We had resolved the children's issues in the Kingdom of Inglassia.
With that,
There was no longer any reason for me to continue as a teacher, but that didn't mean I could simply say, "Well, goodbye!"
Before I could step down, I needed to hand the S-Class over to another teacher.
Fortunately, a successor had already been decided.
All that remained was to leave behind the handover notes, and I could have lived out my peaceful days... if only things had gone that way.
But, as it turned out, plenty of things happened.
And today, once again...
◇◇◇ Right now, I was in the capital "Rimuru."
"So, what's the discussion about?"
"Well, you see, the terakoya has been well-received and many people are attending now. The students' comprehension has improved considerably, and I think it's fair to say things have gotten off to a smooth start."
The terakoya was a name I'd blurted out as a term for the place where we taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. It had absolutely nothing to do with Buddhism, yet it had been officially adopted just as it was.
There might have been a more fitting term, but honestly, I couldn't be bothered to think of one, so I never changed it.
The ones attending this terakoya were the monster inhabitants of our nation. With an eye toward future trade dealings with human countries, they were in the midst of an educational blitz.
According to Shuna's explanation, the Hobgoblins had even mastered the four arithmetic operations.
Even though they'd evolved, most of them were still only around ten years old in actual age.
Even
Although the curriculum was aimed at lower elementary grades, their progress over such a short time was nothing short of astonishing. I think narrowing the subjects down to just two was the right call, but ultimately, it was everyone's hard work that made it happen.
That was precisely why I couldn't figure out what Shuna was concerned about.
Minor hiccups were a daily occurrence, but there didn't seem to be any major problems.
"Then isn't everything fine?"
When I asked that, Shuna gave a troubled, rueful smile.
"Yes, as far as things stand, there are no problems. But I'm worried that if this monotonous routine continues, the students' motivation to study will decline."
There was some logic to that, I thought.
Most of the students at the terakoya were those who had more confidence in their minds than their bodies. That was exactly why they'd chosen the path of studying rather than joining the security forces.
Their motivation was high from the start, but without any changes, there was a risk they'd grow bored.
The security forces, for their part, were doing their bit — protecting the town from ferocious magical beasts day in and day out. It might be nice to think up some kind of event as a show of appreciation.
"Yeah. It could be fun to brainstorm events that could help people blow off some steam. While we're at it, why not have everyone pitch in together?"
"Yes! Please, by all means!"
Seeing Shuna respond with a bright smile, I nodded firmly.
And that, without my knowing it in the slightest, was what would give rise to that outrageously embarrassing dark history...
◇◇◇ We moved to a different location.
In a meeting room remodeled to look like a classroom, the executive members had gathered.
Shuna, of course, along with
We'd also invited the council of Hobgoblin elders led by Rigurd, as well as
These were the indispensable faces for putting together a big event.
And as for their outfits — I'd had them wear special attire reconstructed from my memories.
First, the men.
Benimaru was wearing a gakuran — or rather, a long uniform and hakama-style pants.
Souei had on a short uniform with a gakuran.
Gabiru was in the standard outfit, while Geld wore a sarashi wrap with a Western-style uniform.
Next, the women. Both Shuna and Shion were wearing blazers.
Shuna looked like a model student, and Shion gave off the vibe of a disciplinary committee chair. Perhaps because I'd entrusted them with secretarial duties, both had a serious air about them.
Rigurd and Kaijin were in their usual attire. Given their age, a student look didn't really suit them, so they were slated to work behind the scenes this time.
Incidentally, when preparing these uniforms, I'd had not just Shuna but also Kaijin and the three dwarf brothers lend a hand. Their workmanship was meticulous, and the results turned out exactly as I'd envisioned. At this rate, I could expect great things from their other projects too.
I'd unveil those in due time.
"Gathered everyone! Today's agenda is about education — an indispensable element in cultivating our nation's human resources. Right now, we're in the phase of teaching the basics at the terakoya, but before long, I'd like to offer advanced education built on that foundation. To that end, we're planning to build a school. But before that! The most important thing is to boost the students' motivation!!"
Clad in the teacher's outfit I wore when lecturing at Inglassia Academy and pointing to the words "Taking Breaks Is Important!" written in large letters on the blackboard, I delivered this with a sharp, composed expression.
