Once the spirit-binding procedure on the children proved successful, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. With that settled, I decided it was time to head back to the academy.
I said goodbye to
She grabbed me by the collar and yanked me back.
My neck got squeezed tight—though since I don't actually need to breathe, it wasn't a big deal for me.
"What is it this time? What's your beef now?"
"It's not beef! I helped you out, so a thank-you is only natural, right? Of course, I don't need anything material or anything! But, y'know, as a person, you'd at least… right?"
"Ah, sorry. I'm not a person. So we're good!" I replied, and turned to leave as if nothing had happened.
"Waaait! Wait, wait, wait!
Seriously, you don't get it, do you?
Because you broke my Magic Puppet, I've got no bodyguard left! See, I'm a kid, right? Totally helpless, right?
So! That means I'm in trouble! You've gotta do something about this, right?"
"……"
Hmm.
This was a tough spot. I could tell her it was her own fault, but the fact remained that I was the one who'd destroyed it.
Why had I gone and vaporized it without a trace…? Well, to be fair, I hadn't expected it to pack that kind of firepower.
Sure, "
It wasn't surprising that it couldn't withstand the heat.
The Great Sage had seemed pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, so I'd figured it would be fine. But as you saw, the results spoke for themselves.
Maybe I should dial down the power a bit next time.
Anyway, I needed a replacement for the Magic Puppet.
I had a decent stockpile of "Magisteel" on hand, but spending it here felt wasteful. Plus, I really didn't want to consume that much material for something that size.
Hmm…
What if I made a human-sized puppet and had a spirit possess it?
《Analysis. Creation: "Magic Puppet" has been located. Execution is feasible. The abilities granted will vary depending on the spirit or demon that is bound to it. Appearance will vary according to your imagination. Please decide on the summoning target and mentally confirm to proceed.》 The Great Sage never disappoints. It had searched through its vast library of magic and located the right spell in an instant.
It was a relatively simple spell. I'd already seen summoning magic demonstrated during the adventurer's exam, and it had been analyzed at that point.
The remaining question was whether to bind a spirit or a demon.
Based on what I'd seen with the children's summoning earlier, spirits without their own will were most likely.
So maybe a demon? Honestly, they gave off a somewhat unreliable vibe, but that wasn't really the case.
Summoning was a contract, so betrayal of the summoner wasn't possible—as long as the terms were met.
If the contracted party desired anything beyond the agreed terms, the contract would be terminated. Both sides had to be satisfied, or the deal was off.
Demons didn't equal evil.
So the plan was: craft the body from "Magisteel," bind a demon to it, and create a Magic Puppet.
It would probably end up being far stronger than any run-of-the-mill A-rank monster.
"Fine, fine! Stop making a scene, Rammy.
Here's what I'll do: I'll make you a guardian. No complaints.
But in exchange, you're going to teach me Spirit Engineering! Guy's like
You can build Magic Puppets with Spirit Engineering together over there!"
"That's a piece of cake! What kind of puppet will you make me?"
"Hmm? Oh, something that looks tougher than the one I took down…"
"You're serious!? You're actually a really nice person, aren't you!"
"Sure am. But listen—don't use this thing for anything shady.
I'm going to put a Creator's Command on it so it can only be used for your defense!"
"Okay, okay! No problem! It can play around in here, though, right?"
"Hmm? Yeah, as long as it's inside. Don't go causing trouble for anyone else.
Also—just a heads-up from the Great Sage—it's going to be incredibly strong! So if you screw around, you could get hurt."
With that, I got started.
I pulled "Magisteel" from my pocket dimension and laid it out.
The material was saturated with Magicules and in excellent condition for magic manipulation.
The children watched with wide, curious eyes.
"Where the heck did you pull that from… actually, never mind…"
Ramiris started to say something but trailed off midway, wearing a look of resignation.
I took that as her being satisfied and got to work.
I spread both hands wide and pretended to chant some dramatic incantation. The area was the same altar from before, and since it could be dangerous, I'd already evacuated the children. The only one standing behind me was Ramiris.
