Chapter 64: The Calm…
– Milim –
It wasn't very hard for Milim to track the restaurant Haru told her about before he passed out. She carried his unconscious body through the forest after he suddenly collapsed. Teehee… maybe she should have warned him first about what happens when a powerful monster bestows a name. But she'd just been so excited!
She'd never had a best friend before, so of course, she had to name him immediately. That's what friends do! At least she thought that's what they do…
Her journey through the forest was only interrupted once.
By a random dryad who popped out of a tree with a sly grin. The green-haired woman eyed Haru's unconscious form and practically purred. "...Oh my, what a handsome young man. I wouldn't mind looking after him for a while…"
Milim felt something snap inside her. Without even thinking, she scowled and let out a tiny bit of her aura. Just a smidge! Okay, maybe not a smidge—because the dryad turned ghostly pale and immediately retreated back into her tree, the branches trembling as if the whole forest was shaking in fear.
"Get back in your tree, slut!" Milim huffed, still holding Haru close. "He's my besty!"
She blew a strand of pink hair out of her face before stomping forward, resuming her journey. That was close. She'd never thought about it before, but she definitely didn't like the idea of some random tree woman trying to steal Haru away.
It wasn't long before she spotted her destination. The restaurant was impossible to miss, mostly because of the sheer amount of magicules still clinging to the area. Three powerful beings had evolved back-to-back right in front of it, and their presence had left a lingering effect in the air. The closer she got, the more excited she became.
Milim stopped in front of the entrance and looked up at the sign above the door. The Fox Hole. She giggled at the tiny carving of a small fox next to the name.
"Cute!" she said to herself before eagerly pushing the door open.
There were a few people scattered around the restaurant—some looked up at her in confusion, while others barely seemed to react. That was, until they noticed Haru's unconscious body draped over her shoulder.
A golden-haired woman with Fox ears and 12 tails was sitting at the bar immediately stood up, her slitted eyes narrowing as she moved toward them.
"What happened to my son?" the woman asked, her voice firm but not exactly angry.
Ohhh! This must be Haru's mom! The one he said was flirting with the slime guy!
"Ahaha, don't worry, don't worry!" Milim waved a hand dismissively. "I just named him, that's all! He's going through evolution right now. He'll wake up super strong!"
Milim introduced herself to Haru's mom, Yasaka, and the shorter guy with long blue hair, who had to be Rimuru. Haru had told her a bit about his life while they ate the delicious food he had cooked in the forest.
Yasaka gently grabbed Haru and placed him in an empty booth, brushing a hand over his forehead with motherly concern. She turned to Milim.
"How long until he wakes up?" she asked.
Milim shrugged. "Shouldn't take much longer! And when he does, he'll be stronger. Because I'm super awesome, and everyone I name becomes awesome too!" She declared proudly, puffing out her chest.
Although now that she thought about it, she hadn't actually given a name to anyone in a long time. That must mean Haru was extra special! Of course, he was—he was her bestie, after all!
Rimuru stepped up, eyeing her curiously. "Your name is Milim Nava? I feel like I've heard that before..."
Milim smirked. "You probably have! I'm a super strong Demon Lord!" she declared, placing her hands on her hips.
Rimuru visibly tensed at the revelation, his eyes widening in alarm. Yasaka, on the other hand, didn't look particularly impressed. In fact, she was giving Milim a scrutinizing look that made her shift uncomfortably.
"Something wrong?" Milim asked, tilting her head.
Yasaka's golden eyes flicked downward. "My son runs a polite establishment, so if you're planning on staying for a while, I insist you wear something that actually covers you up."
Milim blinked before looking down at her black bikini bottoms. "Huh? What's wrong with my outfit?"
"Everything," Yasaka said bluntly. "But for now we'll just focus on your bottoms…"
Milim pouted, crossing her arms. "But I like just wearing these! It's more comfy!"
"You can at least wear a skirt then. Come with me." Yasaka turned around.
Milim grumbled but followed as Yasaka led her through a door at the back of the restaurant, opening into a small hallway lined with rooms. Yasaka opened one of the doors to reveal a bedroom.
Milim took a deep breath of the lingering scent in the room and smiled. "Hehe… this is obviously Haru's room." She grinned.
Yasaka walked over to the closet and pulled it open. Milim frowned when she saw racks of outfits—women's outfits. Dresses, skirts, blouses, and more. Not a single piece of men's clothing in sight.
