Plan for Freedom
After a night to properly think things over and digest what was revealed to them the previous day, three of them were still shaken up by things. Souma seemed to be able to adapt far better than the other three, who still harbored a mixture of feelings, primarily towards Testa, who was revealed to be a demon. While there was some doubt cast towards Rimuru, who is in a relationship with Testa, it was slightly offset by the fact that he used to be human, at least according to the fact that only he and Souma had intricate knowledge of Earth. Hinata, oddly enough, was the person on whom the least suspicion was cast upon despite being of a completely different world.
However, those issues would need to wait to be addressed as the people who Souma requested arrived in the late morning. The first part of Souma's plan consisted of using the Jewel Voice Broadcast from Amidonia's broadcasting jewel to potentially sway the hearts of the people. Since the receivers scattered all around Amidonia were attuned to one source, that being Amidonia's broadcasting jewel, it would mean that Souma's message would be able to be heard all across Amidonia.
The first step of this plan consisted of notifying the people of what was going to transpire during the time of Van's occupancy. This also consisted of disseminating information to the public, a move that is very new to this world. A large reason as to why information was not often given to the public was due to the fact that many nobles, kings, and queens, simply didn't see the benefit that it could have. This reasoning came from the fact that those same people felt that it was better that commoners 'knew their place.' In their eyes, them possessing knowledge that they earned and worked towards was often met with scorn and ridicule, and so any such ideas promoting widescale information was quickly shut down.
However, since Souma didn't see it that way, he was more than happy to disclose this kind of information.
The first thing that was done was to introduce the people essential to his plan, that being the three women that Juna recommended to Souma shortly before hostilities began. The whole reason as to why they were chosen is because they were the winners of the monthly Elfrieden Beauty Pageant, something that was formed after Souma's call to action. In fact, many organizations were formed by the populace thanks to this sort of talent that the country unknowingly kept hidden before Souma took action, and many people were able to more easily pursue their own goals with the help of this exposure.
In any case, the people that Juna selected were a feline woman by the name of Nanna who wore what was basically a glorified swimsuit with an arm and leg sleeve all matching the same black coloring. The orange tail and hair complimented her looks, which were based around a woman who looked, and acted, no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. When she was introduced to Souma, she happily introduced herself with a chipper attitude.
The second person, Pamille Carol, was a kobito, or an everyoung, meaning someone who simply stopped aging past a certain point. However, instead of being like the elves, who looked like they were in their twenties for most of their life, the everyoung looked no older than twelve or thirteen for most of their life. Perhaps she could have distinguished herself as someone who actually was older if not for the fact that she wore a frilly white and red dress, complete with pigtails.
The third person, Chris Tachyon, looked to be the most mature out of the bunch. With glasses framing her face, blonde hair and fair skin, the ears she bore were a clear sign that she was a light elf, a counterpart to Aisha. Light elves, much like dark elves, were normally quite inclusive. However, where the dark elves had a good reason to be thanks to discrimination, the light elves truly believed themselves to be the greater race thanks to them possessing more pure affinities towards magic. However, those who left the island, whether for curiosity or for whatever reason, always found their magical capabilities lacking compared to when they were on the island. Unfortunately, those at the top would never hear it due to their perceived beliefs of superiority. It also didn't help in the fact that if one left the island, they would be considered a deserter.
In any case, all that was left was to prepare the Broadcasting Jewel, and Souma's plan would be ready to go. Souma, for his part, spent the better part of his morning getting ready with the help of Juna and Liscia for when he would be presenting. Aisha was seen as the best to guard him during this time. Though it may have been better to have either Rimuru, Testa, or Hinata to do so, Aisha defended herself by stating that she was his guard, and therefore should be the one to do her job. Of course, another reason was that after the events of last night, she had a difficult time trusting the other three, though that was never stated.
However, if she knew that it would come with being all dressed up and basically being on camera, she probably would have had other thoughts. Alas, she was stuck with her decision, and with the preparations finished, it was time to begin.
Amidonia has been a militaristic nation for many years, dating all the way back to when their lands were taken due to Elfrieden's expansionist policies. This led the current king of Amidonia, Gaius VII, to declare his nation a principality, as he didn't believe that they had the right to call themselves a kingdom with the land that they have lost. This was only exacerbated by the people wanting revenge on the kingdom, and so over the course of many years, they waged a long-standing war against Elfrieden.
However, the atmosphere inside Amidonia, the hatred and the desire for vengeance, was a prime breeding ground for Gaius VII to implement policies that would drive their nation for revenge. Policies that, quite frankly, were extreme even by this world's standards. Everything was about war, and there was very little pushback from the populace, as they were naïve enough to think that they could be able to get their lands back within a reasonable amount of time.
One such example of this is how the Broadcasting Jewel was used. There was an annual message, common with just about every country, and there were messages that declared how the war was going, what was needed from the people, etcetera. This also meant that it was a crime to not attend one of these broadcasts. Even if you were bedridden, it was absolutely necessary to attend one of these, as the punishment for not doing so was death. The government made sure to do this by expending resources to spy on their own people and having people basically tell the government if someone didn't attend.
As this was deeply ingrained into every single person from a very early age, every single person was ready to see what Souma had to say. It also made it all the more surprising when certain people were turned away by the Elfrieden guards if they looked like they would have trouble standing for the entirety of the show. While Souma didn't know it at the time, this kind act that is normally common sense for them disassociated the army from the monsters that Elfrieden was purported to be.
However, hatred was still rife within the city, and as the receptors in the city began to form a blank waiting screen, the people let out their true thoughts.
"What is that new king going to say?"
"Maybe gloat at us for killing King Gaius. Worse still, he might demand more women. I heard he is the lascivious type after all."
