Traveler Starting from Type-Moon, Demon Lord Rimuru!

Since the Dean had arrived, Lorelei, as the Dean's assistant, would never be absent. She swept a cold glance over everyone present and spoke.

"Hmm." Rimuru nodded in agreement. After all, accountability was unavoidable; compensating for losses did not mean one could just walk away from the consequences. It was like paying for someone's medical bills after hitting them—it didn't mean you were entitled to hit them just because you paid.

Punishment was a certainty... Rimuru gave Aoko a look that said "take care of yourself," and spoke first:

"Regarding the punishment for Eler and my failure to supervise, I am willing to provide one month of mandatory research assistance and undergo a formal critique. As for Eler..."

"What is the usual maximum punishment for Eler when she makes a mistake?" He looked toward Liddell and asked softly.

It was true that when a child made a mistake, the adult should bear the responsibility, but Rimuru felt it was necessary to instill the right values in Eler. Otherwise, even if she became sensible when she grew up, the lack of early education would lead to certain flaws.

Rimuru did not want his disciple to turn out that way. He was also a second-generation heir, but as an only child, he had been held to high expectations and received extremely strict education from a young age. This did not refer to piano, mathematics, or other miscellaneous courses, but to the most basic values and concepts of being a human.

If you do something wrong, you must bear the corresponding consequences. Even if a child's responsibility can be reduced, it cannot be waived!

"Uh..." When asked this, Liddell was uncharacteristically stumped for a moment before suddenly saying: "Confinement?"

"..."

Rimuru lowered his head, lost in thought, just as he met Erol's wide, blinking eyes. The little one tilted her head, then quickly buried her face back into Rimuru's chest—

It wasn't a bad idea, actually. Rimuru wasn't clear on how magic families taught their children, but considering the danger and seriousness of magic, they must have established some kind of painful benchmark to curb a child's natural curiosity and tendency to court death.

Well... Rimuru did know that the Matou family's punishment involved throwing people into the worm pit... and he didn't mean Sakura, he meant Matou Shinji.

But in reality, while being thrown into a worm pit seemed like corporal punishment, the underlying principle was not much different from confinement, only with the addition of fear and disgust caused by insects in a dark room, resulting in more severe physical and mental torture.

Viewed in this light, compared to the corporal punishment preferred by the secular world, the magic world's concepts in the early eighties were at least quite advanced, or at least they understood that mental punishment was actually more effective and reasonable for children.

Moreover, a dark room for a child like Eler, who was full of natural vitality and restlessness, was nothing short of a terrifying punishment—the trauma left behind should be much better than corporal punishment, where one "forgets the pain once the wound heals."

"Then let's go with confinement." Thinking of this, Rimuru chuckled. As it happened, he had a perfectly safe and inescapable place for confinement.

That was his Imaginary Space Stomach!

"But..." Liddell looked speechlessly at the little one in Rimuru's arms who showed no fear at all, and hesitated: "Erol isn't afraid of confinement—"

"Is that so?" Rimuru pinched his chin and chuckled.

If you lock an adult in a dark room with nothing for twenty-four hours, it might lead to a lifelong fear of enclosed spaces.

Perhaps an adult magus who possessed meditation techniques could endure the loneliness, but would a child, driven by nature, not fear a dark room?

"If the confinement you're talking about is locking her in a room full of toys where she isn't allowed to leave, and there's even someone to chat and play with her... tsk, I wouldn't be afraid either."

"Speaking of which, what about Aoko?" After confirming the little one's punishment in his heart, Rimuru stroked Eler's head with one hand while looking curiously toward Aoko, who was arguing her case with the Dean and Lorelei.

But the latter clearly didn't want to listen; Lorelei even pulled out a stack of papers and demanded Aoko's signature—

"What is this?"

After picking up Eler, Rimuru asked softly. The little one was enjoying her teacher's head-patting technique, completely unaware of the terrifying punishment her teacher had decided upon for her, or perhaps, she wouldn't be afraid even if she knew.

