\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Raphael, granting someone a hundred thousand souls would \u201cawaken\u201d and evolve them, granting them strength equivalent to a \u201ctrue\u201d demon lord. Only those qualified would be eligible for this, but much to my surprise, twelve total candidates fit the bill: Ranga, Benimaru, Shion, Gabil, Geld, Diablo, Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera, Kumara, Zegion, and Adalmann. Only those connected enough with me on the soul level to obtain a demon lord \u201cseed\u201d were allowed; that was the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The one who piqued my interest the most is undoubtedly Adalmann. He\u2019s the only one I didn\u2019t name myself. Why does he have the right to an evolution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understood. The subject Adalmann\u2019s faith in you has surpassed the level required to establish a firm connection with you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, right. I taught Adalmann the \u201csecret skills of faith and favor\u201d I learned from Luminus, didn\u2019t I? Thanks to that, we\u2019ve built a connection that rivals the kind we\u2019d have after a naming. That\u2019s just amazing. It\u2019s like he\u2019d qualified for it all on his own, thanks to the unbelievable amount of faith he possessed. It\u2019s a little awkward how all that faith was aimed at me, but I have to admire him for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that makes sense. But the next question was: How many of these people can be evolved? Based on a quick count, I had a little over a million souls stored inside me. That didn\u2019t quite match the number of people who died, but Raphael explained the reason why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Proposal. The obtained souls were found to have a range of individual variances. Do you want to redistribute and reconstruct them to be uniform?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n No<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought yes<\/em> without really understanding, and the next thing I knew, the total number ballooned to just over a million. The resurrected imperial soldiers would have a small amount of energy <\/a>returned to them, so I\u2019d figured the number would shrink a bit, but it actually grew instead. Some of them (like Caligulio) had been awakened themselves, and a lot of other really strong dudes stormed the labyrinth as well. People like that had much more energy than usual\u2014and although I was technically borrowing it, I also took a ton of energy from Jiwu and Bernie, what with the ultimate skills they had and all. Each one of them had the energy of between several dozen and several tens of thousands of souls in their bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So between this, that, and the other thing, I had enough souls to awaken ten people. But I had a few points of concern for this experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first was word of this leaking out. Was it really safe to do something so show-offy in front of guests like Alvis and Jaine? But I decided to trust them on this regardless\u2014not because we were all part of an alliance, but because I knew they\u2019d find out anyway. It was utterly impossible to fool Milim, and King Gazel had already put his trust in me with Diablo. Jaine was already pissed off enough at me, so it was kinda too late to keep her from learning about the labyrinth gang. I was sure the labyrinth-running community would start spreading rumors about how unnaturally strong the bosses had gotten before long anyway. No point, I thought, in concealing anything from anyone in this coliseum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next up was the uncertainty factor. This was the first time I had ever tried an awakening on someone else; there was always a chance something unexpected would occur. Thus, harnessing Ramiris\u2019s powers, I had the entire coliseum blocked off from the rest of the city. That should prevent any damage from spreading to the outside world, no matter what happens\u2014and it\u2019d also maintain confidentiality, so we\u2019d really be killing two birds with one stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last concern of mine was the Harvest Festival that\u2019d likely occur to each target, much like the one triggered by my demon lord awakening. In my case, it put me in a catatonic state for three days straight. If something similar happened to them, it\u2019d mean the majority of our main leadership would take a days-long nap in the middle of a war. They\u2019d be totally off the grid for a few days, and if something went haywire, it\u2019d certainly suck for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>But despite stewing over it for a while, I decided this wouldn\u2019t be a big problem, either. There was zero imperial army left\u2014nobody in the Armored Division, according to what Caligulio and his officers told us, that could mobilize at a moment\u2019s notice. We did<\/em> just kill nine hundred and forty thousand of their soldiers and officers, after all, so I kinda doubted there\u2019d be anyone left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Empire had nothing but their Magical Beast and Composite Divisions to wage war with. We had an alliance (more or less) with Yuuki\u2019s Composite Division, and right now the Magical Beast Division was being transported in a wholly different direction by the Flying Combat Corps, the pride and joy of the Armored Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My Eye of God skill was more than enough to keep track of those airships, and we calculated that even if they suddenly changed direction, it\u2019d still take more than three days to reach our country. They had a normal cruising speed of around two hundred and fifty miles an