"Do you think that he'll force us men to go fight our own kind?"
"They can torture me for all I care. There isn't a single thing that I would do for that bastard of a king."
Such things could be heard all around the receptors, at least before the watery film began transmitting the broadcast. However, instead of the heinous king that they were expecting, what was presented before them was an elf. A very beautiful one at that, dressed in formal attire, sitting down and facing the Jewel at an angle while holding a stack of papers. The air turned deathly silent before it was finally brushed aside by her words.
Chris began talking, much like a news anchor, about the current situation of Van. What Elfrieden was planning with Van, how the occupation was going, as well as other basic information. The biggest thing, however, was her declaration that since Van was now Elfrieden territory, it would be enjoying all the benefits that Elfrieden was currently enjoying.
This was a tactic that Souma copied from the Roman Empire. When they conquered a rival country or nation, they often saw the people they conquered as their own citizens once everything has been said and done. Of course, this made things considerably easier for the people who were conquered, especially because the other option was slavery, but it was one of the things that allowed the Roman Empire to persist for as long as it did during a time that, objectively speaking, was horribly unstable.
However, it wasn't like there weren't any downsides. First and foremost, obviously, was the occupation of their city. Treating them like their own citizens meant that they would enjoy all the rights of Elfrieden citizens, but there was a very real chance that the citizens of Van would try and abuse everything to their advantage and stress the benefits that they would be receiving. It might seem like a stupid decision on their part but making decisions based off hatred were hardly logical.
Despite that, Souma felt that the benefits far outweighed the downsides, and so this strategy was put into effect. Especially since the main bargaining chip that he was bringing to the table was the fact that food would be much more readily available for the citizens of Van. With the promise of the food crisis being resolved, few in the city would be willing to jeopardize that to try and cause any excess trouble for the kingdom.
Standing off to the side, away from where the Broadcasting Jewel could pick them up were Souma and Aisha. Souma, having his hair slicked back and wearing a fashionable pinstripe suit, looked far more like a movie star being interviewed than a king. Aisha was dressed in similar fashion, with her hair in her characteristic ponytail, however she was wearing a dress that was popularized by Testa's choice of fashion in the last noble party, that being a thin silk silver dress with sparkles.
As Chris was doing her news report, Aisha asked, "Why are we here and not up there with Chris? I thought that was the whole purpose of this… news… entertainment…?"
Souma met the slightly befuddled dark elf with a smile. "We are going to be hosting the program, but we aren't going to do any acts ourselves." He added his next words with a smirk. "Unless you have any hidden talents up your sleeve?"
She had to hold herself back from scoffing. "If you're asking about me having the ability to stop time or teleport, then the answer is no."
Souma lightly sighed at the answer, but ultimately didn't respond to her. Aisha, Liscia, and to a lesser degree Juna, weren't ecstatic about the revelation yesterday. The biggest reason they cited was a lack of trust, and to be fair to them, it was perfectly valid. However, while the abilities were something, the biggest thing to them was that they were effectively posing as human without actually being human. And with Rimuru saying that changing forms was akin to parlor tricks back in his world, who was to say that Testa wasn't doing the same thing.
While Souma initially felt much the same way, he was much more easily able to play devil's advocate, and he could assume the reason as to why they kept things secretive. Barring Rimuru's philosophy, which he would always try and challenge, there really wasn't a good way to address such a thing. According to Rimuru, he wanted to keep his abilities perpetually hidden, and therefore, it wouldn't have mattered how powerful he was. Hell, he could be God himself, and no one would know, simply because he didn't choose to present himself that way.
If Rimuru and Testa decided to straight off show what they could do, the overarching feeling that they would be receiving from others would be fear and or reverence. While that feeling would have most likely settled down in due time, anyone who knew about them would have been interacting with them through a much different lens than if they simply were ignorant about the whole ordeal.
However, there was no point in harping over what could have been. What's done is done, and if he were being honest, he didn't think that this tension would last very long. Rimuru, Testa, and Hinata, were thankfully quite amicable, and he didn't think that six months of cooperation would be evaporated thanks to yesterday's antics. Sooner or later, perhaps even before the Empire would reclaim Van, their relationships would be mended.
As Chris's broadcast continued throughout Amidonia, there was one person who was vehement about this whole situation. Julius was absolutely fuming as Chris talked about the promises of food for the citizens of Van. Well, even that may have been an understatement.
Julius was currently hiding a couple cities away from Van, in an undisclosed location. With him were some of the guards that he took from the main force, and so while he was safe, all he could realistically do was to bide his time until the Empire came over. He thought that it would simply be an issue of waiting, but Souma apparently had other things in mind for him.
"What shit is this?! Is he trying to gain the public's favor through those empty promises?!"
Julius was completely taken aback by the usage of the Broadcasting Jewel by Souma. If he were in a more proper headspace, he may have even complimented Souma on the ingenuity, but for now, he was so pissed to the point that he didn't even bother waiting for an answer from one of the guards that was in the room with him.
"Forget it! You two! Go and tell the other cities not to watch this nonsense!"
Unfortunately, his message wasn't fated to reach many people. Not only had the damage already been done by those who watched it, but his own reputation had taken a massive hit after he fled the battle. Even though it was on his father's orders, many didn't know about that, and it was practically hopeless to try and convince them otherwise. Add that to the fact that he simply hasn't been old enough to do anything noteworthy, and many just lost respect for the man. As a result, the only city that actually listened to his order was the one that he was hiding in.
