Current State:
* Location: City of Tempest, Training Grounds.
* Inventory: Common Leather Canteen, Vintage Elven Wine (Half-consumed), Wooden Cart (Stored), Silk-lined Saddle (Equipped).
* Active Sub-Skills: [Law Manipulation – Copy], [Spatial Motion], [Density Laws], [Corrosive Resistance], [Enhanced Physical Constitution], [Starving] (Analytical), [Magic Ball Manipulation], [Command Law: Hive Mind], [Draconic Aura: Residual Frequency].
* Soul Capacity: 42% (Warning: Conceptual traits increasing load).
* Magicule Reserve: 82.1%.
* Status: Milim Nava integrated as a "Special Consultant." Managing the cost of a Demon Lord's presence.
Chapter 25: The Overhead of a God
"Rimuru," I transmit, my obsidian surface reflecting the sun as I watch the pink-haired disaster-class entity skip toward the honey vats. "We just acquired the ultimate deterrent. But the maintenance cost on this asset is going to be astronomical. We need to increase honey production by 400% by next quarter, or she'll eat the city."
"I'm more worried about her 'playing' with the Goblins," Rimuru wobbles, his blue body finally regaining its round shape after the sheer terror of Milim's arrival. "Did you see what she did to the plaza? She didn't even try!"
The weeks following Milim's "acquisition" were a lesson in high-risk asset management. Milim didn't just stay; she permeated. She treated the City of Tempest like her personal sandbox, which meant my daily schedule shifted from "Urban Planning" to "Damage Control."
I spent most of my mornings hovering at a safe distance during her "training" sessions with the Kijin. Training was a generous term; it was more like a hurricane trying to teach ants how to survive a vacuum.
"More! More! You're all too slow!" Milim laughed, her tiny fist stopping centimeters from Benimaru's face. The shockwave alone cleared the training grounds of dust for a mile.
Notice. Target: Milim Nava is utilizing [Draconic Eye] to analyze the Kijin's magicule flow. This is a passive high-level appraisal law. Suggestion: Do not attempt to replicate. Current Soul Capacity cannot stabilize a Demon Lord's sensory laws.
Azathoth, I'm well aware. I'm not suicidal. I'm just trying to figure out how she moves without breaking the sound barrier every five seconds. It's a waste of kinetic energy.
While Milim was busy being a tactical nightmare, I focused on the "Consultant's" housing. I used [Luxury Manifestation] to create a suite that satisfied her aesthetic for "cool stuff" while ensuring the walls were reinforced with the [Density Laws] I'd copied from the Orc Disaster. If she had a tantrum in her sleep, I wanted the building to at least survive the first five seconds.
Magicule Reserve: 81.5%. Soul Capacity: 42%.
"Lord Shinji! Lord Rimuru!" Rigurd came running toward the training grounds, his face pale. "Guests at the western gate! They arrived on... wings!"
I float toward the gate, my dark membrane shimmering. Behind me, Rimuru and a honey-smeared Milim follow.
Circling above our newly paved entrance was a troop of Pegasus Knights. They wore ornate, silver armor and rode majestic winged horses that radiated a disciplined, high-tier magicule aura.
Analysis. Identification: Pegasus Knights of the Kingdom of Eurazania. Alignment: Subordinates of Demon Lord Carrion. Purpose: Diplomatic or Reconnaissance.
"Great," I pulse, my internal persona already drafting a non-disclosure agreement. "Another Demon Lord wants a piece of the market. Milim, try not to vaporize them immediately. We need to see what their 'opening bid' is."
"Are they strong?!" Milim asks, her pigtails twitching with excitement.
"They're a delivery service," I retort. "And I don't want them scaring the Orc construction crews. We're already behind schedule on the sewer system."
The lead knight, a man named Albis who radiated a calm, serpentine authority, descended first. He looked at the city, his eyes widening at the sight of High Orcs and Goblins working in perfect synchronization. Then, his gaze landed on Milim.
"Demon Lord Milim..." he stammered, his regal composure evaporating instantly. He knelt so hard his greaves clanked against the stone. "We did not expect to find... your excellence here."
"I'm a Consultant!" Milim cheered, holding up a jar of honey. "Do you want some? No, wait, you can't have any. It's mine!"
I float forward, my [Transaction Domain] expanding just enough to signal that the "Boardroom" was now open.
"Eurazania," I pulse, my voice a cold, resonant frequency. "You've entered the airspace of the Jura Forest Alliance without a pre-approved flight plan. State your business before I charge you a landing fee that involves your horses' wings."
Albis looked up at me—a silent, dark orb that treated a Demon Lord like a coworker. He swallowed hard.
"I am here on behalf of Lord Carrion," he said, his voice trembling. "He wishes to propose... a formal exchange of ambassadors. He has heard of the one who defeated the Orc Disaster."
Notice. Strategic Opportunity: Kingdom of Eurazania is a high-yield trade partner. They possess advanced agriculture and martial techniques. ROI: High.
"An exchange of labor and knowledge," I pulse. "Now that's a proposal worth the parchment it's written on. Rimuru, they want a merger. I'll handle the contract; you handle the welcoming feast. And Milim?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't eat the ambassadors. It's bad for the long-term growth of the city."
Current Magicule Reserves: 80.9%. Location: City Gates. Status: Diplomatic relations with Eurazania initiated. Soul Capacity: 42%.
Chapter End.