Since the Director had arrived, Lorelei, her assistant, would never be absent. She gave everyone around her a cold glance and said,
"Mm." Rimuru nodded in agreement. After all, there was no getting out of being held responsible. Making up for the damage didn't mean the matter could simply be forgotten. It was like how if you hit someone, you had to pay for their medical expenses, but that didn't mean you could hit people as long as you paid them.
There would definitely be a punishment... Rimuru gave Aoko a look that said, "You're on your own," then spoke first.
"As for Eler's punishment and my failure to keep a proper eye on her, I'm willing to spend a month assisting with research as a volunteer and writing a self-criticism. As for Eler..."
"What's the most severe punishment Eler usually gets?" He looked at Liddell and asked softly.
It was only right for adults to take responsibility when children did something wrong, but Rimuru still felt Eler needed to be taught the right values. Otherwise... even if she became sensible as she grew up, the lack of proper guidance in her childhood could still cause problems.
Rimuru didn't want his apprentice to turn out that way. He'd been a pampered heir himself, but as an only child who had been expected to achieve great things, he'd received an extremely strict education from a young age. He didn't mean all those miscellaneous classes like piano and math, but the most basic principles of how to be a person.
If you did something wrong, you had to face the consequences. Being a child could lessen your responsibility, but it couldn't absolve you of it!
"Uh..." Liddell actually faltered for once when asked that. Then she said, "Grounding her?"
"..."
"Grounding her, huh..." Rimuru lowered his head thoughtfully, just in time to meet Erol's wide eyes. The little girl tilted her head, then hurriedly buried it back in Rimuru's arms—
It wasn't a bad idea. Rimuru didn't know much about how mage families raised their children, but given the danger and seriousness of Magecraft, they must have some kind of pain-based deterrent to curb children's natural curiosity and recklessness.
Mm... Rimuru did know that the Matou Family's punishment was throwing someone into the worm pit... Not Sakura, but Shinji Matou.
But in practice, being thrown into the worm pit seemed no different in principle from being grounded. It was just that the dark room came with worms, whose terror and repulsiveness inflicted even greater physical and psychological torment.
By that measure, compared to the corporal punishment favored by ordinary society, the Magecraft world's outlook in the early eighties seemed rather progressive. At least they understood that psychological punishment was more effective for children, and more reasonable.
Besides, for a lively, energetic little kid like Eler, being shut in a dark room would be an utterly terrifying punishment. It should leave a much deeper impression than corporal punishment, which only made you forget the pain once the wound healed.
"Then let's ground her." Rimuru chuckled at the thought. As it happened, he had a place that was absolutely safe and impossible to escape from.
His Imaginary Space Stomach!
"But..." Liddell glanced helplessly at the little girl in Rimuru's arms, who looked completely unafraid, and hesitated before saying, "Erol isn't afraid of being grounded—"
"Really?" Rimuru rested his chin on his hand and chuckled.
Lock an adult in a completely empty, dark room for twenty-four hours, and they might spend the rest of their life fearing enclosed spaces.
Maybe adult mages with ways to meditate really could endure the solitude, but how could a naturally energetic child not be afraid of a dark room?
"If by 'grounded' you mean being shut in a room full of toys, with someone there to talk and play with her... Tch, even I wouldn't be afraid."
"Speaking of which, what's happening with Aoko?" Having settled on the little one's punishment, Rimuru stroked Eler's head with one hand and curiously looked over at Aoko. She was arguing her case with the Director and Lorelei, but the latter clearly had no interest in listening. Lorelei had even produced a stack of papers and was demanding that Aoko sign them—
"What's that?"
Rimuru lifted Eler into his arms and asked softly. The little girl was happily enjoying her teacher's head pats, completely unaware that he had already decided on a terrifying punishment for her. Or perhaps she wouldn't be afraid even if she knew.
"A treaty banning her from entering the country." Liddell gave a bitter smile and explained softly, "Once she signs it, the moment she crosses the border, she'll suffer a backlash from Magecraft."
"Hmm? Is it a curse?"
"It is. It's one of the Witch's specialties." Liddell nodded, tilting her head in confusion. "Didn't you see Aozaki Touko's frog curse seven years ago?"
"That probably won't do much to Aoko," Rimuru murmured. "With help from a Witch in the Kuonji Family, and her own Mystery as a Magician, it'll do almost nothing to stop her."
"That may be true, but at least it gives us something to show for it publicly." Liddell nodded in agreement. "The last big explosion ended up being quietly swept under the rug, didn't it?"
While the two of them chatted in low voices, Aozaki Aoko was locked in an argument with the whole crowd. "Can't I just refuse to sign? I'm a Magician of the Aozaki Family, for goodness' sake—"
"Human Rocket Launcher," Lorelei said flatly.
"..." Aozaki Aoko took a deep breath and calmed herself before continuing, "I'm the Blue Girl, certified by the Magic Association—"
"Human Rocket—"
"Could you stop calling me that already? I can use True Magic to fix everything here, all right?!" Aozaki Aoko finally blew her top!