This action by Souma would also make things significantly harder for Julius to rule Amidonia in the coming future. Popularity among the rural areas for the royal family was already extremely low, so much to the point that some were hoping that Elfrieden would rule them instead. Unfortunately, this news broadcast dashed any hopes of that, but to add insult to injury, the one city that was ruled over would be gaining all the benefits that the kingdom had. While it may have been an empty promise, it was hard to simply disregard it seeing the extremely rough conditions that plagued the majority of the country.
Completely unaware of the turmoil he was creating for Julius, Souma continued listening to Chris until she was almost done presenting. As she was nearing her final moments, Souma looked at Aisha and asked, "Are you ready to present with me?"
Aisha still looked uncomfortable, fidgeting as she said, "Do I still need to do this? I mean, I've only ever been in front of one of these things twice before."
Souma smiled at her response. "Well, you wanted to do it, remember? Besides, it's going to be tight to fit someone else in your position."
She gave a half pout, still uncomfortable by the situation. "Well, I only thought that I would be guarding you. For things like this, someone like Liscia or Juna would have been better."
He laughed off her complaints. "Well, both of them are preoccupied. Juna is part of the show, so she couldn't do it, and Liscia is off doing her own thing, so she couldn't do it either. Besides, you're a beautiful woman. I'm sure you'll do fine."
Having no other immediate recourse, Aisha gave a defeated groan in response. Sensing that she still wasn't convinced, Souma gave her one last option. "If you really don't want to do it, the only other people we can ask are Testa or Hinata. But you have to make up your mind quick if you want to switch."
She seriously looked like she was contemplating it for a few seconds before saying, "No, I'll do it."
Leaving the matter at that, it didn't even take a minute longer before Chris was done finishing her news report, and Souma and Aisha took the stage to introduce themselves. Right off the bat, they introduced themselves, and Souma's casual demeanor contrasted quite well with Aisha's nervousness, causing Souma to lead the conversation around. The playful banter between the two simply brought smiles to those who were listening in Elfrieden, but the people of Amidonia were absolutely stunned.
Their only impressions of Souma were that of what they were indoctrinated with. He was a monster, a savage brute whose martial prowess was only matched by his licentiousness. The image many people had in mind of Souma was that of a hulking warrior, brutally striking down their king, but the reality in front of them was so different that they were having difficulty believing it. After all, the man simply didn't have the build for it. Hell, in a one-on-one fight, he would probably lose to even untrained people.
What the Amidonians didn't know, however, was that Rimuru was in fact the one to strike down their king. The reason for this is that the only ones to actually witness the scene were the Elfrieden army and the few Amidonians that were captured. However, since the captured Amidonians were taken prisoner and escorted back to Elfrieden, no one was there to relay the news to them, and so they were confused as to how the person on the broadcast could have possibly defeated their king.
Their friendly banter continued for a little while longer before they introduced the main events for the day. The concept that Souma wanted to introduce to the world was that of a 'Lorelei,' another word for a songstress. While in Elfrieden, all this would really be doing would be giving a name to the singers who were already singing in cafes like the one Juna used to do in Parnam, this would be completely revolutionary for Amidonia.
The first of these that were introduced was Pamille, the young-looking girl with a frilly dress. While many in Amidonia had no idea what a kobito was and were wondering what a young girl was doing on the stage, they were immediately taken aback by her angelic voice and melodic songs. Her songs were enough to ease the tensions of those in Amidonia listening, which was perfect for the person coming up next.
The next person who was introduced was Nanna, whom Aisha was questioning why she was listing off various topics of the person that, for the most part, didn't really matter. However, her bombastic songs combined with her energetic movement and skimpy clothing completely took most of Amidonia aback.
In Amidonia, there was an expected way for women to act. Keeping the house, being modest, supporting their husbands, raising the kids, so on and so forth. Seeing someone completely subvert those traditional values that they have conducted themselves with was stunning to say the least. However, at least in Van, rather than the kneejerk reaction of outrage that this was being promoted, it instead brought about some important questions.
Is this considered normal in Elfrieden? Surely not. But maybe… maybe this, at the very least, wasn't frowned upon? And if so, since we are now a part of Elfrieden, would it not be so bad if we also did things like this?
These sorts of thoughts permeated through the citizens of Van, and it felt like with each passing second, Nanna was easily working her way into their hearts. Her free spirit was shining through her dance, and anyone could tell that she was practically having the time of her life.
Eventually though, the bundle of energy ran out, though not without Souma greatly complimenting her style. Wasting no time, he introduced the very next person whom many people considered the best at singing. With her introduction being the Prima Lorelei, Juna Doma took the stage.
The style that she chose to wear was something quite foreign to both Elfrieden and Amidonia. In fact, you would have to go the northern countries to see this type of wear being common. Of course, that all changed when the Domain came in, and unfortunately, if it wasn't dealt with soon, their culture would soon follow the fate of their countries.
The type of clothing that instantly drew the eyes of many consisted of a silk bra with dangling beads at the bottom, and a large gemstone connecting the left and right pieces. Modest arm and wrist bracelets continued the fashion, a type of dress that began from her waist that started off as a sash wrapped around her waist until it turned see-through down her mid-thigh, and to top it all off, a flowing headpiece that cascaded down to her lower back. All in all, it was something that looked very reminiscent of a high-class Arabian garment.
Her voice matched perfectly with her attire, bringing a melodic harmony to everyone who listened, and even to the people of Elfrieden, who have heard her sing many times over, were all soothed when they heard it. For the people of Van, they were moved so much so to the point that after she finished singing, there was a full-on ovation for her, with some even hoping that she would do an encore.
Almost all of the citizens of Van, and even more than half of Amidonia as a whole, were completely swayed by Souma's show. Almost.
Blended in the crowd was a young girl who didn't look any older than fifteen. With her was a man who looked only a few years her senior. Though, it was easy to see just who was following who by their stance alone, with the man hanging on every word she was saying.
