General Pov
As Freya's voice resonated through the sanctum to deal out Hedin's punishment, Max threw a silent parade from where he leaned against the headboard at the back of the bed.
Stripped of your Executive position.
Vindication flared in his chest. Hell yes, he cheered silently. The arrogant elf finally got exactly what he deserved. Hedin made the fatal mistake of assuming Max was some malleable pushover like Bell, someone who would just accept physical abuse as a valid training method. Max wasn't Bell. He hit back hard.
Banished from Folkvangr.
Max smirked. Enjoy the streets.
Banned from using any part of the infrastructure created by Maximus. No teleportation. No contracts.
Yeah, walk everywhere you stuck-up bas—
WAIT.
The mental cheering slammed into a brick wall.
As Freya's words truly registered, his brain snagged on the mechanics of the ban. The smirk slid off his face, replaced by a hollow drop in his stomach.
He gave an involuntary shudder. Wait. No teleportation? No contracts?
His eyes widened. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Panic seized his lungs. If Hedin wasn't allowed to use the network, Hedin couldn't pay for the network. Why does she have to ban him from using my tech? Max screamed internally. Wasn't this supposed to be Hedin's punishment? Why is she punishing me financially?!
Sweat broke out on the back of his neck as his mind raced, wondering if this was her twisted revenge for him hiding the duel. All his carefully laid schemes to bleed Hedin dry through convenience fees and premium renewals vaporized in a single edict. He planned to turn the elf into an endless well of profit, and now the Chief Strategist wasn't even a potential customer.
Consumed by his ruined spreadsheets, Max barely registered Ottar dragging the weeping elf out of the chamber. The heavy thud of the oak doors slamming shut snapped him back to reality.
As his emotions finally caught up with his brain, a choked gasp tore from his throat. He stared blindly at the wall, completely numb to the atmospheric shift as Freya reined in her Arcanum. The crushing gravity lifted from the room, leaving the air cool and still.
Turning from the door, Freya let the violent lavender fade from her eyes. Seeing his pale face, she shifted closer to him across the mattress, misreading his shock. "Maximus?" she asked softly. "Are you alright? Was the punishment too severe?"
Max blinked, slowly turning his head to look at her. "Severe?" he croaked. "Freya, you just ruined me."
She paused, her brow furrowing. "Ruined you? How?"
"My plans," Max groaned, dropping his face into his hands. He dragged his fingers down his cheeks in a display of utter despair. "My masterpiece of capitalist extortion. I was going to overcharge him for every single teleportation he ever made. I was going to invent new contract tiers just for him and drain his vault for the rest of his life. You just banned my greatest potential customer from buying my services!"
Freya stared at him. For a long moment, she simply failed to process the absurdity of his grief. She just exiled her Chief Strategist to protect him, and her Devil mourned the loss of potential revenue.
A laugh startled its way out of her chest, breaking the heavy tension in the room.
"If it is valis you desire," Freya said, a smile softening her features into warm exasperation, "I can simply order him to surrender his vault to you. Who is going to stop me?"
"That's not the point!" Max argued, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Confiscating it is just robbery. Bleeding him dry slowly through convenience fees while he hates me helplessly for it? That's art."
Sliding down the headboard, he flopped completely flat against the mattress and stared up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh.
Freya shook her head, the last remnants of her fury dissolving. She shifted her weight, resting a hand lightly on his chest.
"I did not expect you to be this greedy," she murmured, leaning down. "Taking your charitable acts into account, I expected you to mirror Argonaut—a fool who laughs knowing what he offers the world is greater than they ever imagined. Not a goblin trying to extort a broken elf. But as much as I wished the punishment was over, it is not. We still have to deal with you."
"Yeah, yeah, it's about the flight, right? It's not even afternoon. I don't want to get sweaty in the sun," he muttered to the ceiling, missing her smirk.
"Oh, my ignorant Devil. The flight is compensation. Not punishment." Her voice took on a dangerous lilt. "Your punishment is your appointment as an Executive in Hedin's place. You will assume his duties immediately."
