Tensura: The Abyss Demon

Chapter 34

Once upon a time in the vast and mystical Great Jura Forest, Veldora, the fearsome yet somewhat lazy guardian deity, had decided to take life a little more seriously. Well, sort of. You see, after eons of aimlessly roaming the forest and terrorizing the occasional trespassers, he decided to build himself and Rimuru a home after Rimuru's persuasion.

"Veldora!" Rimuru called out one morning, gazing over a particularly beautiful glade. "Have you ever thought of building a proper home? You’ve been here for eons, yet you’re living........ like a wandering cloud."

Veldora huffed, reading a particular manga that interested him. "Nah! What need have I for walls and roofs."

"Right, right," Rimuru interrupted with a sly grin. "Except you keep getting your manga rain-soaked every time there’s a storm."

Millennia ago, Rimuru decided to make hard copies of manga, when he noticed that Veldora had actually managed to access his deepest memories, thereby acquiring knowledge that the primordial is a reincarnated being. Veldora was fascinated when he found out and wouldn't stop questioning Rimuru about how it happened. Rimuru just briefly summarised how his reincarnation happened, leaving the rest to Veldora's imagination.

Since then, Rimuru chose to keep Veldora out of his mind, deciding to make mangas using his Otherworld knowledge to create books far ahead of what this world could make.

Veldora hearing Rimuru's words froze. He did hate getting his mangas drenched.

"Well," he grumbled, "it wouldn’t hurt to have a place. Somewhere big and impressive. Fit for a dragon!"

Rimuru chuckled. "That’s more like it."

And so, Veldora, with his new ambition, called upon the intelligent races of the forest, the goblins, ogres, elves, beastmen, rabbitfolk,  kobolds etc. They arrived in droves, eyes wide with awe, not just because of their godly dragon but also because of the mysterious, powerful figure standing beside him, Rimuru. The very air tense as the two's presence made it hard to stand.

"We’re here to serve, Lord Veldora!" the leader of the Ogres said, trembling with excitement. The others nodded eagerly, overwhelmed by the rare opportunity to serve their deity.

Veldora puffed out his chest. "Of course you are! I have decided to build the greatest home in the history of this forest. A palace! A monument to my greatness!"

Rimuru sighed. "Veldora we don't really need a castle, a small home is more than enough. After all, we're gonna be the only ones living in it." He then turned to the onlookers "What Veldora means to say is, we need a house. Somewhat big, but not too big, sturdy, and functional. And I’ll be helping with the design and construction."

The goblins, ogres, and everyone else looked up at Rimuru in awe. Here was a being so powerful that he was a close friends of their god. The news spread like wildfire, and soon the tales began, how Rimuru, the wise and powerful being, was so close to Veldora that they were practically equals. The stories would be passed down from generation to generation, eventually resulting in the worship of Rimuru alongside Veldora as the divine duo of the forest.

Construction began swiftly, with Rimuru guiding the various races. The kobolds handled the stone foundations, the ogres handled the heavy lifting, the rabbitfolk wove intricate designs into the woodwork, and the elves, though a little chaotic, managed to add some charm to the place with their colorful decorations. Veldora, meanwhile, alternated between barking orders and hovering above the scene, pretending he was in charge, though everyone knew Rimuru was really leading the effort.

Weeks passed, and soon a grand, sprawling home took shape. It was a fusion of practicality and grandeur, with massive stone walls, towering pillars. Rimuru, of course, ensured that the place was cozy, adding  bedrooms, libraries, and even a kitchen, though Veldora insisted he didn’t need one.