Chishiya stepped out of the bathtub, steam still rising from his skin.

So good.

After days of dealing with diplomatic nonsense and wrangling foreign envoys, he was completely spent.

Nothing beats a proper bath.

Back in his room, he flopped down on the bed.

Lying flat… bliss.

After a short moment of indulgence, he snapped back to reality.

Still had business to handle.

"System, open the Labyrinth Panel."

As soon as he thought it, a panel of information appeared before him.

---

[Current Labyrinth Level: 3]

[Number of Floors: 30]

[Upgrade Requirement: 1.5 million Reputation Points]

[Special Effects:]

• Crimson Demon Village Bond: Labyrinth magic power increased by 30%.

• Labyrinth Ant Colony: Gathering and construction speed increased by 50%.

[Monsters:] Fish-men, insects, undead, treasure chest monsters, etc.

[Minerals:] C~A-grade magic crystals, common metals, magic steel ore

[Herbs:] Omitted

[Ecosystem:] Cave Ecology, Forest Ecology, Underground City

[Technology:] Medical Tech, Healing Tech

---

Whew… not easy.

After all this time, the Labyrinth's infrastructure was finally in place.

Now they could start thinking about launching the official business model.

VIP passes. Tickets. Leisure services.

And of course, the signature Succubus Coffee Shop. Already scheduled.

No way adventurers weren't going to get lost in here—literally and figuratively.

Once word of their new diplomatic ties with the Beast Kingdom and Blumund got out, their reputation would explode.

With online shopping support and Youm's ongoing promo campaign, it was only a matter of time before adventurers flooded in.

Next goal: build attractions.

Keep leveling up the Labyrinth, hire more staff.

Expand ad reach to other worlds using the star map.

Rinse, repeat, profit.

With so many capable employees on board, he, the CEO, could finally start doing what he was born to do—

Absolutely nothing.

The more Chishiya thought about it, the more satisfied he felt. The future looked bright.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

"Chishiya-sama."

It was Shion's voice.

"Come in. Door's open."

Chishiya sat up and threw on his bathrobe.

What now?

She's not here to poison me with another "delicious" meal, is she?

He swallowed, internally praying for survival.

The door opened.

Shion walked in holding a tray stacked with bottles of essential oil and a set of massage tools.

"Chishiya-sama, I've recently learned a new skill. Would you like to give it a try?"

She smiled proudly.

She had been working hard lately, finding new ways to reduce Chishiya's stress.

For now, she'd temporarily put aside her cooking…

Because Chishiya said her cooking was so delicious it moved him to tears.

So delicious, in fact, it shouldn't be used carelessly. It had to be saved for critical moments.

Thus, she decided to branch out.

When the delegation came, she noticed full-body massages at the hot springs were wildly popular.

Especially after a bath.

Everyone kept going back for more.

So she figured Chishiya would probably love it too and sought out proper guidance.

As soon as she got the hang of it, she rushed over.

"You're giving me a massage?"

"Yup!" Shion nodded, full of energy.

Chishiya eyed the items she brought. A wooden scraper, bottles of oil…

Looks legit.

Well, he was dead tired.

He'd promised himself a rest day and ended up busy all over again.

"Alright, give it a shot."

Honestly, she looked surprisingly professional. Almost like a competent secretary.

Chishiya lay down and shut his eyes.

A moment passed.

Then he felt something weird.

Like someone was tugging on his pants.

"…?"

"Wait a sec. Why are you taking off my pants?!"

Chishiya jolted upright and yanked his waistband back in panic.

"Where did you learn this massage technique?!"

"The hot springs? Is this part of the spa package?!"

Granted, he was the one who taught the hot spring staff the massage curriculum.

But he didn't remember authorizing this particular addition!

What was this?

Some kind of HR testing ritual?

Shion blinked, then shook her head.

"No, no. I asked Vanir-san for advice."

"He said this kind of massage is very relaxing and that you'd absolutely love it!"

Chishiya's eyelid twitched.

Him again.

If I don't rip that mask off and dropkick him next time, my name's not Chishiya.

"Shion. Look at me."

"Hands. Off. The pants."

"No need for these… experimental services, alright?"

Besides, if something actually happens, this series is getting flagged. You get what I mean?

"It's fine, Chishiya-sama! You don't need to worry."

"I've practiced a ton! My technique is flawless! I'll give you the most relaxing massage ever!"

With that, Shion tightened her grip on his pants.

Chishiya: "…?"

Hey hey hey!?

Let go!

Let goooo!!

---

Meanwhile—

Frieren, Fern, and Stark were strolling through the city streets, glancing at passing monsters.

Goblins, Oni, High Orcs…

Shops lined both sides of the street. Restaurants, cafes, game stalls, even themed arcades.

The entire place felt like a normal human city.

Even more surprising, the monsters didn't seem at all bothered by the trio's presence.

In fact, they smiled and greeted them warmly.

Chishiya had made it a basic rule: treat visitors with kindness.

The three were clearly surprised.

"Frieren-sama," Fern muttered, gripping her staff.

"What Megumin said was true."

The monsters here really lived like people. Almost like someone had trained them in human behavior.

Stark locked eyes with a passing High Orc.

The Orc grinned back, flashing a row of tusks.

"Terrifying." (╥﹏╥)

Stark shivered.

He wasn't great with pigs. Especially bipedal ones with weapons.

He was surprisingly brave in battle, but little things like that still got him.

"Frieren…"

He trailed the name, glancing at the elf beside him.

"These demons don't just act different… they look different."

"They're not like any demons I've seen before."

Back in their world, demons resembled humans—horns, sharp eyes, masks. Almost noble in appearance.

But here? They were full-blown subhuman species. Orcs, goblins, oni.

Frieren lowered her gaze in thought.

She'd lived over a thousand years. Seen all kinds of demons. Killed most of them too.

But the ones here really were different.

Back home, demons had strict hierarchies. Power was everything. They didn't understand family. They didn't live in groups. They certainly didn't form cities like this.

This place was way more interesting than she expected.

And the more she saw, the more curious she became about the one running it all.

"It's just ahead," Megumin's voice called from up front.

The three looked up quickly.

It was a house on the edge of town. No buildings nearby. Quiet. Peaceful.

Clearly the kind of place where the owner liked solitude.

(To be continued.)