After leaving Carrion behind, Rimuru and Frey flew back to her castle and made their way straight to the throne room, where Shion and Benimaru were already waiting for them alongside Frey's two daughters. They were not the only ones present. Every important harpy of Fulbrosia had been summoned, standing in neat rows across the hall. Even Seer Circe had come out of seclusion, which was a rare sight, considering that even some members of Frey's own court had barely ever seen her in person due to how seldom she left her chambers.
The moment they landed, Rimuru walked up to the throne and sat down without a hint of hesitation. The instant he did, Benimaru and Shion moved in perfect sync, stepping into position behind him without exchanging so much as a glance or a word.
Meanwhile, Frey stood there with her eyes fixed on him, but her chest was tightening as a storm of emotions churned beneath the surface. On one hand, she knew she had made the right decision. She had done what was necessary to protect Fulbrosia, to ensure her people would survive the calamity that had befallen them. But on the other hand, that throne was not just a simple chair. It held centuries of history, shaped by generations of rulers who had come before her. To her, it was a symbol of her strength, the proof of every hardship she had endured and every battle she had fought to rise to where she stood. And now, in the span of just a few hours, an outsider was sitting on it, out of her own choice, making it a bitter pill for the Sky Queen to swallow.
And Frey was not the only one struggling with the sight of an outsider occupying their nation's throne. Every harpy in that room felt it, the same unease twisting in their chests and the same storm of thoughts running through their minds. But none of them were foolish enough to challenge or question Rimuru. Their queen had already told them everything, from the truth of their situation to the deal she had made with the blue-haired man now seated before them. More importantly, they had all felt it for themselves, that quiet, overwhelming pressure that clung to Rimuru's presence itself.
At the time, Frey had been certain that revealing her decision would shatter the respect she had spent years building. She had braced herself for anger, for disappointment, maybe even outright hostility from her own court. After all, it would not have been strange for them to see her choice as nothing more than selling out her nation to an outsider. But to her surprise, not a single minister spoke against her. Not one of them looked at her with blame or resentment. If anything, the way they looked at her now carried even more weight than before. Their admiration had not faded as she had feared. Instead, it had only deepened the moment they realized she had been willing to give up everything, her throne, her pride, even her own freedom if it came to that, all for the sake of protecting Fulbrosia... for the sake of protecting them.
Their loyalty only grew stronger after that. Some of them even stepped forward and said it outright that, after witnessing the terror of Charybdis and the sheer, overwhelming power displayed by Rimuru and his two subordinates, no one in their right mind would dare blame her for choosing to cooperate with him. And if anyone did, they would personally make sure that idiot regretted it.
Hearing their words brought Frey back to her earlier conversation with Rimuru about family and warmth. Once again, she found herself forced to admit something she had long resisted. A nation could not be ruled by treating its people like tools, like interchangeable parts in some grand machine. If you wanted a nation to truly thrive, then everyone, from the ruler to the lowest citizen, had to give a shit about it. They had to care, not just about the land, but about each other, and had to see the people around them as their own.
Returning to the present, the air in the throne room felt heavy, almost suffocating, as every pair of eyes remained fixed on the blue-haired man seated on the throne, with Frey standing at the front, staring straight at him.
"Well then, Frey," Rimuru began, casually crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back into the throne, "...according to our agreement, I've dealt with Charybdis without a single loss of life or even a scratch on a building within your walls. So, did you find the results satisfactory?" he asked with a teasing smile.
"Don't you think that question is a little silly, Lord Rimuru?" Frey replied with a faint smile forming on her lips as she tried to ease the tension that had settled over the room. "I don't think anyone here would object if I said that what you've done for me and my people is far more than I could have ever asked for."
"That's good to hear," Rimuru said, nodding in agreement. "Well then, since I've upheld my end of the deal, it's your turn to uphold yours." He leaned forward slightly, locking his gaze onto hers. "I hope you won't disappoint me, Frey."
Frey felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked back into his eyes, realizing that if she tried to play any games or go back on her words, there would be hell of a consequences to pay, not just for her, but for everyone standing behind her. Fortunately for her, however, she had no intention of delving into any kind of schemes against a guy like Rimuru in the first place. After all, you don't try to steal Dragon's horde while having your head in its mouth.