She turned to Yasaka, confused. "Uh… is Haru a crossdresser? Not that I judge or anything." She'd met weirder monsters in her long life.
Yasaka chuckled, shaking her head. "No, these belong to Haru's girlfriends. I'm sure they won't mind you borrowing something."
Milim froze. "Wait. WHAT!?"
Her bestie had girlfriends? Plural!?
She clenched her fists as a sudden surge of jealousy coursed through her. Why hadn't Haru mentioned this!? How many girlfriends did he even have? Were they strong? Were they pretty?
Milim puffed her cheeks, her excitement shifting into something else she didn't exactly like feeling...
She had an overwhelming urge to meet all these women immediately.
Her bestie had a lot of explaining to do!
– Haru –
I knew I was dreaming, but it was a strange one.
My body felt different. No fox ears, no tails—just a regular human body… almost. Something inside me felt off, like my very existence was rejecting everything around me. The landscape was hauntingly beautiful, with rolling green fields tainted by ruined buildings and undead creatures shambling across the land.
A simple steel sword rested in my grip as I moved through the wasteland, cutting down any undead that dared to approach. They fell easily, turning to ash the moment my blade sliced through them. Despite the ease, I felt no sense of accomplishment—just an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
I kept moving until I spotted a crumbling church. Two walls were missing, the roof was gone, but in the center of the ruins was a small campfire. Only, there was no fire—just a floating orb of golden light. It called to me, urging me to sit and rest beside it.
I took a step forward.
"No!"
A voice rang through my mind, stopping me in my tracks. It was a woman's voice—soft yet commanding, unfamiliar yet nostalgic. "You are not yet ready to remember. Wake now, my beloved. Wake and do not return to these memories until you are ready."
My eyes snapped open.
…I was back in my restaurant.
"Ara, you're awake, my son. How are you feeling?" Yasaka's voice greeted me with warmth.
I sat up in the booth, stretching my fingers against the table. The moment I drummed them lightly, the wood beneath me cracked.
I froze, staring at the damage. I hadn't even used any force…
Yasaka sighed. "You'll have to watch out for that. We'll both need training to control our new strength. You doubly so," she said, casting a pointed look toward the pink-haired girl smirking at me from across the booth.
"Hi, Milim…" I wasn't really surprised she'd stuck around after knocking me out…
"Hi, Haru!" she grinned. "I'm glad you're awake! Do you feel stronger? You're almost like me now! I'm so happy!"
I raised a brow. "Almost like you? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Ara, I'd like to know as well. My son feels much stronger than he was an hour ago, but unlike me, he still only has ten tails," mom chimed in.
Milim nodded eagerly. "That's because Haru's going to be like me!"
That explained absolutely nothing.
Rimuru—who had been standing quietly nearby and looking at Milim nervously—spoke up with something more useful.
"...I have a skill called Great Sage, and it's telling me what's going on. Apparently, Haru has gained something called a Demon Seed and is on his way to becoming a fully-fledged Demon Lord!" he explained, sounding genuinely surprised. Then he turned to Yasaka and flushed slightly. "You, on the other hand, have twelve tails and are still technically a demon fox, but you're very close to ascending as a high-ranked deity."
Mom was going to become a Goddess? And what the hell was a Demon Seed? Did I plant it to grow baby demons or something? My restaurant served some interesting foods, but I don't know if people would be down to try demon meat.
Eh, who am I kidding? Of course they would!
Yasaka sighed dramatically. "Ara, being a goddess sounds like a lot of work."
"I wouldn't mind worshiping you anytime you want," Rimuru said smoothly.
Before I even processed his words, my instincts reacted. A flick of my finger sent a small blue fireball flying at Rimuru, who yelped and dodged just in time.
"Hey! That was dangerous!" he complained.
"Quit flirting with my mom in my own restaurant!"
Yasaka giggled, clearly enjoying the attention. "Oh my, is my son jealous? I suppose I can tone down my playful flirting—though if Rimuru wants to hear more, he'll have to buy me dinner first."
Rimuru grimaced. "My village is a bit strapped for cash at the moment, and no doubt a classy lady like you only deserves the best…"
"Ara, I've suddenly become a sugar mommy..."
Milim suddenly cut in while pouting at me. "Speaking of dating, how come you didn't tell me about all your girlfriends already!?"
I scratched my cheek. "I thought I mentioned it…? Didn't I?"
Memories of the past few hours were a little foggy. Maybe it had something to do with the naming. Or maybe it had something to do with that strange dream…
"Tell me," she whined adorably again. Milim demanded to know how many women were in my life?
