Yesterday's cake was delicious.
So I came back to soothe my tired heart from the meeting—such was the excuse.
As expected of the royal capital of the Kingdom of Englassia, where the Free Guild headquarters was located.
Yuuki had done a truly fine job.
Finding "otherworlders" and protecting them. Not just those with high abilities, but their knowledge and their techniques. It was probably their obsession with food that resonated with me the most.
Honestly, meals at a remote village level just weren't going to cut it. Modern Japan was simply too luxurious.
Every day it was boiled potatoes, or tasteless soup with bitter herbs thrown in. That kind of meal was the norm.
Salt was a luxury item, so flavorful cooking itself was rare.
Even the bread was only the worst kind—so hard you'd struggle to eat it as is. Attempting to improve meals was only natural, though whether it could actually be done was another matter.
Unlike me, they couldn't convey the knowledge of their original world to others through ability-based image transfer. What they did—trial and error among "otherworlders" who shared common knowledge—was undoubtedly the right approach.
This aspect was highly commendable.
Thanks to their efforts, I was able to eat cake in this world too.
I'd come to the royal capital of Englassia to attend the council meeting, but this might have been even more important than that.
Today's goal was to negotiate for recipes.
According to
I greeted the shop owner, Gilsh, and asked if he'd be willing to teach Shuna how to make the cake.
He might have been keeping the recipes secret, but I figured I'd ask just in case.
"Huh? You want me to teach you how to make my cake?
There's no way I'm just gonna hand over my secret recipe like that!
I'm glad you like the cake, but this thing is packed with the efforts of all sorts of people.
Can't just give it away easily."
Well, a natural response.
There were similar shops scattered throughout this city. But among all the ones I'd visited and sampled, this was the only one with the real deal.
The other shops were obviously just copying this one. The owner had to be an "otherworlder" too.
"Please, we're asking you."
Shuna bowed politely, hands folded together, bending at the waist with a graceful elegance that was simply mesmerizing to watch.
"...Guh. Your charm offensive won't work on me!
But, if you can make anything—anything at all—that'll satisfy me, then I might consider it."
Oh my.
Shuna had managed to extract a compromise point. I'd been prepared to have her do the research herself, but Shuna's cooking was top-class.
This might actually work.
"Shuna. Give it everything you've got!
Make your finest dish to blow that insolent shop owner away!"
"Yes. Understood!"
Shuna was fired up. The cake had ignited a fire in her heart.
She borrowed the kitchen and prepared her supreme dish.
It was tamagoyaki—the rolled omelet.
The dish so renowned that one look at an omelet could tell you a chef's skill—the ultimate test.
Gilsh stared at the plate set before him, swallowed hard, and without a word, raised a single bite to his mouth on a fork.
"Delicious!!"
A one-hit knockout.
With Shuna's overwhelming culinary prowess, Gilsh had acknowledged her completely.
"Thank you very much."
Shuna smiled radiantly.
That was the finishing blow. Pierced right through the heart, Gilsh had fallen completely.
"Tch. Fine, fine! But this is special, okay?"
The muscular older man responded to Shuna with a bashful grin.
Honestly, he looked completely love-struck. Well, Shuna was an adorable girl with lovely light-pink hair, so it was understandable.
Gilsh began explaining the cake recipe to Shuna in the kitchen.
...…
……
…
When we arrived at the venue where the meeting was to be held, several council members came to greet us.
Apparently, they'd heard about us from people who'd attended the martial arts tournament and wanted to forge ties with me.
Thinking about future networking, I responded warmly and graciously.
"Ha ha ha ha! So you're Lord Rimuru, the one they call the Demon Lord? You seem like quite an affable fellow!"
"Oh my, indeed, indeed. I hope you'll continue to look favorably upon us.
By the way, I hear you're producing all sorts of interesting goods?
We'd be happy to handle those products in our country as well!"
"Oh yes, that matter! We feel the same. We'd be willing to cooperate.
Naturally, with an appropriate return—anything more would be too forward."
Oh, um.
I was at a loss for words, mouth agape, so to speak.
This wasn't just rude—they were practically being insolent!
I'd thought they were nobles, so I'd been playing nice, which may have been a mistake. Judging by their response, my agreeable demeanor had led them to seriously misunderstand the situation.