"A treaty prohibiting entry." Liddell gave a wry smile and whispered: "Once signed, you will suffer magical backlash if you enter the country."

"Hmm? Is this a curse?"

"It is a curse, a specialty of the Witch lineage." Liddell nodded, tilted her head, and asked in confusion: "Didn't you witness this seven years ago? Aozaki Touko's frog curse?"

"That probably won't work on Aoko." Rimuru said very quietly: "With the help of the Kuonji family's witch, plus the mystery of her own status as a Magician, the suppression on Aoko is almost non-existent."

"But even so, it counts as an explanation on the surface." Liddell nodded in agreement: "Didn't the last big explosion end up being swept under the rug as well?"

While the two were whispering, Aozaki Aoko was engaged in a war of words: "Can I not sign? I am a Magician of the Aozaki Family..."

"Human Rocket Launcher." Lorelei said flatly.

"..." Aozaki Aoko took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and continued: "The Blue Maiden certified by the Mage's Association..."

"Human Rocket..."

"Can you stop mentioning that nickname?!! Can I just use magic to restore this place for you, okay?!" Aozaki Aoko completely blew her top!

"Magic..." Lorelei considered it seriously this time, then shook her head: "Better not. Your magic... have you forgotten how the last big explosion happened?"

"..." The last big explosion was caused precisely when she used magic to survey Rimuru's timeline. This left her silent, and she slumped, grabbing her hair in frustration, unable to say a word.

"Hey! Rimuru!" Before long, Aozaki Aoko, who had signed the cursed treaty with a look of despair, rushed over with a mournful face and complained with extreme dissatisfaction: "Couldn't you have said something for me, huh?!"

"Say what, ask when you're leaving?" Rimuru laughed: "If I remember correctly, you are the first magus in the history of the Clock Tower to be banned from entry outside of a Sealing Designation, and you are a Magician..."

"Tsk tsk, a Color Rank magus who is banned from the Mage's Association..."

Damn it... that damn ugly face—

Aozaki Aoko pouted in dissatisfaction and fiercely raised her fist to pat Rimuru on the head: "Ugh, well, the only thing that satisfies me in front of you is probably this height of yours—ah, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!!"

"If you mention my height again, I'll bite your hand off! Ptooey!" Rimuru spat out, dissatisfied, having released his bite on Aoko's small hand. Because he was holding Liddell, his mouth seemed to be the only thing he could use to fight back.

Liddell watched with amusement as the two bickered like enemies. On the other side, the Dean, Gaiusling, and Lorelei finally finished discussing the restoration of the hunting grounds and walked over: "Lord Achelotte."

"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Barthomeloi." Hearing the greeting, Liddell immediately put away the faint smile on her lips and said seriously: "Dean, Lord Gaiusling."

"Among the damaged parts, some are the cubs of the Hilser Winged Beast and Angora Rabbit needed for this year's freshmen... and so on, which need to be replenished."

"Ah, understood." Liddell nodded directly to Gaiusling: "Uncle, please make a list later and send it to my office."

"As for Professor Tempest... you are responsible for cleaning up the materials that escaped the barrier," Lorelei sighed, saying, "Don't let this happen again."

"Understood." Rimuru nodded, "It didn't cause any major commotion, did it?"

"It's fine." Lord Gaiusling looked at the little demon king in Rimuru's arms with a headache, then glanced at Aozaki Aoko and said softly, "Only the outer perimeter of the Mystic Domain was damaged; it hasn't reached the depths yet. If you go any further, you'll reach the griffin breeding grounds..."

"Griffins?!" Rimuru was slightly stunned, exclaiming in surprise, "Are there actually griffins on the surface of the world?"

"There are." Rimuru heard a calm voice; it was the Dean who had spoken, "Otherwise, why do you think Aoko brought this little one here? Wasn't it to steal griffin eggs?"

"Eh?!" At this, both Rimuru and Liddell were shocked.

