Damien wasn't short on money.
In fact, he had more than enough.
Whether it was Aqua or Cecily, building a temple for the Goddess of Water was a trivial matter to him.
However, Damien wouldn't help the two recruit followers.
The Axis Order...
Damien dubbed it the Slacker Order.
Its many doctrines left even Rimuru dumbfounded.
Don't hold back. Drink when you want to drink, eat when you want to eat, because you might not get the chance tomorrow.
When you're hesitating, you'll regret any choice you make. Since you'll regret it anyway, pick the easier option.
Axis Order members can do anything if they try hard enough. Even if they fail, it's not their fault... it's the world's fault.
In summary, the office workers from Damien and Rimuru's previous lives would give it a thumbs-up.
Reject overwork, embrace slacking!
It's not my fault, it's the world's fault.
When facing trouble, the key is self-acceptance, not mental burnout.
"I'm starting to worry more and more about taking in Aqua."
Damien had no doubt that if Aqua learned about the Monster Kingdom, she'd spread these ideas there.
Especially to Rimuru!
Damien couldn't ignore the color of her hair.
A blue slime!
Blue hair!
If Kazuma were here, he'd probably have an Aqua-induced PTSD episode.
"Hey, I feel like you're thinking something bad."
Rimuru clicked her tongue. "I haven't fallen so far as to need that kind of self-consolation to dodge responsibility."
She hadn't forgotten Damien's help.
Though she often complained about too much work and wanting a break, Rimuru took her role as Great Sage seriously.
She wouldn't truly give up.
"Is that so?"
"Of course!"
Rimuru flashed a radiant smile. "As long as you lead by example and work hard~!"
"I'm giving Aqua back to Kazuma."
"No way you're escaping!!"
Rimuru grabbed Damien, determined to drag him into the work-hell abyss with her.
"By the way, I checked out the Dungeon you made."
"How was it?"
Hearing Rimuru mention the Dungeon, Damien stopped teasing her and asked, "Find any issues?"
"What do you mean find any issues?"
"There were way too many issues, okay!"
Having played countless games, Rimuru was well-versed in these matters.
The two then dove into a detailed discussion about the Dungeon's problems and improvements.
For example, the Dungeon had a revival mechanism.
But in certain special cases, the mechanism struggled to function properly.
Rimuru had tested it.
She triggered a cave-in in the mines, burying herself.
In that situation, no adventurer's strength could break free from the rubble.
Not dead, but trapped alive.
The revival mechanism didn't immediately teleport the adventurer out, letting them starve to death instead.
"Hm."
Damien nodded. "That's definitely an issue. How do you think we should fix it, Rimuru?"
"We could add a crisis alert."
"When an adventurer is in danger, give them a prompt, like 'Escape the predicament within 10 minutes or the adventure will automatically end.'"
This would prevent cases where someone was alive but unable to continue exploring, yet the Dungeon didn't register a loss.
To better monitor the situation, the Great Sage and Violet would need to grant the Dungeon some intelligence.
In other words, turn the Dungeon into a monster!
"Turn it into a monster?"
"Not a bad idea."
Damien said, "If the Dungeon becomes a living entity, a lot of things would be easier."
Naming the Dungeon was simple.
Damien first imbued it with about 50,000 EP of magic essence, transforming it into a 'spiritual lifeform.'
When it came to dungeons, Damien thought of a certain woman visited by eight million warriors.
"Here, I grant you the name Celine!"
With Damien's naming, a silver-haired elf in a green dress emerged from the void in the Dungeon outside Axel.
"The Creator, thanks for this blessing."
"I swear to manage your Dungeon faithfully."
She was both the Dungeon itself and its administrator, a unique kind of earth-attribute elf.
[Celine]
[Race: Greater Elemental of Earth]
[Magic Essence: 400,000 EP (initial essence + naming boost)]
[Unique Skills: Gatekeeper, Mediator]
"Hm, that should do it."
Through Thought Communication, Damien gave Celine a few words of encouragement, delighting the young elf.
Meanwhile, Rimuru had the Great Sage relay all the bugs she'd found to Celine.
Soon, under the elf's meticulous adjustments, the ten-floor Dungeon underwent massive changes, from maps to mechanics.
"You two..."
"What are you even talking about?"
Cecily, who had been watching Damien and Rimuru exchange glances and toss out terms she couldn't understand, looked utterly confused.
"Whatever!"
"Doesn't matter."
Cecily thought it over and decided to ignore them. "Is there food? I'm hungry."
"What a natural freeloader!"
"Hmph!"
Unfazed by Rimuru's jab, Cecily proudly declared, "That's the Axis Order for you!"
"I wasn't complimenting you!!"
Rimuru was at her wit's end with this girl and handed her off to Damien. "She's all yours. Say what you will, at least she's pretty cute."
"That's her only redeeming quality."
Damien beckoned to Cecily. "Fine, whatever."
"Come with me. I'll take you to meet the goddess your Axis Order worships, Aqua."
"Eh?"
Cecily asked, "What about food?"
"Is food more important than your goddess?!"
Rimuru kept roasting her, feeling like she'd die of frustration if she spent any more time with Cecily.
"Lalatina, Rimuru's back, and she brought a guest."
"I'll go inform Aqua and Megumin right away!"
"Thanks for the trouble."
Damien used Thought Communication to instruct Darkness to gather everyone in the living room and bring some food.
As for where the food would come from...
Damien eyed the pile of souvenirs Rimuru brought back, which included plenty of ingredients perfect for cooking on the spot.
***
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