The morning after the shoot at the Hotchpotch Plaza, Rimuru stepped out of Tempest Castle alongside Shion. Their destination lay three kilometers east of the central city—the Tempest Hot Spring Resort, colloquially known as "The Healing Waters." Underground mana veins fed the springs, and they'd gained a reputation for their restorative properties. Foreign tourists were beginning to discover the place. Today's mission was to photograph the resort for a pamphlet. At Rimuru's feet walked Ranga. The jet-black wolf moved with perfect precision beside him, his tail swaying slowly left and right. The morning forest air felt good. Light filtered through the trees of the great forest, illuminating the grass beneath their feet. Bird calls echoed from somewhere distant. "[excited]Today I shall capture the perfect photographs!" Shion shook her crimson hair, gripping the camera tightly with both hands. Rimuru glanced at it briefly. "[gentle]You sure you've got the grip right?" "……I'll be careful." Shion's face flushed slightly as she adjusted her hold on the camera, cradling it more gently. Yesterday's incident had made her especially cautious today. Well, he'd just have to trust her on that. As they approached the resort, the faint smell of sulfur drifted toward them. White steam peeked through gaps in the trees. The path beneath their feet changed to stone, and bamboo fences appeared on either side. "[excited]Here we are. Nice atmosphere." The resort's main gate was a small wooden structure with a sign reading "The Healing Waters" hanging from it. A small management office stood nearby. The moment Rimuru gently opened the office door— "Oh! Welcome, welcome!" A voice came flying at them. Gobji—an elderly goblin, estimated at one hundred eighty years old—rose from his round stool with a grunt and waved his hands. His back was slightly hunched, his horns completely white. His face was deeply lined. But his eyes alone gleamed with vitality. "To have the Demon Lord himself grace us with a visit! Come, come this way." Gobji gestured cheerfully toward a bench in the office. Rimuru and Shion exchanged glances before sitting down together. "[gentle]Gobji, I came today hoping to get permission to conduct some interviews——" "Permission? As much as you need! But first, I must properly explain this hot spring to you." Gobji folded his arms and smiled. "The history of this spring goes back a hundred years. A hundred years ago, that is……" Rimuru straightened his posture and began listening. Politely at first. Nodding along with "mm-hmm, mm-hmm." ——Ten minutes passed. "……And so the spring quality at that time was……" ——Twenty minutes passed. "The sulfur components are truly fascinating, you see……" ——Thirty minutes passed. "The manager at that time was my mentor, you understand……" Rimuru maintained his smile while his inner self collapsed flat. (This will never end……!) It wasn't that the story was boring. Gobji's tale was coherent, and the spring's history genuinely ran deep. It just wouldn't stop. The moment one story seemed to end, he'd say "Oh yes, and that relates to this, you see" and launch into the next one. Just as Rimuru opened his mouth to say "Perhaps we should look inside——" "[gentle]Oh yes! I mentioned the mana vein, but actually that was……" He'd perfectly timed the continuation. (He's good at this!) Shion gently tugged at Rimuru's sleeve. "[whispers]Rimuru, perhaps……I should interrupt." Rimuru felt relieved. As expected of Shion. A lifesaver. Shion leaned forward. "[serious]Gobji, might I ask something——" Gobji looked at Shion. His eyes sparkled. "Oh! A member of the oni race! Actually, the relationship between oni and hot springs is quite profound, you see……" Shion's body went rigid. "Since oni have elevated body temperatures, their sensitivity to spring minerals——" Rimuru looked at Shion. Shion looked at Rimuru. Their eyes met. Both turned forward in unison, quietly. (……Completely caught.) Ranga curled up at their feet, his tail wagging gently. Only Ranga remained free. Then Ranga's nose twitched. The scent of steam drifted to the office. A faint, warm sulfur smell. Ranga's ears perked up. (Ranga……?) By the time Rimuru noticed, Ranga was already moving. He slipped from the shadows and bolted toward the back of the resort. His jet-black fur cut through the air. Straight, without hesitation, toward the resort's largest open-air bath—the massive stone bath beneath a pavilion roof—at full speed. "[scared]Ranga!!" Gobji's story stopped for the first time. SPLASH!!! The Storm Star Wolf's dive into the open-air bath echoed across the entire resort. The next instant, a tremendous wave erupted from the bath. Water surged over the stone rim, spilling everywhere. The goblin men soaking in the spring shrieked "Wahhh!" and scrambled out. CRASH!! A wooden fence flew clean off at its base. The carefully constructed bamboo enclosure scattered through the air like confetti. "What's happening?!" "The fence!!" The goblin men, towels wrapped around their waists, ran about in confusion. Repair workers appeared from nowhere, grabbed the flying fence, and took off running. In the midst of the chaos. Ranga floated contentedly in the hot water. His tail swayed gently. His face looked satisfied. Rimuru abandoned Gobji's story and rushed to the bath, apologizing profusely. He told the repair workers "The castle will cover this month's repairs" and bowed repeatedly to the soaked men. "I'm truly sorry." Shion bowed beside him, saying "My sincerest apologies!" Their voices harmonized perfectly. Gobji watched the scene with a dazed expression, then began chuckling. "[laughing]A lively wolf indeed. The spring must suit him well." He wasn't angry. If anything, he seemed delighted. "[sarcastic]……Gobji, you really do have a generous heart." "Not at all, not at all. This liveliness is precisely