The news that five high-level adventurers from Falmuth—the kingdom that proclaimed itself the commercial center of the human world—had been captured and sentenced to forced labor in a "monster city" reached King Edmaris as a personal insult. Falmuth did not accept being ignored, especially by an emerging nation holding a monopoly on a gold coin purer than their own.
The response did not come through swords, but through a parchment sealed with the royal crest of Falmuth, delivered by a pompous messenger who demanded an immediate audience at Avalon's border.
Alistair, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, received the messenger under the shadow of a marble arch at the city entrance. The document was aggressive: Falmuth demanded the immediate release of its "unjustly detained citizens," an indemnity payment of ten thousand gold coins, and the delivery of the Avalon Ducat's minting formula as "reparation for diplomatic damages." Otherwise, Falmuth would declare a total embargo and consider Avalon a threat to regional stability.
In Sirzechs' study, the atmosphere was one of glacial calm. Grayfia read the note aloud, her voice not trembling for a single second. Finishing, she laid the paper on the desk and looked at the Sovereign.
"They are testing our resolve, Lord Sirzechs," Grayfia said, adjusting her glasses. "Falmuth doesn't care about the prisoners. They want our financial technology and control over the Jura market. A Falmuth embargo would affect the flow of human goods to Tempest and, by extension, to us."
Sirzechs spun a gold Ducat between his fingers. Falmuth's audacity was predictable, but the demand for the minting formula was the breaking point.
"Alistair, send the reply. But do not use common parchment. Use our marble-fiber paper and the royal seal."
Avalon's response was a masterpiece of polite arrogance. Alistair informed the messenger that the prisoners would remain serving their sentence for violating Article 12 of the Avalon Security Code. As for the indemnity, Sirzechs sent a single gold coin—the very first Ducat—with an attached message: "This is the only formula of Avalon: Order and Law. If Falmuth desires gold, let them earn it through honest trade, not nightly invasion."
The messenger departed in a rage, but Avalon's true response was strategic. Grayfia immediately ordered the suspension of all luxury purchases from Falmuth, replacing them with partnerships with the Dwarven Kingdom and Tempest. If Falmuth wanted an embargo, Avalon would respond with Bureaucratic Autarky.
"Valerius," Sirzechs called, watching the messenger disappear into the forest, "Falmuth's response will come with armies soon. They cannot stomach the fact that a 'monster' coin is worth more than the honor of their knights."
"Let them come, my Lord," the butler replied, pouring a new cup of coffee. "Dietrich has already initiated siege defense exercises. And, if I may observe, the marble of our new walls would look much finer with the shine of Falmuth's armor piled up like trophies."
As soon as Falmuth's diplomatic note was rejected, Grayfia activated the Regional Economic Containment Protocol. The order was clear: no caravan coming from the west or destined for Falmuth would pass through the main roads without a "Level Maximum Security and Hygiene Inspection." In practice, this meant Dietrich's Praetorian Guard, now supported by Goblin scouts from Tempest, intercepted all goods at the marble border.
Falmuth's merchant knights found themselves trapped in miles-long queues under the sun. When they reached the checkpoint, they were met by Homo-Hollow Auditors demanding certificates of origin, magicule purity reports, and the completion of forms in triplicate.
"This shipment of silk is 'suspected of carrying spiritual parasites,'" a Homo-Hollow Auditor declared, stamping a document with the Avalon seal while the Falmuth merchant descended into despair. "The goods will be held for a forty-day quarantine. Next!"
While Avalon paralyzed Falmuth's finances through boredom and legal rigor, Rimuru Tempest arrived at Avalon to formalize the military response. The Slime was not alone; he was accompanied by Benimaru and Shion, whose auras of combat readiness were almost palpable. However, upon entering the palace, Rimuru was confronted by the ultimate barrier: Grayfia Lucifuge and the Jura Mutual Defense Treaty (JMDT).
The document, with over two hundred clauses detailing everything from logistical support to the division of spoils and rules of etiquette on the battlefield, left Rimuru dizzy.
"Grayfia-san, we want to help because we're friends! Do we really need to read about the 'armor depreciation rate on foreign soil'?" Rimuru asked, staring at the mountain of paper.
"Especially because we are allies, Lord Rimuru," Grayfia replied with an impeccable bow, "friendship must be protected by contractual clarity. I will not allow our mobilization to be tarnished by administrative inaccuracies. If Tempest's troops wish to fight alongside Avalon, they must accept the coordinated command of Marshal Dietrich and Valerius's norms of conduct."
After hours of negotiation (and much insistence from Shion that she could simply "cut through the problems"), Rimuru signed the treaty. Mobilization was immediate. Tempest's Star Wolves began patrolling alternative routes, while the Avalon Guard held the commercial blockade firm. Falmuth was being suffocated: its warehouses were empty, its merchants bankrupt, and its currency devalued against the Avalon Ducat, which remained stable and highly desired.
On the top of the east wall, Sirzechs watched the campfire lights of the stalled caravans. Valerius served him a red wine while Dietrich reported that Falmuth scouts had been spotted trying to bypass the blockade through dangerous swamps.
"They are desperate, my Lord," Valerius commented. "The hunger for profit is the cruelest hunger of all. Soon, King Edmaris will stop sending scrolls and start sending steel."
"That is what I expect, Valerius," Sirzechs replied, the crimson glow in his eyes reflecting the gold of Avalon. "Because when their steel clashes against our marble, they will discover that Avalon's order is not just a law... it is a death sentence for tyrants."
Author's Note:
The Weapon of Paper: Grayfia just proved that a stamp can be deadlier than a sword. By "quarantining" Falmuth's goods, she is destroying their economy without firing a single shot.
The Alliance: Rimuru is officially part of the "Gremory Bureaucratic Machine." Poor Rigurd will have to manage the paperwork!