"Crunch, crunch~~"
"What kind of fruit is this? How can it be so delicious?"
Rimuru, who comes from a world where fresh vegetables and fruits without chemicals are very rare, couldn't resist the delectable produce.
"There's a special energy in the food."
Velzard, however, noticed something deeper. "To infuse laws into food... what an intriguing idea."
"Hm?"
Darkness, watching the two women devour their meal, was puzzled by Velzard's words.
"No need to overthink it. Tonight, I'll explain everything you want to know."
Damien had already decided to make Darkness his familiar.
With his current strength, the power level of his familiars was irrelevant.
Darkness was a teammate he'd bonded with in the Konosubaverse.
Privately, the two had grown quite close, teetering on the edge of something more.
Given their connection, Damien had no intention of letting Darkness go.
'Besides…'
Damien believed Darkness's potential was far from lacking. 'Who knows, there might be some surprises.'
People from different worlds, when reincarnated into the Cardinal World, gained benefits that varied by individual.
How formidable was Darkness's soul?
Her willpower was so tenacious it nearly broke a hell demon's composure... a bug-level resilience!
In terms of sheer determination, Damien doubted even Velzard could match her.
For someone like that, once in the Cardinal World, who knew what kind of skills the Voice of the World might grant her.
"Damien, this sparkling wine is amazing!"
"Drink up, then."
Damien spared no expense, calling out to Luna, "Another pitcher of sparkling wine over here!"
A pitcher... twelve glasses... was more than enough for Rimuru to enjoy herself.
When it came to eating and drinking, neither Rimuru nor Damien used their abilities.
Especially with alcohol... what was the point if you couldn't savor the buzz?
"Hahaha…"
"This, this is the otherworld life I dreamed of!"
Soon, Rimuru's cheeks were flushed, her speech slurring slightly.
"This place is great, right?"
"Oh, I love it here!"
Rimuru was thrilled with this vacation, her resentment toward Damien for ditching her starting to fade.
"Tomorrow, I'll take you to a resort to soak in some hot springs."
"Really?!"
The monster kingdom had hot springs, but how could they compare to a vacation getaway?
"So…"
Velzard interjected, "You're really just here to have fun?"
"What's wrong with that?"
Damien slung an arm around Velzard, grinning. "Don't be so serious, Velzard-nee!"
They had endless lifespans.
If they couldn't find joy, how would they pass the eons?
"You're hopeless…"
Velzard sighed helplessly.
But since Damien had called her Velzard-nee…
Eager to be the doting older sister, Velzard broke into a satisfied smile. "Another pitcher of sparkling wine!!"
"Oooh!!"
Rimuru and Damien cheered, and even Darkness was swept up in the mood, joining the trio in a drinking contest.
Finally, Damien stood on a stool, raising his glass of sparkling wine. "Everyone, look over here!!"
"Damien?"
"It's Damien!"
"Is it happening again?"
Seeing Damien's gesture, the adventurers in the guild already knew what was coming.
"No more words…"
"Tonight, all expenses are on my tab!"
"Ooohhh!!"
"Damien, you're the man!!"
"Damien, I love you~~~"
"Damien! Damien! Damien!"
"…"
As expected of the Konosubaverse, filled with comedic characters.
Even Velzard, during the ensuing feast, got to know several female adventurers.
As for Rimuru…
If Great Sage hadn't kept her in check, she might've reverted to her slime form to start milking the crowd for affection.
Time flew by in the joy of the moment, and before they knew it, Damien and Rimuru had spent the entire afternoon reveling in the guild.
Boom!!
As evening fell, the Adventurer's Guild's doors were flung open with force.
Two figures stumbled in, supporting each other.
"Ugh! Pfft!!"
An adventurer drinking near the door suddenly paled, spitting out his drink.
"What's that smell?"
"It stinks!"
"Ew~~~"
Soon, everyone caught sight of the two figures silhouetted against the blood-red sunset.
It was none other than Kazuma and Aqua, who had been toiling away at construction sites since arriving in this world.
But compared to their usual exhaustion, their current state was far more pitiful.
"Drip, drip~~"
Covered in foul-smelling slime, each step they took left a sticky footprint on the floor.
Gulp!
The sight startled everyone in the guild.
Even Rimuru, by Damien's side, widened her eyes in shock.
"Th-those…"
Luna, ever the consummate receptionist, suppressed her disgust and approached. "Excuse me, Mr. Kazuma, Miss Aqua, do you need assistance?"
"No, we're fine."
Kazuma pulled a soggy quest sheet from his pocket and handed it to Luna.
She shuddered at the sight.
But her professionalism compelled her to take the slimy paper.
"Ew~~~"
The slick texture made Luna feel ill. "Is this… a giant frog subjugation quest? I'll, uh, process it right away…"
With stiff steps, Luna headed to the counter.
As for Kazuma and Aqua…
Everyone backed away several steps, keeping their distance.
"What's going on?"
"Did they get swallowed by a monster?"
"Whoa, that's terrifying!"
"Don't say that, I'll have nightmares!"
"…"
Amid the crowd's murmurs, Rimuru and Velzard turned to Damien, who spoke via telepathy: 'These two are the main characters of this world... Mr. Advocate of Gender Equality Satou Kazuma and the Goddess of Water Aqua!'
***
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