Chapter 68: The Storm Dragon's Audit
Notice. Emergency loan contract signed by Individual 'Ramiris'. Terms: 15% Floor 100 loot equity + Executive Bypass. Notice. [AZATHOTH] has initiated magicule transfer to the Labyrinth Core. Notice. [Croesus] Stage 1 Query: Flagging 'Manga Cafe' as a total loss.
I step through the dimensional gate onto Floor 95. The air here doesn't smell like a dungeon. It smells like high-grade paper, ink, and a profound lack of fiscal responsibility. Rows of manifested bookshelves stretch into the distance, filled with thousands of volumes Rimuru must have "remembered" into existence.
Look at this, I think, my internal persona twitching with irritation. This floor is supposed to be a high-difficulty atmospheric trap. Instead, it's a public library for a dragon who doesn't understand the concept of overhead.
"Shinji! You're here!"
Ramiris is hovering near my shoulder, looking slightly more stable now that my magicules are pumping into the core. Behind us, Vesper follows, her eyes scanning the bookshelves with a look of pure, clinical judgment.
"Vesper, begin a physical audit of the assets on this floor," I command, my voice porcelain-cold. "I want an itemized list of every volume Veldora has 'borrowed' from the production budget."
"At once, Lord Shinji," Vesper says, moving between the aisles with predatory speed.
"Wait, wait! Don't be too mean to him!" Ramiris squeaks, tugging at my hair. "He's very sensitive about his 'sacred texts'!"
I ignore her and walk toward the center of the floor, where a massive, gold-scaled figure is sprawled on a pile of cushions, deeply engrossed in a volume titled The Way of the Househusband.
"Veldora," I say.
The Storm Dragon doesn't look up. "Not now, Shinji! The protagonist is about to participate in a neighborhood bake-sale! The tension is immeasurable!"
"The only thing immeasurable is your current debt to the Labyrinth Core," I respond. I snap my fingers.
[Transaction Domain]
The air around Veldora's cushions thickens, turning the simple act of turning a page into an exhausting physical feat. The dragon finally blinks, looking up at me with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.
"What is this?! My reading comfort is being compromised!" Veldora booms, his aura flaring instinctively.
"Your reading comfort is currently funded by an emergency loan I just issued to Ramiris," I state, my sea-grey eyes boring into his. "You've burned through three floors' worth of magicule reserves to build a cafe that generates zero revenue. My current architecture is stable, but not sufficient for a long-term vision where my business partners are financially illiterate."
"It is not a cafe! It is a sanctuary of culture!" Veldora shouts, standing up. "And I am the one who gave you your name! Surely the 'Satou' can spare a few magicules for his benefactor?"
"A name is a one-time capital injection, Veldora. It does not entitle you to infinite credit," I retort. "Vesper, status report."
Vesper appears from behind a shelf. "Lord Shinji, the 'Sanctuary' has cost approximately 4.2 million magicule units in structural manifestation alone. Maintenance costs are rising. If left unchecked, this floor will bankrupt the resurrection field by next Tuesday."
"Hear that? Bankrupt!" Ramiris wails, circling Veldora's head. "The merchants won't come if they actually die, Veldora!"
Veldora huffs, looking between us. "Fine! What do you want, you stingy slime?"
"I want Floor 95 to become a 'Premium Archive,'" I say, my voice cold and clinical. "Entry requires a high-tier magic-stone. We sell tea, manifested snacks, and 'limited edition' scrolls. We monetize your hobby, or I close the floor. Sign the sub-contract, or I initiate a hostile takeover of your cushion pile."
"Kuhahaha! You really are a terrifying one," Veldora laughs, though he looks genuinely impressed by the sheer greed. "Very well! If it means I can read in peace, I shall sign your silly papers!"
Notice. Sub-contract accepted. Floor 95 rebranded: The Storm Dragon's Archive. Notice. ROI projected to turn positive within 48 hours.
Finally, some common sense, I think. I'm turning a dragon's man-cave into a high-margin VIP lounge. Rimuru might be the hero, but I'm the one keeping the lights on.
"Lord Shinji," Vesper's tone shifts, becoming sharp.
I look at her. She is pointing toward a magical surveillance mirror. The reflection shows the outskirts of the Jura Forest. A line of armored vehicles—not horse-drawn, but magic-engine propelled—is crossing the border. They aren't flying a diplomatic flag. They're flying the black-and-gold eagle of the Eastern Empire.
"The Empire," Vesper says, her red eyes narrowing. "It seems they didn't appreciate your 'market correction' of their envoy. This is a scouting-in-force operation."
"A hostile audit," I mutter, my face a mask of executive composure. "Azathoth, calculate the tactical cost of a total border lockdown. It seems the East needs to learn that trespassing in my market comes with a very high penalty."
Assessment. Tactical deployment of [God's Wrath] recommended. Notice. Political exposure to the Eastern Empire is now 100%.
"Ramiris, Veldora," I say, turning back toward the gate. "The festival is over. The Empire is attempting a short-sell of our sovereignty. I suggest you get ready. I don't intend to let them devalue our assets."
Current Magicule Reserves: Infinite (Linked). Location: Floor 95 -> Surface. Status: Eastern Incursion: Confirmed. Labyrinth Loan: Secured. Soul Capacity: 38%.
Chapter End.