hour; they could allegedly break the sound barrier at maximum combat speed\u2014but only for a short period of time due to the comical amounts of magic force it consumed. We weren\u2019t even sure they could stay in the air for the long stretches of time it\u2019d require without resupplying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These airships ran incomparably faster than ships or trains, but being in the air brings its own threats. You may run into surprise turbulence or points where the magicules are too disturbed to access magic at all. Some areas were also home to monsters who patrolled the skies, so the safest route wasn\u2019t necessarily the straightest one every time. The fact that supersonic flight was possible in this world at all was a huge threat, but perhaps it wasn\u2019t as advantageous as you might think. I didn\u2019t see much need for alarm there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That just left the possibility that the Imperial Guardians would go on the move. We whipped their asses this time, but only because we had the advantage of fighting on our home turf in the labyrinth. We could revive anyone who died in battle, which let us handle any situation with the utmost calmness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I was fighting the Guardians, I figured I could find a way to win. So would Benimaru, probably, at the end of the day. But what about Shion or Ranga? Wouldn\u2019t it be pretty iffy for Gabil or Geld? <\/a>If so, we\u2019d need to address that as soon as possible. That way, even if they unexpectedly encountered a powerful enemy, they\u2019d at least be able to buy the rest of us some time. We all had soul connections\u2014in the form of soul corridors, to be exact\u2014so they had a solid link with me still. No matter the situation, we\u2019d always be able to Thought Communicate with each other. They could contact me as soon as they made an encounter, and then we could stage a pincer attack to kill off the threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either way, I wanted to awaken everyone immediately, in preparation for what was to come. Every possibility, I thought, needed to be addressed. And this was the best time possible to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n So not to hurry things, but let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My first nominee, it goes without saying, was Benimaru. As our commander-in-chief, he had done an excellent job leading all our forces. He didn\u2019t look too happy about what Testarossa and the other demons got up to, but hey\u2014every war comes with its unforeseen developments. It certainly wasn\u2019t his fault\u2014and it definitely<\/em> wasn\u2019t mine! It all worked out fine in the end, besides, and I think everyone involved did amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After ending her speech, Shuna called Benimaru\u2019s name. He took a step forward and kneeled down in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery good! Now, Benimaru. I am ready to grant you a reward right now\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t even want<\/em> to know what this is. You\u2019re scheming something again, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What the heck? I haven\u2019t even done anything yet, and he\u2019s on to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This whole awakening thing was actually meant to be a surprise. I knew I\u2019d field objections if I brought it up with certain people, so I decided to carry this out without telling any of them. We continued talking as Shuna read out all of Benimaru\u2019s glorious war achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, y\u2019know, I actually won a lot of souls in this war. I guess Testarossa and her gang have been offering them to me, and it looks like I can use them to awaken those closely connected to me enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cI heard nothing about this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, I\u2019m telling you now, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We looked each other in the eye. He totally would\u2019ve turned it down\u2014I\u2019m sure of it. Benimaru\u2019s a lot more serious-minded than you\u2019d think, and he\u2019s got a serious drive to become stronger on his own, I guess. He even seemed to have some thoughts about my own evolution to demon lord. I\u2019m sure Diablo and Shion couldn\u2019t wait to snap this reward up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo what is this awakening?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was a good question. In my case, it boosted my magicule count and magic power tenfold, as well as gave blessings to all the monsters in the lineage of my own soul. I couldn\u2019t say how much he\u2019d<\/em> grow from it, but I was sure it\u2019d be a pretty big bump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUm, well, to put it simply, I evolved when I became a demon lord, right? Think of it as kinda the same thing. You\u2019d have a demon lord\u2013type evolution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?! So it\u2019ll change not only me, but all who serve me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think so. Probably.