"Hello. Do you mind if I join you for a drink?"
The unfamiliar, awkwardly pronounced language made Rimuru glance up. The mage before him didn't have much mana flowing through her, and she looked young—around twenty-three or twenty-four, right at one of the ages when a woman was most beautiful. Rimuru raised an eyebrow and thought carefully about the languages he knew before replying in German. "Of course. Please, go ahead. Are you Serbian?"
Serbian and Croatian weren't very different, though political circumstances had led to some minor differences after independence. So this mage probably wasn't from around here. As for whether she understood him... Rimuru didn't think a mage would fail to understand something like German.
Mages could quickly memorize and learn multiple languages through magecraft, for one thing. And anyone in Europe who wanted a proper education in magecraft had to learn the languages of several key countries—Germany, for instance, or the UK, which had long wanted to leave the EU.
As it turned out, he was right. The woman mage blinked in surprise, then replied in slightly awkward German, "Oh, my goodness. You could tell? But you're definitely not Croatian, are you?"
Obviously not. Rimuru raised an eyebrow. Her halting German made him a little uncomfortable, but the fact that she was matching his language so obligingly was an obvious sign of deference. A practiced swallow, he thought, though his interest in her had already begun to wane.
If he was going to seek pleasure, after all, he preferred someone... well, someone with a distinctive personality. Someone more interesting.
Still, even so, getting some information out of her would be worthwhile.
Rimuru smiled and said softly, "Clearly not. I could tell because I have a strong impression of Serbia. It's a beautiful place."
That was what he said, but to be honest, without Great Sage's help, Rimuru wouldn't even have known Serbia was a country!
Still, talking about one's homeland was often a quick way to grow closer. Before long, as the mage and Rimuru chatted back and forth about Serbia, she moved closer and closer to him.
Yet neither of them ever asked the other's name.
"By the way, beautiful lady, tonight has been so pleasant it's almost unbelievable." Rimuru looked at the woman, who was a little tipsy, and chuckled. "I traveled here all the way from Germany. The atmosphere here feels especially lively. Even the mages don't seem wary of one another. Do you know why?"
"Actually, it's not all that special here. The only reason things have been so peaceful is that security's been especially good these last few days." Her little hand had begun to wander down from Rimuru's chest. "By the way, would you like to make this even more enjoyable?"
As her hand was about to reach his high ground, Rimuru suddenly changed position, crossing his legs. He smiled at her startled expression. "So why has security been especially good?"
"You wicked thing." The woman paused for a moment, then quickly gave him a coy smile. "It's nothing important. You'll probably find out soon enough, anyway. The Church has been sending people to inspect the area regularly..."
"The Church... sending people... to inspect the area?" Rimuru's smile stiffened, then slowly faded.
"Yeah." Her hand continued to roam, but Rimuru's heart sank at her words. "I heard the Church has even sent Inquisitor Vissera to deal with some big shot—"
Grand Inquisitor Vissera... Rimuru's heart sank. He hadn't heard that title before, but if the man was known by it, he was clearly one of the Church's most elite. But... why was he here?
Or rather, how had they guessed Rimuru would come here?
Rimuru had lost all interest. He was just about to stand and leave when—clack! The lively dance floor of the bar fell instantly silent. A square-faced man, who looked every inch a paladin, led several people dressed in the Church's black uniforms inside. They quietly scanned the room, and then, suddenly, the man's sharp gaze met Rimuru's—
Damn it!
The woman's words came back to him. He suddenly remembered that she had said, "You'll probably find out soon enough."
He should have realized it. She had already made it clear: today was the day they were coming to inspect the area—and this was the time!
"Hmm? A new traveler..." Vissera hadn't seen through Rimuru's disguise, but he immediately noticed something else. "There seems to be a cursed presence about you... You need God's mercy..."
"Thanks, but I don't think I need it." Rimuru shook his head, left a stack of money for the woman, and prepared to duck away. But the man suddenly held out a hand to block his path. His stern, square face made Rimuru feel intensely pressured as he said in a deep voice, "Whether you need it or not, we still have to make sure."
With that, he drew two symbols and chanted words Rimuru didn't recognize.
As he spoke, the magecraft formula on his arm activated. Golden letters rose slowly into the air with his voice—
Rimuru knew that formula all too damn well!
He'd fled so many times, and every time it was this formula that forced him to run!
And now... you were using it again?!!
[Baptism Sacrament]!
The Holy Church's most powerful and iconic spell—and the world's most effective spell for targeting spiritual beings!
At that thought, Rimuru wanted to immediately fling a Baptism Sacrament right back at him and prove his innocence. He had swallowed Brad and gained the powers of a vampire and a ghost, but his concepts were still only Primate (Human) and Phantasmal Species (Slime). In theory, as long as he didn't use his vampire powers or become incorporeal, his Magic Resistance should make this specialized spell completely harmless to him.
