Exquisite Rabbitfolk, Framea!

Ciel: <>

Voice of the World:  <<>>

******

After arriving back from Dwargon, Rimuru walked through the village, observing his subjects as they went about their daily lives. Testarossa was, of course, attached to his hips, closely following him from behind, while Ranga walked next to him, happily wagging his tail.

As he walked around the village he noticed how his village was smoothly progressing evidenced by how different groups were busy doing different activities.

In one part, Kaijin and his brothers worked with Rigurd, drawing plans for their upcoming projects. In another part, you had a number of Hobgoblins training themselves however they could under the watchful eyes of Rigur. Lastly, a group composed of Hobgoblines and Tempest Wolves had gathered at the entrance of the village, preparing to depart for a hunting session to procure food for the village.

Apart from these groups, other Hobgoblins were busy with essential tasks such as cleaning, working on ongoing building projects, and various duties crucial for the village to keep running.

While observing the village and its inhabitants, Rimuru eventually reached his destination, which was Veldora's hut. During his recent visit to Dwargon, he had left Veldora in charge... well technically Veldora was more like a figurehead as Rigurd was the one effectively managing everything. However, before receiving a formal report from Rigurd, Rimuru decided to hear Veldora's perspective on the past two days.

So, without wasting any more time, Rimuru entered the hut and saw two things, one surprising and the other not so much.

The first thing he saw was Veldora lying on the ground, munching on some sweet berries while leisurely reading manga. This wasn't surprising, as this was exactly what Rimuru imagined his friend doing at any given time of the day. However, the unexpected scene was a petite rabbit girl with lustrous brown hair diligently cleaning in a corner of the room, trying to make herself appear as small as possible.

'Ciel, isn't that Framea?' Rimuru asked, looking at the rabbit girl who had yet to notice his presence.

<Indeed, Master. She is the same rabbit girl you hired as Guidebook Creator for Tempest in previous timeline.>

'Hmm... last time, I didn't meet her until the Founder's Festival, so isn't it too early for her to visit us?' Rimuru mused to himself but decided that he could ponder on that later. For now, he had to see what was going on, so he walked inside and made his presence known.

"Hello Veldora, it seems that you are enjoying yourself," Rimuru said, walking towards Veldora, drawing two sets of eyes on him.

"Ah, finally dropped by, huh?" Veldora grinned at Rimuru. "So, did you bring something delicious for me?"

"Yeah, I did. But before I hand it over, tell me, did anything interesting happen in the last two days?" Rimuru inquired.

"Interesting?" Veldora said scratching his head trying to think of something. "No, not really, it was boring as usual."

"Boring you say..." Rimuru sighed, glancing at the rabbit girl. "And what about her? I don't recall seeing her before."

"Oh, her..." Veldora's gaze shifted toward the rabbit girl. "I have no idea."

"Yeah, I figured," Rimuru shook his head, handing the box of sweets to Veldora, who eagerly accepted them before returning to his manga, zoning out from the world once more.

Rimuru meanwhile approached the rabbit girl and asked, "So... who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"M-my name is Framea," she stammered, her voice shaky and quivering. "Mr. Rigurd told me that if I wanted to stay here, I needed to work. Since I'm not strong enough to hunt or skilled in building, he asked me to help with cleaning this place."

Rimuru nearly winced, noting her self-conscious and underconfident demeanor, so different from the Framea he knew from the original timeline. However, he cannot show that emotion on his face, not right now at least when the ball is in his court, so even if he felt bad for doing what he was about to do, he had to do it this way nonetheless.

"So you are named, huh?" Rimuru remarked in a cold, flat tone, studying the rabbit girl, who weakly nodded in response. "Tell me, how did you end up here in the first place?"

"I, uh, sort of ran away from my village," Framea admitted, scratching her cheek with a strained smile.

"Let me guess, they wanted to thrust the position of village chief upon you just because you have a name," Rimuru suggested, noticing a surprise on Framea's face.

