Myormail hurried back to his mansion.
The butler rushed out to greet him, but he paid no mind and headed straight for the guest room.
Would they really be waiting for him?
Anxious, he entered the room.
Inside, the lovely young girl (?) from before was lounging on a sofa at the back.
And upon seeing Myormail, she flashed a bright smile.
"Hey! You're back early."
That carefree, rough-spoken greeting accompanied by a casual wave—nothing like what her appearance suggested.
It was unquestionably Rimuru.
Myormail was certain, and he celebrated his master's safe return.
The household staff showed no suspicion at their master's behavior and treated Rimuru with equal courtesy.
After all, Rimuru had stayed here before, so they were probably used to it by now.
After having the cold tea reheated, Myormail asked about the purpose of Rimuru's visit.
"Oh, it's nothing really. I have a job I'd like to commission you for—nothing major, something that should be easy for you, Myormail. I've got a little project in mind, and I'd like to put you in charge as the general manager. What do you say—can I count on you?"
Rimuru grinned with that sly smile, looking thoroughly mischievous.
While Myormail couldn't read the thoughts behind those eyes, he could tell this was trouble as clear as day.
And yet— "So, what exactly is this project, Master?"
For some reason, Myormail found himself leaning in to hear more.
It seemed he had become completely enamored with this person. For a merchant to act on such feelings without considering profit and loss was simply unheard of.
He might have become a poor merchant. He thought as much.
But if he'd failed as a merchant, wouldn't this be an even better opportunity to serve this person?
With that thought, he imagined himself serving Rimuru.
Just that alone sent an indescribable thrill coursing through his body.
Rimuru explained.
The proposal was astonishing.
He wanted to host a martial tournament in the monster nation, and he was entrusting all the arrangements to Myormail.
Rimuru used the word "entertainment venture," but in essence, he was proposing to provide entertainment for the masses.
They would prepare an arena capable of holding ten thousand spectators, where people could watch fighters battle and cheer them on.
Ordinary citizens would be given access, and admission fees would be charged.
Though, apparently, admission could even be free— If it served as advertising for the monster nation's cuisine, inns, baths, and other attractions.
More importantly, this meant mobilizing ten thousand people. Even with well-maintained highways, arranging provisions along the route for that many was a massive undertaking.
And then there was the reception infrastructure—accommodations for all those visitors.
The money these people would spend just by gathering in one place alone would be enormously profitable, Rimuru said.
The monster nation's lodging facilities were being developed at a remarkable pace, so accommodating everyone wouldn't be the issue.
The real problem was the need to attract visitors regularly and improve the profit margins.
This martial tournament would serve as bait to draw them in.
This was too exciting!
Rimuru had prepared everything so thoroughly, set the entire plate—and now he was handing the reins to Myormail!
"This kind of thing is best left to a professional, right? Myormail, you're not lacking confidence, are you?"
"Ha—ha ha ha ha! My, my, what a harsh test. Master Rimuru, you're quite the cruel one."
"Ha ha ha ha! Right? Right? You've got this in the bag, Myormail!"
The two laughed loudly together.
Both wore wicked grins on their faces.
"You do realize this is going to involve serious money, right? Surely you understand?"
"Heh heh heh heh. Rest assured—this is Myormail's specialty!
I will absolutely deliver results that satisfy you, Master Rimuru!"
This tournament would involve enormous sums of money.
Exactly as Rimuru had said.
Good grief… what a terrifying person.
How far ahead did he see? It was frightening to contemplate.
"In that case, I can see a new use for Recovery Potions as well. As long as participants aren't killed instantly, they can recover from any wound, no matter how severe… So we could sell them to fighters as stamina regulators. And the true goal is advertising, yes? Promoting the monster nation and making visitors want to come again and again? My job is to plan the entertainment venture that accomplishes that…"
"…I knew it. As expected, Myormail—you're the only one I can entrust this to! Even if the tournament itself generates no direct profit, that's fine. The key is making people think, 'I want to come again!' Leave the selection of who to invite to you. I'm counting on you!"