Well, whatever. It was a hassle. I didn't need to sell goods to these guys anyway—I could still sell through the Guild, which remained as a subordinate organization under the Arbitration Committee.
"Ah, yes. Feel free to contact us if that time comes."
I'd play it smooth—dodge the whole thing and make it as if the conversation never happened.
The mature approach, this was. If they wanted it, they could come buy it.
After light greetings and a smiling refusal to the rude council members, I excused myself.
If I lingered any longer, more council members would likely come over.
Though my morning had gotten off to a bad start, I figured someone might ask a favor eventually, so I held my patience and entered the venue.
And then the meeting began... and that was where the real hell started.
At the previous session, the proposal to request our cooperation had been submitted by Hinata—I knew this because I'd heard it from her directly.
The proposal was for us to handle their defense in exchange for a set payment. Since the other side was clearly trying to use us, we'd use them right back.
That part was mutually fair enough. We were situated right on the Empire's invasion route regardless. If we were going to fight anyway, it made perfect sense to secure our back line.
And if they were willing to pay defense fees, we might as well take them. No reason to refuse.
And the main topic.
Getting them to hand over all their surplus military forces—that was the purpose for accepting this meeting's invitation.
In other words, we'd demonstrate the power of monsters and show that we possessed formidable military strength.
The various nations would pay us defense fees and we'd be "used" as they saw fit. But in reality, by consolidating our military power, the nations wouldn't be able to ignore the Monster Country any longer.
The Monster Country was already recognized as a nation. We were aiming for coexistence and prosperity with human society, so there was no objection to taking on a defensive role within the national alliance.
Beyond that, with our military strength as leverage, we could also keep the various nations in check—a two-for-one deal.
Hinata's goal was aligned with this as well; she'd said they intended to leave the defense of the Great Forest of Jura region to us.
The committee's direct soldiers, even including the Holy Knights, were few in number. That was precisely why they'd established a base and intended to entrust emergency responses to us.
I had agreed with this plan too—being used while still extracting real benefits was my intended approach.
So how did it end up like this?
The table I'd kicked soared into the air, and when it came crashing back down, I smashed it to splinters with my heel.
Leaning back in my chair with legs crossed, I glared at the council members whose faces had gone pale with shock, and internally, I let out a sigh.
No, at first I had been patient.
It was well known among adults that my heart was wider than the ocean—a reputation bolstered by my recent exploits.
They called me a paragon of patience. Even dealing with Milim and her selfish tantrums was a piece of cake. With my magnanimous heart, I'd been able to laugh off and forgive Milim's whims.
But...
What about the selfish demands of those greedy, utterly unlikeable old council members?
The answer lay in the great table, now shattered on the floor before me.
"Hey, you lot. Are you taking me for granted?
Running your mouths however you like—am I your servant or something?
Huh? Not gonna answer even if I keep quiet?!"
In the silent assembly hall, my voice rang out quietly.
I wasn't shouting, but my voice carried fear along with it as it reached the council members.
It wasn't like I'd used "Demon Lord Aura" or anything of the sort.
Using that on humans would put them in a state of panic at best, and at worst they'd go insane or die of fright.
I could use mind control too, but if I did that, any friendship with humanity would be completely blown out of the water. I had no interest in spending the rest of my life with puppets who could only say "yes" in a dull, uninteresting existence.
So this time, I'd simply let my anger out, broken the table, and resorted to plain intimidation.
But even so, the effect was tremendous.
"N-No, Lord Rimuru! We didn't mean it that way..."
First of all.
To think they'd summoned a king of a nation and then addressed him with just "Lord."
In terms of national standing, that honorific might have been acceptable if I were a vassal state's king, but this was not how you addressed a leader of an equal nation.
They were clearly treating monsters as beneath them.
And then there was the content of their demands from earlier on.
Telling me to reveal the structure of the magic-powered railcar, demanding joint management of the dungeon, claiming that residents of the satellite cities didn't technically "belong" to the Monster Country so they should pay taxes...
They'd spouted whatever they pleased.
I was technically a Demon Lord, so I'd expected them to treat me accordingly, but it had been far worse than I'd imagined.
