The Reincarnations of Veldanava

When Chains Remain

Rimuru nodded and acknowledged the report. "Good," he mumbled, his voice as calm as a still lake on a windless day. Palpable was the calmness he had about him. Rimuru knew better than to panic, for it wouldn't do him any good. A king must have a heart made of steel and stone; because if a king's heart wavered, a nation would face hardships and fall to ruins.

Even before Diablo carried the news to his humble cabin, Rimuru had already devised a plan. To be fair, it was Ciel who perfected the thought. He could not match her proficiency in thinking and planning, and he wouldn't dare to try. Nevertheless, she was great as always and laid in hoard the branches of possibilities.

Gazel and Elmesia's sudden visits were expected by Ciel. And although it sounded like a great deal of difficulty, which it certainly was, it didn't catch Rimuru off guard thanks to Ciel, allowing his heart to remain strong and sturdy. He could go and look them in the eyes without feeling so nervous and anxious.

Gazel wouldn't be much of a problem, at least in comparison to Elmesia. Gazel was a wise and understanding king, and he had been on an amicable term with Rimuru. Courtesy of being trained by Hakurou, he also saw himself as Rimuru's senior. The status quo was in for a change. A huge change.

A meeting with Elmesia was where the majority of Rimuru's worries lay. She, let's say, didn't have a good relationship with Veldanava whom Rimuru had claimed to be.

Elves were among the first folk to roam the lands, as they were made in the day ere days—the twilight of creation. And among the elves and high elves, Elmesia was special. The True Elf, she was called. The Creation God had made her, and she was blessed by him, as well as cursed by him with isolation she hadn't chosen for herself.

It was a blunder born from the rightful ignorance of the God who couldn't empathize with his creations. Now Rimuru, having walked as a mortal, looked back at those days with so much regret for his mistreatment of her.

She would trouble him greatly, and she was entitled to it. He could talk all he wanted of forgiveness and rectification, but she would seldom listen to him anyway. Rimuru would prefer this topic to not be brought up. Family talks always steered us far from things which were truly mattered.

These meetings weren't arranged with reunion in mind. This was an ordeal of nations. Despite the lineage which bound all of them to each other, knowingly or not, they weren't just family gathering around the table to talk about how hard it was at schools or workplaces. No. They were Kings, and Queens, and Emperors, and Demon Lords. Each had their own nation and citizens to look after. Their burdens were great indeed.

And greater than that was the meaning held within these meetings. The Armed Nation and the Sorcerous Dynasty held powers, great and influential, in their voices. If they chose to stand behind Tempest and supported Rimuru, the ramification of the spreading news would be mitigated. Not prevented. Only mitigated.

Rimuru's goal was to convince the two sovereigns to be by his side as allies.

"Good? How is this at all any good, My Lord?" Diablo, who silently had been standing as Rimuru was reflecting, spoke up. He asked why Rimuru would call such a situation good, for he didn't at all understand it.

He had taken it with a heavy heart, for Diablo understood that his master wanted to keep the secret forever buried. He was a man brighter than bright, but even he couldn't see how this could be good for Rimuru's vision of the world.

Rimuru didn't have to open his mouth and tell Diablo anything, because Diablo came to his own deluded conclusion, as it happened ever so often. A man brighter than bright, yet he failed to see through Rimuru the same way he had done to many others.