That was why, in the very next moment, Frey drew in a slow, steady breath and stepped forward before lowering herself onto one knee right in front of the man sitting on her throne. "I, Queen Frey of the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia, with all my mind and heart, hereby declare my and my nation's undying loyalty to Lord Rimuru. From this day onward, my people and I are yours to command, and in return, I ask for the prosperity and happiness of my nation." Her steady and resolute voice rang clearly through the chamber, carrying both the weight of her decision and the sincerity behind it.
"Queen Frey, I, Rimuru Tempest, accept your pledge of loyalty," Rimuru said as he placed a hand over his heart. "In return, I promise to bring prosperity to the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia." With that, he rose from the throne and stepped down toward her. "And for your pledge, I will grant you a reward for your sincerity," he continued before coming to a stop before her and gently placing his hand on her head. "From this moment on, I will bestow upon you the power befitting one of my subordinates. Your epithet will no longer be just an empty title, and the world will come to know you as the true ruler of the skies, Sky Queen Frey!"
******
Meanwhile, in the stretch of forest that lay between Fulbrosia and Eurazania, the troops led by Carrion made their slow march back home. The energy that once filled their ranks was gone, replaced by a heavy, suffocating silence that hung over them like a storm cloud.
When they had first set out from Eurazania, it had been the complete opposite. Their spirits had been high, their blood hot with excitement as they prepared to face what promised to be a formidable enemy. For a nation that prided itself on strength above all else, chances like this did not come often since most of their conflicts ended before they even began, crushed under the sheer weight of their leader's name and his status as a Demon Lord. But this time was different. When their commanders, Albis and Suphia, had deployed them, they had made it clear from the start that a tough and bloody battle awaited, and that warning had only made their blood boil with excitement.
However, after traveling for hours, they finally reached the supposed battlefield... only to find absolutely nothing. There had been no signs of a clash, no wreckage, no lingering presence of enemies. Not even the faintest trace of the fierce battle they had been promised. It felt like a bad joke. Worse than that, the Demon Lord they had come all this way to support did not even welcome them. Instead, the Demon Lord Frey had torn into them without holding back, chewing them out like they were nothing more than a bunch of useless idiots before ordering them to turn around and go back. And as if that was not enough, a third man had suddenly appeared, inserted himself between the two leaders, and left alongside Demon Lord Frey without giving their own leader so much as a shred of respect.
Speaking of the Beast Master, after being left hanging by Rimuru and Frey, Carrion remained where he was for several long moments, staring up at the empty sky where they had disappeared, before he turned around and began the march back to Eurazania. His two generals and the troops accompanying them quickly fell in behind him, even though they had originally arrived by air on their flying beasts, the griffins, which they were now leading along on foot without uttering a word about them.
Meanwhile, Carrion himself could not bring himself to care about any of that. Right now, he was too busy dealing with the storm of emotions raging in his chest. On one hand, he was still trying to make sense of his own feelings toward Frey, struggling to understand why the sight of her being so close to Rimuru had bothered him so much. On the other hand, he was furious at the way Frey had treated him, and even more pissed at how Rimuru had just shown up, undermined him, and walked off with her without giving a single fuck about him.
What frustrated him even more was the fact that, despite being treated like that in front of his generals and soldiers, there was very little he could do to avenge his reputation. He could not just turn around and storm the gates of Fulbrosia to demand answers or revenge from Frey or Rimuru, especially considering his relationship with her. And going after Tempest was even less of an option, considering that if what Frey had said was true, then picking a fight with Rimuru was not just reckless, it was borderline suicidal unless he was ready to throw everything into a full-scale war.
As those thoughts continued to churn in his mind, Carrion let out a low grunt and clenched his fist in frustration. This was exactly why he hated politics, alliances, and the constant need to think beyond your own instincts, making it all feel like a cage wrapped around his neck. If it had been up to him alone, he would have already turned back, hunted Rimuru down, and challenged him to a straight fight, consequences be damned. But he was not just a warrior. He was the ruler of Eurazania. He could not ignore what it would mean if he lost, if his reputation as an undefeated, ruthless beast crumbled in front of the world, or worse, if he ended up dead. That was not just his life on the line. That was his entire nation. And that was a burden he could not just brush aside, no matter how badly he wanted to.
