_Tempest_
Benimaru stood at the head of the war room's conference table, a large map unfurled before him. Shion stood to his right, arms crossed, her violet eyes burning with impatience, while his sister, Shuna, remained calm and composed at his left. Rigurd, Tempest's Goblin King, stood attentively nearby.
"I still fail to see the problem," Shion snapped, her hand twitching toward the hilt of her oversized blade. "We should march out and crush the insects who dare slander Lord Rimuru's name!"
Benimaru sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. "That won't give us the result we want, Shion. They're baiting us."
"Indeed," Shuna added gently, casting a soothing glance at her fellow Kijin. "If we strike first, we'll give them all the justification they need. Not just to condemn Tempest, but to drag Maple Tree into this as well. We'd be starting a war with the rest of the western province, especially the holy church."
Shion scowled. "So we're just supposed to sit here and let them do as they please?"
"Absolutely not," Benimaru replied, his tone firm. "We've already contacted the Kingdom of Dwargon. Their recognition should hold weight against that of Falmuth. Unfortunately, the treaty with Blumund was only just signed, and without Lord Rimuru present, we have no way of contacting them, we can't move forward diplomatically there."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, frustration mounting. "Where the hell is Youm? This is his kingdom we're talking about. If Falmuth's champion were to stand against this movement, it could buy us time, or even unravel the entire scheme."
"The woes of politics," came a calm voice from the doorway. "You don't seem particularly good at them."
Benimaru chuckled lightly. "Well, you'll have to excuse me. I'm a general, not a politician..." He froze mid-sentence, realizing the voice wasn't familiar.
In an instant, the room's tension spiked. The Kijin siblings and Rigurd subtly shifted into ready stances as an unfamiliar figure stepped casually into the room.
The tension only eased slightly when Soei and his subordinates entered behind the stranger.
Benimaru's crimson eyes narrowed. "Soei… Who is this?"
The human gave a polite nod, lowering the brim of his checkered hat. "The name's Kanade, and I'm here to offer whatever assistance I can."
Benimaru raised an eyebrow and turned to Soei, silently requesting an explanation.
Soei gave a curt nod. "Lord Rimuru instructed me to bring him here, and to await his return."
Relief spread across Benimaru's features, a faint smile breaking through. "So Lord Rimuru is already on his way back."
The others visibly relaxed at the news.
But the moment didn't last.
Soei's expression darkened. "However… our message was cut off before he could give me any further instructions."
That drew the room into sudden silence. Benimaru's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Kanade's tone was almost too casual. "What your friend here is trying to sugarcoat is that your master may not be returning as soon as you'd hoped."
Soei nodded grimly. "There was no sign of interference on our end, which means the disruption occurred on Lord Rimuru's side of the connection. That could imply many things."
"Safe to say," Kanade added, "someone doesn't want your boss back. And I can think of a few obvious reasons why."
Benimaru frowned. There was something about Kanade's relaxed demeanor that rubbed him the wrong way, like the human was too at ease with the weight of their situation.
Before he could speak further, the communication orb beside the table flickered with unstable light. Static buzzed through the air, followed by a garbled voice:
#Please respond... He...Hello, is anyone... Beastketeer from the Animal Kingdom of Eurazania... This is Albis, the Golden Serpent.#
The group turned sharply toward the orb as the image stabilized just enough to reveal the familiar silhouette of Albis, the leader of the Beastketeers and trusted servant of Demon Lord Carrion.
Though the projection was hazy and her voice marred by distortion, her presence was unmistakable.
"Lady Albis?" Rigurd blinked in surprise.
"We can hear you," Benimaru confirmed, stepping closer to the orb. "What's the matter?"
#I have a request. We need your country to take in our people... as potential refugees.#
Benimaru's eyes widened. "Refugees? What's going on?"
#In exactly one week from today... Eurazania goes to war.#
"What?" Benimaru's voice rose with shock. "With who? Which nation?"
There was no hesitation in Albis' response.
