Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - I've Reincarnated as a Billionaire

Chapter 2 – Being a salaryman isn’t easy

Chapter 3 – Illuminati Associate Agent #666

Chapter 4 – A Day in the Life of a Billionaire

Chapter 5 – I Fell in Love With A Soapland Girl!

Chapter 6 – This Empress is Out of This World!

Chapter 7 – Lumi wants to be noticed!

Chapter 8 – Shopping for a new me!

Chapter 9 – The Hero has arrived!

Chapter 10 – The Demon Lord and the Hero Fall in Love!

Chapter 11 – The Empress wants to hang out!

Chapter 12 – The Empress is in Trouble!

Chapter 13 – Succession

Chapter 14 – A Date with Lumi

Afterword

Copyright

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Chapter 1

I've Reincarnated as a Billionaire

I remember being pushed off the station platform and then getting hit by a train. As a result of that, it is reasonable to assume that I am dead. Actually, it's not just possible. It is the definite outcome.

Am I in the afterlife already? Is this the part where I meet a Goddess, reflect upon my life (although there isn’t much to reflect on), and then choose what to do next?

Hmm…should I reincarnate as a hero? Or maybe it’s more fun to reincarnate as a villain instead.

I opened my eyes. A bright light blinded me, and it took my eyes a few moments to adjust.

“He's moving!”

“Quick! Bring over a blanket!”

“Thank goodness the summoning spell worked...”

Huh? The summoning spell?

I found myself lying on a stone floor, in the middle of a giant hexagon that was inside an even larger circle. Candles marked the points where the two shapes touched. It looked a lot like a transmutation circle alchemists from a certain manga would use. I knew that because manga was one of the few joys I had in life since work kept me too busy to enjoy anything else.

I was surrounded by an old man with a fuzzy white beard, an elderly woman, and several young ladies who wore maid uniforms and had long pointy ears. It seemed that they were elf servants.

“I see,” I muttered.

I've been reincarnated in another world as a hero.

The old man kneeled next to me. He wore a well-fitting suit and used a walking stick that was decorated with gold on both ends.

“My son, do you feel alright?” he asked.

“Son?”

This man in front of me was a foreigner. I knew for a fact that my parents were Japanese, and I spent my whole life in Japan. Why was he calling me his son?

The old woman spoke. Just like the man, she was well dressed. Her dark red dress looked like it was made from expensive silk, and she wore several rings and a pearl necklace.

“Dear, you are confusing him. You should explain things from the beginning.”

“You're right. I'm sorry.”

Based on how he was dressed, this man was probably the king of this country. He probably summoned me to fight a war he was losing against the Demon Lord, and now I will be outfitted with equipment and a group of allies.

“So, did you summon me to this world to defeat the Demon Lord or some other evil?” I asked.

“What? Why would I summon you to defeat the Demon Lord?” the old man asked.

Now I was really confused.

“I’m sorry, I’m a little confused. Could you please explain what is going on?”

“The Demon Lord has been locked up in a prison deep in the mountains of the Northern Island for the last hundred years. Our country has known nothing but peace and prosperity since then.

The old man smiled kindly upon me.

“Then why did you summon me?”

“You are to be my heir.”

“...I'm afraid I don't quite understand.”

“Allow me to explain.”

It took the old man a while to explain, but basically, he wasn’t the king but the owner of General Magic, the largest trading company in this country.

He was going to retire, and he needed an heir to take over the company that he had spent his whole life building as he and his wife had not been blessed with any children.

The man's name was Rosmund von Lichtenstein, and his wife's name was Violet von Lichtenstein.

“Our adopted children have all betrayed us, and I cannot trust any of the senior executives to do the right thing without my guidance. That is why I have performed a holy ritual to implore the heavens to send me an heir who is good and honest, sincere and kind — a man of unassailable integrity and character.”

He took my hand in his. They were large and warm.

“And the heavens have sent me you, my son. You will be able to lead my company forwards.”

“Err…uhm…”

“How rude of me! I have forgotten to ask for your name.”

“I am Yamamoto Keiji.”

Foreigners always refer to each other by their given names, right? At least that is what I learned when foreign clients came to our branch in Tokyo.

“You can just call me Keiji.”

“Very well, Keiji.” He cleared his voice and continued. “Keiji, I am old, and I've never had the chance to spend as much time with my wife as I would like. I don't want to die with regret, so I am going to retire and hand over the company to you.”

“But isn't it strange to hand over your life's work to a stranger?”

“I've asked the heavens for a man of character, and my wishes have been answered. Son, I look into your eyes, and I can tell that you have much to learn, but your heart is in the right place.”

Wait, wait, wait. I've always thought that I'd be reincarnated as a hero who has to defeat the Demon Lord. Why was this happening?

“Uhm...what sort of company is it?”

“It's the largest company in the Kingdom of the East; it is a company that has a hand in every business there is.”

“The Kingdom of the East?”

“Yes, the place where we are now is called the Kingdom of the East, or the Eastern Kingdom.”

“Right...”

“My son, this is already the largest company in the kingdom; there is no company that can come even close to it. Even the empress has to bow down to our economic might. Frankly, there isn't anything left for you to achieve because I have already conquered every business there is.”

…

That felt rather anticlimactic. So I’ve basically been summoned to be a glorified manager. Although this practice was common in Japan; when a family-owned company didn’t have an heir, then one of the top executives was usually legally adopted as a son and would then take over the business.

But…

I would not be able to go on adventures and save the world — because this world didn’t need any saving.

“Then what should I do?” I asked.

“Your mission will be to find a good wife and produce lots of children with her. Go wild! Spray that baby batter! Turn that bedroom into a sticky love nest! Do it in whatever position you must to ensure that there will be an heir to take over the company when you are old like me.”

“...”

In other words, I've been summoned to another world to take over a company, manage the business, and make lots of babies.

Actually…this wasn’t so bad. In fact, this is better than being the hero. Instead of having to defeat a world-ending threat, I could just focus on losing my virginity. Who wants to fight monsters all day when they could be lying in bed with a cute girl?

Even though I didn’t know how to talk to girls, I had all the time in the world, and I could just wait for the right one to fall into my lap.

“Oh right, before I forget,” Rosmund said. “You have one year to find a wife and then once you are married, two years to produce a child. Of course, your wife has to be truly in love with you; you can’t just marry the first girl you see. If you fail to do that, you will be sent back to your world.”

“Wait, sorry, what do you mean by that? I will be sent back to my world?”

“I mean exactly like that. In a year I will come back and check if you have managed to fulfill these conditions. If you aren’t married to a girl who truly loves you, then the summoning spell will be undone, and you will be sent back to your world. Specifically, you will be sent back to the moment when you were summoned away.”

The moment I was summoned away…

That would be when I was pushed off the platform and got shredded by the train.

In other words, if I failed to find a wife within a year and have a child within two years after that, I would be sent back to Japan - to my death.

What made things even more difficult was that this girl would have to truly love me.

Is it even possible for someone like me who hasn’t ever had a girlfriend to find a wife within a year?

I eyed Rosmund suspiciously. He said that he trusted the heavens to deliver the right heir, but this man wasn’t taking any chances. By attaching such a condition to the summoning spell, he essentially created a one-year return policy. If I proved to be defective goods, then I could be sent back for a replacement.

“There are two more things you need to know about.”

“Yes?”

Ugh… More conditions?

“This is my personal assistant. Her name is Tania.”

An elf girl with silver hair down to her neck and glasses stepped forward. She bowed with her hands folded in front of her.

“Tania will accompany you all the way and teach you how to run this business. Ah, before I forget, one of the other conditions is that General Magic has to remain within your control throughout your tenure. If outsiders take over the company, you will be sent back.”

“G-Got it.”

Rosmund pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time.

“Right, we better hurry. Violet and I must catch the ferry to our retirement home in the southern islands.”

He got up and began to walk away.

“W-Wait! You can't just leave me here! How am I supposed to suddenly find a wife?”

“You're young and handsome! I'm sure you can do it!” he shouted without turning back. “I will come back in a year to check on you! Remember: no wife, no life.”

“But I've never even had a girlfriend before! I'm a virgin salaryman!”

His wife, Violet, squeezed my shoulder. She smiled reassuringly.

She leaned in and whispered into my ear.

“Be careful.”

She got up and followed her husband.

Those were the only words she ever said to me.

Chapter 2

Being a salaryman isn’t easy

On the day I died, I went to work like usual. My clockwork life involved going to work, coming back, playing a few games, and then going to sleep.

Honestly, that was all there is to my life.

On weekends I was so tired that I couldn't be bothered to leave the house to meet friends — not that I had any friends anyway.

Once working life took over, I gradually lost touch with the handful of friends I did have. We never had time for each other, and it became a bother to contact them. And even if we did meet, our lives would be so consumed by our jobs that we had nothing to talk about.

My workplace wasn't fun either. Every day was just more of the same monotonous work. I wanted to take a holiday, but there was never a convenient time to take a day off since I didn't want to cause my team trouble.

“Yamamoto-san, can you take care of this?”

“Yamamoto-san, I'm relying on you, okay?”

“Yamamoto-senpai~ Can you help me do this?”

My colleagues' work kept getting pushed onto me. Simply put, I was taking on other people's workload. But regardless, I wanted to be helpful, so I did it, even if it meant that I had to work on a Sunday.

One day, I was walking to the break room when I heard some colleagues chatting next to the copy machine.

“Yamamoto-san is so easy, isn't he?”

“Geez, stop it, Saki-chan! What if he hears? I still need him to do my next project for me~”

“Hahaha~ You're just like the rest of us, Miyamoto.”

“No, don't give him your work, Miyamoto. I want Yamamoto-san to finish my project first.”

It became clear that my colleagues were just taking advantage of me.

But even when I started to reject their requests, they would ask in such a way that made it difficult for me to turn them down.

“Ehhh? But Yamamoto-san, you’re the only one who can do this~”

“If you do this, I’ll treat you to a drink after work, okay?”

“Let’s work on this together, okay?”

In the end, it just continued.

My colleagues never invited to casual drinking parties.

My kohais continued to look down on me.

We never became friends. They just continued to use me.

One day, the branch manager asked me and another colleague to accompany him to a dinner meeting with clients in Roppongi Hills. I thought that my hard work was finally being noticed by my superiors. Maybe I would be assigned a prestigious client and move up the ranks. But it turned out that I was just there to make my boss look good.

He reprimanded me endlessly in front of the clients, and I had to pour drinks the entire night.

