"Rimuru, you—you didn't actually fall off, did you?! No way! Who falls off while riding Ranga?!"
Granstar burst out laughing the moment he saw Rimuru's sulky expression. The slime lord, clearly flustered, had opened his mouth to explain—but immediately clammed up.
"I... I didn't fall. Ranga was just... running too fast, that's all," Rimuru mumbled, his slime body wiggling slightly as if embarrassed. His cheeks were faintly tinted pink—no small feat for a slime.
"Haruna! Now that Lord Rimuru is back, let's start the banquet we prepared earlier. Go let everyone know!"
Granstar turned to the gobliness standing nearby. Haruna—named by Rimuru himself—bowed respectfully.
"Yes, my lords! I'll see to it right away."
She exited the ice palace, which had been sculpted by Gabil's squad using a combination of water and ice magic—something they'd started doing after their evolution.
"A banquet?" Rimuru tilted his round body toward Granstar, confused.
"Of course. It's to celebrate everyone's naming and evolution—and your recovery too! Besides, this is the first major gathering of the new Tempest Alliance. The 'Big Boss' needs to show face."
Granstar folded his arms, expression smug. He'd taken on the bulk of the village's day-to-day duties while Rimuru had been asleep recovering from his transformation into a Demon Lord.
"You slept for three days, Rimuru. I handled food, housing, patrol rotations, and even a minor diplomatic visit from Blumund. I'm not being reincarnated just to be an overworked manager again."
"Ehh... I'm really expected to give a speech?"
Even in his past life as Mikami Satoru, Rimuru wasn't fond of public speaking.
"You're the leader here. Who else would do it? Me?"
Rimuru looked up at Granstar with hopeful eyes.
"Absolutely not."
Granstar grinned wickedly.
"This is your city. Step up, slime boss."
Rimuru paused, then nodded solemnly.
"You're right. I'll do it. I am the one who brought everyone together."
Granstar nodded approvingly—but inside, he was already relaxing.
"Finally. I can take a break and enjoy this banquet in peace."
A moment later, Rigurd entered alongside Haruna.
"Lord Rimuru, Lord Granstar, the preparations are complete. Everyone is gathered."
"We're all looking forward to your words, my lord," Rigurd added, chest puffed proudly. His evolved body—now Ogre Lord-tier after being named—looked even more massive in the icy light.
"Alright, you go ahead. Rimuru just needs a moment to, ah, prepare," Granstar said, waving them off.
Once they were gone, Rimuru slinked out from behind Granstar.
"Granstar, how about this? Do I look more dignified now?"
He revealed what he had been crafting during his downtime: two thick, snowy-white mustaches fashioned from Ranga's shed fur, stuck comically on either side of his slime face.
Granstar stared at him, deadpan.
"Rimuru... I don't even know what to say. Just—just go try it and you'll see for yourself."
He put a hand to his forehead, muttering.
"Why does he think putting on cosplay makes him look more like a leader...?"
Outside, the central plaza was lively. Piles of freshly cooked food, brought by Haruna's culinary team, lined the area. A platform made from magically hardened ice stood in the center.
Goblins were gathered in neat formations, all standing tall. The frost wolves—including Ranga—sat at the edges, tails swishing like disciplined cavalry.
Rigurd stood at the front, his biceps practically bursting through his uniform—Granstar's idea of "visual impact."
At last, the crowd stirred as Rimuru and Granstar arrived.
"Ugh... Granstar, why is this so formal? I feel like I'm walking into a political summit!"
Rimuru whispered, body trembling slightly.
"Just walk up there and say a few words. Then you can eat. Simple."
Granstar wandered off toward the food tables, already munching on a fruit. The real star tonight was Rimuru.
The slime hesitated, then removed the fake mustaches and pocketed them (they'd have to wait for another day).
Slowly, he hopped onto the platform. Everyone turned their attention to him.
"Ahem... uh, everyone..."
His voice echoed. For a second, silence hung in the air.
"Actually, I don't really have a speech prepared."
Some chuckles rippled through the crowd.
"But—I want to thank you. You've all worked hard. We've grown stronger, built a city, survived war... and now we stand together as a real nation."
He paused, then raised a slimey limb.
"So tonight—we celebrate. Our evolution, our friendships... and my waking up from a very long nap!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Anyway, Rimuru wasn't great at giving serious opening speeches, so he figured it was best to skip the formalities and jump straight into the banquet.
"Let's save the complicated stuff for tomorrow!"
Cheers erupted all around, the lively voices of goblins, wolves, and other residents filling the village square. The feast carried on late into the night, echoing with laughter, clinking cups, and sizzling meats.
The Next Morning
Everyone was gathered in front of the village's newly built central platform. The sleepy but curious faces of goblins, kijin, and even the frost wolves all turned toward Rimuru, who stood beside Granstar.
"Ahem," Rimuru cleared his throat, trying to sound more serious than he felt. "So, I've been thinking—this village needs some rules."
He paused, glancing at Granstar for backup.
"There's a saying, right? 'Without rules, there can be no...' uh… circle?"
Granstar smiled wryly but nodded to play along. "I think you mean 'Without rules, there can be no order,' Lord Rimuru."
"Right! That!" Rimuru chuckled sheepishly. "Anyway, Granstar and I talked it over last night. We came up with a few basic rules—nothing too complicated, just what's needed for now."
He jumped lightly onto the high platform, drawing everyone's attention. The crowd fell silent.
"Has everyone gathered? Good. Then Granstar and I will announce the village rules. There are three in total, and I hope you'll all take them seriously."
He raised a hand, fingers spread.
"First—do not attack humans without reason. We want to avoid conflict with them whenever possible. But," he added, glancing at Granstar, "if they threaten us or our allies, we have the right to defend ourselves."
Granstar gave a firm nod, supporting the clause he'd personally suggested.
"Second—no internal fighting. We're one village, one community. If problems come up, we deal with them together, as a united front."
"Third—and this is important—just because you've gotten stronger after evolving doesn't mean you can pick on those who haven't. We do not use power to oppress others."
He paused for breath, scanning the crowd. The villagers seemed thoughtful, and Rimuru smiled slightly.
"So, that's it. Pretty straightforward, right? Any questions?"
A hand shot up, followed by a hesitant voice.
"Um... Lord Rimuru?" Riguru, the village chief's son, stood with a confused expression. "Why aren't we allowed to fight humans? Aren't they the ones who always come after us?"
Before Rimuru could answer, Rigurd gave his son a sharp glare—a silent scolding that clearly meant Don't question Lord Rimuru's judgment.
Rimuru raised a hand to stop Rigurd and addressed Riguru kindly.
"That's a fair question," he said. "But here's the thing—if we attack first, we'll only confirm their fears about monsters being dangerous. But if we show them we're peaceful, maybe we'll find allies among them. I want a future where monsters and humans can coexist... and that can't happen if we act like enemies."
Riguru's eyes widened slightly, then he bowed his head.
"I understand now, Lord Rimuru. Thank you."
Rimuru grinned. "Good! Then let's work together to build a village we can all be proud of!"
A chorus of cheers rang out once again—hopeful, determined, and full of spirit.