"The intruder... did you catch them?"
Despite his best efforts to sound composed, the mental shock made his voice raspy. There was a faint, imperceptible tremor in his tone. Imperceptible to most, perhaps, but May caught it instantly.
She frowned slightly. With a sharp wave of her hand, she dismissed the servant-like guards, waiting until the door clicked shut before turning back to him.
"It was a professional. We can rule out the Holy Church; their Executors aren't usually this subtle. It was likely a mercenary, a 'Magus Killer' hired specifically to hunt mages."
She paused, her eyes scanning him critically. "Your condition seems unstable. Are you injured?"
Before he could answer, she reasoned it out herself. "It makes sense. If you were truly unharmed, a professional wouldn't have retreated so easily. You must have engaged them."
"I... I think I'm fine," Rimuru shook his head, seizing the moment to dive into the fragmented memories of his host body. He needed to figure out exactly what his relationship was with this girl.
Memories flashed through his mind like a slideshow.
To his surprise, his predecessor had a deep history with May Riddell Archelot. It wasn't a romance, nor was it unrequited love. It was something sturdier.
She was a friend. An absolute, trustworthy confidant. That was the deepest impression left in his subconscious.
Phew. Okay, good. It looks like my first ally NPC in this hellscape is reliable.
"I just don't understand," Rimuru said, half to maintain his cover and half out of genuine confusion. "Why would someone want to kill me?"
I need to figure out my social standing and interpersonal web immediately. Survival comes first.
He had been awake for maybe fifteen minutes. The sudden assassination attempt, combined with the realization that he was in the Fate universe, created a suffocating sense of urgency.
Usually, the memories in one's head served as a tutorial. But here? The game had skipped the tutorial and went straight to a scripted death event.
If he didn't have the Slime body's "Physical Attack Resistance," that sniper round would have turned his brain into something like a bloody modern art.
A standard magus, no matter how talented, would have been dead instantly.
"The Director's summons has made you a thorn in the eyes of many," May said after a moment of silence. "In fact, the rumors are already circulating. If this meeting goes well, the next time people see you with the Director, it won't be as a student... it will be at the Grand Roll, sitting alongside the Lords."
"Hah?" Rimuru blinked, his delicate features twisted in confusion.
She said a lot of words, and I understood none of them.
"In any case, the Archelot family will support you. Rest assured." May gritted her teeth slightly, her expression hardening. "I have matters to attend to regarding this incident. You should rest for a while."
"...Okay."
That worked for him. He needed time to sort through the chaotic mess in his head.
He wanted to ask more, but asking basic questions now would only raise suspicion. If he revealed he didn't know what was going on, he might expose himself some other way or whatever.
Damn it. If I had known it was this complicated, I should have just feigned a coma and claimed amnesia due to head trauma...
May gave him one last look, a mixture of worry and hesitation, before turning and leaving the room.
As the door clicked shut, Rimuru let out a long, heavy breath.
….
"You're out?"
Downstairs, by the entrance of the hotel lobby, a blonde man was leaning lazily against the wall. He lifted his eyelids as the girl approached.
"Is he okay? That guy."
"What could be wrong with him?" May Riddell hugged her arms across her chest, her expression returning to a mask of indifference as she walked past him.
"What is the reaction from the Eulyphis faction?"
The blonde man fell into step beside her.
"If Rimuru is officially made a Professor, he'll be seen as a direct asset of the Archelot faction... For Lord Eulyphis, that is not good news."
"Come on, don't make old man Eulyphis out to be such a villain."
The blonde man chuckled, shaking his head. "Though, I have to admit... if Rimuru actually secures that Professorship, it's going to cause an uproar, isn't it? The whole hierarchy is going to be reshuffled."
"Yes," May nodded slightly. "The incident ten years ago already gave him the necessary prestige. The only thing missing was the official seal of approval from the Association."
"That... and his own admission."
The blonde man, Tez, lowered his head, his expression turning serious. "Can you guarantee he's mentally recovered? The massacre of his family isn't something one just 'gets over.'"
"He can."
At the mention of the word family, May's hands clenched into fists. Her voice, however, was steady and absolute. "Support him, Tez. Trust me on this."
"Haa..." Tez ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "You realize that if my family backs him, Eulyphis will interpret that as a declaration of war? It's a massive risk. Unless you give me a solid reason, I can't convince the elders. Especially my old man."
May looked him in the eye.
"Tomorrow, he meets with the Director. I think it's finally time he explains why, after fourteen years... he still looks exactly like the teenage boy he was back then. Don't you?"
"Tch."
Tez blinked, stunned for a second. Then, a look of realization dawned on his face. He clicked his tongue.
"Fine. The Gaius family is willing to ally with the Archelots. But only on this specific matter."
If that guy really admits that he's peered into the Root… Then he truly does have the qualifications to become a Lord.
For the first time today, a genuine smile touched May's lips. "You won't be disappointed. After all, the Department of Zoology and the Department of Botany have always been family."
….
The Clock Tower. The heart of the magical world.
Politically, it was divided into three great philosophies.
First, the Aristocratic Faction. They prioritized the interests of the noble families above all else, operating on the belief that magical resources should be exclusively funneled to those with the strongest bloodlines and longest lineages.
Second, the Democratic Faction. They claimed to represent the majority, arguing that talent should supersede blood and that the hierarchy shouldn't be rigid.
While they painted themselves as altruistic and high-minded, the reality was often just as selfish, they simply wanted a slice of the pie that the nobles were hoarding.
And finally, the Neutral Faction. A collection of fence-sitters and academics who spent more time infighting than actually accomplishing anything.
However, even within the monolithic Aristocratic Faction, there were fractures.
The Eulyphis family represented the "Old Guard." They viewed non-magical humans, Muggles, as nothing more than tools or livestock.
They despised modern technology and refused to interact with the mundane world, obsessing purely over ancient mysticism.
The Archelot family, May's lineage, was the polar opposite.
They were "New Money." Rising to power during the Industrial Revolution by controlling coal and steel, they operated like ruthless capitalists.
They didn't just dabble in the mundane world; they dominated it.
They manipulated the media, controlled economies, and even had their fingers in the British military.
They were "Modern" Magi. But make no mistake, while their methods were modern, their souls were traditional.
They prioritized profit and the "Mystery" above human life. If commoners died to further their goals, they wouldn't lose a wink of sleep.