It goes without saying, but punching a minister is extremely bad.
It goes without saying…
"Brother… what the hell did you do?"
That was
So he couldn't skip work every day after all — I hadn't seen him around today. I'd asked him to come drinking, but he turned me down, saying he had business.
And yet, while he was away on that business, I'd caused a commotion. Can't really blame him for being exasperated.
Running away would be easy enough, but that wouldn't be a smart move…
"Hmph! That idiot over there was being rude to my guest and benefactor, Master Rimuru, so I just taught him a little lesson!!!"
He pointed at Minister Vester, who was being supported by the four knights Kaidou had brought along.
Vester still hadn't recovered from his shock and disbelief. Blood dripped from his nose as he stared blankly in our direction.
He clearly never imagined he'd be punched. He was so stunned he didn't even seem to feel the pain.
"Come on now… 'a little lesson' — pulling that on a minister is pretty bad, you know…"
Kaidou muttered with a sigh.
"Anyway… I'm going to have to take you all into custody for the time being!"
Kaidou gave orders to his subordinates as he said this.
But in a whisper only we could hear: "I won't let anything bad happen to you, so just stay calm, all right!"
Naturally, I had no intention of causing trouble!
I quietly slipped over to Mama-san and pressed five gold coins into her hand.
She looked surprised, so I told her: "That includes compensation for the trouble! I'll come back again!"
This was a quality establishment. It'd be no fun getting banned from ever coming here over something like this.
And so we were taken away, but… I felt like I'd forgotten something.
Right!
That idiot — I hadn't brought him to the shop at all.
I was currently carrying out the "Bagworm Hell" punishment for his repeated foolish behavior.
At first, I'd considered hanging him upside down, but that seemed too harsh.
So instead, I'd wrapped him up in Sticky Thread like a mummy and hung him from the ceiling in his room.
"Hey! This is awful! Take me with you too!!!"
He'd been wailing pitifully, but giving in would only make him worse.
So I told him: "You fool! Your behavior has been absolutely disgraceful! If you don't like it, summon your partner — the Storm Fang Wolf — and have him rescue you!!!"
And then I left, knowing full well he'd never be able to manage it.
A goblin might not stand a chance, but with his current Hobgoblin evolution, he'd probably be fine for about a week without food or water.
If this dragged on long, I'd sneak out and free him.
With that thought, I put him out of my mind.
I felt a tiny bit sorry for him, honestly. But he's tough — no worries there!
The five of us were escorted to the palace.
Though "escorted" is generous — it wasn't exactly in chains. More like voluntary accompaniment. Coerced, but still…
In the end, we spent about two days in a cell.
That said, the food was decent enough, and the room was furnished reasonably well.
All five of us were together, so it felt less like a prison cell and more like a large communal room.
The treatment was… surprisingly decent.
"I lost my temper, and now this mess… Sorry about that!"
But nobody here was worried about that.
"Don't worry about it, Kaijin! No problem at all!"
"That's right, there's nothing for you to worry about, old man!"
"……!"
The other three felt the same way.
"More importantly, once we're released, we're coming with you, Kaijin!"
"Master Rimuru, would it be a problem if we tagged along?"
"…………??"
That last guy — I couldn't quite parse what he was trying to say, but I got the sentiment.
"Hmph! I'll take care of all of you. Just know I'll be working you hard, so brace yourselves!"
"YEAH!"
And so, like that, we began discussing what to do after our release.
The first day passed like that, and on the second night: "Now that I think about it, that minister really had it in for you, didn't he, Kaijin? Was there some particular reason?"
I asked casually.
At this, Kaijin made a face like he'd bitten into something bitter, sighed, and began to explain.
It turned out Kaijin had formerly been one of the captains of the Royal Knights.
Though the Royal Knights comprised seven divisions total, he'd been placed in charge of one of them.
The support division, the engineering division, the rescue division — the three behind-the-scenes units.
The heavy assault division, the magic assault division, the magic support division — the three glamorous units.
And then, the most important one: the King's personal guard division.
Kaijin had served as captain of the engineering division.
His deputy at the time had been Vester.
"That guy was born a marquis — people said he'd bought his title with money! And since I was a commoner, he was jealous of me.
