It was the outfit I had prepared the day before, but it was well made.
I had prepared it to be a Gothic dress, thinking it might be hard to move in.
"Why does the Demon King have to wake up so early!"
She said something ridiculous, but she seemed in a good mood by the time we had breakfast.
Children are really simple.
While Rim was eating breakfast, I thought to myself.
It's good that I'm in charge, but I want to go to a human village. Can I take Rim with me?
I'm not very confident. No, to be precise... I have no confidence at all!
It's impossible to take such a dangerous child to a place I've never been before.
But leaving her behind is also very worrying.
While Rim is here, it seems best to put off going to a human village.
After finishing breakfast, I took Rim to the forge.
I put on a mask while in human form, as it's impossible to experiment with weapons as a slime.
At the forge, I greeted Kurobe.
"Is what I asked for yesterday ready?"
"Ah! This one! It might be good as a special weapon for Rim!"
Saying that, he handed me the finished product.
Yesterday, I had him prepare a mold of Rim's hand using clay.
It's a Dragon Knuckle!
To punch powerfully without injuring your hand! That's the original use, and it's usually for increasing power, but this one is different.
It has the opposite purpose. It's covered with shock-absorbing material over a light and strong "magical steel" core.
That's right! With this, it's possible to suppress the impact to about 1/10th of its original power!
I used "magical steel" with the expectation of regeneration. The characteristic is that it's not for increasing power.
"Rim, try this out!"
When I handed her the Dragon Knuckle, Rim, who had been looking at it with interest, took it happily.
She put it on quickly.
She was throwing punches as if doing shadow boxing.
"Wow! It's good, this! It feels like my hand is lighter!"
Good, good. It's a success. If she feels her hand is lighter, it means the power has been reduced.
I received a new sword for myself.
Since I had broken the last one, I had it remade.
I tried copying it myself, but even if I made an exact replica, the feel was different.
It seems impossible to copy the skill of the maker.
It looks the same, but there are subtle differences.
I drew the sword to check it. Excellent. Kurobe's skills are reliable.
I quickly got my hands on my custom sword. It will feel more familiar soon, but I can wait without getting impatient.
I nodded and put the sword away.
When Rim and I had confirmed all the weapons we received, Rigld came running.
He often runs around.
"Lord Rimuru, you're here! A suspicious group has come!"
According to the story, an armed group had come to the village.
Among them, there were three adventurers.
It seems the trio (idiots) had brought an armed group to the village.
Why do they always cause trouble? I thought, but...
"Whatever, let's meet them."
Saying that, I headed to the place where Rigld was waiting.
Naturally, Rim followed.
When we arrived, Rigld and ten guards were surrounding the armed group.
Their uniforms were uniform, but they weren't particularly expensive, and their quality was poor.
They couldn't compare to the equipment made in this village.
However, there were two people in the group with equipment of a different caliber.
Not only their equipment, but their skills also seemed good.
And the familiar trio (idiots). As soon as they saw me,
"Ah! Lord Rimuru, it's been a while!"
"Yah-ho? We're surprised to see you!"
"It's been a while! There have been a few things, so there are quite a few of us!"
They greeted me.
A few things, huh. It's probably these three who are the cause.
"So, who are these people?"
"That's the thing..."
I heard the explanation.
The man introduced as the leader, named Yowm, was looking at me without letting his guard down.
As soon as I heard the whole story,
"Nice to meet you! I'm Yowm, the leader of the border guard under the Palmas Kingdom's Barony.
I heard about a monster village here and came to verify it.
I heard the village leader is a slime, but can I meet you?"
He greeted me.
"Ah, sorry for the delay. I'm the leader of this village, or rather, the representative.
My name is Rimuru Tempest.
I look like a human, but I'm a slime!"
I returned the greeting.
"Is that so, I apologize.
I heard from Lord Kabal that the leader's name is Rimuru, but I didn't expect you to be a slime.
You've transformed into a human beautifully!"
He seemed to be praising me, but I couldn't tell if it was flattery or genuine.
Is it rare for monsters to transform into humans? It doesn't matter.
"Thank you. Is it rare for monsters to transform into humans?
Anyway, is your purpose to verify the village?"
"Ah, yes...
Indeed, my purpose was to verify the village. I've never heard of monsters building a village...
Moreover, I was worried that if it's true, the village might be a threat to us.
Therefore, now that we've confirmed the village really exists, we need to investigate whether it's a threat to our country.
Could you please allow us to stay here?"
"Hmm. But if you think the village is a threat, staying here isn't possible, right?"
When I asked in return, Yowm scratched his head and said,
"Ah, it's troublesome. I'll be honest.
To be frank, I didn't believe in a monster village, but now I believe it exists.
So, if I believe the adventurers' story, this village seems to be a very good place to live.
I would like to request permission to stay here and use it as a base!"
He said all this at once.
Then, he turned to the trio (idiots).
"I'm sorry for doubting you, I apologize!"
He bowed deeply in apology.
Observing him, I realized this man might be unexpectedly principled.
"Huh??? Yes! I told you that!
Well, it's fine if you understand! You shouldn't doubt people like that!"
Eren seemed to be showing off for some reason.
The other two were embarrassed, muttering things like "Oh!" and "You got us!"