Somehow, the drinking party ended before the last train. And since my superior and other colleague were too drunk to walk, I had to help them get to the station. While we were waiting for the train, my boss suddenly began to vomit.

“Eww, gross!”

My colleague pushed both of us away.

“H-Hey!” I exclaimed.

My boss collapsed in his own puddle of puke. I lost my balance, slipped on his puke, and fell onto the tracks.

Chapter 3

Illuminati Associate Agent #666

Rosmund’s former personal assistant, Tania, and the maid servants filled me in on the details of this world.

The Kingdom of the East consisted of a chain of islands that was part of a larger continent that was politically and economically dominated by the Middle Kingdom — a behemoth country located on the mainland.

Also, humans weren’t the only race in this world. Elves, minotaurs, beast men, and countless other races populated this world.

Incidentally, all of my maid servants were of elven descent.

The company that I had suddenly gained control of was based in the capital city (Central Eastern), and it was called General Magic. It was a conglomerate that had a stake in every part of the kingdom's economy and accounted for fifty-five percent of the country's economic output.

In other words, General Magic basically was the country.

Rosmund really wasn’t joking when he said there wasn’t anything left for me to achieve besides making tons of babies.

I was living in a large mansion just outside of Central Eastern. It was a stone’s throw away from the main pathway that the merchants and travelers used, and was surrounded by a sprawling immaculate garden that took a legion of gardeners to keep in control.

It was a residence befitting of a company owner.

Since I controlled the company, I was now a billionaire.

Even though I was a billionaire…

And despite me trying to fulfill the only mission given to me…

Why was it still impossible for me to find a girlfriend?! Every maid servant I tried to invite out on a date always turns me down! I can’t even get someone to hang out with me as a friend!

“I am so sorry, but I have some work to do after my duties here.”

“I wouldn't want to bore master with the conversation topics of a lowly commoner like me, please excuse me.”

“Ahahaha~ Master, you make some hilarious jokes — well then, please excuse me.”

I've eaten every meal alone ever since I came to this world. How am I supposed to find a wife if I can't even get a girl to have a meal with me?!

I couldn’t go outside either because I was busy with work all day. I got summoned to this fantasy world, but I haven’t even set foot outside of this damn mansion.

At this rate, one year would pass by in a flash, and I will be sent back to die in Japan.

“Why is every girl turning me down? I don't get it!”

Obviously, no one answered.

I was sitting by myself in my office, next to a large gilded window that gave me a view of the immaculate garden surrounding the mansion.

“It's because everyone is afraid of you.”

Someone behind me said those words. Who was that? None of the maid servants ever spoke in such a frank manner.

I turned around and saw a girl. She had deep red eyes, the largest breasts I've ever seen in my life, pointy elven ears, long black hair, and a devil's tail. She wore a tight outfit that showed off her body.

She looked at me with an innocent smile and wide-open eyes. She made a curtsy and bowed her head.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yamamoto Keiji,” she said.

“Who are you?” I asked. “Actually, how did you even get past security?”

“Don't worry about that; it’s not important,” she said. Her voice was clear like a bell; hearing it felt refreshing. It sounded completely different from the professional tone all of the maid servants used. The way she spoke felt like she was treating me like any other person, rather than a superior.

She tilted her head slightly and giggled.

“Keiji, you are staring at my chest.”

“S-Sorry… W-Wait! Who are you?!”

“I am Illuminati Associate Agent #666, and I shall accept all of your baby batter. I will become the hole for your lu — “

“Could you please not say it like that? It sounds gross.”

Please don’t misunderstand. I do enjoy this kind of dirty talk — but there is a time and place for it. And hearing those kinds of words from a girl I just met (or rather a girl who just broke into my office) just felt weird and wrong.

“Hmm? You don't like it when I talk like that? Strange…according to my research, most human males like it. Well, it doesn’t matter. I shall redo my introduction with this feedback in mind.”

“Okay…”

She cleared her throat.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Keiji. I am Illuminati Associate Agent #666, and I shall become your wife.”

According to her, every girl in this world was scared of me, but she was basically declaring herself to be my wife.

How strange.

“Uhm...you, wait, what should I call you?”

“I guess Illuminati Associate Agent #666 is a mouthful. You can call me Lumi. Everyone calls me that.”

Illuminati? I feel like I've heard of an organization by this name before, when I was still alive in Japan.

“Right, Lumi...uhm, and why do you want to become my wife?”

Under any circumstances, it would be weird for a girl to suddenly show up in front of me and ask to be my wife.

“Why do I want to become your wife? Dear, you ask some stupid questions sometimes.”

Lumi tilted her head slightly. She smiled sweetly.

I raised an eyebrow. If I hadn't been betrayed by my colleagues before, then I probably would've jumped into her arms already. But my life as a salaryman has taught me to be suspicious of people who were friendly for seemingly no reason.

“If you want to become my wife, then you should be able to speak honestly with me.”

“That's a good point. Well...there are a lot of reasons for why I want to become your wife, and it will take too long to explain. Why don't you just read this marriage contract I've prepared. All the details are in here.”

Lumi touched her cleavage and pulled out a scroll from between her breasts.

Wait...how did that happen?

Before I could ask, she handed me the scroll. It was still warm.

“Here.”

“T-Thanks...”

I unfolded the scroll and began to read. This world used a language that was completely different from Japanese, but whenever anyone spoke to me, or I tried to read something, my mind would automatically translate. It must be part of the spell Rosmund used to summon me.

I read through the contents of the scroll. The terms of marriage demanded that both partners stay loyal to each other, to go through sickness and health, through good times and bad times, till death do us part.

The contract also included a lengthy section on why Lumi wanted to marry me, and it was a laundry list of things like 'Because he is cool' and 'Because I think he is a kind person.’

“Hmm...actually, this is pretty normal,” I said.

“Right? Right?” Lumi moved up to my face, our noses almost touching. “Here's a fountain pen. It's a limited time offer! Lumi is limited edition. Just sign it! Quick!”

Her eyes glittered like stars.

“Err...uhm...sure...”

I took the pen and prepared to sign the contract.

“Huh?”

There were some small footnotes at the bottom of the page. They were so small, they appeared like tiny dots that no one would notice.

Most people probably wouldn't have noticed something like this, but part of my job as a salaryman was to thoroughly read contracts that clients offered to us and paying attention to the fine print was crucial.

“What's this fine print?”

“Eh? It's nothing important. Quick! Sign the contract, and we can start making babies on your desk.”

I narrowed my eyes and read the fine print.

...

Like they say, the devil is in the details.

The fine print included clauses such as 'The husband must obey all of the wife's wishes' and 'Her wishes are his command'.

But the clause that stood out the most was this:

'Upon entering marriage, the husband shall relinquish any and all control of his assets, and control will be transferred to the Illuminati International.'

In other words, Lumi was an agent sent by the Illuminati organization to steal this company via marriage.

Is this what Rosmund's wife, Violet von Lichtenstein, warned me about?

Be careful.

“Lumi, what is this clause about my assets?”

“Ehh?”

Lumi turned away and pretended to whistle.

“It says here that I will have to relinquish ownership of all of my assets.”

“Oh, so you figured it out. My mission is to get you to marry me, and use marriage contract law to wrestle away control of the General Magic company.”

“You - !”

Lumi grabbed my collar and pulled me down so that I was eye to eye with her.

“You're not even from this world, and your only mission is to find a wife, correct? Why do you care about what happens to this company? Just marry me, give up this company, and you can finally lose your virginity. Don't worry, as your wife, I will make sure that you will continue to live like a billionaire.”

“But…”

“Why are you even hesitating? You’ve got one year before you’re sent back to your world, right? So just do it with me.”

This girl...

She was no different. Just like my colleagues, she was using me.

“Get out,” I growled.

“Eh?”

“Get out!”

I pushed her away. She fell back and landed on her back. She didn't move.

“What's wrong? Did I anger you?” she asked. “It's alright. You can let your anger out on me.”

“Of course, you — “

I wanted to call her all sorts of names, but the expression on her face caused me to freeze. Her lips carried a sad smile, one that tried to appear to be joyful, but just underneath the surface was filled with deep sorrow.

“If I lose control of General Magic, I will be sent back to my world. Obviously, I can’t hand over the company to you.”

“Heee~ To think that Rosmund would attach that kind of condition to the summoning spell…”

“Just get out,” I mumbled.

Lumi didn't move. It was as if she was dead.

“What's wrong? Why are you just lying there?”

“Ehehehe~ I walked to your office all the way from the Sobiet Union, so I don't have any strength and magic left. The strength I used to grab your collar must've been the last of my reserves.”

I blinked. Ever since I was summoned, I've been reading about this world, and the Sobiet Union was the largest country in the world by landmass. Most of it was covered in pine tree forests, ancient tundra, and eternal glaciers. It was often referred to as the Great North.

It was also quite far away from the Kingdom of the East.

Did she seriously walk from there to my office?

“Don't lie to me,” I said. “Nobody can walk that far. You obviously flew or teleported from the Sobiet Union.”

“I didn't use any transport,” she said, her voice deadly serious. She looked straight up at the ceiling since she didn't have the strength to turn her head.

I sighed. She really seemed to have no strength left in her since she didn't so much as turn her head.

Lumi appeared rather cute. She had nice curves, a large chest, and stuck out in all the right places. If I threw her out on the streets like this, some unscrupulous guys would probably take advantage of the fact that she couldn't fight back in her current state.

Considering that she just tried to trick me into giving up the company, I shouldn't care if anything terrible happens to her.

But...

“You just need some food, right?”

“Huhn? Yeah.”

I slung one of her arms around my neck and pulled her up.

“Let's go eat something.”

“Huh? Really?! Yay!”

“And after that, you better get out.”

“...fine, fine. I get it.”

We went to the dining room, and I put her down in a chair.

The dining room looked like the inside of one of those European castles. A plush carpet covered the floor, and oil paintings decorated the walls. The legs of the dining room table were gilded.

“Wow! This is a seriously fancy place you have here.”

“This used to belong to Rosmund von Lichtenstein. I just inherited all of it.”

This man had seriously expensive tastes. According to one of the maid servants, all of the artwork on the walls was bought from auctions, the carpets were all made from the finest wool, and all the furniture pieces were crafted from single pieces of wood, harvested from the ancient World Tree.

If I were asked to decorate a place, I wouldn't even know where to start. I was just a poor salaryman in my past life, and the most expensive things I owned were my laptop and a 4K television. My clothes were Uniqlo, and I didn't have any expensive hobbies.