"Yeah, exactly! They wanted to push that job onto me, but I don't want to do that," Framea said with a pout, momentarily forgetting what kind of situation she was in right now. "So I packed my stuff and ran away in the middle of the night. Sadly, the night patrolling guards saw me and chased me for two days until I reached here and found the hunting group of this village, who defeated those guards and brought me here."

"I see..." Rimuru nodded thoughtfully. "I understand your situation. But there's something I need to ask you," he continued, the atmosphere suddenly growing heavy as his gaze turned cold. "How can I be certain that you're not a spy sent by Luminous Valentine?"

Framea's eyes widened in shock at the mention of Luminous's name. "How do you—"

"Luminous is a true vampire, her magicules have a distinct feel, and you, Framea, carry traces of them all over you," Rimuru explained in a bored voice. "Now, what should I do with you? After all, I can't be sure that you're not a spy."

"Eh, no, please listen to me, I am not a spy," Framea pleaded in a quivering voice. "It's true that Luminous-sama named me, but that's all. I haven't seen her ever since."

Yeah, Rimuru knows that Framea was not Luminous's spy, he also knows that she named Framea just on a whim, after all, Luminous herself told him that. However, Rimuru wasn't going to let this prime opportunity to torment... sorry tease sweet, little rabbit girl a bit.

"I'm not sure..." Rimuru mused, ignoring a pointed look he was getting from Ciel. "Testa, what do you think?"

"Hmm... it might be better to be safe and eliminate her," Testarossa said, in a nonchalant voice.

"No! Please, I'm begging you!" Framea pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not a spy, I swear!"

"I know, I was just kidding," Rimuru smiled at Framea who glared at him with an incredulous expression on her face. Then he summoned Rigurd and asked him to take Framea to the guest house and feed her something before making his way back to his own hut.

"Testa, I need information on the current whereabouts of the Rabbit village. Do you have someone in mind?" Rimuru asked, already expecting the answer.

"I think I could be of help," Testarossa replied. "In the Demon Realm, I have two subordinates. One of them specializes in information-gathering and could be of great help to you. I could summon them if you allow me Rimuru sama."

With Rimuru's approval, Testarossa summoned two Daemons who immediately knelt before Rimuru. "We are at your service, Rimuru-sama," they declared in unison. Rimuru then granted them names and provided bodies for the two demons.

The first was Cien, a tall, well-dressed man with white hair and glasses perched on his face. The second was Moss, a young boy resembling an elementary school student, sporting ash-grey hair and grey eyes. Upon receiving their names and physical forms, the strength of both Moss and Cien increased significantly compared to before. However, Rimuru chose not to evolve them further just yet as he didn't need that kind of military power at this stage. Moreover, he also thought that keeping their evolutionary rank lower than Testarossa would be a better choice for now.

"Moss, I have a task for you," Rimuru instructed and instantly found Moss knelt before him. "I need you to gather information about Rabbit Village and its current affairs."

Moss nodded affirmatively and promptly left the room to carry out his assignment. Meanwhile, Rimuru resumed his day, tending to his other responsibilities as the village leader.

******

Later that night, Rimuru was sitting in his hut, discussing something with Testarossa, when he heard a knock on the door. Cien, who had been quietly standing in the corner of the room, immediately moved and opened the door, revealing a nervously fidgeting rabbit girl standing at the door.

"You wanted to see me, Rimuru-sama?" Framea asked hesitantly.

"Yes, please, come in," Rimuru welcomed, gesturing for her to take a seat. "Framea, I will be honest with you. After our little conversation in the morning, I sent someone to your village, and what I found out is not very ideal."

"What do you mean by that, Rimuru sama?" Framea asked nervously.