Max shot up, staring at her in betrayal. "How could you do this to me? I thought we agreed that since Kairu is an Executive, I get left alone to focus on my projects."
Freya raised a delicate eyebrow. "Were you mumbling this to yourself while setting up your business? You never made such a request. To be precise, you didn't approach me about Kairu's appointment either. He agreed to it, and I appointed him. Since he couldn't truly communicate, you acted as his proxy."
She paused, glancing at Kairu, who happily bounced around the floor making tiny duplicates of himself. "Since he proved capable of speaking, he no longer requires a representative. Not to mention you now meet the criteria to hold the title yourself."
Looking back at Max, her expression mirrored a predator cornering its prey. "Incidentally, a vacancy just opened up. Hence your appointment."
Max stared at her, flabbergasted. Everything she said was complete nonsense, but the knowing smirk on her face infuriated him. It felt exactly like watching Aizen claim every event in Ichigo's life was part of his grand design. He loved that scene in the anime, but having that level of smug manipulation turned on him was deeply annoying.
He almost called her out on the bs, but a brilliant countermeasure struck him instead.
"I am grateful for your generosity, My Lady," Max said, executing a complete pivot. Sitting up straight, he adopted the pinnacle of courtly etiquette. "However, since I already manage another aspect of Familia welfare through the contracts, I prefer the strategist role be delegated to the other Executives." He offered a polite smile. "In case none of them agree, I know a certain elf who might be up to the task."
Freya raised an eyebrow at his cheek. In the chaos of his update, she forgot their discussion about the contracts. He was right to frame it as an Executive role; he essentially managed the entire Familia through his network now. She didn't care if he behaved like a normal commander, but considering his fierce aversion to paperwork, forcing him into a management position felt like the perfect consequence.
"You raise a valid point," Freya conceded. "Therefore, you shall be appointed as the Head of Familia Personnel and Contract Management."
"Personnel management?" Max asked, perplexed.
"Indeed."
The playful edge vanished. With the adrenaline of the execution fading, the sheer exhaustion of the morning's revelations finally caught up with her. Freya's posture lost its rigidity. Her shoulders dropped a fraction, and she looked away from him, her gaze drifting to the empty space where Hedin had just broken down. When she spoke again, her voice carried the brittle weight of a painful confession.
"I spent the morning reflecting," she said softly. "I finally realized the missing ingredient distinguishing our Familia from Loki's."
Max dropped his defensive posture. The joke died on his tongue as he registered the heavy shift in her mood.
Turning her gaze back to him, Freya let him see the regret clouding her eyes. "It is the familial bond. The harmony they share. Loki's children draw strength from one another. Mine..." She hesitated, the truth burning her throat. "Mine operate within a rigid hierarchy, fueled entirely by an unhealthy obsession with me. I am their only driving force. They do not fight for each other."
Max looked at her, stunned. He never expected her to acknowledge such a foundational flaw out loud, let alone lay it bare with such honesty.
Looking at his expression, she offered a defeated smile. "You knew, didn't you?"
Letting out a slow breath, Max raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Look, knowing there was an issue wasn't the problem. Not acting on it was. I am just happy you see the rot and want to cut it out. I promise I will do my best to help once I reach High-Class."
He shifted forward, the mattress dipping under his weight, and wrapped his arms around her in an anchoring embrace.
Freya froze instantly. Her breath hitched, her muscles locking rigid as he leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper against her ear. "Knocking sense into a bunch of idiots is different from knocking sense into obsessive fanatics. It takes time."
Life returned to her smile. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as the crushing isolation of the truth fractured. Her spine softened, and she surrendered her weight against him, sliding her arms around his back to bury her face in his shoulder. This physical closeness, this simple acknowledgment that she could make monumental mistakes and still find someone willing to help her fix them, lifted an ancient burden from her chest. His arrogance was easily forgiven when he remained this completely open with her. Closing her eyes, she simply savored his comforting presence.