These were supposed to be nobles representing their nations. My patience, vast as it was, had finally reached its limit.
No—if Yuuki had been handling crooks like these, then he was quite the cunning fox. It was simply too much for me.
《Notification. That is precisely why I offered to handle it on your behalf.》 Was Raphael saying something? No, I must have imagined it.
Raphael was just a skill—there was no way it could speak up so freely on its own.
I was so angry I was hearing things. But at least I'd calmed down a little, so that was something.
"Oh? Then what exactly are you trying to say?
You're suggesting I should work like a draft horse under your command as your slave?"
"N-No! Absolutely not! That is not what we intended to convey at all..."
Turning to the council member desperately trying to justify himself, I suddenly noticed something off.
His eyes were fixed on the door at the back of the meeting hall.
Listening carefully, I could hear multiple footsteps. It sounded like they'd called the guards.
Just as I realized this, the doors were thrown open and several soldiers along with a large man burst in.
"Well, well! Quite the spirited one! So you're the fool who calls himself the Demon Lord.
But with only three people at your back, do you really think you can be that arrogant?
Fool!
I'll beat you into submission, and your monster friends will follow along nicely!"
The large man roared at the top of his lungs the moment he entered.
What? Excuse me?
Beat me into submission?
What was he talking about? Had I gone stupid, or was his meaning just completely beyond me?
《Analysis. This large man is declaring that he will defeat Master and bring you under his control.》 I know that! What do you think, I'm stupid?
Being explained to so matter-of-factly really did make me feel like I was an idiot.
"Hey... Is this the consensus of the council?"
My weary question was met with: "Are you stupid, or what? That's obvious! Or wait—did I scare you?
If you get down on your knees and lick my boots right now, I might let you off without the pain!"
The large man replied with a vulgar grin.
But among the council members who'd been frozen in fear and confusion, I could hear distinctly different reactions: "I wasn't told about this. What's going on?"
"Who's behind this?"
"That soldier is wearing armor bearing the crest of the Englassia royal family.
Does that mean this is Englassia's doing?"
Some were bewildered, others making calm assessments—clearly not all of them were involved.
So this wasn't a council decision—it was a rogue action by certain factions. Hinata didn't seem to have known about it either, so it definitely wasn't the consensus.
That was my judgment.
"Hey. You don't have permission to enter.
This is the council meeting hall, and a session is currently in progress.
You soldiers have no business being here."
Hinata calmly urged the large man and his companions to leave, but: "Ha ha ha, Lady Hinata. That's perfectly fine.
I called them here myself. To deal with that lawless scoundrel over there."
"Lord Gyaban, have you lost your mind?
I haven't heard anything about this...
Or are you placing your own judgment above the council's resolution?"
Hinata's voice had turned cold and low.
Ah, she was genuinely furious. That confirmed it—those idiots had acted on their own.
"Shut it, woman. Huh?
Former Holy Knight Commander or whatever—I'm Lainer, Captain of the Englassia Royal Guard, and you're no match for me!
That scrawny Demon Lord over there lost and ran off crying, didn't he? Yes, you, Holy Knight Commander!
I'm sure you only got that position by using your looks on some lecherous cardinal anyway.
A bunch of small fry in a petty fight—that Demon Lord who didn't even have the guts to kill isn't worth my time!
But hey, you're not bad-looking. If you say you'll become my woman, I might take you on as a concubine."
Yep. This guy was dead.
Hinata's expression didn't change. As always, she wore that cold, beautiful face.
But in inverse proportion to her cold exterior, her inner state must have been like raging magma.
"Oh my, Sir Lainer. That's rather vulgar, isn't it?
But you see, I too am interested in the Demon Lord. We can't let one person hog her.
Oh, and I forgot to mention—this Lainer here is a hero who's even defeated A-rank adventurers.
There are plenty of warriors stronger than you lot, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't get too full of yourselves."
A creepy, indescribable chill ran down my spine.
Disgusting. This old man was terrifying enough to make even me—me, who rarely flinched at anything these days—feel unsettled.
"—— Hey. Is this... the Kingdom of Englassia's official position?"
Hinata asked in a calm voice devoid of anger.