#Not a nation. A person.#
Her tone was calm, too calm.
#The Demon Lord Millim.#
A stunned silence swept through the chamber. Everyone seemed to gasp in unison, everyone except Kanade, who simply raised an eyebrow and muttered under his breath, "...Well Dang."
Benimaru shook his head, trying to process the revelation. "Why? What possible reason could she have?"
The static surged again, Albis' voice dissolving into digital noise as she tried to answer.
#Ca—ing .... .... ... ... ... .... .....#
And then, just as abruptly as it had come, the crystal went dark.
A heavy, ominous silence fell over the war room.
"Well, that was dark," Kanade muttered, adjusting the brim of his checkered hat. "What are the chances she attacks here next?"
"Lady Millim would never do such a thing," Shion shot back, her voice sharp with certainty. "She and Lord Rimuru are Bestie Foresties."
"Regardless," Benimaru said, folding his arms as his mind shifted into motion, "Rigurd, I want preparations started for refugee camps around Tempest. Use the open plains south of the main gates, we'll need space and structure."
Rigurd nodded without hesitation. "Understood, Sir Benimaru."
A pause. Then Soei spoke, his voice unusually cautious. "Are you sure that's wise?"
Benimaru blinked, surprised by the question. "Of course. They're our allies. We help them, same as they would help us. Why would you even ask that?"
Kanade stepped forward, hands in his coat pockets, tone still maddeningly casual. "It's a valid question... Considering Tempest might not be safe much longer."
Benimaru's gaze hardened. "Explain."
"There are at least two of the Great Saints marching with an army of Holy Knights. Rumors say a third might join. I told Rimuru three were on the move, better to overestimate than get caught underprepared."
Silence settled heavily over the war room.
"You don't need me to tell you that fighting them head-on is a bad idea, especially since they're trained specifically to combat monsters." Kanade added. "You're strong, impressively so, but the saints are a different beast. They're the Church's trump cards for a reason."
Shion cracked her knuckles, tension radiating off her in waves. "Then let them come. I'll carve their holy armor into scrap and feed it to the wolves."
"No." Benimaru's voice cut clean through the tension like a blade. "You'll do no such thing unless they strike first. We can't afford to be the aggressors here."
"But if we wait too long..." Shion started.
"...we'll lose more than just the upper hand," Soei finished, eyes narrowed.
Shuna, still poised and composed, gently touched Benimaru's arm. "There is wisdom in caution, Brother. But Kanade's right. If these Saints are coming, they're not just here to posture."
Benimaru let out a frustrated breath. "At this rate, we might be the ones sending refugees to Maple Tree."
Rigurd suddenly perked up. "Then why don't we reach out to them? Ask for assistance."
Shion turned sharply. "Those are the words of a coward, Rigurd. Tempest does not beg. We are not so weak that we must call for help the moment Lord Rimuru steps away."
"Actually," Kanade cut in, raising a finger, "your buff goblin friend has a point. If the Saints are coming, I doubt Tempest is their only target. The whole Forest of Jura could be in their sights."
Soei nodded slowly, the gears turning in his mind. "It makes sense. Maple Tree is much larger and more fortified than Tempest. A show of force from them might be enough to deter an attack entirely. And if the Holy Church does make the first move, they'll have exposed themselves as the aggressors."
Benimaru folded his arms again, eyes narrowed in thought. "That... does have merit."
At that moment, Souka stepped forward, her hand pressed to her temple as she listened to a communication spell. She lowered her hand and bowed slightly.
"Sir Soei," she said, "My unit has located Youm. However, he claims to be searching for someone, his comrade, Mjulan."
Benimaru's expression darkened. "Of course he is."
The door slammed open with a bang as Gabiru burst into the war room, panting heavily. "A message is coming through from Maple Tree!" he shouted, cradling a bulky black device in his arms like a prized treasure.
It was the communication device Kaede had entrusted to Rimuru, a direct line between Tempest and Maple Tree. Rimuru, ever the innovator, had allowed Vesta and Gabiru to study it in hopes of reverse-engineering the technology. Progress had been slow, but steady.
