EPILOGUE
FLAS OF AVARICE
Duke us staggered along. He had just tasted fear. Fear and despair.
The demon lord Rimuru was no one he had any hope of handling. The plan was to make Rimuru owe him a favor, then ta him into doing exactly what he wanted him to. But, looking back, he couldnt have been further out of his league.
It made us feel laughable. He thought he had him wrapped around his finger, but the shoe had been on the other foot the whole ti. He couldnt help but laugh about it, but he no longer had the ntal fortitude.
And thinking about it, those people have it worse than I do
He recalled the rchants gathered up for him. A handso man ca from behind the demon lords shadow, reading off their nas, birthplaces, and the type and price for each and every one of their goods. His voice was like an accursed spell binding uss heart.
How deep did they search?
If they were disallowed from dealing in the demon lords domain, theyd all have to return to their ho nations. And Rimuru knew that. Reading off all their nationalities was his way of applying that extra beat of pressure to their threats.
The demon lords domain would no doubt develop further in the future, as would any nation working with it. It was the creation of a new, and powerful, economic bloc, and it ant any nation shut out of it would imdiately fall behind in competitiveness. No nation had the luxury of sheltering its own rchants and ignoring a new alliance like this.
Having just experienced the Founders Festival, us could see that as the unvarnished truth. Such wonderful music, such innovative science. The gourt delights, all rarities in the Western Nations, were a shock to him. Monster nations, rural towns, and so on Hed looked down on them all before he ca here, but now he felt pathetic for doing so. Sensing all this culture he had never seen before made his heart throb.
Being spurned by this demon lord was a serious issue, one that had to be redied no matter what. But so confident was us in his sche that he misjudged how Rimuru would react to it.
Those rchants may have nowhere left to go, but Im just the sa
There would be no more advancent in his career. The Five Elders werent forgiving enough to allow failures in their midst. He would lose his fortune; perhaps hed even be purged. But all us could do was report the truth. Because no matter where he went in this wide world, there was no fleeing the eyes of the Rozzo family
I see he really did fail, Grandfather.
That he did, Maribel. I should have let you handle that. When I first heard the news, I thought that nation was too valuable to destroy, and now look
You couldnt help it. I saw and heard it, tooand I felt it. The aroma of a culture from my past. But thats why we need to erase it all before it becos known.
It was Maribels indirect way of telling Granville Rozzo his orders were too half-hearted. And as head of the Rozzo family and chief diator among the Five Elders, Granville bitterly agreed with her.
The Tempest Founders Festival was attended by the worlds ruling classes. It was Granville who ignored Maribels warnings and decided to see it. If they could bring the demon lord Rimuru under their wing, they couldve invited him onto the Councilin a way that benefited them, of course.
That was their decisionbut with far fewer movable pawns available at the mont, Granville grew timid. That was why Maribel stopped him from taking action, instead having a third party feel this demon lord out. And as a result, Duke us failed.
If only Maribel was there, the Rozzos would never have lost. Granville was sure of it, but Maribel looked like a young childand instinctively, he hesitated to let her go off alone.
Grandfather, I need to make a move of my own.
Thats the only way?
Dont worry, all right? I am Maribel. I am greed. I wish for everything, and I take it all for myself. This world belongs to the Rozzo family!
That it does. Youre right. Its all in your hands.
Granville gently caressed Maribels head.
Thus Maribel the Greedy took action. And then, one month later, a letter arrived in Tempest from the Council of the West.
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