After Yuto gave everyone a warning, the atmosphere around the meal finally became somewhat more civilized.
At the very least, there were no longer any chopstick battles moving at speeds invisible to the ordinary eye whenever someone spotted a particularly appealing piece of meat.
"By the way, Kaguya, you said over the phone that you would come back once things settled down. Since you're here now, does that mean everything with your family has been resolved?"
Yuto picked up a slice of beef and dipped it into the raw egg before placing it into his mouth.
This way of eating was quite different from hot pot, and at first glance, dipping freshly cooked meat directly into raw egg could certainly seem strange.
Once it actually reached the mouth, however, it possessed a charm of its own.
Perhaps because of the breed of chicken and the widespread use of properly pasteurized eggs, eggs in this country generally lacked the strong raw smell one might otherwise expect.
The freshly cooked beef became coated in a thin layer of egg, giving the surface an unusually smooth and silky texture.
Combined with the firmness and richness of the meat itself, the contrast was surprisingly enjoyable.
For someone accustomed to hot pot, occasionally eating sukiyaki like this made for a pleasant change.
Still, if he compared the flavors directly...
Sukiyaki simply did not possess the same richness and variety as hot pot.
"I wouldn't say everything has been completely settled, but the situation has at least reached a temporary stopping point."
Kaguya smiled.
She picked up a slice of meat and placed it into her bowl.
Whether she was dipping the food or bringing it to her mouth, every movement remained exceptionally elegant.
Yet beneath that refined composure was a lightness that had not been there before.
"Eh—are you still dealing with the Shinomiya family?" Rimuru asked curiously.
He knew quite a bit about Kaguya's situation.
It was precisely because of her conflict with the Shinomiya family that she had previously entered into an agreement with Ainz and Rimuru.
"Mm."
Kaguya nodded.
Her expression remained calm and composed, with the same faint smile resting on her lips.
Although matters concerning the Shinomiya family were treated as taboo subjects throughout the outside world, Kaguya had little reason to conceal them inside the restaurant.
Just as ordinary people and the Shinomiya family existed on completely different levels, everything an ordinary person possessed amounted to little more than dust in the eyes of the Shinomiyas.
There was simply no reason for the family to pay attention to most people.
And that same difference in level...
Also existed between the Shinomiya family and this restaurant.
If anything, the gap was even greater than the one separating ordinary people from the Shinomiyas.
Inside this place, Kaguya had little reason to hide anything.
Besides, rumors surrounding the Shinomiya family had already begun circulating quietly among the upper class.
Especially rumors about the eldest daughter gradually taking control.
"Big families really are troublesome~"
Rimuru sighed as he continued eating.
Kaguya laughed softly.
"It's almost over. There is only one final target left."
She spoke with a calm smile.
Yet there was no warmth in it.
If anything, a faint chill lay hidden beneath the expression, accompanied by a subtle sense of satisfaction.
The final target she was referring to was her eldest brother.
Her objective was simple.
Take control of the family.
The Shinomiya family had three sons.
As long as all three were removed from contention...
Kaguya would naturally become the next head of the family!
And now—
The third son of the Shinomiya family had fallen into a vegetative state and remained unconscious, with no sign that he would ever awaken.
The second son had been forced by Kaguya to flee to Africa earlier that very day.
He would most likely never return for the rest of his life.
That left only one final opponent.
The eldest son of the Shinomiya family.
Shinomiya Oko.
In the past, he had possessed the strongest faction and wielded the greatest influence within the entire family.
But ever since Kaguya began her "offensive," drawing upon the power and connections she had gained through the restaurant...
His glory had already begun to fade.
At this point, he was little more than a setting sun lingering above the horizon.
As for the other members of the Shinomiya family, none of them could truly compete with Kaguya anymore.
More than half had already secretly expressed their willingness to submit to her.
The remainder were merely hesitating and watching which way the wind would blow.
Once the situation became completely irreversible, they too would eventually bow before Shinomiya Kaguya.
The seemingly slender girl sitting quietly at the counter had, in reality, already become one of the hidden hands capable of influencing the direction of the entire country.
If she wished it...
Even events far beyond Japan might someday shift because of her decisions.
"Then I hope you finish everything successfully soon."