"Heh heh, that's correct. The council has already reached its decision.
Well, the vote will be held now, of course."
With that, a young man with golden hair stood up.
The assembly hall buzzed with murmurs.
"Prince Erlick—— Is this your doing?"
"That's right, Hinata. Sit down."
A prince...?
This idiot—no, this prince—was behind all of this?
He appeared to be a prince of the Kingdom of Englassia, and he'd been inciting several council members.
"Then, let us vote.
We will defeat the Demon Lord right here and bring her under our control.
Those in favor, please stand!"
The prince's voice rang out triumphantly, and a majority of the council members rose with nasty grins on their faces.
It appeared they'd had everything properly coordinated in advance.
Each nation's financial situation, the reactions of their royals. And the records of parliamentary proceedings in each nation—
However, I hadn't expected individual council members to be bribed. Not considering that possibility was my oversight.
《Notification. No, that's not a problem. It's within expected parameters.》 Huh? Within expected parameters?
I thought I caught a fleeting illusion of Raphael wearing a dark smile.
"Lord Rimuru, take this."
Souei approached and handed me several ledgers.
Ah... secret account books. So it really was within expected parameters.
At some point, he'd obtained ledger books documenting the bribes paid to the council members who'd been colluding with the prince.
Flawless work.
The number of ledgers matched the number of council members who'd stood at Prince Erlick's command. With irrefutable evidence in hand, this was already nothing but theater.
The council members who hadn't stood exchanged glances uneasily: "I wasn't informed of this! What is the meaning of this?"
"Who's behind this?"
"That soldier is wearing armor bearing the crest of the Englassia royal family.
Does that mean this is Englassia's doing?"
Some were bewildered, others making calm assessments—clearly not all of them were involved.
So this wasn't a council decision—it was a rogue action by certain factions. Hinata didn't seem to have known about it either, so it definitely wasn't the consensus.
That was my judgment.
"Hey. You don't have permission to enter.
This is the council meeting hall, and a session is currently in progress.
You soldiers have no business being here."
Hinata calmly urged the large man and his companions to leave, but: "Ha ha ha, Lady Hinata. That's perfectly fine.
I called them here myself. To deal with that lawless scoundrel over there."
"Lord Gyaban, have you lost your mind?
I haven't heard anything about this...
Or are you placing your own judgment above the council's resolution?"
Hinata's voice had turned cold and low.
Ah, she was genuinely furious. That confirmed it—those idiots had acted on their own.
"Shut it, woman. Huh?
Former Holy Knight Commander or whatever—I'm Lainer, Captain of the Englassia Royal Guard, and you're no match for me!
That scrawny Demon Lord over there lost and ran off crying, didn't he? Yes, you, Holy Knight Commander!
I'm sure you only got that position by using your looks on some lecherous cardinal anyway.
A bunch of small fry in a petty fight—that Demon Lord who didn't even have the guts to kill isn't worth my time!
But hey, you're not bad-looking. If you say you'll become my woman, I might take you on as a concubine."
Yep. This guy was dead.
Hinata's expression didn't change. As always, she wore that cold, beautiful face.
But in inverse proportion to her cold exterior, her inner state must have been like raging magma.
"Oh my, Sir Lainer. That's rather vulgar, isn't it?
But you see, I too am interested in the Demon Lord. We can't let one person hog her.
Oh, and I forgot to mention—this Lainer here is a hero who's even defeated A-rank adventurers.
There are plenty of warriors stronger than you lot, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't get too full of yourselves."
A creepy, indescribable chill ran down my spine.
Disgusting. This old man was terrifying enough to make even me—me, who rarely flinched at anything these days—feel unsettled.
"—— Hey. Is this... the Kingdom of Englassia's official position?"
Hinata asked in a calm voice devoid of anger.
"Heh heh, that's correct. The council has already reached its decision.
Well, the vote will be held now, of course."
With that, a young man with golden hair stood up.
The assembly hall buzzed with murmurs.
"Prince Erlick—— Is this your doing?"
"That's right, Hinata. Sit down."
A prince...?
This idiot—no, this prince—was behind all of this?
He appeared to be a prince of the Kingdom of Englassia, and he'd been inciting several council members.
"Then, let us vote.