Now, I was hoping this would go smoothly. The last thing I needed was for it to go haywire. Between the spirit modifications and everything else, I'd already consumed a lot of stamina and Magicules.
As I spoke my incantation, a Magic Circle was drawn onto the floor. I didn't actually need to chant, but the atmosphere felt right.
From the Magic Circle emerged an Archfiend.
It dropped to one knee and bowed its head respectfully.
"You summoned me, my Lord?"
it said.
An Archfiend.
There might be some variation among them, but compared to a Lesser Demon, it was larger and powerfully built.
Its jet-black skin was draped in what looked like high-quality robes. I couldn't tell its gender. The pair of horns protruding from either side of its head gave it an imposing look.
Did demons even have muscles? Whatever.
"I did. The reason I summoned you is simple.
I'm going to create a Magic Puppet shortly, and I want you to inhabit it as your physical body.
The compensation is my Magicules. The contract period is… let me see…"
I glanced over at Ramiris.
"I want 100 years! Another hundred years and I'll have grown up too!" she said.
"The contract period will be 100 years.
Once it expires, the puppet is yours to keep as your body. How does that sound?"
If the instruction were "defeat the enemy before you," the contract would end immediately—but a fixed term made things complicated.
If I just kept it by my side as a attendant, I'd only need to supply Magicules periodically, but this time it needed to fully inhabit the puppet.
Controlling one body meant you couldn't summon other monsters simultaneously—though there were workarounds.
This time, I needed the fairy to have a proper guardian here at the academy. I had to nail down all those details in the contract.
"That is easily done, my Lord! The compensation has already been received."
Huh? The Magicules I'd used for the summoning were enough?
Well, a significant chunk had been drained, that much was true. But I'd always had a pretty large Magicule reserve.
Compared to an instant summon, I'd apparently offered a generous amount—which explained the deferential attitude.
If the contract was properly established, there was no problem. But summoning with a meager amount of Magicules could get you killed on the spot.
The only safe approach was a proper summoning and contract. I needed to be careful about that.
Anyway, since the summoning fee was covered, the next step was the puppet.
I processed the "Magisteel" I'd taken out, section by section.
When it came to puppets, ball joints were non-negotiable. To my own amazement, the pieces came together exactly as I'd imagined.
In my past life, I'd envied a friend who could make figures. Unfortunately, I was too clumsy for that—I could barely manage plastic model kits.
But now things were different!
With the Great Sage's correction, I could shape the material exactly as I pleased.
Ramiris, who had been watching with a "what are you even doing?" expression, suddenly got incredibly excited midway through.
"Hey! Wait! This is amazing! What the—?!
You—this is incredible! You can really make it move this freely?!"
She was thrilled. I hadn't expected it to turn out this precise either, to be honest.
Pure "Magisteel" apparently allowed a fair degree of shaping based on one's image, and that certainly helped.
The Archfiend, who had been watching from the sidelines, now wore an expression of surprise and delight upon realizing this would become its body.
Probably, anyway. Reading demon expressions was difficult.
"This is magnificent. Truly worthy of a Summoner.
Honestly, I assumed operating a golem would require expending magic power to manipulate the joints while moving them. With this body, mere control suffices.
It is a body worthy of being my vessel!"
So it was happy after all.
I incorporated the requests of both Ramiris and the Archfiend, and the puppet was complete.
It wore a mask identical to mine, and in terms of build, the "Magisteel" quantity limited it to roughly human size.
Slender, approximately 180 centimeters tall.
Small by the Archfiend's standards, but apparently no issue at all.
And with that, it was finished.
The completed puppet was then possessed by the Archfiend. The integration was seamless.
For reference, even rare metals had boiling points around 5,000 degrees. Yet "Magisteel" could withstand temperatures up to 9,900 degrees.
It was a remarkable metal with self-regenerating properties as well.
Practically speaking, destroying this puppet through physical means would be nearly impossible.
"How does it feel?"
"Excellent… My physical interaction capacity has been significantly enhanced.