Even I had to admit — that was a solid performance.
My work here was done. All that remained was for the executives to consolidate their opinions.
Or so I thought, but apparently that was a mistake.
"Um, Lord Rimuru. Before we discuss that agenda, I have one question — if you don't mind?"
Benimaru raised his hand and shot a piercing gaze at me as he spoke, his expression tight.
"What is it?"
Questions were always welcome, so I asked with grand enthusiasm.
Heh heh — maybe all my time dealing with children had rubbed off on me. I'd developed this teacher-like composure. Surely Benimaru was feeling the weight of my authority, tense and nervous...
But the very next moment, I was clutching my head in dismay.
"I want to make this perfectly clear — I will never sing in front of people again, ever! Depending on the content of this event, I'm considering bowing out entirely."
Ugh, whhhyyyyyyyy— Don't remind me!
I understood perfectly well what Benimaru was getting at.
You see, not long ago, I'd done some idol work.
A one-night-only live concert.
The lineup: five members. Me, Benimaru, Shuna, an uninvited Milim, and for the last one — Shizu.
Not the real Shizu, mind you. I'd put out a "clone" and dressed it up as a body double. The one controlling it was the Great Sage, and it was performing cute, energetic gestures that Shizu herself would absolutely never do. I had no idea how it managed to look so natural, but I figured the Great Sage could handle anything, so I just let it slide.
Oh, and as for me, I'd had myself shifted into— Automatic Combat Mode.
Because a live concert was basically the same as a final battle. There was no other option.
How had it come to that, you ask? Well, it was all because of something Yuuki said.
After saving the children, I thought Shizu's lingering regrets had been resolved. That's when Yuuki dropped this on me: *'Actually, it seems Teacher Shizu really admired being an idol. I'd been telling her all about the other world, and she mentioned she wanted to see a concert at least once. Oh, if only there were some way to make that wish come true~ Hint, hint!'* He even said "hint, hint" out loud. Clear as day.
I'd wanted to scream "Don't screw with me!" — but there was no proof he was lying. Through a series of events, I'd been steamrolled into it.
Even now, thinking back on it, that was a dark chapter of my history.
"Big brother, that's rude to Lord Rimuru!"
"I know, Shuna! But you were having a blast, so it's easy for you to say. For me, it was the pinnacle of humiliation! I never want to endure anything that embarrassing again!"
Listening to Benimaru and Shuna argue, I reflected on the fact that I'd dragged Benimaru into it.
That was a bit cruel of me, wasn't it?
But it couldn't be helped.
Originally, it was supposed to be just me and Shizu — just the two of us. But I decided that would be way too embarrassing to handle.
The more performers there were, the more the audience's attention would be spread out. With that in mind, I decided to rope in a few more people.
As a result, Souei fled before I even had a chance to invite him. Shion boldly declared, "I'll be the manager!" Her quick thinking in those moments was something I wished she'd apply more often. I'd gone on recruiting other members.
And for some reason, Milim — who was supposed to be busy with work — ended up joining in.
Shuna volunteered too, saying she was good at singing. Then she grabbed Benimaru's arm and, saying "You sing really well too, don't you, brother?" dragged him into participation without giving him any room to refuse.
And so we five — though it was really only four — successfully pulled off the concert.
Truly, a memory I wished I could erase.
I'd been on autopilot, leaving everything to the Great Sage, but Benimaru had given it his all despite being thrown in completely. Now that I thought about it, he must have been even more embarrassed than I was. A wave of gratitude washed over me.
So I answered him with a gentle tone.
"Don't worry, Benimaru. This time, there's no embarrassing outfit, and there's no need to sing in front of people... I think. Well, there might be a cheer song or something, but it's not forced. Everyone sings together, and nobody stands out."
That came straight from the heart — but my understanding was wrong.
By the time I realized that, it was already too late.
I was about to give birth to yet another dark chapter...
◇◇◇ Hearing my words, Benimaru replied, "In that case, there's no problem. I'll cooperate," and settled quietly into his seat.
No one else raised any objections either, so I moved on to explaining the outline of the event.
"Alright, let me continue. I said the students' motivation is important, but how do we achieve that? Everyone knows that taking breaks is important. So this time, I'd like to brainstorm some events that will help refresh their spirits!"