Max let the silence stretch, giving her the grace of a long moment before his restless energy demanded motion. He pulled back with a grounding exhale, breaking the heavy atmosphere of the room.
He whistled for Kairu, who happily jumped on his shoulder. Reaching into the slime's storage, Max pulled out a massive stack of parchment and dropped it onto the mattress beside her.
"Those are for the rest of the Familia," he said.
Freya looked at the mountain of contracts, then back at him. Offering an elegant sigh, she brushed the last of the moisture from her eyes. "You certainly don't waste time."
"Time is money, Freya," Max replied, smoothing out the front of his jacket. "I'll come pick you up this evening for the flight. I just have to make a stop at the Guild first."
Freya paused. She watched the lingering warmth in his eyes shift, replaced instantly by a calculating gleam.
"The Guild?" she asked, her voice dropping a fraction.
Max flashed a predatory smirk. "Yeah. I have a pig to roast."
Taking a step back, the air around his boots immediately began to hum. The ambient magic in the sanctum pulled toward him, kicking up a sudden breeze.
"Once I'm done," he added, raising his voice over the rising whine of spatial magic, "I'll share the details with you."
Freya leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she read the intent on his face. "Maximus, what are you—"
A crimson matrix flared on the floor and in a blinding flash, he vanished, leaving the Goddess of Beauty alone with a mountain of paperwork and a quiet smile.
-◈ -
Max
The teleportation circle deposited him in his room. He stepped off the fading circle, pulling the two fresh parchment sheets from his storage. A swell of pride anchored in his chest as he read over the updated Falna.
-◈ -
Status:
Maximus Stilbon
Freya Familia
Devil [Pure-Blood] (Mid Class)
Level 4
Stats:
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
Lineage Powers:
• Devil: Superhuman physiology with enhanced physical parameters, accelerated healing, adaptive resilience, flight via natural wings, and the ability to shape and manipulate demonic power for various supernatural applications.
Integrated Abilities:
Abnormal Resistance
Strong Body
Healing Power
Spirit Healing
• Destruction: Manifests a catastrophic power that erases matter. Shape and intensity are dependent on the user's will. Scales with Mind
?
Magic:
Ars Magna
The user's personal grimoire made manifest. A system of magic that allows the user to shape their demonic power into various magical phenomena based purely on their will and imagination. This magic is not bound by the conventional slot system. No chant.
Independent Action
Magic activates automatically when predetermined conditions are met. Complexity and quantity scale with Level. Available Actions: 2 Simple, 2 Complex.
Skills:
Lux Tenebris
Established resonance with the Dungeon enables accelerated growth through combat and exploration. Facing superior opponents further enhances growth, pushing natural limits.
Developmental Abilities:
Magic Resistance - I
Fortune - F
Devil - F
Darkness is your birthright
Integrated Abilities**:
Hunter
Night Fight
Mage
**All sub-abilities rank up simultaneously with the parent ability.
-◈ -
Status:
Kairu
Freya Familia
Demon Slime - Familiar
Level 5
Stats:
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
Innate Traits:
Storage — Can store and retrieve ingested substances without affecting size or weight.
Size Manipulation — Can alter size from small to gigantic form.
Assimilation — Can absorb the power of magic stones and integrate their magical energy to enhance own attributes. Does not grant full monster abilities.
Rapid Regeneration— Can rapidly regenerate lost mass using magical energy.
Amorphous Body —Immune to lesser physical damage due to gelatinous form.
Magic:
Ars Magna (Medium)
A medium version of his Master's Magic. No chant.
Skills:
Magic Resistance — Greatly reduces damage and effects from magical attacks.
Familiar Bond — Shares a portion of the Master's growth and experience. Power increases when fighting alongside or protecting the Master.
Aqua Vitae — The water of origin. Bestows special properties to the user's water. Developmental Abilities:
Devourer - G
Mystery - G
Protection - G
Duplication - I
-◈ -
"One month," Max murmured, tracing the ink on Kairu's sheet. "One month is all it took for us to go from nobodies to being strong enough to defend ourselves, buddy."
