Traveler from Type-Moon, Demon Lord Rimuru!

Seeing this, Yuri Phis felt a complex mix of emotions. After cursing Emiya Kiritsugu and the other Lords who were deliberately watching the show, he had no choice but to helplessly nod in agreement.

After this incident, unless Rimuru sought his own death, it was unlikely that any prestigious family would target him regarding his personal safety—at least not in the short term! To do so would be a direct slap in the face to the three great noble families!

Chapter 013: Deterrence from the Bloodline!

With his safety guaranteed, Rimuru felt his mood lighten considerably. Although this protection couldn't absolutely guarantee his safety within the Clock Tower, at least until he was confirmed to be a threat to the status of other Lords, no one should be willing to take such a desperate risk to eliminate him, especially while facing the threat of liquidation by the three great noble families.

As for the position of Lord, Rimuru had no ambition to climb to that height in the short term. Setting aside the issue of strength, Rimuru, who possessed most of the information about this world, simply didn't look down upon the position of a mere Lord. Although the group of twelve prestigious families could indeed provide him with significant help, to put it bluntly, with Achelotte backing him:

If he were willing to be a kept man or marry into a family, he could become a member of the twelve prestigious families in a heartbeat!

So, with the safety issue resolved, besides needing to figure out the reason for Emiya Kiritsugu's assassination attempt, he needed to keep a close eye on Fuyuki City while thoroughly researching his current abilities to perfect his own power system and increase his strength...

The meeting had already moved on to the next agenda item, but the subsequent content was clearly not something he could continue to participate in. For the remainder of the time, amidst the clamor, Rimuru could only sink into quiet listening and contemplation.

Perhaps because Rimuru's affair had prematurely ignited the contradictions of the meeting, the activity level of the Lords increased significantly in the following sessions. Basically, the moment an agenda item was proposed, one or two Lords would immediately offer a solution to resolve it, but at the same time, the intensity of the debates began to rise gradually.

Among them, the most intense topics were not the difficult miscellaneous tasks or the mutual buck-passing, but the budget allocation for the coming year—this intensity even caused the old fox who usually seemed indifferent to everything and the perpetually gloomy Yuri Phis to start arguing their cases, eventually erupting into a full-blown quarrel.

Liddell, who was his ally, didn't give the head of the Gaiusling family—who had once held her as an infant—any pleasant looks, stating that the Chimera department's budget had seriously exceeded its limits last year, harming the allocation interests of certain potions in the Botany department.

While Rimuru clicked his tongue in secret, he fully understood the supreme principle of the Lord's meeting: talking about feelings hurts the wallet.

However, compared to the most direct and tangible distribution of money, materials, and student sources, the nearly three-hour meeting still thoughtfully left time at the end for the Lords to communicate freely, intended for resolving mutual conflicts and discussing cooperation.

This was the time for interest exchanges between the Lords.

Most Lords used sound-insulation magecraft when conversing, and only a few Lords left their chats unencrypted. Rimuru pricked up his ears, ignoring Liddell's dissatisfied expression. After listening for a while, he generally concluded that their content was about heading to a dangerous area together to hunt for some materials. He didn't hear the specifics, but at the same time, Rimuru wasn't particularly interested.

It is worth mentioning that at this moment, Kayneth took the initiative to walk over and strike up a conversation with Rimuru.

The content of noble conversations was nothing more than those few topics, but exchanges between professors often had to include academics.

Even though he had no impression of Kayneth as a background character for the protagonist, Rimuru had to admit that in terms of demeanor and the academic issues currently presented, Kayneth's casual remarks were sometimes more rigorous and elegant than the words Rimuru had to ponder for a few seconds to refine.

Coupled with the fact that Rimuru had only recently arrived in this world, although the memory fragments in his mind would prevent him from encountering any difficulties in his upcoming teaching career, he strived to do his best in everything. The pride ingrained in him from an elite family also made him subconsciously not want to mislead his students—

Since he was going to be a teacher, even if it was just a transition, he wanted to be the best teacher possible. This subconscious thought caused him to unknowingly extend his conversation with Kayneth for a while, and one could even say they were having a pleasant chat.

