As A Result of Trying To Live An Erotic Slow-Life, I Have Become The Underground Ruler of This Upside-Down Otherworld - Chapter 82: Two Weeks’ Tale - Final Part

Chapter 82: Two Weeks’ Tale – Final Part

“Welcome. In place of Goshujin-sama, I will hear your business.”

“…Feeling underestimated, huh? Think a small fry like me deserves only lackeys?”

Towa greeted Rozaria.

With flawless etiquette, she bowed slightly, then silently gestured to a chair inside Ronnyan, ignoring Rozaria’s question.

“How about answering? That attitude—”

“Rozaria-sama.”

Towa cut off Rozaria, who was about to say more talks would be impossible.

“As you’ve surmised. Of course, you’re free to leave if you wish.”

She said this without dropping her smile.

Rozaria, almost instinctively, swallowed hard.

She’d faced heavy atmospheres and tension countless times, but this was something entirely different.

Towa’s resolve even made Mia, standing nearby, widen her eyes.

It must be desperate effort—no one could truly replace Arius—but Towa’s determination suggested she might come close.

“You came to apologize, so we accepted and arranged this meeting. If you’re dissatisfied, do as you please.”

“…Tch.”

It was a masterful response.

Rozaria had spoken knowing Arius wasn’t present, demanding his presence.

Towa had anticipated this and confirmed it from Rozaria’s words.

And she was saying: if you’re here to pick a fight, we’re ready.

“My bad… yeah, I came to apologize. Please hear me out again.”

“Then all is well. I’ll prepare drinks.”

Rozaria had no choice but to say that.

If they realized she knew Arius was absent, this meeting would collapse, and they’d question how she knew.

—Truly, a string of failures.

Watching Towa prepare drinks, Rozaria sighed inwardly.

She should’ve learned. It should’ve sunk in. He was a formidable foe.

Every time she got greedy, she was choked with twice the force.

It was time for Rozaria to give up.

“Might be better for both of us, don’t you think?”

“What’s that? Acting like you see through me.”

“Nothing, just talking to myself.”

Not her dreams or goals.

But trying to navigate this with lies or superficiality.

Mia muttered to herself, and to her eyes, Rozaria seemed like a small-time player.

Mia knew she might overestimate Arius’s caliber due to her deep admiration, but even so, she was certain Arius wouldn’t prioritize self-preservation. He’d assert his true intentions without deceit.

Rozaria, on the other hand, seemed to be securing a safe fallback.

To put it bluntly:

“I’m not interested in you.”

“!?”

If Rozaria had started with sincere apologies, things might’ve been different.

At least, they’d have shown a willingness to listen.

“Cause, right? To borrow your words… I don’t have time to waste on small fries.”

Mia’s biting words shook Rozaria deeply.

“…I’m sorry.”

She could only bow her head.

At least, Towa and Mia had seen Rozaria as an equal opponent, despite being hostile, until this meeting.

But her opening remark treated them as lackeys.

It might’ve been accurate in a way, but it showed no intent for serious discussion.

“I’m truly sorry…!”

Wasn’t this behavior exactly what Rozaria herself despised?

It was no different from a beauty deeming someone far beneath them just for being an ugly woman.

Because it was Mia.

No, because it was an ugly woman who said it, it struck Rozaria’s heart.

Being told by someone who knew the same harsh world of being an ugly woman made it resonate.

Stripping away all her defenses, Rozaria recalled her origins.

“Please raise your head.”

“…”

Rozaria slowly lifted her head.

Her eyes gleamed with resolve.

“We’ll hear you out again.”

“Thank you.”

Towa sighed inwardly, thinking she could’ve easily dominated if things stayed as they were, while looking at the light in Rozaria’s eyes.

“Huh? Mia, did you do something?”

“…No, nothing?”

Towa quietly cursed the deliberate innocence of Mia sticking out her tongue.

※

“First, please accept my apology.”

Rozaria spoke, pulling a small box from a bag.

Opening it before the wary pair, it revealed a pure white cord.

“I’m a half-arachne, and this is a charm made from my woven threads. The magic stone is fused with the charm through mana.”

She showed her wrist, demonstrating how to wear it.

It resembled a friendship bracelet from another world, a folk craft from Rozaria’s hometown.

Towa and Mia couldn’t hide their surprise.

A race undetectable by appearance was a weapon. Revealing it not only discarded that advantage but exposed weaknesses.

As if a different person from before.

Perhaps this Rozaria was the true Family boss. Towa and Mia swallowed hard, refocusing.

“I’ve heard arachne can control someone’s body through connected threads.”

“Fair suspicion. Yes, that power exists, but it has limits. My magic threads require a connection between me and the target. Once the thread breaks after control, I can never control that person again.”

Their surprise grew.

Rozaria casually explained her abilities and weaknesses, her intent unclear.

“Want a demonstration? Here.”

