A Conversation with Besta

Watching the interaction between Lord Rimuru and Mo Li, Kaijin and the others standing nearby could not help but smile like doting aunts.

"See? I told you Lord Rimuru and Lord Mo Li were a couple."

"Then, judging from this, the man in the crystal ball must have been Lord Mo Li."

"Definitely. What other possibility is there? I don't even need to doubt it. Think about what that man looked like—doesn't he look very similar to Lord Mo Li now?"

Hearing that, Kaijin and the others fell into thought.

"Damn, it really does seem that way."

Only then did everyone come to a realization.

Looking at the crowd of spectators around her, Rimuru finally realized that she had gone a little overboard.

She immediately jumped out of Mo Li's arms, her Slime face turning red as she said nothing.

Mo Li looked at them, black lines forming across his forehead.

"Kaijin, shouldn't you be doing what you're supposed to be doing?"

Mo Li said to Kaijin with a beaming smile.

Seeing Mo Li's smile, Kaijin immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

"I'm going right now."

He hurried toward Besta without delay.

Mo Li silently shifted his gaze to the others.

"We'll go take a look too, so we won't distract Lord Mo Li."

The remaining people hurriedly said so, then followed after Kaijin.

Kaijin arrived before Besta and felt a wave of disgust upon seeing him weeping miserably.

"How could the great Lord Besta of the Dwarf Kingdom be crying here like this?"

Besta, who had been wailing on the ground, noticed Kaijin's arrival and revealed a self-mocking expression.

"What is it? Have you come to mock me? Go ahead. I have nothing left to lose anyway. If you want to kick me while I'm down, then hurry up and do it."

"I'm not in the mood to kick you while you're down. I only came to talk."

Kaijin looked at Besta and spoke slowly.

"Heh, what could we possibly have to talk about?"

There was a mocking tone in Besta's voice, though it was unclear whether he was mocking Kaijin or himself.

"To be honest, haven't you brought this upon yourself? Back then, you were one of the finest researchers in the entire Dwarf Kingdom. It's just that you were far too radical. Your personality determined your fate. If only you hadn't been so extreme."

Kaijin spoke slowly, his expression complicated.

"Heh, it's too late to say any of that now. I'm finished. You're right—it was all my own doing. And I even dragged you into it, making you suffer years of grievance and suppression. Don't you hate me?"

Besta slowly raised his head and stared at Kaijin.

"It would be impossible to say I held no resentment. But so much time has passed that I've mostly forgotten it. Besides, haven't you already received the punishment you deserved?"

Kaijin could not help but smile.

"Don't you hate me?"

Besta could not detect any hatred in Kaijin's words and could not help asking.

"What is there to hate? You did all this because you wanted what was best for the Dwarf Kingdom and for the King. Everything you did was for the Dwarf Kingdom, so what is there for me to hate?"

Kaijin said magnanimously.

Seeing Kaijin's magnanimous manner, Besta could not help revealing a shameful expression.

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't been jealous of you, you wouldn't have ended up like this. It's all my fault."

Besta blamed himself.

"Besta, you are a talented man. Among people of our generation, you could be considered one of the best. But your personality is still too radical. Do you know why the King placed you under my command?"

Kaijin asked Besta.

"Wasn't it because he thought highly of you?"

Besta said.

"No. Do you know? The King once praised you in front of me, saying that you were a great talent. But he saw through your personality, which was why he assigned you under my command. His main purpose was to temper your character. Do you understand? But who could have known that jealousy would blind you. One wrong step led to another, until you ended up like this."

Kaijin said with a sigh.

"This is all my fault. I failed the King's teachings. I have let down the King, and I have let you down too, Kaijin."

As he spoke, Besta apologized to Kaijin.

"Kaijin, I'm sorry. From now on, as long as you ask, I will never refuse."

Besta stood up from the ground and promised Kaijin.

"I actually do have something I need to ask of you."

Kaijin's eyes lit up when he heard that. This was exactly what he had been waiting for.

"As long as it's within my abilities, I'll do everything I can."

Besta patted his chest as he gave his assurance.

"You know that I've already decided to serve Mo Li and Lord Rimuru, right?"

Kaijin tempted Besta.

"I know. What about it?"

Besta still had not realized that Kaijin was targeting him.

"I want you to work for Mo Li and Lord Rimuru, just like I do."

Kaijin voiced his idea.

Hearing Kaijin's words, Besta immediately fell silent.

Although the Hero King had stripped him of all his positions in the Dwarf Kingdom, he still dreamed of one day regaining the king's trust. But he had already been expelled from the Dwarf Kingdom, and for the time being, he truly had nowhere to go. Even so, asking him to pledge loyalty to someone else was something he simply could not do.

"Kaijin, although I've been banished from the Dwarf Kingdom, the Hero King is my only king. I won't pledge loyalty to anyone else. I'm sorry, but I can't do this."

Besta spoke apologetically. He was genuinely embarrassed—he had just said he would do his best as long as it was within his power, only to immediately encounter something he could not do.

"I'm not asking you to pledge loyalty to Mo Li and Lord Rimuru. I just want you to work for the two of them, like I do. They won't restrict your personal freedom, nor will they force you to do anything. It's just work. Besides, according to the two of them, their faction has only just been established and needs talented people and technical specialists. I thought of you because you've been expelled from the Dwarf Kingdom and have nowhere to go for now. And you also need to apologize to the two of them, so that's why I came to you."

Kaijin explained.

"Just work?"

Besta wore a thoughtful expression. If it was only work and did not require him to betray the Hero King, then it was fine. Besides, Kaijin was right—he really did need to apologize to Mo Li and Lord Rimuru.

"If that's all, then I agree. However, I'll need some time to prepare, so I can't travel with you right now. And the next time we meet, I'll bring gifts and personally apologize to the two of them."

Besta explained to Kaijin.