We will defeat the Demon Lord right here and bring her under our control.
Those in favor, please stand!"
The prince's voice rang out triumphantly, and a majority of the council members rose with nasty grins on their faces.
It appeared they'd had everything properly coordinated in advance.
Each nation's financial situation, the reactions of their royals. And the records of parliamentary proceedings in each nation—Souei had investigated all of it.
However, I hadn't expected individual council members to be bribed. Not considering that possibility was my oversight.
《Notification. No, that's not a problem. It's within expected parameters.》 Huh? Within expected parameters?
I thought I caught a fleeting illusion of Raphael wearing a dark smile.
"Lord Rimuru, take this."
Souei approached and handed me several ledgers.
Ah... secret account books. So it really was within expected parameters.
At some point, he'd obtained ledger books documenting the bribes paid to the council members who'd been colluding with the prince.
Flawless work.
The number of ledgers matched the number of council members who'd stood at Prince Erlick's command. With irrefutable evidence in hand, this was already nothing but theater.
The council members who hadn't stood exchanged glances uneasily: "I wasn't informed of this! What is the meaning of this?"
"Who's behind this?"
"That soldier is wearing armor bearing the crest of the Englassia royal family.
Does that mean this is Englassia's doing?"
Some were bewildered, others making calm assessments—clearly not all of them were involved.
So this wasn't a council decision—it was a rogue action by certain factions. Hinata didn't seem to have known about it either, so it definitely wasn't the consensus.
That was my judgment.
"Hey. You don't have permission to enter.
This is the council meeting hall, and a session is currently in progress.
You soldiers have no business being here."
Hinata calmly urged the large man and his companions to leave, but: "Ha ha ha, Lady Hinata. That's perfectly fine.
I called them here myself. To deal with that lawless scoundrel over there."
"Lord Gyaban, have you lost your mind?
I haven't heard anything about this...
Or are you placing your own judgment above the council's resolution?"
Hinata's voice had turned cold and low.
Ah, she was genuinely furious. That confirmed it—those idiots had acted on their own.
"Shut it, woman. Huh?
Former Holy Knight Commander or whatever—I'm Lainer, Captain of the Englassia Royal Guard, and you're no match for me!
That scrawny Demon Lord over there lost and ran off crying, didn't he? Yes, you, Holy Knight Commander!
I'm sure you only got that position by using your looks on some lecherous cardinal anyway.
A bunch of small fry in a petty fight—that Demon Lord who didn't even have the guts to kill isn't worth my time!
But hey, you're not bad-looking. If you say you'll become my woman, I might take you on as a concubine."
Yep. This guy was dead.
Hinata's expression didn't change. As always, she wore that cold, beautiful face.
But in inverse proportion to her cold exterior, her inner state must have been like raging magma.
"Oh my, Sir Lainer. That's rather vulgar, isn't it?
But you see, I too am interested in the Demon Lord. We can't let one person hog her.
Oh, and I forgot to mention—this Lainer here is a hero who's even defeated A-rank adventurers.
There are plenty of warriors stronger than you lot, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't get too full of yourselves."
A creepy, indescribable chill ran down my spine.
Disgusting. This old man was terrifying enough to make even me—me, who rarely flinched at anything these days—feel unsettled.
"—— Hey. Is this... the Kingdom of Englassia's official position?"
Hinata asked in a calm voice devoid of anger.
"Heh heh, that's correct. The council has already reached its decision.
Well, the vote will be held now, of course."
With that, a young man with golden hair stood up.
The assembly hall buzzed with murmurs.
"Prince Erlick—— Is this your doing?"
"That's right, Hinata. Sit down."
A prince...?
This idiot—no, this prince—was behind all of this?
He appeared to be a prince of the Kingdom of Englassia, and he'd been inciting several council members.
"Then, let us vote.
We will defeat the Demon Lord right here and bring her under our control.
Those in favor, please stand!"
The prince's voice rang out triumphantly, and a majority of the council members rose with nasty grins on their faces.
It appeared they'd had everything properly coordinated in advance.
Each nation's financial situation, the reactions of their royals. And the records of parliamentary proceedings in each nation—Souei had investigated all of it.