"True Magic..." Lorelei considered it seriously this time, then shook her head. "Better not. Your True Magic... Have you forgotten what caused the last explosion?"
"..." The last explosion had happened because she'd used True Magic to investigate Rimuru's timeline. That left her speechless. She dejectedly ruffled her hair, unable to say a thing.
"Hey, Rimuru!" A moment later, Aozaki Aoko came running over, having signed the cursed treaty with a look of utter despair. She glared at him indignantly. "Couldn't you at least say something for me?!"
"What should I say? Ask when you're leaving?" Rimuru teased. "If I remember right, you're the first mage in the Clock Tower's history to be banned from setting foot here for a reason other than a Sealing Designation. And you're a Magician, too..."
"Tsk, a Color Rank mage banned from setting foot in the Magic Association..."
That wretched, smug face of his—
Aozaki Aoko pouted and smacked him on the head with a fist. "Hmph, at least the one thing I can feel good about around you is your height—Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"If you bring up my height again, I'll bite your hand off! Hmph!" Rimuru released Aoko's little hand from his teeth, annoyed. Since he was holding Liddell, his mouth seemed to be the only part of him he could use to fight back.
Liddell watched the two of them bicker like sworn enemies, amused. Meanwhile, the Director, Gaiusling, and Lorelei had finally finished discussing repairs to the hunting grounds and walked over. "Lady Achelotte."
"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Barthomeloi." Hearing the greeting, Liddell immediately wiped the faint smile from her face and answered solemnly, "Director, Lord Gaiusling."
"Some of the destroyed areas contained young Hilser Winged Beasts and Angora Rabbits needed by this year's new students. Those will have to be replaced, along with the other materials."
"Ah, understood." Liddell nodded to Gaiusling. "Uncle, please make a list and send it to my office later."
"As for Professor Tempest... Please take care of clearing up the materials that escaped the barrier," Lorelei sighed. "Let's make sure this doesn't happen again."
"Of course," Rimuru replied. "Was there any trouble?"
"Not really." Lord Gaiusling looked at the little demon king in Rimuru's arms with a pained expression, then glanced at Aoko and said softly, "Only the outer area of the Mystic Domain was damaged. They didn't reach the depths. The griffin enclosure is farther in..."
"Griffins?!" Rimuru stared at him in astonishment. "There are still griffins on the surface world?"
"There are." A composed voice answered him. It was the Director. "Or what did you think Aoko brought the little one here for? To steal griffin eggs, obviously."
"Huh?!" Rimuru and Liddell were both stunned.
Aozaki Aoko just rubbed her head sheepishly and whistled while looking elsewhere—but Rimuru still noticed that the tips of her ears had turned bright red...
So you do know how to be embarrassed?!!
"It's no secret. As a symbol of the British Royal Family and the Knights, London is currently the only city in the world with the qualifications and means to sign a contract with the griffin clan and raise them. Eighty percent of griffin-related materials worldwide come from here. If you blew this place up..."
The Director chuckled, shook his head, and patted the little girl's head. "Not bad. That was some fighting strength!"
"...Uh."
Rimuru didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he awkwardly changed the subject and looked at Aoko. "Speaking of which, why were you stealing griffin eggs for Eler? Was it meant as a gift?"
"Mm." Aoko was just about to nod when Eler suddenly lifted her head with a whoosh and excitedly raised her little hand. "Big Sister Aoko said griffin eggs are super delicious!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Fine, let's just leave it at that." Liddell was exhausted.
"Aoko..." Rimuru drew out her name, looking at her as if she'd disappointed him. He sighed faintly. "Why do I always feel like you're such a failure as a Magician?"
"Ahhh!" Aozaki Aoko flushed crimson under everyone's stares. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she poked Eler on the head and glared at the little traitor. "I object! This little one was the real culprit behind the explosion, okay?! I didn't use a single spell this time, aside from Concealment Magecraft! She threw out a Magic Power Blast, which attracted the Shadow-Tracking Leopard Cat, and I only attacked after that, all right?!"
"That's because Eler only knows how to draw the magic power out of her body and release it," Rimuru said helplessly. "All she can do is use Magic Power Blast..."
"But you were still in the wrong, Eler."
Rimuru set her on the ground and met her bright blue eyes with his golden ones. He spoke softly.
"Huh..." The little girl's feet kicked twice as she landed. When everyone's attention immediately turned to her, she realized the fire of the blame session had finally reached her. She quickly lowered her head and tried to look cute. "Mm... I know I did something wrong."
"Just knowing you did something wrong isn't enough," Rimuru said with a gentle smile. "People have to take responsibility for what they do and... pay the price."
As he spoke, black mist surged behind Rimuru, transforming into a colossal, devouring maw that swallowed Eler whole before she could react.
In an instant, everyone stared at him in shock—
"Is... is that really necessary?"
Aozaki Aoko stammered, "Y-You ate her?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Rimuru sprang up with a smack and swatted Aoko on the head, exasperated. "Do I look that cruel?"
"Your miniature Reality Marble?" Liddell forced herself to stay calm and quickly thought of one of Rimuru's abilities.