I didn't have the slightest idea of what to do even if given an unlimited amount of money. I was a peasant to the core.

I sat down adjacent to Lumi and summoned my personal assistant, Tania, by rubbing the ruby ring on my finger. Apparently, this stone was connected to an identical one set in a ring Tania wore, signaling her whenever she was needed.

“You called, Yamamoto-sama.”

“Please tell the chef to prepare dinner, and make it two portions. We have a guest tonight.”

Tania glanced at Lumi.

For a fraction of a moment, an expression of deep disgust flashed across her face before she resumed her professional expression.

“Are you sure, master?” Tania asked.

Huh? So far, everyone has obeyed my wishes as though they were absolute orders. According to Lumi, they were all afraid of me. This was the first time anyone has questioned my order.

“Yeah, is there a problem?”

“Well...”

Tania glanced at Lumi.

“She is too tired to move and needs some food,” I said. “Please prepare something with a lot of calories and protein, like a steak or something.”

“Right, understood...”

Tania gave Lumi another dubious look, then retreated.

Lumi said nothing. Her gaze was downcast, and her smile was vaguely sad.

A little while later, the food arrived: two sizzling plates, each loaded with a steak, sausages, and fries.

But one of the servings was clearly smaller than the other.

“Lumi, you can have the one with the larger steak,” I said.

Lumi's eyes shone with surprise.

“Eh, really? Are you sure? I'm the one who tried to steal your company, you know.”

“Well, that is true. But I would’ve never fallen for your trick since I always read the fine print.”

Lumi didn't touch her food.

“Why aren't you eating?”

“I don't have the strength to move my arms. Can you feed me?”

I sighed.

“Sure.”

The sooner she recovered her strength, the sooner she could leave.

“The oil from the sizzling plate will get on my suit jacket. I better take it off first.”

After Rosmund had left, Tania brought in the oldest tailor in the country. He made dozens of suits for me, each of them crafted using the finest silk the country had to offer. The silk used for the fabric came from special silk worms that had to age for a thousand years before producing a cocoon. Needless to say, the material was the most expensive in this world. Not even the empress had all of her attire made using this material (I asked Tania once, and even my underwear was made using this thousand year silk).

Tania suddenly appeared behind me.

“Yamamoto-sama, it doesn't matter if your jacket gets dirty.”

“Oh, will you be able to wash it?”

“No, we’ll just throw it away and ask the tailor to make a new one.”

“What?! You don't wash it?”

“Rosmund has always instructed us to throw away dirty clothes because washing is what peasants, excuse me — poor people, I mean people of lower economic status — do.”

“Then when I change my underwear, you also...”

“We throw away your underwear and ask the old man, I mean the master tailor, to make a new one.”

So this master tailor, who had spent his entire life perfecting his craft, ceaselessly striving to reach the pinnacle, dedicating every breath in his body to his art, was spending every day making more underwear for me.

Regardless, I took off my suit jacket, cut the steak into small pieces and fed it to Lumi.

“This is delicious!”

She could barely keep her voice down. Color returned to her pale face, and she slowly regained the ability to move. She wolfed down every bite I fed her, and soon she cleared both her plate and mine.

“That was the best meal I’ve ever had,” she said.

I returned to my seat.

“You’ve had your food, now go home.”

No answer came.

I looked at Lumi. She was asleep.

“Who the hell falls asleep in the chair right after they finish eating?! Is she some kind of pig?” Tania exclaimed.

…

I recalled all those times when I had to work past the last train, and I ended up sleeping at my desk.

…it’s not like I don’t understand how tired Lumi was.

Did she really walk all the way from the Sobiet Union? Was that even possible?

I picked her up with both arms, like how you would carry a princess. Her breathing was soft and gentle. When she slept like this, she appeared as innocent as a child.

“Tania, prepare the guest room.”

“WHAT?!”

For the first time ever, she raised her voice against me.

“Is something wrong?”

All color drained from Tania’s face. She fell to her knees.

“I apologize for my rudeness, Yamamoto-sama. It’s just that…someone like her…you can’t possibly…”

“What do you mean?”

Tania struggled to find the right words. Eventually, she gave up and bowed deeply.
“I shall prepare the guest room for…her.”

Tania vanished.

I sensed something else was going on — something that may be common knowledge for the natives of this world but was hidden from me.

Well, whatever. I could find out later.

I hope Tania would hurry up with the preparations because Lumi was getting quite heavy in my arms. Despite her diminutive appearance, she weighed a ton.

The next morning I was woken up by a scream.

“KEIJI! HELP MEEEEE!!!”

Normally it would be Tania who gently wakes me up and reminds me that I couldn't sleep in because I had work to do.

Whose voice was this?

“KEIJI!! HELPPPPP!”

I rolled out of bed and put on my clothes. With sleep in my eyes, I rushed out of the room and ran in the direction of the scream.

Moments later, a bizarre sight greeted me: Tania had her hands around Lumi's leg, pulling her along the floor, while Lumi was trying to grab onto anything that didn't move.

“Uhm, what's going on here?” I asked.

“KEIJI! My darling husband! Help me!”

I ignored Lumi.

“I apologize for the disturbance,” Tania said and bowed deeply. “As you can see, I am in the process of kicking out the freeloader.”

“I'm not a freeloader!” Lumi retorted. “I will pay rent the moment I get paid. So please just let me stay here. I have nowhere to go.”

“You sure are making a lot of demands for someone who tried to steal the entire company,” Tania said.

Lumi looked at me pleadingly.

“What do you mean when you say that you have nowhere to go?” I asked.

“Erm...well, I have no money on me right now, and well, even if I did, I wouldn't be able to stay anywhere.”

“What do you mean? Why?”

“There are various circumstances...” Lumi averted her eyes.

Despite desperately trying to stay in this building, Lumi still refused to answer this question. There was definitely something strange going on.

“Alright, out with you,” Tania said and pulled. Lumi resisted with all her might, but there was nothing but smooth marble floor for her to grab onto.

“KEIJIIIIIII! HELP MEEEE!!”

I grabbed Tania's wrist.

“Stop.”

“Yamamoto-sama?”

“I've decided; Lumi can stay here — for now.”

“Yamamoto-sama? What are you thinking?”

“KEIJI! YOU HAVE A HEART OF GOLD AFTER ALL! LET'S GET MARRIED AND MAKE LOTS OF BABIES!”

Lumi was about to jump, but I dodged her. She landed face-first on the floor.

“Yamamoto-sama! How can you let this mongrel stay here? Have you forgotten that she tried to seduce you and steal the company using marriage law? What if she slips into your bed at night and makes you take responsibility afterwards? Are you letting that little sausage between your legs cloud your judgment?”

Little sausage…I think my heart just broke.

“No, it's not that...”

Tania raised an eyebrow. She crossed her arms.

“As Rosmund's former personal assistant, I demand an explanation for this. I must protect General Magic at all costs — and against you, if necessary.”

I pulled Tania aside.

“Look, it's not what you think. I have my reasons for doing this. When Lumi appeared before me, she already knew that Rosmund had summoned me to succeed his company and that I only have one year to marry someone. Somehow details of Rosmund's summoning conditions have leaked out, and it is possible that Lumi isn't the only one who wants to steal this company.”

“This is indeed bad news. The conditions of your summoning were supposed to remain a top-secret. But I don't understand how keeping this mongrel by your side is of any help.”

“We can trust her.”

Tania looked at me like I had lost my mind.

“Allow me to explain,” I quickly said. “Lumi has already exposed herself, and as a result of that, we know exactly what she wants and also that there are other people who know about my summoning condition. I don't know what other people will try to trick me, but since Lumi wants this company, she will fight off any rival who comes near me.”

Be careful. Those were the last words Rosmund's wife, Violet, told me.

“So you want to use her as a swindler detector.”

“I wouldn't put it like that...but well, essentially, yeah.”

Tania glanced at Lumi, who was still lying on the ground. “I can't say that I like this plan, but I can see how Lumi can act as an asset...”

Tania pulled a chain lock and key out of her pocket.

“I request that you put this chain lock around that thing between your legs.”

“W-What?”

“A man isn't always in control of his little sausage, so please put this on as insurance. I would hate to see General Magic fall into the hands of outsiders just because you couldn't keep it in your pants when you felt lonely.”

“I'm not that weak-willed!”

“But you are a virgin, no?”

“Kuh...”

Those words shot through my chest like an arrow, but they were true.

Chapter 4

A Day In the Life of a Billionaire

Since I was Rosmund's successor, in addition to finding a wife and producing children, I had the duty of taking over his role as Chief Executive Officer of General Magic. This meant that I had a lot of work to do.

Every morning, Tania would wake me before the sun had even risen. If I refused to get out of bed, she would pull away my blanket and poke me in the sides until I was wide awake.

I'd wash my face, brush my teeth, and then eat breakfast. Breakfast was always toast with coffee, poached eggs or egg benedict, a side of smoked salmon, and steamed mini potatoes.

I really miss the taste of miso soup and a sweet Japanese egg roll, but the chef didn't know how to cook Japanese style food, and I didn't know how to cook, so I couldn't teach him either.

After eating breakfast, Tania would bring in a suitcase filled with documents that required my attention. She'd stand beside me and teach me how to handle various requests, but for the most part, General Magic was a company that was too big to fail. All I had to do was sign some forms that authorized managers to execute business strategies.

For the most part, the paperwork I had to deal with was similar to what I came across in my job as a salaryman. Product managers required final approval before selling a new potion, or maybe someone wanted to import a new type of magic crystal from abroad and needed my signature to do it.

After that, I'd attend several meetings with executives in charge of one of the ten main branches of General Magic. They consist of magic crystal harvesting, teleportation transport, food and beverage, consumer goods, consumer banking, investment banking, entertainment, medicine and healthcare, property management, and 'other miscellaneous economic activities.’

To be honest, I didn't understand most of the things these executives told me, and instead just put on an air of authority and pretended to just agree with everything they said while having a somber thoughtful expression.

What followed was lunch, more meetings, then dinner, more meetings, and then finally I'd go to sleep around midnight.

Tania would be by my side the entire time, making sure that I stuck to every minute of my daily schedule.

...

...

...

How the hell am I supposed to find a wife if I am working every waking minute of the day?!

I know that I'm not the hero of prophecy, destined for a great adventure, but shouldn't living in a fantasy world involve adventuring, raiding dungeons, taking on quests, and slaying monsters?

Right now, I was just a glorified paper pusher.

“Isn't running General Magic the most important quest of them all?” Tania said when I complained to her during dinner one night.