As I spoke, I wrote "EVENTS" in large letters on the blackboard.
It was Rigurd who responded.
"So, Lord Rimuru. What kind of events did you have in mind, specifically?"
He always asked exactly the right question. As expected of Rigurd, I thought as I answered.
"These aren't finalized yet — it's still in the planning stage — but there are things called sports festivals and cultural festivals. They're events held at schools. I was thinking we could reference them and try replicating the parts that are doable."
Relying on memories from my past life, I launched into a detailed explanation.
For the sports festival, there'd be relay races, ball-tossing, maybe hammer throws and such.
For the cultural festivals, there were all sorts of interesting attractions. In my student days, there'd been cafés, haunted houses, concerts and the like. The café could involve cross-dressing for extra comedy, but there was no need to mention that here.
And so, thinking aloud, I jotted down various ideas on the blackboard.
"I have a question, if that's alright?"
Shuna raised her hand and spoke.
"What is it?"
"Letting students run various shops doesn't seem very different from the vocational training we already do, does it?"
Fair point. In addition to terakoya studies, we'd actually been having them practice customer service as preparation for future interactions with humans. It wasn't unreasonable for Shuna to wonder why we'd need to do it all over again as a special event.
"You're right. And if we're talking about that, the sports festival too — the security forces spend their days in actual combat. They have training days on rotation, so a simple physical activity event might lack novelty. If anything, we should plan something more intense that lets them show off their abilities," Benimaru added, agreeing with Shuna.
He had a valid point.
Since the goal was to refresh spirits, doing something too similar to the everyday routine would defeat the purpose.
However, I turned down Benimaru's suggestion.
"It's a break event, so going extreme is off the table. Besides, if we're doing something different from the usual, why not have the security forces plan the cultural festival, and the terakoya side run the sports festival?"
This way, those who rarely exercised could get moving, and those in constant battle could enjoy some productive work. A change of pace like that would refresh both body and mind.
"Oh ho! So it's truly a 'festival' in every sense!" Rigurd exclaimed happily.
I was glad he'd grasped my intentions.
Following Rigurd, Kaijin voiced his approval.
"Sounds good to me! The security folks'll need to sort out their schedules, but doing something different is good experience."
Then the three dwarf brothers chimed in.
"That's right. I'll make those gym uniforms for you."
"Just like Garum says! Whatever you need, just tell us!"
"............"
Mild was as silent as ever, but he nodded in agreement.
"I see. For the terakoya students, the kinds of competitions Rimuru mentioned would work well enough. If we handle the refereeing, there shouldn't be any accidents."
"If that's the case, I'll give it my all to help as well!"
Benimaru and Shuna both nodded in understanding. Moreover, they'd already started positively brainstorming what kinds of competitions and attractions would work best.
The meeting had gained momentum. At this point, it seemed like things could run on their own.
"Oh my, as expected of Lord Rimuru."
Shion smiled at me as she said that.
Here we go again — she's probably got the wrong idea...
"What do you mean?"
"As your secretary, I see everything. You're trying to make people from different fields understand each other's work, aren't you, Lord Rimuru?"
"Mm!?"
Shion struck a smug pose as she offered her off-the-mark interpretation.
What are you even talking about — I was about to say, but on second thought, there was something to that perspective.
No, thinking about it, she was right. Shion could be surprisingly sharp sometimes — you couldn't underestimate her.
As people deepened their understanding of different work, respect for one another would naturally grow. Looking at it that way, this "event" wasn't just "killing two birds with one stone" — it might hit three or even more.
"You've really grown as my secretary, noticing something like that."
"Of course, Lord Rimuru! My growth isn't limited to my cooking skills!"
Eh!?
Well, I wasn't so sure about that...
I mean, that area seemed completely hopeless, didn't it? Even Benimaru was gazing off into the distance with a melancholic expression.
Where Shion's boundless confidence came from remained an eternal mystery.
◇◇◇ And so the meeting gained momentum, and various ideas began taking shape.
A haunted house was rejected — monsters had no use for one.
The concert was also nixed, thanks to fierce opposition from me and Benimaru.
Individual events like the hundred-meter dash were shelved after objections that the racial disparities made the gaps too wide.
In the end, the cultural festival attractions settled on safe, food-related offerings — multiple stalls set up in a large venue, giving it the feel of an old-fashioned festival market.