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was unclear to me just how much of an impact it\u2019d have, but I\u2019d bet it\u2019d have its effects on Team Kurenai, at least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, no, no, no, I can\u2019t accept something so important happening to me without any warning\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHold on, hold on. Okay. If you put it like that<\/em>, then maybe you\u2019re right, but now\u2019s not the time to argue about it. We can\u2019t be sure how strong our enemy\u2019s going to be right now, so we gotta do everything we can to strengthen our forces, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019re right, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru closed his eyes, troubled. Then he opened them again, looked at me, and heaved a long, heavy sigh. I guess he made up his mind\u2014that or gave up, but same difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut it\u2019s not just me being awakened, is it? I think a paring down of our forces right now is dangerous, but what are your thoughts on that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are twelve people who\u2019re qualified for this, but I\u2019m only gonna do nine at this time. I\u2019m gonna leave the demons to guard things, so I decided that a few days off-line won\u2019t be a big problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cI see. That\u2014and we have the labyrinth. Perhaps they could buy enough time for us, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That approach convinced Benimaru well enough. Next was the issue of things going out of hand on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is<\/em> one thing bothering me still, however.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight now, you\u2019re stronger now than I was when I evolved. I don\u2019t know exactly how strong you\u2019ll get through this process. You might even wind up stronger than me, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If he did, I think it\u2019d still feed back to me through the Food Chain feature of my ultimate skill Belzebuth\u2026 But regardless, the possibility is there. Plus, like, there\u2019s no way<\/em> Diablo won\u2019t wind up stronger than me. I don\u2019t think Benimaru and his kin will betray me, but I can\u2019t deny the possibility that the sheer onrush of power could sweep them beyond control. I think<\/em> they\u2019ll be fine, and I set up this isolation chamber around the coliseum just in case, but there is still that anxiety in my mind, yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo even with that concern, you still want to go ahead with our awakening?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, pretty much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I certainly feel loved anyway. You\u2019re pulling out all the stops to ensure no enemy could ever defeat us, is that it? I\u2019ll do whatever it takes to live up to those expectations, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t know if it\u2019ll be true for everyone, but Benimaru, at least, understood my thoughts. He was all but assuring me that he\u2019d never let himself go berserk with power. I\u2019m glad I can count on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll trust you on that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy all means.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shuna chose that moment to end her rambling speech. It was time for the award ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n \u201cBenimaru! Your command in this battle was truly outstanding! From this moment forward, you may style yourself as the Flare Lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my lord! Thank you for this glorious honor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>The ritual was underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru is usually a pretty friendly guy, but in front of his soldiers, he\u2019s a high-ranking officer of the corps. He\u2019s perfect at separating public and private affairs like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had just granted him the title of Flare Lord. I meant that as kind of a stand-in for \u201cdemon lord,\u201d just in case he actually did become a true demon lord like me. The \u201cflare\u201d part was meant to indicate intense fury. He may seem to keep his cool now (despite his more short-tempered past), but he\u2019s still got that flame burning deep down as his essence. It\u2019s just that he\u2019s able to control it\u2014bring it down to a casual campfire, if needed. As a sort-of demon lord in my service, I couldn\u2019t think of a more appropriate title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Question. Do you wish to use the prescribed amount of one hundred thousand souls to evolve the subject Benimaru?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n No<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s a yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as I gave the word, a soul corridor was created between Benimaru and me\u2014not the thin, wirelike link from before, but a solid, hefty industrial cable of sorts. Through it, a hundred thousand souls coursed over to Benimaru\u2014and with them, the evolution began\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026or didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing happened. Oh, great. Did I mess this up? I wondered for a moment before a thoughtful-looking Benimaru spoke to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt would appear one more condition needs to be fulfilled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, er, not you, Sir Rimuru. The problem seems to be on my end\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He sounded oddly hesitant. Huh? Something\u2019s weird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat kinda problem?