The best defense against fire, theft—and Pepper.
That was the conclusion Rimuru had drawn after a painful afternoon of shopping with Pepper.
After all, she was too kind-hearted and had no idea how to refuse a beautiful woman's request.
Tragic life of an otaku!
"Since it's getting late, Pepper-nee, let's treat you to a nice dinner!" Rimuru said.
Pepper glanced at her watch and smiled.
"You mean… McDonald's at this hour?"
"What number set are we eating at McDonald's?"
Pepper looked confused, not understanding what Rimuru meant.
Rimuru cleared her throat and, like a young TV host, said seriously:
"In the hot summer, people in Maine eat McDonald's Set No. 1. Meanwhile, people in Florida, thousands of miles away, prefer Set No. 2. People in the mountains of Tennessee, far from big cities, eat Set No. 3. And those living along the California coast prefer Set No. 4."
Pfft!
Pepper burst out laughing, completely amused.
"Where did you even learn that? You've got some serious stereotypes about American food culture!"
Rimuru laughed. Of course, she knew it was just a joke.
What she had just said came from a Chinese internet meme about "The Taste of China on the Tip of the Tongue," where people jokingly wrote "America exists on the tip of the tongue."
As for whether it was true? Just smile and move on.
Just like how northern Chinese people aren't used to rice-heavy southern cuisine, people around the world develop different "food stomachs."
From childhood to adulthood, eating habits shape unique tastes.
Europeans and Americans can be quite stubborn about food. Once they get used to a flavor, they may never change it in their lifetime.
Trying to introduce authentic Chinese cuisine to America might even make you lose money—and your pants.
Some so-called "authentic Chinese dishes" popular in the West, like General Tso's chicken or chop suey, are heavily adapted to local tastes. Even many Chinese people don't recognize them.
Restaurant
"Wow, this is delicious!"
Rimuru was happily enjoying her meal, her face glowing with satisfaction.
Lady Shizue… thank you. Being able to taste food again is wonderful.
The feeling of being surrounded by delicious food again was amazing!
Seeing Rimuru's happy expression, Pepper felt like Rimuru was literally glowing.
So cute… so adorable!
This was why she liked spending time with her. Whether shopping, trying clothes, or eating, Rimuru always brought surprises.
Even though it was a little rude to stare, Pepper just couldn't help it.
Recently, all the stress from Stark Industries' stock crash seemed to fade away.
Little Rimuru was basically a perfect stress reliever.
"Why are you staring at me? You should eat too!"
"Okay!"
Pepper's appetite was surprisingly good today, and even she felt the food tasted better than usual.
This was one of her favorite restaurants, but today everything felt especially delicious.
Happiness really was contagious.
She even thought—what if she had a daughter like Rimuru?
That thought startled her. Was she seriously thinking that?
Oh my god… had she been poisoned by Rimuru's cuteness?
But then she noticed something strange.
Rimuru was eating too much.
Way too much.
Enough for two adults.
Normally, this would be shocking—but since it was cute little Rimuru, it somehow felt acceptable.
Ten minutes later.
Pepper was startled.
"Rimuru… aren't you eating too much?"
"Huh?"
Rimuru paused mid-bite, looking around.
Only then did she realize that not only Pepper, but everyone nearby was staring in shock at her appetite.
"…I got stared at?"
Rimuru felt slightly disappointed. She hadn't even eaten half her fill.
Still, she wisely put down her fork and knife. She remembered this restaurant—she would definitely come back.
With her appetite, she could easily become a competitive eating champion and dominate the world if she ever became a food streamer.
A million-dollar salary, CEO life, a perfect future—it didn't feel like a dream anymore.
But for now, even a million-dollar salary sounded tempting.
After dinner, Pepper kept glancing at Rimuru's flat stomach in amazement.
How did someone so small eat so much?
She was genuinely curious.
On the street, the driver and bodyguard had been waiting for a while, but remained perfectly professional.
Just as Rimuru and Pepper were about to get into the car—
A man suddenly rushed out of the crowd holding a knife.
His eyes were bloodshot, his expression insane.
"My life savings… all gone! Damn Stark Industries! Damn Tony Stark!"
Clearly, he had been planning this for a long time. His timing and angle were perfect—the bodyguards didn't react in time.
Pepper froze in shock. She couldn't move.
She could only watch helplessly as the knife came toward her chest.
Just as she thought she was going to die—
Her vision blurred.
The attacker suddenly flew backward at high speed as if he had slammed into a steel pipe.
He collapsed instantly.
"…Rimuru?"
Pepper covered her mouth, staring at the girl standing in front of her, eyes filled with disbelief.
She had been frozen in fear—but Rimuru had casually punched the attacker away?
Amazing.
Is Rimuru all-powerful?!
Is there anything she can't do?
The bodyguards quickly reacted and pinned the attacker down before he could recover.
The man struggled wildly like a worm, still shouting curses even while restrained.
"Damn it! Damn it! Tony Stark—you call yourself a genius?! I trusted you! I invested everything! Why did you shut down the weapons division?! WHY?!"
The ruined investor cried bitterly, his voice filled with despair.
Pepper: "..."
Rimuru: "..."
Crowd: "..."
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