Shirou Emiya quietly observed the expressions of Suphia, Albis, and the others.
Then he nodded in satisfaction.
Perfect.
Of course, all of this was the result of Shinguji Kurono's Noble Phantasm. Shirou Emiya had activated it discreetly, ensuring no one noticed. After all, the shock brought about by a miracle created through a weapon was fundamentally different from a miracle performed personally.
That difference mattered.
"Alright," Shirou said lightly. "This side's settled too. Let's head back."
Seeing the sudden tension ripple through the crowd, he chuckled.
"We'll make sure to entertain you properly."
Thus, Suphia, Albis, and the others returned to Emiya City together with Shirou Emiya's group.
That night, they enjoyed a rather pleasant banquet.
At the feast, they showed particular fondness for the fine wine prepared by Rimuru. At first, they drank cup by cup. Before long, that turned into barrel by barrel.
It was clear they genuinely loved it.
These wines were the result of countless experiments conducted jointly by Shirou Emiya and Rimuru. With Shirou Emiya's knowledge and Rimuru's Great Sage providing analysis, refined wines were continuously produced.
In the future, they would become one of the Monster Federation's signature exports.
On the second day, formal negotiations began.
After a period of mutual probing and information exchange, the agreement was reached.
The Monster Federation would provide fine wines and cloth.
The Beast Kingdom would provide gold in exchange.
According to Albis, gold had little practical value within their territory. It was mostly used for decoration and ornamentation.
That explanation only made Rimuru even more excited.
The other side was clearly a rich brute.
With that, both sides entered detailed discussions regarding trade terms.
Shirou Emiya watched the scene quietly, then nodded faintly. He picked up his teacup and took a slow sip.
Unlike the lively debate unfolding in front of him, he was completely relaxed.
This wasn't his responsibility.
He was merely a presence-someone who needed to be there, nothing more.
As negotiations between Rimuru and Albis progressed smoothly, the Beast Kingdom's envoys began touring Emiya City.
They studied everything they saw.
The unfamiliar structures.
The systems.
The tools.
They remained humble and eager to learn, constantly asking questions.
In this way, relations between the Monster Federation and the Beast Kingdom advanced at a remarkable pace.
Once negotiations concluded, Albis and her delegation prepared to return.
After all, they were envoys, not permanent residents.
They still needed to report everything they had seen and heard to Demon Lord Carrion. Naturally, they couldn't linger.
However, not everyone left.
Cruxis-the one who had sparred with Souei-remained behind.
He joined the patrol forces of Emiya City, intending to stay for an extended period to repay Rimuru for saving Phobio's life.
Rimuru accepted without hesitation.
Not long after that, Benimaru's envoy team also returned.
They reported everything they had observed in the Beast Kingdom.
"Their warrior division can only be described as astonishing," Benimaru said. "Their training is thorough. No soldier is neglected."
"Excluding Demon Lord Carrion, Lord Rimuru, and Lord Emiya... if we fought them purely on military strength, the odds would likely be fifty-fifty."
Benimaru's focus was clearly on military matters.
"Only fifty-fifty?" Rimuru asked in surprise.
Even Shirou Emiya showed a subtle change in expression.
After all, every soldier of the Monster Federation had been trained in martial systems personally designed by Shirou Emiya for their respective races. They were disciplined, well-coordinated, and accustomed to organized formations.
They had believed they would hold an advantage.
"There's nothing we can do," Benimaru said with a sigh. "The difference in base quality and sheer numbers is too great."
Hearing that, both Rimuru and Shirou Emiya immediately understood.
Numbers.
And fundamentals.
These were areas where they simply couldn't compare.
The Beast Kingdom was a true nation.
Even if its population wasn't in the tens of millions, it was still likely in the millions.
By contrast, the Monster Federation's armed forces were essentially drawn from Emiya City alone. Before the orcs joined, their total numbers had been only a few thousand.
Even now, despite absorbing the orcs and other forest races, they still fell far short of a real kingdom.
More importantly, the baseline physical abilities of ordinary Beastmen far surpassed those of ordinary monsters.
The difference of a single level was like that between an adult and a child.
For the Monster Federation to even reach a fifty-fifty comparison was already a testament to Shirou Emiya's training.
"Still," Shirou Emiya said calmly, "that kind of comparison doesn't really matter."
"In a world like this, what ultimately decides everything is the strength of the ruler."
"If the one at the top isn't strong enough, what's the point of having capable subordinates?"
He knew this better than anyone.
Any true Demon Lord possessed the power to annihilate tens of thousands of soldiers alone. Without that level of strength, one wouldn't even qualify for the title.
"Exactly," Rimuru nodded.
After Benimaru finished, Rigur-acting as vice-envoy-continued.
"Compared to our country, Eurazania's buildings are rather crude," he said. "However, their royal palace is extremely magnificent. Their wealth is clearly centralized."
"But that isn't necessarily a flaw," he added. "The people there want it that way."
"Demon Lord Carrion and the Beast King's Warrior Division possess overwhelming influence. The citizens live stable lives under their protection."
"That makes sense," Rimuru said softly.
"You can tell a lot about a ruler from their aura," Shirou Emiya added.
Someone like Carrion would naturally protect his people well.
"Not just architecture," Rigur continued. "In craftsmanship and related fields, our country is clearly ahead."
"Oh?" Rimuru perked up. "That makes sense. We have Shirou, Kaijin, Kurobe, and Shuna."
"So our technological level really is superior?"
"That's good to hear."
Rigur nodded, then Benimaru added his own thoughts.
"The Beastmen and the races under their protection live very simply."
However, at that point, Rigur's expression shifted to one of amazement.
"Even so, there's one area where they completely surpass us."
"What is it?" Rimuru asked.
"Agriculture," Rigur replied. "We can't compare at all."
"Their land is vast and fertile. They cultivate an incredible variety of crops."
"And their techniques for maintaining and managing farmland are exceptional."
"Agriculture..." Rimuru murmured.
As someone from a modern world, he immediately grasped the importance.
Food.
Clothing.
Shelter.
Transportation.
The four necessities of life.
"Can we learn from them?"
"I believe we can."
"Then that settles it," Shirou Emiya said immediately. "Your next diplomatic mission to the Beast Kingdom will focus on learning their agricultural techniques."
"Yes, Lord Emiya!"
Shirou Emiya nodded in satisfaction.
"Rimuru, next time you go, try establishing a food transport trade with them."
"Eh?" Rimuru blinked. "But we're not short on food."
"Others are," Shirou replied with a smile.
Food-especially for humans-was something you could never have too much of.
"As a Demon Lord's nation, the Beast Kingdom can't easily trade directly with human kingdoms."
"That means their surplus food will either be consumed internally or sold to other monster nations."
"If we control that channel," Shirou continued, "we'll gain leverage in future trade with human countries."
"The Dwarf Kingdom lacks food, doesn't it?"
"Not every region is suitable for farming."
He remembered it clearly.
The orcs' tragedy had begun with drought.
Not every Demon Lord cared about the lives of lower-ranking monsters.
Otherwise, such suffering wouldn't have happened.
That meant the Beast Kingdom's agricultural output hadn't reached its true limit yet.
If the Monster Federation could secure control over that massive granary-
It would become their greatest advantage in the future.
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