[Tensura] I Was a Doctor, But Reincarnated as a Dragon? Chapter 42 42: Secret Alliance

At the sudden appearance of the mysterious majin Crow, Rimuru gathered all his executives and Treyni to devise a counterasure. Gabiru, who had joined them as a subordinate only a few days prior, was also in attendance.

Rimuru relayed everything Crow had told him to the group.

A majin who could fly. Hearing this, Rigurd wondered if he might be a harpy of the winged race, but Treyni shook her head.

"No. The lands where the harpies dwell are far to the southeast of here. They would have no reason to travel this far. Besides, I have never heard of a harpy with such an appearance."

Indeed, the Crow who had visited the village looked more like a flying monster than a harpy.

Recalling Crow's claim that he had been observing them for a long ti, Rimuru estimated that the creature likely possessed strength surpassing A-rank.

To evade Souei and his clones, and to possess speed sufficient to slip past Rimuru's own magicule detection... As Rimuru spoke the next words, the faces of everyone present turned pale.

"That guy... said he doesn't have a na."

Under normal circumstances, being naless is the standard for monsters. However, those who had witnessed Rimuru's reckless habit of naming everything in sight couldn't help but be shocked. While it was true that most monsters are naless, the implication here was different.

If that were the case, then this self-proclaid Crow was a majin who had surpassed A-rank without even receiving a na. It was incomprehensible why such a powerhouse had remained hidden until now, but one thing was certain.

The master Crow served was unimaginably stronger than the Orc Lord.

***

Several days later, the appointed date arrived. All the nation's executives waited, their nerves stretched tighter than ever. Because Crow's master was visiting to introduce himself, everyone was on high alert; even Gobuta stood frozen stiff in place.

Then, the sky suddenly stained black. Thinking it was rely storm clouds, they looked up, only to find a colossal city floating in the heavens.

"No way... a mobile fortress?!"

"Treyni, do you know what that is?"

At Rimuru's question, Treyni shared the legends she had heard. The Sky Island, the Heavenly Fortress, the Mobile Fortress—it went by many nas. It was an island drifting in the far reaches of the upper atmosphere, invisible to the human eye. Only a handful of people knew of its existence, leading most to dismiss it as a re fairy tale. Yet, that legendary fortress now lood directly before Rimuru.

Overwheld by the sheer majesty of the fortress, Rimuru found himself unable to move. As he felt countless gazes peering down from the ramparts, he instinctively shrank back.

Griffons, Cerberuses, Hydras, rfolk—monsters that seed plucked from Greek mythology—alongside mantises, humans, and various other creatures looked down upon them. Individually, their danger levels were comparable to the kijin, and so even surpassed them.

However, the most dangerous were the six majin standing at the center. Though they appeared as ordinary humans, [Notice] from the Great Sage inford Rimuru that all six of them surpassed the Orc Disaster. A cold sweat broke out across his skin.

In that mont—

VROOOOOM!!

"Hieee!"

Rimuru felt a crushing pressure from the two majin who appeared before the gate—a force so absolute he felt for a second that he might actually die. To his left stood a majin with an appearance blending a stag beetle and a mantis; to his right stood a figure clad in pitch-black armor, appearing to be a sub-species of draconoid.

The two majin stood in silence, arms crossed.

"..."

"..."

With one powerhouse after another appearing, Rimuru wanted nothing more than to bolt. However, as the leader of a nation, he forced himself to stand his ground, even if his expression looked as though he were on the verge of tears.

Then, a black-haired man casually leaped from the massive aerial fortress, landing lightly in front of them.

Wearing sothing akin to a doctor's coat, the man did not exude the sa oppressive nace as the others. Paradoxically, this made him even more terrifying, as his true depths were impossible to gauge.

Rimuru couldn't sense a single trace of magicules from him, which only proved how masterfully the man controlled his energy.

"First ti eting you. My na is Vertis. Just call Ver. And that over there is the sky fortress I rule, Laputa."

At the ntion of 'Laputa,' a thought flashed through Rimuru's mind—Wait, could it be...?—but he quickly composed himself and introduced himself.

"P-pleased to et you, Lord Vertis. I am..."

"I know."

Vertis raised a hand to stop him mid-sentence.

"I know all about you. The leader of the Great Alliance of Jura, Rimuru Tempest. Your subordinates include hobgoblins, the Tempest Wolves, dwarves, kijin, orcs, and draconoids. From the left: Rigurd the hobgoblin, and the kijin Benimaru, Shion, Shuna, and Hakurou. Kaijin, the legendary smith of Dwargon, and Gabiru the draconoid. Orc King Gerudo. And the one watching from a distance is Souei... and I assu Ranga is hiding in your shadow?"

Everyone, including myself, widened their eyes. Hearing Vertis list their details so precisely made it painfully clear that the claim of being watched was no lie.

Since Vertis stated he had not co to fight but rely to talk, Rimuru guided him and his companions into the village.

***

As I toured the village under Rimuru's guidance, I found myself impressed. The roads were well-organized, the streets were pristine, and above all, the faces of the people were filled with smiles. It was a stark contrast to my own nation, where the people engaged in bloody struggles simply to grow stronger.

After the tour, Rimuru ntioned he wished to speak with privately. He led to his office and dismissed his subordinates, including Ranga. Once we were alone, I spoke.

"It's been a while, Rimuru."

"...Huh? Have we t before?"

"You've already forgotten? That's a bit harsh to the person who created that body for you..."

"The person who created my body... Ah!"

At my words, Rimuru realized that the man before him was the one who had provided him with the physical form modeled after Shizu.

"It's really you?!"

"Yeah. I kept it a secret back then, but I decided to visit now that you've beco a proper leader of a nation."

Now that he knew I was an acquaintance, Rimuru let down his guard and treated with his usual familiarity.

"Hey, sorry if my subordinates scared you. Those guys are... well, they're a bit clumsy with social graces."

"No, it's okay. They were definitely terrifying, but they seem like good people."

Rimuru seed relieved to find that despite the frightening first impression, they were decent individuals.

The two of us talked for a long ti, catching up on lost years. As the conversation wound down, I remarked,

"I suspected it would beco a beautiful city when I first saw it, but I didn't expect it to happen this quickly."

"It's because everyone worked so hard..."

"Still, you should be careful."

"About what?"

"This city will continue to grow. It will undoubtedly prosper into a great power at the center of the world. But the more it grows, the more eyes will be cast upon it with greed. War may even break out..."

"B-but..."

At the ntion of war, Rimuru looked lost. He hated the idea of conflict, and he hated the thought of his companions—who were like family to him—getting hurt even more.

I watched his reaction in silence, then set my teacup down on the table. It was ti to get to the point.

"Well, that's actually why I wanted to talk."

"What is it?"

"You... would you be interested in forming an alliance with ?"

Rimuru's eyes widened.

"I an, since my nation isn't publicly known, it would essentially be an unofficial alliance, but it could be mutually beneficial."

There were many fascinating things in this country, undoubtedly thanks to Rimuru. It would only continue to evolve. And if it did, it would inevitably beco a target for the angels.

"This nation will develop further. It's like an uncut diamond; it's going to be a massive success."

"B-but you can't just decide that on your own..."

"Why not? You're the leader. Your word is law. If others tell you to go right or left, but I tell you to go straight, then you just go straight."

After a mont of contemplation, Rimuru accepted the proposal. He had only one condition: that our nations periodically exchange local specialties through trade. That was all.

"Is that really all you want?"

"Yeah. I don't need to ask for help; there isn't a single person in my country who can't protect themselves."

And so, the nation of monsters and the sky fortress Laputa ford a secret alliance.