Aozaki Aoko just muttered and scratched her head, whistling as she looked elsewhere—but Rimuru still noticed that the tips of her ears had turned bright red...

So you do know how to be embarrassed, huh?!!

"This isn't a secret. As a symbol of the British royalty and the Knights, London is currently the only city in the world qualified and equipped to sign contracts with the griffin clan and maintain breeding rights. Today, eighty percent of the world's griffin-related materials are produced here. If you were to blow this place up..."

The Dean chuckled, shook his head, and patted the little one's head, "Not bad, your combat power is truly extraordinary!"

"...Uh."

This remark left Rimuru unsure whether to laugh or cry, so he awkwardly changed the subject and looked at Aoko, "Speaking of which, why did you steal a griffin egg for Eler—did you want to give it to Eler as a gift?"

"Mm." Aoko was just about to nod when she saw Eler lift her head with a hum, raising her little hands excitedly, "Sister Aoko said griffin eggs are super delicious!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Fine, let's just leave it at that." Liddell felt truly exhausted.

"Aoko." Rimuru dragged out his tone, looking at Aoko with a look of disappointment, and sighed gloomily, "As a Magician, why do I always feel like you're such a failure?!"

"Ahhh!" Feeling the prickling gazes of everyone, Aozaki Aoko's face turned beet red before she finally couldn't take it anymore. She poked Eler's head in shame and anger, glaring at the little traitor, "I don't accept this! Clearly, this little one is the culprit behind the explosion, okay?!! Aside from concealment magic, I didn't use a single spell this time!! It was her throwing a Magic Power Blast that attracted the Shadow-Tracking Leopard Cat, and that's why I acted, okay?!!"

"That's because Eler only knows how to simply stimulate and pour magic power out of her body." Rimuru said helplessly, "She only knows Magic Power Blast..."

"But indeed, you were in the wrong here, Eler."

Rimuru placed her on the ground, his golden eyes meeting her deep blue ones, and said softly.

"Eh..." After the little one stumbled on her feet and realized that once she was on the ground, everyone's eyes were instantly fixed on her, she realized the flames of the crusade had finally reached her. She immediately lowered her head and tried to act cute, "Mm... I know I was wrong."

"Just knowing you're wrong isn't enough." Rimuru smiled gently, "People must take responsibility for their actions and... pay the price."

As he spoke, a surge of black mist erupted behind Rimuru, forming a giant maw that swallowed the terrified Eler in one gulp.

For a moment, everyone looked at him in shock—

"Isn't... isn't that a bit much?"

Aozaki Aoko stammered, "You... you ate her?"

"Eat your head!" Rimuru jumped up and slapped Aoko on the head, speechless, "Am I that malicious?"

"Is that your small-scale spatial Reality Marble?" Liddell forced herself to calm down, quickly recalling one of Rimuru's abilities.

"Yes, that's it."

"There is no light, no sound, only endless void and darkness."

"It's a good place for solitary confinement."

"Oh?" Hearing this, Gaiusling raised an eyebrow, "If that's the case, it's a bit cruel."

"Yeah... it is a bit much, isn't it?" Liddell said, unable to bear it, "For a child, staying in that environment for ten minutes might cause a breakdown, right?"

"She hasn't cried out yet." Hearing this, Rimuru blinked, stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Honestly, I thought she would be crying for her teacher the moment she was swallowed—"

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her at all times." Rimuru patted Liddell on the shoulder, "I won't let her develop any psychological trauma."

"But—"

"Relax!" Beside them, Aoko suddenly took Liddell's hand and smiled, "Since you entrusted the child to Rimuru to be her teacher, you have to trust him a little."

"Although staying with him for a long time makes you feel like he's annoying, I have to admit that Rimuru and Aoko's acquaintance have at least one thing in common: the things they do are basically correct and well-thought-out."

Rimuru nodded upon hearing this but said nothing. He had indeed set a three-hour limit for Eler, but he also had the Great Sage monitoring her mental state at all times; if anything went slightly wrong, he would release her immediately.

