Dwarf Business

Inside the City...

'We're OK so far, that was nerve-wracking though.' said Gobta weakly as they walked into the city.

'As long as we're in, it's OK.' Rimuru chirped happily. Her voice changing to SOUND female after revealing to her group her gender. 'At any rate, let's walk around here until we see a Blacksmith or we take the easy route: ask around.'

And so...

'So you young-uns came to sell me something?' Kaijin asked the hobgoblins that entered. When they asked for 'the best blacksmith in town', everyone pointed to him and his shop. 'Hopefully it's something I'll need though.'

He looked and sounded troubled and anxious for some reason. Rimuru can read that he really needs materials. She has a few gems on her that can be used for applying enchantments on weapons, and a highly-desired but stupidly-rare material.

And she has it.

Rimuru spat out five magic ores with large magisteel growing out of the ores, causing Kaijin's eyes to pop.

'WOW! Talk about high quality youngsters!' Kaijin squawked out, shakily taking and assessing the ores with a large chunk of magisteel coming out in its raw crystalline form. He assessed the ores to have a legendary amount of percentage he can only dream of seeing in his life but dreams are dreams. To obtain a magic ore with this much magisteel, you have to be a Saint-Class Holy Knight to get past powerful monsters who live in caves full of these babies! And hiring a Saint is damn-near impossible as they all reside in Holy Empire Ruberios, answering ONLY to the church!

And should the church get wind of WHY they're hiring their Saints for, they'll surely strike an unfair bargain after! And King Gazel will be on the losing end of business as Saints are far more revered and important than he, a Sage-Class being. It will take political savvy he'll be hard-pressed to win.

'I just got royal orders, tellin' me to whip up twenty magisteel longswords by the weekend, but I haven't the materials!' he moaned. 'The nation itself commissioned all craftsmen for the job, but this isn't some sort of request where I can say 'whoops, sorry'! Do you boys have any more of these?!' he asked hopefully and DESPERATELY. 'In exchange, I'll give you ALL my wares as Magisteel your li'l friend just popped out is worth more than twenty-no, THIRTY times its weight in gold!'

Rimuru happily popped out the goods.

'Well, if its worth that much,' Kaijin nearly had a heart attack when he heard the cute slime speak. 'Why not help us out more other than happily giving us your store's entire stocks?' she asked, 'We need more important things than weapons and armor.'

'Eh? What do you mean?'

'We're looking for architects willing to help us build a village and the plumbing and sewage system because my people sorta evolved after I named them.' Kaijin's jaws dropped at her claims. She's no ordinary slime! What would Slimes know about architecture, nevermind plumbing?! 'These guys used to be Goblins.' she said, using some of her slime mass to morph into a hand waving to her companions who nodded. 'They're Hobgoblins now after I named them and they're now too big for their tiny huts, essentially homeless. We hope to build everyone a house before rainy season comes, that would suck!'

'Not only that, that architect should be a wiling teacher, and craftsmen to teach them how to make clothes, tools, equipment, etc in order to build a study village and improve living standards. And their salary is worth that Magisteel I gave you. I have more in me, all I had to do is give them one ore for them to sell every four years for one hell of a payday.'

'That's too sweet a deal, you're insanely generous!' Kaijin sputtered out. Does she have ANY idea how much the stuff she gave him cost?!

'Indeed I am, but I also expect quality work and results in turn you know. The rest is simply hazard pay and footing hospital bills since they will live in Jura for us for a time.' said Rimuru. 'If they cheat me out of my money, let's just say being wolf food is the least of their worries.' from a cute slime, that sounded kinda sinister, they thought... 'Can you arrange trustworthy guys willing to stay in Jura Forest with us, at least, until our town is built?'

'Well, y'all would have to wait in a hotel for a couple days and I doubt you guys have money, so here, a few gold coins for a stay in a hotel.' Kaijin gave them money. 'By the weekend when I fill my quota, I'll get the craftsmen and architect you'll need!' he promised them. 'You'll have to wait a bit.'

'Well, its a national order from the top, can't be helped. The country's clearly preparing for war if they want magisteel swords.' Rimuru shrugged. 'For now, we'll use the money you gave us to buy much-needed fabric and we'll camp outside. We'll be back here in four days. My illusion magic on the boys won't last long. They actually wear loincloths under my illusions and some Adventurers are jerks. What WILL be bad if one jerk can detect my illusions and dispel it, showing the whole town they're naked.'

