Youm took a long swig of wine.

His cheeks were already a little flushed.

"Chishiya-sama, this place is honestly heaven!"

As a straightforward mercenary, he wasn't as slick as the other two.

He just said what was on his mind.

After spending the afternoon touring the city, he'd fallen completely in love with it.

The people were friendly. The food, clothing, housing, and transportation were far more advanced than in Falmuth!

Especially that hot spring facility…

Was that this city's specialty?

Because it was amazing.

After soaking in the bath, all the fatigue in his body vanished.

There was even a massage service!

"Ahhh~"

Youm thudded his wine glass down on the table.

"Chishiya-sama, to be honest, I don't wanna leave anymore."

"Then, how about staying and working for me?" Chishiya suddenly said.

"Huh?"

Youm blinked, hand still frozen mid-toast.

Chishiya continued.

"You're just employed by Falmuth right now, right?"

"How about becoming Lapris's exclusive investigation team instead?"

"The job's easy. Just promote the city a bit while you travel around."

"We've got solid benefits here."

Chishiya smiled as he looked at Youm and the others.

Youm's investigation squad had some local fame.

Falmuth wouldn't have hired them otherwise.

If he could pull them in…

They'd basically be walking advertisements for Lapris.

That kind of exposure would do wonders for future development.

As for the salary? That's easy to arrange.

We're all humans here. Would I cheat my own people?

Put simply: follow the company and you'll never go hungry!

"..."

Once it sank in, Youm and his team stood up, stunned.

"Really, Chishiya-sama?!"

Come on...

He wasn't stupid. He could tell this place had a totally different vibe from other nations.

Its future potential was off the charts.

Going from an unsupported mercenary to a full-fledged national employee?

That was a dream scenario.

They were so excited they could barely contain themselves.

"It's real."

Chishiya spoke with full sincerity.

"No problem, Chishiya-sama!!!"

"Come on, let me toast to that!"

Youm and the others raised their glasses in high spirits.

They immediately forgot all about their former employer, the Kingdom of Falmuth.

---

Meanwhile…

In the western part of the continent—

The Kingdom of Falmuth, known as the gateway to the mainland.

Inside the royal capital's grand meeting hall…

"Your Majesty, our revenue this quarter has increased by another 30 percent!"

"Your Majesty's strategies are truly brilliant."

"Before the Orc Lord appeared, we made a killing selling weapons to nearby nations."

"After the Orc Lord was taken down, we ramped up trade again."

"This time, our national status has skyrocketed."

"I daresay even the Armed Nation of Dwargon can't match us in financial power."

The ministers chattered away while reporting.

The Orc Lord incident hadn't hurt them at all.

On the contrary, they'd profited massively from it.

"But..."

Someone finally spoke with a hint of concern.

"Recently, a group of monsters has emerged in the Jura Forest."

"Even Dwargon acknowledged their presence."

"This could impact our economy…"

Everyone turned toward the king.

Waiting for his thoughts.

Seated at the head of the table…

Was a gray-haired man, beard covering half his face.

He looked to be in his fifties.

Every finger on his right hand bore a gold ring.

He tapped the table with one finger and smiled slightly.

"Dwargon acknowledging them is certainly unexpected."

"But there's no need to panic."

"They're just monsters. Brute force and nothing more."

"Our kingdom's true wealth lies in our fine goods and prime location."

"Even a military nation like Dwargon relies on us for food and daily necessities."

"What can a bunch of monsters possibly do to shake us?"

The king spoke calmly.

He picked up his wine glass and savored it.

"Besides, I've already sent an investigation team there."

"Everything is under control."

Hearing the king's calm analysis, the ministers all nodded.

He had a point…

Falmuth's wine, healing potions, and linen clothing were all bestsellers.

More importantly, the kingdom controlled the entryway to the continent.

Any western nation wanting to trade with Dwargon had to pass through Falmuth.

Sure, going through the Jura Forest was technically faster…

But the monsters there were notoriously vicious.

No merchant dared take that risk.

Tariffs alone accounted for half of Falmuth's income.

Now another monster faction had popped up in the forest?

With no way to tell if they were friend or foe?

There was no way any merchant would risk it.

The king raised his glass and smiled.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll hold celebration banquets for three months straight."

"A toast! To the glorious future of the Kingdom of Falmuth!"

---

Crimson Demon Village.

A small wooden house. Shabbier than your average household.

Out in the yard…

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The wind sliced through the air.

A red-haired boy was swinging a steel pipe, the other end weighed down with a boulder.

Wearing a black training vest, he repeated his strikes with quiet focus.

Nearby…

Komekko held a wooden stick and watched with sparkling eyes, copying his movements.

Smoke puffed from the chimney.

A delicious smell wafted out through the window.

Creeeeak...

The front door opened.

Yuiyui peeked her head out with a bright smile.

"Stark, dinner's ready."

"Alright."

Stark dropped the boulder.

Thud!

It hit the ground with a dull thunk, leaving a crater.

He wiped the sweat off with a towel, then squatted and gently pinched Komekko's soft cheek.

"We'll train again tomorrow."

"Mmhm!"

Komekko nodded excitedly.

Aww… too cute…

After throwing on their jackets, the two headed inside.

Fern was helping to serve the food.

Frieren was fiddling with some magic device she'd taken from Hyoizaburoo.

No one had a clue what the two of them were working on.

It had already been nearly a month since they'd arrived.

And they still hadn't figured out how to return home.

To make matters worse…

They didn't have any of this world's money.

They were basically stranded in the village.

Fortunately, they'd run into Hyoizaburoo and his family.

He'd taken them in without hesitation.

In exchange, they just helped out where they could.

For example:

Frieren assisted with magic device research.

Fern helped Yuiyui with housework and occasionally did the shopping and cooking.

Stark? He played with Komekko.

"We're having sukiyaki tonight!"

"Ding ding ding~"

Yuiyui lifted the pot lid, and the rich aroma filled the living room.

Komekko was already drooling.

"Mom, did big sis send money again?"

"Mmhm."

Yuiyui nodded with satisfaction.

Megumin had grown up.

She was becoming more and more dependable.

(To be continued.)

***

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