However, I hadn't expected individual council members to be bribed. Not considering that possibility was my oversight.
《Notification. No, that's not a problem. It's within expected parameters.》 Huh? Within expected parameters?
I thought I caught a fleeting illusion of Raphael wearing a dark smile.
"Lord Rimuru, take this."
Souei approached and handed me several ledgers.
Ah... secret account books. So it really was within expected parameters.
At some point, he'd obtained ledger books documenting the bribes paid to the council members who'd been colluding with the prince.
Flawless work.
The number of ledgers matched the number of council members who'd stood at Prince Erlick's command. With irrefutable evidence in hand, this was already nothing but theater.
The council members who hadn't stood exchanged glances uneasily: "I wasn't informed of this! What is the meaning of this?"
"His Majesty Rimuru personally came here, and this is how you repay him—this is outrageous!"
"This cannot be tolerated! Without fairness, what purpose does the council serve!"
Some were furious, others indignant.
The council members currently seated were apparently of upright character and inflexible principles.
They understood proper reasoning and seemed to possess the appropriate courtesy toward me.
Whether their countries were well-run, I wasn't sure—but I could trust them more than nations that sent discourteous or corrupt council members.
After all, council members were supposed to represent their countries and embody them.
"The vote is decided! Having exceeded a majority, this motion is hereby passed!"
Prince Erlick declared triumphantly.
Council members applauded and fell in line.
Those who remained seated hung their heads, while Hinata watched the farce with cold eyes.
Though weapons weren't permitted in the venue so she was unarmed, if she'd been carrying her sword, she'd have had her hand on the hilt—such was the intensity radiating from her.
"Well then, you've been given permission. Choose—lick my boots or suffer the consequences."
The fool called Lainer walked up to me and said that.
Hinata looked at me. She was calculating how to act based on my response.
Now then.
"One thing I want to confirm. You're sure about this?"
"Huh? About what?"
"No, I'm saying—your choice right now, I'll take that as the choice of your entire nation. That's fine with you, right?"
"What— Are you stupid? It's too late to back out now—"
Shuna rose to her feet, drew her fan, and with a single flash— The mid-sentence Lainer was sent flying, crashing through chairs and tables before slamming into the wall and crumpling to the ground.
"Listening patiently all this time and hearing such things...
You... dare be disrespectful to our beloved Lord Rimuru..."
Shuna walked quietly toward the fallen Lainer.
Ah, I wasn't the only one who'd been enraged.
Come to think of it, when someone else explodes, you suddenly feel calm, don't you?
Looking around, Hinata had calmed down too—our eyes met. I felt like we'd communicated everything through that shared glance.
"You filth. I won't kill you quickly. I believe you mentioned something about being A-rank or whatever.
I'll give you permission to go all out.
Now—get up and come at me."
Pointing her fan at Lainer, Shuna glared at him with a gaze that could kill.
"L-Lainer! What are you playing around for?! Shut that insolent woman up right now!
You still have to defeat the Demon Lord! There's no time to fool around!"
Prince Erlick, who clearly didn't understand the situation, barked orders at Lainer.
But Lainer didn't move.
"You won't come? Then I shall—"
The instant Shuna took a step forward— "H-HIIIIIIEEE!!"
Crouching on the ground, Lainer clutched his head with both hands.
From between his legs, liquid was leaking out, steaming as it pooled.
Oh come on—he was the one who wet himself? I was beyond exasperated—I couldn't even find words to say.
"Shuna, step back."
Shuna nodded at my command and returned to my side.
Lainer began crying like a child, tears and drool streaming down as he remained crumpled on the ground.
That one was done for. It was almost embarrassing to even bother with him.
"Now then, Erlick, was it?
You've essentially declared war on me. What do you intend to do going forward?
And you lot—your nations are complicit in this too, right?
Same crime. That's fine with you?"
I asked with a smile. The answer was a room of pale-faced, downcast figures.
The match was decided. The feebleness of judgment that led them to believe they could defeat a Demon Lord with such small fry—that was their downfall.
No—the Kingdom of Englassia didn't border the Great Forest of Jura. That was precisely why they didn't understand the threat monsters posed.