Well, they don't seem to be bad guys, but allowing them to stay is another matter.
"You said you want to use this place as a base. What do you plan to do?"
Yowm turned to me and explained.
He was a unit established by the Palmas Kingdom's Barony as a countermeasure against monsters, and they were divided into three groups of about 30 members each.
From this location, they could easily access the main road and move between villages.
"If we pave the road to the main road, it will save time and make future trade more convenient.
Of course, we will do the work ourselves!"
He even made a proposal.
The road is passable on foot, but not by carriage.
The trees on the main road side haven't been cut down.
The main reason is the risk of being noticed, but that's a story from before the forest's turmoil.
Now that the forest has calmed down, and we want to use the main road for trade with the village, this proposal might be acceptable.
Since standing and talking was awkward, I led everyone to the dining hall.
The menu is limited, but the taste has improved significantly.
Unfortunately, without salt or pepper, it's impossible to make a strong flavor.
Still, thanks to Shuna's efforts, we can serve decent dishes. The cooks are goblins, Shuna's apprentices.
The goblin population has increased, so there are many females.
While the men maintain the village's security, the women handle cleaning, cooking, and laundry.
Each has their own specialty, so they are divided into roles such as cooking, cleaning, preparation, sewing, and assistance.
I think Rigld's skills are remarkable in this area.
Since we moved to the dining hall, we resumed the conversation.
For some reason, Rim sat next to me.
She was holding the Dragon Knuckle, which she seemed to treasure.
"By the way, Lord Rimuru, who is this young lady?"
Gabal asked.
Rim reacted to the word "young lady" but seemed to restrain herself. Good job, Kabal.
This dining hall also has a bomb named Rim. I can't let my guard down.
"Ah, she's a guest. She's very important, so please treat her with the utmost respect?"
I advised.
Those who ignore this advice will learn the consequences of their foolishness. That's not my problem.
"My name is Rim. Nice to meet you!"
Rim greeted lightly, but she is a vicious Demon King.
Don't be fooled by her adorable appearance...
The two men and women with superior equipment showed a moment of hesitation.
Their expressions, or rather, the atmosphere, changed.
They looked at Rim as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Could they have noticed? That's impossible, I thought, and looked at them closely...
What? Why are these two humans transformed? Yes, they were humans.
Even my "Magic Sense" judged them as humans, but the black magic couldn't be deceived.
When I asked, they said they became companions on the way.
Did they infiltrate the village?
(Hey, there are two humans infiltrating the village, so be on guard!)
I used "Telepathy" to warn everyone in the area.
Well, if they don't show any suspicious movements, it's fine, but...
(Lord Rimuru, coming at the same time as Demon King Rim, is there a connection?)
(I think so too. A plan to lower our guard, perhaps?)
(What? What! I don't do annoying things like that!!)
Rim interrupted my "Telepathy." She must have generated a frequency and forcibly intruded.
She's doing something unbelievable.
It sounds simple, but it's an incredibly advanced technique.
(What, you can intrude on telepathy?)
(Hmm! Of course, it's easy for me!
Besides, it's better that way. They have nothing to do with me!)
(You know?)
(...Eh? N-no, I don't know, YO?)
(......)
(......)
(Well, fine. Just be on guard!)
It seems they know each other, but not closely.
If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I decided to be cautious.
While we were talking telepathically, everyone introduced themselves.
It seemed they were almost done.
"Alright, introductions are over, let's get to the main topic!"
The main topic was their desire to establish a base in this village, but I pointed out the issues.
"Is this a personal request from you, Yowm?"
"Ah, I'd like you to take it that way. In fact, I don't plan to report it to the country."
"Why is that?"
"Hmm. There are a few reasons, but honestly, I dislike that lord.
My employer is the Baron Myken, but he's not a proper person.
He prioritizes his own interests over the welfare of the people.
He's greedy and mistreats people.
He collects high taxes from the people but doesn't spend money on security.
He's the worst kind of person.
Well, a person who speaks ill of their employer isn't a proper person either.
Because of this, there aren't enough hands to protect each village.
If we establish a base here, we can conduct patrols more smoothly.
However, if I report this, I can't guarantee that the lord won't try to interfere with this village.
The quality of the villagers' clothing and the products here are much better than those in the lord's village.
Since this place is in a neutral area, I don't think he'll interfere personally, but..."
Indeed.
A greedy lord. It's a common story.
Certainly, getting entangled with such a troublesome person is to be avoided.
But this man, who is telling me this, is he sincere?
He seems genuinely interested in establishing a base here. He's speaking sincerely to gain my trust.
The conversation continued.
We exchanged opinions with Rigld and the ogres, and we reached a conclusion.
We decided to provide one of the empty lodgings.
Of course, if there's trouble in the village, we'll kick them out. Additionally, we'll charge a fee that includes meals.
Based on Kaijin's advice, we set the fee.
3 silver coins per person per day. It seems the average daily wage in the village is 5-8 silver coins.
The village inn charges 3 silver coins per night, including one meal.
If you only sleep, it costs 1-2 silver coins.
In places like the capital or where there are many people, it's about 50% higher.
Additionally, 100 silver coins equal 1 gold coin. I have 20 gold coins left from before.