“It just isn't the same...”

“Taking quests from guilds, raiding dungeons, and collecting rewards is what poor people — excuse me, people of lower economic standing — do to make a living.”

“I'm pretty sure you just said, 'poor people'“

“You must have misheard.”

“Anyway, can you clear my schedule for tomorrow? I've been in this world for two weeks, and I've never even set foot outside of this mansion.”

Tania furrowed her brows. “But you have important meetings tomorrow.”

“If I keep working like this, I will never have a chance to find a wife.”

“Well… Maybe some other time. The meetings for the next couple of weeks have already been scheduled…so….”

Lumi raised her hand.

“I agree! I'm bored to tears. There is nothing for me to do while Keiji is working. We should go do something.”

She cut a potato in half and stuffed half of it in her mouth, like she hadn’t eaten in weeks, even though her last meal was just a few hours ago.

“Quiet! Freeloaders don't get to voice their opinion,” Tania snapped at her.

“Ehh, yoh sho meeeaa,” Lumi tried to speak with a full mouth.

Incidentally, Lumi had been sitting in a corner of my office, reading books while I slaved away. She also followed me everywhere ever since she began living in the guest room. She always waited outside of my bedroom in the morning and then followed me to every meeting. Tania always reprimanded her and told her to leave me alone, but Lumi stubbornly stuck to my side.

She said that if she couldn’t immediately get me to sign over the company, then she had to prevent other ‘nest snatchers’ from making a move on me.

This was fine with me since this was the reason why I didn’t kick her out. If a girl married me for my money, then the marriage wouldn’t fulfill the ‘true love’ condition of Rosmund’s summoning spell.

Lumi swallowed but didn’t immediately stuff the second half into her mouth.

“Keiji, if Tania doesn’t allow you to have a day off, then you and I should just sneak off together.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“We could do it like we’re eloping. I know a good nearby church. We could get married there, and then you can sign over — oww!”

I chopped her on the head.

“I like your plan — except the eloping part.”

Tania looked at us both with disbelief.

“You two…” She massaged her brows and sighed. “Fine, I’ll cancel tomorrow’s meetings. But you can’t go outside on your own. I will act as your chaperone.”

“Thank you, Tania.”

Yes! I finally get to explore this world! I can’t wait to see what the capital city is like. I’ve always wanted to see a medieval city.

Lumi proceeded to stuff the other half of the potato into her mouth.

The next morning, the three of us left the mansion in the morning.

I wore my regular suit, but Lumi and Tania had changed their clothes. Tania wore a casual dark brown dress, paired with a white ribbon around her neck and black loafers.

Lumi on the other hand...

“Why are you wearing a hooded cape over your usual clothes?” I asked.

Her face was hidden underneath the hood. She looked like someone suspicious who didn't want to be recognized.

“I have my reasons...”

“And your reasons are...”

“Never mind that, let's go, shall we?”

Compared to the enthusiasm she had shown last evening, Lumi's mood was somewhat subdued. I thought that she was looking forward to an outing.

“You're not wearing your uniform?” I asked Tania.

“My work uniform is unsuitable for being worn outside, and it would attract too much attention.” She pointed at the suit I wore. “Forgive me for not commissioning the tailor to make some casual clothes suitable for your stature. I didn't think that you would want to step outside.”

“O-Okay...”

So Tania really didn't think that there would never be an opportunity for me to go outside. I wonder how Rosmund expected me to find a wife within a year while living this kind of life.

We left the mansion and took a carriage to Capital East. The closer we got to the city center, the more people I could see.

I couldn't help but stare at every person we walked past.

There were people with elf ears, rabbit ears, cat ears, dog ears, and other features of animals I had never seen before. Mages wearing long robes and large hats. Beast men with animal heads rather than human heads. Creatures with bodies made out of slime rather than flesh.

Somehow this reminded me that I had truly reincarnated in a fantasy world.

We walked on a cobbled pathway, surrounded by medieval European style houses.

“A-Amazing,” I uttered.

“Heee? Is it really that amazing?” Lumi said.

“W-Well, yeah.”

“Huh... on my way to the Kingdom of the East, I had to pass through the Middle Kingdom and Sobiet Union; there were far more amazing cities there.”

“Is that so?”

Contrary to the impression that she usually gave, Lumi was actually a well-travelled person. According to her, she had traveled across entire continents on foot.

I made a mental note to ask her to tell me about her travels — as long as she doesn't request marriage in exchange for sharing her tales.

We continued to walk into town until we reached a place called the Central Plaza. It was a round open space filled with stalls and surrounded by three-story tall buildings. Each of those buildings had a store at the ground level.

The Central Plaza was a chaotic place. Stall hawkers all advertised their wares as the best, countless customers of countless races walked between the stalls. The air was filled with the sound of commerce, the smell of money, and the electrifying energy only this kind of environment could produce.

Any mall in Tokyo had a thousand times more things to sell, and yet this kind of marketplace felt so much more lively.

“You own about half of the stalls,” Tania said.

“I do? How is that even possible?”

“Operating a stall at the Central Plaza requires a license issued by the empress to small business owners. General Magic owns about half of all the Central Plaza stall licenses and rents them out to the highest bidder.”

“But how did General Magic even acquire half the licenses if they are meant for small business owners?”

“Erm...well, Rosmund simply opened a new subsidiary company called General Magic Licensing and staffed it with exactly one employee. The subsidiary qualified as a small business, and with the financial backing of General Magic, it was able to buy up about half of all stall licenses.”

“...”

I was speechless.

“Oh, please don't worry,” Tania said reassuringly. “General Magic Licensing didn't buy more than half of the licenses. Legally, no one can accuse us of being a monopoly.”

Somehow this marketplace suddenly lost some of its magic.

The three of us explored the marketplace and bought food from various stalls. Lumi nearly choked to death after stuffing an entire loaf of fried honey bread into her mouth, and I just barely managed to save her. Afterwards, Lumi became a little more careful by 'only' stuffing half a loaf of bread into her mouth rather than trying to swallow the whole thing.

“You mongrels really have no manners,” Tania remarked. “At least try to appreciate the food Yamamoto-sama has purchased for a freeloader like you.”

I paid using a blue crystal. This crystal was connected to an identical one placed inside a vault with my personal spending money attached to it. Whenever I wanted to pay, I just let my crystal touch the merchant’s, and the money would be automatically transferred.

I didn’t bother asking for the price of whatever Lumi wanted since I was the richest person in the kingdom, and my funds were almost limitless.

“Blehh!” Lumi stuck out her tongue and continued to eat. She was an unashamed glutton. Despite that, her body was rather slim.

“Che, all of that nutrition is just going to your oversized chest.”

“Better than being flat like you.”

I had to hold Tania back, otherwise, those two would've started a brawl in the middle of broad daylight.

After having explored all of the stalls, we took a look at the shops that were located on the ground floor of the surrounding buildings. According to Tania, the owner of these permanent stores were known as town merchants, and they ranked higher than the stall owners outside.

“These independent town merchants have my respect; it takes considerable capital to purchase property and a permanent store license,” Tania said.

“What's capital? Is that something valuable?” Lumi asked.

Tania let out a sharp breath.

“Capital refers to money being used to invest in something, be it a business, property, or other goods,” she said, barely able to hold back her irritation.

“I don't really get it, but it's basically just money, right? Why do you have to use all of those fancy words?”

“Because…” Tania stopped and sighed. “Never mind. It's useless to explain it to someone like you.”

“Hmph, fine.”

I wonder if those two will ever get along — probably not.

We walked past one of the permanent shops, and a delicious scent stopped us. It was a familiar and nostalgic scent, a scent similar to what I smelled in Harajuku before.

It was the smell of waffles.

Wow! Waffles existed in this world too?!

Wait, why was I even surprised? Waffles are a European invention, and this world looked exactly like medieval Europe (except for the people). It is only natural for some European foods to exist here.

“Is something wrong, Yamamoto-sama?” Tania asked.

I pointed at the waffle store.

“This smell reminds me of the world I originally came from.”

“Hmm...” Lumi gazed at the waffle store. Her mouth was drooling even as her eyes were thoughtful. It was as if the upper and bottom half of her face were independent from each other.

“If you want some, we can go in,” I said.

“Uhm…” The greed in her eyes disappeared and was replaced by hesitancy. “The store looks really crowded; maybe I should wait outside.”

The store didn’t look full at all, but maybe Lumi didn’t like crowds. Although she didn’t seem to have a problem with the crowds at the marketplace…

“In that case, Tania could you go and — “

“Understood.”

Tania walked into the store.

“Did they have something like this in your world?” Lumi asked.

“Well, yes, although waffles originally came from a different country.”

“Does this smell make you feel homesick?”

“I wouldn't say that this smell makes me feel homesick, but it does remind me of the world I came from.”

“Is that so?”

Lumi had her back turned to me. Her voice sounded forlorn, like she was thinking about somewhere far away.

“What kind of things remind you of home?” I asked.

For a moment, she didn't answer. She gazed at the waffle store, then up at the blue sky.

“Home is the fresh morning air in the winter, the gentle wind of summer, the taste of freshly baked bread during the harvest. These kinds of things are home — or at least that’s what I read in a book.”

Even though I couldn't see her expression, I could hear a tinge of loneliness in her voice.

I smiled slightly. In a way, she and I were the same — foreigners far away from home. I was in a different world, and she was in a different country.

Although even if I could avoid getting hit by the train, I wasn't sure if I would return to Japan. There was nothing there for me. I had no friends and no family. Even if I went back, there was no one waiting for me at home.

A little while later, Tania returned. Instead of bringing waffles, she handed me two scrolls.

“Huh? Is this edible?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what did you buy?”

“As you requested, I have purchased this store on your behalf. That old man didn’t want to sell, so I had to pressure him a little bit. This scroll contains the secret waffle recipe that has been passed down for ten generations, and this other scroll is the ownership deed of this business. Since personal ownership would incur higher taxes, I have placed the ownership of this store under General Magic. While I was in there, I forced — I mean persuaded — the current staff to sign new employment contracts so that business can continue uninterrupted.”

“Wait, wait. I just wanted a waffle. Why would you think that I want the whole store?”

Tania tilted her head in confusion.

“I don't understand,” she said. “When Rosmund wanted to buy food, he simply bought the whole business. Money spent on food can't be recovered, but if you buy the entire restaurant, then you can get the food for free, and you can profit from the restaurant over the long term.”

