The World's Ego

Plans for the Future

Rimuru POV

Now that most of the topics of discussions have been covered, it was time for a lunch break. Shuna came in with our lunch and served everyone inside. It was during this time that some people decided to drop a bombshell.

"Since everyone is still relaxed, there is one announcement some of us want to make after a quick discussion." Iris said and approached the orb in front of me, "Are you there, Dr. MEI?"

The orb lit up in response as MEI's voice sounded from it, "Yes, I'm here."

"We can tell everyone now."

"Ah, got it. I guess there's no better time than now." MEI said with a light chuckle, "I'm sorry for the short notice, Rimuru-sama, but Iris, Feiyun and I have decided to retire from our positions as Flame-chasers."

... Oh... I should have seen this coming...

"Wait, you guys are... Huh?!" Beni exclaimed, looking back at the indifferent Feiyun and Iris, who were shrugging at him, "Rimuru-sama?!"

Since it was something the three planned for a long time now, I also shrugged at his shocked expression.

"Instead, we shall be giving those positions to those three comfortably sitting on the Imperial side of the room." MEI continued, the said three now looking at anything but the orb, "... Don't ignore me, Kevin."

Kevin stiffens and slowly sets down his utensils, "... Yes."

"Why are you so..." Su sighed quietly in exasperation, "... you?"

"He's whipped..." Feiyun muttered under her breath before returning to the topic, "... I'll be giving up my rank to the Old... I mean, Hua. It was a position I kept for her. I wasn't interested in it in the first place."

Hua's eyes wandered as she hummed in thought, "Well, I guess being back in that rank isn't bad..."

"Oh, I was the fourth in rank." Feiyun further revealed

Now Hua was the one startled as she stared back at me, "... I can't agree with that!"

"Unfortunately, your old rank has been taken up by MEI." I shrugged lightly in response, "It doesn't seem like she's willing to let you return to that position."

"That I do not." MEI chuckled in response, "I will be letting Su take over. I think he's satisfied being in rank twelve."

Hearing that, Su's shoulders seemed to relax, "... Oh, I think I can work with that."

"I'm handing my rank to Kevin." Iris announced, "Don't worry, it's rank two. Your original rank has been occupied by Rimuru-sama."

"But if you do want to take it back, I don't exactly mind." I added

"I reject. It's too pressuring." Kevin immediately says without hesitation, "You handed it to me in the first place because you didn't want to deal with the heavy political stuff."

I sighed and shrugged again, "Oh well, I tried..."

"Is this really a good idea, Your Majesty Rimuru?" Calgurio asks with a worried expression, "I heard that in Tempest, the Thirteen Flame-chasers hold high power, maybe higher than some executives..."

"Based on the information I gathered." Kondou added

"You didn't tell him, Hua?" I asked with a blink of surprise as the girl shook her head

"Not yet. But I guess now's a better time than never." Hua said with a shrug of her own, having given up and accepted the position for now

"In the first place, those three over there were the part of the original Thirteen Flame-chasers." Feiyun pointed out, shocking some people in the room, "They were separated so we just filled the empty space temporarily."