"That king's a nasty one. Giving freedom to the people like that." The young girl said.
"Nasty, Lady Roroa? How is giving freedom to the people nasty?" Asked the youthful man.
Roroa chuckled at the man. "You weren't studyin' real hard outside of finance, were you, Colbert? Freedom's in the name. It's completely free to give. Somethin' that my old man took away from the people. Whaddya think's gonna happen once my brother takes back the throne after the Empire comes in?"
Colbert, a young man with a modest build, and also the former finance minister of Amidonia and someone who ran away to assist Roroa in her efforts, paled at the thought. "It's going to be a nightmare for him. The people will probably revolt if his rule is anything like his father's. You mean to say that Souma thought that far ahead?"
Roroa solemnly nodded her head. "Seems like that to me. The problem here's that Souma just gets to leave once the Empire comes in, and my brother gets to deal with the seeds of revolution that Souma planted. It's an incredibly decisive blow with very few resources on his part."
Colbert suddenly realized just how deep in the water they were. With a hint of fear in his voice, he asked, "Is Amidonia finished?"
Normally, he would be surprised at Roroa's sudden fierce smile, but this was Roroa. With her, it was common to expect the unexpected. "It is for the way things have been goin', but certainly not for the country. We gotta move before-"
She was cut off when Souma introduced his next guest, someone she, and most of Van, recognized all too well. The person in question was a burly woman in full military uniform, though instead of wearing Elfrieden colors, she was wearing Amidonian colors. For those who knew her name, they knew her as Margarita Wonder, a fierce general who decided to stay behind to help guard the city should things go south. And as people would find out, the only general who didn't run away, get captured, or was killed.
Now, how're you gonna handle this one, Souma?
What she ended up singing was something that the people were dreading, and almost instantly, the tension immediately came back. The song was Amidonia's national anthem, sang in a husky voice, about reclaiming their lost lands from Elfrieden, called the Valley of Golgoa. With each passing verse, the tension continued to rise and rise, and during the time when everyone would normally cheer fervently when she reached the climax of the song, the air in the crowd was deathly silent, much like when the broadcast first started.
When she finished, she promptly sat down and said, "I'm finished. Execute me now."
The crowd was understandably shocked when Souma simply walked over and asked, "For what? That was a beautiful song."
Perhaps the most shocked was Margarita, who looked at a complete loss. Taking advantage, Souma continued, "This is what freedom truly is. Freedom of speech is embedded in this and is granted to every single one of my citizens. Sure, the price I pay is that I might listen to some unsavory things, but I'm certainly not going to lop your head off for it."
Margarita's brain started working again. "But surely this will put into question your rule as a king by letting me live!"
Souma gave a disarming smile in response. "You're forgetting one thing. This is no longer Amidonia. You don't have to live by those rules anymore." Turning to address the Jewel, and the crowd, he added on. "Things like music, arts, science, literature, all of things are to be shared and judged through the eyes of the people. Not to be hidden. A good nation is one that allows all of these things. Don't you think so too?"
While Margarita's performance brought a conflicted sense of nostalgia to Roroa, what Souma did in response only increased the warning bells in her mind. Not wanting to waste a single second, she grabbed Colbert and said, "We need to move now. Things are going to progress at an extremely fast pace, and if we want anything left of this country, we need to act fast."
As the broadcast was continuing with songs, another conversation was happening with people who knew each other quite well. Initially, she was with Rimuru and Hinata as they were spoiling Tomoe rotten, but she eventually broke off to discuss proceedings with Hakuya, specifically on how they would be managing occupation of the city. Fortunately, since they were able to capture most of the nobles in the city, they didn't have to worry about someone sparking an uprising thanks to the nobles who weren't captured running away.
They wound up finishing far sooner than either of them anticipated, and Testa was about to go back to Rimuru and Hinata when she sensed someone she knew in the castle. Wasting no time to get to her, she soon found herself face to face with Serina.
Acting like it was a surprise, Testa exclaimed, "Serina! It's nice to see you here."
Responding in her usual monotone, though with a hint of a smile across her face, the head maid responded, "Lady Testa. It's always a pleasure. I can assume that your battle went quite well?"
Since Serina's slightly sadistic tendencies worked well with who Testa was as a person, it should come as no surprise that the two meshed together quite well. Add on to the fact that Serina was incredibly competent at her job, and overall, quite intelligent, and Testa found one of the few people who she genuinely enjoyed spending time with, at least someone from this world.
"Yeah, but nothing quite interesting. Well, I shouldn't say that. Rather, nothing interesting that I can definitively say. But enough of that. What brings you here?"
She gave a faux sigh and said, "I thought that I would get to enjoy a nice vacation when the king and princess were occupying Van, but unfortunately, my presence was requested. As for what, I can only guess."
Serina really had absolutely no idea why she was brought here, but she assumed that it had to be for a good reason other than just taking care of Liscia. As the head maid, Serina had quite a nifty skillset, but none she could think of that would help keep the peace within the city.
"Well, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. But, since you're here, I want to show you something that I've been working on."
With a gesture from Serina that said, 'lead the way,' the two made their way into the room that Testa, Hinata, and Rimuru were currently sharing. The room in question was Julius's old room, one of the more spacious rooms in the castle. Once they got there, Testa opened one of the drawers in the cabinet that contained a single riding crop made of leather, cresting at a little over half a meter in length.
A couple months ago, Serina was complaining that the old crop she had been using to 'train' the younger maids was falling apart. Upon hearing this, Testa took it upon herself to create a better one that she could use. Gathering the details of how Serina wanted it to look, feel, and most importantly, the magical qualities, she quickly set to work.
