(Night time)
Y/n's pov
Shuna: "His Majesty, Gazel should be arriving soon." Just as she did, the door opened and Gazel himself appeared.
Gazel: "Did you wait long?"
Rim: "No, we only just arrived, too."
With a short greeting, we all took our seats.
Gazel: "Then to not beat around the bush. I placed a contact early this morning asking my men to assemble all our current surplus coinage. This resulted in just a little over fifteen hundred gold coins. I cannot collect more from these people, so consider that the most I can provide by tomorrow morning."
Me (Internally):
Rim: "Thanks a lot. That's actually more than I expected. Sorry to put you through that."
Gazel: "Mm. I'll have it sent tomorrow morning via Heavenly Transport, so you'll have it by evening."
Rim: "You know, I can just go pick them up for you. I'm the one asking for them anyway."
Gazel: "...Ah yes, you have [Spatial Motion]. That would reduce the chance of a mistake, yes. All right. I will contact them. That leaves the main question to discuss: Will this be enough to pay off your merchants?"
Rim: "Hmm, well... Based on the accounting in my head, we'll want a few hundred more."
Gazel: "That's the accounting you ran this festival on? Why, I'm amazed you ever got it off the ground!"
Rim: "Yeah, I kinda made things up as we went along. We didn't have much time to set it up, so what could I do?"
Gazel: "...I don't even know how to begin lecturing you." Gazel let out a long, theatrical sigh, his eyes despondent.
Elmesia: "Bonjour. If that's the case, perhaps I could make up the difference?". She sat next to Gazel, who visibly winced when he saw her—just for a moment.
(A/n: "I'll let it slide... e_e")
"What brings you two here?".
'Finally, I can talk.'
(A/n: *Laughs in having control over everything*)
Erald: "Well, Y/n-dono... Well you might not know but...*proceeds to tell Y/n of what happened last night* so that's why we're here.".
"I see. Thanks for the explanation."
Me (Internally):
Rim: "Oh, no, um, this is a problem we should handle ourselves..."
Elmesia: "Is it? Were you not just spewing a moment ago that you lacked money? I was only offering our support in light of the friendly relations our two countries will share going forward."
"I don't see why *glances*... We can handle this ourselves."
Gazel: "Give it up. Once that woman speaks her mind, she won't relent until she's had her way. You are far better off accepting her offer. Trust me on this."
Elmesia: "Ara, ara, Gazzie. You are taking my side? How rare!"
'Given that "Gazzie" nickname, I understand what their relationship is like...'
Gazel: "Would you mind not calling me that."
Elmesia: "Oh, you're always so formal! Your grandfather was much more freewheeling than that, you know."
Gazel: "Would you mind getting down to business?"
I could imagine Gazel picturing him like an annoying aunt showing up at every family event just to bug you. No wonder he found her to be trouble.
Elmesia: "Ara, ara, so hasty. Were you always so impatient like that, hmm?"
Gazel and Erald exchanged glances and simultaneously sighed. Those two acted like they disliked each other, but they were in total sync here. In terms of Elmesia treating them both like children, they shared a lot in common.
Gazel: "Right, then. Our time is valuable. We can't afford to consume it with your urges. All right?". He said, trying to move Elmesia's teasing from him and to get back at business.
Elmesia: "Ah, yes. In exchange for providing my support, I have one condition. Whenever you organize a festival as grand as this, I want you to invite me. If you fulfill this condition going forward, I would be happy to help with your monetary exchange. Because, goodness me, why would you ever stage such a wondrous event and not let me know about it?"
Rim and I:
"I-is that really all we have to do...?"
Rim: "That seems sus. But we'll accept it."
"Royalty aren't the slaves of the people, you know. If they can live freely, that makes their citizens happy as well—as it does me. I think it could help bring joy to everyone!". Elmesia smiled, ecstatically.
Rim: "There is truth to that. It's reassuring to see people on my side...and I look forward to it staying that way."
Elmesia then promptly took out what I could describe as her [Inventory] based on other gaming system/isekai mangas.