For the sports festival side, it was events that everyone could participate in. Taking racial differences into account, they settled on obstacle races and ball-tossing.
"Alright, the opinions are pretty much consolidated now. I think we can finalize it. So, everything else—"
Things were going smoothly, and I was about to wrap up the meeting.
That's when it happened.
"I heard everything, you know!"
The door burst open and in walked Milim.
"Milim!! What are you doing here!?"
"Rimuru, I'm hurt. To do something this fun without telling me, your dear friend..."
Milim started putting on a show of crying, but I wanted to say: hold on a second.
You were the one who left, saying you had work, weren't you?
And during that last concert, you showed up without even being invited and acted like it was the most natural thing in the world!
"Weren't you supposed to be working?"
"That's that, and this is this!"
This girl... she was definitely slacking off. I was sure of it, but I decided to keep quiet with an adult's magnanimity.
Besides, once Milim got like this, nothing you said would get through. Since I couldn't talk her down, the safest move was to assign her a manageable task.
"Then, how about helping us with our event?"
"Of course! Leave everything to me!"
Milim nodded happily. This way, I'd seized control of the situation, so her participation was no longer a problem.
"Incredible, Lord Rimuru..."
"Yes, brother. You've tamed Milim-sama brilliantly."
"Mm. I should take notes."
I thought I heard a conversation like that in the background, but I wanted to believe it was my imagination.
Anyway, Milim's participation was now settled.
◇◇◇ Milim took her seat after changing into a uniform.
Who'd prepared it was a mystery, but it suited her perfectly.
Oh, Mild was giving a thumbs up.
Now that I knew the culprit, I felt relieved and steered the conversation back to the agenda.
"I'd also like some of the executives to participate in the events as role models. Take the lead and help inspire the students."
Everyone nodded at my words.
Milim was... asleep.
Shion was about to get up and wake her, but I hurriedly stopped her.
"Let her sleep. She probably pushed herself to come despite being busy."
"That's true. Milim-sama is the kind of person whose mere presence inspires everyone. Rather than having her compete as a player, maybe it'd be better to have her demonstrate the events."
Shion showed a soft smile as she spoke.
I was against letting Milim be a role model, but having her cheer from the sidelines was perfectly fine. That was a matter for further consideration, so we moved on to deciding the actual participants.
Benimaru and Souei were too powerful — the gap between them and the students was too great. Since their win or loss would directly determine a team's outcome, selecting them as competitors was out of the question.
Geld, being similar to Benimaru and the others, also wouldn't work as a competitor. He'd join the cheering squad instead. That left the women and Gabiru's group.
"Gabiru's bunch has been cooped up in the lab. I'd like to invite Vester too, and have them enter the obstacle race."
"Understood!"
"Gabiru-sama's victory is guaranteed!"
"Indeed."
"Gabiru, I'll pitch in too — let's show them what the research team can do!"
Oh my, they were fired up without any need to hype them up.
They seemed to have completely discarded my "as role models" caveat and were aiming straight for victory.
Well, whatever.
Who else should participate — when an unexpected suggestion came from an unlikely place.
"Oh, Vester's joining too? Nice. Then I think I'll enter as well and have a proper rematch with that guy after all this time."
Kaijin grinned as he said it.
The three dwarf brothers had behind-the-scenes duties, but as a weaponsmith, Kaijin was free to choose. He could have opted to serve as my advisor instead, but if he was eager, there was no reason to stop him.
"Then Kaijin, you'll be in the obstacle race too. I'll decide the team composition later, but I'll make sure the races are mixed by species. Since you and Vester are both dwarves, I'll arrange for you to be on different teams."
"You got it, boss!"
And so, without Vester even knowing, a fateful showdown had been decided.
At this point, Shion raised her hand.
"Shion, do you have something to say?"
"Yes! For the cultural festival, may I handle the cooking?"
The room went silent at that question.
Absolutely not.
My eyes met Benimaru's. His gaze spoke louder than words, pleading with me to do something, anything, to stop this. I felt exactly the same way, so I gave him a firm nod.
"Well, about that, Shion — the cultural festival will have plenty of modest stalls, right? Gobichi, Haluna,
Nngh!?
That overconfident remark irritated me, but to prevent a disaster, I had no choice but to play along.