Benimaru immediately straightened. "Alright, put them through."
Gabiru hurried over and placed the device on the war table. With a quick flick of his claws across the control panel, the machine hummed to life, and a soft glow radiated upward. A moment later, a shimmering hologram of Kaede flickered into view above the box.
"Lady Kaede," Benimaru greeted, his voice calm but wary. "What seems to be the problem?"
Kaede blinked, her expression sharp. "Where's Rimuru? I need to talk to him."
Across the room, Kanade froze. His breath caught in his throat as he looked up at her figure. Though it was only a projection, he gritted his teeth, barely restraining the tears that welled in his eyes.
"Lord Rimuru hasn't returned yet," Benimaru replied evenly. "He's still in the Kingdom of Blumund on diplomatic business."
"Seriously?" Kaede sighed, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "Well, someone tell him to get back here immediately. There are two armies marching toward Tempest."
Benimaru's expression darkened, but he nodded. "Yes, we're aware. In fact, we were hoping you might accept refugees from Tempest until the crisis has passed."
Kaede fell silent, her eyes narrowing in thought. Then, with a small nod, she answered, "...I guess that's okay. I'll have my people prepare the eastern gates."
Shuna stepped forward gently, her voice tinged with concern. "Is something the matter, Lady Kaede?"
Kaede folded her arms tightly across her chest. "That's why I called. Or rather, why I wanted Rimuru. Because I'm currently looking at Millim... and she just declared war on me."
A stunned silence swept the room like a wave crashing against stone.
"What!?" Shuna gasped. "Why would Lady Millim do such a thing?"
"She declared war on Eurazania just before this," Soei added grimly, arms crossed.
Benimaru's frown deepened. "What could possibly push Lady Millim to declare war on not only Eurazania, but now Maple Tree as well?"
Kaede didn't answer at first. Her expression was unreadable, cool, but not calm.
Instead, she asked quietly, "If Rimuru isn't there… what exactly do you plan to do against the army that's about to knock on your door?"
Benimaru stepped forward, his tone serious as he laid out the plan they had come up with. "But… with the news of Millim's declaration, that might not be possible anymore."
"I'll dispatch Shifu and Crimara to Tempest immediately," Kaede's voice cut in firmly. "In case you've forgotten, Tempest and Maple Tree are bound by an alliance. We even signed a treaty. That means if Tempest is in danger, Maple Tree will always come to its aid, and vice versa."
Benimaru blinked, caught off guard by her decisiveness. "But what about Maple Tree? If Millim is attacking..."
"She's not attacking Maple Tree," Kaede interrupted again, sharper this time. "She's attacking me. If the two of us were to go all out in Jura... the entire forest would be reduced to ash."
She exhaled slowly, her eyes narrowing. "That's why I'll be drawing Millim away. I won't let our battle reach this land. My generals should arrive shortly to assist you."
With that, the hologram flickered once… then vanished. The black communication box let out a final hum before going still, its soft glow fading.
Kanade stared at the now-silent device, still as a statue. When he finally blinked, a wave of emotion washed over him. "It's actually her…" he whispered, the words barely audible. A small, relieved laugh bubbled up from his chest, and he placed a hand over his heart.
Everyone turned to face him, their expressions laced with curiosity and confusion.
"I'm alright," Kanade said, his smile calm but heartfelt. "In fact, I'm better than okay. I found what I've been searching for."
He turned to face Benimaru fully, standing tall. "Alright then, Sir Benimaru. You have my full support. I am Kanade Ryoji, Archmage of the Maple Tree Guild."
Benimaru regarded him with a moment of silence before nodding firmly. "And I am Benimaru, general and commander of Tempest's military."
Kanade returned the nod. "Then let's get started. It seems… my main body has already arrived."
Soei, off to the side, pressed two fingers to the side of his head, listening to a report. After a moment, he nodded. "The otherworlders have arrived. They're here."