The resulting crop was made with a black leather handle, brown leather tongue, or endpiece, and a flexible brown bamboo cane connecting the pieces. As for the magical qualities, Testa incorporated her in depth knowledge of the nervous system and properly used it to her advantage to bring out the perfect blend of pleasure and pain. Nowhere near enough to cause any serious harm, but certainly enough that it might bring out some… interesting fetishes. Absolutely perfect in the hands of someone like Serina.
Taking it in her hands, she did a few practice swings in the air, and already it felt completely natural to her.
Seeing the head maid familiarizing herself with the crop, Testa said, "Let me know the effects when you use it, and feel free to come to me if it needs any fine tuning."
Serina, in response, bowed her head a little further than normal before rising and saying, "Thank you. Now, if I may humbly take my leave, there are a few other maids we have brought over that require some discipline."
With Testa gesturing her out the door, she had a little extra pep in her step as she left the room. Once her business had ended, the day seemed to fly by much faster with preparations on remodeling the city, and especially dealing with the food situation. Pretty soon, the sun descended under the horizon, leaving only the stars and crescent moon giving off light to the ground.
Aisha, Juna, and Liscia found themselves in a lavish room waiting for their guest. Or perhaps the better word would be their person of interest. Last night left a bombshell revelation of the fact that Testa was of the same race as the invading race of demons, but they weren't able to glean anything more than that from the woman in question. While they didn't want to appear rude to the woman, they would be lying if they said they felt at ease. What they wanted to get out of this was to hopefully glean more into Testa's previous life. As for the reason they didn't contact Souma before this, the reasoning was that they felt Souma was far too accepting of the whole situation.
In essence, they felt that this was one of the rare situations where Souma didn't have all the answers due to a lack of experience. For the three in the room, the carnage the Domain wrought was all too real to simply ignore the fact that there was a demon amongst them, even if she was from another world. In fact, especially so, given her skillset.
Liscia, especially, was adamant about making sure that Testa was the same person she has known for the past six months. The main reasoning behind this was Carla. Even if she managed to evade execution, if that meant that Testa was put in charge of her, she wanted to make sure that she wasn't going to be in a place worse than death.
Seeing the woman in question waltz in with a smile on her face, she greeted the three with a hello before manifesting a table in front of the three, complete with a teapot and cup for her, and brought a chair over to sit down in front of the table.
"You girls really have no idea just how freeing it is to use magic like this again. Funny how we often take quality of life stuff for granted until we can't use it anymore. Honestly! It feels like a burden taken off my shoulders!"
A stunned silence filled the three after watching Testa being oddly exuberant with her behavior. Testa, either not noticing how her actions caused this silence, or simply not caring, suddenly realized something.
"Oh! Where are my manners?" Materializing three more cups and saucers in front of the three, she got up to pour the tea for them and continued, "This is an herbal chamomile blend made by me. Designed to soothe the body. This is a stressful time for you all, so I'm sure anything helps."
The first to recover from this was Juna. In fact, Juna realized exactly what Testa was doing, and it was no accident. This was a tactic that her grandmother has used countless times when dealing with other nobles, and something that she learned the hard way to defend against. That being controlling the conversation. Before, when Rimuru was doing it yesterday, she, and quite frankly all of them, were too stunned to resist being controlled by his pace. However, she refused to let it happen again.
"Lady Testa," she called out.
"Oh, please. Just Testa is fine."
Hiding her discomfort on her face, Juna rephrased, "Then, Testa. You do know why we've called you here, right?"
In a display that saw this as perfectly acceptable, Testa didn't even bat an eye as she poured the last cup and said, "I believe it's to interrogate me, correct? Well, I can't really say I blame you. Though I don't know if my answers will be satisfactory to you."
There it is again. That… familiarity. Grandmother warned me against this sort of tactic.
Besides the choice of words that she used which, at least as far as Juna and Liscia were concerned, designed to throw them off, Juna also recognized how Testa was attempting to empathize with them by putting herself in their shoes. While familiarity with the person you were questioning was often a good thing since they would tell you far more things about themself, it could also work against them if the person who they were questioning knew how to maneuver around it.
Which made Testa's choice of approaching this all the more strange. If she was to be anything like Rimuru, then surely she would have no problem answering their questions. But that led to another thing that was off-putting to Juna. As she saw Testa sit back down crossed-legged on her chair, she just exuded this natural air of confidence that made it difficult for them to find their ground.
Was it to signal that she was in control? Was her display a ruse to throw them off? Or maybe, just maybe, they were all overthinking this, and that this was just Testa's natural demeanor?
The truth of the matter is that Testa simply didn't see this as a huge problem. While she did try to assuage them by trying to empathize with them, it ultimately didn't matter to her since she had no intention of harming them. At least, as long as Rimuru didn't wish it. However, since she thought that this was going to be a waste of time, she decided to have a bit of fun with this.
Once she got settled again, Testa said, "I'm assuming you didn't call me here just to sit in silence. Go ahead, ask away."
Holding back a sigh, Juna began, "You said that you are a demon. Are you also like Rimuru in the sense that you are maintaining a human form?"
Testa held a puzzled look at the question before she started chuckling and palming her forehead. "That's a bit of an odd question, but if you insist on seeing my true form, I can certainly show you."
Taking a dramatic breath, she snapped her fingers… only to make the clothes that she was wearing swiftly burn into nothing, revealing her naked form.
Seeing the characteristic smile on the naked demon, Aisha pointed out, "All you did was just get naked!"
"Yes, I did," Testa said as a matter of fact, "to reveal my true form. Which is the one you're looking at. Or perhaps," she added with a smirk, "you were expecting some grotesque humanoid figure with fire and brimstone in my wake, maybe some thematic lightning? Well, sorry to disappoint."
