"His Royal Highness the Third Prince and Lady Lina are here to see you.
"Huh?

　In the halls of the audience, I listened to Mimis' report, but the names I couldn't miss kept coming up.

　Shaw the Aigina, and Lina Mi Aigina.
　They're both royalty and powerful people, and on top of that, they're both grateful people who have their eyes on me.
　I felt the sweat break out on my back at the mention of those names at the same time.

''Why ... both of you?''
I don't suppose you've been listening to me.

　Mimis gasped.
　No, you know I've been listening to most of the conversation in my office...no way.

　Mimis's dismay was also the flip side of the magnitude of the matter.

''I heard that you have been officially elevated to the rank of Lord and Viscount of the Cano family.
....

　It's finally here.
　I thought I was prepared for that kind of talk recently, so I thought I was prepared for it to a certain extent, but it's finally here.

His Highness the Prince and Lady Lina will be coming for the ceremony.
I see.
The two of you will be arriving the day after tomorrow, preceded by Sakos Venis, who will arrive tomorrow to make all the necessary arrangements.
"Who's that?
Your heart is in your heart, Mr. Prime Minister.

　Mimis gave him a dumbfounded look.

'I hear you're a competent man on the practical side.
I see.

　I still didn't hear the report after that, or rather, I didn't hear it.

　Shaw, Lina, and the man who seems to be the belly of the vizier and capable in practice.
　From a baron to a viscount to an ascendant........it's finally coming......

　　　　　☆

　The next day, in the parlor.
　I was facing a middle-aged man.

"So you're Baron Cano.
Yeah.

　The first person to ask me this is a man named Sakos, who claims to be the prime minister's confidant.
　I'm honestly surprised by his language and attitude.

"I am, you know, aware of the situation.
Hmm?
'Two crosses for defeating a slime lord alone. How much for the princes.

　With a grin, Sakos smiled coyly.
　He left out all the indirect things and went straight to the point.

　I see, that's what you think.
　I'm convinced that there are people who think that way.

Well, let's not ask them that. That's not what's important.
Hmm?

　Then what is it?
　I waited for Sakos' next words, but he just grinned and didn't say anything.

　What?　What do you mean?　-- and wondered for a dozen seconds.

　I have an idea.

　Bribe me, too.

　He didn't say it, but I thought I heard it loud and clear.
　I know you've bribed two royals, then you know.

　I'm saying, Sakos.

　I didn't do that, and of course I'm not going to load up on this guy.

'What am I going to do tomorrow?'

　And when he asked about the ceremony, Sakos' face changed.

''Can I take that as disrespect?　Or should I take that as ignorance?
'I don't know what you're talking about,'

　As I blurted out, Sakos became more and more sullen.
　He glared at me and his face turned so red it looked like a boiled octopus.

　He looks like he's about to explode, but he's trying to hold it together.

'Fine, I'll wait for the night.'

　He said it as if it was a throwaway line and left the parlor.

　Not to mention the fact that I'll wait for the night, which means, "I'll forgive you if you bring me a bribe tonight.

　Of course I'm not going to give it to you.
　I ignored the Sakos thing and just let the night go on.

　　　　　☆

　The city of Pindos.
　A ring was built in the large plaza used for the annual harvest festival and such, in a rush job.

　It was a rush job that took about two days to complete, including the pre-ride, but it turned out to be just as good as the arena in the capital.

'Why the arena?'
I understand it's a ceremonial gesture.

　It was Mimis who answered.
　We watched as one by one, the city's residents entered the arena's seating area, one after another.

'A sideshow?'
Well, I'm told that you are here to actually slay the slime lord that caused your master to ascend to the rank of Viscount.
I see.

　I mean, beat the slime lord again in public.
　Well, that's fine.

　It's become a known level of story that I've defeated the Slime Lord, and I did the same thing against the Mew doll when I observed Lina.
　It's okay to do that in front of a bunch of people.