Without prompting, the two shook hands.
Myormail felt his mind sharpen to a terrifying degree, ideas he'd never conceived before bubbling up one after another.
When managing things as a nation, the possibilities were truly infinite.
Even just organizing a betting pool on the tournament winner could generate enormous revenue.
As he cycled through various ideas and reflected on the weight of responsibility he'd been given, excitement surged from the depths of his being, making his body tremble.
He would do it. He would prove himself! And he would serve this Demon Lord!
Another voice reached out to him.
"Oh, and one more thing—if things go well after this tournament, would you like to come work for me directly? I'd like to put you in charge of either the commercial division or the public relations division. The title doesn't matter much. We're going to keep growing, so I want to make sure we have proper organizational structure in place. What do you think?"
What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? …………?
Those words struck the heartstrings of Myormail's soul like a divine hymn, reverberating over and over again.
Myormail nodded deeply and accepted.
Of course.
This person valued him this highly.
Failure was not an option.
He would make this tournament a spectacular success, and earn his place at this person's right hand!
For the first time in his life, Myormail experienced a burning excitement and hope and dreams that consumed his entire being, leaving him unable to sit still.
That feeling was like sweet nectar—something he never wanted to lose.
Even after the meeting ended and Rimuru departed, Myormail's excitement showed no signs of subsiding.
Things were about to get very busy.
First, he gathered the household staff and made a declaration.
Once this tournament was successfully concluded—and he fully intended to make it succeed—he had no plans to return to Blumund Kingdom.
He announced this to everyone.
Then he asked: "What about you? If you'd like, you're free to do as you wish with this estate."
The entire household staff answered in unison: "Please, let us accompany you!"
There was no longer a shred of hesitation or attachment left in this country for Myormail.
Though Myormail held official status in the country, he was also a member of the Free Guild.
He had the freedom to leave and travel elsewhere.
When inspiration struck, act quickly!
Giving up this mansion might make things inconvenient if he ever needed to return.
So, a few people would remain behind to use it as a base of operations during Blumund Kingdom affairs.
He ordered the household to prepare for the move and returned to his trading company.
He called the store manager into the back room.
No sooner had the man taken his seat than Myormail cut straight to the heart of it: "Hey, you've really grown into something. I think you can handle running this shop on your own now."
The man's eyes went wide as he struggled to understand the meaning behind those words.
This store manager was a young relative who'd been placed in the shop as an apprentice.
He was quite sharp, and Myormail had taken a liking to him.
When his family's business had collapsed and he had nowhere else to go, that was when Myormail had hired him as the store's manager.
His work was impeccable—he was more than qualified to take over the shop.
"Boss… what exactly do you mean by that?"
Unable to believe what he'd heard, he asked timidly.
Myormail nodded firmly.
"Truth is, I've been given a very important job. Since I'm leaving the country, I'd like to hand this shop over to you. Make it flourish, and one day, call the old man back home."
With a warm smile, Myormail clapped him on the shoulder.
In truth, while he was handing over the shop, he was merely leasing it. He'd draw up the paperwork and fully expected to recoup the money eventually.
After all, Myormail was still a merchant at heart—not so naive as all that.
Then again…
(If he can't even pay for a shop like this, then he simply doesn't have what it takes to go far.)
Half of him still held the strict heart of a teacher.
"Thank you, thank you so much… I will absolutely, without fail, grow this into something worthy of your trust!"
Savoring those words, the manager finally understood and expressed his gratitude.
Myormail brushed it off with a wave and said grandly: "Work hard!"
Then, he went through the procedures without a hitch.
As a precaution, he secured a promise that the shop would be given priority access to goods should any issues arise.
He left nothing to chance.
After receiving the manager's determination and gratitude, he gathered the shop staff and announced the change of ownership.
To their shock, he added: "If you ever run into serious trouble, come to me for advice. But I trust that you all can manage under the new system. Just remember—never make careless deals with nobles!"
The shop staff all nodded in agreement.
Myormail's training had been thorough; not a single one of them was careless.
