"I've decided," Shogo said.

"The first thing we'll do after the chaos starts… is kill him and take his place."

Kyoya's eyes narrowed. "Then we'd better act fast."

Clearly, he was just as consumed by jealousy toward Chishiya.

They had no idea Chishiya was also from another world.

Of course…

If they did know, that hatred would only grow deeper.

To them, Chishiya was just another native.

Killing some local from another world didn't bother them one bit.

On stage—

Chishiya continued speaking.

"The entrance fee for the Labyrinth is 10 silver coins."

"There are 30 floors in total. The deeper you go, the stronger the monsters become, and the greater the rewards."

"Every five floors, there's a resting zone for adventurers."

"We provide food, lodging, item appraisal and resale, equipment repairs and cleaning, and other services."

Down below, the adventurers began to murmur among themselves.

"Ten silver coins? That's not cheap. That's like a whole month of living expenses…"

"Ten silver coins just to enter? Isn't that a bit much?"

"Anyone who knows how business works can tell this is worth it. If you survive, you'll make way more than ten silver."

"Yeah, and they've got lodging inside. So no need to bail early because of supply issues."

"If you're strong enough, just keep pushing deeper. It all depends on your own ability."

"Honestly? I think ten silver is a good deal."

Voices varied, with some skeptical and others optimistic.

"Hey, hey, HEY!"

A loud voice cut through the crowd.

At the back, two men and one woman pushed their way to the front of the stage.

Shogo stood there with a sneer.

"You think it's that easy? This labyrinth isn't some friendly training field!"

"If I die in there, what then? All that for ten silver coins?! Are you kidding me?"

"You want us to pay and risk our lives? What a scam!"

The criticism was clearly aimed at Chishiya.

And with that, the crowd started to quiet down.

He had a point.

They were the ones paying. They were the ones risking their lives.

Didn't that mean they were shouldering all the risk?

On stage—

Chishiya raised an eyebrow as he looked at the trio.

Ah. The beast-brained trio from Falmuth.

So they actually showed up.

History really was persistent.

Just like in the original timeline, that idiotic king from Falmuth was still trying to make a move here.

"…"

Chishiya didn't say a word, but a faint smile appeared on his face.

Good…

Falmuth, you've brought this on yourselves.

So don't blame me for what comes next.

Shogo, mistaking Chishiya's silence as hesitation, felt even bolder.

"Kirara, use your Bewilder. Wreck this place."

He muttered under his breath.

The short-haired girl grinned.

"Don't worry."

Ability activated.

The mood of the crowd shifted instantly.

Voices rose in protest.

"Ten silver coins?! That's way too steep!"

"We're risking our lives and they're the ones making money? What a joke!"

"Screw this. I'm out! Why'd I even come to this dump?"

Shogo and Kyoya exchanged smug looks.

As expected, Kirara's ability was still effective when it counted.

Once the crowd turned violent—

Then they could frame Lapris for attacking humans.

And with that, Falmuth would stand on the righteous side.

Even if it didn't escalate that far...

They would've still ruined the ceremony.

No matter what, it was a win.

More and more adventurers were swaying under Kirara's influence.

Just as Shogo thought they had things under control—

On stage—

Aqua tilted her head and looked around.

"Huh? That's weird."

"Chishiya-san, do you feel something… off?"

Shuna nodded beside her.

"Feels like someone's tampering with their brainwaves."

Even Frieren closed her book.

She sensed it too.

Aqua placed her hands over her chest.

"Holy Purification!"

A wave of light surged outward, centered on her.

Instantly, the agitated crowd calmed down.

"All done~," Aqua said cheerfully, going right back to snacking with Rim.

Frieren blinked in surprise.

She looked at the blue-haired girl, brows raised.

Holy magic?

That was divine-class magic—goddess-tier.

This girl… was even stronger than Hinata.

A priestess this powerful?

Offstage—

Kirara's confident smirk froze.

"My ability… didn't work?"

"What's going on?"

That had never happened since the day she was summoned.

Who was that blue-haired woman?!

"It's fine," Kyoya said. "The crowd's still rattled. Next step is to push their buttons."

Just then—

Chishiya spoke again, calm and unbothered.

"As for accidents in the Labyrinth, don't worry."

"We provide professional resurrection items. Anyone who dies inside can be revived."

Silence.

The crowd froze.

Even Frieren, Fern, and Stark's pupils dilated as they turned sharply toward the stage.

Resurrection?

What did he just say?

There's no such thing in this world!

No known power could bring back the dead!

Shion noticed the look on their faces and smiled faintly.

She remembered wearing the same stunned expression back then.

But now?

She had the calm composure of a seasoned veteran.

After all, this company had long since broken every fantasy rule imaginable.

She was sure Miss Frieren and the others would get used to it soon enough.

Offstage—

"Resurrection item?"

People stopped in their tracks. Some even turned around.

It wasn't that they believed it—it just sparked curiosity.

"Did he say… resurrection?"

"That can't be real, right?"

"Still… what if it is?"

Even skeptics were now looking at Chishiya, waiting for proof.

If it was real, then exploring the Labyrinth suddenly became a no-brainer.

Ten silver coins? That'd be a steal!

Shogo shouted, voice shaking.

"You serious right now?! Resurrection?! You expect us to buy that crap?!"

"What if someone dies for real in there? You'll just deny it ever happened!"

"What kind of monsters would tell the truth anyway?! You're all the same!"

"Monsters will always be monsters. What gives you the right to act all high and mighty, pretending to be some kind of saint?!"

On stage—

Shion clenched her fists, turning to Chishiya with a forced smile.

"Chishiya-sama, may I rip his jaw off?"

Chishiya gently patted her shoulder.

He looked toward the three guests in the audience.

Still smiling.

"Then—guest. Would you like to participate in the demonstration?"

Demo?

Shogo was caught off guard.

He obviously didn't believe in any resurrection nonsense.

But then…

He lowered his eyes and glanced at Chishiya.

This was it. An opportunity.

All he had to do was attack Chishiya during the demonstration and kill him.

That would be enough.

The path to becoming king of the mountain was opening right in front of him.

(To be continued.)

***

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