While Aisha just pouted at the woman, Liscia looked like she was about to be nursing a headache at any given moment and asked, "Can you please put on some clothes?"
Testa wanted to give a little mocking retort, but decided against it and snapped her fingers again, putting on 'some clothes.' Which meant a two-piece swimsuit that was intricately and symmetrically designed with equal parts white and black on both her bra and panties.
Giving the woman a deadpan look, Liscia complained, "You know, why are you doing this? Like, we understand that you're powerful, but it feels like you're just going out of your way to irritate us."
Testa's ruby eyes locked with her golden ones. "Well, that's because I am." She giggled.
Deciding to let up the harassment, Testa continued to say, "Look, we both know why I'm here, and whether or not you admit it, it's because you don't trust me. However, I don't have any intention to harm you, Souma, nor any of your loved ones, unless of course, circumstances change."
"And we're just supposed to believe you on that?" Liscia asked. "How do we know that you aren't plotting against us or something?"
This time, the smile dropped in lieu of looking at her with complete exasperation. "I have known you for the past six months. During that time, if I wanted to cause harm, believe me, I would have done so many times over. I don't see why I should be the only one shouldering this suspicion solely on the basis of my race."
While she listened to her words with mild annoyance, that last part stung quite a bit. As someone who wanted to promote racial hegemony, it stung quite a bit to be called out having racist thoughts.
Realizing her hypocrisy, she hung her head and muttered out, "I'm sorry, that was wrong of me." If she was looking up, she would have seen Testa raise an eyebrow out of intrigue. However, rather than accept her apology, or even anything remotely close, a bell-like laughter could be heard emanating throughout the entire room.
Once she gathered herself, Testa rubbed a tear from her eye with her finger and said, "Oh, forgive me. To be truthful, your distrust of me is completely correct, and should be held whenever you're interacting with a demon whose motives you don't know. At least for an actual one. Though, I suppose that could be said about any race? Though I don't know about this world's demons as that's just the label you've given to them, but in any case, you don't need to worry about me."
Sensing them about to call her out on her contradiction, she held out her hand and said, "Let me explain. Normally, demons are a spiritual race, and more importantly, a race that is incredibly simple, which also makes them incredibly dangerous. The simplistic part is that they only care about strength, but the complex part is how they attain it. For… almost… every demon, acquiring flesh, or a vessel, if you will, is the penultimate goal as it allows for the potential to gain more strength on the surface world, as demons live in what's known as the netherworld. As for me, I, and all the other demons under Rimuru-sama, acquired a body through possessing a life-sized doll.
The more important part for this conversation is how demons come to follow others. Since I am amongst the most powerful demons in my world, who were called primordials, I had many others following me. Of course, this involved first beating them to a pulp, but once I did, rarely, and I mean rarely, did they ever fall out of line."
She continued, ignoring the surprised gaze from the others on how Rimuru has multiple other demons under his employment. "As you might have guessed, primordials are no exemption to this rule of following others. When I was introduced to Rimuru-sama, there were two reasons as to why I pledged my loyalty to him. First, I knew just by looking that there was no way I could have beaten him. Secondly is the fact that he wasn't scared of me. Being a primordial normally brings around a repertoire of fear, but that couldn't be sensed, even when one of my dumb compatriots decided to release some bloodlust."
Liscia was the first to respond after processing that. "So, you're saying that we should trust you because of your… loyalty towards Rimuru?"
She sipped a bit of her tea and said, "Exactly. I am leaving out some minor details, but that's the main reason."
"Not because you hold any attachment to us?"
Testa maintained her smile and responded with a question. "Would your attachment to Carla prevent you from attacking her if she had her sword to Souma's throat?"
Liscia looked like she just swallowed a bitter pill. She wanted to challenge Testa's answer only for her to turn it around and throw it right back at her. As she was struggling to find an answer to that question, Aisha changed the topic.
"Do you enjoy killing others?"
This was something that she has wanted to know for the longest time, ever since the bandit attack. While Liscia and Juna have heard about her rather… vicious behavior on the battlefield, they never actually saw her in action. The only person who has physically seen this side of Testa was Aisha. Despite that, the other two didn't try to reprimand Aisha for the question, and while the tension in the room initially was lessened considerably with Testa's previous antics, it was safe to say that her question brought it right back up. Fortunately, Testa seemed more amused than anything by it.
Again, she raised her brow in intrigue before answering, "Oh, that's a question that came out of nowhere. Would you believe me if I said I don't?"
"I would have a lot of trouble doing so." Aisha admitted.
"Then, allow me to help you see things through a different lens. There are two reasons why I kill people. The first is because I'm ordered to. The second is because it aligns with something else I enjoy doing."
"…Which is?" she cautiously asked.
"Punishment." she said in a chipper tone. "If someone sins against me, I enjoy punishing them. While I do admit that often times death follows that punishment, the enjoyment comes from the punishment that I administer."
"Isn't that just torture?" Juna muttered under her breath.
Not actually expecting an answer, as she hadn't thought that the woman heard her, she was mildly surprised to hear her response. "Torture, punishment, retribution, whatever you want to call it. It doesn't change the action that I do."
Aisha looked a bit disturbed by her reasoning. "But what if they are forced to do something that offends you?"
"Oh, dear Aisha," she cooed, "Very rarely are people forced to do something. Most everyone has a choice in the matter."
Seeing the dark elf confused, Testa went on to explain, "Let's take the example of the conscripts of Amidonia. You might say that they were forced to fight in the war. I disagree. However, I do agree that the choice of self-preservation, that is, to fight in the war and hopefully live, outweighed the choice to refuse to fight and be killed on the spot. But it's undeniable that there was a choice in the matter, even if one was greatly discouraged."
