All of the members, whom I had summoned for a clan meeting, were gathered in the office.
「――And that’s our plan going forward」
When I finished my explanation, Leon had a long face.
「To sum it up, you’re saying that we’ll get in Lorelei’s way and steal their seat, right? Well, considering the current situation, I understand that there is no other way, but……」
As expected, Leon's reaction wasn’t good. I laughed lightly and supplemented my explanation.
「I said that we’ll get in Lorelei’s way, but the ones who tried to steal a march on other Seekers first are those guys. In all likelihood, considering the scale of the venture, they should have a secret agreement with not only influential nobles, but also the royal family. If that guy’s ambitions are fulfilled in this way, the position he holds will become absolute. As an effect of that, the principles of market competition between Seekers will likely not work properly, am I right? When looking at the overall benefits, only Lorelei will reap the benefits, and an overwhelmingly large number of people will lose out」
「That’s certainly……」
「I’ve no intention of denying their methods, if anything, I feel that it’s a good idea, but if you ask me not to get in the way of that, you’re asking for the impossible」
「That’s true. I think that it's exactly as you've said, Noel」
Leon nodded, looking convinced.
「With that said, Lorelei’s strength is considerable. According to the published data, the fighting strength that they have is 7 A Ranks, 65 B Ranks, and 18 C Ranks. From what I’ve heard, they’re said to have fighting strength that they’ve kept secret, so we’ll probably be crushed underfoot easily if we don’t play our cards right, won’t we?」
「I wish you'd trust me on things involving this thing over here」
When I tapped my head with a finger, Leon let out a troubled laugh.
「I do trust you. It’s precisely because I do trust you, that it’s troubling when I feel uneasy. ……Don’t go too far overboard, alright?」
「It’s impossible to control the storm. But I'll try my best」
「Please, I beg you. If this goes on, my stomach won't last……」
Leon heaved a deep sigh and shook his head in worry.
「But there are Seekers who think up interesting things, aren’t there? Indeed, something like getting involved in setting up a business is an idea that I would have never thought of」
When Kouga spoke as if very impressed, I smiled wryly.
「The flexibility of his way of thinking is certainly eye-opening, isn’t it? I was also surprised by that blind spot when I heard about it」
In the Seeker profession, there are as many strong people as there are fish in the sea. For that very reason, it’s my belief that having something other than strength is important. And I had carried it out.
Bearing that point in mind, Lorelei——Johann Eisfeld is completely better than me. Not just in fighting strength, but even in the scale of his secret maneuvers, the current me can’t win against him no matter how hard I try.
「But for that very reason, it's worthwhile to hunt him」
The mightier the prey, the bigger the gain. Johann is a mighty enemy. When we defeat him and swallow everything he has whole, we’ll probably be able to reach even higher heights.
I lit a cigarette and then surveyed my allies while puffing the cigarette smoke.
「The battle with Lorelei will become a more desperate battle than ever before. Everyone, until I have instructions for you, make sure to build up your energy」
All of my allies nodded emphatically.
「Well, that's all that I wanted to say. Is there anyone who wants to share anything?」
It was Alma who raised her hand and said that she had a question.
「We won't be exploring Abysses for the time being, right?」
「Yes, not unless there are exceptional circumstances, I suppose」
「But if we don't explore Abysses, I'll get rusty. So can I work in another clan until we resume our activities? 」
「I don't mind」
I didn't see any problems with it. But when I answered her immediately, Leon spoke out in a fluster.
「Eeeh, you're allowing it!? Alma is going to another clan, you know!?」
「She's not talking about transferring, but working with them temporarily, right? In that case, I don't mind. Besides, the clan that Alma is going to work temporarily with is Leisha's clan, isn’t it?」
The party that Leisha had belonged in, Lightning Bite, had merged with two other parties, Fist King and Scarlet Lotus Flower, and had become a clan called Mirage Triad.
It didn’t have any significant achievements yet, but it had a lot of members and their quality was also high. It would probably succeed in joining the ranks of the major clans sooner rather than later. Although it was temporary, by working together with Mirage Triad, there should be many things that Alma could obtain as a Seeker.
「Have you already talked to Wolf, their clan master, about this?」
「Yeah, Leisha acted as the go-between」
「Is that so? In that case, take this」
I took out a check, wrote down some numbers, and then handed it to Alma.
「Huh, you're giving me pocket money?」
「Wrong! It's a congratulatory gift for Wolf!」
Things had been hectic on our end, so I hadn’t been able to congratulate him, but I felt happy about someone from my cohort creating a clan. That was why, also including the fact that Alma would be imposing on him, I decided to give him a check for one million Fil.