\u201d I asked in a whisper. The answer came like a ton of bricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, actually, I heard the \u2018voice of the world\u2019 just now, and it told me that I can evolve from an oni to a god-ogre\u2014but if I do, I won\u2019t be able to father any children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>As Benimaru put it, becoming a god-ogre meant having a de facto infinite life span, so there was no need to have offspring at that point. Which\u2026I guess is true? The oni race is pretty long-lived as it is, so if we\u2019re talking the next level after that, I suppose having no natural life span at all is logical. God-ogres must be a kind of spiritual life-form, then. It doesn\u2019t sound like demons have children, either, so I suppose that\u2019s what happens if your natural life suddenly stretches on forever. You can come back from the dead anytime you want, so it\u2019s not like you have to worry about preserving the species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, so what\u2019s the problem with that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly for me, I\u2019m in the same boat\u2014I can\u2019t have any children. Not that it\u2019s much of a problem or inconvenience for me, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Well, it seems I have some lingering desires from back when I was still a mere ogre. I had forgotten all about it, but apparently I need to finish up my duty as the chief of our tribe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd does that \u2018duty\u2019 mean you have to have kids, or else you can\u2019t evolve?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY\u2026es. I sort of have to make sure there\u2019s a generation after mine\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru and I exchanged stares. We were right in the middle of this celebration, you know; couldn\u2019t this wait until later? To the audience, I must\u2019ve looked like I was congratulating Benimaru; but if I didn\u2019t do something fast, everyone was gonna realize there was a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I gave him another look, panicking a little. Then Benimaru awkwardly turned away. That was a rarity for him. He\u2019s usually so fearless. It was quite moving to see, in a sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, Benimaru, you need to figure this out, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, but\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight,\u201d I said, raising my voice as I ignored Benimaru\u2019s attempt at an excuse. \u201cSo you want to get married as your reward? Who did you wanna get married to?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhoa! Sir Rimuru?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At times like these, it was best to show off my more manly side\u2014I was treating this as if it were someone else\u2019s problem. With all the <\/a>arrangements I\u2019d made for this day, Benimaru just needed to firm up his resolve and get over himself. It was a rough way of doing it, but it was a must for handling someone as reluctant as he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026Report. This behavior might lead to him strangling you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raphael wasn\u2019t giving me many answers. I mean, c\u2019mon, it\u2019s fine, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I told myself that, the coliseum erupted in cheers. I supposed the audience picked up on my voice enough to know what I was saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you\u2019ve finally made up your mind, have you?\u201d Shuna chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell?\u201d Hakuro asked, hand on sword. \u201cWho are you going to choose as your bride?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before Benimaru could begin to answer the question, Momiji stood up\u2014along with Alvis in her VIP box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSir Rimuru! Permission to speak, please!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd for me as well, I hope? I have the same request as Lady Momiji!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The emotional force from them both was palpable. I was starting to think this was getting out of hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, okay, okay. Will you two come over here for me, please?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were in the middle of this event, but there was no helping that now. The soldiers in the seats were now witnesses to an entirely different kind of ceremony. Nobody was complaining\u2014in fact, if I interrupted this right now, they\u2019d probably all howl about it. So I let the two women say their piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy lord, I would like to ask for permission to marry Sir Benimaru as a reward for his services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Momiji was the first to speak, and she was certainly swinging for the fences. Hakuro wasn\u2019t far behind her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSir Rimuru, a reward is something that must be given by someone else. It\u2019s not polite to simply ask for one. However, with that in mind, I hope you do my daughter a favor and grant her request.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was willing, as he explained to me, to give up his own military decoration if it\u2019d help Momiji realize her dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>This was an arrangement far too difficult for me to refuse by this point. Benimaru was frozen in place, unable to keep up with us. He\u2019s normally a man of very good judgment, but I got the feeling he was having trouble thinking straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then someone else spoke up to make things even more confusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRimuru, my lord, please allow me to state my candidacy for the position of Sir Benimaru\u2019s second wife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?!\u201d Benimaru and I both exclaimed at Alvis\u2019s offer. She and Momiji were in a heated battle over Benimaru, that much was for certain. \u201cLove on the battlefield,\u201d as it was famously referred to around Tempest\u2014but since when had they come to this<\/em> kinda truce over it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, so\u2026Momiji would be his \u2018first wife,\u2019 and Alvis, you\u2019ll be the second?