I see. The way rich people thought was truly frightening. It was the same logic as buying a house rather than paying rent because rent money is lost forever, but buying a house meant you can live in it for free because it could be sold later, therefore recovering the purchasing price and even making a profit if the property market is hot.

Of course, that requires that you have that much money in the first place.

Ironically, by being rich, you could avoid a lot of the living expenses that regular people had to deal with.

“By the way, how did you pressure the owner to sell?” I asked. Somehow I had a bad feeling about this, but I still wanted to know.

For the first time ever, Tania had a smug smile on her face.

“Fu-fu-fu~ I learned from the best. I’ve seen how Rosmund forced rivals to sell even when they swore to die for their business. When the old man didn’t want to sell, I told him that I’d use the might of General Magic against him and make it my life’s mission to crush him. Or he could sell his business, become an employee of General Magic and continue to operate the store like before — but he’d receive a salary and would have to hand over all the profits to us.”

My mouth hung open. The way Rosmund taught Tania how to operate was almost like a mafia boss. Instead of using regular negotiation tactics, she used methods that yielded results quickly and reliably — coercion and freely using the might of General Magic to force opponents into submission by using the mechanics of the free market. Sell or face ruin. It wasn’t much of a choice.

Just how many people did Rosmund screw over like that? How many lives did he ruin on his pathway to business dominance? It’s a miracle that no one has assassinated him out of revenge before his retirement. Or maybe people were too afraid to take action.

Be careful.

Violet’s words rung in my mind.

If people were afraid of her husband, then what about me?

I looked to my left and then to me right.

“Keiji, is something wrong?” Lumi looked at me with curious eyes. “You look like you’re scared of something.”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

We explored the city some more, and soon it was time to go home. But before we went back, I wanted to have a drink and dinner at a tavern.

Tania made a face when I made that request.

“Why would you want to go to an establishment where peasants — I mean commoners — gather?”

“You just said peasant.”

“Never mind that. I don't understand why you would want to go to a tavern. Rosmund's wine cellar has the finest drink in the kingdom, and the house chef can cook anything.”

“I can't go on quests with a group of companions or even raid a dungeon, so the least I want to experience is a night at a tavern.”

“I don't really get it, but I can see that nothing will change your mind. In that case, I will take you to the least worst establishment.”

I turned to Lumi. She had wrapped herself in her hooded cape all day long and didn't even take it off when it got a little hot in the afternoon. On top of that, she hadn't spoken much ever since Tania bought the waffle store.

“Are you okay with that, Lumi?” I asked.

She looked up at me with surprise in her eyes.

“Huhn?”

“If you're feeling tired, we can just go home.”

“Home?” she asked absentmindedly and then blinked. “Ah, uhm, please don't mind me. Let's go to the tavern.”

Seriously, something was wrong with her today. Ever since we left the mansion, Lumi had been quiet and polite when she was usually a loud glutton at home.

Tania led us down the street until we ended up at a tavern called The Golden Spoon. Suspiciously, the General Magic company logo was carved underneath the name of the tavern.

“Does General Magic own this tavern?” I asked.

“The Golden Spoon is the most popular tavern in the kingdom. It was acquired by Rosmund about fifty years ago and it has since then become the dominant chain store in this country.”

“Come to think of it, I've seen a lot of Golden Spoon signs today...”

“Rosmund prevented competitors from opening up by buying up all the best locations for taverns.”

In other words, the Golden Spoon is the most popular tavern because it's in all the best locations...

“Let's go in,” I said.

“Uhm...I'll just wait outside.”

I turned around and saw that Lumi had pulled down her hood so that her face was barely visible.

“Nonsense, we're going to have dinner here. Aren't you hungry?”

“I don't have an appetite,” Lumi said while her stomach growled audibly.

“Just come in,” I said and grabbed her wrist. I couldn't possibly leave a girl like her outside a tavern when it was getting dark.

Lumi let out a surprised sound, but she didn't resist.

A tall, muscular centaur stopped us at the door. He had a horse's body, a human face, horns on his head, and a sword slung across his back.

“Please take off your coats and leave any weapons outside,” he said.

“Security check?” I asked. How strange. In Japan, bars and izakayas never did something like an airport security check.

“Yes, please take off your coat and shoes and place them under this crystal here to check for any sharp metal objects.”

He pointed at a crystal that hung off a metal chain outside the door.

This really was like an airport security check.

“Why?” I asked.

“Sometimes brawls break out in taverns, especially when rival races end up drinking at the same establishment, and when everyone has weapons, the tavern gets destroyed. To keep insurance costs low, the Golden Spoon asks all guests to leave all weapons with the tavern staff upon entry.”

“It can't be helped then,” I said and took off my blazer. Tania began to remove the items from her shoulder bag as well. Only Lumi didn't move.

“Miss, please remove your hooded cape,” the centaur said.

Lumi didn't move.

“Miss?”

She reluctantly pulled back her hood. Suddenly there was a tension in the air and it felt like I was the only one who didn't know what was going on.

“Miss, you cannot enter the establishment.”

Lumi smiled ruefully and put her hood back on. She began to step back.

“Wait! Why can't she go in?” I asked.

The centaur guard looked at me like he didn't understand my question. Tania sighed and said, “I will explain. Lumi is a half-elf and half succubus. High elves are the highest-ranked race, and succubi are at the bottom. There were three major wars in the history of this country, and the most recent war was fought against the Demon Lord about a hundred years ago. After the war with the Demon Lord, it was decided that all demonic races would be banished to the Northern Island and only succubi, a race of lower demons who remained neutral during the conflict, would be accepted in cities, although they are generally barred from entering shops and restaurants — because nobody wants to do business with lower demons.

“Half elf, half succubi children are usually the product of disgrace, since members of the highest-ranked race would only see a succubus as a hole for lust relief. Children that are the product of such an affair are always rejected by society.”

“W-What...?” I was speechless. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The ground underneath me felt soft.

The minotaur pointed at Lumi. “She has High Elf ears, but her eyes are succubus red. Her tail has the heart shape of a succubus, and her hair black hair belongs to a certain tribe of succubi. Pure blooded High Elves always have blonde hair.”

My shock turned to anger. How can such a thing be possible in this world?!

“Let her in,” I growled.

“Sir — “

“Don't you recognize who I am? I'm the CEO of General Magic, the company that owns this tavern chain. Let her in or I will fire you right now.”

Tania pulled a scroll out of her pocket and handed it to the guard.

“These are Yamamoto-sama’s official identification documents. You can check the details yourself.”

He looked, and he said with a shaking voice, “S-Sir, m-my deepest apologies. I didn’t mean to offend you. B-But I can't let her in. The tavern manager will fire me and — “

“If you don't let her in, then I will fire you right now.”

The guard's body shook with fear, but he did not move.

Lumi tugged at my sleeve.

“Keiji, please, just leave it be. I'm fine with staying outside. I'm used to this, so it's okay.”

I stared at her. Her eyes were pleading.

I'm used to this, so it's okay.

“Lumi...”

Hearing her voice cleared the cloud of anger from my mind.

I glanced at Tania. She wasn't saying anything but looked uncomfortable with the whole situation.

The guard's eyes were fixed to the ground, staring into the abyss.

I recalled when a newly promoted superior threatened to fire me; it felt like someone had ripped my heart out. To think that I had just done the same thing to someone else when they were just executing the instructions their boss gave them. It wasn't as if the centaur made these stupid rules.

I grabbed Lumi's hand and said, “Let's get out of here.”

The three of us walked away from the tavern. On our way home, no one said a word.

That night, I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. Usually, the protagonist would be reincarnated as a hero and go on a fun adventure with companions.

To think that this world has this kind of dark underbelly.

I suppose this was what made this fantasy world real. A fun world without darkness in the heart of society was just that — a fantasy.

I couldn't fall asleep. I got up to get a glass of water.

When I opened the door, I saw Lumi standing in front of me.

“Lu - !” I suppressed a shriek. She seriously scared the hell out of me. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

“I couldn't sleep, so I ended up wandering around the mansion...”

“That's kind of creepy; that's what a ghost would do. And you just ended up in front of my door?”

“...I wanted to see you.”

“You're not trying to take away my virginity while I'm asleep, right?”

“Geez! I'm not going to do something like that. And it would be meaningless anyway since I need you to sign the marriage contract before our mating ritual can trigger a legal transfer of assets.”

“Right...anyway, why did you want to see me?”

“I...I wanted to apologize for today. I knew how much you were looking forward to visiting that tavern, and I ruined the entire trip.”

I sighed.

“It's not your fault,” I said. “You must feel cold standing there. Come inside. I'll get us something to drink.”

“Mm, okay.”

I made my way to the kitchen and poured two glasses of water. I thought about making tea, but no one ever taught me how to use the heating crystals needed to boil water. Part of me thought about just trying it out, but I decided against it because I didn’t want to risk burning down the whole mansion.

When I went back to my room, Lumi was sitting on my bed with her knees drawn to her chest.

“Here you go, although it's just water.”

“It's cold...you don't know how to use heating crystals?”

I shook my head.

“Geez, I'll teach you how to do it. Although the kitchen staff probably don't want someone like me near where they work.”

Lumi smiled slightly. It was the same sad smile she showed when the centaur guard didn't let her into the tavern.

“Lumi, as you know, I'm not from this world, so I don't really know anything about the invisible social rules of this country. Can you explain why the centaur didn't let you in?”

I heard that foreigners had a hard time living in Japan because Japan had a lot of invisible social rules that did not exist outside of Japan, like walking on the right side of the sidewalk, turning your phone to silence on the train, or standing at the side when eating something rather than walking and eating at the same time.

Now I kind of knew what that feeling was like.

“Well...it's kind of hard to explain...but Tania already explained most of it. Most races are more or less equal in this world, and the differences in ranking differ slightly from kingdom to kingdom, but the ranking set is set in place for the most part. The High Elves are always ranked the highest, and the succubi are always the lowest rung anywhere in this world.”

“But why are the succubi ranked the lowest?”

Lumi averted her eyes. “There are two reasons. After the great war with the Demon Lord a hundred years ago, succubi were the only demonic race allowed to live outside the prisons of the northern island because we stayed neutral for the most part. But that doesn’t change the fact that we are still a demon race. We are legally accepted but not socially.

“The second reason is because succubi are a female race that has greater lust than any other race, and we need the seed of other races to maintain our youth. That's why a lot of people see us as dirty and untouchable.”

“But the centaur said that you are half-elf?”