''Then my lord, I'll get ready for the ceremony...''
Yeah.

　He nodded and sent Mimis away.
　I watch the ring for a while, and sure enough, Sakos comes over.

　He comes up behind me and lines up right next to me.

'The Baroness is stubborn, isn't she?

　Unlike yesterday, outdoors, perhaps because he didn't know where he was being listened to, Sakos used condescending language.

''I'll ask you one last time. Are you sure it's alright (,,,,,,,,,)?

　I don't know if it's far-fetched or straightforward.
　Sakos asks for such an unfamiliar bribe.

'What are you talking about?'

　Naturally I'm a bit of a jerk.

I see. You'll regret it.

　Sakos slipped away, keeping his condescending language to the end, but with his face and tone clearly angry.

　What are you going to do to me?

　I was a little alarmed at the thought.

　But there was nothing.
　Shaw and Lina came in and said hello to it, and then they gave me a word of hope.

　I thought they were going to do something in front of the two royals, but that wasn't the case.

　Eventually, the ring was filled with inhabitants and the two royals took their places of honor in the front.

　A slime load was released on the ring.
　The slime load bounced around, but an invisible wall prevented it from leaving the ring.

　The sequence of events was to defeat the Slime Lord in front of the public and then receive the promotion of the Viscount from the Prince.

　First, the Slime Lord.

　The correct answer here is the same as before: take your time and defeat the slime lord while holding back.

　Remembering that experience, I headed to the ring.

　On the way there, Sakos was there.

　Disgusted that he was going to ask me again at the end, I ignored him and got into the ring - at that moment.

　You lose strength, something weighs down on your body.
　The moment I stepped into the ring, this was it.

　What is this?

"It's a ward!

　Outside the ring, Sakos, who I had passed earlier, said to me.
　His expression was reverent because he was in public, but his voice was full of malice.

'In this ward, Master Cano's power is one tenth, and the monster is twice as strong as it is. It's a ward that will do that.''
You tried to do it.
Yes. It's not too late to do that.

　I saw a sickening smile on his face, "NICHA........
　Really creepy, I didn't want to talk about it any more.

　I went straight ahead.
　The wards prevented me from going to the slime lords that were flying around all over the place.

'Are you trying to die?'
....

　I didn't answer, I didn't have to.

　I was a tenth, and the Slime Lords were twice that.

"Dwelling in the ancient past, nurturing the ages, everlasting and unchanging. 'I implore you, consume all impurity!　O Fire of the First World!

　After chanting, he releases the flames.
　Restricted to a tenth, the flames immediately envelop the slime lord.

　One-tenth of mine, twice as much as the slime lord.
　The difference in power that was narrowed by it made it even easier than usual to take it easy (,).

　The slime lord is engulfed in flames, slowly and gradually being burned.
　It's burning a little faster than it's regenerating.

　I glanced around, Sakos was speechless.

''Bah, silly ... we're in a ward!

　His astonished face was also an angry face.

　I decided to scare it a bit.
　While burning the slime lord, I used another magic.

　The slime lord changed shape.
　The amorphous demon gradually changed its form and took on the appearance of a human.

　It took on the same appearance as Sakos.

　The slime lord that became Sakos was burned and suffered.
　It was the same as it had done before, burned tame and slow.
　The difference was that before it was a doll, but now it had the appearance of Sakos.

　I glanced at Sakos, who let out a little scream.
　I kept my eyes on him and gulped, deliberately moving my fingers.
　Then the flames explode, and the slime load completely evaporates.

　And grin.
　One corner of his mouth lifted dexterously.

''Hii.''

　Sakos fell on his butt.
　The threat seems to have gotten through.

　If you do any more weird stuff to me, I'll burn you like that one - I'm not going to do it to a man the size of Sakos, of course, but the threat seems to have gotten through enough.

　Sakos is still trembling on his ass, and as if incontinent, a puddle spread around his ass.