Chapter 32: The Volatile Asset Class
"Quiet," I pulse, my voice a resonant, icy command that makes the children freeze. I expand my [Transaction Domain] to its immediate threshold, creating an invisible, heavy atmosphere that dampens the stray sparks of fire and light dancing around the room. "We aren't here to 'teach' you. We're here to audit your condition. And right now, your survival rating is trending toward zero. If you want to see the next fiscal year, I suggest you sit down and listen."
The room goes silent, save for the faint crackle of dying embers on the floor. Kenya, the boy who threw the fireball, glares at me with a mixture of defiance and a deep-seated fear he's trying to hide behind a mask of aggression. He looks at Rimuru—the blue-haired girl-form wearing Shizu's mask—and then back at me, the dark, polished obsidian sphere.
"Who do you think you are?!" Kenya shouts, though his voice cracks. "You're just another monster! You can't tell us what to do!"
"I am the one currently stabilizing the air you're breathing," I pulse, my voice flat and devoid of warmth. "Your magicules are leaking like a ruptured pipeline. Every second you spend screaming is a second of your life expectancy you're burning through. It's a terrible way to manage your remaining capital."
Notice. Analyzing Target: Kenya Misaki. Internal Magicule pressure: Critical. His core is essentially a high-pressure boiler with no release valve. Suggestion: Do not engage in physical correction. Any further emotional stress may trigger a spontaneous Magicule collapse.
Azathoth, I can see the steam coming off his soul from here. It's a miracle they haven't vaporized the entire wing. And I'm sitting at 48.5% capacity myself; I'm not exactly in a position to be lecturing people on 'stable storage'.
Rimuru steps forward, taking off the mask to show his face. "Listen, guys. Shizu-san... she was my friend. She asked me to look after you. I know you're scared, and I know your bodies hurt. But we're here to find a solution."
"Shizue-sensei is gone," Alice whispers, her bottom lip trembling. The four other kids—Gale, Ryota, and the silent Chloe—all look down. The anger in the room evaporates, replaced by a cold, hollow grief that is much harder to "audit."
I float back a fraction, my obsidian surface reflecting the flickering light of the classroom. These aren't soldiers. They aren't trade partners. They are children who have been summoned as biological weapons and then discarded because their "battery life" was too short. From a purely ROI perspective, they are a total loss. But as Shizu's legacy, they are a sovereign debt we've agreed to settle.
"The solution is simple in theory," I pulse, cutting through the heavy emotion with the cold logic of a CEO. "You have too much energy and no vessel to hold it. You are like a warehouse built to hold ten tons of glass that has been packed with fifty tons of explosives. To save the structure, we need to vent the excess."
"Vent it? How?" Gale asks, looking up.
"Spirit integration," Rimuru explains, his tone serious. "If we can find high-level spirits to inhabit your bodies, they can stabilize the magicule flow. They act as a secondary processor for the energy you can't handle."
Notice. The logic is sound. However, the nearest high-density Spirit concentration is located within the Dwelling of Spirits. Location: North of the Kingdom of Ingrassia. Risk: High. The Dwelling is a sovereign territory protected by the Spirit Queen.
A Queen, huh? I'm starting to think this world is just one long series of negotiations with female rulers. My internal monologue is currently drafting a list of 'spirit bribes'. Does a Spirit Queen like honey as much as Milim, or are we going to need something more refined?
"We leave for the Dwelling of Spirits tomorrow," I pulse, my voice a resonant finality. "Rimuru will handle the 'emotional' preparation. I will handle the logistics. I suggest you all rest. You'll need every bit of stability you can muster for the transition."
I float out of the classroom, leaving Rimuru to deal with the inevitable questions. Yuuki Kagurazaka is waiting in the hallway, leaning against the stone wall with a look that I can only describe as "guardedly curious."
"You're quite the taskmaster, Shinji-kun," Yuuki says, his eyes narrowing. "I've never seen anyone talk to those kids like that and walk away without a scratch."
"They respect authority, Yuuki," I pulse, my [Transaction Domain] making him step back instinctively. "Even if that authority is a slime. They are drowning in power, and they need a solid anchor. Now, about the permits for the northern forest... I expect them to be processed by sunset. Consider it an administrative fee for us taking these 'ticking time bombs' off your hands."
Current Magicule Reserves: 55.4%. Location: Ingrassia Academy Hallway. Status: Preparing for the Dwelling of Spirits. Soul Capacity: 48.5% (DANGER).
Chapter End.