Lumi nodded and touched her ears. “I don’t have any memories of my parents, but based on my blood, I know my mother was a succubus, and my father was a High Elf. I inherited my ears from my father and my chest, tail and eyes from my mother. If it wasn't for these ears, I could just pretend to be a pure-blooded succubus and live with my mother's tribe, but even the succubi won't accept someone with mixed blood like me.”

Ah...

This must be why she said before that she had nowhere to go if I threw her out; if a tavern wouldn't let her in, then inns were likely off-limits too. And she couldn't seek the help of succubi either because of her ears.

This girl...

“I see...” I finally understood this world a little better. And then I asked her, “Is that why you joined the Illuminati?”

Lumi made a small nod.

“They were the only organization willing to accept me. They said that if I helped them take over the Kingdom of the East by gaining control of General Magic, then I would be accepted as a full member.”

Even though she tried to trick me into marriage in order to steal the company, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

The Illuminati organization didn't treat her well either; they didn't help her get to the Kingdom of the East and didn't seem to give her any kind of support. She was on her own until she completed the mission. In other words, the organization saw her as someone they could use and dispose of — at least until she proved her worth by taking over General Magic.

But there was one thing that didn't make sense to me.

“Lumi, there is something I want to ask you.”

“Hmm?”

“If the succubi need the seed of male members of other races in order to survive, then shouldn't there be a lot more people like you? Half succubi and half something else?”

“Ah…”

Lumi's expression grew dark. Her wry smile fell. Suddenly the air around her became heavy. I got the feeling that I had asked something I shouldn't have.

“You really do know nothing about this world,” she said.

“Yeah...sorry...”

“Mm, don't apologize...but I can't promise that you will be able to sleep after hearing this.”

“Go on.”

I gulped. What kind of horrors would she reveal?

“Males of other races almost always sleep with a succubus because they couldn't control their urges and any resulting mixed-blood children are a symbol of shame. That is why the father always abandons the child and the mother.

“Most of the time a mixed-blood child is born, but every now and then the father's influence is overpowered by the womb of the mother, and she gives birth to a pure-blooded succubus.”

Lumi paused and then continued.

“A long time ago, a tribe elder decided that if other races didn't want our blood, then we should also reject their blood. It was only fair. The succubus tribes only want pure-blooded succubus girls. The mixed-blood offspring are usually...eliminated. Every tribe has its own way of getting rid of undesired mixed blood children. Some are thrown into a river, some are burned alive, some are strangled.”

My stomach grew cold. I never imagined that the succubi would be capable of such cruelty.

Breathing felt difficult. The gravity of what Lumi had just told me weighed down on me. And yet, there was one more thing on my mind.

“Then...how?”

I couldn't say the words. It was too much.

“I don't know.”

She got off the bed and made her way to the door. Before she left, she said, “The Illuminati organization has promised me that once I become a full member, they will help me find the truth about me — where I come from, who my parents are…and why I am still alive.”

I suppose that it would only be natural that she would want to find out why she was still alive when neither of her parents wanted her. But that in itself was a cruel thing: to be constantly aware that she was born into this world unwanted and unloved.

Lumi had her back turned to me. I couldn't see her expression.

“Good night,” she said.

“Good night.”

Lumi left.

The bedroom was suddenly eerily quiet.

The next morning, I wasn't sure of how to face Lumi. After hearing so much about her past, it was kind of awkward to talk to her like I had before.

“Thank you,” Lumi whispered into my ear while we were having breakfast.

“For what?”

“It's nothing.”

She was so close that I could feel her black hair tickle my cheek. Her scent was sweet and gentle, the kind that could capture the attention of any man.

“If you keep acting awkward like this, then Tania will become suspicious.”

“R-Right, sorry.”

Lumi snickered and moved back to her seat.

I let out a silent sigh of relief. The tension in my chest had disappeared.

Chapter 5

I Fell in Love With A Soapland Girl!

My hellish days as a billionaire continued (now that’s something I never thought I would say).

I had meetings from morning till night. General Magic was the largest company in the country, and there were countless things that demanded my attention.

In between meetings I had to deal with paperwork, and as soon as I was done with a pile, Tania would bring in the next load, each pile of scrolls higher than the last.

How was this even possible?!

“General Magic is a machine, and you are the crystal at the center that keeps all the cogs and wheels moving,” Tania said when I asked her to reduce the amount of paperwork I had to do.

Since she was Rosmund’s former personal assistant, I couldn’t really object to her.

Lumi tagged along wherever I went, so I tried to pawn off some work to her, but she had terrible penmanship, and in the end, I had to redo all of her work (incidentally, she said that she used a notary to get the marriage contract written in proper legal language).

“I'm only good with a bow and arrow and seduction techniques,” she said and stuck out her tongue. “If you marry me and sign over General Magic, I'll let you taste the body of a succubus, hmm?”

“Yeah, yeah...”

“You don't even take my offers seriously!”

“Yeah, yeah...”

Lumi pouted and looked like she was about to cry, but I ignored her.

She would be a lot cuter if she weren’t trying to steal General Magic. I mean I understood why she wanted to steal it, but no matter how sorry I felt for her, part of the conditions that Rosmund gave me was that I had to keep control of General Magic, or else I would be sent back to Japan - to my death.

Every day I worked until midnight, slept, got up in the morning, and then repeated the whole routine. And whenever I did get a day off and went to the city, Tania and Lumi would always come with me.

If things continue like this, I will seriously be sent back to Japan to die.

That is why I have come up with a plan that will allow me to finally have a real chance to find a wife.

First of all, I need to find a specific staff member to make this work...

The next day, in the late afternoon, I declared that I had a fever and would not be able to work. Tania tried to persuade me to take just one more meeting, so I collapsed on the ground and said I was too ill to stand.

Tania didn't seem pleased by this (apparently Rosmund kept working regardless of how he felt), but she couldn't force me to work when I couldn't stand straight.

Once I was in my bedroom, I kicked both Lumi and Tania out, claiming that I needed to be alone in order to heal faster.

The first part of my plan was complete.

I waited for an hour, put on a suit, and then snuck out of the bedroom.

Lumi and Tania were nowhere to be seen. The corridor was empty — nothing to my left and nothing to my right.

I opened a ground floor window I had furtively unlocked earlier that day and climbed out of it. My feet touched the soft grass of the garden surrounding the mansion.

Part of me expected Lumi to appear out of nowhere — but the coast was clear.

After a little searching, I found the gap in the hedge that the head gardener had prepared for me. When Tania wasn't looking, I slipped him a few extra gold coins and told him to keep this a secret from the rest of the staff.

I squeezed myself through the gap and emerged on the other side.

“Phew...”

I actually made it. It was a flimsy plan, and I didn't expect for it to work, but luck was on my side.

Hopefully my good fortune will allow me to find a wife tonight.

It was time to make my way to the city.

While walking to the city, I saw a nobleman riding in a horse-drawn carriage. Since I didn't feel like walking anymore, I purchased the carriage from the nobleman and left him on the roadside.

Part of me felt bad for doing that, but at the same time, I've always wanted to try something like that.

The driver took me to the city.

Tonight will be the night when I have my fateful encounter with a beautiful maiden and fall in love. Then after a passionate night together, we will get married, live in a modest house, and raise two beautiful children. We will spend our lives together, and when we are grey and old, we will sit together on the balcony and talk about all the memories we've made together.

...

I'm ashamed to admit that I've had this exact same fantasy almost every day when I was still working as a salaryman.

I walked around the city and saw girls of various races. Some of them caught my eye and I wanted to talk to them, but how do you approach someone on the street? I wasn’t one of those pick-up artists that could just walk up to a stranger and start a conversation.

But where do you go when you wanted to meet new people?

Usually you would meet strangers at a bar, right?

The closest thing this world had to a bar was a tavern, so I went to find one that wasn't The Golden Spoon. Even though I owned it, I couldn't forgive it for the way it treated Lumi.

Inside, people were drinking ale from wooden mugs and eating together. It was a merry atmosphere.

I sat down and ordered a drink and some food.

An hour later, I realized that there was a huge flaw in my plan.

The tavern was full of High Elves, minotaurs, beast men, dwarves, and many other races — but they were all men. The only girl in the entire establishment was the waitress, and she rejected the advances of every customer.

I knew from reading manga that the waitress character was always out of reach. Either that or it would take a long time to court her because getting her to see me as something other than a customer would take ages, and I only had one year to find a wife.

I paid for my drink and meal and then left.

Sigh...where do I go now?

I walked along the streets, with the residents of this world passing by me. They looked different from the people in Japan, but in a way, this world wasn't all that different. No matter where, people live their lives day by day. Laughing and crying through sorrows and joys. One day after another.

Just then, a cat girl with black ears and long silky brown hair passed by me. Her beautiful face was filled with youth and innocence. I couldn't help but take a second look when she passed by me.

My first instinct was to try to talk to her. But how should I approach a stranger? What should I even say?

I opened my mouth but no words came out. Instead I spent the next five minutes imagining what it would've been like to talk to her, go on a date with her, marry her, have children, live together until we were old and grey, and then die together in each other's arms, sharing a lifetime of memories.

It was the type of thing I did whenever I saw a cute girl on a train when I was still a salaryman.

I walked along the cobbled street and then sat down on a bench I found in a side street.

There was a picture of a cute cat painted on the bench. Maybe this was some sort of art project?

All of that walking made me thirsty, but this world didn't have vending machines or convenience stores.

I leaned back and looked up at the night sky. The stars in this world were arranged in a completely different pattern compared to what I saw in Japan.

Was this a completely different universe? Or was this another planet within the same universe as Earth?

Oh well....

I was just an ordinary salaryman. I didn't have a genius brain like Stephen Hawking.

A throbbing sense of loneliness formed in my chest. I wish I could share the sight of this night sky with someone. It didn't even have to be a girlfriend or wife — a normal friend would do. But I didn't even have friends in this strange fantasy world.

Just then a girl walked by me. She had white cat ears on top of her head and flowing silver hair. She wore a short pleated skirt and a shirt that exposed her shoulders and hugged her slim waist. She glowed underneath the silver moonlight.

She was so beautiful that I forgot to breathe for a moment.

She walked slowly and looked at the ground. Was she looking for something?

I opened my mouth to ask her, but at the last moment my shyness choked me off.

Approaching a girl has always been too much for me. When I was in high school, I was never the popular kind of guy, and I knew where I ranked in comparison to the ikemen.

In other words, I knew how girls saw me and how attractive I was.

And in the first place, what do you even say to a cute girl whom you don’t know? It would be really awkward to just go up to her and introduce yourself.

The silver cat girl looked up and noticed me.