Kairu bounced against his leg in agreement.
"Now let's ensure we keep that momentum." Max patted the slime's head before storing the sheets. He stepped back, giving Kairu some space. "Alright. Make a duplicate of yourself in the form of Gojo. Let's see how this works."
Kairu stopped bouncing and concentrated. In seconds, his blue mass stretched upward, separating into the stark white hair, the blindfold, and the dark uniform.
"Same parameters as Rimuru, right?" Max asked.
A pseudopod stretched from Kairu as a text bubble formed over his head: Yes Master, Level 3.
"Perfect."
Max reached out with his mind and created the thought projection. Once done, he pushed the mental construct forward, letting it anchor into the waiting vessel.
He braced himself for the heavy drag he felt with Rimuru, but the pull never came.
Blinking in surprise, Max turned his focus inward to test the link. The connection was definitely active, yet the drain felt like a mere trickle. He frowned, probing the bond as he tried to make sense of the math. Was my theory about Kairu's ability right? Or are my Level 4 stats simply dwarf the cost? He thought as he observed their connection to understand what made this difference.
It was likely a mix of both. He concluded, as a giddy thrill settled in his chest. If the cost stayed this low, he could comfortably run two projections at once without sacrificing much of his combat strength.
The clone took a breath, shoulders rolling back into that arrogant slouch Gojo wore like a uniform.
"Yo," Gojo greeted, offering a lazy wave.
Max looked at him, mentally preparing to bring the clone up to speed. He didn't actively 'save' Gojo's consciousness before dismissing him the way he did with Rimuru. He simply tapped into the visual template, pushed the thought projection forward, and knew he was dealing with a blank slate.
"How do you feel?" Max asked curiously.
"Better than last time," Gojo said, flashing an all-knowing smirk. "Though getting shelved so Rimuru could get some screen time stung a bit."
Max froze. "You remember?"
You remember? For half a heartbeat the smirk sat crooked on Gojo's face at Max's reaction, then it smoothed over, all confidence again, as if it never slipped.
He tapped his chin. "Yep. You made me help Lili, we went on a dive with the Astrea Familia, I fought Chloe—"
Wait. How? Max thought.
He closed his eyes and probed the mental link connecting them. He pushed past the surface thoughts, dissecting the actual architecture of the Complex Protocol. As the structure laid itself bare, a short laugh escaped through his nose.
Looking at it closely, he realized the protocol had naturally segregated itself into three distinct pillars without him needing to micromanage it. First was the physical element, supplied entirely by Kairu. Second was the persona itself—the data and memories. Storing that mental archive in the background cost him nothing; the 'vault' simply existed within his expanded mind.
The third element was the connection itself. The protocol. That was the battery. Keeping the physical slime body and the archived persona synchronized, linked, and active in real-time was where his magic actually went. Storing Gojo didn't cost magic; running Gojo did.
Max dragged a hand down his face. How dumb can I be? He built this magic, yet he was treating it like a rigid video game system with limited save slots. Devil magic ran purely on imagination and will. His power ceiling wasn't restricted by arbitrary rules or mechanics—it was restricted by his own lack of imagination. The magic simply adapted to what his mind demanded of it. He didn't need a manual. He just needed to stop thinking like a human trying to cheat a system, and start thinking like the Devil who created it.
"Hey, boss!" Gojo called out, waving a hand in front of Max's face.
Max blinked, shaking the realization away. He swatted Gojo's hand down. "Right. I'm glad you remember. It saves time as I have an important task for you."
He let his expression shift into strict professionalism.
"I need you to scour the sewers," Max ordered. "All of them. Map the network, find the secret pathways, and locate any Evilus hideouts."
Gojo's lazy smile froze on his face.
The sewers?
Are you kidding me?
The Honored One. The absolute peak of untouchable aesthetic. Six eyes that saw through the world itself—and a boss who wanted him wading through the city's literal waste, knee-deep in everything it flushed. He didn't even know what mess Max had gotten into since the shelving, and it didn't matter. Being dragged out of the archive just to play underground plumber was a devastating blow to his ego, and the bastard had delivered it with a straight face.