"That seems like a very convenient way for you to rationalize your actions." Juna commented.
"Ooh, I can see why Souma likes you." Testa purred. Changing her tone to a more casual one, she continued, "Except, I wasn't justifying or rationalizing my actions. I have absolutely no need to do so unless it's for my lord. I was just stating what I believe to be a truth."
Liscia managed to speak up again. "Then what would not having a choice be like in your viewpoint?"
Rather than immediately vocalizing it, an incredibly small playful glint made its way into Testa's eyes as she asked, "Do you want to find out?"
While there was no malicious undertone in her question, the three couldn't help but shudder when she asked that question, as that implied she had the ability of something akin to mind control. While this wasn't technically the case, it wasn't far from the truth. Unlike Diablo's Temptation World, where he actually could take away people's free will, Testa could only do so if firstly, the person consented, and secondly, was in a clear state of mind. On top of that, it simply didn't work if someone either had an incredibly strong will, or if they knew how to properly manipulate magic. Of course, they didn't know any of that, and she wasn't about to tell them unless they prodded deeper.
Adhering to the warning signals her instincts were sending her, Liscia said, "I'd rather you just tell me."
Detecting a subtle sigh escaping her lips, she heard Testa explain, "It's precisely that. My will would be overriding yours, denying the option of choice. Whatever I want you to do is what you will do. Of course, this only works if it's nothing too crazy. For example, unless you were already planning on it, I can't make you kill yourself. Or others, for that matter. Additionally, I can only do so if the other person wills it."
As she was explaining it, Liscia was extremely thankful she listened to her instincts. Testa's… whatever power it was sounded like a nightmare to deal with. Even if she said that it required consent from her, she wasn't sure what that meant. Even more so, she didn't want to find out.
"That's… nice to know." She eventually said.
Sensing their discomfort, Testa simply said, "Relax. I'm not going to use an ability like that. After all, there's no reason to. And to be quite frank, I see actions like those as below me." Clasping her hands, she continued, "Any other questions?"
The three were racking their brains on the information they got from the woman. At the very least, she seemed to be honest, answering their questions, no matter how it made her look in their eyes. But it felt like they were no closer to really understanding her. From what they knew of her in the past six months, they knew she liked magic, she had a fondness for knowledge, and she periodically sewed. Some of her favorite foods included seafood and fruit, though she wasn't very fond of brussels sprouts.
She almost always had a confident and refined air around her, with the only time she wasn't seen with it was when Liscia caught her one early morning while she was still half-asleep. Hell, she even didn't mind healing others if they asked for it, oftentimes just doing it as long as she wasn't busy with anything else.
But that also made the way she presented herself here seem so… different. She still carried herself in the same way. Despite being practically half-naked, she still commanded dignity, and to a certain extent, respect. It was a large part of the reason why the three had difficulty questioning her. But they struggled to see how someone who was perfectly content helping others also took joy in breaking them.
Basically, almost everything they felt they understood about her was basically subverted within a short time frame. Still, this didn't mean that they were at a loss, and Juna still intended to try and understand just who exactly they were dealing with. "Yes, actually. Going back to choices, what if someone is forced into… choosing to do something that offends you? You'd still enjoy punishing them?"
Testa thought about this for a second, looking up at the ceiling as she was doing so. "Honestly, if you asked me that question a couple decades ago, my answer would have been that I simply wouldn't have cared whether they were coerced to offend me or not. In my eyes, just because someone is coerced into a decision doesn't excuse them of the consequences from their actions.
However… however, now is a bit of a different story. I would take a couple of things into consideration. Mainly, if they knew me or not. Because anyone who knows me would know not to try my patience without an extremely good reason."
Well, that's at least something. Juna thought. Still, that level of reasoning is well into the extreme.
"Then what about someone who doesn't know what they're doing?" asked Liscia. "Someone who's either too young or naïve? Like a child?"
Testa took another sip of her tea before putting the cup down and answering, "Let me ask you a question in response. Do you believe that a child should be exempt from the cruelties of life?"
"Cruelties? Like famine and disease?" Aisha asked.
"Oh hardly." Came the response. "Those are tragedies. Something that would take a large collective effort to resolve, and for now, those are simply seen as something unavoidable. At least in this time. What I'm referring to, however, is far more malicious. Something like their caretakers brutalizing them or being attacked by a group of bandits. Or perhaps being slaughtered by a group of occupying soldiers. Malicious acts that are impossible without conscious and willful intervention."
"Of course not!" Aisha shouted. "They haven't even done anything wrong! They wouldn't have even had the chance to!"
"Yeah, I mean, children are completely innocent!" Liscia joined in. "What's the point you're trying to make here?!"
"I find it quite odd that this is only the case with sentient beings." Testa responded, seemingly oblivious to Liscia's question. "Sentient beings, or us really, since I'm included in that group, basically invented maliciousness. A concept, or perhaps, a quality that everyone is capable of. However, the interesting part of this is that others in the animal kingdom can exhibit much of the same qualities. For example, orcas, sea animals belonging to the dolphin family, enjoy thrashing about penguins for their own amusement. Even when the penguin dies, rather than eating the corpse, they simply leave it. Malicious is the only word I can think of to describe an act like that. Yet, it's perfectly accepted." (A/n: I wish I was making this shit up.)
"And yet," she continued, "when people do it to their young, or to other people's young, or even to other species, these sorts of responses are extremely consistent. It's unfathomable to many how people derive any sort of pleasure from these acts. However, it's quite simple. They are fond of their victims. They are fond of the fact that they can't run away. They are fond of the fact that they have complete control over the situation. They are fond of the fact that their victims are completely reliant on them. That they can play the role of god."