It must have been complicated for him. Taking orders from a commoner was probably humiliating…
I didn't have the luxury of worrying about other people's feelings. I was desperate to live up to the King's expectations…
And then, that incident happened…"
He went on to tell me about the incident from that time.
The incident that had prompted Kaijin to leave the military.
The Magimech Soldier Plan incident.
At the time, the dwarven engineering division had been rated the lowest among the seven divisions, with no new technological breakthroughs.
From the standpoint of a nation built on technology, the engineering division should be the glamour unit! That was the Vester faction's argument.
They should continue with steady, reliable research as they had been! That was Kaijin's faction's argument.
The two sides were deadlocked, and no conclusion was ever reached in their meetings.
During all this, a joint development project with elven engineers called the "Magimech Soldier Plan" was launched.
Vester was determined to make this project a success at all costs, to cement the engineering division's standing!
But Kaijin pointed out Vester's impatience, and Vester — who had no ears for advice from a commoner superior — ignored him.
In the end, Vester's impetuous solo push led to the Spirit Magic Core going out of control, and the project collapsed.
The Magimech Soldier Plan, which had assembled the finest technicians of the era, thus met its end!
………
…
In the end, Kaijin took the blame for the failure and left the military.
Vester had pinned all his failures on Kaijin, recruited senior military officials, and even fabricated testimony.
Man, Vester really was a textbook villain. In a way, at least he was easy to understand.
The gist was: as long as Kaijin remained in this country, Vester feared he might one day return to the military and threaten his position again.
What a coward. Wouldn't death be fitting? Well, maybe death was a bit much…
"Anyway, once I leave this country, he'll probably calm down a bit."
And that was how he wrapped up the story.
The three brothers, who knew the truth of that past incident, also despised Minister Vester.
Hearing all this, I'd hate him too…
But I'd punched a noble.
I didn't think I'd get off scot-free with just a release…
As if reading my concern: "It should be fine, one way or another. Even though I'm retired, I held the rank of captain, so I've been granted the title of baronet.
If a commoner had struck a noble, though — they could've sentenced you to death without even waiting for a trial!"
He said this and burst out laughing.
I sure couldn't laugh…
If push came to shove, I'd just escape! I'd pretend I had nothing to do with any of it and wait for the whole thing to blow over as a regular slime.
That was my plan, deep down.
And then the day of the trial arrived.
We were brought before the King.
The heroic King of the Dwarves.
Standing before him, his overwhelming presence was no joke.
The current king,
Eyes closed, he sat deeply in his chair.
A sturdy, dwarven build. Muscles like armor, radiating restrained power.
That distinctive brown skin. Jet-black hair, slicked back.
Strong!
My instincts were blaring warnings at full intensity for the first time in ages.
Two knights flanked him on either side.
They felt strong too, but paled in comparison to the king.
This king was a monster.
I'd been thinking I could escape easily if I had to, but this…
My completely relaxed awareness snapped to full alert the moment I stood before him.
This might have been the first genuine sense of "danger" I'd felt since arriving in this world.
A man knelt before the king and confirmed something with him.
After receiving the king's permission, he stood and announced: "The trial shall now begin! Silence, everyone!!!"
The trial was declared open.
Over the course of an hour, both sides presented their cases.
As the parties involved, we were not permitted to speak.
Only nobles of earl rank or higher could speak freely at this proceeding.
Everyone else was forbidden from speaking until granted the king's permission.
And what happened if you spoke anyway?
The moment you spoke, your guilt was sealed — and on top of that, you'd be charged with treason against the crown!
It didn't matter whether you were innocent or not. Those were the rules here.
We had to leave everything to our representative.
This representative was someone we'd met several times over the past two days to coordinate our defense.
Think of him as something like a lawyer.
Would this representative hold up?
Unfortunately, such anxieties had a tendency to come true…
"Thus, while Lord Vester was relaxing and enjoying drinks at the establishment, these men burst in and assaulted him in a group! This is an absolutely unforgivable act!!!"
"Is this statement accurate?"
"Yes! Not only did I take statements from Lord Kaijin, I also obtained testimony from the establishment itself! What was stated earlier is accurate in every respect!!!"
…Huh? Wait, what?
The representative I'd thought was on our side had betrayed us.
This… was bad, wasn't it?
Looking at Kaijin, his face had flushed red and was gradually turning pale.
Well, yeah.
After all, we wouldn't even be allowed to offer an explanation.