"Er…" I had to actually pause to think about it for a moment.
That probably wasn't the best sign…
I started counting in my head, but before I could get too far, Milim let out an annoyed grumble and crossed her arms.
"You better still make time for your new bestie!" she demanded, puffing her cheeks out.
I wisely chose not to mention that I had other friends as well. Something told me she wouldn't take that very well.
Luckily, I was saved from further questioning when the restaurant doors swung open, and Shion walked in. Her violet eyes immediately locked onto Rimuru, and she stomped over with a serious expression. "Rimuru-sama, you need to come back immediately," she said. "A contingent of Lizardmen just arrived outside the village with news about an Orc army."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. Damn. Every world I went to seemed to be dealing with some kind of war or invasion. Now Rimuru's world was added to the list.
I would have offered to help, but unfortunately, I had my own immediate problems to deal with. The army approaching Carne Village could arrive as early as tomorrow, and I needed to make sure everything was prepared for that battle.
Rimuru stood up, looking far more serious than usual. "I got it. Let's go."
Before he left, though, he turned back to Yasaka and gave her a small smile. "I'll be back soon. We'll talk more then."
Yasaka returned his smile warmly. "Stay safe, Rimuru."
I blinked. What the hell was that? That was way too soft of a moment between my mom and the damn slime! Was this going to be an actual serious thing instead of her just flirting?
Shion, however, looked absolutely scandalized by the display of affection. Her jealousy was practically radiating off of her as she shot a glare at my mother before grabbing Rimuru by the arm and dragging him out of the restaurant. Rimuru, for his part, just let out a nervous chuckle and waved as he was hauled off.
There was a moment of silence before Milim spoke up again.
"Wow, a lot of stuff goes on around here, huh?" she asked, tilting her head.
I couldn't help but snort. "That's an understatement."
…
…Later that night…
After skipping so much work lately, Yasaka was forced to return back to her palace to play catch up. Even with her new powerup, nothing in our immediate lives had changed. At least for now. I was sure there would be a lot of questions once the rumor mill across Kyoto kicked off and all the Yokai found out she and I suddenly became more powerful and had more tails, but that was a problem for future Haru and future Yasaka.
Instead of worrying, mom and I had instead done the healthy thing and just said "fuck it." We'd figure everything out as we went…
"I was a bit worried about Naruko never coming back after she left though, but I figured she'd be fine. If not, I'd send someone to check on her tomorrow.
…Milim was eagerly devouring a pepperoni and bacon pizza that I had made for her. She was practically inhaling the slices, eyes shining with excitement. The restaurant was filling up fast, even more than usual. Familiar faces were scattered throughout.
Jane Shepard was the first of my "girlfriends" to arrive. I was actually surprised to see her. She usually stayed on her ship and ate with her crew despite having a door to my restaurant in her cargo bay. But everyone needed a break once in a while. Out of all the girls, she was always the busiest, constantly trying to save her galaxy from an evil alien terrorist and his army of killer AI robots. The moment she walked in, she made a beeline for the bar, plopping down on a stool just as I was preparing some leftover spider meat for anyone brave enough to try it.
Predictably, the younger ones—Harry, Hermione, and Kunou—all refused outright. Anyone from Skyrim also declined. Apparently, their entire homeland had developed an intense arachnophobia thanks to the sheer number of giant spiders roaming the countryside...
"Heh! You're all a bunch of pussies!" Wrex declared as he sank his teeth into the tender meat, chewing with satisfaction.
"Keep that bug meat from me…" Agnar grumbled to my surprise. And that was how I suddenly learned he didn't like spiders.
And my first girlfriend Aela apparently really didn't like spiders! In fact she scooted herself as far away as possible at the end of the bar. Sniffing the air and looking at me with eyes filled with betrayal…
Shepard shrugged and grabbed a piece. "I've eaten way weirder alien food," she muttered before taking a bite. A pleased moan followed. "Damn, Haru, you never miss."
"How's your mission going?" I asked as I handed her a beer.
Shepard paused, taking a sip before answering. "Honestly? Pretty well… which makes me nervous. Things don't usually go this smoothly. But I think we've finally pinpointed Saren's base of operations. We're planning an assault on the planet soon..."
I frowned, concerned. "You know you can always call for help if you need it."
Shepard smirked. "I appreciate it, but you know me—I like doing things on my own if I can. I really do appreciate you bailing me out those couple times though!"