“Uhm...excuse me, I'm looking for something that I dropped. Did you happen to see it?”

She talked to me first. Today must be my lucky day.

“What are you looking for?”

“I'm looking for my necklace. It's a heart with half moon inside it. The chain must've broken off when I was wearing it today.”

“This is one of the places you walked by today?”

She nodded.

“Hmm, it's pretty dark. Maybe you should look for it tomorrow.”

“No! It has to be today. I can't go to sleep otherwise...”

She looked at me with pleading eyes. Her eyes were like silver lakes, reflected an earnest desire.

As a man, I couldn't leave this girl like this alone.

I got off the bench and said, “I'll help you look.”

“R-Really? Thank you!”

She beamed and grabbed my hand.

W-Whoa! Her hand felt so soft and warm.

We walked around the area together, looking for her necklace. While searching, the cat girl introduced herself. Her name is Sena, and she worked nearby. When she asked me who I was, I told her my name, and then simply said that I worked as an employee at General Magic.

“Ohh! The big company that owns everything. It must be a very stressful job.”

“Well...yeah, I suppose.”

“You're such a hard worker. A klutz like me could never get a job at General Magic.”

“Don't say that. You can always try.”

Sena smiled slightly and hugged my arm. I could feel the soft warmth of her generous chest.

“S-Sena?”

“Thank you for your kind words. Everyone has always called me useless and clumsy.”

“I don't think you're useless... Everyone has their worth, right?”

“Eh-hehe~”

After a little while, I spotted something shiny under the moonlight and picked it up.

“You found it!” she said and hugged me tightly.

“S-Sena?”

She seemed to realize what she was doing and quickly let go of me. Her face was flushed red.

“U-Uhm, s-sorry! I-I just felt so happy all of the sudden that I didn't notice...uhm, I'm so sorry!”

I handed her the necklace and said, “No, you shouldn't hold your emotions back. This clearly is very important to you.”

Sena took the necklace and looked up at me. She was standing pretty close, closer than what could be considered natural. This was usually the time when we would go our separate ways, but Sena seemed to be thinking about something.

“Uhm...well...in that case…”

I began to make my exit. I didn't want to be the guy who forced the girl to make an excuse to leave.

“Keiji, can you walk me home?”

“W-What?”

“This is super embarrassing, but I'm afraid of the dark. All of my friends make fun of me because us cat girls can see at night, but I'm still afraid.”

She looked at me with her large silver eyes. My heart began to beat faster. Something about this girl made me want to protect her.

“O-Of course I will walk you home.”

Sena beamed and hugged my arm.

I had no idea where she lived, so Sena led the way. We walked through the streets. Every guy we passed by looked at me with jealous eyes. Since she was tightly hugging my arm, they must be all thinking that she was my girlfriend.

Is this what all popular guys felt like all the time?

Sena led me down a dark alleyway and into a neighborhood that felt seedier than the other parts of town. The magic crystals powering the street lights flickered, probably because they were long overdue for a change.

“Uhm...Sena, where are we going?”

“It's okay, just follow me.”

She pressed her soft boobs against my arm. Instantly, my worries vanished.

We took a turn and ended up on a street where the street crystals emitted a red light. The atmosphere became even stranger.

Scantily clad women of all races stood by the side of the street, smiling and waving at the men who walked by.

The doors leading into each of the buildings had been replaced by a red curtain.

Looking closely, some of the men walked away with one of those women and disappeared behind one of the red curtains.

“S-Sena, where are we?”

This looked a lot like a certain street near Ueno station in Tokyo, a street that only came to life at night and where men could indulge in their fantasies after a long day at the office.

“This way Keiji...”

Sena pulled me into one of the buildings and up the stairs. She opened one of the numerous doors and pulled me in. The room was dimly lit and in the center of it was a giant heart shaped bed.

W-Wait a minute — this is a —

Before I could finish my thought, Sena pushed me onto the bed and climbed onto my lap. She took off her clothes, took my hand and pressed it against her chest. My fingers sunk into her soft boobs.

“S-Sena?!”

“This is to thank you...”

She let go of me and pulled a scroll out from underneath her skirt, unfolded it and held it open before me, forming a wall between me and her.

“Please choose what services you would like from this menu.”

“Huh?”

The scroll had a list written on it, along with a price besides each item.

At the top of the list was the 'Meow Meow Diamond Deluxe Package’. It was the most expensive option and was supposed to include 'everything', including master and servant play. Underneath that was the 'Meow Meow Deluxe Package' that included everything in the Diamond package, but did not include kissing.

The item at the bottom of the list was the 'Meow Meow Licking and Sucking Quickie' — well, I don't think I need to explain that.

“S-Sena, I don't understand...”

Sena was a soapland worker? But I thought she was just a regular cat girl. I wasn't even hanging out near the soapland streets of this city.

“Hmm?” Sena tilted her head adorably. “Keiji, the bench you were sitting on is a very special bench. Meow Meow Soapland owns that bench, and we use it to sell the 'Meet An Adorable Cute Wholesome Girl In A Natural Way and Then Take Her Home And Do Lots of Lewd Things Together' package. Clients who want to experience what it is like to talk to a cute girl they see on the streets and then indulge in lewd things with her can sit on the bench and have exactly that experience. Since you sat down on the bench, I thought that you were in the mood for someone like me.”

My jaw dropped. Everything made more sense now. Normally it would be impossible to naturally end up talking to a cute girl you saw on the street, have just the right excuse to hang out with her, and then get to know her well enough to go to a hotel with her.

Everything Sena did and said tonight was designed to provide a romantic dream-like experience. To bring to life the fantasy every man had for five minutes after seeing a cute girl.

I averted her gaze and looked away. Of course it's impossible for something like this to happen naturally. Even though this was a magical fantasy world, things like meeting a cute girl through sheer coincidence and not having to put in any effort in order to talk to her (like helping her search for a necklace) didn't happen in reality.

“Did you perhaps sit down on that bench by accident? I am so sorry, I thought you were a customer. Geez, I told Mama-san to label that bench more clearly, but she refuses to do it because that will affect the experience.”

“S-Sorry, I better leave,” I said and put some gold coins on the nightstand table.

A lot of my colleagues in Japan did go to soaplands after work (I heard them talk about it in the break room when our female colleagues weren’t around), but I’ve never been to one. I mean, I kind of wanted to go to one, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Sena grabbed my hand.

“Keiji…please don’t go.”

“Huh?”

She looked up at me with pleading eyes.

“If you go now, I will get into big trouble, uhm…”

“Why would you be in trouble?”

Did I not pay enough?

“You see…”

Sena explained the situation to me. It was a long story, but basically the whole 'Meet An Adorable Cute Wholesome Girl In A Natural Way and Then Take Her Home And Do Lots of Lewd Things Together’ idea was Sena’s brainchild, and so far, she has failed to bring in even a single customer using this method. Most clients didn’t know about this new experience and would run away after Sena revealed the truth to them. And since open advertising of soaplands was frowned upon, Sena couldn’t go around and educate potential customers about this either.

The worst part was that a lot of customers have filed complaints because they felt like they were ambushed by Sena, even though that wasn’t her intention.

“If Mama-san sees you leaving now, she will fire me because I’ve caused so much trouble and caused the soapland to lose money… And I won’t be able to find work elsewhere since I’m known as a troublemaker…”

“Right.”

I suppose that most people would’ve walked out on her anyway because they just wanted to get away, but I was too soft-hearted for my own good.

How can I solve this problem?

“So uhm…just stay with me for a little longer, okay? You can touch me anywhere, so…”

I gulped. If I stayed any longer in this room with her, I don’t think I will be able to hold myself back. But there wasn’t anything else I could do to help her since I was just an ordinary salary —

—wait!

In this world, I wasn’t an ordinary salaryman.

I was a billionaire.

“Where is your Mama-san? Can I talk to her?”

“Keiji?” She gave me a worried look.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to complain or anything like that.”

I recalled what Tania did at the waffle store. As a billionaire, it was possible to use money to brute force a solution to any problem life presented you.

Sena and I went downstairs, and she knocked on a door.

“What do you want?” The Mama-san opened the door. She was an old harpy lady with sharp eyes and dull claws. The years had taken their toll on her, but the expression on her face was focused like the end of a dagger.

“Sena, did you cause trouble again?” Her voice was quietly menacing.

“N-No, well, y-yes, but this customer wants to talk to you.”

“How do you do?” I offered her my hand. She didn’t shake it. I did my best to hide my nervousness behind a friendly smile.

“If you are here to demand a refund, then you can get out,” she said.

“No, no — quite the opposite. I’m here to offer you even more money. In fact, I want to buy this store from you.”

The Mama-san looked at me blankly and then laughed.

“You want to buy my store? This isn’t a business you can just buy and — “

“Name your price.”

Suddenly I felt more confident. The realization that I could pay whatever price she named (even if it was a ludicrous price) filled me with a strange sense of peace.

“Hah? You’re pretty confident, huh? You youngsters don’t realize how hard it is to build a business from scratch — “

“Name your price.”

The harpy lady raised an eyebrow. She let out a sharp breath.

“Five hundred thousand gold coins. No credit and no installments. Payment done in one lump sum.”

“Done.”

““What?!”“ Sena and the Mama-san exclaimed at the same time.

I pulled out my blue crystal, which was connected to a vault inside the mansion which contained several million gold coins. It only activated if it was in my hands. In a sense, this crystal was like a debit card.

“Let’s do the transfer already. I don’t have all day.”

I once saw a businessman character say this line in a TV show, so I repeated it.

The harpy lady was speechless.

“Uhm…wait, I need to think about it…well…”

She was hesitating to sell. I decided to deal a final blow only a billionaire could pull off. I guess having lots of money was my special superpower.

“I’ll pay you eight hundred thousand gold coins if you sell right now,” I said.

She could use this to open a new store and still have plenty of leftover money. This deal had no downsides for her.

The harpy lady seemed to realize it too because she pulled out a similar crystal. Our crystals touched, and the transfer was done.

“There really are eight hundred thousand gold coins in my account,” she murmured after checking the transfer.

Afterwards, she quickly packed up her office and left.

Sena stood in the corridor, eyes wide open, her mouth half open.

“W-Who are you?” she asked.

“Hmm? I’m Yamamoto Keiji.”

“But…how do you have so much money?”

“Oh right…uhm, don’t tell this to anyone, but I am the current CEO and owner of General Magic. Rosmund von Lichtenstein designated me to be his heir.”

Sena sank to her knees.

“G-General Magic? You’re the owner?!”

