather.

"The queue line hasn't been too crowded, it seems," I remark. "We should be able to enter easily without too much problem. Let's go."

"Yes, Master."

I hold Ciel-san's hand. Together, we immerse ourselves to the shadow of this tree that has been sheltering us, finding for a way out somewhere. We pop ourselves out of the shadow behind a tree standing on the last line of woods before the grasslands.

We are not officially registered as adventurers, so I doubt I will be allowed to carry a sword. Thus, I store my sword inside [Imaginary Space]. We walk into the line and wait within the queue until it is our turn to enter. We have to line up one by one, sadly, so we cannot stand side-by-side. I am the one in front, Ciel-san is behind me.

People are mixture of good and bad. Some are leaning to the good side, some other are leaning to the bad side. In this neutral country where all kinds of folks can gather—from humans to intelligent monsters; from civilians to nobles—we cannot expect everyone being nice to us. There will always be those fools who'd try to make a fuss and chaos.

I don't want something bad happens to us, so I raise my [Universal Perception]'s level of attention to the perceived surroundings. This way, I can be fully aware of everything that happens behind me—especially to Ciel-san—within the minimum radius of five metres.

Well, if anyone ever dares to threaten us, we can just finish him or her with one snap of fingers. But it's not how we deal with things. Moreover, killing someone recklessly in front of guards and other people in the queue will leave a terrible impression. We might lose Dwargon's trust before we even gain it this time.

...

"Hey, pretty missy." A sinister voice is heard.

It seems my hunch is correct, after all. I stay in my place doing nothing. Let's just wait for what will happen next.

"Why don't you go with us?" says another voice.

My expression darkens as soon as I hear those words. The way they're talking shows a very clear hostility. The fact that those words aren't directed at me but at Ciel-san behind me irritates me so much.

I have no need to turn my head since everything is already clear with my [Universal Perception], so those two ugly-faced thugs haven't realized yet that I've been watching them since the very start.

"I'm sorry," answers Ciel-san with an annoyed tone. "I have no reason to go with you."

"Oh, dare to answer, eh, missy?" says the owner of the first voice. "You can make a great partner in b—"

The moment I see his hand trying to touch Ciel-san while saying such disgusting thing, I finally snap. I take a quick step back, turning around, and violently push his hand away, forcing him to step back.

"Don't you dare lay your filthy hand on my partner..." I bellow.

"Whoa, whoa, watch your tongue!" he shouts back. "Who do you think you're talking to?!"

"You really think weak girls like you can beat us?!" his companion exclaims.

"I don't know who you are," I say, my chin slightly raised, "but you look so weak to me."

"What are you saying?"

"You will regret this in your whole life!"

They both unsheathe their swords and point them at us. All people in the queue turn their attention to this charade and get terrified.

Crap, this would mean that we won't get away from interrogation later on. Ah, how troublesome! It's a good thing that I didn't unconsciously leak out my aura, so we can still get away from detention, at least.

They both charge at us and swing their swords angrily. Their technique is really dull, to be honest. Apart from their technique, their blades are also dull.

Hah, what a joke is this.

I and Ciel-san are just nonchalantly dodging their slashes. After enough playing, I grab the blades of their swords with my bare hand when they are going to stab me together.

""Impossible!"" they shout in disbelief. They're shocked by how my hands don't even take a scratch from taking those somewhat ferocious stabs with bare hands.

"Now, who do you think should watch their tongue?" I say calmly, making them eat their own words. "It is you, jerks."

I forcefully bend their swords, instantly breaking the blades in half. Not only that, the force given by my hands is able to throw them two metres away onto the ground.

I walk at them with a smile on my face, but my eyes are definitely not smiling. "It is a shame that I don't even need to summon my own sword. I wonder what would've happened if you do make me summon it."

"Eek...p-please forgive us." They can only keep apologizing as I get closer and closer to them.

But I don't care. "Ehh...?! After all those words you've said to my partner, now you're pathetically apologizing like that? Hah, how funny is that..."

They look very hopeless and are about to faint.

"You there!" A group of guards suddenly comes towards us.

Oops, my bad. I turn my head while quietly tying the thugs with my [Universal Thread].

⁂

Long story short, we—I, Ciel-san, and those thugs (or perhaps "predators" suits them more)—are brought to the security guards' office and get interrogated for what we'd done.

"They were trying to do something bad to my partner. It is natural that I would try to stop such thing," I firmly state my argument. I open my arms wide. "Look, I am not even carrying a weapon. They were the ones who raised their weapons first."

"Is it true, you two?!" Kaidou the Captain of Security asks the thugs menacingly. "Did you really do it?"

They don't answer. They look like they want to say something but simply can't.

"Hey, I need answer, not a total silence like this!"