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is correct.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their faces couldn\u2019t have looked happier. Benimaru, meanwhile, was about ready to faint. I wasn\u2019t really sure what happened with these two women, but it seemed they\u2019d established a clear pecking order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would be a failure as a wife if I did anything to trouble Sir Benimaru. I will never ask him to choose between Alvis or me. Instead, we beg you\u2014please marry us both simultaneously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait, um, I can\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry. I\u2019ve discussed this thoroughly with Lady Momiji, and we\u2019ve come to the conclusion that someone of your ability, Sir Benimaru, would not have difficulty with this arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Uh, what kind of conclusion is that<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru looked my way, pleading for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Y\u2019know, this is just as perplexing for me, too. I\u2019m not sure if I can do much\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understood. Under current Jura-Tempest Federation law, polygamy is permitted for the purpose of providing sufficient offspring for a species. However, the law as it stands restricts any additional marriage partners to widows seeking to bear <\/a>children. In this particular case, a second wife would not be allowed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ohhh!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Right, yeah, I remember that. No clue why Raphael\u2019s such an eager participant in this nonsense, but now I figured I could lend Benimaru a hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Sadly, Alvis, in our nation, a woman can become someone\u2019s second wife only if they are widowed and seek to bear children. Now, there\u2019s a chance we\u2019ll change the rules once we make more progress on our legal infrastructure, but for now, we can\u2019t allow you to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried to sound as apologetic as possible as I dismissed Alvis\u2019s request. Benimaru nodded to me, visibly relieved, but any hopes that this would end the topic were quickly dashed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo need to worry about that, my lord. I\u2019ve been doing some research of my own into the rules, and in fact, I just got married the other day\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huh? What do you mean you got married the other day? Like, with who? And doesn\u2019t that make it even more impossible to marry Benimaru?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was what I thought, but Alvis then blew my mind once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026but I regret to tell you that my betrothed has recently passed. Thus, I have fulfilled the conditions required to become Sir Benimaru\u2019s second wife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wait, wait\u2014this wasn\u2019t because of the war, was it? Because if so, we\u2019ve got big problems\u2026 But Alvis\u2019s argument was so deviously clever, protesting at all began to seem silly to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cH-hang on a second, okay? C-can you tell me who you married, exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat would be Phobio in the VIP box over there,\u201d Alvis said with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Um, Phobio\u2019s alive, isn\u2019t he?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru and I looked at each other, incredibly confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cWhat\u2019s up with all this?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t have any more answers than you!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTrue\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We didn\u2019t even need Thought Communication. It took just a few glances to have that conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phobio carefully approached us, kneeling with a contrite look on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m really sorry about this. Alvis just started talking out of nowhere, and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, like, you married<\/em> her? And now you\u2019re dead<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell\u2026about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so came the big reveal. Between Momiji\u2019s, Alvis\u2019s, and Phobio\u2019s guidance, I finally understood the whole story behind the plan, although it took a few moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To put it simply, Momiji and Alvis had engaged in combat with each other so often that they had developed a kind of friendship. Thanks to that, instead of fighting each other, they decided to team up. They both had a common goal, after all\u2014so how could they arrange it so they were both<\/em> Benimaru\u2019s wife?<\/p>\n\n\n\n After racking their brains on the topic, they concluded the answer was to have Alvis marry Phobio. Then, after that, the wedded couple would go down to the labyrinth and battle to the death. Alvis emerged victorious, and now she was a widow\u2014but since it was all down in the Dungeon, Phobio was instantly resurrected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe said we could marry for real if I beat her, but\u2026I think I deserve to have a cry about this, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was the motive for Phobio to play along, huh? Seeing him slumped over like this was so sad to see that I couldn\u2019t help but sympathize with him. Like, what does<\/em> happen after this, then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRigurd, is this, uh, legal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy lord, this is clearly the theory of power in action, the result of combining your wisdom and strength to gain what you want. As far as I\u2019m concerned, it\u2019s completely on the up-and-up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is. And Rugurd, Regurd, and Rogurd were all nodding along with him. Seriously? I guess that, for monsters, what Alvis did was perfectly acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cYou see, my brother, just how much determination Lady Momiji and Lady Alvis have shown for you? Please, be a man and give them an answer!