The confrontation at Clover Town had ended with the Guild Masters stunned and grateful, but the official process remained.
Arthur and his group—Rimuru, Milim, Shion, and Shuna—were now back in Magnolia Town, awaiting their summons to register their proposed new guild with the Magic Council.
"All we have to do is just wait,"
Arthur commented to Rimuru as they walked through the bustling main street.
He had strategically placed them right where the action was, ensuring their presence would be felt.
"Waiting is the easy part,"
Rimuru replied, her gaze drifting toward a colorful bakery window.
"The difficult part is logistics. We don't have this world's currency. Your payment for our food and train tickets with those antique gold pieces and a few small jewels won't last long, Arthur. Do you have any stable financial plans?"
Arthur chuckled, tapping his temple.
"Yes, I have some plans. But first, I will start by finding our immediate fund by selling potions, I guess."
He would leverage his vast, conceptual knowledge of magic from multiple worlds.
While he could sell powerful magical artifacts, consumable items, though not high-priced, provided a much more stable, repeatable income for a new, suspicious group.
"What kind of potions? Love potions?"
Rimuru asked, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips, fully aware of how much Arthur disliked frivolous magic.
"No way,"
Arthur scoffed immediately, shaking his head with mock offense.
"That disgusting potion shouldn't exist in the first place. I will make mana potion, health potion, and stamina potion. Potions that are reliable, legal, and universally useful. I think they would sell exceptionally well with mages who constantly burn through their power."
With his immense MAG: EX-9999, crafting perfect, high-grade versions of these staples was trivial.
While Arthur and Rimuru discussed business, Milim was already busy.
True to her nature, she had made immediate and chaotic friends with the Fairy Tail mages, who saw her as another hyperactive, immensely powerful comrade, completely unconcerned about her true status.
Shion and Shuna, utilizing their superior skills in domestic organization, had spent the morning scouting.
They successfully secured a nice, temporary apartment near the city center that offered good security and privacy.
As Arthur, Rimuru, and the Onis approached the building, they saw a familiar blonde figure standing near the entrance.
"Huh, Arthur-san, Rimuru-san?"
Lucy Heartfilia greeted them, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.
She had returned home after the long mission against Eisenwald.
"What are you doing here?"
"We will be staying here for the time being,"
Arthur explained easily.
"Until we get the final approval to create our own guild. Seems like we're neighbors."
After a few pleasantries, Arthur's professional curiosity surfaced.
He remembered that Lucy's magic was key-based.
"Lucy,"
Arthur asked, his voice adopting a tone of scholarly interest.
"I'm fascinated by your Celestial Spirit Magic. Could you show me your keys? I'd like to understand the fundamental magic concept behind them."
Lucy was reluctant at first; a mage's keys were deeply personal.
But after Arthur's overwhelming assistance on the mission, and a reassuring nod from Rimuru, she decided to show him.
She carefully produced her pouch and laid out several of her Zodiac and Silver Keys.
Arthur didn't use his hands; he scanned them with his magic.
He didn't just see metal keys; he saw the magical contract, the dimensional tether, and the conceptual link to the Celestial Spirit World woven into the object.
His eyes lit up with sudden, almost giddy realization.
He had found another way to apply his reality manipulation.
'I will try making one after this…'
Arthur thought, a manic inventor's grin playing on his lips.
'If the key is merely a conceptual anchor, I can use my power to forge the link and the key itself. It should be fun... and vastly superior.'
The potential for creating his own line of unique, cosmically-linked keys was a thrilling prospect.