「Do you hear me? Be sure to give it to Wolf or Leisha, got it? Don’t use it without permission, alright?」
「It’s impossible to control materialistic desires. But I'll do my best」
「I'll really beat you to death, you know!?」
Though it’s the same thing every time, I’ve had enough of the nonsense from this idiot woman.
「What about the other three? Is there anyone else who wants to go with Alma to Mirage Triad?」
When I asked, the three of them shook their heads at the same time.
「No for me」「I'll pass too」「I don't feel like going as well」
Somehow or another, the guys didn't seem interested.
「Our side will keep on training with the three of us. We’ve also been given permission to use the training center. I intend to use Hugo’s puppet soldiers to simulate enemy forces and improve the coordination between individuals. As the sub-master, I would like Alma to also participate, but……」
When Leon cast a sideways glance at Alma, she shrugged her shoulders.
「Of course, I’m going to participate in this side’s training as much as possible too. I’ll adjust the schedule later」
「Got it. It’ll be a great help if you tell me the days when you’re able to participate」
Leon seemed relieved when Alma agreed to participate. He didn't say anything more about her working with Mirage Triad.
「If there are no other reports, that’s it for today――」
「Aah, m, me too, can I say something?」
Interrupting me before I could finish, Kouga raised his hand up timidly.
「I don't mind, but what's the matter?」
His attitude was awfully suspicious. I tilted my head.
「Ac, actually, there is someone that I was hoping you would hire here……」
「Huhh? The person you want me to hire, who is it?」
「Th, that is――」
Kouga started explaining. After I had finished listening to his story, I could only be flabbergasted.
「To sum it up, what are you saying? For the sake of securing the livelihood of the woman at your side job that you’re in love with, I’m to hire her as a clerk, is what you’re telling me, right?」
「No no no! I’m not in love with Nina, and I also didn't say it in a commanding tone like that, alright!?」
Kouga denied it desperately, but it wasn’t much different from my interpretation. While smoking, I looked Kouga squarely in the eye.
「Kouga」
「Y, yes……」
「You’re free to fall in love with whoever you want. You can do as you like」
「No, bu――」
「Shut up and listen. I'll kill you」
「Okay……」
「You’re also free to help your acquaintance find a job. You can do as you like. As for turning to me for help, well, I’ll forgive you for that. I’m the one who will make the final decision after all. But――」
I put the cigarette, which had become shorter, out in the ashtray forcefully.
「But when you put it all together, it’s a different story. To use me for the sake of the woman that you’re in love with, it’s extremely displeasing. Can you imagine how displeased I am?」
With a face that was as white as a sheet, Kouga shook his head from side to side.
「Is that so? You can’t, huh? In that case, I’ll tell you」
I took a pair of scissors out of the drawer and placed it on the desk.
「This is my answer. Kouga, I’ll castrate you right now」
「EEeeeeeEEEeeeeeh!?」
「Listen, you better not move from that spot. That’s because you’ll be a dead man if you move even one step from there, got it?」
When I stood up with the scissors in one hand, Leon jumped in between us and shielded Kouga.
「N, Noel! Please calm down!」
「I'm calm」
「Do people who are calm try to attack their allies while holding a pair of scissors!? In, in any event, put that dangerous thing down. I understand why you’re angry. That’s why, let’s talk it out together」
「No」
「No!? Why!?」
「I’m going to cut off the manhood of that useless dog shivering over there with these scissors and feed it to the dogs. Otherwise, I won’t feel satisfied」
When I pointed the scissors at Kouga, he hid behind Leon with chattering teeth.
「Leon, get out of the way. I’m a busy man」
「If I get out of the way, it’ll turn into a sea of blood, won’t it!? Hu, Hugo, say something too! Noel is serious! His eyes are more dangerous than ever before!」
「Huh, me? ......It's a pain」
Hugo, who had been leaning his back against the wall with his arms crossed, walked over and stood next to Leon.
「Wow, it's true. His eyes are dangerous…… N, Noel, it’s as Leon said. As can be expected, castration is not a good idea. Anyway, put the scissors down」
「I refuse」
「Isn't Kouga an important ally? Something as horrible as castration isn’t what you should be——H, hey, don’t point the scissors at me! It, it’s no use, there’s no room for negotiation!」
As if escaping from my scissors, Hugo quickly returned to his original position,.