"It appears that the beating my guys gave your pursuers really hurt their egos. So, back in your village, they reported that you were abducted by our village. Now they are gathering all the capable hands to march towards us. If my source is not wrong, they'll be at our door in under a week or so," Rimuru explained calmly, a stark contrast to Framea, who was sweating bullets.

"Oh no..." Framea muttered under her breath, knowing what would happen if her village made the mistake of attacking this village not knowing what kind of monsters reside here. "Rimuru-sama, please spare my villagers. I don't want anyone to die."

"Don't worry Framea, I do have a solution to our little problem here, however, it depends on you," Rimuru said, noticing confusion in Framea's eyes. "Well you see Framea, I am willing to help you, but I have two conditions you have to agree to."

"What conditions?" Framea gulped, uncertainty evident in her voice.

"First, you have to become my subordinate," Rimuru said and saw Framea was about to object, so he raised his hand and stopped her. "I know you left the village because you didn't want to take the responsibility of village chief, however, your talents are too good to let them go to waste. But don't worry, I have the perfect job in mind that you'll definitely enjoy."

"What kind of job, Rimuru-sama?" Framea asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

"Don't worry, you'll find out once we're done with this ordeal," Rimuru said with a wave of his hand. "Besides, my second condition will determine if you'll work for me or not," he added, noticing Framea's confused glance. "My second condition is that you'll go back to your village and tell them that you are not going to come back."

"No! I can't do that!" Framea rapidly shook her head. "I don't want to go back to that place. They will never allow me to leave the village and make me—"

"Are you really okay with living like that?" Rimuru asked cutting her off. "Do you really want to keep running away from this situation until you can't anymore? Don't you want to stand up for yourself and tell them that this is your life and you want to live it however you want?"

After a moment of silence, tears streamed down Framea's face. "I... I want to stand up to my father. I want to tell him I don't want to be the village chief. I want to tell him that I don't want to go back to that place anymore. B-But... I'm scared." Framea clenched her fists and glanced down. "I am scared that if I go there I won't be able to get out again. I am scared that I am not strong enough to defy them all."

Rimuru silently rose up from his seat, walked towards Framea, and gently placed a hand on her head, prompting her to look up at him with glossy eyes. "If power is what you seek, I can help you with that," he smiled at Framea and renamed her while keeping her current name, erasing any and all traces of Luminous's magicules and influence from Framea's body while simultaneously strengthing her soul and increasing her magicule capacity.

'Hey, Ciel, could you guide me through the process of creating skills again? I have something special in mind.'

******

*2 days later*

"Well, Framea, here we are," Rimuru said, having teleported himself and Framea outside the Rabbitfolk village. "Now, all you have to do is walk in there and tell them you're not coming back. Simple."

"If only it were that simple, Rimuru-sama," Framea sighed. "I'm still not sure if this is a good idea."

"Don't worry, Framea. You're coming back to Tempest. I believe in you," Rimuru reassured her with a smile.

"You do?" Framea looked at Rimuru with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Absolutely," he said, ruffling her hair. "And remember, Framea, you're a part of Tempest now. No matter what happens, we've got your back." With those words, Rimuru teleported away, leaving Framea behind.

"Okay, Framea, you got this!" she psyched herself up, gathered her resolve, and entered the village. As she made her way through the village, she began to attract the attention of the villagers however she ignored them and continued walking until she finally arrived outside the village chief's house.

A few moments later, a tall, muscular rabbit emerged from the house, wielding a bow staff, and stared down at Framea with narrowed eyes. "Hello, Daughter. I'm glad you've come to your senses, deciding to end your foolish pursuit of freedom and return to the village to take your place as the village chief."

A scowl crept onto Framea's face as she listened to her father's words. She hated how her father always had this condescending and know-it-all attitude when it came to her. He always made sure to let her know how little he trusted her with any of her life decisions. What Framea hated the most was the fact that she knew that the only reason she was even getting the role of the village chief was that this was another one of her father's attempts to quash her curious nature and tie her down to the village like old ways.