And the council members who'd sided with them—those were from small nations that served as Englassia's satellite states. Though the nations' intentions and the individual council members' wills might differ, they were united in their underestimation of monsters.
In the end, they were just self-serving nobles who only thought about their own interests. Well, some nations seemed to have acted as a coordinated effort. I should probably reconsider doing business with such countries.
I'd only skimmed through the materials at the time, so I'd better review them later.
After that, essentially by threatening the council members, I forced through and passed all the important resolutions.
1. Military cooperation with Tempest. 1. Permission for Tempest forces to pass through their territories. 1. Official admission of Tempest to the National Alliance Council. 1. Relocation of the National Alliance Council headquarters to Tempest. 1. Relocation of the Free Arbitration Committee headquarters to Tempest.
Forced signatures on every last one—all passed without issue.
Unanimously.
Outwitting people and scheming just wasn't my style.
In the end, the simplest approach—physical intimidation—resolved everything. I wasn't the one who threw the punch, and my magnanimous nature had been proven as well. I was satisfied.
And just like that, the meeting concluded peacefully, and we departed the venue.
...…
……
…
And so, that was the aftermath.
Prince Erlick, and that Gyaban fellow who was an Englassia minister. And the council members.
They seemed dazed, terrified by the gravity of what had happened. But they had no one to blame but themselves.
Naturally, as soon as the meeting ended, I ordered Souei to deliver the ledgers to each nation. Those insolent fools would surely be purged.
Even if they were spared, they'd lose their council seats—it was already over for them.
And then there was the Kingdom of Englassia.
This nation had been positioned as the center of the various countries due to its convenient transportation access.
It had no particularly notable technology, nor was its productivity high.
Its high cultural level was simply because Yuuki's "otherworlders" had spread the things they'd recreated for their own comfortable lives.
With important institutions like the council and committee relocating, Englassia's role as the center of nations was already finished.
If nothing was done, it would be nothing but decline from here on.
That was their own doing too, and it didn't pain my heart in the slightest.
"Well, the center becoming Tempest is something I can agree with," Hinata had said.
If she'd said that out loud earlier, it would have been obvious what would happen to the Kingdom of Englassia—which was precisely why she hadn't brought it up herself.
With this incident, it seemed Hinata had finally made up her mind. She'd hurried back to begin preparations for the move. Perhaps she'd been even angrier than me.
I sipped my coffee-like drink, thinking all of this.
"Actually, this time was a good experience."
"Hmm?"
"No, I mean—even I got so enraged that I became too angry to know what to do.
If Shuna had acted just a little sooner, I might have burned everyone in that room alive."
I nearly spat out my coffee.
I'd been admiring Benimaru for having matured, but in reality he'd just been so consumed by anger that he'd lost himself. So much for my admiration.
In fact, if he'd actually gone through with a mass killing, we would have become enemies of humanity.
"Hey, hey—you absolutely must not do that, okay?!"
"Ha ha ha, I'm joking! Don't take it so seriously!"
Benimaru tried to brush it off with his bright smile, but I wasn't buying it.
He'd been completely serious.
For future meetings, I was going to need to be more careful about who I brought along.
Just then, "Lord Rimuru, it worked!
Shop Owner Gilsh says he'll come to Tempest!"
Shuna returned with a beaming smile and reported the news.
"Apparently, he'd been considering closing up shop and retiring—— But when we invited him, he agreed to come!"
"Really?"
"Really!"
Wonderful.
Now, as long as we could get sugar, having cake every day was no longer a dream.
No—if there were ingredients we wanted, let's get them, no matter what!
"Wonderful! As expected of you, Shuna!"
When I praised her, Shuna nodded with a smile.
Shuna had been outstanding this time.
She was the polar opposite of a certain disappointing secretary. That disappointing secretary, even if she'd held back, might have outright killed Lainer.
She'd have tried to cover it up with her skill, and it would have been a disaster. Well, that applied to
Thanks to Shuna, the negotiations had wrapped up easily this time.
But the greatest achievement was convincing that stubborn old man.
I'd asked him before, and he'd refused to budge.
She'd done a fine job.
And just like that, the meeting concluded successfully, and we headed home to Tempest.
A lot had happened, but the biggest achievement—having cake available for dessert every day—went without saying.