However, this led to a problem. Liddell, who had wanted to chat with Rimuru during this time, was astonished to discover!

She, a super invincible beautiful girl, had actually been left aside by the two of them and ignored?!!

How unreasonable?! Am I the Lord or are you the Lord!!

After the meeting ended, Liddell puffed out her cheeks and walked out of the building, not wanting to pay any attention to the slow-witted blue-haired ball behind her who was desperately trying to curry favor.

In a bad mood, Liddell suddenly lost the desire to return to the large classroom. Thinking that she had already found someone to substitute for her afternoon class anyway, she simply walked back to the parking lot and slipped into the car—

Rimuru hopped into the passenger seat.

"???" Liddell was slightly stunned, feeling both annoyed and amused: "You still have to go to the Dean's office later."

"I feel like I should accompany you right now." Rimuru shrugged his shoulders, turned his head, and blinked his eyes slightly: "To save a certain young lady from being so angry she can't even eat dinner."

"I'm not angry." Liddell tossed her ponytail with a hint of pride and said awkwardly: "Get out."

"I won't!" Rimuru shook his head quickly: "The Dean isn't as important as you."

"Tsk, you wouldn't have been able to say something like that before."

Liddell turned around strangely, pressed her hands on Rimuru's small shoulders, stared into his eyes for a while, and suddenly said: "You've changed a lot, Rimuru..."

Hearing this, Rimuru's heart skipped a beat. Had he been too obvious?!

"But perhaps, this is how you were always meant to be." In their mutual gaze, a slow flush crept up Liddell's face. She let go of Rimuru, pulled back, and turned her head to hide it: "After all, in my memory, you once had talent in this area."

"Do you not like it?" Rimuru asked curiously.

"No, I quite like it." Liddell stretched, revealing a seductive silhouette before leaning on the steering wheel, turning her face away and muttering: "But more than that, I'm happy you could walk out of the shadows."

"Don't worry, I'm not angry." She revealed a sweet smile: "Although I hate Yuri Phis and El-Melloi, they are indeed not enemies."

"As part of the aristocratic faction, they can indeed help you when necessary... At least, if you are on good terms with Kayneth, your chances of becoming a Lord will be even greater, right?"

Hearing this, Rimuru was slightly stunned. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, he felt a push on his shoulders again. Liddell started chasing him away: "So, hurry up and get out! Although the Dean doesn't care about anything, it's precisely because he doesn't care that if he gives an order, it will inevitably be executed!!"

"I've been a Lord for so long, and I've only been summoned once. Don't let me ruin your big opportunity!!"

Hearing this, Rimuru sighed, and in the end, swallowed the words in his mouth, replacing them with: "Thank you..."

A while later, Rimuru, who had been kicked out of the car, watched the vehicle gradually disappear, revealing a wry smile.

He really had no thoughts about the position of Lord, and talking to Kayneth was just to try and learn some academic techniques. Although the other party's philosophy differed greatly from Rimuru's, setting aside those aristocratic supremacist ideals, Kayneth's academic ability was absolutely top-tier.

Of course, what troubled him the most was...

"It's hardest to repay the kindness of a beauty..." Rimuru shook his head helplessly and whispered: "It's a pity, I cannot give a future..."

After speaking, he looked at his small arms and legs and suddenly laughed out loud.

Well, I hope this is just a daily delusion of mine. Maybe she just treats me as a friend or a bestie.

It had been thirty-seven hours since he descended into this world. This was the first time Rimuru had walked alone on these currently empty, cold streets where few students could be seen, enjoying a quiet stroll.

"So, where exactly is the Dean's office!!"

A blob finally discovered a fatal attribute of this body.

A sense of direction...

He searched through every memory in his mind, but couldn't find a single impression regarding roads or maps. He even knew the name of the hotel he stayed at initially and what his room number was, but as for where the hotel was actually located...