He couldn't yell at his creator. That door didn't exist. But the frustration needed an outlet, and it found one immediately, settling into something bright and vicious: any Evilus bastard unlucky enough to cross his path in the dark was going to get a very painful, very personal lesson for making him do this trivial grunt work.
If only I actually had Limitless. He tested the pathways inside the body while his face stayed perfectly still. No cursed energy. No access to his boss's personal spells. But the slime body supplying his physical form was vastly stronger now, and for the first time, he had magic to burn. Fine. If he couldn't have the true Limitless, he would invent a bootleg barrier—a thin skin of nothing between himself and the filth. The raw possibilities were absolutely there.
None of the rant reached the surface. Max wasn't monitoring his surface thoughts, so all he saw was the war being fought in plain sight: the smile that hung a half-second too long before it moved, the jaw clenched under the blindfold, the muscle twitching near its edge, the raised hand curling once into a fist before relaxing.
Slowly, Gojo rolled his shoulders, swallowed something that tasted like wounded pride, and forced the signature smirk back into place—assembling it piece by piece, like a man rebuilding a wall.
"Sure thing, boss," Gojo said, his voice tight. He threw up a rigid two-finger salute. "I'll ping you once I'm done."
Max's lips twitched. If the clone wanted to play untouchable, the sewers would handle the humility lesson. The sensitive nose would only help him in that pursuit.
Before Max could add another word, Gojo snapped out of existence, teleporting away before his own ego made him complain.
With Gojo handling the dirty work, Max let out a long breath and finally sat down to fine-tune his business expansion terms. For the next two hours he buried himself in the math—pricing tiers, deposit structures, maintenance clauses—cranking out the intricate billing details and contract terms for his new infrastructure.
Pages piled up at his elbow. Kairu claimed the bookshelf at some point and dozed there, core pulsing slow. He didn't stop drafting until a hollow ache in his stomach finally broke his focus, and he noticed the light through the window had shifted to afternoon.
He left his room and headed down to Folkvangr's kitchens, taking his time over a heavy plate of roasted meat and warm bread. It was a rare occurrence for him to eat in the manor—he usually preferred the Hostess or grabbing something in the city—and his presence didn't go unnoticed.
Conversation dipped as he walked in, then picked back up at double speed. A pair of Level 2s stopped by the table to greet him, one of them tripping over his own words twice, and the woman behind the serving counter bowed her head instead of waving like she used to. The promotion to Executive changed the way everyone in the building spoke to him, and the respect in their voices carried a weight he was still getting used to.
Max returned the greetings kindly, carved off a hefty portion of his roasted meat for Kairu, and finished the rest of his meal before heading back upstairs. The slime accepted the tribute with a happy squelch on the way.
Once his bedroom door clicked shut, he activated a teleportation circle and stepped through.
The office at PAL resolved around him—quiet and untouched. He sank into his cushy chair while Kairu slid off his shoulder and settled comfortably onto the desk. Max sent a quick ping to Rimuru to send Rehmer up whenever he was free.
A few minutes later, the door clicked open. Rehmer stepped inside, offering a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good afternoon, Maximus."
"Hello, Rehmer," Max replied. He reached for his drafted terms, then stopped as he really looked at the man.
Rehmer looked awful. Dark circles bruised the skin under his eyes, his face had gone sallow, and the crisp posture he usually carried had collapsed into a tired slump. He looked like a man who had spent three days fighting a ledger and lost.
"You look like a corpse," Max pointed out. "Take a recovery potion before you collapse."
Rehmer managed a croaking laugh. "I wish I could. Standard potions are too potent for a non-adventurer's physiology. If I take one now, the stamina surge will wire my nervous system, and I won't sleep for another three days. I'd rather just crash tonight."
Max considered that. He glanced over at Kairu, bubbling contentedly on the desk. "Kairu. Give him an ultra-diluted recovery potion. Just enough to clear the fatigue without wiring him."