But then— "Um… could we go with the old boss?"
Several people spoke up.
About five of them—each one someone Myormail had personally taken under his wing.
This surprised even Myormail.
He never imagined they'd give up their livelihoods just to follow him.
He hesitated, unsure how to respond.
But those who'd spoken showed no sign of backing down.
Glancing at the former store manager, he smiled and nodded: "Myormail, sir, all of them are people who received your teachings. Please take them with you."
"But if these five leave, won't that put too much burden on you?"
"Ha ha ha! There's no need to worry at all! I've received your teachings as well, after all!"
Those reassuring words settled it with a single nod.
When he thought about it, dependable subordinates who knew your temperament were invaluable when undertaking a major project.
He decided to accept their offer.
And so, Myormail settled his affairs and set off on his journey toward the monster nation.
--- After leaving Myormail's mansion, I finally let out a breath of relief.
Good—they actually accepted.
A martial tournament sounded great, but could I turn this into something more?
That thought was where it all began.
You don't fall down without getting something out of it, after all.
I immediately ordered the construction of an arena. The area that had been damaged during our battle with the Holy Knights—we'd cleared it and flattened it into open ground.
I decided to build a grand arena right there. The location was perfect, with great access to transportation.
At the same time, I dispatched notices announcing my Demon Lord appointment, and included the tournament announcement as well.
I also decided to have the powerful monsters of the Great Forest of Jura participate.
The idea was to double as a scouting effort. If we were going to become a nation, recruiting powerful monsters under our banner was part of the job—this was a perfect opportunity.
I'd heard that the other Demon Lords recruited demon-born as subordinates to expand their forces, but who knew if they were actually strong?
But this time, we'd have them fight for real—so you could tell at a glance.
Actually, even if participant numbers were low, as long as we had plenty of spectators, it wouldn't be a problem.
If we showed off how strong our executives were, it would put a stop to any rogue magic-born stirring up trouble.
Though any fools who still did would just have to be crushed. If possible, it'd be better to bring them under our umbrella.
After all, we'd heard that angels were going to attack.
It was the first I'd heard of it, but learning that didn't dim my resolve to continue development one bit.
Living in comfort and ease—that is my dream!
So, with that said, I'd been considering expanding our military strength a bit.
Powerful individuals from various major clans would gather, and the winner would receive special privileges.
Monsters didn't seem interested in money, so I'd put out the notice that I'd fulfill their wishes to the greatest extent possible.
Apparently, quite a few had already expressed interest in participating.
And if that was the case, we'd be fools not to put on a show.
As a big fan of year-end fighting events, I could tell this was perfect entertainment.
But even charging money was troublesome—the ticket pricing alone was a headache.
Admission could be free for all I cared, but if it didn't serve to promote the monster nation, it was pointless.
While I was mulling this over, I arrived at the conclusion that we were short on personnel for managing the operation.
There simply weren't any monsters with a talent for financial management.
I couldn't do it myself, and more importantly, it would be tedious.
That's when I remembered Myormail.
No—he really was an extraordinary individual.
I don't know what angle he was working from, but he started brainstorming ideas with even more enthusiasm than I had anticipated.
Not just this once—he was planning to host multiple tournaments.
He even began developing a plan to sell Recovery Potions at the event.
What a terrifying man.
If that was the case, maybe I shouldn't settle for a disposable arena and should build something proper instead.
Thinking that, I hurried to contact Geld.
They were apparently still in the early stages of foundation work, so expanding the project and making it more grand was no problem at all.
I really shouldn't have run my mouth off at that drinking party—now it had become a real thing.
Incidentally, all of the executives had disappeared, claiming they were doing some kind of "secret training."
In my shadow,
Now then—since I'd come all the way to Blumund Kingdom, I'd pay Fuse a visit before heading home.
I opened the door to the Free Guild's Blumund branch and stepped inside.
Stares that practically screamed "Who are you?" pierced through me.
Oh right—last time I'd been wearing a mask, so they had no idea who I was.
