Chapter 30: Date

Ei asked with a sly smirk,

"Are you… a pervert?"

Yu felt a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.

"I'm just… a little bored."

"Oh? Does that mean you spend every night 'bored' with them?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why not? Don't you enjoy it?"

Yu felt like he was drenched in sweat by now.

"Humans only live for a few decades. If things get too… involved, feelings will inevitably develop. I don't want to complicate things."

"But among those girls, aren't there a few immortals?" Ei retorted.

"Wait, what?"

Before Yu could react, Ei transformed into a flash of lightning, zipping outside and dragging back a peculiar-looking girl. With a swift motion, she pulled aside the girl's hair, revealing a pair of pointed ears.

The long-eared girl was visibly startled, but seeing the elegant woman before her, she remained silent.

Yu was astonished by Ei's sharp observation. He had spent days among these people and hadn't noticed a thing, yet Ei caught it at a glance.

Yu studied the girl more closely—long white hair, vibrant green eyes, and most notably, ears that were far longer than any human's.

His own ears were slightly larger than normal, but not enough to draw attention unless someone looked closely. This girl, however, stood out immediately—well, to anyone except him, apparently.

"Wow, I didn't expect this surprise," Yu muttered.

Ei, seeing his bewildered expression, finally relaxed a bit.

Looks like he really didn't know.

Yu approached the long-eared girl.

"Who sent you here?"

"I was a gift from the Verdant Lord, meant for Overlord."

"Go back tomorrow," Yu said decisively.

He had a nagging feeling that if he didn't deal with this issue soon, he might meet an untimely end at the hands of another woman. Ever since he had accidentally made her cry, he had been overwhelmed by a strange sense of guilt. It made him hesitant to hurt her in any way. Even if she came at him with hostility, as long as it wasn't fatal, he wouldn't fight back.

The girl's face paled in fear.

"Please, Lord, don't send me back! If you do, my entire family will be executed."

"Your family? You mean… you have a whole tribe?"

"Y-Yes, we're a small tribe protected by the Verdant Lord."

Yu's interest was piqued.

This could be fun. He glanced at the purple figure beside him. Let's set this aside for now. Later, I'll take care of that so-called Lord and turn them into my vassals. I'll become the king of them.

"Ei, since you rarely visit, how about I show you around?"

Ei hesitated for a moment, recalling Yu's usual behavior.

Is he… inviting me on a date? Fine, I'll give him a chance.

---

As they strolled through the bustling city streets, Yu felt increasingly embarrassed. The streets were filled with all manner of wild beasts, casually relieving themselves in public. Yu felt his face burn with shame and frustration.

"Chief Secretary!" he barked. "From now on, no large pets allowed in the city! And if small pets make a mess, arrest their owners!"

"Oh, and humans aren't allowed to relieve themselves in public either!"

"Public nudity is banned in all common areas!"

"No merchants are allowed to block the roads!"

"And that house—who approved it being built there? Tear it down!"

"Do we look like a charity? Arrest that so-called 'performance artist'!"

"Also, establish a city patrol immediately!"

Yu marched through the streets like a storm, his mood foul. Everywhere he looked, he saw something outrageous. It was infuriating. I've been too lenient with these people. Once they're fed and comfortable, they just look for trouble. Look at all these beasts everywhere. Ugh.

"Sorry you had to see that, Ei," Yu said with a sigh.

Ei chuckled. "I think you're a capable leader. You've made sure your people have enough to eat."

"Isn't that the basic requirement?"

Ei: ...…

"Come, I'll show you the Grand Bazaar. It's an interesting place."

---

"Guards! Arrest that woman dancing in the nude!"

"And that storyteller spewing indecent tales—take him away!"

"Oh, and that… that beast tamer… arrest him too! Honestly, do these people have nothing better to do?"

In this era, with minimal competition and low living costs, people's thoughts had grown increasingly… wild. Many of them weren't doing these things for money—they simply enjoyed it.

Yu sighed. This is my fault. I've made life too easy for them. No worries, though. Once I implement my competition-driven reforms, they'll have no time for nonsense. Sumeru doesn't support freeloaders.

Ei watched Yu's furious outbursts with amusement. Seeing this usually powerful man reduced to a flustered state, yelling at every turn, was highly entertaining. The citizens here were truly unique. Today had been one of the most interesting days she'd ever had.

After it all ended, Ei turned to Yu, her eyes gleaming with laughter. Suddenly, she broke into a wild, unrestrained smile.

Yu was momentarily stunned. She's… beautiful.

"Thank you. Even though you seemed unhappy today, I really enjoyed myself. I'll be leaving now. Goodbye." With a flash of lightning, Ei vanished.

As she disappeared, Yu took a deep breath, steadying himself.

It's time. He had to eliminate the surrounding gods. Leaving them unchecked would only lead to trouble. Fortunately, his recent maneuvers had already caused significant infighting among them. Now was the perfect time to strike.

---

Meanwhile, a diligent sandworm was happily digging a tunnel. The day before, it had unearthed some iron ore and was rewarded with a sumptuous pork feast. Encouraged by its success, it continued to dig enthusiastically.

Suddenly, it felt something unusual beneath its claws. With a mighty push, it broke through the earth, tumbling into a vast underground space.

Startled, black serpent knights immediately drew their weapons, their eyes fixed warily on the massive creature.

"Captain, it doesn't seem hostile," one of them remarked.

"Stay alert."

Just then, a researcher rushed over, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the sandworm.

"Capture it alive! I've just had an idea for a new excavator!"

---

A thousand years later…

Lumine was engaged in a fierce battle with a Ruin Serpent.

"Which idiot invented this thing?!" she yelled in frustration.

~~~~~~~~

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