"Y-Yeah. Exactly. So just go with that, Shion — you'll be in the competitive events."
"Understood, Lord Rimuru!"
And so Shion, too, was entered in the obstacle race.
◇◇◇ Relieved that we'd avoided producing any more victims, I noticed Shion whispering something to Shuna.
"What a shame, Shuna-sama. It seems professionals like us won't be participating in the cultural festival."
I couldn't help but straighten up, looking between Shuna and Shion.
Shuna seemed surprised too, responding with an "Eh!?"
Her reaction was only natural.
In Shion's mind, she apparently considered herself to be on par with Shuna in cooking skill. From Shuna's perspective, that had to be the most absurd thing she'd ever heard.
Completely oblivious to this atmosphere, Shion continued in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Let's have Benimaru and the others handle the cheering, and we'll join the competitions too, don't you think?"
Shuna was taken aback by the suggestion.
I felt the same way. I'd planned to have Shuna help with the cultural festival.
Unlike Shion, Shuna's cooking skills were actually reliable.
I was mulling over what to do when— At that moment, my Magic Sense detected an intense gaze.
The source was the three dwarf brothers. Garum, Dold, and Mild were staring at me with fierce intensity.
No, not just staring. They were silently pleading with me, their eyes burning with purpose.
Garum discreetly pulled something from inside his coat and flashed it at me.
That was — bloomers!!
Yes, those gym bloomers from the girls' PE uniforms of my previous world — the ones that had been abolished for some reason.
*『Analysis. At that time, the curriculum differed between boys and girls. However, after the revision of the Course of Study guidelines, the content became identical for both sexes. It became possible for boys and girls to attend classes in the same uniform, leading to the transition from bloomers to half-pants.』* Oh, so that's what happened.
I'd always assumed some complaint had gotten them banned, but there was actually a proper reason.
*『Negative. The fact that bloomers had become an object of sexual curiosity cannot be denied either.』* Ah, I remembered. They'd covered it on the evening news.
I'd completely forgotten about it — but that didn't matter right now!
The issue at hand was that, having recreated the outfit from my memories, Garum had already prepared them. And the three brothers were hoping that Shuna would wear them.
With Shion currently recruiting Shuna, the chances of their wish being granted were high. But could I really allow such indecent thoughts...
*『Report. Incidentally, bloomers themselves are not prohibited, and some schools still use them.』* Wait, so there's no problem then!
No, wait — this was a completely different world. The ethical standards from my previous life didn't apply here. Unless the girls themselves objected, there was no reason to go out of my way to create rules banning them.
I gave Garum and the others a broad nod, then turned to Shion and Shuna.
"It might be unbalanced with just Shion participating. What do you think, Shuna? If you enter, I'll join the cheering squad."
The moment those words left my mouth, Garum and the others looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
Well, yeah.
With that kind of suggestion, Shuna would have a hard time refusing.
I knew I was playing dirty, but I couldn't bring myself to betray Garum and the others' expectations.
Besides... I wanted to see it myself!
Even though I'd lost my drive in that department, that was exactly why my desire to appreciate beautiful things was that much stronger.
And then there was the matter of Shuna and Shion constantly using me as their dress-up doll. So once in a while, I figured it wasn't too much to ask for them to understand how I felt. The heavens wouldn't punish me for that.
"In that case, fine! I'll do my best in the competitions, so please cheer for me, okay? It's a promise, Lord Rimuru!"
Yes!
I pumped my fist internally.
Garum and the others were hugging each other in celebration.
And so, it was decided that both Shuna and Shion would participate in the events.
At that moment, I was too overjoyed to notice Shuna murmuring softly, "Lord Rimuru's cheer — please, make sure it's in that outfit..." I let it completely slip by without a second thought.
The day of the sports festival, I would come to deeply regret that.
The remaining executives — Benimaru, Souei, and Geld — were tasked with forming a cheer squad.
True to my promise, Milim would naturally be part of it, along with myself.
With everyone's roles decided, the day's meeting came to an end.
◇◇◇ Two days after the meeting in the classroom.
Without delay, the cultural festival was held.
This speed from announcement to execution was the true hallmark of a monster nation.
That said, it was essentially a vocational experience — a small number of students rotated through the stalls at set times. With the support crew watching from behind the scenes, no major problems arose.