Aside from everything else weighing on his mind, what really started to get under Carrion's skin were the pitying looks his two generals kept throwing his way. Finally, unable to take it anymore, Carrion came to an abrupt stop and turned around sharply to face them. "Will you two stop looking at me like that!? It's starting to get really damn annoying!" he barked, locking his furious glare onto Albis and Suphia
"Lord Carrion, we understand," Albis replied, shaking her head with a soft sigh. "I know this must be a difficult time for you, so no matter what you say to us, we will not take offense."
"Indeed, Lord Carrion, please do not be sad," Suphia added, nodding along in full agreement with Albis. "You know what they say, right? There are plenty of fish in the sea."
"I don't get it... what the hell are you two even talking about?" A vein pulsed visibly on Carrion's forehead as he stared at them, completely lost, while expressions of the two women somehow became even more sympathetic, which only made his blood boil hotter.
"It's alright, Lord Carrion. The first step to acceptance is denial," Albis continued with a small, reassuring smile. "I am sure that one day, you will find someone who truly appreciates you, my lord."
"Ahhh!" Carrion shouted in frustration, finally snapping at their nonsense before transforming into his Beast Form and launching himself into the sky, heading straight for Eurazania.
Meanwhile, back on the ground, Albis and Suphia exchanged a glance and let out a quiet, almost synchronized sigh. "Matters of the heart really are troublesome, even for someone like Lord Carrion," Albis said before turning toward the soldiers, who had been awkwardly pretending not to watch the entire exchange. "Mount up! We are following Lord Carrion!" she ordered, and within moments, everyone climbed onto their flying beasts before taking to the skies, chasing after their leader.
******
*Smash*
A bottle of premium, aged alcohol exploded against the wall, shards scattering across the floor as Demon Lord Clayman flew into a violent rage after hearing Tear's report about their failed plan. Months of careful preparation, the favor he owed to Damrada, and what he had proudly considered his flawless master plan had all come crashing down because of one unruly child and some unpredictable throne that had suddenly barged into his life and turned everything upside down.
Just a few minutes earlier, when Tear had first returned from her mission to monitor the situation, Clayman had been in the best mood he had experienced in months. Everything had finally aligned perfectly. Charybdis had been revived without issue, and Frey was about to face the consequences for daring to insult him. In his mind, the outcome had already been decided. All that remained was to shift the blame for Charybdis's resurrection and the destruction of Fulbrosia onto Tempest and that blue-haired majin somehow, a task he had been completely confident in handling. After all, he trusted in what he believed to be his unmatched intellect and impeccable planning.
So when Tear began recounting what had happened after his departure from the Jura Forest, Clayman's smile slowly began to fade. The joy in his eyes drained away, replaced by a growing, uncontrollable rage and frustration.
Tear began by explaining how, at first, everything had been going smoothly, with Charybdis heading straight toward Fulbrosia exactly as he had planned. But then, without any warning, Frey and Rimuru appeared with their forces and intercepted it mid-flight, throwing everything into chaos. Their armies clashed with the swarm of summoned beasts, steadily cutting their numbers down, while the two leaders themselves engaged Charybdis directly. According to Tear, they had even managed to hold their own for a time, until Milim had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and erased Charybdis in a single overwhelming move, completely destroying his plan.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Clayman roared curses, clutching his hair as his bloodshot eyes burned with fury. "That damn majin again! He just had to interfere, just like last time!" He slammed his fist down onto the table hard enough to make it rattle. "And then there's that bitch Milim! That useless brat shows up out of nowhere just to ruin everything!"
While Clayman continued to rant and throw his tantrum, Tear did not so much as blink at him or his words, already far too used to his behavior to care. Instead, her gaze drifted to the large wine stain splashed across the wall from when he had smashed the bottle earlier, idly wondering how long it would take to get it cleaned.