Yuto smiled.
"If it weren't for Kamisaka-kun and everyone else helping me, I never could have reached this point."
Kaguya's expression softened.
"I truly am grateful."
There was complete sincerity in her voice.
And she meant every word.
Although she had always been the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family, her actual position within that household had once amounted to little more than that of an ornamental decoration.
No matter how hard she worked or how capable she became, nobody had ever truly acknowledged her.
Everything had begun to change on that rainy evening.
If Yuto had not saved her in the rain that day...
Perhaps she would still be lying in a hospital somewhere.
Her life would never have changed.
She would have continued walking through those same gray and suffocating days, trapped beneath expectations and rules she had no power to resist.
Yuto merely smiled at her.
He did not say anything.
Instead, he picked up another slice of beef and quietly ate it.
Kaguya watched him and drew in a slow breath.
She suppressed the intense emotions stirring within her heart.
Even though she was no longer the same girl she had once been, whenever she stood before Yuto, she still could not keep her heart completely calm.
Still...
She had become much better at handling it than before.
Back then, she had not even been capable of looking directly at his smile without losing her composure.
The struggles of the past several weeks had genuinely changed her.
At the side, however...
Hayasaka, who had been silently listening to the conversation, looked increasingly uncomfortable.
She resembled someone carrying a heavy secret while desperately pretending that nothing was wrong.
Her expression had become stiff.
At the same time, she was clearly trying very hard to appear calm.
The result only made her look even more unnatural.
"Hayasaka? Are you all right?"
Yuto looked toward her curiously.
He had noticed that something seemed wrong and could not help wondering what was bothering her.
Kaguya also turned toward Hayasaka.
Concern immediately appeared in the young lady's eyes as she looked at the maid who was also one of her closest friends.
"What's wrong, Hayasaka? Are you feeling sick?" Kaguya asked anxiously.
"No. I'm fine."
Hayasaka forced a smile.
"I just choked a little earlier."
She was lying.
Everyone could tell that she was hiding something.
But no one pressed her.
"If you're feeling unwell anywhere, don't force yourself to endure it."
Kaguya sighed softly, her expression becoming unusually serious.
"You have to tell me."
She looked directly at Hayasaka.
"You're very important to me."
Hayasaka's body visibly stiffened.
For a brief moment, something complicated flashed across her face.
Then the maid smiled again.
"Mm. I know."
Kaguya nodded slightly and finally looked away.
Hayasaka secretly relaxed.
But the relief lasted only an instant.
Almost immediately, the same bitter and anxious feeling rose within her again.
Kaguya's concern only made the guilt inside her heart worse.
It made the things she had done in the past even harder to accept.
How much longer could she continue hiding that secret?
"Ahem."
Yuto noticed the increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere and deliberately changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, Ainz, Rimuru—how have things been developing in your worlds lately? I haven't heard either of you mention them in quite some time."
Ainz had been sitting there with his arms folded ever since the meal began.
Delicious food was simmering directly in front of him.
Yet he could not touch a single bite.
The suffering was so great that he had barely felt like speaking.
He had originally convinced himself that he would simply sit with everyone and chat even if he could not eat.
But only after sitting down beside the pot did Ainz truly realize what kind of torture he had willingly subjected himself to.
If Yuto had not addressed him directly just now, there was a good chance he would have remained completely silent for the entire meal.
"Ah—actually, Ainz and I were talking about that inside the game just now."
Rimuru slurped down another piece of meat before laughing cheerfully.
His slime body bounced lightly in place like a rubber ball being dribbled.
Yuto looked between Rimuru and Ainz with genuine surprise.
He had not expected those two to start discussing their respective worlds again.
He had honestly assumed gaming had completely taken over their minds.
"So what conclusion did you reach?" Yuto asked curiously.
"Well..."
Rimuru paused thoughtfully.
"If we want to completely eliminate all these pointless problems, the simplest solution might be to conquer the world."
For several seconds, Yuto genuinely could not tell whether Rimuru was joking.
"Conquer the world?!"
Everyone nearby reacted almost simultaneously.
"Mm."
Rimuru nodded as though he had suggested something perfectly reasonable.
