As A Result of Trying To Live An Erotic Slow-Life, I Have Become The Underground Ruler of This Upside-Down Otherworld - Chapter 45: Let’s Go Camping, Part 1

Chapter 45: Let’s Go Camping, Part 1

—How about a bonding event?

It was a casual suggestion from Arius.

Towa, who heard it directly, inquired about his true intentions, and as expected, the reason was quite simple.

After forming a sister-store contract and business partnership with Ronyan, Arius faced a situation where names and faces didn’t always match up.

It was a drawback of the sudden increase in the number of people he was involved with. While he had met some of the Mice as customers, there were employees of Ronyan and members of the Rabbits who had never directly interacted with Arius.

Even he was struggling with this, and since they were in for a long-term relationship, Arius thought it would be better to create an opportunity to build camaraderie now, while their connections were still fresh, if they wanted to get along well.

As expected, my Master is the best.

After mentally cheering three times, Towa, her thighs damp with excitement and unable to hold back a few heavy breaths, immediately replied that she’d check if arrangements could be made.

“Mmm, mmph.”

But when they sat down to create an organizational chart and review it, they found themselves overwhelmed.

“So many people…”

“Looking at the org chart like this, it’s kind of overwhelming, isn’t it?”

Clutching their heads alongside Towa were Mia and Serika.

Both of them, like Towa, had been thrilled by Arius’s proposal but were now sharing the same concerns.

Simply put, there were too many people.

No, that in itself wasn’t necessarily a problem. The real issue was figuring out who exactly Arius meant by “people to bond with.”

Naturally, Arius would invite all of Ronyan’s employees, including Liliel-sama, as well as the staff of Ryuu, but deciding who else to include among the store’s associates was tricky.

The Mice, led by Kazune, weren’t officially recognized by Arius but were involved as the shadowy underbelly of Ryuu’s operations. The Snakes, led by Serika, were in a similar position. They were indirectly connected.

If you stretched the definition, even Nelva could be considered an associate, which raised the question of whether to invite the remaining three Snakes or not.

“How about we keep it safe and just invite Ronyan’s and Ryuu’s employees? We share the same days off, and if we inform them in advance, it shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“That would simplify scheduling, but… how do we explain it to the Mice or the Snakes?”

“Then maybe just the representatives from each store?”

“That would ultimately turn into a private dinner between Master and Liliel-sama.”

It was clear that they had grown into a significant force.

Not just in terms of raw manpower but also in influence—they were a considerable power.

They were strong enough to wage war against another family lurking in the shadows of the Capital and come out on top.

“Loyalty to Arius-san is unwavering, but the issue lies with how they view us, right, Mia?”

“Exactly. The Mice are already acting as a deterrent against rival families, and they’ve been building a track record as part of the Arius Family. Even Miya can’t easily rein them in.”

“The Snakes might be manageable… but I’d rather not move them with orders, you know?”

If they were given a separate opportunity to interact with Arius, that might change things.

But as it stood, the Arius Family plan was being kept a secret from the man himself, which made things complicated.

Here’s the crux of it:

Arius simply wanted to connect with his subordinates.

But for Towa, the Mice, the Snakes, and the Rabbits, the chance to interact directly with Arius was something they could only dream of.

“If we dismiss this carelessly… ugh, hmm.”

“At worst, it could lead to internal division. We’d be on the brink of an all-out internal conflict.”

“Right…?”

If such an opportunity existed and they went ahead without informing everyone, what would happen?

As Mia pointed out, the Mice would likely be furious, and who knows how the Snakes would react?

If Arius himself told them to stay quiet, they might not complain—though they’d probably feel a bit disappointed.

But that wasn’t an option. The decision-making power rested with the three of them in the room.

“I never imagined we’d run into problems like this.”

“No, who else but Arius-san would suggest throwing a party for a bunch of ugly girls? Only him… ugh, Arius-san, I love you…”

“Haha…”

In short, no matter the format, anyone connected to Arius needed to be able to participate in the bonding event.

At the very least, they had to create a situation where everyone could bond, or no one would be satisfied.

“If we’re just thinking about numbers, the venue would have to be Ronyan, right?”

“That place should work, but how do we invite the Snakes and the Mice? In that case—”

“Hmm, but Ryuu can only fit about 15 people at most.”

Ronyan’s staff, including Liliel-sama and Luuri, totaled 35 people—no way they could all fit in Ryuu.

Inevitably, the venue would have to be Ronyan itself. The idea of renting out another shop might work if it were just the Rabbits or a transformed Liliel-sama, but including Ryuu’s members made it difficult.

Most large venues with enough space were likely to have a “no ugly girls” policy.

As the meeting bounced back and forth with no clear solution—

“Hm.”

“Huh? What’s up, Towa?”

“Did you think of something?”

Towa suddenly took a deep breath.

“There’s no helping it. I’m not sure if it’ll turn out properly, but—”

The news of the bonding event sent Ronyan into a frenzy.

“Hey, you going?”