"Mm, that's right."
"There's no light or sound in there. Just endless nothingness and darkness."
"It's a good place to ground someone."
"Oh?" Gaiusling raised his eyebrows. "If that's the case, then it does seem a little cruel."
"R-Right, isn't that a bit much?" Liddell looked uneasy. "For a child, ten minutes in that kind of place could be enough to make her break down."
"She hasn't screamed or cried yet." Rimuru blinked, then gave a little laugh. "Honestly, I thought she'd start crying and calling for her teacher the moment she was swallowed—"
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her." Rimuru patted Liddell on the shoulder. "I won't let her suffer any lasting trauma."
"But—"
"Relax!" Aoko took Liddell's little hand and smiled. "Since you entrusted the child to Rimuru as his student, you should trust him a little."
"Although he can be really annoying when you spend too much time with him, I have to admit that Rimuru and Aoko Aozaki's acquaintance are alike in one way: most of what they do is correct and carefully thought out."
Rimuru nodded without a word. He had set Eler's punishment at three hours, but he'd also had the Great Sage monitor her mental state constantly. If anything seemed even slightly wrong, he'd release her immediately.
He only wanted to teach Eler a lesson she'd remember and make her think about the consequences before acting. After all, he didn't want his beloved apprentice to fail—or... die—one day because of a careless mistake.
At the same time, he only wanted to give her a somewhat memorable lesson, enough to put a little pressure on her without causing lasting trauma. So the punishment didn't need to be too severe. He'd even sent his Mystic Code, Wuyin, inside to keep Eler company for those long three hours.
What surprised Rimuru, though, was that after being swallowed into the endless darkness, Eler hadn't burst into tears or thrown a tantrum the way he'd imagined. Instead, she'd curiously started running through the endless void with Wuyin in her arms. Only after she'd tired herself out and realized that this was the "price and punishment" he'd meant did she collapse and start talking to Wuyin in a pitiful little voice.
Children really were afraid of being lonely.
Rimuru shook his head lightly, steeled his resolve, and pushed away the thought. Then he turned and said, "Let's go. We have to clean up after Aoko and Eler—"
The trouble Aozaki Aoko and Eler had caused was neither too big nor too small. This time, they hadn't directly triggered a disturbance in the timeline, creating a surge of magic power strong enough to blow all of London sky-high. Instead, Eler had provoked an attack from a Phantasmal Species, and Aoko's counterattack had triggered the defensive mechanisms of the fortifications set up by the Gaiusling Family—
The entire hunting ground was like one enormous Mystic Workshop belonging to the Gaiusling Family. It wouldn't be wrong to call it a military fortress, either. As a Magician, Aozaki Aoko could ignore its defenses, but when she was protecting a five-year-old girl—
Aoko had no choice but to strike back and destroy the facilities attacking Eler. That was like kicking a hornet's nest, setting off a chain reaction that made the entire Reality Marble believe a mage had invaded, and sent Aoko into a rampage!
She'd directly blown up a small hunting ground and all its barriers—
So what Rimuru had to do now was simple: help Lord Gaiusling and his students rebuild the barriers in the outskirts of Academic City. He should be grateful that Aoko was directionally challenged and had wandered into the lowest-level student hunting ground instead of actually making it to the griffin territory.
Three hours later, Rimuru returned to London, exhausted in both body and mind, when the Great Sage suddenly reminded him,
"Time's up, Rimuru."
"Hmm? Did she fall asleep?"
"No, she hasn't slept at all..."
"She hasn't slept at all?!" Rimuru stared in surprise and hurriedly let Eler out. At the same time, he complained, "Didn't I tell you to let her out the moment you noticed her mental state getting worse?!"
In Rimuru's version of events, Eler should have gradually become upset and bored, then eventually started crying and making a fuss. Once she got tired, she'd normally fall fast asleep—and the remaining time would pass without turning into a source of stress.
"But that's just it. Her mental state has been fine the whole time. She even held back her tears. You've taken on a good apprentice, Rimuru."
"A... good apprentice?"
Rimuru was speechless. The next moment, the little girl appeared in his arms out of nowhere. Holding Wuyin close, she'd been sulking the whole time. Startled by the sudden embrace, she looked up, her eyes full of tears. At last, she couldn't hold them back any longer and burst into sobs, like a dam giving way!
Rimuru's heart clenched. For the first time, he felt like a horrible person—he felt awful for her!
"Waaah! Teacher! Sob, sob! That place was so scary! It was so scary!! Waaaah!"
Her voice was a little hoarse. Rimuru couldn't even imagine how much she'd talked to that lifeless lump of Wuyin over the three hours—
She buried her head in his arms, tears streaming down her face as if they cost nothing.
Rimuru frantically searched through all the knowledge in his head and suddenly realized that not one bit of his twenty-odd years of elite education from his previous life could help him now!
How did you comfort a child? Asking online, urgent!
After a long while, she seemed to cry herself out. Eyes still wet with tears, she raised her head, her little mouth pressed tightly shut. "T-Teacher."
"Mm?"
Before you continue