"Your Majesty!"
Vesta knelt, his expression clouded with confusion.
"This subject does not understand. Has there been some mistake? Why…"
In contrast, King Gazel's face remained unreadable.
"A misunderstanding? I have lost a loyal subject."
"What do you mean? That man never swore loyalty to Your Majesty—and he even sided with those of unknown origin!"
"Vesta, it is you who misunderstand completely," Gazel replied coldly.
"Kaijin had intended to leave me from the beginning. The loyal subject I speak of… is you."
Vesta's heart thundered in his chest.
Me?
His thoughts tangled, and his tongue faltered.
What did His Majesty just say? Lost me...?
He stood there, dazed.
"I ask you once more, Vesta. Do you have anything to say to me?"
A wave of fear surged within him, drowning all reason.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my foolishness…"
After a long pause, Vesta finally forced the words out.
"I had such high hopes for you," the King said, his voice calm—but every word struck Vesta like a blade.
"Whether it was the Magic Armor incident or this time, I waited. I waited for you to speak the truth yourself."
So... His Majesty already knew. How laughable.
But the King's next words left no room for recovery.
"But you…"
Gazel's voice rose, sharp and heavy.
"You have disappointed me greatly."
With those words, Vesta collapsed, stunned and broken.
"Take a look at this."
The King's voice was quiet again.
Two guards stepped forward, carrying two unfamiliar items. Vesta looked up, dazed.
One was a pouch containing a shimmering blue liquid he had never seen before.
The other—a sleek, ornate bottle—held a multicolored liquid that radiated power.
"Vesta, do you know what these are? Guards, explain."
At Gazel's command, the guards stepped forward and described the items.
As a researcher, Vesta immediately grasped their significance.
The first was a high-grade recovery potion with a 100% extraction rate. Their best dwarven alchemy could only reach 98%.
The second shocked him even more.
A miracle potion—imbued with a rare herb called Hipokute—capable of restoring both magic power and life force simultaneously.
Such a thing...! If mass-produced, it could keep an entire army at peak strength—never tiring, never weakened.
These breakthroughs alone were powerful enough to serve as the foundation of a nation's military might.
"These were gifts," Gazel said coldly. "From Rimuru and one of his companions. And yet, because of your actions, we have severed ties with them. Now—do you have anything more to say?"
Only now did Vesta understand the gravity of his mistake.
He had caused an irreparable loss.
"I… I have no excuse. I have failed Your Majesty."
Tears welled in his eyes. Silent. Bitter.
All he had ever wanted was to serve the King, to earn his approval. That dream had once been so pure.
But somewhere along the way—perhaps the moment he began to envy Kaijin—he had lost sight of it.
"Very well," Gazel declared. "Then hear this, Vesta."
"From this day forth, you are forbidden from entering the palace. Do not appear before me again."
Vesta stood slowly. He bowed deeply—once, silently.
Then he turned and left, his silhouette shrinking into the distance.
A loyal figure… now utterly alone.
After Vesta left, a black shadow slowly appeared before King Gazel and knelt.
"Your Majesty, shall we continue monitoring Rimuru and the others? Is it truly wise to allow such powerful monsters to leave unchecked?"
The figure kept her head bowed, waiting silently for King Gazel's response. But as time passed and he remained quiet, she lifted her head in confusion—only to find him staring intently behind her.
Startled, she turned, but saw nothing. Perplexed, she glanced back at the king.
"Your Excellency," Gazel said suddenly, his voice resonant, "you've been following my subordinate for quite some time. Are you not going to show yourself?"
As his voice echoed through the hall, waves of magic power rippled outward.
Startled by his words, the shadowy figure jumped to her feet and stood protectively in front of the king, eyes locked on the empty air ahead.
Around them, the surrounding guards instinctively drew their weapons, eyes sharp with tension.
"As expected of the Hero King."
A calm, confident voice rang out as a figure in blue robes materialized midair. Granstar, the handsome elf, floated where moments before there had been only emptiness.
"You?! How…?"
The shadow stared, stunned. She had lost track of him days ago—and now he had turned the tables, using her to find the King. Shame burned in her chest. As the King's shadow, she had failed gravely.
Granstar hadn't expected the Hero King to perceive him, despite using three concealment skills: [Magic Power Concealment], [Heat Nullification], and [Disguise]. Even so, as he drew close, Gazel had detected him.
He had followed this shadow ever since he realized she was tailing him. Once she shifted her focus to Rimuru, Granstar kept pace, watching her observe every move Rimuru made. Eventually, she led him here—to the palace—where he had quietly witnessed the earlier trial.
But Granstar wasn't worried. The outcome had been what he expected. Gazel was a just and capable king.
Landing gracefully before the throne, Granstar bowed in respect.
Then, he raised his head and met the king's gaze.
"Respected Hero King, I am here only out of concern for my friend. I mean no harm. I respectfully ask that you cease your surveillance of him."
He spoke with sincerity and calm.
"Oh? That slime is your friend? So, you're both from the Jura Forest?" Gazel asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yes," Granstar replied without hesitation.
"I see. After the disappearance of the Storm Dragon Veldora's aura, I didn't expect two such formidable beings to emerge from the Jura Forest."
Gazel leaned forward, elbows on the armrest, fingers steepled beneath his chin. His gaze was sharp, his presence oppressive.