"Father, I don't know how many times I have to make this clear to you, but I have no interest in taking that position," Framea retorted, glaring at her father. "I am just here to inform you that I have found a job somewhere else and am not coming back to the village."

"I see, so you returned just to inform me of that? I'm not sure if this was an act of bravery or foolishness, but knowing you, it must be the latter," the rabbit village chief shook his head in disappointment. "Moreover, I don't recall giving you a choice in this matter. As your village chief and your father, I have ordered you to assume that position, and you will accept it with honor. It's our tradition that the old village chief selects their successor, and you will obey that tradition, no questions asked."

"Did you not hear a word I just said?" Framea gritted her teeth, glaring at her father. "I said I'm not coming back, and I definitely won't accept that stupid position either!"

The rabbit village chief sighed heavily, casting a disappointed gaze upon his daughter. "You know, until now I was being very patient, trying to sway you through words alone, just so that you as the future chief of this village would maintain your dignity in front of all these people however, you foolish daughter of mine have left me with no choice," he lamented, tapping his bow staff on the ground. In the next moment, ten other strong-looking rabbit folks arrived and surrounded Framea. "Guards, subdue and capture my daughter. I need to re-educate her about the traditions of this village."

One of the female guards nodded and advanced toward Framea. "Listen Framea, just come quietly. I would really rather not knock you out." She reached out to grab Framea's hand, but before she could, Framea vanished from her sight, surprising everyone around them. "Where did she go?" the lady guard asked, frantically looking around.

"Did you really think it would be that easy to catch me?" Framea's voice echoed through the village square. The village chief, guards, and onlookers turned toward the voice and saw Framea standing atop the village chief's house, wearing a smug smile directed at her father.

'Phew, that was a close call,' Framea breathed a sigh of relief. 'I would've been so embarrassed if I had fallen face first in front of all these people."

Framea's father observed his daughter with narrowed eyes, wondering how she managed to get there without catching anyone's eye. He knew that his daughter was a named monster however he was also aware that her talents were not related to combat at all. "That was some impressive speed daughter, however, you really think you can take all of our elite guards on your own?"

"Oh, did you assume my speed was the only surprise, dear father?" Framea's voice dripped with confidence as a smug grin spread across her face. "Let me show you how wrong you are." 

In an instant, her form began to shift. Her once brown eyes turned a fiery red, while her hair and tail transformed into a snowy white. Not only that but her ears grow larger and her claws become longer and sharper, giving her a blend of bewitching and deadly appearance.

Meanwhile, spectators were captivated by her transformed appearance, framed against the backdrop of the full moon with blue lightning swirling around her. However, the atmosphere suddenly changed when an intense aura radiated from Framea, forcing everyone around her to drop to their knees in response.

"Father, even though I despise the position of the village chief, I still love my village and its people so, I have no desire to harm anyone or cause destruction here," Framea declared, gracefully leaping from the building to land before her father. "Now you have two choices, either I fight your guards for my freedom and gravely injure them since I haven't learned how to hold back or you can allow me to leave. So what it will be?"

Observing his daughter's unwavering resolve, the village chief recognized the determination in her eyes as she looked down at him. Ultimately, he relented. "Fine. I will allow you to leave the village and do as you please."

"Thank you, father. See? That wasn't so difficult, was it?" Framea said as she stopped realising her aura allowing everyone to reasle their breath and sigh in relief. "Well then, I'll be on my way. Goodbye!" With that, she turned and began walking away.

Meanwhile, the village chief, looked at his daughter's retreating form, and for the first time in a while, he didn't see the future village chief in her, but rather his little girl who used to look up to him, a girl who had grown distant ever since he started pestering her to take his seat and now, in that moment it hit him that this might be the last time he will ever see her.

"Framea..." he called out, causing her to pause and glance back at him. "Take care of yourself," he uttered, witnessing a spectrum of emotions flicker across her face before a faint smile graced her lips. She nodded in response before walking out of the village. 