Seeing the three ready to speak up, she held out her hand and continued, "The point I'm trying to make is to show a difference in our perspectives. You said that when these sorts of actions are committed by people, you feel outraged. Perhaps also saddened. And may also harbor a desire to kill the oppressors. However, I only see it as natural. A base instinct.
To answer your initial question, I don't participate in nor enjoy the punishment of children. Not because of the reasons you've listed, however, but because I simply don't see children as a threat. They're not dangerous and will virtually never be so. Therefore, the reason behind why I should punish a child is, to me, nonexistent, because I can't picture a situation where I would ever need to."
After listening to her explanation, the three of them looked at her with incredulous, quizzical, and surprising looks. Interestingly enough, fear wasn't present at all. Eventually, Juna was able to voice out what they were all thinking. "…How do you even see things through a perspective like that?"
Testa, again, grew a smile across her face. "I was born this way. Something that you have been wrong with from the beginning is assuming that I operated off the same values you do. However, demons are naturally solitary creatures. Normally, we aren't birthed from the union of a man and woman, though that has changed in recent years. With the exception of us primordials, demons formed into existence through reincarnation. A collection of magic swirling around a soul, eventually gaining a will."
"While I am attempting to learn some of these more human values," she continued, "I don't think I will ever have that instinctual response to people's suffering. Or children, for that matter. Even if I help every single child I see, it would be more of a trained response than anything else. Similar to how you fight. It's second nature to you now, but the first time anyone picks up a blade, no one instinctually knows how to properly wield it."
The three of them analyzed what she said. And, quite frankly, it was disturbing. People who, beyond all rhyme or reason, saw nothing wrong with cruelties being inflicted upon others, instead seeing it as the natural way of life. What's more, Testa implied that this way of thinking was normal for demons. She wasn't the outlier. However, this also brought up an important question.
"Why are you attempting to learn these human values?" Aisha asked. "I mean, it doesn't seem like you saw those values as wrong, so why change them?"
"Because it's no longer beneficial to me." Came the immediate response. "That line of thinking has worked for me for most of my life and kept me on top when I had my pride as a primordial. However, things have changed in my life due to Rimuru-sama, necessitating at least some adaptation. Otherwise, I would find myself in much the same position as someone stubbornly clinging onto the past."
"All for the person you love?" asked Aisha.
"Exactly. For the record, I still hold my previous beliefs to be true, but I'm simply trying to gain other viewpoints. The concept of family is vastly different with demons than it is with almost every other sentient race. Like I've said, we normally beat them into submission. However, if I want to be a part of Rimuru-sama's family, the traditional way of doing things simply won't work."
This… was something that the three could connect with. At least, it didn't seem like a false or annoying attempt at appealing to their empathy. For them, Souma was someone who they would find more difficult to list things they wouldn't do rather than things they would do. But Juna was the only one to see past those rose-tinted glasses to see that without Rimuru, this version of Testa simply wouldn't exist. Still, she didn't want to harp on this, as even though they were questioning her, it just felt wrong to point it out.
Before they could question her any further, Testa suddenly said, "Oh wow. I almost didn't notice how late it was getting. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do want to get some rest before tomorrow. And please, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask."
As if it was an already done deal, she stood up, and with a wave of her hand, the shirt and pants that she previously burnt up reappeared on her body without even so much as a scratch on them. Afterwards, she gestured to the table and asked, "Do you want to keep the tea with you? Otherwise, I was going to dispose of it."
Liscia quickly responded. "Um, yes please. We're still drinking it. Also! Before you leave, what about Carla?"
This time, Testa really was confused about what she was talking about. "This again? I believe that it's already established that I can't do anything about her situation. It would be one thing if she was a prisoner of war, but she's a traitor. The only person who can make a decision on that is Souma, and unless he asks me, I intend to stay out of it."
"I know that part, but if Souma decides to grant leniency to her, she would still be your slave…"
A look of realization dawned on her as she said, "Oh! I see… You don't need to worry about that. While I fully intend to keep Carla as my slave if she lives, rest assured that I won't torment her or anything like that. After all, she fought honorably, and was simply fighting to protect her father."
Barely giving a chance to respond, she finished saying, "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."
Leaving the three in Liscia's room with a new table and teapot set, she promptly left the room. With a couple minutes of walking, mostly in the dark, she found herself outside of the room she was sharing with Rimuru and Hinata. However, rather than immediately enter, she was fixated on the person outside the room.
"Why aren't you in the room with Rimuru-sama?" she asked.
"Because he's drunk." Came the blunt reply. "I'm trying to figure out how to deal with it without drinking myself."
Testa wondered why Hinata was struggling on dealing with Rimuru before a look of clarity came across her face as she saw Hinata rubbing her stomach. She thought that poison nullification would have come in handy with her pregnancy, but it may be better to be safe than sorry.
Still, a sly grin came across her face as she walked forward and said, "Well, then you can enjoy staying out here. I'm going to go-"
She was stopped by Hinata gripping her arm. "Believe me. You aren't ready to deal with him drunk."
"I've seen him drunk multiple times. I'm sure I can handle myself."
Hinata wanted to say that she has never dealt with him alone, but wanting to give the demon some 'experience,' she let go of her arm and said, "If you say so. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Testa gave a slight scoff at her and walked into the room. Upon entering, she saw a drunk Rimuru on the bed nursing a bottle of wine with Ciel next to him, seemingly enabling it. While they were still fully clothed for the time being, Testa felt that it wouldn't be very long before that changes.
While she was right in that aspect, little did she know what would follow.