Rehmer blinked, his tired eyes shifting to the blue mass near Max's hands.
He watched in fascination as a faint light pulsed deep inside the slime's body. Kairu stilled—for the first time since Rehmer walked in, the endless gentle wobbling simply stopped—and something inside him churned, layer folding into layer like a chef kneading a mixture only he could taste. A few seconds later, a blue pseudopod extended forward and set a small glass vial on the desk with the care of someone presenting a masterpiece. The liquid inside was pale and translucent.
"I don't think you've met," Max said, leaning back in his chair. "This is Kairu. My familiar."
Rehmer's head snapped up. "A familiar?" He looked back at the slime, pieces clicking into place behind the tired eyes. "Wait. Is he the source of the potions you supply the Guild?"
Max smirked and tapped the wood near the vial. "Yes. Now drink."
Rehmer didn't hesitate. He opened the vial and swallowed the diluted liquid in one go. It worked faster than anything the Guild ever sold him. Color flooded back into his face. His spine straightened, the fog lifted from his eyes, and the exhaustion clinging to his shoulders finally let go. He set the vial down with both hands and let out a long breath, like a man setting down a load he'd forgotten he was carrying.
"Thank you. To both of you."
"Don't mention it." Max waved it off. "And congratulations on the promotion and the new assistant. You're moving up the Guild ladder fast."
A flush touched Rehmer's cheeks at that. "It's entirely due to your work, Maximus. The Guild is incredibly grateful for what you've brought to the city."
"Glad to hear it." Max leaned forward, letting the casual air drop away. The Trinitas Rings could wait—he wanted Rimuru's input before committing to anything—and he slid the rest of his drafted contracts across the desk. "Let's talk about the terms for expansion."
Rehmer picked up the top sheet, his eyes instantly tracking the numbers.
"We start with the comms bracelets," Max explained. "It is going to be on a subscription model. Deities and Captains get the base package—50,000 valis a month, plus a 100,000 deposit. Low-tier Familias struggling to eat get a slashed fee so we can hook them early. Wealthy Familias who want extras for their executives pay 75,000 a month per bracelet and a 50,000 deposit per bracelet. Zero discounts on those."
Rehmer hummed quietly, flipping to the second page.
"The real opportunity is with the Teleportation Network," Max continued. "Private Familia routing. 5 million valis for the setup, and a flat 1 million a month for maintenance."
Rehmer traced the ink, then slowly shook his head. "You should set the installation threshold higher. You are theoretically setting it up once, and after that, it is pure maintenance. Factor in the simple math of how many resources a high-ranking expedition saves by instantly jumping across multiple floors to Floor 18—"
"The private ones won't stop at 18," Max cut him off smoothly. "They will have access all the way to Floor 28."
Rehmer stared at him. "To the 28th floor?" He set the paper down. "Then you must absolutely increase the setup cost. The Deities will grumble regardless of the price, but if you give away that kind of tactical advantage for 5 million, they will treat it carelessly. You need to establish its true value."
Max chewed on that for a moment, pen tapping against the wood. The man had a point—cheap things got treated cheap. "10 million valis for the setup, then. And they have to buy the return parchments separately. We give them 50 sheets with the initial installation, and another 50 sheets will be included in the monthly maintenance. If they want more, they buy them directly from us at 2500 valis per sheet."
Rehmer nodded in full agreement. "The Guild currently charges a 1000 valis per person per floor for a public teleport. 2500 is a very reasonable premium, especially since your sheets are tied directly to the Familia's private circle."
He pulled a blank sheet from his folder and began taking his own notes, the pen moving in quick, practiced strokes. "Are we rolling this out to everyone immediately?"
"That's the tricky part," Max admitted. "I was debating whether to restrict the private network to A-Rank Familias and above, or open it up to B-Rank as well."