Compared to possessing a random monster or human, my physical strength goes without saying, but my physical defense is on an entirely different level.
This is extraordinary!!! This body is incredible!!!"
It moved the body around, testing it as it reported.
For a demon to interact with the world, it needed a physical vessel—usually an animal or monster. This time, the puppet was woven from Magicules, but that hadn't caused any problems. Perhaps it was being perceived as a single monster.
After finishing its checks, it knelt before me.
"I swear upon this body—I shall prove my worth!
Once the 100-year guardian contract for the fairy is fulfilled, please allow me to serve at your side!"
It came out with that.
A hundred years from now… I wasn't even sure I'd still be alive.
"If I'm still around, sure?"
"Hahaha, what a joke! There's no way my Lord would perish in a mere hundred years.
With that promise, no additional compensation is necessary!"
How long did I actually live for, anyway? I'd never really thought about it. Oh well.
It seemed I'd made an impression.
Apparently, I had a constitution that monsters found appealing. Which meant… the naming thing.
My remaining Magicule reserves were running low. Based on past experience, the higher the rank of the monster, the more it tended to drain.
An Archfiend was top-tier.
Its base rank was A-, but depending on the vessel it inhabited, it could rival a full A-rank. With a pure "Magisteel" body like this one, it was clearly A-rank and beyond.
Oh well. I still had about 40% left. Should be fine.
"All right! Then your name shall be "
From now on, swear your loyalty to me! For the first hundred years, your job is protecting Ramiris.
Put your all into it!"
I named it on impulse.
The beautiful form had reminded me of that equally beautiful name-sake firearm.
And, as expected, the exhaustion hit. This time I barely held on—I was practically running on fumes.
This one alone had taken over 30% of my Magicules… Brutal.
The moment I bestowed the name, the Archfiend's evolution began.
The time before the transformation took effect had gotten shorter, it seemed.
A fluid sphere served as the core, connected to the chest, head, waist, arms, and legs, all covered by a membrane.
It looked almost human.
A single human figure with no discernible gender. Its face was hidden behind the mask, and traces of its jet-black skin lingered in the long black hair that cascaded over its body.
The skin had turned white, devoid of any sense of flowing blood. Being a puppet, that was only natural.
Once the transformation was complete, clothing enveloped the body.
The mask's eye slits glowed with a crimson light. The evolution had finished.
Now then—what abilities had I granted it? Its appearance had shifted from a puppet to something more human.
It seemed the evolution had simultaneously completed the full integration.
It was a beautiful puppet.
However, its face was hidden behind a mask, and no one who beheld its true face would be spared.
Those who saw its true face would be granted death equally—anyone other than its master.
Beretta rose and bowed deeply to me.
"My Lord, I am the Magic General Puppet named Beretta.
I shall execute the orders you have bestowed upon me!"
Then it turned toward Ramiris and gave a formal bow.
"By my master's command, I shall serve as your bodyguard!"
Ramiris, looking somewhat overwhelmed, nodded vigorously.
"O-oh! I'll leave it to you! Please take care of me!"
She did her best to maintain her dignity as she responded.
Well, it should serve as an adequate substitute for the original puppet. In terms of raw strength, it looked more than twice as powerful.
That settled Ramiris's request.
I may have gotten a bit carried away and used more "Magisteel" than intended. Once I started crafting, I got bogged down with every little adjustment and couldn't stop myself.
But I'd put real effort into this thing. Hopefully it would prove useful.
The children had fallen asleep while I was building the puppet.
The prolonged tension and fear, followed by the relief of release—they'd finally let go of everything they'd been holding back, and the safety had lulled them to sleep.
They were sleeping peacefully with
They needed rest to develop properly.
I'd wait until the children woke up. In the meantime, I took a nice rest myself.
And so, after crafting Ramiris's bodyguard, I departed the Spirit's Dwelling.
The children now had spirits safely bound to them, the risk of collapse was gone, and all the problems had been resolved.