******

"I can't believe it worked! It totally worked," Framea thought as she strolled through the forest, her thoughts drifting back to two days ago when she received one of the biggest shocks of her life.

*Flashback: 2 days ago*

When Rimuru placed his hand on her head, Framea wasn't certain what was going on, but for some reason, she liked it when he ruffled her hair. However, in the very next moment, warmth flooded through her body, and suddenly, she started feeling strong—definitely stronger than before. At that moment she didn't know how to explain that sensation in words however, she was sure that it wasn't an unpleasant or unwelcomed feeling either. 

Then she heard a voice in her head.

<Renaming individual Framea. Success>

'What!?' Framea's eyes widened in surprise as she heard the voice of the world. 'Renaming? What does that mean!?' she thought. However, her thoughts were once again interrupted by another announcement.

<Creating a soul corridor with Framea. Success>

<<Unique Skill [Rabbit] received.>>

<<Unique Skill [Rabbit] has evolved into Ultimate [Luna, Queen of Rabbits]>>

By now, Framea had given up on understanding what was going on by herself; it was too much for her to keep up with all these new developments. So, she did the most logical thing she could think of—she looked at Rimuru and asked, "Rimuru sama what is going on?"

"Oh, I just renamed you," Rimuru replied matter-of-factly. "From now on, you don't have anything to do with Luminous anymore."

"But what if she gets angry and decides to attack this village because of me?" Framea asked in a low voice. She liked the idea of serving Rimuru; after all, he and everyone in the village were so nice to her. Moreover, unlike Luminous, he didn't treat her like a plaything or ever try to demean her like her father. However, she really didn't want Rimuru or this village to get destroyed because of her. "She is a Demon Lord, after all."

"Don't worry, if that happens, I will just eradicate her," Rimuru replied with a smile as if he hadn't just said something ridiculous. However, when Framea looked at Rimuru's face, she couldn't help but feel that he was actually serious and wasn't just trying to reassure her. So, trusting her instincts, she decided to place her faith in her new master.

"And what is this Ultimate Skill? And why do I have it?" she asked and then one explanation later, she was looking at Rimuru with an incredulous expression on her face. "Rimuru sama, is it really okay for me to have something like that?"

"I wouldn't have given an Ultimate skill if I didn't think you could handle one," Rimuru shrugged. "Now why don't you check out that new gift of yours," he said and Framea didn't know why but he sounded a little proud and excited for a second.

Then Framea closed her eyes and focused on the new information that had been added to her brain.

******

Ultimate Skill: Luna, Queen of Rabbits- The skill is granted to an individual seen as the apex of the rabbit and related species. 

Sub skills:

Thought Acceleration- allows the user to greatly increase the speed of their thought process.

Universal Perception- allows for the perception of nearly all things within a wide radius.

Sovereign's Haki- allows the user to exert a powerful spiritual pressure over their targets.

Sovereign Usagi- allows the user to bend rabbit and all related species to their will.

Flash Step- Allows the user to teleport anywhere around them in a 10-meter radius.

Lighting manipulation- allows the user to generate and manipulate lighting. 

Usagi Battle Mode- allows the user to transform into the apex predator of their species, granting heightened physical abilities, predatory instincts, and enhanced control over all the abilities in exchange for a heavy toll on the user's body, mind, and magicule reserves.

******

"...Wow, 3 stars" Framea uttered, mostly speechless.

"It seems like she liked her surprise," Rimuru said in a pleased voice. He then gently nudged Framea, snapping her out of her shock, "Now, let's get you ready to face your father and the rest of your people."

And so, for the next two days, Rimuru formed a plan together with Framea and taught her a couple of things related to her skills. First, he instructed her on how to use her [Flash Step] skill so that she wouldn't slam into the walls every time she activated it. Although Rimuru wouldn't say it to Framea's face, watching her bounce around the training ground was quite entertaining.