He had absolutely no idea!!

Forced into a corner, he had no choice but to use Great Sage again, praying: I hope those Lords who just finished their meeting won't mind me performing another large-scale scan...

Magic Perception!

In an instant, invisible ripples began to spread with Rimuru as the center. Hidden barriers and students and lecturers of all shapes and sizes became clearly visible within his perception, and building after building was slowly simulated on Rimuru's retina through the meticulous calculations of Great Sage.

Success! A 3D retinal simulation map!

Rimuru shifted his focus, adding a main quest to the side of his retina: Find the Dean!

Then, he had Great Sage provide a pathfinding guide!

After arrows appeared one by one on his retina, Rimuru nodded in satisfaction.

This is the correct way to do things! Perfect. Once I go back and set up a system notification sound, I'll basically have a system of my own!

Sigh, the joys of a transmigrator are often just this simple and unadorned.

Having successfully tricked himself, Rimuru played with his self-modified system for a while before remembering his actual business, successfully finding the legendary Dean's office under the guidance of Great Sage.

This place was located in the deepest part of the large classroom where the Dean managed the academic district, which was also where the materials for Sealing Designations were stored. Along the way, the walls of the corridor were lined with the glorious achievements of various Lords and lecturers, as well as several display cases.

The large door opened automatically as he approached, but the Dean's office itself was not very large; it was even much smaller than Liddell's lounge.

Two green curtains covered the only window in the room, leaving only a tiny gap for a single ray of sunlight to shine through. In the sunlight, a living orchid was lazily swaying its roots, which made Rimuru stare in curiosity for a long time.

Next to the window, a gorgeous wooden red sofa chair with gold trim sat empty behind the desk, occupying almost a third of the entire office's space.

It was called a desk, but aside from a magic printer and a few scattered quill pens, the rest was almost entirely filled with various precious materials and exhibits. At the same time, apart from the door and the window, the other two walls were lined with cabinets almost entirely filled with specimens soaked in formalin, severed limbs, and bizarre specimens of Phantasmal Species.

The overall atmosphere gave one the feeling that this place was more like a laboratory than an office.

Aside from this, the remaining area was covered by a carpet. On the carpet, two gorgeous red-cushioned sofas shimmered with dark gold light, and a small table in the middle held a cup of coffee that had already gone cold.

"I thought you would have arrived a little earlier."

The Dean's voice was very low, yet it sounded paradoxically ethereal—this made Rimuru think of some of the rumors outside, because based on current appearances, the Dean did indeed fit the characteristics of a ghost, or perhaps a vengeful spirit.

His figure looked somewhat thin and hunched, but overall he seemed quite spirited. His face could not be seen clearly beneath deep shadows, and he was wrapped in a layer of shadow, much like the black mist familiar from the meeting.

"My apologies."

Rimuru suppressed his curiosity and somewhat impolite staring, lowered his eyes, and sat down opposite the Dean, feeling a bit awkward: "I got lost on the way here..."

According to rumors, the Dean of the Clock Tower was an old monster who had lived for thousands of years. Because he hadn't appeared in public for nearly a millennium, aside from maintaining the operation of Spirit Tomb Albion, he only occasionally summoned Lords to pass on some advice.

Some speculated the Dean was a ghost, while others guessed the Dean was a Magician who had mastered the First Magic. But the moment Rimuru entered the Dean's office, he felt a hair-raising sense of oppression!

This was an oppression stemming from his bloodline, a sense of unquestionable submission, majesty, and fear...

Do I have some kind of bloodline connection to the Dean?

In that instant, Rimuru felt stunned, but he quickly calmed down and thought: Obviously, I don't.

Then where did this feeling come from?

Rimuru had a change of thought and glanced at the specimens on the wall, and suddenly understood a little—his life essence was not actually human, but a monster slime among the Phantasmal Species!

