(Author's Perspective)
Before beginning with the chapter, I just want to say that after Rimuru became Veldanava's successor, Veldora accepted him as his brother. That's all. Read this taking that into consideration.
Enjoy~
(Rimuru's Perspective)
Ciel, my daughter, and I were making our way through Veldora's cave. I was chatting a bit with Ciel about what we were going to do in this timeline. What was my daughter doing? Well, she was sitting on my shoulders while hugging my head. I could see with my [Universal Perception] that she was smiling happily.
"She really is just like a normal little girl, isn't she?" I mumbled to myself. I wasn't really expecting a response, but...
"That is correct. Unlike Master who got experience from his previous life before reincarnating, the individual 'red slime' had no experience whatsoever. She is, in all senses, a newborn being—a kid—if you wish to think of it that way.
"Erm... yeah, I get it..." I wasn't really asking anything, though. Mmm? Wait.
"Hey Ciel, how much longer are you going to call her 'red slime,' huh?" I don't feel very comfortable listening to someone call her that way. It sounds kinda rude, if you ask me.
"Hey Master, how much longer are you going to leave her unnamed, huh?" She returned my question perfectly, in a way I could almost call poetic. I stopped in my tracks and stared at her, and she did exactly the same thing. Her eyes reflected her exasperation, as if she was looking at me as if I am worthless. Meanwhile, I was looking at her as if to agree with that statement. My daughter is peeking at my face from above, her red hair falling over my eyes... Oh, too much cuteness!
But now is not the moment, sweetie; your father is actually kind of dumb sometimes, you know? I patted her head as if to say that. She smiled even more and returned to hugging my head.
Ciel was staring at me coldly. Hey! Don't look at me like that! I just... I just... forgot to name my daughter... is not such a big issue, is it?
"No, it actually is a big issue. She is Master's daughter after all." Erm... Ciel-san? Did you perhaps read my mind just now?
"Negative. It's your imagination." Erm... yeah... sure... I feel it's better to leave that topic alone, especially because I don't want to be frozen to death by Ciel's stare... A-Anyway! I forgot I had to ACTUALLY name my daughter! Crap... I am such a terrible parent, aren't I? My daughter seemed to notice I was internally sulking, and started patting my head, as if to say, "there, there." Great, I think I am going to cry...
No. Now is not the time to cry! It is the time to give this little one a name! Right now! Because if not I feel I will be consumed by guilt!
"Erm... Ciel, do you have any suggestions for the name?" This is probably the most important name I will ever give in my life—no, it DEFINITELY is the most important one. I am nervous...
"She is Master's daughter, therefore, there is no reason for me to guide Master throughout the naming selection process." Ciel answered immediately. I know she is actually right—it is my responsibility—but I kind of get the feeling she is just lazing off...
"But, you know, especially in this timeline, you will be the woman with whom she will spend the most time with, you know?" I doubt Ciel will ever take distance from me during this timeline, and... well... I want to spend the most time possible with my daughter so... if she is always with me, my daughter will spend a lot of time with her as well.
"Understood. That doesn't matter. The responsibility for naming her falls on you, as her father."
"I see... then how about you let me think about it a bit?" I sat down on a nearby rock and started thinking. Mmmm, something that sounds cute... and in that way, I continued thinking... and thinking... and thinking... until...
"Master." An exasperated voice called out to me. Of course, it was Ciel, who had been staring at me the whole time. By the way she is looking at me—irritated and exasperated—I kind of feel I am losing her respect... Wait. Have I ever had her respect at all? Anyway...
"Yes, Ciel?" I broke my train of thought and turned back to look at her.
"Máster. You have been sitting there for several hours already. How much more time are you going to need?" Eh? Eh? HOURS?! No... that's impossible... that's....
*snore* Hmm? What was that?
*snore* Eh? Again? I turned to look at Ciel and she simply pointed back at me. Huh? Wait, no, she's not pointing at me... She's pointing at... Ah!
"I got it. From today onwards, you will be my daughter, Reili Tempest!" I loudly proclaimed. Subsequently, some of my magicules left my body and flew into Reili, completing the naming process and establishing a [Soul Corridor]. She woke up on the spot and looked around, bewildered.