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shuna was all for it, too, then? And not just her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you hate her, say it. If you don\u2019t want this attention, say so. That\u2019s all you need to do, isn\u2019t it? So why all the agonizing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shion may have looked like she wasn\u2019t using her head, but this was actually a very good argument. She wasn\u2019t opposed to the arrangement at all; she was just urging him for an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No opposition so far, then\u2014nobody feels this is unethical or gross. And yeah, when it comes to monsters, survival of the fittest is the name of the game. The laws I\u2019ve set in place are mainly there to ensure the strongest of us don\u2019t hog all our resources. As long as everyone\u2019s on the same page, and nobody\u2019s complaining, I don\u2019t see why I should object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBenimaru, how long are you going to stew over this? If you keep acting all indecisive, your father in the afterlife\u2019s gonna laugh at you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSoei\u2026 You say that, but my father loved none but my mother, and they brought Shuna and me into the world. What\u2019s so wrong about me wanting to do the same?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was unusually agitated. Soei\u2019s observation must have hit home\u2026 But he wasn\u2019t giving an inch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am not saying it\u2019s wrong. You seem to be lost over who you love, but that\u2019s exactly why you should have children, isn\u2019t it? A man and a woman can\u2019t have a child if they don\u2019t love each other. If you didn\u2019t have any love for either of them, then simply tell them no from the start. But if you do<\/em> have any sort of feelings for them\u2026then take them and show us the results!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s awfully straightforward of you, Soei. Surprisingly close to harassment, actually\u2014but he looked so cool<\/em> saying it, too. The guy drives me nuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this argument also made sense to monsters. I had forgotten about this, but you couldn\u2019t really have a child if there was no love involved. I guessed Benimaru was at an impasse because he felt it\u2019d be unfaithful to love two people at the same time\u2014but choosing <\/a>only one would make the other sad. That was why he had put off giving an answer all this time. I certainly don\u2019t mind that kind of thinking. But if he followed Soei\u2019s advice and \u201cshowed some results,\u201d wouldn\u2019t that solve his problems?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlvis! Let\u2019s see who can conceive Sir Benimaru\u2019s child first!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou won\u2019t beat me on that, Lady Momiji. My love is real\u2014all I have to do is turn Sir Benimaru\u2019s heart toward me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought that\u2019d be the hardest part\u2026 But either way, they didn\u2019t seem to be worried about much. It was just a matter of how Benimaru felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBenimaru, we\u2019re in the middle of a national celebration right now. A place where we\u2019re meant to honor your military service, too. You\u2019re allowed to be as selfish as you want, all right? So please give me a sincere answer. Will you answer to the love of Momiji and Alvis or not? Which is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Benimaru says no, this conversation is over. But if not\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMomiji\u2026 Alvis\u2026 As the samurai guarding Sir Rimuru, I may not be able to stay close to you for all time. If that becomes the case, will you still choose me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru was nothing if not sincere. He was even showing concern for their future. If he became a father and had no lingering regrets in life, he would evolve into a god-ogre\u2014and once that happened and he gained de facto infinite life, would he be in any position to care for Momiji and Alvis? That was a good point. He was the only one doing the evolving, so his wives would be left behind\u2026in assorted ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019d be kinda mean to ask for an immediate answer in a situation like this, wouldn\u2019t it? It was a little hard for me to picture it, but I sure wouldn\u2019t want my loved ones passing on before I did. And I don\u2019t mean anyone in particular\u2014that applies to all my friends. So I could understand Benimaru\u2019s concern, and I thought Momiji and Alvis might be upset by it\u2014but my fears were unfounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not a problem at all! Once I raise our child, I\u2019ll find my own way to evolve as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI agree. And even if evolution is not possible for me, I know that my children will comfort you in your loss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n