Just then, Clayman's rambling came to an abrupt halt, and in the next instant, he shot to his feet and slammed both palms down onto the table. "That's it! I'm not going to take this disrespect lying down!" he growled, his eyes narrowing into thin, furious slits. "I'm going to come up with another plan that will-"
He was cut off mid-sentence as the door to his office opened and Laplace walked in. Without saying a word at first, he walked over and casually dropped onto a nearby couch, leaning back as he crossed one leg over the other."Clayman, I heard your plan failed again," he said after a brief pause, glancing at him while the icy tone in his voice sent a visible shiver down Clayman's spine.
"No, no, you've got it wrong," Clayman rushed out, his earlier fury instantly replaced by a flicker of panic as he tried to backtrack, but Laplace cut him off before he could continue.
"So that means your plan succeeded?" Laplace asked, tilting his head slightly as he narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me that Demon Lord Frey is dead and Fulbrosia has been destroyed?"
"No, not exactly, but it's not my fault! That blue-haired majin..."
"I do not care about your excuses, Clayman. I am only asking one thing. Where are the results?" Laplace cut in once more, his voice dropping low as a suffocating aura spilled out into the room. "Time and time again, you've been given countless chances and resources, yet you keep coming back with negligible results or outright failures. Not to mention last time, even Footman was captured because of your little scheme. And now here you are again, making excuses after failing and losing yet another asset," he continued, as the pressure around Clayman intensified to the point that it became difficult for him to even open his mouth to defend himself.
"Honestly, you should be grateful we still consider you our younger brother and keep overlooking your fuck-up after fuck-up. If you were anyone else, you would have already been recycled into some other scheme after your very first mistake. Am I making myself clear?" Laplace asked, only pulling back his aura once Clayman gave a stiff, pale-faced nod. "Good. As long as you understand. Anyway, I came here with a message from the young master for you," he continued as he rose to his feet. "He wants you to put your schemes on hold and keep a low profile for the next few months. He is planning something, and he does not want you to accidentally screw it up for him."
"Oh~ what is he planning? Is it something fun?" Tear, who had been watching the entire exchange in silence until now, suddenly chimed in and hopped over to Laplace's side.
"Well, it will definitely be fun for us, Tear," Laplace replied with a low chuckle, glancing down at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "But for the ones involved, it might not be quite so enjoyable. After all..." A sinister smile slowly spread across his face. "...the young master is planning to start a war."
******
"What a tiring and bizarre day this has been," Rimuru's new subordinate, Frey, murmured under her breath as she leaned lightly against the window of her bedchamber while gazing at the moon hanging in the night sky. Just that morning, she had been the unquestioned queen of her own nation and a member of one of the most feared groups in the world. And now, here she was, still technically a queen, but with a new master standing above her.
Suddenly, a soft chuckle slipped from her lips as a stray thought crossed her mind that, from the outside, her situation probably looked quite pathetic. To anyone who did not know the full story, it would seem like she had been cornered, forced into submission, with Rimuru painted as the villain who had taken advantage of her desperation. But if anyone actually understood the position she now stood in, then pity would be the last thing they felt. If anything, they would envy her. After all, the benefits she and her nation had gained from aligning with Rimuru easily outweighed any lingering resentment or sadness over no longer being the sole ruler of her nation.
Thinking back, Frey recalled how, after naming her, Rimuru had produced another document out of nowhere, and unlike the initial document, this one went into far greater detail, outlining additional benefits, long-term plans, and strategies for the future that she had never even considered. As she read through it, line by line, a quiet realization had settled over her. Compared to what he was proposing, her own vision for Fulbrosia felt limited and shallow, almost embarrassingly so.
The level of growth and prosperity Rimuru had promised for Fulbrosia was beyond anything she had ever imagined, and the more she thought about it, the more certain she became that accepting his terms had been the right choice. Of course, she was not naive. She knew that such rapid growth would also attract the attention of angels and place a massive target on her nation's back. But a single assurance from Rimuru had been enough to quiet those concerns and let her move forward without hesitation.