Author's Note: Just assume Reili means something related to angels in that world's language, please. I am so bad at naming things that I simply came up with that name on the spot and decided to use it.
"Good morning, sweetie!" I picked up Reili from my shoulders and changed to a single-hand embrace.
"Papaa!" She simply snuggled happily on my chest.
"Your name will now be Reili, okay?" I said as I gave her a hug. She simply nodded from where she was, with her cheeks still rubbing against my chest. "Now! Shall we go meet Uncle Veldora?" I patted her head and moved her back to on top of my shoulders. She seemed confused for a second at the mention of a name she didn't recognize, but the moment I sat her on my shoulders she started lovingly hugging my head with a smile, and seemingly forgot about the matter. I grabbed her legs to make sure she didn't fall down, and we continued our journey toward Veldora's prison.
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(Ciel's Perspective)
Geez, Master really is hopeless sometimes. It is amazing how he spent so much time thinking so hard on a name that he didn't notice the passage of time. If he wanted to, he could have activated [Thought Acceleration] to not waste any time, but I believe he didn't do it because he thought that the time he spent on matters related with his daughter were not a waste of time, no matter how long they took. Well, while I believe that to be the reason, I am 100% certain Master didn't do it consciously. As his partner, I know Master better than anybody else, and I know how his mind operates. That is why I can normally figure out what he is thinking, and—just like in this case—the unconscious reasons behind his actions.
Anyway, Master seems pretty happy with the name he thought up. I am happy with that name as well, as it kind of sounds like a combination between mine and Master's name. I know he didn't notice it, but it makes me happy nonetheless. So happy that the entire time we have been walking toward Veldora I have been grinning from ear to ear! Ciel, compose yourself. It is important to remain calmed at every moment...
AAAAAAAAAh but look at that! Master seems so delighted at playing around with Reili that I can't help but smile! This is a new phase of Master I have never seen; I have seen him in his normal attitude, when he is mad, when he gets teased by other people, but this is simply TOO. GOOD. Haaaaaah, I am falling in love all over again... Wait, no. I am not falling in love. In fact, I have never been in love with Master, I don't even like him or anything like that. Are you stupid? Making claims without evidence... unacceptable! Perhaps I should burn you to the ground...
"Erm... Ciel? Are you okay?" Hmmm, it seems that—due to my internal conflict—I stopped in my tracks and started fidgeting unconsciously. Thanks to that, Master is now staring at me worriedly. No, that's not all, even Reili—peeking out from behind Master's head—is looking at me that way. To make such a little girl worry about me... how low have I fallen. I simply disregarded Master's concerns with a, "There is nothing to worry about, Master," and we both simply continued to walk.
What was I talking about... Ah! Yes! About Master naming Reili. He was so excited about that event that he didn't even question himself why Reili was able to sleep in the first place. She was a slime, so just as Master, she didn't really need any sleep. Then why was she sleeping? Of course, it is because of the most fabulous me! A few years ago, Master asked me to develop a sleep mode for him, in order to emulate the activity that I guess he missed from his human days. I agreed to his request and developed it.
The sleep mode allows him to feel tired, and when that tiredness finally reaches a certain level, he goes into sleep modality. Of course, that is only if Master wants to go to sleep, if he does not want to do so, he can simply turn off the sleep mode and the tiredness will immediately disappear. That is basically to prevent tiredness from getting in the way in case there was a sudden event that had to be addressed, such as an enemy attack. If he was not able to turn it off, Master would have to fight with a disadvantage.
Anyway, I installed that mode on Reili as well, for I believe Master would like to see her live as a normal girl, and based on his definition of 'normal girl," which is based on his past experience as a human, I deduced giving her a sleep mode would be the right choice. However, she can not turn off the sleep mode willingly like Master—it would be troublesome if she got stubborn and refused to go to sleep at night. I am the only one who can turn off her sleep mode.
"Are you excited about meeting Uncle Veldora?" As I was having my own thoughts, Master began to talk with Reili about Veldora.
"Uncle... Velora?" Reili seemed confused, which was understandable. The only people she currently knew were Master and myself, and there should have been no opportunity for her to meet Veldora in the days previous to our arrival.