Or so I thought…
Three months had passed since my agreement with Yuuki.
I'd consulted with him many times about the children's future.
Taking them to Tempest had been an option, but I believed a proper learning environment was important.
Fortunately, this was an academy with many excellent teachers. They could receive basic education as well as magical training.
The children had discussed it among themselves and decided they wanted to stay and study here. They'd apparently assumed I'd be staying too, and when I said I was leaving, they broke into tears.
But they all vowed passionately that they would visit once they graduated!
Of course, they'd be more than welcome.
While they were in the Church's territory, there might be some inconveniences, but by now I had ways to manage that.
Their magic power was no longer leaking out uncontrollably—it had settled to normal levels. Even someone with appraisal abilities wouldn't notice anything.
I'd discussed all of this thoroughly with Yuuki as well.
"After three years, the children will be presumed dead, so it should be safe," he'd said.
If they could endure three years, they'd be able to walk around freely.
Even now, they could go outside without issue as long as they wore a mask as a precaution.
Yuuki had asked repeatedly how I'd resolved the situation, but that remained a secret. He, too, believed the children had become indistinguishable from ordinary people. And that was fine.
Their energy was currently being counterbalanced by the spirits, but once things settled, they could potentially acquire Unique Skills.
I didn't want anyone finding out about that before any new issues arose.
Well, there was no guarantee they'd gain them. I hadn't even told the children.
The children's future planning meeting wrapped up without a hitch, and we spent the remaining time enjoying ourselves. We went on picnics, and the trio came to visit.
My business was also going well. When I visited Myormail two months later, I was warmly welcomed.
My evolved ability, "Spatial Movement," now allowed instant teleportation to any location I'd previously visited, drastically cutting travel time.
Using the money I'd earned there, I purchased a large quantity of "Magic Stones" from Yuuki. That would keep the research moving forward.
And so, the agreed-upon period came to a peaceful close.
On the day of my departure, I left the Royal Capital behind, the children's tear-streaked faces fresh in my mind.
The time I'd spent in this human town—short yet felt long. I'd gone through a lot because of the children, but I'd also forged bonds I wouldn't trade for anything.
As a monster, I'd never imagined I'd be able to interact with human children so naturally.
My business had been profitable too, generating substantial revenue.
I'd stopped by Tempest once and found that a few adventurers had started visiting—the town was buzzing with activity.
Everything was going well.
…No, everything was going too well.
Negative emotions like envy and jealousy grew silently among those around you, often without your knowledge.
I'd tried to conduct myself in a way that minimized attracting such feelings.
But if the data you fed in was wrong, the answer would be wrong too. Even the Great Sage's predictive calculations would give the wrong answer if my questions were flawed.
The more Tempest prospered, the more there were those who'd lose their ability to gain wealth by comparison.
I understood that, of course, but I'd never expected things to spiral on a scale beyond my projections.
The result— "I've been looking for you, Rimuru!"
Right outside the Royal Capital, someone called out to me.
It was Gruusis, the human who worked for Youm's security force.
He was gasping for breath, having clearly sprinted to reach me.
Something had happened. That much was obvious.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
To my question, he delivered the worst possible answer: "The Farmus Kingdom has sent troops… toward Tempest!"
The worst-case scenario had arrived.
People said "disaster follows prosperity," but even that felt too mild for this.
I immediately decided to teleport to Tempest.
"Want me to come along?" I asked.
But apparently something was happening with Youm's group too—Gruusis planned to teleport back to help them.
The situation was accelerating fast.
I parted ways with Gruusis and attempted to teleport to Tempest.
……
……
…
Born into this world as a slime, I'd dreamed of the human lifestyle.
Connections with otherworlders.
I'd achieved those simple desires and had been planning to lay the groundwork for further development of our nation, Tempest.
In some ways I'd succeeded. In other ways, I'd failed.
As a former ordinary person, I'd lacked the perspective for political negotiations and national power plays—and that was the root of my error.
Fate was accelerating events, determining the course of my future.
The time of peace was ending. The time of war was beginning.