“Eh… ah!?”

Towa, caught off guard, was ensnared by a thread from Rozaria’s finger.

“Now, raise your right hand.”

“Ugh, ah.”

“Hey, you!”

“Done. See? I can’t control you again. Though, that’s only with my power alone. With magic stones or other forces, I could control you again.”

Raising her right hand, the thread snapped.

Mia, initially furious, lost her emotional footing as the situation unfolded.

Even Shuri and Kazune, standing by, couldn’t stop Rozaria’s move.

If she wanted, she could’ve controlled Towa or Mia to manipulate the situation.

They didn’t fully trust her words, but if true, she’d lost the card to control Towa.

“…You mentioned ‘with magic stones.’”

“Right. Now to the main point.”

Towa, regaining composure, spoke, and Rozaria understood.

She’d demonstrated her ability and mentioned magic stones to ease into the main topic.

“Let me say first, I want to trust you… no, the Arius Family.”

“Trust?”

“Your boss told me to lend a hand. I’m starting to think I might take that offer. Yes, I’m considering joining forces.”

Thus, Rozaria sought a guarantee of trust.

Perhaps typical of ugly women, a desire for a contract or oath that would be honored.

Towa and Mia understood and empathized. They knew contracts with ugly women were often broken.

“With that, let me explain. This charm’s magic stone curses anyone who causes its wearer unhappiness, and it alerts me.”

“…I see. You want the alert to signal clear hostility, right? What’s the curse?”

“You’re right about the alert. The curse is misfortune reflection—it returns misfortune equal to what was received. When I kidnapped Arius, I wove his body hair into it, so the misfortune targets him. Feel free to check.”

Towa glanced at Mia.

Mia nodded, reaching for a charm.

“…Hmm. At least it’s not a lie. But how is this an apology? To Mia, it feels like you’re picking a fight.”

“It’s worth a fight. The stone hasn’t been imbued with mana yet, and only I can do that, so it’s just a craft for now. You know arachne threads are luxury goods, right? This is worth at least ten gold coins.”

Mia nodded.

As Rozaria said, arachne threads were high-end. This small amount was easily worth ten gold coins, likely double by Mia’s estimate.

The quality confirmed Rozaria’s strong arachne blood.

“Join forces… if you don’t need our strength, sell it right away. In that case, we’ll be enemies again after this meeting.”

Rozaria closed her eyes.

The stone’s ability was decided with Ugly Duckling to test if Arius would sadden ugly women.

Now, Towa and Mia were being tested.

Could they declare they’d never feel unhappiness with Arius?

“…!”

They could take it and not wear it.

But Rozaria said she wanted trust. They couldn’t act on a plan to betray someone who said that.

Thus, Towa thought.

There would inevitably be moments of unhappiness living with Arius.

It was simple—the Family’s women, including Towa and Mia, loved Arius. When he embraced another, they couldn’t help feeling lonely.

Loneliness could be classified as unhappiness.

Even now, the fact that their master left to steel his resolve.

They couldn’t deny cursing their inability to do more than give him time.

“Let me hear your answer.”

Rozaria couldn’t understand or imagine it.

No, any ugly woman wouldn’t.

The emotions budding in Towa and the others could only be understood by those touched by Arius.

Rozaria was purely considering Towa, Mia, and the Arius Family’s ugly women.

“You’re Towa, right? You’re standing in for your boss before me. Make a decision. This is that moment.”

The situation flipped, cornering them.

No, to be precise, this was Rozaria’s goodwill.

Deep down, she felt Arius wouldn’t make the Family’s ugly women unhappy.

This proposal was a wish to trust that feeling.

But.

“We don’t need it.”

“…I see.”

Of course, this refusal.

No matter what, they couldn’t direct inevitable unhappiness toward their master.

As Rozaria opened her mouth, balancing her expected agreement with slight disappointment:

“You’re mistaken, Rozaria-sama.”

“Mistaken?”

Towa smiled.

“I… no, we believe that even if Goshujin-sama causes us unhappiness, we’ll surely find happiness beyond it.”

“—Huh?”

It was something they’d deeply felt until now.

They’d cursed their own shortcomings. But what awaited was unimaginable happiness.

“A moment of unhappiness shouldn’t make us miss future happiness. Thus, we don’t need this.”

“—”

Rozaria was speechless.

She couldn’t comprehend the trust Towa placed in Arius.

Looking at Mia, Shuri, and Kazune behind her.

All had eyes agreeing with Towa’s words.

“That’s—”

“Well done, my women.”

As Rozaria tried to voice something indescribable.

“G-Goshujin-sama!?”

“I’m back. I don’t get what’s going on, but I’ll hear it later… now, Rozaria.”

Stopping the room with a gesture, somehow carrying Serika on his shoulder.

“Ten days from now, come to Rongrong. I’ll make you understand.”

Arius declared to Rozaria with a smile.