""Y-yes, w-we did,"" they finally admit.

"Good. Now, for trying to assault other people and going so far as to actually attack the unarmed with weapons, you two will be detained for two months. After that, you'll be exiled to your home country for further judgement!" Kaidou declares. "Take them away."

The guards under his command immediately follows his words. They handcuff the thugs and lead them to where they'll be detained in.

"I apologize for this shameful incident that has happened to you in this country, Rimuru-dono, Ciel-dono," says Kaidou apologetically after the thugs left the scene.

"No, no, there is no need for you to apologize," I respond with a friendly tone. "Such people exist everywhere, and there is simply no controlling what kind of people you are going to deal with. But we do want to ask for a favour. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, ask me anything."

"Can you show us where Kaijin the Blacksmith is?"

"Ah, what a pleasing coincidence. He happens to be my elder brother. I will gladly show you the place where Brother is working."

Ciel-san and I follow his lead.

After we keep walking the road for quite some time, we've finally got to an intersection. To the left is a road that leads to a small building with an emblem of crossed sword and axe on the top of its entrance door. We follow it and finally arrive in front of the building.

"This is the workshop where my brother Kaijin is forging weapons for the shop he is in charge of," claims Kaidou proudly. He opens the door and enters, followed by us "Brother, are you here—eh?"

Kaijin isn't here. The only ones here are three other familiar dwarves. They look at Kaidou.

"Garm, Dord, Myrd, where's Brother?" asks Kaidou.

"He's gone to the Royal Palace for a while," answers Garm.

"Royal Palace? Of all places?" Kaidou walks in.

"Yes," Dord says, "he said that he was called by the king."

"Hmm, hmm." Myrd is nodding his head.

We also enter the workshop. "Excuse us."

The three brothers are so shocked the moment their eyes meet ours. They get petrified in place, not moving even an inch.

"That damned minister! When will he stop harassing me?!" Not until a minute later, someone else barges in while grumbling and cursing loudly. He closes the door then look at Kaidou in surprise. "Eh, Kaidou, why are you here? And who are these peop—"

Just like the three dwarven brothers, he is also shocked by our presence right in front of him. "Goddesses..." he mutters.

I tilt my head. "I'm sorry?"

"Ah"—he coughs—"I apologize for what I have muttered out. Who are you and how could I help you?"

"I'm Rimuru Tempest and this is my partner, Ciel." I introduce ourselves like what I usually do. "You are Kaijin, I suppose?"

"Yes, I am Kaijin."

"And those three dwarves over there?" I turn my gaze to them.

"Ah, y-yes?" They can finally grasp their minds back.

"What are your names? And what kind of relation do you have with Kaijin?"

"Y-yes," says the oldest dwarf among those three. "I'm Garm. And those two are my younger brothers: Dord and Myrd. We are working for Kaijin-san, tasked to oversee the labourers in gathering ores and raw materials. He is generous enough to shelter us inside this workshop."

"So, miss, what might have brought you here?" asks Kaijin. "Though, I am not sure that I can help you at all as I am already tasked with something else."

"Is that why you seem so annoyed?" asks Kaidou to his elder brother, clearly worried.

"That damned minister," he answers angrily, "told me to make twenty longswords, in span of one week only! Even though it is clear that we have shortage of materials..."

"Then, couldn't you have told him that it is impossible?"

"Fool! Do you think I didn't, at first?! But then that damned minister Vesta told me, 'My, my! So, you are saying Kaijin-sama whom everyone calls the best blacksmith around the world cannot handle such a simple task?' In front of the king himself, no less! Can you believe that damned idiot?!"

"So," I say, "what is the problem with the swords?"

"Not so long ago, I had managed to pull out an all-nighter to get an order for two hundred steel spears. But the spears are just simple steel spikes. The swords, on the other hand, need a special kind of ore—the magic ore. It takes a full day to complete even one of those swords."

"I have until the next week." He groans. "First thing, I'm charged with delivering them to the king. It's a task for the kingdom, and every shop has been asked to do the same. If I can't, I could be stripped off my artisan's license."

"Brother..." Even Kaidou cannot say anything about how harsh the way his brother has been going through.

"Fufufu...fuwahaha...HAHAHAHA!" I, meanwhile, just laugh it off, causing them to get confused by my sudden change of behaviour.

"Hey, old man..." I casually pull something out of my pocket and show it to Kaijin. "Do you recognize this thing?"

That's right. My [Multiple Parallel Existence] whom I had sent at the first day of our journey had collected the magic ores, processed them, then store them inside [Imaginary Space] with a special protection barrier. Of course, the moment "he" had finished his task, he immediately merged himself back to me, the main body, through [Soul Corridor].

"Hmm?" Kaijin closely observes the thing I am currently holding and carefully examines it.

