Chapter 34

“Ugh… so in the end, we only got one revival potion?”

“Come on, isn’t it amazing that we managed to get even one?”

Honestly, that’s true.
Considering everything we’ve gone through, it was mostly a string of disappointments. Getting lucky with Primilla was an exception—revival potions are notoriously hard to come by.

“You’re right! Feel free to praise me!”

“Of course. Lady Fiona, you truly are incredible.”

Buoyed by my compliment, Lady Fiona cheerfully retrieved the revival potion.
It seemed like she intended to start the revival process right here and now.

“Have you already decided who to revive?”

“Yes. Last time, we revived Pilkaya because we needed eyes. This time, I’ll revive someone who can fill a staff position.”

She was selecting the demon best suited for the current needs of the dungeon.
As expected of Lady Fiona. She’s always thinking about the dungeon’s well-being, befitting her role as the Demon Lord.
This would be the first resurrection of another of the Four Heavenly Kings since Pilkaya. I couldn’t help but wonder what powerful demon would be revived this time.

“A demon? An elemental? What species could it be next?”

“Well… if it’s that old guy Rigma, it’s probably a Hydra…”

“Awaken now, Rigma.”

Pilkaya answered my murmur, having overheard me.
A Hydra… one of those massive snakes with multiple heads? That sounded like a fearsome and reliable addition.

At Lady Fiona’s call, a form began to take shape.
Initially, it was just a large, unformed mass. Gradually, it should begin to resemble a humanoid…

Wait. What? It just… collapsed with a squelch! Did it fail?

In the end, the blob never took on a human shape. Instead, a silvery, liquid-like substance pooled on the ground.

It definitely wasn’t a Hydra.
Yet Lady Fiona didn’t seem the least bit flustered and calmly spoke to the liquid mass.

“Have you awakened, Rigma?”

“…Yeah, I could’ve used a little more sleep. Long time no see, Lady Demon Lord.”

It talked.
Apparently, everyone but me expected this outcome. So it wasn’t a failed resurrection.

“I appreciate being revived and all, but what’s the occasion? Here to scold me for being one of the useless Four Heavenly Kings?”

“No, I’ve summoned you because I need your strength again. Apologies to Ripianem, but I prioritized you.”

“Huh… Oh, I see Primilla and Pilkaya are already back. That’s a relief. Protecting the Demon Lord alone is a heavy burden, you know.”

He spoke in a sluggish, almost lazy tone, giving off a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
Also, he hadn’t changed from his current form—was this okay?

“Hey, Pilkaya.”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Didn’t you say something about a Hydra earlier?”

“Oh, you heard? Rigma’s a special kind of species—a Hydragrum Slime.”

Ah, I see. Hydragrum. Looks like I jumped to conclusions.

But still… a slime?

“That’s why no one was surprised when his form looked all melted.”

“Well now… who’s this? Instead of looking down on my species, you came to a thoughtful conclusion? What an unusual fellow we’ve got here.”

Apparently overhearing our conversation, Rigma made a remark.
With no visible eyes, ears, or mouth, his sudden interjection was a bit startling.

Not that I’d look down on him—he’s one of the Four Heavenly Kings, after all.

Rigma

• Magic: 95
• Strength: 83
• Skill: 99
• Endurance: 99
• Agility: 99

Looking at those stats, the thought wouldn’t even cross my mind.

“This is Rey. He’s mine. Also, he’s the brilliant demon who created the item used to revive you.”

“Well, I’m in your debt, Rey. I’m Rigma, a Hydragrum Slime. Nice to meet you.”

“Rey, a demon. Likewise.”

“You’re close to the Demon Lord, aren’t you? No need to use polite speech with anyone but her.”

“Uh… sure. Nice to meet you, Rigma.”

Satisfied with my reply, Rigma’s body shifted slightly.
…Hard to read his expressions.

“Now then, Rigma, I have a job for you.”

“Already? Can’t a guy get a break after coming back from the dead?”

“It’ll be fine. My subordinates are all highly competent.”

“Wow… when you put it like that, I guess I have no choice but to comply.”

Lady Fiona wasn’t trying to motivate him; she genuinely believed what she said.
Because of that, Rigma seemed unable to refuse.

“So, what’s the job? Something simple, I hope.”

“Working as an innkeeper.”

“…Are you expecting me to spy for some kingdom?”

“No, an innkeeper in a dungeon.”

“That makes even less sense…”

Wait… he’s a slime.
Wouldn’t Primilla or Pilkaya, who are humanoid, be better suited for the role?

“You’ll need to assume a human form. That usual sluggish one of yours.”

“Coming from you, Demon Lord, that’s rich. We’re neck-and-neck in laziness, you know.”

“In fact, I’m winning! My subordinates and dungeon are in ruins—I’ve got zero motivation left. How about we all just become recluses together?”

Lady Fiona’s motivation had completely disappeared.
Rigma, seemingly alarmed, hurried to calm her down.