'If you say so.'

Normally, Rimuru's excited to be an adventurer but now that she's a monster, she can see through a monster's point of view, when attacked by adventurers!

'Rimuru-sama, how important are Magisteel Swords anyway?' Gobta asked Rimuru curiously.

'Magisteel Swords are very durable and heat-resistant.' Rimuru explained. 'They can withstand lava from a volcano, self-repairs itself, and great at inducting magical power. They 'grow' with their owners through those traits, capable of evolving to be better.' she lectured her companions and amazing Kaijin with her knowledge. 'Buuut the problem, is acquiring the magic ore needed to forge Magisteel Weapons.' she said. 'They only grow in magicule-rich areas and even then, absorption rate is slow that finding a magic ore with 5% magisteel alone is a lucky find...in dangerous terrain only B-A-Class Adventurers can get as its difficult to mine the stuff where dangerous, powerful aggressors live.' she said. 'Its so bad that selling that cheap, 5% junk ore is already worth 2000 gold coins a pop, yet what I gave Kaijin is equivalent to 1 million gold per ore already...'

The whole shop froze, becoming cracked white granite.

'You basically gave Kaijin twenty million gold worth of magisteel?!' her group howled in a high-pitched voice in horror as she basically made the man stinking rich in one go.

'She did just that, lads.' Kaijin deadpanned, feeling drained in oh-so-many-ways but the slime just saved his skin. 'It's why I offered to give you youngsters everything for sale in my shop and even then that barely scratches the value I got in turn. You kids saved my life and my career!' he deadpanned. 'So in return to give back change, I will do you youngsters a lot of favors until I return back the change worth 920000 gold equivalent of those favors.' he promised them. 'The weapons and armor in my shop that cost in gold, if I total it all up, are worth around 80000 gold all in all!'

For adventurers and soldiers, Kaijin whose shop is the best in Dwargon, is privileged to sell his wares in gold coins.

The Kingdom of Dwargo judges each craftsman through quality of their wares. To promote selling their wares to a higher price, they must win an annual smithing competition. Many blacksmiths improve their income this way after graduating from training in Blacksmith Workshop, and having at least six months of OJT in a shop to graduate.

Newbies can only sell in prices starting at 90 bronze in selling cheap equipment to newbie adventurers and soldiers too poor to afford silver-class equipment. Equipment that costs in bronze are Normal Grade.

Well-off soldiers and adventurers can purchase weapons and armor easily costing 10 silver up to 100 silver. They can purchase Unique Grade Equipment.

Only the rich can afford gold-costing equipment. These are usually Rare Grade equipment.

Not to mention if he makes twenty swords using each of the monster ores he's got, King Gazel will surely pay him a high sum! He'll produce top-class Magisteel Swords!

'OK boys, choose armor that actually fits you comfortably and any weapon you like that you can easily wield, before I pack the rest in my stomach!' Rimuru instructed her group. 'Choose the ones costing in gold!'

'Hai, Rimuru-sama~!' the delighted goblins deliberately chose the ones costing in gold for themselves. Rimuru then packed the rest in her stomach. After that, they went out to buy rolls of cheap fabric in a nearby fabric shop, buying cotton and linens, and tons of colored threads of various thickness.

In short, Rimuru bought out the entire store's supply of cotton and linen and threads in exchange for powerful magical gems the storeowner can sell to any smithy. Barter Trade is all they have, for crying out loud.

As for the gold coins? It went to buying tools for cooking, crafting and farming equipment worth silver coins for the sake of durability so tons of villagers can use those all at once and how long they last in years, and the cheapest part being seeds.

Rimuru was just sad this world either has no rice, or yet to discover its plant-equivalent here and its potential as food. Darn. But at least, food shortages will be of no issue soon. She acquired cereal crops, spices, aromatics, beans and vegetable seeds as well as fruits for a balanced diet. They can't eat meat forever!

xxx

Outside Dwargon, later on...

Cotton and Spandex for underwear, and then colored cotton fabrics she fashioned into clothes which she created with magic in a stylish way. They look like adventurers themselves! And giving them armor that fit them as well as swords, they look the part indeed! The problem was that they're barefoot, however. Rimuru had to learn from Great Sage how to make shoes, so they can make their own using forest resources.

'This is awesome!'

