With Arthur's reassuring presence gone, the weight of the crisis fell hardest on Shion and Shuna.
The arrival of the Luminous envoy (an intimidating, direct representative of an ancient Demon Lord) and the eruption of the Church Civil War meant their duties—security and strategy—had never been more critical.
The Burden of Strategy
Shuna, the chief strategist, was immediately overwhelmed by the logistical demands of the external crises.
Rimuru tasked her with a dual, almost contradictory mission: prepare for the diplomatic meeting with the Luminous envoy while simultaneously managing the information and logistical fallout of the Hinata-induced Church Civil War.
In the war room, Shuna was surrounded by maps, diplomatic reports, and communication crystals. Her usual calm focus was strained.
"Benimaru-sama, Shuna-sama, the reports are contradictory!"
Souei's subordinate, Souka, reported via crystal.
"The Kingdom of Blumund is asking for military aid against the Church's loyalist factions, but if we move troops, we violate the new treaties! What is the command?"
Shuna rubbed her temples.
"The answer is diplomacy, not defense! If we deploy troops, Luminous will see us as invaders. Use the Farmus and Blumund diplomats we trained. Tell them to jointly demand a ceasefire and an investigation. We must push the political solution, not the military one. Rimuru-sama requires stability."
She then turned to her chief concern: the Demon Lord envoy.
"Shion, have the security protocols been confirmed? That envoy is here to sniff out our weaknesses, and you know they'll be watching Veldora and Milim."
Shion, the Chief of Security and Rimuru's personal guard, had a singular focus: contain the chaos and protect the sovereign's image.
Her mission was not to fight, but to ensure that the two True Dragons—Veldora and Milim—did not ruin the delicate diplomatic situation.
Shion stood at the entrance to the main meeting hall, her presence a silent, terrifying warning. Inside, the Luminous envoy was preparing to meet Rimuru.
"Arthur-sama left because he trusts Rimuru-sama and us. I will not fail. Every movement of Veldora-sama and Milim-sama must be anticipated. They cannot be seen as mere pets or unruly children. They must be seen as sovereign deterrents."
She intercepted Veldora moments before he planned to enter the hall in his massive Dragon form, wanting to make a "dramatic entrance."
"Veldora-sama,"
Shion said, blocking his path, her tone respectful but absolute.
"You will maintain your human form. Rimuru-sama requires you to sit silently and appear bored, not aggressive. You are the symbol of our absolute confidence. Do not move, do not laugh, and do not eat any of the special Demon Lord tea cakes until the envoy has left."
Veldora, surprised by the sheer, contained force of her willpower, grumbled but obeyed.
"Fine, Shion. But if they insult the manga collection, I reserve the right to intervene."
As the Luminous envoy entered, Shion positioned herself directly behind Rimuru, radiating controlled, unwavering loyalty. She was the impenetrable wall.
Meanwhile, Shuna provided Rimuru with a micro-second breakdown of the envoy's likely questions and the status of the Church crisis via a focused telepathic link.
"They will probe for Arthur's location. Deny knowledge. They will ask about the Church. Blame the human administrators. Emphasize that Tempest is the source of order."
Together, the two Oni ensured the success of Rimuru's first major independent test.
Shuna handled the global strategy and intelligence, while Shion managed the volatile internal security, ensuring Rimuru could present a facade of absolute, unflappable stability to the world.
…
Rimuru made a bold, counter-intuitive strategic decision: ignore the pressing political crises for one day and focus entirely on internal strength.
The global power shift caused by Arthur's power and Hinata's revolution would only be stabilized by absolute economic dominance.
The Great Underground Labyrinth was the answer.
Rimuru postponed the meeting with the Luminous Envoy and summoned Veldora and Milim.
"Listen, you two,"
Rimuru commanded, holding a complex blueprint.
"The world is panicking. We are going to show them that we are focused on wealth, not war. For the next twelve hours, I need you to use your power to carve out the first fifty floors of the Great Underground Labyrinth as fast as possible. This is a massive public works project—our new, stable source of income."
Veldora and Milim, delighted to have a legitimate excuse to use their power for sheer destruction (and creation), erupted in cheers and immediately descended below the capital.
The resulting subterranean construction was felt as minor, controlled earthquakes across the Western Nations—a bizarre show of force that spoke of industry rather than invasion.
Shuna and Shion immediately went into high-gear.
Shuna calculated the projected flow of rare ores, magical beasts, and potential profit, turning the Labyrinth into a meticulous economic model.
Shion, meanwhile, was placed in charge of the massive, chaotic influx of new monster citizens and excited (and greedy) human adventurers who had heard the rumors and wanted to participate, ensuring the city's streets did not descend into anarchy.
As the final, massive tremor of Veldora's construction faded—marking the completion of the first fifty floors—a soft ripple of dimensional energy displaced the air in Rimuru's office.
Arthur, looking rested, slightly sun-tanned from his desert exploration, materialized by the window. He was carrying nothing but a slight dust of desert sand.
"Well done, partner,"
Arthur said, the tone still light and teenage, but with a new layer of profound knowledge behind it.
He immediately registered the massive surge in economic projections from the paperwork on Rimuru's desk and the two, perfectly contained True Dragons still vibrating with excitement underground.
Rimuru jumped up, relief and a touch of indignation flooding her face.
"Arthur! You're back! And you just... watched? You know I was dealing with a Church civil war and a Luminous probe?"
Arthur walked over to her, his movements fluid and relaxed.
"I know. And you handled it perfectly."
He tapped the documents on her desk.
"You faced a political test and answered with economic dominance. You understood that a Demon Lord's greatest weapon is stability, not necessarily a cannon. You forced Luminous to postpone her judgment and forced the Church to implode internally without wasting a single one of our troops."
He smiled, a genuine expression of pride.
"The sovereign's test? Passed. You're ready."
He then sat down on the edge of her massive mahogany desk, still exuding the power of a walking reality glitch.
"So, what are the next two crises? I'm curious to see how you close out this round. I promise not to interfere. Much."
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