The next morning, Rimuru, the chief executives, and the administrative staff gathered in the conference room. They had been summoned by their lord, Rimuru.
Because it was Rimuru's call, everyone had arrived promptly, but the suddenness of the summons left them all buzzing with curiosity and confusion.
"Everyone, thanks for coming. Sorry for the abrupt call."
As Rimuru opened the door and entered, everyone stood to greet him. However, their attention quickly shifted to the person beside him: Vertis, the master of the sky fortress.
"The reason I called you all here is to announce that Vertis and I have decided to form an alliance."
"Y-yes... whaaaat?!"
Rimuru's shocking announcent sent a wave of disbelief through the room. As the executives reeled from the news, Benimaru was the first to regain his composure.
"M-may I ask the reason for this?"
"Well, I believe this alliance will be mutually beneficial for both our nations."
Vertis answered on Rimuru's behalf.
"...Is that a problem?"
"Not at all!"
And so, without a single objection, the alliance was ford. The news was not broadcast to the rest of the world; to most, the sky fortress Laputa was regarded as a re legend or a fantasy, known only to a select few like Guy or Milim.
Shortly after the unofficial alliance was concluded, everyone gathered to prepare the fields for farming.
"I think it's best if we produce the food we eat ourselves. So, I'm counting on everyone to work hard."
"Indeed. Everything is pointless if we're starving."
"I certainly don't want the children to go hungry."
Fortunately, the residents were full of motivation. They hoisted their hoes high, ready to till the earth, but they soon found that the ground in Jura was far too hard to break. While power-types like Benimaru and Shion could tear through the soil, the sheer force of their strikes sent dirt flying in every direction, hindering the overall progress.
"What, you're actually farming?"
Watching the struggle from the sidelines, Vertis seed to have an idea and turned to Rimuru.
"Rimuru. Take the others and stand back."
"Huh...?"
"~~♬"
Vertis let out a sharp whistle. Suddenly, the ground trembled, and from the depths of the earth, two monsters erupted: a giant centipede with pincers sharper than blades and a massive worm bristling with rows of jagged teeth.
"Eek!"
Startled by the enormous insects, Rimuru instinctively dove behind for cover. I offered a quick apology to the group before addressing the creatures.
"Centipede, Worm. Till the land."
Kieeeeeek!!
At my command, the centipede and the worm shrank their sizes and burrowed back into the earth with a loud shriek. They tore through the soil at incredible speeds, plowing the fields in an instant.
"As they move, they devour any rocks or pests buried underground, making them the perfect tools for plowing. Give them five minutes."
Exactly five minutes later, the land had been tilled to a perfect consistency. Everyone imdiately sprang into action, sowing the seeds provided by Treyni.
They planted staples like rice, barley, and wheat, along with various crops intended for ferntation and processing. Once the seeds were in, they carefully transplanted the seedlings they had prepared in advance.
A task that would have normally dragged on until nightfall was completed well before evening.
"Thanks for the help~"
"Don't ntion it. Allied nations should look out for one another."
"But you don't have to go back to your country right now, do you?"
"It's fine. I'm not on duty today."
Rimuru didn't quite grasp Vertis's explanation that the parallel existences take turns managing the nation, so he simply replied with a confused, "I see~"
"Still, don't let your guard down. Now that the seeds are sown, the real work begins. You have to monitor the crops closely as they grow. Soil and water quality have a massive impact, and if you aren't prepared for heatwaves or monsoon rains, all this effort will be for nothing."
"Man, nothing is ever easy."
"Of course not. Did you think farming was a walk in the park? Well, I can handle the weather for you."
"You can control it?"
"Yeah. I can manipulate the weather as I please."
Since so of the authorities from the ti of Zeus remained among the powers of Uranus, the God of Creation, controlling the weather was a trivial matter. Adjusting the sunlight to the optimal level for the crops was effortless.
"I can make the indoors freezing, or raise the temperature until the fish in the pond are practically poached."
A few days after the planting was finished, peace returned to the land. Rimuru, caught up in the lazy atmosphere of the season, had long since succumbed to spring drowsiness.
While his subordinates were exceptionally competent, a large part of the reason for Rimuru's leisure was that he honestly didn't know what else he was supposed to be doing.
Consequently, he spent his days wandering the city, simply enjoying the scenery. He watched Gobuta and the Goblin Riders undergoing "training" (which mostly consisted of being beaten) by Hakurou, Shuna diligently weaving cloth at her loom, and Kurobe hamring away at his forge. Everyone was working tirelessly for the sake of the town.
It was a different atmosphere from my own country. While my subordinates also worked for the nation, they did so because they genuinely enjoyed it. But here, there was a palpable sense of devotion—a strong desire to repay soone.
That soone was likely...
I shifted my gaze toward Rimuru. He was currently surrounded by the city's children, playing with them.
...Honestly, you really are loved by everyone, Rimuru.
****
"Vert! Let's throw a festival!"
"Don't you guys have a festival almost every other day?"
Rimuru had suddenly appeared, brimming with excitent about a festival. He might not realize it, but from my perspective, they held banquets at least six tis a week.
However, he explained that this wouldn't be a typical celebration; the goal was to recreate a traditional Japanese sumr festival.
A Japanese sumr festival...
I had never seen one firsthand since I lived in a different world, but I knew the concept: people wearing yukata, strolling through food stalls, and capping the night off with a grand fireworks display.
When Rigurd asked about the unfamiliar term, Rimuru described it as a "unique kind of banquet." With a simple "I see!" Rigurd was instantly convinced, and the town imdiately pivoted into execution mode.
"...Should I call that efficiency, or just blind faith...?"
He was like a doting parent who gave his children everything they ever wanted.
Regardless, the city beca a whirlwind of activity. Lanterns were strung up to create a festive mood, and a mask shop was being set up in one corner.
Curious, I went to see what masks they were selling, only to find that every single one of them was a mask of Rimuru's sli form.
"...That's actually a bit creepy."
"To be honest... I feel the sa way."
This wasn't just loyalty; it was practically a cult.
Still, from the ticulous setup of the stalls to the planning of the fireworks—the highlight of any festival—Rimuru and his subordinates left no stone unturned. The festive atmosphere was becoming truly infectious.
Of course, we contributed as well. Beyond providing the lumber for the stalls and the octopus for the takoyaki, we decided to set up a small booth of our own for a bit of mischief.
What did we make? A simple lottery stall. The third prize was a Rimuru-thed cushion, the second prize was a human-form Rimuru figurine, and the grand prize was a Rimuru dakimakura.
As for why we prepared such things... don't ask. I don't even know anymore.
As night fell, the thunderous beat of drums echoed through the city, signaling the start of the festivities.
"All right, let the festival begin!"
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