Rehmer paused, letting the thought process play out. "It is much better to start with B-Rank and above. There are only a handful of A-Rank Familias in the city—maybe in the tens. But B-Rank is where you find the desperate Level 3s and 4s. They have the funds, and they are the most desperate to grind lower-floor excelia to reach the top. They are your best targets. Below B-Rank, you have sheer numbers, but they lack the quality to survive the lower floors anyway."
"It isn't just about the grind." Max's voice evened out, and Rehmer's pen went still. "It's about protection. Think about the recent incident with the Loki Familia. If they had a teleportation circle connected to their building, they could have sent a runner back instantly, informed the Guild, and teleported their entire vanguard down to handle the situation. This could be a security net."
Rehmer stopped writing. His eyes lit up as the tactical implications fully registered. "In that case," Rehmer said, leaning forward, "would you be willing to connect the network to the Guild itself? Or establish designated safety points? If a Familia faces an emergency, they could teleport directly to a secure zone."
Max looked at him quizzically for a moment, then gave a slow nod of approval. "That is a great idea. If the Guild designates a specific area, I will set up a one-way emergency circle there."
"Excellent." Rehmer noted it down with a quick flourish.
"Is there any security for the public teleportation area on this floor?" Max asked.
"Yes," Rehmer confirmed. "There is a Level 4 guard from the Ganesha Familia stationed at the primary hub." Rehmer hesitated for a moment, tapping his pen nervously against his ledger. He looked up, his business demeanor slipping slightly.
"Maximus... that Chloe. She is an adventurer, right?"
Max looked at him for a long moment. He gave a deliberate nod. "Yes, she was. Now she is happy working here."
Rehmer swallowed. "She is... strong."
"She is," Max noted flatly, and offered nothing else.
Rehmer held his gaze for a second, read the unspoken boundary, and wisely let the topic drop. He cleared his throat. "Well. Everything is falling into place."
"Good." Max pushed his chair back and stood up. "Where's the Guild Head today?"
Rehmer blinked at the sudden pivot. "Chief Royman? He should be at the Guild." His voice tightened slightly with a businessman's instinct. "Is there a problem?"
"No problem." Max grabbed his coat from the back of the chair. "I just need to pay him a visit to drop off a new comms bracelet."
Rehmer exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders. He gathered the finalized contracts, offering a respectful nod as Max gathered his things and mentally ordered Kairu to produce more rings and bracelets. The slime wobbled an acknowledgment. Max took the one designated for Royman, already picturing Royman's face seeing him in person.
He gave Kairu a pat and headed for the door. It was time to go roast a pig.
--> Devil in a Dungeon <--
AN:
There we have it folks, the final punishment for Hedin and Max served hot. What did you think of Max's and Freya's relationship progress? Bro stopped treating her like a grenade without a pin to a well known friend. Personally, I love how their relationship is progressing as it gives both of them enough to get comfortable and set their boundaries aside.
And Freya finally screwed Max out of his delusions of charging Hedin a premium for teleportation by banning him from the whole thing ;). I feel his frustration was valid.
Coming to the rest of the chapter, he found new stuff about his Complex Protocol. I know it might be a bit confusing when you read, so basically in simpler terms: His Complex protocol stores whatever a clone does even that clone/avatar was dispelled and when they are summoned back, they will get the 'memory' to the point of their dissolution back. They need to be updated on any new events though. And Gojo did contact Rimuru to ask for an update ones he left Max.
As I said in the last chapter, if the last chapter, the stuff about his business expansion came up and I jumped into it. Do you think the numbers are all reasonable?
Next chapter we will definitely get to roasting the pig as Royman finally faces Max, Loki Familia expedition party returning and possibly Max and Freya going on their flight.
Do share how you felt the chapter was. Was it good or did you feel it was a bit forced? Please share your feedback/suggestions on how to improve the story in a comment/review.
If you'd like to read 10 chapters ahead(around 50k words), support my work, check character images for free, read a free chapter(Ch 51.5), or commission a story idea, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m/b3smash
Please note that the chapters are early access only, they will be eventually released here as well.
Next update will be on Tuesday.
Ben, Out.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.