But!
There was that damn curse! Not the curse behind his Blood-Sucking Impulse, but the most difficult-to-treat fatal internal injury, lodged in his heart... Whenever he encountered a Baptism Sacrament, it was like dry wood meeting a blazing fire. The two forces reacted, turning the situation into a fight to the death!
Could you imagine what it felt like to have holy power and a curse collide wildly inside you, twist around one another, and then threaten to explode?!
Every time they clashed, the Baptism Sacrament failed to inflict any substantial damage, but it made his internal injuries worse. And now these Church bastards thought the spell could target White Knight Brad, so they'd turned it into a detection method?!
Were they idiots?!
Rimuru's expression darkened. The holy chant was about to take effect. He took a deep breath. You forced me to do this!
"B-Black Princess?!"
His pupils contracted abruptly as he looked past the crowd. At the same time, he activated an enhanced version of the cursed bullet formula, hurling a Magic Power Blast at the wall beside him!
Then he took off running!
Sure enough, the moment Vissera heard "Princess of the Black," even his composure faltered. He turned to glance behind him, but only for an instant. When he heard the explosion beside him, he immediately reacted and attacked Rimuru's retreating back without hesitation!
He flung the Baptism Sacrament after him!
He hadn't suspected Rimuru was White Knight Brad, but there was definitely something wrong with the guy!
The homes in Croatia were more like neat, detached little houses, so the bar was only a wall away from the street. That also meant Vissera and the others could pursue Rimuru with remarkable speed. The moment Rimuru dashed outside, the Baptism Sacrament caught up with him. With a bang, it burst into holy light over his body, warming him as it began to burn him from the inside—
Amid the scattered dust, Rimuru hadn't even managed to turn the corner before his body seized up. A searing pain spread through him, as if his very soul were on fire. The curse and injuries he'd barely managed to soothe with purification and healing were like a herd of sheep he had finally calmed, only to have a wolf thrown among them. Agitated by the Baptism Sacrament, they instantly tore open again, ravaging the life within him.
"Damn you—"
"Son of a—"
In the end, I still couldn't escape this damn Baptism Sacrament...
With his consciousness fading, he had no choice but to hand control of his body over to Great Sage. Summoning the last of his strength, he unleashed a surge of black mist. Blood swept through the entire bar, instantly blocking Vissera and the others. Under cover of the blood and mist, he turned into a trickle of water and slipped into the... sewer.
When Rimuru finally drifted back to consciousness, he was lying quietly on a bed.
"What... happened?"
"The sewer couldn't keep the Church's people from searching for you. While I was using your body to escape, your muscle tissue broke down, leaving me unable to move..."
"So..."
"At that point, I had no choice but to ask the people here for help. Fortunately, I made the right bet."
"...Doing that could put them in danger. We've already been through this once."
"But survival comes first."
"..." All right. Rimuru sighed. "Now that I can move, let's go. They'll search this place soon."
"They won't search here." A cool, emotionless voice suddenly sounded beside him, making him pause. It reminded him of Kuonji Alice...
He lifted his head. It was a woman wearing an eyepatch, with long silver-white hair... and she was pregnant.
Yes, pregnant. Rimuru stared in shock, his mouth hanging open. Setting aside her white hair and delicate features, which made her look like a German princess, just the sight of her swollen belly and nun's habit was enough to leave him dumbfounded.
"You're... a nun?"
"Mm." She nodded calmly, then added, "So they won't search here."
"But why would a nun... save me?" Rimuru murmured, confused. "The Church is hunting me..."
"..." She simply looked at Rimuru in silence. After a long while, she gently shook her head. "No. You're innocent."
I'm... innocent?
***
In the UK, London, at the Clock Tower.
In the quiet library, Rimuru sat calmly, leafing through book after book.
A semi-transparent white dove woven from threads flew over and landed nearby. It was one of the most common familiar spells—but also one of the simplest and easiest to modify.
"What is it?" Rimuru asked quietly without even looking up.
The dove quickly glanced at the mess of books scattered around Rimuru. Liddell's voice came through, tinged with concern. "There's news from Aoko."
"Oh? What did she say?"
After the Hunting Garden at the Gaiusling estate had been blown up, Eler had quickly returned to being her adorable, lawless self. She was still young and had two powerful backers in Rimuru and Liddell. Aoko hadn't been so lucky. She'd been ordered to leave London within two days and never set foot in the city again.
Although such an order had no power to restrain a Magician, Aoko had said that she probably wouldn't return to a place as obnoxious as the Clock Tower anyway.
Since the curse of Blood-Sucking Impulse troubling Rimuru could easily become a handle to exploit or a way to get at him, Liddell hadn't contacted Aoko directly through a familiar. Aoko had already resumed traveling around Japan, so Liddell had kept to their usual method: passing the message to Kuonji Alice first, who then relayed it through her more unusual familiar, the Blue Robin.
