Elis had drifted slightly away from Kaito and the others, allowing him to introduce Kaori to Rasal first. It was a small mercy, but it bought her a precious few seconds of preparation.
Following the natural flow of things, Kaito would likely introduce Elis next. There was a chance he might turn to Olivia instead, but since neither Olivia nor Rasal seemed to have the slightest interest in each other, the odds were high that Elis was the next target.
(This is troublesome. There is almost no information available on Rasal Marfik-sama; I have no idea how to properly handle her. I know she is famous as the greatest necromancer in the Demon Realm, but I know nothing of necromancy myself. Trying to force a conversation in that direction would be a disaster. If an amateur tries to show off with half-baked knowledge, they usually end up a laughingstock.)
Elis was a noble, and for her, connections and networks were everything. Despite the suddenness of the situation, if she was going to be introduced, she needed to leave a favorable impression on Rasal. After all, the woman was a top-tier Count-class power, one of the most formidable figures in the Demon Realm.
However, Rasal was a recent addition to the Death King Faction and had almost never appeared in public. While the world knew she was one of the Death King's subordinates, any other information about her was practically nonexistent.
It made sense; Rasal had spent several millennia secluded in the Depths of the Black Forest, devoted to her research. Because the forest was a high-threat zone and Tiamat was a well-known legend, Rasal’s name was recognized by association, but even Elis’s vast information network had failed to turn up any specific details.
(Earlier, I refrained from mentioning my status as the heir to a Marquis House to the Pope-sama, keeping our interaction strictly personal due to her religious standing. How should I approach Rasal Marfik-sama? Traditionally, the Death King Faction has had no outside dealings except for limited mining interests, but rumor has it their numbers are surging and the camp is expanding rapidly. Perhaps it would be wise to establish a connection early on? However, even if an opportunity for dialogue arose, I could never withstand the Pressure of the Magic Power of Death. Direct contact with the Death King-sama is impossible. Therefore, just as I did with the Pope-sama, I must keep this as a personal acquaintance between myself and Rasal-sama, rather than a formal tie between the Marquis House and the Death King Faction.)
Elis’s mind raced as she finalized her strategy. Right on cue, the conversation between Kaori and Rasal wound down, and Kaito turned his gaze toward her.
"Ah, and so, to introduce her properly... this is the owner of the shop—"
"I am Elis Dia Hamilton. Thank you for gracing our establishment with your presence today."
"Rasal Marfik, subordinate of Death King Isis. A pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is entirely mine. I look forward to our acquaintance."
The interaction followed the script Elis had envisioned, but she didn't relax for a second. Having witnessed so many unpredictable events today, she was already bracing for the next unforeseen turn.
Information on Rasal was scarce, making it difficult for Elis to drive the conversation herself, but she felt confident in her ability to respond to whatever Rasal brought up.
(I must be confident. I have survived a rigorous Lady's Education. I possess the knowledge and the grace to handle any topic and leave a positive impression. Rasal-sama appears highly intellectual; she will likely probe my character or attempt to gauge my worth. She isn't the type to lower her guard easily, so I must navigate this with that assumption in mind...)
Elis wasn't wrong in her assessment. Rasal was indeed intelligent and deeply cautious, and she made a habit of scrutinizing the essence of anyone she met for the first time.
Under normal circumstances, they would have exchanged a few probing remarks before Rasal reached a conclusion on Elis’s character and ended the conversation. Yes, that is exactly how it would have gone... if Kaito hadn't been standing right there.
"Miyama Kaito-sama, allow me to ask a question. You called her your friend, but in your estimation, is she a person worthy of trust?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. I think Elis-san is a wonderful person. I trust her completely."
"I see... Thank you for your answer."
Unknown to Elis, there were many who placed absolute faith in Kaito’s intuition regarding people—just as Tre had during the Shipboard Party—and Rasal was one of them.
Part of it came from the stories she had heard from Isis, part of it was the sheer weight of his various divine Blessings, and the rest was the nature of Kaito’s character that Rasal had observed herself. Taken together, Rasal valued Kaito’s judgment so highly that his endorsement alone was enough for her to grant someone her trust.
"Elis Dia Hamilton... I believe you are a member of the Arclesia Empire’s Hamilton Marquis House. Am I correct?"
"Y-Yes. I am the heir of the Hamilton Marquis House."
"Is that so... Then, if you are willing, I would like to borrow a moment of your time later. We of the Death King Faction believe it is time we established more connections with the outside world. As part of that, we are looking to expand the export markets for the ores mined within the Land of Death. If you are someone Miyama Kaito-sama trusts, you are an ideal candidate. I would like to discuss this with you further."
"...Y-Yes. Of course."
As she listened to Rasal, Elis’s mind went blank for a heartbeat. This was an earth-shaking development. Until now, the ores from the Land of Death had been strictly monopolized by specific trading companies in the Demon Realm.
While Rasal had only said they were "considering" new partners, meaning an immediate contract with the Hamilton Marquis House wasn't guaranteed... the sheer scale of the opportunity was staggering.
(Why...? Why is this happening? Kaito-shama is so incredible that none of my plans work at all...)
As the voice in her heart began to fragment into a panicked mess, Elis could do nothing but maintain a twitching, strained smile.
Serious-senpai: "I mean, honestly, if Kaito—the Singularity Loved by the World—gives you his stamp of approval, you’re basically a golden asset. But the irony is that Kaito’s trust causes her favorability to skyrocket so fast that all these high-level players suddenly want to be her best friend, which just ends up hitting Elis's stomach like a freight train..."