If... if this pressure didn't come from the remnants of some material, then Rimuru could be eighty percent certain that this mysterious Dean before him definitely possessed the bloodline of some Phantasmal Species.

And it was of a high rank!

Thinking about it this way, it's not surprising.

Rimuru looked at the floor thoughtfully, pondering: Spirit Tomb Albion is connected to the Reverse Side of the World, which has already finished relocating—the world of Phantasmal Species and Fairies... So, as the pinnacle of mages, the gatekeeper and the boundary between the two, it makes sense for the Dean to be this way...

Then, the question arose...

Thinking of this, Rimuru felt stunned again—he had originally thought the Dean's summons was just a routine inquiry regarding his assassination, but considering the Dean's identity and the fact that he had appeared in public fewer than two times in a thousand years...

He seemed to have thought of it too simply?

Plus, if the Dean really had a connection to Phantasmal Species... and he just happened to be a slime...

So, why did the Dean call me here...?

Rimuru gasped, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

Chapter 014, All of Lordaeron is breathing...

At night, Rimuru sat blankly on the balcony of his room, looking up at the starry sky while kneading a blue blob in his hand.

He had been dazed for the entire afternoon; he didn't even know how he had walked out of the Dean's office, or how he had returned home... oh, he did know that part.

Liddell had been very thoughtful and came to pick him up by car around five in the afternoon.

On the way back, Rimuru asked Liddell a very private question: what the situation was like when the Dean summoned Liddell back then.

Liddell had taken over the position of Lord three years ago. Before that, she had lived with her father, and during her childhood, she had been a childhood friend of Kuonji and Rimuru.

Liddell, who should have died in the 80s, survived and inherited the title and crest of the Witch of Coal. Under the cultivation of the first Achelotte, she inherited the position of Lord in four years with almost no obstacles.

Faced with this question involving some privacy, Liddell didn't hesitate at all, thinking for a moment before saying: "If you asked me now, I really can't quite remember, but although the Dean had a rather kind attitude, I was actually quite nervous, haha!"

"It's probably still about balance," Liddell said, changing the subject. "There are very few in the younger generation of Monarchs because, unless they reach the end of their lifespans, most Monarchs' vitality, through the conversion of magic power, is no weaker than that of young people."

"This leads to them being able to hold their positions on and on, just like my teacher."

Rimuru nodded slightly. Liddell's teacher was the first generation Witch of Coal and the person who led the Achelotte family to rise during the industrial era. Yet, this old woman from several centuries ago had held onto the Department of Botany and the seat of a Monarch right up until Liddell took over, without ever being replaced.

Several hundred years!

The reign of each Monarch lasted for hundreds of years, which was a terrifying span of time in Rimuru's view.

"So the Dean hopes you can lower the age demographic among the Monarchs?"

"I'm not sure, but not all Monarchs can keep up with the times like Monarch Inorai, being hundreds of years old and still interested in modern technology, right? Anyway, I think there should be reasons related to that—"

Speaking of this, she paused and said: "There is another reason that he explicitly told me about."

"The Dean hopes I can ease the conflict between the Achelotte family and the Yuri Phis lineage that has persisted for a hundred years."

"Uh..." Hearing this, Rimuru was instantly speechless: "But why do I feel like the conflict between you and Yuri Phis has actually deepened?"

"Hmph, it's normal for young people to have some disagreements with old bones." Liddell sniffed haughtily and hummed: "Besides, it's really hard to like the temperament of that old guy."

"Speaking of which, why did you suddenly ask this? Did the Dean say anything to you today?"

"Actually, it's nothing." Rimuru averted his gaze from Liddell and looked out the window: "It's just that the Dean's attitude was quite good today, and I have a feeling he did something unnecessary..."

"Unnecessary things?"

"Yeah, for example... asking you to help me out more or something."

"Huh? Pfft, you're overthinking it. Although the Dean did seem to mention you at the time, I can confirm he definitely didn't say anything to me about taking care of you or anything like that."

"Hmm, it seems I was being narcissistic."