Incidentally… representatives were not permitted to lie.
If caught, it meant the death penalty. It would take either extraordinary resolve or some hidden circumstance to risk lying…
This system was designed to prevent lowly people — in this case, criminals — from speaking freely before the king, but this time it had been weaponized in the worst possible way.
"Your Majesty! Have you heard all of this? Please deliver a severe sentence to these men!"
Vester, riding high, made his plea directly to the king.
He then looked our way, a triumphant smirk on his face.
That bastard… I really should've just kept punching him…
The king remained motionless, eyes still closed.
Seeing this, an attendant spoke on the king's behalf: "Silence!!! The verdict shall now be delivered!
Principal offender, Kaijin! This man is sentenced to twenty years of forced labor in the mines.
The remaining accomplices! These men are sentenced to ten years of forced labor in the mines.
This trial is now adjourned—"
"Wait…"
A heavy, deep, quiet voice cut through the words of closure.
The king opened his eyes and fixed them on Kaijin.
"It has been a long time, Kaijin! How are you?"
"…Yes! Your Majesty appears to be in excellent health, which is most gratifying!"
After a brief pause, Kaijin replied.
It seemed the king would accept a response from him directly.
"Good. The two of us go way back. Now, to the matter at hand — do you have any desire to return?"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Vester went pale in an instant.
Glancing over, the treacherous representative had turned a deathly ashen color.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty! I have already found my master! This bond is my most precious treasure. Even under the king's command, I have no intention of letting it go!"
At those words, the surrounding crowd stirred.
Murderous intent radiated from the guards toward Kaijin.
Yet Kaijin showed no fear — if anything, he stood tall and proud, meeting the king's gaze.
Seeing those eyes, the king closed his own once more.
"I see…"
He murmured.
Silence reclaimed the surroundings once more.
And then: "I shall deliver my judgment. Listen well!!!
Kaijin and his companions are hereby exiled from the kingdom!
Once the date changes tonight, I will not permit you to remain in this country. That is all. Now — disappear from my presence…"
The king's eyes snapped open as he declared this at full voice.
This was the majesty of a ruler!
A presence so overwhelming it made your body tremble.
And yet… to me, the king looked lonely.
And so, the trial was adjourned, and we returned to Kaijin's shop.
What was supposed to be a quick drink had turned into quite the ordeal.
We needed to pack and leave right away!
Come to think of it… was Gobta okay?
Well, it had only been three days…
With a touch of worry, I opened the door to the punishment room and— "Oh! Welcome back! Did you have fun? Take me with you next time!"
Gobta sprang off the sofa, saying all this with a grin.
Wh… at?
How did this guy escape from the spider's Sticky Thread?
Looking more closely… what he'd been using as a pillow was a Storm Fang Wolf.
Seriously!? He actually succeeded in summoning one!?
"H-hey, Gobta. Did you actually manage to summon a wolf?"
"Yeah! I just thought 'Come here!' and it showed up!"
He said it like it was nothing…
Even though no other Hobgoblin had ever managed it…
Could it be that all the nutrition for his brain was going to his talent instead…?
No way… surely even Gobta wasn't that gifted.
It had to be a coincidence.
That was when I noticed the dwarves frozen stiff upon seeing the Storm Fang Wolf.
"What are you guys doing? Hurry up and get ready to go!"
I called out to the dwarves.
"Whoa, hold on — why is there a Black Fang Wolf here!!!"
"That's right! We need to get out of here quick — that's a B-rank monster!!!"
They were panicking.
Their reaction was comical and honestly pretty entertaining.
"It's fine, it's fine! No problem at all! He's no different from a regular dog! He's a wolf we keep at home!"
I tried to reassure them, but for some reason all four of them were speechless.
We were short on time, so I had the dwarves change into traveling clothes, and we headed outside.
Then I, alone, swallowed everything worth taking from inside the house.
My capacity still had plenty of room.
But swallowing an entire building would draw way too much suspicion, so I decided against it.
With our travel preparations complete, we set off for the meeting point with Rigul and the others — the entrance to the forest.
Armed Nation Dwargon.
A nation with which we would have many future dealings.
Having fled this country as if running away, we were still oblivious to that fact.
