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"Rimuru's strength and influence, in my opinion, more than satisfy the conditions to be recognized as a Demon Lord."
"What say you all? Who is in favor, and who is against?"
Guy Crimson interlaced his fingers beneath his chin and swept the room with a measured, serious gaze.
Most of those present fell quiet. Only Milim and Ramiris shot their hands into the air with unrestrained enthusiasm.
"I agree! Rimuru should absolutely be a Demon Lord!"
"Me too, me too!"
Their excitement drew visible surprise from the other Demon Lords. Was this Rimuru really that close to them?
And Guy Crimson, it seemed, was firmly in her corner as well.
As that realization settled in, a rather alarming thought struck everyone at the table simultaneously.
Not one of the three eldest Demon Lords had objected. On the contrary, all three were actively in favor.
And that human beside her, who was clearly not even a candidate for Demon Lord status, was being treated with unmistakable seriousness by Guy Crimson and the others.
The Jura Tempest Federation was not to be underestimated.
"I agree."
Leon Cromwell gave his approval in a flat, expressionless voice.
Kaito studied the man's poker face and let his thoughts wander.
'Is this the Leon that Shizu was looking for? Should I just get rid of him now?'
'Then I could tell Shizu, "Leon's taken care of. No need to keep searching."'
[System: Host, you're welcome to try. I'll have your back.]
'Ahem. I was joking. He hasn't done anything to me. What kind of person do you think I am?'
[System: ...An assassin?]
'I @#$%'
While Kaito and the System were busy exchanging warm sentiments about each other's character, a female voice cut through the room.
"If Guy Crimson considers her qualified, then I agree as well."
"Luminous, have you genuinely thought this through? We know absolutely nothing about this person."
Dagruel, the giant, fixed Luminous with a serious look.
"There's nothing to think through. Besides, I've received certain news that I cannot ignore."
The thought of that news made Luminous's jaw tighten visibly.
'That infuriating dragon. This time, I'll make sure to deal with you properly.'
Catching Luminous's expression, Kaito offered a private, silent moment of sympathy for Veldora.
'Hopefully in your next life you'll be a more sensible dragon. Amen.'
Wait, no. The God of the Bible was practically his own pet at this point, so "Amen" felt a bit on the nose.
Amitabha then? No, the Buddhist establishment had its own considerable baggage, up to and including certain abbots whose conduct was, well... known.
After cycling through every spiritual option available to him, Kaito finally landed on the only invocation that felt right for a man of his particular cultivation path:
Limitless, your grandmother's Dao Venerable!
"Whew. That hit the spot."
"Kai-chan, what hit the spot?"
Rimuru looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
Rimuru studied him for a moment, then simply said, "Oh," and let it go.
"Since everyone else is in agreement, I'll agree as well."
With Dagruel's vote, more than half of those present had given their approval, effectively confirming Rimuru's status as a Demon Lord.
"Does anyone have anything further to add?"
Satisfied with the result, Guy Crimson gave a small nod and looked around the table.
"No."
"None here."
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
"That's fine. No objections from me."
As the remaining four Demon Lords each declined to object, Guy Crimson moved to announce the verdict.
"Then it is settled. From this day forward, Rimuru Tempest is recognized as a Demon Lord!"
Clap, clap, clap...
A round of polite applause followed from everyone present, giving Guy Crimson the face he was owed.
"Hehe, I look forward to working with you all!"
Rimuru beamed at the room, raising her voice with a broad, bright smile.
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
Kaito stared at the one conspicuous non-participant.
"Hey, you. The one sleeping over there. Do you have any objection to my Rimuru becoming a Demon Lord?"
He'd had just about enough of it, honestly. There was always someone sleeping while everyone else was present. When exactly had it become his turn to sit and listen to someone else snore? This was a direct insult to him, the undisputed master of oversleeping.
The other party gave no response. The snoring continued, utterly undisturbed.
"Pretending not to hear, are we..."
Kaito rose from his seat. The rest of the table watched him and Dino with expressions of gleeful anticipation.
He walked over to the slumbering fallen angel and conjured a trumpet from thin air. Two meters wide.
The instant it materialized, every other Demon Lord in the room immediately erected a soundproof barrier around themselves.
Kaito raised the trumpet, drew a deep breath, and bellowed directly into it:
"Hey kid, your mom says dinner's ready!!!"
A visible shockwave of sound erupted from the bell of the trumpet and struck Dino square in the ears.
"AAAAAAH!!! IS THE WORLD ENDING?!"
Dino shot upright like a startled cat. The entire room dissolved into laughter.
"Wahahaha! Dino, you finally got what you deserved! Why didn't I think of that before?!"
Milim leapt to her feet, hands on her hips, crowing with delight.
"Agreed. I've wanted to do something like that for a long time. That fellow always sleeps through meetings. Might as well not show up at all."
"Heh heh, deeply satisfying. Your name is Kaito, yes? You have my admiration."
Luminous's expression was one of pure, refreshed relief as she directed her praise at him.
Kaito set the trumpet down, turned to Luminous, and fired back a thumbs-up and a grin.
"Ho ho, no need to admire me. A man like me is simply destined to be the one you can never have."
"...You! Who said anything about wanting you?! I was complimenting your actions!"
Luminous's expression froze for a half-second before indignation overtook it.
"Nani! You actually don't want a man of my caliber?!"
Kaito's grin widened as he leaned into the provocation.
"What caliber?! What exactly are you so proud of?!"
Hearing that, Kaito puffed his chest out and opened his mouth confidently.
"I can... I can..."
He trailed off, actually thinking about it.
Cooking? He couldn't cook to save his life, though he could eat enough for ten. Chess? He'd never once beaten that cowardly dragon. Ludo? Milim beat him every time. Marbles? His marble skills were on par with Jashin-chan's, which was nothing to brag about.
He shook his head.
What exactly can I do? Artifact refining, array formations, various divine techniques... and none of it has ever improved my marble game.
He still had his principles, after all. Cheating to win at marbles wasn't a real victory. A hollow win like that would only bring emptiness.
Then it came to him.
He straightened up, fixed Luminous with a look of absolute self-assurance, and declared it to the room:
"I can collect protection fees!!!"
"Protection fees!!!"
"Protection fees!!!"