At that moment, Milim finished inhaling her pizza and locked onto Shepard like a predator sighting its prey. She hopped off her stool, the skirt she had borrowed from Rias's wardrobe fluttering as she landed and pointed a finger at Shepard dramatically! "Hey, you!" Milim said. "Are you one of Haru's girlfriends!?"
Shepard blinked and pointed at herself. "Uh… I guess? I don't really do labels, but it's not like I'm interested in anyone else."
Milim huffed, crossing her arms. "Hmph! You seem pretty strong for a lame human, but that doesn't mean I'll accept you!"
I sighed in annoyance. "Milim, you don't get a say in my love life."
"Mine either," Shepard added, taking another sip of her beer.
"Me too by the way. Who's the midget?" Alice chimed in as she walked up to the bar.
Milim instantly turned around, glaring at Alice. "You're the midget!" she said while stamping her foot. Thankfully she controlled her strength enough to not break the floor.
"Sure thing, shorty," Alice said with a smirk.
"Grrrrrr!"
I sighed again and grabbed Milim before she could lash out, reminding her that the no fighting rule applied to everyone in my restaurant. Not wanting to lose her delicious new source of food, Milim immediately calmed down.
"This is Milim. She's my new friend and also a demon lord." I added that second part casually.
"I'm his best friend!" Milim declared proudly as I let her go again.
Technically, that title probably went to Agnar or Ainz, but I decided not to argue with her. Maybe she'd earn it one day.
"Cool story…"
"Whatever you say, little girl…"
Shepard and Alice both had pretty disinterested reactions after that. They both scooted away from Milim and moved towards Aela where the three of them started chatting among themselves.
Milim seemed to be genuinely shocked and muttered to herself how she'd never had humans ignore her before. "I'm a Demon Lord, you know!" she added. "It's an important job, you know!"
"What's an important job…?" Rias asked as she walked up to the bar with Akeno trailing behind her. "Hi, Haru! Hi, new girl!"
"Being a Demon Lord!" Milim said again before sizing up Rias and Akeno. "...At least you're both monsters, and more worthy of being with Haru than some dumb humans." she pouted while glaring at the three redheads at the end of the counter.
The only one with hearing good enough to listen was Aela who simply rolled her eyes in Milim's direction.
"Discrimination isn't allowed in my restaurant either, Millim. If you keep that up I won't make you desert!" I scolded her.
"I'll be good!"
Wow, it turned out managing a Demon Lord was not as difficult as I had thought it would be. She was basically just a much more powerful and destructive Kunou…
Rias and Akeno gave Millim odd glances before introducing themselves to her. Both of them were very direct.
"I'm Haru's fiance."
"And I'm his mistress!"
"...And I'm his new bestie!" Milim said, obviously not wanting to be left out.
"Aw, that's adorable," Rias cooed and asked me where I found this girl.
"Technically she found me…" I said and explained what had happened today.
Rias and Akeno were shocked at first and then they both seemed very interested in the potential of a free powerup just from visiting a new world for a few minutes. The fact that there were "skills" and some other Isekai mumbo jumbo also really seemed to excite Rias!
Both of their eyes drifted towards the front door before they shrugged and shook their heads.
"Ugh, I'm sure that there's at least a few spies watching me and Sona at school. They'll notice if I suddenly evolve into super Rias…"
"Maybe we could do it sometime over the summer where a growth in power could come off as more normal?" Akeno suggested and Rias agreed.
"You two are weird, most devils won't hesitate to get more power," Milim pointed out.
"Ara, that's just how we are," Akeno replied.
Either way, I saw this as a good opportunity. Out of all the girls, Rias was definitely the best when it came to managing children…or thousand year old Demon Lord's that acted like it for some reason.
After taking their orders, I asked Rias if she could explain everything about the Fox Hole to Milim along with all the other basic world knowledge I'd left out because of how crazy today had been.
"Sure thing, Haru," Rias said with a sly smile. "...I'll even tell her about the weekly meetings all of us girls have."
XXX
Thanks for reading!!!
I have a patreo n. My subs can read advanced updates of my stories ahead of standard release and even check out pics for some of the more naughty chapters.
Link:
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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:
The Fallen Gamer ch 324-328
The Fox Hole 70
The Blood Queen 40
Thunder and Black Wings 15
The Fox Hole 69
The Blood Queen 39
The Fox Hole 68
The Titan 30
The Fox Hole 67
Thunder and Black Wings 14
The Fox Hole 66
The Blood Queen 38
The Fox Hole 65
The titan 29