Status Name:
Magic: None Skills: Unique Skill — Great Sage Unique Skill — Predator Slime Intrinsic Skills — Dissolve, Absorb, Self-Regeneration Extra Skill — Water Manipulation Extra Skill — Magicule Perception Acquired Skills — Black Serpent: Heat Source Detection, Poison Mist Breath; Centipede: Paralytic Breath; Spider: Sticky Thread, Steel Thread; Bat: Ultrasonic Wave; Lizard: Body Armor; Black Wolf: Super Sense of Smell, Thought Communication, Intimidation, Shadow Movement, Black Lightning Resistances: Heat Fluctuation Resistance (EX), Physical Attack Resistance,
You'd never have guessed there'd been a noisy commotion just moments ago…
After the five criminals had left in a hurry, not a single person moved.
As if to shatter that silence: "Well then, Vester. Is there anything you'd like to say?"
"Y-Your Majesty! This is a misunderstanding! It must be some kind of mistake!"
Vester cried out wretchedly, practically clinging to the king.
The king, for his part, maintained his cold, emotionless demeanor throughout.
"A misunderstanding, is it… I have lost one loyal subject."
"What are you saying? That sort of person couldn't even swear loyalty to Your Majesty — he's nothing but some nobody of unknown origin…"
"Vester! You are the one who is mistaken. Kaijin had already left my side long before this…
The loyal subject I am losing — that is you."
Calm. A voice devoid of any emotion.
Vester's throat bobbed as he swallowed.
He had to make an excuse! His heart was hammering, his mind racing.
He couldn't think of anything.
What had the king just said?
The one being lost was him. Which meant…
Vester tried to think of what to do, but nothing came to mind.
"I ask you once more. Vester. Is there anything you would like to say?"
Fear.
Vester's mind was consumed by terror.
The king was demanding a response. He had to answer! But no words would come!!!
"I-I… with all due respect…"
"I had high hopes for you. I had been waiting. During the Magimech Soldier incident as well — I was waiting for you to tell me the truth.
And this time too. Behold!"
With that, the king indicated two items.
They had been carried in by an attendant at some point.
Vester looked at them with hollow eyes.
A spherical pouch filled with liquid, which he'd never seen before.
A single longsword.
"Do you recognize them?"
Asked this, he examined them more closely.
He didn't recognize the sphere, but the longsword was familiar — the sword Kaijin had brought in.
"Let me explain!"
At the king's direction, the attendant provided the explanation.
It took Vester's brain some time to process what he was hearing.
Not Resurrection Medicine, but a complete extract of Hippokute herb. A full recovery potion.
Even with the finest dwarven technology, ninety-eight percent extraction was the upper limit.
At ninety-eight percent, you could only achieve the effects of a high-grade recovery potion. But this was ninety-nine percent!
Vester's face twisted with shock. He wanted to know! That extraction method!
Even more astonishing information was then laid out before Vester.
That longsword.
The
Impossible… Normally, it would take at least ten years of bonding before gradual corrosion would set in!
Vester's mind whirred to life with shock.
If that was true… The thought consumed him— "It was that slime who brought them. Your actions severed the connection with that monster. Do you have anything to say?"
That was the moment Vester truly understood the depth of the king's anger.
There was nothing left for him to say… at all.
"Nothing… I have nothing to say, Your Majesty."
Tears welled up.
He finally understood — he had been abandoned by the king.
He'd wanted to be useful to the king. He'd wanted to be acknowledged by him.
That was all he'd ever wished for.
When had he gone wrong?
When he'd become jealous of Kaijin?
Or even before that…?
He didn't know. All he knew was the fact that he had betrayed the king's expectations.
"I see. Then, Vester! You are hereby banned from the palace. Never again let me see your face before me…!
But I will leave you with one final word — you have served well!!!"
Upon hearing the king's words, Vester rose and bowed deeply.
Then he departed.
To pay the price for his own foolishness…
As Vester exited, the royal guard moved in and seized the traitorous representative.
Watching this from the sidelines: "Shadow Division! Monitor that slime's movements! Do not be detected — under any circumstances!!!"
The king issued his command with added emphasis.
A reticent king, repeating his orders for emphasis!
The gravity of it made everyone around him stiffen.
"Even at the cost of my life!"
The Shadow Division operative said this before vanishing.
The king mused.
What was that monster?
It was a thing of another kind entirely. And such a monster had been set loose upon the world…
The age of peace might be coming to an end.