“Of course! I’d pawn my husband to go. You’re in too, right?”

“No question!”

To be blunt, the Rabbits were people who didn’t need Arius.

With their ordinary, unremarkable appearances, they had plenty of options.

In fact, even those who had been attacked by Arius rarely became completely enamored with his essence.

The intense sexual pleasure was undeniable, but they weren’t exactly starving for it.

Some were married, and others had the charm to easily hook a random guy.

They’d never been desperate enough to visit a male brothel, and even if they needed to satisfy their urges, they were in a position where raping some random guy would probably be overlooked.

The fact that they didn’t mind being attacked by Arius stemmed from a sense of gratitude for the person who saved Liliel.

Conversely, if it hadn’t been for Liliel’s situation, they likely would have attacked Arius as a matter of course. The result would have been a high chance of a literal war with Ryuu.

Liliel’s situation was only heard secondhand from Luuri.

That’s exactly why they were determined to use this opportunity to properly assess him.

That said, seeing Arius come to apologize immediately after waking up, they thought he was just as good a person as Liliel. Moreover, since he was Liliel’s beloved, no one viewed Arius with negativity.

“Hey, Luuri! This time for sure… nufufu!”

“W-What’s with that ‘nufufu’?! I-I’m not, like, expecting anything or anything like that!”

Among the Rabbits, only three had truly fallen for Arius, despite the low likelihood of becoming enamored. Luuri was one of them.

Luuri was unique even among the Rabbits.

While everyone admired Liliel, Luuri’s devotion and loyalty stood out. She was the kind of unusual woman who thought she’d find some random guy after seeing Liliel happily united with someone.

For that reason, the fact that Liliel had been united with her beloved, even if only physically for now, was a joyous occasion. It also served as a trigger for Luuri to start thinking of herself as a woman.

However, there was one problem.

“Ehh, but didn’t you say before? That you’d demand a redo of your first time?”

“T-That was! B-Because of the, the alcohol, okay?!”

“Ohh? Our great leader is blaming it on the alcohol?”

“Fnnnngh…”

It wasn’t like she was particularly fixated on how she lost her virginity or to whom she offered it.

Still, she thought it was a bit much. Her first time had been with a guy she liked, but he was in a state of complete loss of reason.

“This time, you should properly make a promise, okay?”

“Sh-Shut up, you’re so loud! Ugh, fine! I’ll hit the sales quota by the day off! Get to work, chop-chop!”

“Yes, ma’am! Understood!”

Liliel smiled at the lively, chattering Rabbits.

One of her concerns had been how to handle interactions with Arius.

For those working at Ronyan and actively seeking out Arius, the reason was likely sexual contact.

Luuri seemed hesitant, but the other two Rabbits who had fallen for Arius could often be seen visiting him frequently.

The rest of the Rabbits had no real reason to visit Arius.

It wasn’t like they could just casually drop by to see him. After all, he was the one above Liliel.

That’s why the Rabbits were deeply moved that someone of his stature was reaching out to them like this.

The issue wasn’t whether they could hold a conversation at the event. What mattered was that their existence was being acknowledged and valued.

“Truly, there’s so much to learn.”

Since forming the sister-store contract—more precisely, since being embraced by Arius—every day had felt radiant. It wasn’t just because some of her wishes and desires had been fulfilled.

Whether it was this bonding event or his usual demeanor, Liliel could clearly sense the qualities of a true leader in Arius, just as Eld had described.

Because she felt and understood this, Liliel stood taller.

The Rabbits looked to Liliel, but through her, they also saw Arius.

The tasks themselves hadn’t changed.

She would make Ronyan thrive and provide better sustenance for the Rabbits.

But unlike before, Liliel now felt a strong sense of fulfillment in doing so.

“Liliel-sama.”

“Oh? Luuri, are you already satisfied with being teased?”

“Liliel-sama!?”

“Just a joke, dear. So? Have you confirmed the number of participants?”

“Ugh… You’ve been treating me so harshly lately.”

Luuri pouted dramatically.

Perhaps this was her true self, Liliel had recently begun to think.

“Now, now, I was in the wrong. Please tell me.”

“N-No… I’m the one who should apologize. Ahem, everyone wishes to participate. However, there’s a slight issue.”

“Oh, no need to worry about childcare. We’ve arranged for a few sitters on the day. If there’s no objection, tell them Ronyan can look after the children.”

“U-Understood! Then it’s full participation!”

Liliel addressed the issue before Luuri could fully explain.

It was no wonder Luuri’s eyes filled with awe. She thought this was only natural, but Liliel’s care for the Rabbits had grown increasingly refined and warm.

“How wonderful. Luuri, on the day, don’t worry about me and enjoy yourself, alright?”

“Yes! Thank you so much! I’ll go inform everyone!”

Liliel smiled as she watched Luuri scamper off.

She then turned her gaze back to the document detailing the event.

“Even so… Lake Merusia, of all places. Fufufu, a bonding event outdoors is unheard of… but it sounds delightful, doesn’t it?”