After the breakfast meeting commotion settled down, Rimuru returned to his office alone. The desk was buried under a mountain of documents. Souei's report from yesterday, trade records with the Brumund Kingdom, request memos from residents. All of it important stuff. Rimuru sighed and leaned back in his chair. (A pamphlet, huh...) He'd made the declaration this morning, but he hadn't figured out how to actually make one. He understood wanting to convey Tempest's appeal. But deciding what to write, who would write it, and how to present it—that was all still ahead of him. Well, there was no helping it. He'd just have to start moving. Rimuru was reaching for the documents when it happened. BANG!! The door flew open. The force was so strong the doorknob made a faint warping sound. The woman who entered had crimson hair tied back in a single ponytail. She was tall, with two small demon horns on her head. Golden eyes gleamed. Among Tempest's executives, she stood out especially—Shion. She held a magical camera in both hands, her face beaming with a smile. "[excited]Lord Rimuru! I shall assist with the pamphlet production!" She declared it while holding the camera high. Rimuru glanced at the warped doorknob. He'd have to ask Kazari from maintenance again, he thought, while returning a gentle smile. "[gentle]Thank you, Shion. What kind of help will you give?" "First, I shall take the most magnificent photographs of you! With an image of our Demon Lord, people from other nations will surely feel at ease!" She gripped the magical camera—a device recently developed by Tempest's craftsmen that used magical essence to record images—and tried to peer through the viewfinder. Rimuru sat back down in his chair. (Well, a photo would make it clearer.) "[sarcastic]What kind of face should I make..." "A natural smile is best! Your gentle expression, Lord Rimuru, is proof that all our citizens adore you!" Shion held the camera firmly in both hands, pointing it at Rimuru. She was fired up. Her expression was serious. But. Gradually, the strength in her hands gripping the camera increased. The thought that she absolutely must photograph Lord Rimuru magnificently surged through her entire body, and unconsciously her fingertips tightened— *Crack.* An unpleasant sound. Shion stopped as she tried to peer through the viewfinder. The lens had spider-web cracks running through it. And the entire camera was slightly warped. "...It is fine. I can still take photos." "[surprised]Uh, hey, Shion—" "It is fine!" With a *snap*, the lens shattered completely. Silence. Rimuru looked at the broken camera. Shion remained frozen in her camera-holding pose. "[laughing]...First one, destroyed." He made a mental note. Shion's ears turned red, but she still didn't let her smile falter. "I-I shall fetch a spare right away!" She ran out into the hallway. Three minutes later, she returned carefully holding a backup camera in both hands. This time she held it gently, without applying too much force. She was learning. Kazari from maintenance arrived to fix the doorknob at exactly that moment. A petite dwarf woman, she held her toolbox while wearing an exasperated expression. "[sarcastic]This is the fourth time this month, Lady Shion." "[serious]...You were counting?" "Of course. It is a maintenance expense record." While Kazari expertly fixed the doorknob, they resumed the shoot. Rimuru sat in the chair, and Shion held the camera. But when Shion moved slightly closer to adjust the angle, she placed a hand on Rimuru's shoulder in encouragement. With a *thud*. Both of them tumbled forward with the chair. *Crash!* "[scared]W-wait, Shion—!!" "[crying]Lord Rimuru, are you alright!?" Documents scattered across the floor. The backup camera miraculously survived. Rimuru got up and gathered the crumpled papers, thinking: (I should change locations.) ──── Five minutes south on foot from Tempest Castle. When they reached Tempest Central Market—colloquially called the Hodgepodge Plaza—the air changed entirely. In a plaza two hundred meters east to west and one hundred fifty meters north to south, about eighty permanent shops and forty or so stalls lined the space. At this time before noon, the market was at its liveliest. At "Gobe's Vegetable Shop," run by a goblin greengrocer, an elderly hobgoblin woman named Gobe was selling daikon radishes in a loud voice. Across from where lizardman employees were arranging fresh fish, goblin children swarmed around skewered grilled snacks. Residents of various races passed through, and the continental common language mixed with dialects and laughter. This is Tempest, Rimuru always thought. People from human nations apparently thought of it as "a terrifying country of monsters," but in reality it was this ordinary and warm. "[excited]If we take photos here with the market atmosphere in the background, maybe we can convey the country's spirit." "An excellent idea, Lord Rimuru!" Shion held up the camera, pointing it at Rimuru. This time she was properly relaxed, holding it carefully. Slowly, carefully, she backed up to adjust the angle— And stepped on Gobe's daikon radishes. *Squish.* "Ah—" She fell over along with the radishes. Shion's body crashed into the pile of vegetables, and daikon, carrots, and pumpkins scattered across the plaza's stone pavement. The sound of vegetables rolling and Shion's "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" overlapped. "[angry]Ugh, again! Demon lady, that's three times this month!" The round-faced Gobe's grandma, hands on her hips, shouted. Gobe's grandma was an old-timer at the market, famous for speaking her mind without hesitation to anyone. Shion stood up covered in dirt. Despite falling, she'd protected the camera with her life. "[crying]My sincerest apologies! I shall compensate you immediately—" Rimuru bowed deeply to Gobe's grandma while picking up the scattered radishes. "[gentle]I'm truly sorry. We'll pay for the damages properly later." "Lord Rimuru, please don't bow! But...well, if you say so, I suppose it can't be helped." Grandma grumbled while beginning to gather the vegetables. Her face was angry, but her hands carefully arranged the radishes back in place. Shion, wiping her dirt-covered palms on her pants, trotted over. "[excited]Lord Rimuru! Actually, I prepared text as well!" She held out a dirt-covered piece of paper. Rimuru took it and opened it. ...On the drawing paper, only three lines were written in ink. 　