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"Hey, hey, hey! That's a bit much! I'm still the World Mediator, you know!"
Guy heard Kaito's words and found himself at a complete loss for a moment.
If not even a dog would take the job, then what exactly had he been doing with himself all these years?
"Oh, really! So that means you actually want to do it, then?"
Kaito's lips curled into a smirk as he questioned him without any mercy.
"This..."
Guy had nothing to say to that.
Nonsense. If he wanted to do it, why would he be here asking Kaito? This wretched position meant he had to manage something every single day. One thing after another, without end.
Now, after all this time, he had finally found a suitable candidate, and that person refused too.
Was he really stuck doing this until he died? Uh... it seemed he could not even die.
"See, you're speechless! You just want to dump this on me!"
Kaito looked at the cornered Guy, stood up straight, and pointed at him.
"Ahem... If you're not willing, then let's move on to something else."
Seeing that Kaito had no intention of taking over whatsoever, Guy let the matter go and shifted direction.
"I wonder, is it possible for me to visit other worlds as well?"
"You want to leave this world, what about your responsibilities?"
Kaito was caught off guard hearing that Guy wanted to visit the Pirate World and asked immediately.
He knew full well that Guy had an enormous amount to deal with every day and was constantly monitoring the state of the entire world.
If he just left, who would be keeping watch?
"I can let Misery and Rain handle things temporarily. I'm only going to have a look around. I'll be back soon."
"I see. Go if you like then. Have Milim take you. She goes there often to play."
Hearing that Guy had it all arranged, Kaito stopped pressing.
After all, if Guy himself saw no problem with it, then Kaito, who had nothing to do with the matter, certainly had no reason to interfere.
He turned his gaze to Milim, who was still rolling around on the floor.
"Milim, stop rolling. Guy wants you to take him to the Pirate World."
"Nani!!!"
Milim immediately stopped her tantrum and stared at Guy.
"You want to come and play too?"
"I'm going to conduct research. To observe what's different between the other world and this one. Not to play."
Guy pressed a hand to his forehead with an expression of profound suffering.
"It's the same thing! Come on then, I'll take you! You have no idea how much fun there is in that world!"
"Every island is completely different!"
"And also..."
"Stop! Say whatever you want once you're actually there!"
Kaito cut Milim off before she could get going.
"Mmm mmm mmm, you're so stingy!"
"Guy! Let's go! We're ignoring Kai-chan!"
With that, Milim pouted, grabbed Guy by the hand, and marched toward the door.
Guy had no choice but to be dragged along. Just as they were about to reach it, he turned back.
"Are you really not reconsidering the World Mediator position? It comes with Misery and Rain, you know."
"And if that's not enough, I could be included as well."
Hearing that, Kaito instinctively opened his mouth to say no.
Then the second part landed, and he stopped.
If he could bring Misery, Rain, and Guy all over at once, that would be a genuinely remarkable achievement.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Kaito could almost see a golden notification pop up.
Congratulations, Player! Achievement Unlocked: All Seven Primordial Demons Are Mine!
Congratulations, Player! Bond Illustrated Guide Lit Up: Seven Primordial Pillars!
"Ahem... allow me to think it over."
Kaito coughed lightly and said to Guy with a conflicted expression.
"If it would help, I can transform into a woman."
Seeing Kaito's hesitation, Guy immediately sweetened the offer.
Kaito's eyes went wide.
Good heavens. You really will go to any lengths to get out of work, won't you.
He was aware that in the original story, Guy had indeed approached Velzard in female form.
But looking at Guy right now, Kaito found it genuinely difficult to picture that, and even harder to accept.
Besides, Guy's preferences in the original story appeared to be rather broad.
"That is absolutely not necessary! Milim, take him away, now!"
"Hehe! Guy, let's go! Kai-chan is kicking us out!"
Milim grabbed Guy and pulled him out of the room.
'Should I accept it or not... I'm genuinely torn.'
While Kaito was still mulling it over, Rimuru and the others, who had departed earlier, arrived outside Clayman's castle.
"Rimuru-sama! According to the intelligence Souka sent back, the forces currently gathered at Clayman's castle number approximately twenty thousand."
"Should we launch a direct assault?"
Rimuru extended her perception and confirmed that the strongest fighter among those twenty thousand was only A+ rank.
She turned to Shuna beside her and gave a calm order.
"Go ahead. Wipe them out."
"Yes! Rimuru-sama!"
The moment the order landed, the Imperial Guard Corps began their advance toward the castle.
"Hehe! Rimuru-sama, do I not get to make a move?"
Testarossa stood beside Rimuru and asked with a slight smile.
"If you step in, the Imperial Guard Corps won't get a single chance."
"Every one of them is beyond excited right now. This is their moment."
Rimuru shook her head gently and smiled as she explained.
It was not excitement without reason. The Imperial Guard Corps had never once been deployed since the day they were formed.
Back in the Pirate World, they had finally been transferred over, only to have the First Legion sweep everything before they could react.
Fine. The First Legion's commander was technically their commander-in-chief. They accepted that.
Then the assault on Mary Geoise had come. They had barely taken a breath before the other three legions, along with the First Legion, charged in first.
The Imperial Guard Corps had been left to clean up the aftermath.
Now, finally, there was a genuine fight in front of them, and they had launched into it howling.
"Let the Imperial Guard Corps handle the army. We're going to meet Clayman himself."
"This whole Orc Lord incident was his doing as well."
"Yes! Rimuru-sama!"
On the other side of the battlefield, inside Clayman's command tent, the gathered forces were talking amongst themselves.
"Yamza! Is this Jura-Tempest Federation really so powerful that we needed to muster this many people just to attack it?"
A mercenary addressed Yamza, who sat at the head of the tent, with a respectful but curious tone.
"Hmph! How dare you question Clayman-sama's decisions? Do you have a death wish?"
Yamza looked the man over with cold eyes.
"I know my place! I spoke out of turn!"
The subordinate immediately dropped his head, terrified that one wrong word would be his last.
"Know your place. Some matters are not yours to question."
"Understood!"
"Hmm."
In truth, Yamza was just as curious as his subordinate. He had never heard of the Jura-Tempest Federation before any of this.
But he did not dare ask Clayman. So he answered the only way he could.
Thump...
Just as Yamza was about to send someone to rest for a while, a figure burst through the tent flap.
"Yamza! We're under attack!!!"
"What!!!"