Whatever. If they couldn't arrange a meeting with Fuse, I'd just leave.
Taking it easy, I approached the reception desk.
"Hey there. Name's Rimuru—could you get me a meeting with Fuse? Oh, here's my guild card."
Saying that, I pulled the card from my pocket—well, my stomach—and presented it.
I heard someone whisper "That girl is an adventurer!?" but I didn't care.
The receptionist actually remembered me.
"Oh! Well, long time no see! How have you been?"
"Hmm? Oh, great, doing great! You look well too. So, can you get me in?"
"Oh, yes! Let me take you right away!"
I was let through without any fuss.
Behind me, I could hear people saying things like "No way! Who is that girl!?" but I ignored them.
Just like last time, I passed through the magic circle and entered the room.
Inside, Fuse was sitting with his head in his hands.
"Hey! Just dropping by for a visit. What's wrong? You look troubled."
"Well, up until recently everything was peaceful, but then suddenly a Demon Lord showed up…"
"Huh? For real? That's bad! You've been taking it way too easy!"
"No, no—that Demon Lord is standing right in front of you. What am I supposed to do about that?"
"Eh? Is that so? Should I make you some tea? If you've got cake, I think he'd appreciate it."
"Cake? What the hell is cake?! You think something that extravagant is just lying around? Honestly, can you really be this carefree even after becoming a Demon Lord?"
Grumbling all the while, he prepared tea for me.
Despite appearances, he was a diligent man.
I thanked him and took the tea. Then I gave him a brief rundown of everything that had happened since the Demon Lords' banquet.
That there were now eight Demon Lords, and that their new title was the "Eight Star Demon Lords."
And most importantly—the matter of the Free Guild's supreme commander,
After listening to my story, Fuse murmured in disbelief.
However, without doubting the information itself, he immediately began considering countermeasures.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was skeptical but pragmatic.
If he was wrong, no harm done—but if he was right, countermeasures were essential.
As always, he was someone you couldn't afford to let your guard down around. Truly dependable.
"Because of all this, it'd be wise to have magical artifacts on hand that can resist mental domination. We're preparing them for everyone too. Also—only tell this to people you're absolutely certain haven't been compromised by Yuuki."
"Understood… Of course. I'll start looking into people who can break through brainwashing or thought manipulation right away!"
His instincts were razor-sharp as always.
Without me having to say a word, he'd begin investigating quietly on his own.
"If you run into any trouble, contact me."
I said that, then handed him a long-distance communication orb and a hundred gold coins.
"Hey, boss… this is…"
"Contact methods and operating expenses. You'll need them, right?"
"This helps. Wait—if you're handing over this much, things must be really serious."
"Of course they are. Ingracia can no longer be trusted. Think about it—how far do you think Yuuki's reach could extend with ten years to work?"
Those words drove home the gravity of the situation for Fuse.
He nodded repeatedly, sighing in exasperation.
"Things really were peaceful before you showed up, you know…"
"Hey, look at it this way—now you've got real work to do! Isn't that great? A big job just fell into your lap!"
I raised both hands in a surrendering gesture.
"Consider it accepted."
His face was set with resolve.
From his perspective, being told to suspect the highest authority of his own headquarters couldn't have been easy.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, I explained the situation in detail.
My objective: the children at the academy.
I relayed this to Fuse. If Yuuki was suspicious, we needed to rescue the children.
However, if I intervened too directly, it would reveal that I was onto him. We needed to act carefully.
Ideally, it would be best to disguise our rescue operation as an abduction by a third party with no connection to me.
Fuse nodded and began thinking through a strategy.
Above all, we couldn't rush.
We didn't even know if we'd been discovered yet, so there was no need for drastic measures.
Better to take it slow and proceed with caution.
"I've accepted the assignment. Leave it to me!"
Fuse nodded firmly and made his promise.
For now, the priority was to assess the extent of the thought manipulation being carried out by trusted individuals.
And if possible, secure the children.
Right now, all I could do was entrust it to him.
"I'm counting on you!"
We nodded to each other and worked out the details.