WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 38 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, "A Meeting of Humans and Monsters," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 38 sees Rimuru Tempest trying his hand at international politics, and he's gathered every ally he's got to face Demon Lord Clayman, the Western Holy Church and other enemies. While Rimuru does his best to coordinate his allies and prepare for war, his inexperience with politics is clear, and he needs dwarf king Gazel Dwargo to help.
Rimuru was just an ordinary salaryman in his previous life, but he's now learning the political ropes quickly. However, Gazel Dwargo and Archduke Elalude are concerned that he's trying to do too much, too soon. They might be right.
Rimuru's New Powers & Allies Are Tough To Handle
The summit includes the merchants of Ingrassia, king Gazel Dwargo, Treyni the dryad and even Archduke Elalude of the sorcerous nation of Thalion, showing just how much influence Rimuru has at this point. Whether he can juggle all these allies is another matter, however, and Gazel is deeply concerned that Rimuru is getting in over his head by adding too many major powers to his alliance. Elalude joins Gazel and Rimuru's private conference on behalf of his nation, both to learn Rimuru's plans and to assess whether his nation should side with Tempest. Elalude is cautious but fair, and a fine potential ally for Rimuru -- if he likes what he sees.
Rimuru explains his entire life experience thus far in Reincarnated as a Slime, including his role in giving Veldora his new body. Both Gazel and Elalude are openly dismayed that Rimuru is making so many reckless power moves -- including his own ascension to True Demon Lord status -- but Gazel is a loyal ally and knows how to handle the situation.
He provides a cover story to help explain the annihilation of the Falmuth army to the entire world, but Gazel advises Rimuru to be careful about having the mighty Veldora running loose. Gazel isn't afraid of powerful people but is cautious of unintended consequences, as a responsible king should be. Veldora isn't someone to take lightly, and Rimuru's True Demon Lord status could complicate his relationship with other nations even more.
Rimuru & Veldora Vs The Holy Western Church
By giving Veldora a new human body, Reincarnated as a Slime has set Rimuru on a collision course with the Western Holy Church, which despises Veldora and other dragons. Rimuru didn't necessarily know that at the time -- in fact, he intended to spread the word of Veldora's return since it will be difficult to hide this news for long. That, combined with Hinata Sakaguchi's determination to destroy Rimuru himself, strongly suggests another battle with the Holy Church is inevitable. Rimuru isn't concerned about the firepower he faces, but he doesn't want to antagonize any organization or nation if he can help it. Gazel and the other leaders are sympathetic to this stance.
Ultimately, despite his major power plays and numerous enemies, Rimuru is confident he can find a peaceful solution for all his problems -- even if he devoured 20,000 Falmuth troops to save his nation. He is a monster in body, not at heart, and with this many experienced politicians by his side, Rimuru is sure to find an amicable resolution to this conflict with the Church. Or so he hopes.