「Leon, there’s no other way. Let's give up on Kouga」
「Aren’t you giving up too quickly!?」
Kouga, who had been abandoned by Hugo, curled up his body and trembled even harder. That was when Alma, who had been looking on silently, spoke up.
「I think that it’s alright for you to hire that girl」
I couldn’t believe the words that I just heard. Never would I expect that Alma, of all people, would give Kouga a helping hand. I looked at Alma in surprise.
「What are you trying to pull?」
「Uwa, your eyes are scary…… T, to be clear, I’ve no intention of taking Kouga’s side, alright? Because big sister will always take Noel's side. However, it would be convenient if there was a clerk, besides……」
「Besides?」
「It’s getting tough being the only woman」
「Urgh……」
What Alma had said was something that I definitely couldn’t disregard. Certainly, Alma was the only female member. I had noticed that she felt that it was inconvenient to be surrounded by men. If our positions were reversed, I would also find it tough. She couldn’t share the worries that could only be understood by those of the same sex, so stress probably kept on building up.
「I see……」
I turned on my heel and sat back down in my chair.
「Kouga, what type of woman is this Nina?」
「……Huh? L, let’s see…… She’s smart, but lacks sociability, and is the type that isn’t flexible. Speaking frankly, she’s the type to do things in her own way……」
Kouga said from his hiding place behind Leon.
「The type to do things in her own way, huh…… By any chance, does she not tell lies?」
「Hmm? Now that you’ve mentioned it, I've never seen that girl lie…… Why do you know that even though you’ve never met her?」
「It’s a hunch. There is no special reason」
Actually, there was a reason. In all likelihood, rather than saying Nina did things in her own way, she was the type with brain functions that specialized in specific actions only. There were surprisingly many people who displayed such characteristics.
Because they were more bound by their own rules than normal people, society often regarded them as awkward people, but they were more straightforward than anyone. So long as it didn’t deviate from their rules, they would also do their work with unmatched accuracy. For that reason, they were the most suitable talents for things like accounting.
「……It can’t be helped. I’ll interview Nina at a later date」
「Re, really!?」
Kouga broke into a happy smile as he emerged from behind Leon.
「Noel, that’s really a great help! Thank you!」
「Well, it’s because I had also been looking for a clerk. If there are suitable talents, I want to actively hire them. But I don't like your insensitivity after all」
「Ugh, I'm really sorry for that! Forgive me! As you can see, I’m lowering my head in apology!」
As I watched Kouga bow meekly, I lit a second cigarette.
These cigarettes, that guy Loki had said that they aren’t addictive, but I had ended up smoking a number of them before I had even realized. Are there problems with the cigarettes, or does the problem lie with me……
「Instead of forgiving you, I have a condition」
「Condition, you said? What is it?」
I smiled at Kouga, who had tilted his head after looking up from his bow.
「You haven't modeled for Mary’s pictures yet, right?」
「Oh, n, now that you’ve mentioned it, that’s right……」
「In that case, go right now and fulfill your promise. It just so happens to be the store’s break time, so she should have no problems with it as well. With this, I’ll forgive you for what happened this time」
「Well, if that’s the case, I'll go right away」
「Oh, then I'll go too」
Not just Kouga, Leon had also made the same promise to be a model. The two of them had slightly wondering expressions on their faces, but they left the room without saying anything in particular.
「I can’t wait to see what kind of expression those guys will have once they find out Mary’s true nature」
When I leaned back in my chair and muttered, Alma and Hugo had what looked like wry smiles on their faces.
「Noel is really a Demon」「Don’t come to me for help when those two get angry」
「Shut up. You guys also kept quiet about it, so you guys are just as guilty」
As I stifled my laughter, I blew out the cigarette’s smoke into the air.
Poor Kouga and Leon, but that’s what you get for daring to oppose Noel haha. Surprising, the author is really following through on the Mary and Nina plot-lines in this Part, so we’ll get to see the interview and what not in future. I wonder where this thread is leading……
Plot-wise, we’re getting nothing concrete up front as usual, but at least Leon’s stomach isn’t hurting this time, so it can’t be that bad, right? But since Alma is going over to Mirage Triad, are we going to see even less of the sole girl? Or is this a method of roping Wolf and gang into the story?
Btw, Loki most definitely didn’t say that the cigarettes weren’t addictive, but that their addictiveness was “what you would expect”. Considering how heavy-handed the author is with mentioning his smoking, is there something behind it?
Well, I can’t wait to find out, but first, next chapter, stay tuned for the aftermath of Mary’s drawing session lmao. Of course it happened off screen, this would be a R18 novel and have the yaoi tag otherwise lol.
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