Elmesia: "This is just my pocket money in here, so I only have around a thousand gold coins at the moment. If you need more, I can arrange for that, but..."
Rim: "No, that alone will be more than enough. Could we exchange those for ten stellar golds, then or..."
Elmesia: "Eh. You can keep them. Just remember our condition. Though I figured, that even if you didn't have the time to have the gold coins, someone would be willing to assist you in it. Say through favors and not by scares." She smiled one of that of a ruler.
"Isn't it because favors have a higher success rate than other methods of willingness?"
Elmesia: "Yes. But who's to say that even with favors the trader or the interloper would be someone else's pawn?"
Diablo: "Kufufufufu. What an interesting thought of conversation. By causing problems they tend to sell us favors to 'help' us. That's a good plan by my standards but-"
RIm: "Even if we do or don't have the coins to pay them with, they can show some sort of document to let anyone of a high position in government to show that we're untrustworthy than creating some fulfillment that would make us be the ones who owe a favor for them."
Elmesia: "How greedy. Looks like I learned something new about the thought patterns of humans."
"... Does this mean someone might be putting the merchants up to this just so they could make us owe a debt to them? Is some member of the Western Union trying to test us?
Elmesia: "Oh, I wouldn't know. Thalion isn't part of that Union. Buuuuttttt maybe that fellow over there would know something, no?" She said turning her focus over to Mjöllmile.
Mjöllmile: "Erm... Well, I did hear some rumors about there being some shadow committee that is the de facto ruler of the Western Union and its nations. But I wouldn't believe it for a moment. The Council is composed of elected representatives from each country, all of whom are nobles that are verified.
???: "Well, if someone should appear tomorrow and attempt to mediate with us on this matter...I will give them a thorough examination and fully expose their backgrounds for you." A kneeling Kancho and Soka were spotted when Kancho said what he said.
"That's good to know Kancho. Just uh... Don't torture them for info unless it's necessary."
Kancho: "Understood, Y/n-sama."
Elmesia: "May I ask you a question?"
Rim: "Yes?"
Elmesia: "I am considering enacting a new pact with you, but before I do, I wanted to hear your thoughts."Elmesia's demeanor changed. She was no longer hiding her 'ruler face', her real face. But had a face of seriousness. She let out her [Heroic Aura]... Which wasn't intense to me, I could easily overpower that aura.
"Let's hear it."
Elmesia: "How do you plan to deal with that primordial over there? Along with that other powerful demon?" She said eyeing Diablo and Janemba.
Rim: "What do you mean? They're both under our command."
Elmesia: "Let me rephrase that question. If the two got out of control, how would you handle them?"
"Well for Janemba, It'll be pretty difficult. Considering that he can easily take on a SSJ3, based on Goku's battle with him before. I would need to be a SSJ4 or use SSJO3, since [Soul Punisher] wouldn't work."
Rim: "And for Diablo. Well... it'll be easy. I wouldn't want to have a fallout in my hands."
Elmesia: "Ara! Did you hear that, Erald? This demon lord's an even bigger piece of work than how you described him!". She said giggling like a child.
Elmesia: "All right. I understand your position. But if the two of you become an enemy to man, elven and dwarven kind, I will use any means to stop you. Well, enough of that instead, let us continue to deepen our bonds and maintain our friendly relations."
Elmesia: "So, as the representative of the Sorcerous Dynasty of Thalion, I hereby officially acknowledge the Jura Tempest Federation as close friends."
Gazel: "While we're on that subject. Rimuru, Y/n. I do believe advice has to be given, given the circumstances."
(20 minutes of lecturing later)
'My brain.'
Rim: "S-so is that everything?"
Elmesia: "Well..."
'No, no more lessons!'
Elmesia: "I wanna, well more like a request. I request you to introduce me to Mr. Yoshida!"
I sigh in relief of it not being another lesson on how to run a country.
Rim: "Well that can be easy to arrange."
"Uh... Well, Imma go to bed. I think my brain wants to commit unalive."
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