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Chapter 13.2. Amatsugahara Corporation
“From now on, you are my men. All my men will wear this stole.”
I used too much mana, so I sat down in my chair and crossed my arms, feeling tired. The stole is embroidered in jet black luster with Amatsugahara Corporation in blue yarn.
“Yes! Me, this!”
“I’ll take this one.”
“Then, I’ll take this one!”
As I watch the children vying to take the stall, I have to tell you, at the risk of sounding watered down.
“It is extremely weak against magic. If it gets attacked with even weak magic, it will melt faster than ice.”
That’s the weakness of shadow magic. Just as darkness could disappear in light, shadows are weak to magic. It means it’s impossible to make clothes, and money with this magic.
“Yes!”
“Does it look good on me?”
“Wouldn’t it be cute if I wore it like this?”
With good replies, everyone enjoys putting on the stole, laughing, and comparing each other’s appearance. Well, maybe it’s the first time to dress up.
I squint with my cheekbones. If I wear this stole, it will be easy to tell they are my subordinates. That makes me the boss of these guys. The boss of a bunch of kids whose average age is 12 years old. I might look like a man who exploits them badly. Less cool than the boss monkey on Monkey Mountain.
“If it breaks, I’ll make you a new one, and you’ll need to tell me right away. And if any people try to hurt you guys, tell me right away.”
The kids, who had been so excited to see the knife-sharp glint in his eyes, fell silent at his words.
“Because those guys need to know who your bosses are.”
I need to confirm they don’t make fools of us and don’t underestimate us. From now on, they will have to move a little more flamboyantly. Let those who mess with my men because they wear nicely be hurt.
“Yes!”
I nod back at the children who cheerfully reply. Well, then, let’s move on to the next action.
“Then, let’s begin our first job at Amatsugahara Corporation!”
I give the children, who are standing upright, an order. The beginning is crucial. I’d be a scary, cool, dandy old man boss.
[It’s cool. I’ll show up some time as a shadow boss, won’t I? How about appearing through a manhole? Or, second best, I’ll come out from a well.]
Shizuku, who probably got hit by the cool air, sniffs and sniffs, says she wants to be the boss, too. From the well, she’d be the one to curse and kill.
“Well then, our first job is to make sure the wooden stick I got soaks up the pieces of slime. That’s what the Amatsugahara Corporation does!”
It’s shabby, though. I can’t help it.
The wooden stick the boys brought. And the pieces of slime that we defeated. I’ve already collected them.
We will let them soak through the wooden sticks. And later, we will burn them elsewhere.
Oh, wonder. About 10 big rats appear. That’s enough for two loaves of cobbler bread. While it burns, the big rats will concentrate on its smoke and fire. If you hit them with an octopus, you can easily defeat them.
I burned too much the other day. I tried it, and it seems that one wooden stick is enough.
The children soak the wooden stick in the pieces of slime in the bowl.
There was no end to the slime and the big rat. Maybe there is a dungeon in the sewers or somewhere. A dungeon with a hole big enough for only giant rats and slime.
Or rather, things with flesh that pop up periodically but only disappear up the food chain. Rumor has it that the sewers are overflowing, and it’s a bad situation. The only reason why the abandoned town is not overflowing with sewage is not only because it is equipped with a sewer system.
So as long as you have a store, you don’t have to worry about running out of money. I wonder if this is where we can live in symbiosis with the dungeon because we don’t have to worry about running out. I’m sure humanity would be significantly in the red by subtraction.
“When you’re finished, burn it in an abandoned building nearby. The shadow cats will follow you, and you’ll earn your money with the big rats.”
“We’re off!”
The leader boy pulls out a wooden stick, as if he wants to make a lot of money, though it doesn’t look like he’s pickled much.
“Be careful. Mike. Come on.”
He commands the shadow cat, which has been sitting still in the room’s corner, and Mike meows, gets up, and trots to the child’s side.
It’s an easy job. If all goes well, I’ll make a few more shadow cats and form a big rat-hunting party. I also want to set up at least 40 more core stores in Tokyo. If possible, I would like to have 100 units.
We need more mana. While the kids are collecting the large rat cores, I’ll make preparations.
Using the rare F-cores I got the other day.
Inwardly, I think about what we are going to do. Strengthening ourselves is a must. The Lonely Wolf is no longer possible. In a place with a certain level of security, the people in the underworld don’t want to make a fuss, so they don’t spend that much effort killing lone wolves. If they are people who don’t want to eat or drink, they think it is better to use them than to kill them.
But from now on, it is different. That’s an abandoned town where making noise is not a problem. But, rough guys fill their bellies and increase their power. They could move to kill anyone who gets in their way. But first, we need to build up our forces.
They feel guilty about their frolicking children. They are the youngest and most difficult to betray, so I’m the first to call on them.
[It’s a win-win situation. The children are sheltered for the first time.]
Shizuku’s calm eyes comfort me, but she says to me.
“I’m the adult. They’re kids. It’s not going to be a win-win.”
So, well, I’ll take good care of them, Sakimori smiles kindly, and Shizuku smiles with a huff.