what makes a hot spring special." Gobji said this with a smile, then began watching over the repairs. ——And at last, Rimuru and Shion were freed from Gobji. ──── After seeing the fence repairs through, Rimuru and Shion sat down on a stone ledge at the edge of the resort. Steam rose gently from a nearby bath. The sky was blue and high. A soft breeze swayed the vapor lazily. The commotion felt like a lie now. Ranga had properly emerged from the water and now curled up at Rimuru's feet with his eyes closed. Steam rose from his wet fur, and he looked thoroughly satisfied. For a while, neither spoke. The steam swayed. A bird called in the distance. The faint sound of the repair workers' hammers carried on the wind. Shion placed her hand on the stone ledge and looked up at the sky. "……You know." The words came out quietly. Rimuru listened without turning. "When I was in the ogre settlement, I only thought about becoming stronger." Her voice was soft. Not her usual energetic tone, but slow and measured. "If I was strong as a warrior, that was enough. I thought that's what being useful meant. Ever since you named me and I evolved into an oni, Rimuru……I started wondering if there were other ways I could be of service." Rimuru looked at Shion's profile. Her golden eyes gazed gently at the sky. "But when I cook, inedible things result. When I organize documents, I create chaos instead. I crush cameras, I step on radishes……" Shion laughed. She really did laugh. But the corners of her eyes were just slightly wet. "I've been frustrated this whole time." Rimuru turned forward. The steam swayed. He was quiet for a moment. Not searching for words—just wanting to say it properly. "Your earnestness is the greatest strength you have, as far as I'm concerned." The words were unadorned. Shion went completely still. Rimuru continued. "Even if you break cameras, even if you step on radishes, you're giving it everything. That photo with all the children gathered—that happened because you called out to them." "……That's……" "I couldn't do that." Shion fell silent. One second. Two seconds. Slowly, her ears turned as red as her crimson hair. She turned away abruptly. "[serious]……Don't say things like that so suddenly." "[sarcastic]……I was just saying what I thought." "You can't just blurt it out!" "That wasn't blurting it out." "Yes it was!!" Rimuru looked at Shion's red ears and smiled wryly. He was honestly flustered. But he didn't feel like pressing further, so he turned forward. The steam swayed. Ranga's tail wagged gently. It wasn't a bad afternoon. ──── In the evening, the two visited Shuna's weaving workshop. A two-story building ten minutes' walk west of the castle, with four large looms lined up on the first floor. The sweet scent of dyes hung in the air. Shuna, her cherry-blossom hair tied up, had spread out pamphlet design drafts across a work table on the first floor. "Thank you for your hard work. Please, take a look." Her voice was calm. Rimuru moved beside her and peered at the papers. A page with photos of the hot spring resort. Photos of residents laughing at the market. Children's smiling faces. Everything was carefully laid out, the text placement precise. "[surprised]……This is amazing. It really feels like Tempest." "Shuna's way of arranging the photos is quite skillful." Shuna's expression brightened slightly, but she quickly grew serious again. "But there's still something missing." "[serious]Missing?" "We have no photographic materials showing Tempest's strength. We captured the residents' smiles and the hot spring, but to convey that this nation is truly safe……we need imagery that demonstrates our power." Rimuru folded his arms. Strength. Right. If the pamphlet was nothing but heartwarming photos, outsiders might wonder "Is this place really safe?" They needed materials showing that Tempest was a properly protected nation. "[serious]……I'll ask Benimaru." Benimaru—the oni among the executives, particularly skilled in combat. If they could photograph him during training, it would add convincing power to their message of strength. Shuna nodded. "That would be best." That's when it happened. Shuna's eyes suddenly shifted toward the workshop wall. "……Rimuru." Her voice dropped. "[serious]What is it?" Shuna pointed at the wall. A single sheet of paper was posted there. Rimuru approached, peeled it off, and read it. ——Is what you're trying to show the real Tempest? Don't create false pamphlets. The handwriting was the same. Same paper, same characters as the letter posted on the dining hall bulletin board before. "[serious]When did this……The workshop was locked." Shuna's voice grew low. Her usual calm demeanor receded. Shion's golden eyes narrowed. "[angry]Who……Someone who can move freely through the castle must have posted this." Rimuru held the letter, staring at the wall. Someone had entered the locked workshop without a sound, posted the paper, and left without a trace. He'd asked Souei to investigate. But no answers had come yet. (Someone inside Tempest can move freely.) Rimuru carefully folded the letter and placed it in his pocket. "[serious]Shuna, change the workshop locks tonight. I'll inform Souei today." "[gentle]Understood." Outside the workshop, the evening sky had turned orange. The silhouettes of the great forest's trees were beginning to darken in the distance. The three walked toward the castle together. Ranga followed quietly at their feet. Rimuru's fingers found the letter in his pocket, confirming its presence. Don't create false pamphlets—— What was the real Tempest? He should know that better than anyone. But now, those words caught at something inside him. He still needed to visit Benimaru. And he needed to identify who was leaving these letters. Two tasks crystallized clearly in Rimuru's mind. The setting sun painted Tempest's streets in red.