"Yup! He is my brother, so he is your uncle. He may look kind of scary, but don't let his appearance trick you, okay? He is actually a very caring person, and I am sure you'll love him." Reili seemed nervous at the mention of meeting Veldora. There was no way she could know Veldora was one of the most powerful beings in the world, and that he was feared as a terrible monster, though, so her nervousness must derive from something else... is she a shy girl, perhaps?
"Okayyyyy..." Reili answered back as she ruffled Master's bluish silver hair.
"Master, I believe I must remind you that on this timeline, Veldora is not yet your brother. Furthermore, he does not even know who Master is." I think it was important to point that out. If not, I can already picture Master greeting Veldora with a, "Yoo, my dear brother!" That is a no-no. There is no reason to make Veldora suspect something is weird with us. And if that overgrown lizard is willing to point out something is weird with us, then he shall be taught why I am Master's partner... *evil laugh*.
*Cough* *cough* I mean, I will educate him in a very civilized manner. No threats involved. I am not lying. The underworld would freeze over before I ever lie! Anyway...
"Hmmm... that's right, isn't it..." Master seemed a bit gloomy. "Hey, but won't Veldora be able to sense me as a True Dragon? True Dragons can sense other True Dragons can't they?"
"That's... correct." I can not believe I have overlooked such an important matter.
"Then can't I simply explain to him what we are doing?" I thought about it for a moment, and was about to give my response, but...
"Papa, what are you doing?" Reili bent over and stared at Master face to face.
"Well, Ciel and I come from another timeline, where all that will happen on this one already happened." Master did not even doubt a second if he should tell Reili the true nature of our trip or not. I can already guess his intentions.
"Taim...lain?" Reili tilted her head; she didn't seem to understand the concept of "timeline." She looks very cute doing that, though. So much that I am currently working very hard to prevent myself from pinching her cheeks. Very hard. Life is tough, isn't it...
"You don't need to worry about that. You can think of it as another place that is very similar to this one."
"Oooooh!" Reili seemed amazed.
"It is an awesome place, I will take you there one day, I promise." Master gave a wholehearted smile and patted Reili's face. She smiled as well and returned to her position of using his head as a pillow. That! That is what I am talking about! It is just such a beautiful interaction between those two that I feel I might just melt! That would be dangerous, though, so you need to control yourself, Ciel!
"Is it pretty there, Mama?" Oh, what's that? Reili is looking directly at me? Hmmm? Oh, wait. M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-MAMAAAAAAAAA?! Eh? Eh? I-Is she talking about m-me? Erm. What does th_*t mean I #%^&$t unders—*$)@&*#.......
"Ciel?!"
Ciel.exe stopped working.
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(Reili's Perspective)
I was scared when I first woke up in this cave. It felt dark, and there were a lot of scary sounds around me. I felt very lonely... I just stayed still in a corner of the cave, but nobody came. I could feel I was connected with someone, but I couldn't see anyone around me... it made me really sad. It is cold and scary, and I just wanted to be with someone... with him...
<Notice: Unique Skill [Predator] acquired.> I heard a voice tell me something... but I can't really understand what it means. Purudator? It sounds scary...
A lot of time passed like that, until... he came. I felt him, and I instantly understood who he was... yes, he was...
"Papa!" I tried to jump at him, but he simply fell down... I think Papa is sleeping. But why is Papa sleeping? Is he not happy to see me...? He... wants me to go away? There is also another person besides Papa. It looks like Papa, but I can feel it is a different person... She has red eyes, too. Mmmmm, is she my Mama? I think she is, because she looks like Papa and is together with him...
Oh, Papa just woke up... he looks confused. Does he... really not want me here...? I think I want to cry... but, after a few minutes, Papa said he wanted me here, so I am very happy! I love Papa, and he said he will take care of me, so I will have to take care of him too!
After doing what Papa told me, now I am not a slime any more. I look like Papa and Mama. I am very happy I have this new form now, because I can hug Papa a lot lot. After that, Papa sat me on his shoulders and started walking. I love being able to hug Papa's head. It is fluffy and very warm and comfy.
