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Alabasta, Royal Palace
"Your Majesty! The Jura-Tempest Federation is going to war with the World Government. What are your orders?"
A minister stood in the main hall and addressed Cobra on the throne.
"The World Government has already sent us a warning," another minister added, stepping forward. "If our country continues to stand with the Jura-Tempest Federation, we may find ourselves targeted as well."
"Absolutely not." Chaka, in full military dress, turned on the second minister with barely restrained contempt. "The Jura-Tempest Federation is our ally. We do not abandon allies when they need us. And we owe them a debt besides."
He turned to the throne and straightened.
"Your Majesty, I request permission to lead our forces to their support personally."
Cobra's expression eased into something warm when he heard that. He let his gaze move across the ministers assembled below him, and smiled slightly.
"I understand that everyone here is thinking of what is best for this country. But we cannot be people who forget kindness when it becomes inconvenient. The Jura-Tempest Federation has been good to us. We will not look the other way now that they face difficulty."
He looked to Chaka.
"Chaka."
Chaka stepped forward at once.
"Your Majesty."
"I am ordering you to lead fifty thousand Royal Army soldiers to the Jura-Tempest Federation in support. Whatever happens, your first priority is the personal safety of Kaito and his people. Is that understood?"
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Chaka saluted with a sharp, formal precision, swept his cloak back, and walked out of the hall.
The ministers who remained behind exchanged looks and began, quietly, to discuss what preparations the country itself would need to make for whatever the World Government might send their way in response.
Jura-Tempest Federation, Government Building
Knock knock knock.
"Come in."
The door opened.
"Hehehe! Shizu-nee, I'm back!"
Shizu looked up from her desk, and genuine surprise crossed her face when she saw Rimuru step through the door. Then she saw the five children filing in behind her.
"Shizu-sensei! It really is you!"
"Shizu-sensei, I missed you so much!"
The moment they were through the door and had spotted Shizu, all five of them lit up at once.
"Haha! I missed you all too. It looks like Rimuru has taken good care of you."
"Rimuru-sensei already healed us completely! We don't have to worry about anything anymore!"
Alice and Chloe had already reached Shizu and wrapped their arms around her from both sides. Alice in particular buried herself in the embrace with a thoroughly contented expression, like someone settling into a place they had been homesick for.
"Still just as clingy as ever." Shizu stroked Alice's head gently.
"Hehe!"
"I'm so relieved to see all of you well." Shizu looked up at Rimuru. "You've gone to a great deal of trouble, Rimuru."
"Oh, Shizu, you don't need to say that. We're not strangers. It makes it feel awkward."
A voice drifted over from the sofa before Shizu could respond.
"Between us, saying thank you makes it feel awkward. And yet somehow I have never once received that courtesy."
"Ah! Kai-chan, you were there this whole time!"
Rimuru spotted Kaito draped across the sofa and immediately pointed at him.
"I have been here the entire time, yes."
"Whoa, is that Rimuru-sensei's lover? He seems decent enough."
Rimuru went rigid.
"He is not my— Alice, please don't say things like that!"
"Oh, oh, oh. So this is how Rimuru describes our relationship to others?"
Kaito sat up slightly, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "That's right. I am Rimuru's lover. Any objections, little one?"
Alice studied him for another moment.
"Mm. He's decent enough, I suppose, but he gives off a very strong 'no ambition whatsoever' energy. Like a salted fish."
"Alice, that's not very polite," Chloe said quietly.
"Hahahaha! No, she's completely right." Kaito laughed without any trace of embarrassment. "No ambition whatsoever. A peaceful salted fish existence is honestly the dream."
Kenya stared at him. "This person has absolutely no shame."
Gale and Ryota both nodded.
Chloe alone said nothing. She was looking at Kaito with a faint colour in her cheeks that she seemed to be trying very hard to conceal.
Kaito noticed. 'Why are you blushing, you little teapot,' he thought, and quietly activated his identification.
[Eye of Identification]
Chloe (Kuroe)
Loyalty: 100
Affection: 100
Abilities: Lord of Time and Space / Lord of Hope / Absolute Severance / Infinite Prison / Mathematician / Usurper...
Overall Strength Rating: A (SS) Class
'Now that is a loaded panel. But why is Affection already at 100? Does this timeline have my history in it too?'
He turned it over. His own existence in this world was already something the system had flagged as anomalous. He was effectively unreadable to the world's natural order, treated by whatever governed cause and effect as simply part of the existing timeline rather than an intrusion into it.
Which meant the changes he had made, including whatever had happened between him and Chloe in whatever version of events had preceded this one, had all quietly been absorbed as normal.
'Alright. I'll find out eventually. No point worrying about it now.'
He looked over at Rimuru, whose face had gone almost as red as Alice had implied.
"Rimuru. You can stop being embarrassed. Your face looks like a kettle."
"Hmph!"
"Anyway. Good timing, you're just in time for something worth watching."
Rimuru blinked. "What do you mean? Did you lot do something again?"
Kaito spread his hands with the expression of someone presenting a gift.
"Does publicly executing a Celestial Dragon count as something worth watching?"
Rimuru's eyes went wide. "Kai-chan, you actually caught a Celestial Dragon?!"
"Of course. So. Are you interested in a Jura-Tempest Federation version of the Summit War?"
Rimuru was already on her feet. "That's amazing! I'm going to go find Milim! An event like this, none of the Idle Four can sit it out!"
The mention of Milim made Kaito remember that she had been back for some time now.
He found himself mildly curious about what she was up to.
The answer, it turned out, was the floor.
"I don't care, I don't care, I just want to go out and play with Rimuru and everyone else!!!"
Milim was rolling across the floor with the dedicated commitment of someone who had decided that this was the only way to express the depth of her feelings on the matter.
Guy looked down at her with one hand pressed to his forehead.
"Then go! Why are you lying on my floor about it?!"
Milim's expression shifted immediately. She looked up at him from the ground with her most winning smile.
"Hehe. Actually, what I really want is to take Ramiris with me."
"Another world."
Guy turned the words over quietly. Milim had told him about the Jura-Tempest Federation before. The details of it.
Something settled into his expression that had not been there a moment ago.