'Thanks, Rimuru-sama!'

Her entourage were bright-eyed upon getting clothes from her.

'Hehehe don't mention it!' Rimuru grinned. 'This way, we're perfectly decent-looking! We'll use the rest of the fabrics at home later. For now, we camp out here and hunt for our meals out here.'

They camped outside at the forests a distance away from Dwargon's grasslands.

xxx

Meanwhile...

Kaijin took back his workers from the mines, cancelling their jobs, inadvertantly saving them from an Armorsaurus Attack by a hair, managing to escape in time after taking Kaijin's call.

They all had to quickly work while STILL ensuring quality to make their deadlines in time.

They made it to their relief that at the palace, the other craftsmen are terribly exhausted with stress, while Kaijin stood with pride. They presented their wares before the king and his court.

The court inspected all the batches made but Kaijin's stood out in the way it glowed. As expected of the country's most famous!

'All of you managed to make your quota in time which is wonderful for the nation.' King Gazel Dwargo praised his tired craftsmen. 'Given the circumstances, its in fact, a miracle any of you made it in time. Perhaps luck is smiling on our nation through you.' he said with an understanding smile. 'All of you have done well and earned a two-week vacation.' he waved his hand as his butler came with a cart of what's clearly sacks and handed out sacks to the craftsmen.

'We thank his majesty the King!' the craftsmen graciously accepted their payday with grace.

'Kaijin.'

'Yes, sire!' Kaijin answered.

'Your swords are different while everyone else has the same results. Why is that?'

'Well...I have had an unusual meeting a few days ago while my miners are having lousy luck...when a group of hobgoblins carrying an unusual-looking slime came into my shop.' said Kaijin.

He told how their meeting went.

'So you're saying an unusual unique Slime that is sentient, intelligent and strong is now leading Hobgoblins she evolved?' King Gazel detected no lies in Kaijin's words.

'Yes. She is even a Named Monster those guys respected.' said Kaijin. 'In return for the Magisteel she gave me, I gotta find willing guys to stay with their village to build a town as evolving the Goblins basically rendered them too big and now, Homeless. She herself will pay them once every four years with those huge magisteel of hers, lucky bastards will be highly-paid because included in is hazard pay and hospital fees just by selling magisteel!'

'That's something a mere slime can't come up with, so its really indeed an unusual one.' a minister remarked. 'It also makes sense that monsters would do Barter Trade as tribes in Jura won't own even a single coin.'

'Yes, when Rimuru looks like this, when we all know what normal ones look like!' Kaijin took out a paper as on it, was a colored image of Rimuru as a Poring Slime. Blue in color with cute, round shiny black eyes, a curvy 'W' mouth and pink blush on where the cheeks should be. 'Not our typical slime, no?'

He just got looks of disbelief.

'They'll come back to my shop probably by tonight to meet the guys I promised...'

'Bring them to the throne room as soon as possible.' Gazel ordered. 'I'd like to meet this unusual Slime.'

xxx

'Hooo? So the King wants to meet me huh?' Rimuru mused to Kaijin who quickly told her that the King wants to meet her. 'I was expecting this since this is the most likely scenario, if you present him with swords made of Magisteel I gave you.'

'Well, my swords glowed a lot brighter after fresh from the forge!' Kaijin snorted. 'Freshly-forged magisteel swords glow for a week before settling down! That means more magisteel went into a sword.'

'Milady, does that mean the kingdom would want more of your stock?' Rigur asked Rimuru who looked thoughtful.

'Most likely the case, but its not like I have infinite stock, OK? I took all I could find from my birthplace and these are all of it.'

'Your birthplace?'

'...Veldora's Cave.'

The Kaijin Smithy and the Hobs spit-sprayed in shock.

'WHAAAAAT?!'

xxx

King Gazel looked at the unusual group before him.

Hobgoblins, you say? The last time he saw a Hobgoblin was a lot more lanky and hunched over with more goblin-ish features and yet these guys are way too different. Very muscular and their poise is very straight!

And Rimuru indeed, looks different from a typical slime. She has a face and a gender orientation.

'So you're the slime in possession of those valuable magisteel.'

'Well, I took all I could as bargain material.' said Rimuru. 'Monsters don't exactly get access to money flowing around countries so Barter Trade it is.' Rimuru explained. 'Its the only option.'

'Where did you get those from?'