We walked a bit like that, and after thinking a lot about it, Papa named me "Reili." And I really like it! It sounds like the names of Papa and Mama together, so I love it! Papa also started talking to me about Uncle Velora. He is supposed to be a very good person, but I am still a bit scared of meeting him... what if he doesn't want to meet me too? Papa and Mama will be there, so I know I will be okay, but I don't want to be alone again, and if Uncle Velora doesn't like me, I will feel really sad...
Author's Note: "Velora" is not a typo.
Papa then talked to me about a "taimlain," but I don't really understand what he is talking about. Ah! But he said he comes from an amazing place, and that he would take me there someday! I can't wait! I asked Mama something about that place, but...
Smoke started rising from her head.
"Ciel?!" Papa said.
...Mama? Is Mama okay?
"Papa, what happened to Mama?" I am worried. I think something bad could have happened to Mama, but I don't want that, because I love Mama...
"Erm... Erm... N-Nothing sweetie, everything is okay with M-M-Mama..." Papa looks worried too. I am sure he loves Mama a lot too, so I think he also wants to see Mama okay again. Papa is holding Mama from her shoulders and shaking her, but Mama doesn't answer... Ah! Mama reacted!
"M-M-M-Master. Did Reili just call me M-M-M-Mama?" Erm... I guess I did, Mama. Is it bad? I looked down and hid behind Papa's head. She... doesn't want to be my Mama?
"Eh?! D--Don't look at me like that! Of course I am your Mama!" I think Mama saw what I was thinking, because she instantly tried to calm me down. Mama is amazing, it is as if she was reading my mind! Mmmmm, but I am happy Mama wants to be my Mama. I let go of Papa's head and stretched my arms out toward Mama.
"Erm... Reili?" Mama looks confused.
"Mama. Carry... me?"
"Ah. Yes." I smiled at her, and she smiled back as she took me in her arms and hugged me close. Papa looked a bit sad about letting me go, but right now I want Mama to carry me; I'm sorry, Papa.
"I love you Mama." I said.
"Ah. Yes. I love you too, darling." Mama smiled at me and hugged me even closer.
"It looks like you are back in working order, Ciel. Should we continue walking?" Papa said. Mama was carrying me with one hand while combing my hair with the other. It feels very relaxing. I like hugging Papa's head, but I also like how Mama is playing with my hair like this.
"Ah. Yes." Mama said, and we started walking toward where Uncle Velora is supposed to be. I was a bit scared of meeting him... but with Papa and Mama here, now I am sure everything will be okay.
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(Rimuru's Perspective)
Well, that's the first time I had seen Ciel overheat. She completely went *pop* and stopped working. Why? Because, well... how do I say this... Reili apparently thinks Ciel is her M-Mama... I mean, that's okay and all—because they will spend a lot of time together—but... I am not sure if Ciel agrees with this.
"Eh?! D--Don't look at me like that! Of course I am your Mama!" Oh, well, apparently she agrees. She is panically waving her hands around, perhaps because she noticed how Reili was sulking for a moment because she probably thought CIel didn't want to be her Mama. Ciel, how cruel of you... making little girls cry...
Ah. Reili wants Ciel to carry her... she is leaving me behind... No! I am not sulking because she abandoned me! YOU are! *Cough* *cough* Well, anyway, they really resemble mother and daughter. I have to point out that Ciel has completely turned into a yes-woman by this point, though. Anyway, I prompted them to continue moving, and so we resumed our way toward that brother of mine.
After walking for about an hour or so, we arrived at the destination. And just as we arrived...
Can you hear me, little ones?
Oh man, how nostalgic. Or well, it was "little one" previously, but who cares.
Reili started looking around for the source of the voice, and eventually her eyes met the figure of a dragon, with scales that gleamed like sheets of black steel. It was huge, and, well... Reili got scared.
"Hiiiiigh! Mamaaaaa!" She buried her face on Mam—I mean, Ciel's—chest. Ciel started patting her head while going, "there, there, everything's okay, Mama is here with you..." After that, she directed a stare colder than death toward Veldora who had scared her precious daughter. For a moment I thought I heard someone say something along the lines of, "You damn overgrown lizard... how dare you scare my daughter that way. You want to die, huh?!" But it surely was just
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