Minor issues popped up plenty, but those were part of the learning. I pointed out that they could lead to bigger accidents, and everyone took it as a chance to reflect. Accidents tend to stem from small mistakes, and mistakes tend to happen most often when you've grown comfortable with the task at hand.
This cultural festival served as a wake-up call for that.
Because total novices were handling unfamiliar tasks, unexpected questions came flying — things no seasoned person would think to ask. Some of the proposed solutions were jaw-dropping in their absurdity.
And the ones stumped by those questions scrambled to their seniors for help, only to be told afterwards that they'd be required to attend a makeup study session. But they were glad for the experience.
So for the behind-the-scenes crew too, it had been an unexpectedly valuable learning experience.
The crew members who regularly patronized the stalls also seemed to have gained a deeper understanding of the staff's hard work. Future unreasonable orders should decrease, making it a truly meaningful event.
With far more byproducts than anticipated, the cultural festival ran for a full two days before closing without incident.
And then came the long-awaited sports festival.
For the past two days, Milim had been enjoying her binge of festival food.
And I, worn out from babysitting her.
Standing before us was Shuna, beaming from ear to ear.
"Lord Rimuru! And Milim-sama too! I prepared these outfits specifically for today! Please wear them and cheer for us!"
I unfolded the outfit she handed me to find a V-neck sleeveless top and a flouncy mini-skirt.
Oh no.
It was a cheerleader outfit.
— Wait, hold on, hold on, HOLD ON!!
You want ME to wear this?!
Yesterday, I'd been forced into a maid outfit to serve customers!
And it wasn't just me — I'd been dragged along with Milim, and it had been a nightmare. Shion and Shuna too, for that matter.
The four of us working the stalls in maid outfits had resulted in insane sales that day — a line stretching from noon to evening with no breaks. We were so busy we didn't even have time to feel embarrassed, which in a way made it more tolerable. But that didn't make it acceptable. Absolutely not.
"H-Hold on—"
"Bwahahaha! These are so easy to move in!"
"You look wonderful, Milim-sama!"
"Really! So cute!"
By the time I tried to object, it was already too late.
Milim had changed in the blink of an eye, and Shuna and Shion were already showering her with praise.
"Rimuru, hurry up and change too!"
"No, no — the thing is, I used to be a—"
"Would you rather not match with me?"
"That's not what I'm—!"
I was powerless against this tidal wave.
Actually, ever since I'd worn that idol outfit, it felt like Shuna was constantly looking for opportunities to dress me in women's clothing.
"Hehehe. You did promise to cheer for us, didn't you, Lord Rimuru!"
Looking at that smile, I thought: maybe Shuna had been stressed too.
The same thing had happened during the idol activities — Shuna showed surprisingly little resistance to this kind of outfit. She'd been perfectly willing to wear a gym uniform this time too, and I'd assumed that was just how she was... but maybe I'd been wrong.
Maybe she'd deliberately worn the gym uniform herself, all so she could put me in this outfit.
If that was the case, there was no path of refusal left to me.
Benimaru was watching me with a pitying gaze.
*'Stop watching and help me out!'* *'No can do. Give up...'* Benimaru and Souei were both useless when Shuna was the one calling the shots. Having realized that, I sighed at the impermanence of this world and resignedly picked up the cheerleader uniform...
The sports festival was a roaring success.
The results were surprising as well. A team of women — Shion, Shuna, Haluna, Soka, and others pulled into the fray — won the obstacle race.
Well... once Shion entered the picture, this outcome was perhaps inevitable. The men hadn't exactly been impressive, and Gabiru's group simply didn't have the power to match Shion.
Oh well. Can't be helped.
If there was a next time, I'd make sure to prepare more thoroughly and set up fairer team compositions.
Their valiant performance in the fierce competition was magnificent, and Milim and I cheering them on undoubtedly added to the excitement of the sports festival.
In any case, the original goal had been achieved. The students blew off steam, and the event concluded as a resounding success.
Incidentally — Because these events kept happening one after another — In the Jura Tempest Federation, a new form of entertainment was born.
Unbeknownst to anyone, popularity polls had started being held.
As a result, Milim, Shuna, and I came to be known as the "Three Great Idols" — but it would still take considerable time before I learned that fact.