"Body repair complete!"
As the prompt echoed in Granstar's mind, the surging magic gradually subsided, eventually returning to its original state.
Only in this state could Granstar unleash his true power.
"Granstar? Holy crap, you're seriously brave, huh? You actually had the guts to beat up their king—in front of that many dwarves?"
Rimuru's jaw practically hit the floor. He had never imagined that Granstar would go head-to-head with King Gazel.
"Hehe, Rimuru, perfect timing! Come on, let's take him down together!"
"Hmph! Two against one? Sounds like the odds are in my favor."
Granstar crossed his arms, shooting Gazel a provocative grin, clearly unfazed.
He thought to himself,
Hmph, I don't believe even Gazel can handle both of us at once!
"Uh… actually, I came to mediate…"
Rimuru was momentarily speechless, but still leapt onto Granstar's shoulder, keeping his eyes on Gazel.
Gazel's face darkened slightly, muttering under his breath.
"Shameless. You really called for backup?"
To be fair, even facing Granstar alone was proving troublesome. If another powerful slime joined in—especially one with terrifying magic like Rimuru—Gazel might very well lose.
Worse yet, his people were watching from below. Losing here would shatter his prestige, something the Hero King couldn't afford.
Just then, a deafening roar echoed through the sky.
"Your Majesty! We are late!"
A vast swarm of flying beasts blanketed the horizon—Pegasus riders streaking through the sky like bolts of lightning. Their formation was tight, disciplined—clearly an elite force.
It was none other than King Gazel's strongest unit: the Flying Knights.
Granstar sensed through magic that over a hundred dwarves were approaching—each with B-rank strength—riding two-winged flying dragons. And leading them were more than a dozen A-rank warriors.
Now that was a problem.
Granstar's confidence faltered for a moment as he assessed the overwhelming force.
Rimuru, still perched on his shoulder, had already gone pale. He quickly used [Telepathy] to contact Granstar.
"It's over! It's over! That's like… their entire military! We need to run! Run, Granstar!"
But Granstar didn't seem the least bit fazed.
Run? That wasn't his style.
"Haha! Granstar, didn't you just say it was two against one?"
(You okay up there? ⌓‿⌓)
Gazel laughed heartily, mocking Granstar as he lowered his weapon. A dozen A-rank dwarves stepped forward, flanking their king.
"If you want to fight, then let's fight. No point in wasting time with chatter."
Granstar remained calm, as if the hundreds of soldiers in front of him were nothing more than an afternoon annoyance.
Rimuru slowly turned his head toward him, staring at Granstar's cool, handsome expression. His face clearly said:
(Bro! Elf Big Bro! You do realize I'm still sitting on your shoulder, right!? ૮ º ﻌ º ა)
"Haha. Honestly, there's no point in continuing this fight," Gazel finally said. "Granstar, are you still not going to consider the offer I made earlier?"
He sheathed his weapon—clearly signaling his desire to avoid further combat. Yet, he still held out hope that Granstar could be persuaded to join him.
After all, the Dwarven Kingdom had long maintained strong ties with the elves. Recruiting someone of Granstar's power would be a tremendous asset.
"The Hero King, huh."
Granstar shook his head gently.
"I still prefer the Jura Forest. I don't care much for your whole 'absolute justice' ideology."
"Sigh… I figured as much."
Gazel sighed, his face filled with regret. As a king, offering an invitation twice was already a rare show of sincerity.
"Hey! Granstar's not going with you!"
Rimuru chimed in proudly. "We already decided—we're building a big family together!"
Rimuru had completely understood that Gazel was trying to recruit Granstar—and he even said it bluntly, right in front of Rimuru, the nominal leader.
It was blatant poaching, and the prideful little slime couldn't stand it.
"Oh? From what you said, it sounds like you're planning to build a country? That's interesting! A nation founded entirely by monsters?"
Gazel's eyes flickered with surprise upon hearing Rimuru's words, but he quickly composed himself and voiced his doubts directly.
"Yes... that's right! So what?"
Rimuru clearly hadn't expected the reaction and hurriedly replied, flustered.
"If that's really the case…"
Gazel fell silent, his expression turning contemplative once more. But Granstar knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Gazel, I know what's on your mind," Granstar said, interrupting his thoughts. "What we want to build is a peaceful, neutral nation—one that poses no threat to its neighbors."
How had Gazel earned his title of Hero King? Through years of war, defeating one monstrous threat after another, and enforcing order with an iron will. His reign was founded on the principle of absolute justice.
In this world, monsters were seen not just as powerful, but as inherently dangerous—symbols of chaos and destruction.
"Hmph! And how am I supposed to believe a nation made up of monsters won't become an evil organization? ...But for the sake of your elf bloodline, I'll believe you—just this once."
His eyes narrowed.
"However, once your country is founded, I will come and see it with my own eyes. Granstar, you'd better be stronger by then—otherwise…"
The dwarven army standing behind their king echoed his words with an overwhelming aura of hostility.
But Granstar wasn't intimidated.
So what if they had numbers?
When the time came, he'd bring the Twelve Demon Lords right to Gazel's doorstep—and then see if the Hero King still dared to speak like that.
"Then we'll see you there, Gazel."
"Rimuru, Ranga—let's go."
There was no point in lingering any longer. And this time, Gazel didn't stop them.
But as the trio turned to leave, a group of dwarves rushed to their king's side.
"Your Majesty, are you really going to let those two terrifying monsters walk away? We are prepared to follow your command at any moment—"
King Gazel raised a hand, silencing his captain.
He said nothing more as he watched Granstar and his companions disappear into the distance, his black eyes unreadable.