Next, he guided her in controlling her other two skills, [Sovereign's Haki] & [Sovereign Usagi], so that she wouldn't accidentally kill any of her people with a weaker will.

Lastly, he showed her how to trigger her [Usagi Battle Mode]. However, he also warned her about the dangers of using it too much and advised her to keep it as a last resort until she learned how to use it well.

During one of her breaks, Framea questioned why Rimuru wasn't focusing on teaching her combat skills instead of all of this. In response, Rimuru arranged for her to spar with Cien, who folder her in under a minute. As Framea lay on the ground, he walked over and explained that possessing an Ultimate Skill wouldn't automatically make her skilled in combat against someone with experience. It was better for her to follow their plan until she learned how to handle herself in a fight.

And so after two days, Rimuru told her that she was now ready to return to her village and face her father...

*Flashback end*

"I will never forget the look on all of their faces, especially Father. Ha! That will teach them to underestimate me!" Framea pumped her fist in the air. "I can't wait to tell Rimuru sama how—" Suddenly, her transformation dropped, and her vision started to blur. 'What!? Oh yeah... toll of using the transformation,' she remembered Rimuru's warning as she fumbled her steps and was about to fall when a pair of hands stopped her and gently picked her up.

"Don't worry, I saw everything and it was great," a familiar voice reassured her, bringing a smile to her face. "I am proud of you."

"Thank you, Niisama..." Framea murmured subconsciously before slipping into unconsciousness.

******

Slowly opening her eyes, Framea found herself staring at the ceiling of a hut, her body resting on a soft bed. "Hmm... so soft and comfy... 3 stars..." she absentmindedly mumbled.

Just then, a female Hobgoblin peeked inside the room and smiled. "Oh, you're awake. Let me call Rimuru-sama real quick," she said before leaving, leaving Framea with her own thoughts.

Reclining on the bed, she recollected the events of the previous night. "I suppose I pushed myself too far," she said with a sigh.

"That you definitely did," Rimuru said as he entered the room, accompanied by Testarossa. "I specifically warned you about using [Usagi Battle Mode] unless absolutely necessary, didn't I?"

"I know... I just..." Framea's gaze lingered on her lap.

"You wanted to show off in front of your father and the others..." Rimuru observed the dark clouds forming over Framea's head. He sighed and gave a light chop on her head. "I'll let it slide this time, but don't do it again. It could be really dangerous if you fall unconscious while alone," he cautioned. Once he saw Framea nod, he moved on to the next topic.

"Now, let's talk about the job I promised you," Rimuru said, noticing Framea's mood immediately perk up. "Well, Framea, starting today, you'll work as a Quality Control Officer of Tempest. Your role will involve monitoring ongoing projects to ensure they meet our standards, and reporting to me at the end of each month."

"Wait! So, that means I'll get to experience all the great things first and for free!" Framea exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'll do it, Rimuru-sama! I'll ensure that everything in Tempest meets a 3-star standard!"

"Well, at least you're enthusiastic about it," Rimuru chuckled at Framea's reaction, but then a frown appeared on his face. "By the way, why are you calling me 'Rimuru sama'?"

"Huh? Then what am I supposed to call you?" Framea tilted her head until suddenly her face turned red as she remembered what she had called him moments before falling unconscious. She immediately covered her face and looked at Rimuru through a gap between her fingers. "Can we please forget about that? Please..."

"Nope! Of course not," Rimuru teased, a grin spreading across his face, causing Framea to groan into her hands. "Besides, I don't mind if you want to call me that."

"Really?" Framea asked, once again peeking through the gaps of her fingers. "I mean, it's not like I want to or anything... It just felt natural to call you that... so..."

"It's okay. You can call me 'Niisama' if you want. You don't have to make excuses for it," Rimuru said, shaking his head with an amused smile. "Anyway, let's talk about the second addition to your schedule from now on."