That meant there was a delay in their communication, but it was more secure.
As for Rimuru, he couldn't let his friends know that his main body was in danger. It would only drag them into an even larger whirlpool—especially where the Princess of the Black was concerned.
But lately... Liddell glanced at the disordered books through her familiar, a trace of worry passing through her heart. In her experience, Rimuru always did things at an unhurried pace—or, rather, with clear thoughts. Even when reading, he would put the books back neatly and keep everything in order.
Now, although Rimuru was doing a good job of hiding it, it was clear that he was growing more and more anxious.
"Aoko says she isn't very good at dealing with curses, and a curse that grants immortality in exchange for something else isn't easy to interfere with by adjusting the timeline. Especially not... your timeline..."
"...I almost forgot she couldn't see through the fog surrounding me." Rimuru gave a helpless smile. "At least she knows her own limits. She knows she's not very bright..."
"But she said she could try!" Liddell didn't indulge his deliberately lighthearted joke. Instead, she insisted, "You need to find an excuse to go to Japan..."
"There's no need." Rimuru paused, then said, "Compared with the distant Far East, I have more faith in another solution."
"Another one?! You found a way?"
"Yeah. I've got a few ideas." Rimuru raised the book in his hand. It was...
The Duke of Cornwall?
Liddell was confused. She quickly looked over the somewhat haphazard pile of books: History of Far East Magic, Homunculus Comprehensive Reading by Einzbern, Records of Alexander's Conquest... and many others.
Besides those, there were also a number of highly specialized texts, such as the Department of Spiritual Evocation's required textbook, Spirit Origin Breakthrough, along with research papers on Noble Phantasms and relics—
"You're... studying the Holy Grail War?"
"Something like that." Rimuru shook his head, then reached into the mess of books and pulled one out, placing it in front of Liddell.
It was... Legend of the Fairy Land: Avalon.
"Avalon..." Liddell murmured.
"Legend has it that King Arthur lost his most precious scabbard. It was a Noble Phantasm called Avalon."
"It's a bounded field, and also the homeland of the fairies. It's the ideal land, far removed from the world."
"Of course." Rimuru paused and smiled. "Most importantly, as a scabbard, it can protect its bearer from all harm, heal any wound, and stop aging."
"Heal any injury—including any... curse..."
Rimuru murmured softly, his eyelids lowered, as if he were a bard singing its praises.
"But..." Liddell hesitated, reluctant to pour cold water on him. "It's only a legend. And even if it's real... you should understand how Noble Phantasms work. They need to be imbued with their original owner's mana before they can be released and take effect."
"The Department of Spiritual Evocation..." Rimuru smiled softly. "I've had plenty of time lately, so I've studied quite a bit about it. Professor Kayneth may be too arrogant as a person, but he hasn't kept anything from me when it comes to answering questions. I've learned a lot."
In fact, the Greater Grail's Heroic Spirit Summoning system wasn't all that mysterious or powerful. The Department of Spiritual Evocation, where Kayneth held a position as a lecturer, studied the summoning of all kinds of spirits, including Evil Spirits and Heroic Spirits, and their possession of people through mediums or divine possession.
And all the various False Holy Grail Wars around the world used similar methods. The only difference was that the Greater Grail's mana supply system conveniently eliminated the need for complicated preparations of spirit mediums and the trouble of supplying mana.
So for Lords, summoning Servants by their own means wasn't actually difficult. The hard part was supplying the immense amount of mana needed after the summoning. Without support from the Greater Grail and a leyline, even a Phantasmal Species like Rimuru, whose mana was unusually vast, would struggle to maintain Saber's existence—let alone an ordinary mage.
"All right, then... do you know where it is... Cornwall?!"
Liddell gave up on questioning Rimuru and asked one last thing. But as she did, she saw him waving the book in his hand—the one about the Duke of Cornwall.
"Actually, I can't be sure it's still there, so I thought I'd check somewhere else first..."
Rimuru stood up and grabbed the dove representing Liddell. "Well, it's been a while since I took you shopping. How about I keep you company today?"
"You're proud of keeping a familiar company?!"
Avalon really was one of Rimuru's targets, but if not for this unexpected turn of events, he wouldn't have gone looking for it ahead of time.
After all, without mana from Saber, it was just an ordinary scabbard.
Rimuru didn't know whether Wuyin could analyze it and obtain all its abilities by devouring it, but one thing he did know was that the scabbard would have to be activated first—
Which meant he would have to summon Saber.
To be honest, Rimuru liked the personality and image of this King Arthur. But if they actually had to spend time together, he rationally suspected that she might be... well, a real pain.
Before you continue