"Whoa...wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, WAIT!" His eyes widen in shock. "Don't tell me...this is...magic ore?! Goodness me, and look at how pure it is!"

"Come on, old man. Are your eyes giving out on you?"

"Whoa! No...it can't be it! It's already been processed. This entire cluster...is magisteel?!" Not only Kaijin, Kaidou and the three dwarven brothers are also surprised, slack-jawed.

"I can make even stronger sword with this!" he continues. "A-are you sure I can have this? I-I'll pay you handsomely, of course!"

Heh-heh-heh, gotcha!

"Oooh, about that..."

"Nggh, what is it that you want? I'll do anything in my power for it!"

"Now, that is what I want to hear! So, our request is..." I stop for a few moments, intensely staring at his eyes. I can see him holding his breath nervously.

"I need your help to find someone who'll travel to our village and teach their crafts to the villagers." I finally state my request.

He blinks his eyes a few times. "That's all what you want?" asks Kaijin, perhaps expecting me to ask for something harder.

"Well, we need some connections to clothing and weapons suppliers, too. And armour. For food, we've perfectly handled it. Our priority right now is shelter and clothing."

"If that's all it is, then of course!" And so, Kaijin and us forge a verbal contract for this hunk of magisteel.

We agree to clear up the details after his work is done. We probably could've wrung him, but I see no point on being too greedy. It often blows up in my own face whenever I try that.

I hand over the magisteel cluster to him. He takes it and immediately starts his work without any more words.

⁂

Ten hours have passed.

The sun will set in one hour. Kaijin has just finished one sword. We spent time watching him working. Kaidou, meanwhile, had taken his leave long ago after lunch.

"Even just one sword takes ten hours," I say afterwards. "Excluding today that has been used, you've got six days left. You think you can finish it up?"

"...I can't, to be frank. But I have to!"

"Well, I think I've got an idea. Can I see the finished sword and borrow it for a moment?"

"Hmm, of course." He looks confused as to why I want to see the sword but still tells Garm to bring the sword to me anyway.

It is a magnificent sword, I admit. And I am not talking about the equipment class, but simply the sword's appearance. My Sword of Tempest is still far prettier than this, though.

The blade is shining because it has a piece of magisteel as its core. It is a sword that matures in the image of its user.

I hold the handle and carefully raise it. In an instant, I activate my [Azathoth] to devour the sword.

"The sword..."

"What did you..."

"Miss Rimuru, you..."

Tsk, I start to get annoyed by this whole 'miss' thing. I have to tell them off after this. For now, let's just finish the business.

"Calm down, you all," I reassure. "Just give me a few seconds."

"Ciel-san, please do it," I order through our integrated mind.

As you wish.

After a few moments, Ciel-san spreads her arms wide.

A magic circle with twenty smaller magic circle inside draws itself on the floor. One longsword immediately appears from each smaller magic circle.

"""WHAAATTT!?""" they shout simultaneously in disbelief, their mouths agape.

"You can check the quality of those swords if you still have a doubt," I say.

Kaijin takes one of them and begins to observe it. "Unbelievable. The quality of these swords is the same—no, they are even more superior than the original finished sword."

"Now, all are done right?"

"Thank you very much, Miss Rimuru, Miss Ciel." He bows to us followed by the dwarven brothers.

They seem to assume me as a girl, don't they?

I let out a fake cough. "It seems there is a huge misunderstanding. First of all, I am a guy."

"Y-y-you're a guy?" They shake their heads, immediately casting it aside. "Whoever you are, you have our deepest gratitude."

They keep thanking me profusely.

"Now, deliver it to your king," I say to Kaijin, smiling warmly.

"Right!"

⁂

The sun has set just a few minutes ago. Kaijin has come back. The swords have been safely in the king's hand.

"Miss— I mean Boss Rimuru, how about we celebrate this with a party? Of course, I will pay all of the price."

"A party?" I pretend to not know what sort of party it is.

"Yeah! I made my delivery in time—even ahead of time, thanks to you!"

"But you don't need to do such a thing for me..."

"Aw, come on!" says Garm. "There'll be lots of cute elf girls there—"

"Are you talking about the famous nightclub namely 'Night Butterflies'? Then, I'll pass," I state without hesitation. "I will spend this night alone with my partner instead."

With such words having been said, Ciel-san, whose expression has been unhappy this whole time, becomes surprised.

"A-are you sure, Boss?"

"You fool. Have you forgotten that Ciel-san here is a girl?"

"Oh, y-you are right..." They roll their eyes here and there, regretting what they've said out loud in front of Ciel-san, a girl.

"We will take our leave." I take Ciel-san's hand then walk to the door. I open the door. "Then, excuse us."

~TO BE CONTINUED~

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