"Second thing?" Framea asked, curious about what else was coming.

"Don't worry, it's not another job," Rimuru reassured her. "Well, Framea, from now on, you'll spend at least three hours everyday learning combat under the capable hands of our lovely Testa."

"Huh? But why?" Framea's voice trembled with a hint of fear as she noticed an amused and somewhat cruel smile on Testarossa's face. "I'm just going to be a Quality Control Officer, right? So why do I need to learn how to fight?"

"Framea, stop making excuses," Rimuru's tone turned stern, causing Framea to flinch slightly. "The position that I am giving you is going to be an important one when our small village grows into a massive nation. Consequently, you will also have people working under you, and let me tell you that I expect all my top officers to be capable of protecting our people and nation."

"Besides, I wouldn't have pushed you for this if I didn't believe you could do it," Rimuru said, his voice turning soft. "Framea, you have the talent and potential to reach great heights. You don't have to limit yourself to one thing when you have the potential to achieve a lot more." Then he smiled and placed his hand on her head. "But still, you don't have to push yourself just because I'm saying so. You can totally deny it if you want."

"I will do it," Framea said in a firm voice.

"Are you sure?" Rimuru asked.

"Yes, Niisama," Framea nodded. "Looking back at the past few days, I realized how powerless I was before meeting you. I was so weak that I had to run away from my own home because I couldn't even stand up for my own dreams. But I refuse to find myself in that position again," then she smiled at Rimuru. "If I'm going to call this place my home, then I want to be strong enough to protect it and its people."

Rimuru smiled at Framea's determination and once again ruffled her hair. "Well, good for you. Now, why don't you and Testa sort out your training schedule while I go check on some other stuff?" he said, starting to walk out of the room. However, just as he was about to leave, a mischievous grin appeared on his face. "Oh, by the way, just so you know, Testa is one of the Primordial Demons."

"Primordial Demon?" Framea asked, puzzled.

"Do you know the seven original demons that were born at the Dawn of Time itself?" Rimuru asked, and Framea nodded, her face starting to pale as realization hit her.

"Yeah, so Testa here is one of them, the original White to be precise," Rimuru revealed, enjoying the expression on his new sister's face. "Oh, look at that, I'm getting late. Testa, please take care of my sister, okay? Bye."

"Wait! Niisama..." Framea called out to Rimuru, but he ignored her and left the room. Then Framea slowly turned towards Testarossa with a strained smile. "S-so, Testa... hi, nice to meet you..."

"Nice to meet you as well, Framea," Testarossa replied with a smile, though her eyes conveyed a different story. "Now, before we start discussing your training, I'll explain why only Rimuru-sama is allowed to call me 'Testa'," she said flaring her aura a little, causing Framea to chuckle nervously, a faraway look in her eyes.

******

In the largest Cathedral of the Holy Empire Ruberios, a lone figure with silver-blue hair and heterochromatic blue and red eyes could be seen walking through its corridors. This figure was none other than the queen of Vampires, Demon Lord Luminous Valentine.

At that moment, she was walking towards a special room where she had preserved one of the biggest secrets, not only hers but of the entire world. Yet, Luminous didn't view it in that light, after all, to her, it was merely fulfilling a promise made to a friend.

As she walked toward that special room, she suddenly halted in her tracks, sensing something amiss. Concentrating for a moment, she realized she couldn't feel the connection with one of the monsters she had named a while ago and she knew that this monster was none other than the bunny girl, Framea. Moreover, she knew that the bunny girl she had named hadn't died because she would have known if something like that had happened but that wasn't the case. Something else was happening here.

"I suppose I need to pay a visit to Jura Forest one of these days," Luminous muttered to herself. "That reminds me, he should have been born in this world by now... Perhaps I should pay him a visit too," she mused, frowning as she glanced at the moon outside the window. "Rimuru... why did they both trust you so much..."

To be continued...