Lord Rimuru is 　The most amazing 　Demon Lord in the world. The end. Rimuru stared at that paper for three seconds. (How many pages would this count as?) While his eyes grew distant in his mind, he carefully folded the paper. "[gentle]...Thank you, Shion. I'll use it as reference." "Was I of help!?" She looked at him with sparkling golden eyes. Rimuru answered with a smile, "Yeah." While letting go of something in his heart. ──── Regrouping, as he considered the composition in the plaza's center— "Lord Rimuru!!!" Goblin children's voices rang out. Three children around four or five years old, two around six or seven. Named goblins who'd undergone the naming ceremony, with faces close to hobgoblins and human-like appearances. They were all sweaty, probably from playing hide-and-seek at the market, their eyes sparkling. The children rushed over all at once. One tugged at Rimuru's pants leg, one tried to climb on his back, one clung to his arm and dangled. "[scared]W-wait, just a moment, we're in the middle of shooting—!" "Lord Rimuru, be a horsey!" "No way! I got here first!" "Carry me!" It became uncontrollable. Rimuru, being jostled around, looked to Shion for help. Shion lowered the camera, looked at the children, looked at Rimuru, and thought for a moment. Then she spoke loudly. "[excited]Everyone! Let's take a photo together with Lord Rimuru!" The children stopped dead. "[surprised]Together!?" "A photo? That thing?" "Yeah!!!!" They got excited all at once. The children gathered around Rimuru in a swarm, striking whatever poses they felt like. One rested a hand on Rimuru's shoulder, one grabbed his arm and grinned widely, one stood shyly fidgeting. Shion raised the camera. This time, quietly. Slowly. *Click.* When Rimuru saw that photo later, he couldn't help but murmur: "[surprised]...Ah, this is good." The children's smiling faces. Rimuru's wry smile. In the background, colorful stalls and the figures of residents passing by. Goblins, lizardmen, human faces too. Tempest's everyday life captured exactly as it was. "[excited]To convey Lord Rimuru's charm, the people around you are the best!" Shion said it proudly, chest puffed out. Despite being covered in dirt moments ago, her face was now full of pride. Rimuru glanced at Shion's profile. Clumsy, misjudging her strength, stepping on vegetables, her manuscript just three characters. But in that one moment when she called out to the children in that voice, everyone's smiles gathered. (She's amazing.) No other words came. He just thought that. ──── Evening came, and the foot traffic in the market quieted a bit. Rimuru parted ways with Shion and headed toward the basement of Tempest Castle. The entrance to the basement was at the end of a secluded hallway in the castle, hidden in a gap in an inconspicuous stone wall. Rimuru walked with practiced steps. He'd been here many times now. Souei's information bureau—colloquially known as "the Shadow Chamber." The place that handled all of Tempest's intelligence work, and only Rimuru and Souei's direct shadow squad knew its location. It was dim. No torches, just the faint light of magical essence lamps leaking from the stone walls illuminating the corridor. As Rimuru proceeded deeper— Soundlessly, Souei appeared. Black hair tied back, black clothes. No expression. Eyes that seemed to look at nothing in particular, pointed straight at Rimuru. "[serious]About the letter this morning. I need you to investigate the sender." He pulled the letter from his pants pocket. The one that read, "Do you truly know Tempest's real nature?" A single sheet with no sender. Souei took the letter and glanced at it for one second. "Understood." That was all. Rimuru smiled wryly. "[sarcastic]...You always say just that, don't you, Souei." Souei looked at him. His expression didn't change. But there was an air that he had no reason not to respond. "I speak what is necessary. Nothing more." Leaving the Shadow Chamber and stepping outside the castle, the sun had already tilted low. The market stalls were beginning to pack up. Magical essence lamps were lighting one by one, dyeing the plaza in warm orange. Walking home, Rimuru stopped in front of the market's bulletin board. An old goblin stood there. Short, with a slightly bent back. Two white horns on his head, just standing there. He had the appearance of an aged goblin who hadn't undergone the naming ceremony, never evolving into a hobgoblin, keeping his ancient form. He stood with arms crossed, reading the notice Rimuru had posted today with a stern face. The announcement that Tempest was beginning pamphlet production, that they wanted to hear from residents. Rimuru was about to call out when the old goblin turned and walked away quickly without even glancing back. His small figure disappeared into the market's crowd. Rimuru stood still, watching that retreating back. Was he angry? Or just reading? He couldn't judge the reason for that stern expression. (Who was that?) An evening breeze swept through the plaza. The magical essence lamp light flickered. Rimuru remembered the letter in his pocket. That one line from the bulletin board this morning. ——Do you truly know Tempest's real nature? Whether it was related, he didn't know. But it nagged at him. The photo they'd taken today came to mind. Those smiling faces. The children's lively expressions, Gobe's grandma's angry face, Shion