He just wanted to give Eler a lesson she would remember, to teach her to consider the consequences before acting. After all, he didn't want his cherished apprentice to fail or... die one day due to a rash mistake.

But at the same time, he only wanted to give a lesson that was memorable and provided some pressure without leaving psychological trauma, so the intensity didn't need to be too high—he even sent his magic craft, Wuyin, inside to keep Eler company through the long three hours.

What surprised Rimuru, however, was that after being swallowed into the endless dark space, Eler didn't cry and scream as he had imagined. Instead, she curiously began to run around in the endless void while hugging Wuyin, and only after she got tired and realized this was the so-called "price and punishment" did she collapse there, hugging Wuyin and talking to it in a pitiful voice.

Children are truly afraid of being alone.

Seeing this, Rimuru shook his head gently, hardened his heart, and turned away, saying, "Let's go, it's time to clean up the mess for Aoko and Eler—"

The trouble caused by Aozaki Aoko and Eler was neither too big nor too small. This time, it didn't cause a timeline fluctuation like the last one, which generated enough magic power to blow up all of London. Instead, because Eler triggered an attack by a Phantasmal Species, Aoko's intervention led to a counterattack from the defensive works set up by the Gaiusling family—

The entire hunting ground was essentially a massive magic workshop for the Gaiusling family, or perhaps even a military fortress. As a Magician, Aozaki Aoko could naturally ignore it, but to protect a five-year-old girl—

Aoko had to fight back, destroying the facilities that were attacking Eler. This was like poking a hornet's nest, triggering a chain reaction that made the entire Reality Marble believe a mage had invaded, leading to Aoko's full-scale outburst!

It had directly obliterated a small hunting ground along with all of its barriers—

Therefore, the task Rimuru had to perform now was simple: assist the monarch Gaiusling and his students in rebuilding the barriers on the outskirts of Academic City. He should be grateful that Aoko was directionally challenged, having stumbled into the lowest-level student hunting ground instead of actually wandering into the territory of a Griffin.

Three hours later, as a physically and mentally exhausted Rimuru returned to the city of London, Great Sage suddenly spoke up to remind him:

"The time has come, Rimuru."

"Hmm? Did she fall asleep?"

"No, she has not slept at all..."

"She hasn't slept at all?!" Rimuru was slightly stunned. He hurriedly released Eler while complaining, "Didn't I tell you to let her out the moment you noticed her mental state was deteriorating?!"

In Rimuru's script, Eler was supposed to gradually feel aggrieved and bored, eventually crying and fussing until she grew tired, at which point she would normally fall into a deep sleep—only by sleeping would the remaining time not become a source of pressure.

"That is precisely the problem. Her mental state has remained excellent throughout; she even held back her tears—you have taken on a good apprentice, Rimuru."

"A... good apprentice?"

Rimuru was speechless. The next moment, the little one appeared in his arms out of thin air. The sudden embrace caused the little girl, who had been holding Wuyin and looking pitifully aggrieved, to look up. Her teary eyes suddenly seemed unable to hold back any longer, and she burst into a wail like a floodgate breaking!

Instantly, his soft heart was given a fierce tug, and for the first time, Rimuru felt like a total jerk—it hurt his heart so much!

"Waaah! Teacher, wuu wuu! It was so scary! That place was so scary!! Wuu wuu!"

Her voice was somewhat hoarse, and Rimuru couldn't even imagine how much she had spoken to Wuyin, that inanimate lump, over the course of three hours—

She buried her head into Rimuru's chest, her tears falling like they were free of charge.

Rimuru scrambled to search through the knowledge in his mind, only to suddenly realize that not a single bit of the twenty-plus years of elite education from his past life was suitable for his current situation!

How do you coax a child? Waiting online, it's quite urgent!

After a long while, seemingly exhausted from crying, she looked up with tear-filled eyes, her little mouth pressed tightly shut: "Tea... Teacher."

"Hmm?"