'My birthplace, Veldora's Cave.' the atmosphere in the throne room changed to a lot of stunned disbelief. 'I just existed all of a sudden after all...I roamed around and encountered Veldora. I was unusual for my looks and strength a normal slime wouldn't have and he thought I'm simply one of his many magicule offshoots.' NOW the whole hall choked at her words. Veldora was notorious for spawning many monsters when he lets out his pent-up energy for thousands of years so its not really a shocking fact a monster would claim they're magicule-spawned by that dragon. 'It was all we had going so we agreed on it.'

'That claim is a little ridiculous...his famously-known offshoot is Charybdis!' a minister sputtered out.

'He said he's had many offshoots, all of which are butt-ugly and its mortals who gave Charybdis that name, not him and I'm the only cute one about 97 days old, so he gave me my name.' Rimuru chimed. 'I would flare my aura buuut maybe some people who can't withstand my aura should go to the toilet first.' she advised.

Nobody dared to go out. That would be...embarrassing...and a sign of weakness to political rivals. But for a slime named by Veldora, how strong is she?

'It's alright.' King Gazel reassured her.

'You can withstand me as you're strong, but don't blame me for a number of soiled pants.' Rimuru giggled before she put a barrier around her party members, and flared her monstrous aura so powerful that everyone now is convinced she is indeed, an offshoot of THAT Veldora. The King's court and bodyguard collapsed in terror from the intensity while the hobgoblins are OK, having barriers beforehand.

They now can safely acknowledge Rimuru's claims as Veldora's Offshoot if she was this strong.

So this little slime is the last offshoot of that Veldora!

'Do you know why Veldora went missing?' King Gazel asked her. 'He went missing around the time you were born, most likely.'

'We talked a little. He told me about the Hero who sealed him in the cave and he can't get out.' said Rimuru. 'He told me to explore the world beyond the caves and gain experience, so I did what my father told me to do. As I went further close to the surface, he suddenly disappeared. I went back to the bottom where he was but he was really gone. All that was left, are his remaining magicules barely enough to even spawn a new sibling. Maybe he'll reincarnate somewhere? He was there for 300 years and all.'

And what, cause a ruckus when he does? The court shivered at the idea.

'As for you, what will you do, Rimuru?' King Gazel asked her.

'I'll live in Jura since its my home now, and the tribe I live with I act as guardian.' said Rimuru. 'Jura became a free-for-all over territory and resources since father's no longer around to keep them in check with his aura. Until things cool down, its a bad time to Adventure in there so I advise a travel ban for at least half a year until everyone's settling down.' she recommended.

'And also, a majin is stirring up trouble, approaching tribes, and offering names yet scams them of the full benefits of the Naming System while also meaning they are his subordinates for life despite dismal growth of the Named as he cheats them of appropriate magicules. He is also the kind of scummy employer nobody wants.' she said. 'What his game is, we still don't know. He calls himself Lord Gelmud of the Demon Lord's Army.' King Gazel is clearly, very displeased by her information. 'Question is, who? I've never met a Demon Lord. I heard of him from the tribe I'm looking after.'

'Is that right...then I suppose it's beneficial that the craftsmen Kaijin recruited for your needs, will also be my informants upon the going-ons in the forest?' he clearly wants to do that to keep an eye because if the Demon Lords are involved, things can go south really fast.

'Yes, because I don't think I can hold myself against one the way I am now.' said Rimuru. 'I'm not that insane. Evacuation of my village would be my priority, not conflict. Who's the current one?'

'There are nine of them, not just one.' King Gazel cannot blame the Slime for her ignorance being just born recently. She only knows living standard level needs, and what she learned from Veldora most likely. 'We know there ARE nine, but the ancient ones are unknown. The only ones who interact with the public so we know of them, are Carrion the Beast King. Harpy Queen Frey. Leon Cromwell, a former human Hero. The latest one was Clayman. The question is WHO is Gelmud working for.' he stated. 'You and your village will eventually piece things together, so we know who to be wary against. There is surely a reason, if a majin under their name is stirring trouble in Neutral Territory.'

'Alright.'

xxx

As Rimuru and her hobgoblin retinue left with Kaijin as their escort, King Gazel began thinking.

He cannot pry into Rimuru's heart with his Skill so reading her thoughts was impossible. Thus only had her words to go by as he cannot detect if she was telling the truth or lying.

As insurance, he sent his spymaster after them.