"It honestly seems like the simplest way to eliminate all those annoying problems. If I conquer the world, the neighboring countries won't constantly be able to send people over to cause trouble behind my back."
He sounded increasingly frustrated as he continued.
"The village is developing really well now, but human countries keep secretly sending spies over to interfere with us. Dealing with them every single time is such a pain."
"And every so often, another country sends some diplomatic delegation to visit."
Rimuru groaned.
"I seriously don't want to entertain them~~~"
His slime body sagged slightly.
"I was just an overworked middle-aged salaryman getting bullied by my company! Why do I suddenly have to deal with this kind of pressure...?"
He sounded genuinely aggrieved.
"I just want to sit somewhere peacefully and play games forever without anyone bothering me."
Rimuru continued complaining about his current life.
In his previous world, he had simply been another exhausted corporate employee worn down by endless work.
Even building a village after reincarnating in another world had never been some grand ambition he carefully planned from the beginning.
Circumstances had simply pushed him into it.
If he had never stumbled upon this restaurant, perhaps Rimuru would have continued stubbornly following that path, developing his settlement one difficult step at a time.
But after spending so much time here...
And after discovering video games...
All the resentment and exhaustion accumulated over years of being exploited as a salaryman had finally begun resurfacing.
Wasn't playing games simply better?
Working himself half to death developing a village was exhausting.
If the problems caused by neighboring countries were never going to stop, then wouldn't it be easier to skip straight to the end and conquer everything?
Once the entire world was under control, nobody would be left to bother him.
Then Rimuru could spend every day playing games in peace.
"My thoughts are more or less the same as Rimuru's."
Ainz finally spoke.
"In the beginning, both of us were cautious about the worlds we found ourselves in because everything around us was unknown."
His deep voice remained gloomy.
"But circumstances have changed."
"We now have support from modern weaponry, and we can also cross into each other's worlds and provide direct assistance when necessary."
Ainz tilted his head slightly.
"Under those conditions, conquering the world may not actually be as difficult as we once believed."
He paused before continuing.
"On top of that, the scouts Nazarick previously sent into the neighboring countries have delivered their reports. Those nations are already secretly discussing a joint expedition to investigate the region surrounding the Great Tomb of Nazarick."
A faint red glow flickered in his eye sockets.
"If they intend to do that anyway, then we may as well strike first."
His tone became slightly heavier.
"Once everything is settled, I'll finally be able to play games in peace."
After listening to both of them, Yuto more or less understood what had happened.
In the beginning, Ainz and Rimuru had naturally been wary of the worlds they found themselves in.
Everything around them had been unknown.
Unknown nations.
Unknown enemies.
Unknown powers.
Unknown dangers.
But now things were different.
After receiving heavy modern weaponry through Kaguya, combined with the restaurant allowing them to travel between worlds and support one another directly, much of their original fear and anxiety had simply disappeared.
It was like wandering alone through a dark forest at night.
Naturally, almost anyone would feel afraid.
But if a massive group of reinforcements suddenly appeared behind you driving tanks...
That fear would disappear fairly quickly.
At that point, who cared how dense the forest ahead was or how dark the night became?
Just flatten everything in your path and keep moving.
That was more or less the mindset Ainz and Rimuru had gradually developed.
"And Fafnir is going to help us too."
Rimuru added cheerfully.
Fafnir pushed his glasses higher on his nose.
His expression remained as cold as ever.
"Don't misunderstand."
His tone was perfectly flat.
"I simply don't want the problems in your worlds interfering with my gaming. Deal with everything quickly, and then we can return to playing."
So now, in a sense, three different sides had joined forces.
Three separate powers cooperating to conquer a single world.
When phrased like that...
It really did not sound particularly difficult.
"That sounds fun! Conquering the world... I want in too!!!"
Tohru immediately raised one hand with obvious enthusiasm.
"If you need additional weapon support during the process, feel free to ask."
Kaguya joined the conversation with a calm smile.
"There are quite a few arms dealers on the international market struggling to find buyers lately."
Yuto slowly rubbed his forehead.
They were discussing conquering an entire world.
So why did the atmosphere feel exactly like they were casually deciding what to eat later?
And more importantly...
Their entire motivation for conquering the world...
Was so they could play games?!