What's more, it wasn't just her nation that benefited from coming under Rimuru's rule. Frey herself had been evolved into a True Demon Lord by him, with Rimuru stating that anything less would not suit someone who served under him. And along with that evolution, Rimuru had also granted her the power that instantly placed her leagues beyond other Demon Lords like Clayman or Carrion.
However, the moment Clayman's name crossed her mind, her good mood instantly soured, and a cold, murderous intent began to leak from her as her claw tapped idly against the edge of the window. "That bastard... how dare he conspire against me and my nation," she muttered under her breath with fury and disgust seeping into her voice.
It was through Rimuru that Frey had come to learn the truth behind the sudden revival of that ancient calamity-class monster that had nearly brought ruin to her nation. To her utter surprise, the one responsible for orchestrating the entire incident had been none other than Demon Lord Clayman, the same man she had once dismissed and thrown out of her castle without a second thought. Realizing that all of it had been nothing more than petty revenge for that insult left a bitter taste in her mouth. And as if that was not enough, she had also discovered the existence of a long-lost sister she had never even known about. And worse still, that sister had willingly sided with Clayman, driven by her own desire for revenge against Fulbrosia over some past trauma.
Even for someone like Frey, who was not particularly sentimental when it came to family or emotional bonds, that was a lot to take in. It was one hell of a way to find out you even had a sibling in the first place, and an even worse way to learn that said sibling despised you and everything you stood for because of something your late, bitch of a mother had done to ruin her life. So when Rimuru had asked what she wanted to do about Nazim, Frey had not hesitated for even a second and told him to handle it however he saw fit. After all, as far as she was concerned, blood ties meant nothing here. Anyone who tried to destroy Fulbrosia had no place in it, and she had no intention of ever allowing Nazim to set foot in her nation again.
After dealing with the matter of her sister, the conversation had naturally drifted back to Clayman, and the moment Frey heard his name again, she had been ready to fly straight to the Puppet Nation of Jistav and tear that man apart with her own claws, especially now that she wielded the power Rimuru had granted her. But before she could act, Rimuru stopped her and explained that he had plans of his own for Clayman. Out of respect for his words, Frey chose to hold herself back for now, letting that grudge simmer quietly in her heart.
Speaking of the power Rimuru had bestowed upon naming her, Frey glanced at the full-body mirror in her room, and what reflected back at her no longer showed the pink wings she once had. In their place were large, pristine white wings that resembled those of an owl, stretching elegantly from her head all the way down to her feet. They were broad, almost majestic, easily large enough to wrap around her body entirely if she so wished.
And yet, those wings were only the most visible change, a surface-level transformation that barely scratched the truth of what she had been given. They were nothing more than a byproduct of something far greater... an Ultimate Skill.
######
Ultimate Skill: King of Sky, Horus - The skill is granted to an individual seen as worthy of ruling the sky.
Thought Acceleration- allows the user to greatly increase the speed of their thought process.
Universal Perception- allows for the perception of nearly all things within a wide radius.
Demon Lord's Haki- allows the user to exert a powerful spiritual pressure over their targets.
Air Lock - suppresses the effects of weather for a period of time, depending on the user's endurance.
Tough Claws - transforms the user's claws and talons into a material comparable to god-grade metal while enhancing the power of direct attacks.
Fierce Wings - grants complete control over each individual feather, allowing them to be manipulated freely, used independently, and even detached while maintaining a telepathic connection. It also enables flight at extraordinary speeds.
######
"The ability to control the weather, claws stronger than any weapon I've ever seen, and complete control over every single feather on my wings..." Frey murmured to herself as she mentally detached one of her feathers and made it dance in the air before her. "Once again, Lord Rimuru, you really make me wonder which one of us got the better deal out of this," she added, a faint, almost fond smile forming on her lips as the feather drifted gently back into her waiting palm.
"Well, come to think about it, what's so great about being the queen of a small mountain nation when I could one day stand at the top of the Tempest Empire alongside Lord Rimuru?" Frey said with a cunning smile, manipulating the feather once more to carve a small heart into the wall.
To be continued...
******
Illustrations: Frey with her new wings