“If Rey weren’t around, we might’ve been able to pull that off…”

“Don’t let her hear that. Otherwise, we might end up in some underground bunker instead of the Demon Realm.”

Thankfully, Pilkaya’s playful jab didn’t reach Lady Fiona’s ears.

“Fine, let’s do this…”

With a groan, Rigma spoke. His silver, liquid-like body began to morph into a humanoid form.
It was like watching the revival potion process—the texture slowly changed until…

Before me stood a middle-aged man.
Not just any man—a completely human appearance.

“Whoa… amazing.”

“Thanks. This is about the only thing I’m good at.”

This time, I wasn’t surprised by him speaking. His eyes, mouth, and other features now all functioned like a human’s.

“Rigma can assume many forms thanks to his unique abilities as a Hydragrum Slime.”

“This is my default form, though. I can become other things, but this is the most comfortable.”

“Rigma’s mercury-like body allows him to transform freely. He and Pilkaya were once tasked with espionage in other nations.”

Ah, now I understood why Lady Fiona had chosen him.

In this form, he didn’t look like a demon at all.
Whether or not he could be detected through other means was unclear, but visually, he passed as human.

This made him an ideal choice for working at the inn without drawing enemy attention.

Still, assigning a member of the Four Heavenly Kings to such a mundane role…
It felt like a luxurious waste of talent.

◆

“Why’d we have to take this path…”

“A puddle… no, a slime!”

“And its body… I’ve never seen anything like it. Silver?”

The silver liquid spread out at the edge of their vision. The hero’s party belatedly realized it was a demon.

While the heroes immediately readied themselves for battle, the slime began moving sluggishly, its demeanor completely unmotivated.

“I’m Rigma of the Four Heavenly Kings. Well, nice to meet you. You see, I can’t just let heroes pass by without doing anything—it’s part of the job. So, if you’d kindly just die quickly, that’d really help me out.”

“Don’t joke around!”

Though Rigma’s words were not meant to provoke, the swordsman boy charged forward in fury.

However, contrary to his laid-back tone, the slime instantly transformed part of its body into a spear and thrust it at the boy with terrifying speed.

“Damn it!”

“Ah, see? This is exactly why I hate this kind of thing. It’d be so much better if strong, young folks like Primilla or Pilkaya dealt with each other instead.”

Manipulating its liquid mercury body as weapons, Rigma relentlessly attacked the heroes with sharp, hardened strikes.

But the heroes had grown stronger through their previous battles. Such straightforward attacks were no longer enough to hit them.

“This is bad… at this rate, I might lose here.”

Even Rigma’s formidable body wasn’t enough to keep him from being pushed back by the heroes’ unrelenting attacks.

His durability was a key strength, so he wasn’t easily defeated, but the heroes didn’t falter either.

“You’re tough! But we’ve already gotten used to that thanks to Primilla!”

“Oh… I see. So you killed Primilla and gained some confidence, huh? Well, as one of her comrades, I can’t let her reputation go unanswered.”

Saying this, the slime morphed into the form of a small demon, one the heroes recognized.

A figure they thought they had already defeated: Primilla of the Four Heavenly Kings.

“Primilla!?”

“Sorry… still just me on the inside. But since I’m nearly as durable as her, I figure this’ll make for a pretty good reenactment of your last fight.”

With an uncharacteristically languid expression for Primilla, Rigma charged at the heroes, attacking in her form.

True to his words, the durability was indeed formidable—but not as great as Primilla’s.

Having defeated her once before, the heroes were confident of their victory, even without letting down their guard.

“This is nothing compared to Primilla or Pilkaya!”

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve decided to even the odds with numbers.”

“Two now!? No, three!?”

Just as the priestess exclaimed, three Primillas split off and began attacking the heroes simultaneously, each with its own movements.

The priestess was the first to fall, taking away their means of healing.

Next was the spirit mage, robbing them of their ability to wipe out enemies with wide-area magic.

One by one, they were picked off until the heroes’ journey ended there.

“Well, that’s that. Don’t take it personally. You killed my comrades too, after all.”

◆

“A slime? Alright, weakling incoming! Let’s take down this Four Heavenly King and rack up massive EXP!”

“Wait, these days slimes are often really strong…”

“It’s tough! Are all the Four Heavenly Kings like this!?”

“If the boss keeps staggering, we might actually get stuck in a loop here.”

“There’s too many of them! Primilla’s cute, but if it’s an old guy on the inside, I don’t want her!”

“Her durability seems to be lower than the real thing, at least. But… what if it transforms into Pilkaya next?”

“Totally possible… maybe this boss gets more dangerous if you don’t take it out first?”

Though they suspected this, they had already defeated two of the Four Heavenly Kings.

Reluctant to start over, the group continued to face Rigma repeatedly, getting defeated time after time in the process.

Unbeknownst to them, even if they had fought him first, he would have seamlessly transformed into the other Four Heavenly Kings anyway.