“H-Hey, get up, this is weird.”

I grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

“I have almost infinite amounts of money, so I can just buy whatever I want.”

It feels surprisingly good to say that.

“I’ve got no experience running a soapland, and I won’t be able to come in since I have other work to do, so I’ll need a general manager for this store.” I looked at Sena. “Can you do it?”

“M-Me?!”

“There’s no one else here.”

“Uhm…well…but I’ve caused so much trouble already and — “

“I’ll fund whatever plans you have, and as long as you don’t make a loss at the end of the month, then it should be fine. Oh, and of course I’ll pay you a salary, as well as a share of the profits. We can talk about the details later.”

She blinked as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Keiji…”

She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her face against my chest.

“S-Sena?!” I could feel her chest press against me. Her body’s sweet scent traveled up my nose.

“Thank you, Keiji. I don’t know what else to say — thank you so much.”

I patted her on the head.

Sena looked down.

“Hngh? Something is poking against my stomach. Do you want me to take care of it?”

“I-It’s fine! It’ll disappear on its own!”

“It’s not healthy to hold it in, you know? Let me help you out. It’s the least I can do.”

“N-No, thanks. I better go. There’s still lots of work to do.”

I untangled myself and quickly left.

I found my carriage and left the city. A little while later, I arrived at the mansion.

Even though it was the middle of the night, there was someone standing outside of the gate that led to the property.

“L-Lumi?”

She stood there wearing her Illuminati uniform. She was shivering from the cold night air.

“Keiji!”

She jumped into my arms.

“Keiji! Where were you?! I went to check up on you, but your bedroom was empty! I was waiting for you all night long!”

“W-What? You were standing here the whole time?”

Lumi made a small nod.

“I was worried about you.”

What was it about these simple words that brought me to tears? I bit my lower lip to stop myself from crying.

“Keiji, are you okay?”

I pressed her head against my chest so that she wouldn't see my tears.

“Yeah, I'm fine.”

“You're shaking.”

“I'm just tired. And well, I guess I'm happy to see you.”

“Heh-heh~ Does that mean you have finally fallen for me? I still have that marriage contract. All you have to do is sign it and — “

“Idiot,” I said and chopped her on the head.

“Ouch! That hurts!”

I quickly wiped away my tears and took a deep breath.

“I feel hungry. Do you want to eat something?” I asked.

“Meat! Lots of meat!”

“You'll get fat if you only eat meat.”

Lumi pouted and poked me in the sides.

“A succubus doesn’t get fat! My blood makes sure that my body will always maintain a perfect figure.”

“Uh-huh...that's good to know.”

Lumi gasped. “Unless...Keiji, you prefer chubby girls.”

“...”

“I guess you could hug me from behind and play with my chest since they are quite — ouch!”

I chopped her on the head.

We walked back into the mansion, bantering about all sorts of things.

Of course I received a massive lecture from Tania for vanishing without a warning. I decided not to tell her about how I acquired a new…err…business while I was in the city. Somehow I had the feeling that she would not appreciate such an investment.

Chapter 6

This Empress is Out of This World!

The day started out like any other. I was unwillingly pulled out of bed by Tania, had breakfast with Lumi, and then got started with the meetings for the day.

It was a routine that I had gotten used to. Usually work was so busy that I sometimes forget that if I didn't find a wife within a year, I would be sent back to Japan, where I would be shredded to pieces by a train.

This thought did worry me. I didn't want to die, and although living as a billionaire in a fantasy world wasn't the kind of adventure I dreamed of before (if anything, it was more similar to the life of a salaryman, although my boss was Tania and not some middle-aged man), it was still preferable to dying a meaningless death.

But finding a wife in this world wasn't as easy as one might think. I wasn't a Hero who was summoned to this world to save it from a Demon Lord and then proceeded to band together with a harem of cute girls to go on an epic adventure. Instead, I spent my days doing paperwork and holding meetings to keep the General Magic business empire running.

I sighed.

The days were passing by one by one. I had to quickly find a way to meet someone suitable for marriage. A girl who loved me for who I was and didn't have her eye on my money. A girl I could love and trust.

Why was such a simple and natural desire so hard to fulfill?

“Why the long sigh?” Tania asked.

“I need to find a wife,” I said.

“Don't worry, you'll find one soon enough,” she said dismissively before planting a mountain of scrolls before me.

“Right, right...”

I dipped a quill in ink and prepared to sign one scroll after the other. It didn't really matter if I read the contents or not since the General Magic business empire was too big to fail. Even if I signed off on something that harmed the business, it didn't really matter.

After signing a couple of scrolls, I found one that looked different from the rest.

“Hmm?”

I took the scroll. It carried a wax seal with a unique symbol on it. Looking closer, the symbol looked like some kind of phoenix with a crown on its head.

“Tania, what's this?”

Tania took the scroll.

“Ah, this is a message from Empress Shiro, the ruling monarch of this country,” she said before carelessly tossing it back into the pile.

“W-Wait! If this is a message from the empress, then isn't it really important?”

Normally people would treat a message from the royal family with more care and respect. Tania treated that scroll like it was something annoying.

Tania shrugged. “Usually when the empress sends Rosmund a letter, it's a note demanding a meeting. She asks us for money at every single meeting, so it's less of a demand and more of a plea.”

“Why does the empress ask for money?”

“The country's tax system is broken and full of corruption, so the empress and her government never have enough money to run the country. Every year she has to ask Rosmund for help. Since Rosmund isn't here, you will have to take the meeting. But the empress isn't in a position to make any demands, so you can just ignore her summoning if you like.”

I broke the royal seal and read the scroll. It was addressed to Rosmund, and underneath several paragraphs of niceties, Empress Shiro requested a meeting.

I suppose the empress writing a personal letter to a commoner like Rosmund is the greatest sign of respect she could offer without tarnishing the royal family name — even though this letter was essentially begging for money.

“We should go,” I said.

Tania raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“I am a Rosmund's successor, and it seems like Empress Shiro doesn't know that he has summoned me as his successor.”

“I see... We could just send her the money that she will ask for, but, well, I suppose it is worth visiting her.”

“Let's go tomorrow.”

“But —”

“It would be rude to keep the empress waiting.”

“Right...”

Tania seemed reluctant to go tomorrow, probably because there were meetings scheduled and she would have to reschedule them.

After Tania left the room, Lumi, who was sitting in a different part of the office, spoke.

“You seem eager to meet this empress.”

“It's a nice distraction from the usual meetings and paperwork.”

“Hmmm…” Lumi moved closer and looked into my eyes. “I feel like you got some ulterior motives.”

“My heart is pure and true.”

“Really? I can read men pretty well, and I don't think your intentions are pure and true.”

I averted my gaze.

“A-Anyway, I still got some work to finish before we can meet the empress tomorrow.”

“…sure.”

Lumi moved back to her corner of the room and got back to reading her mountain of books.

I let out a silent sigh of relief. In truth, I was filled with ulterior motives.

It was common knowledge that an empress has lots of servants attending to her, as well as ladies in waiting. Since I had a hard time meeting girls, I could use this meeting as an excuse to look around the palace for a suitable girl to marry. Since I was there on business, it would be easy to find an excuse to talk to them.

“Hehehe,” I chuckled. It was the perfect plan.

“Keiji, your smile is creepy,” Lumi remarked.

I quickly wiped my smile off my face and got back to work.

The next day, we made our way to the royal residence. The castle was located in the middle of the city. A white brick wall encircled it, and there was only one entrance.

At first the guard didn't let us in because he expected to see Rosmund in the carriage and not me, but he recognized Tania, and she explained everything to him.

Once past the gate, the hustle and bustle of the city fell silent. We entered a Japanese-style zen garden; our carriage went over a little bridge that took us across a tiny stream, which led to a lake with an island in the middle of it.

Huh...

This whole city looked like medieval Europe, but why did the empress's residence look like feudal Japan?

The castle itself looked a lot like the Osaka Castle. The layered roofs were green with golden accents at the end. The base of the castle was a steep stone wall that looked impossible to climb.

“This thing...”

It was a one-to-one copy of the Osaka Castle. It was as if someone had stolen the castle and transported it to this world.

“Is something wrong?” Lumi asked.

She wore her hooded cape again. The guard didn't check the inside of the carriage, so we were able to pass through without any problems.

“This thing...it looks kind of odd,” I said.

“Three years ago, the empress borrowed a lot of money from Rosmund and rebuilt the entire castle,” Tania said. “Nobody knows why she rebuilt it in this strange architectural style that no one had seen before. Frankly, it is a waste of money, since a building is just a box to conduct business in.”

“Ha-ha-ha,” I laughed dryly. When she put it like that, then it rendered the work of all architects worthless. Although she did kind of have a point.

“But...,” she added, and her eyes grew contemplative as she looked out of the carriage. “This garden is rather beautiful. Even though we're in the middle of the capital city, the arrangement of this garden somehow dispels the tension in the air and makes it feel like we're somewhere far away.”

Even someone money obsessed like Tania could feel the serene effects of a Japanese zen garden.

But how did a Japanese zen garden end up in this world?

Our carriage continued on and then finally we arrived at the entrance of the castle.

“This castle is amazing,” Lumi said. “I've walked all over the world and I've never seen anything like it.”

Lumi's comment proved that there was no other country in this world that had Japanese style gardens and architecture. This castle and garden were entirely unique in this world.

How strange...

We were shown into the castle, went up the stairs, and then finally were led into the throne room.

“Your majesty, I present Rosmund von Lichtenstein's heir. Uhm...”

The attendant looked at me.

“Yamamoto Keiji,” I said.

“Yamamoto Keiji,” the attendant said.

Tania and Lumi stood a few steps behind me.

The empress sat on her throne, behind a semi transparent curtain. I could see the outline of her body, but not her face.

“Yamamoto Keiji?” she asked, her voice filled with surprise.

“Yes,” I said. “Perhaps Rosmund did not inform you, but I have been summoned from another world to act as his successor.”

There was no need to tell her about the deadline to find a wife.

“Lift the curtain,” the empress commanded.

The attendants hesitated to follow that order, but the commands of an empress were absolute. Normally it would be forbidden for a commoner to look directly at the reigning monarch.

The attendants lifted the curtain, and I could see the empress. She wore a gold colored kimono decorated with flower patterns — an outfit that was definitely not native to this world. She had long black hair that reached down to her feet.

...

She looked Japanese.

“Your name is rather curious. What world did you get summoned from?” she asked.

“I was summoned from a world called Earth.”

“And what country were you summoned from?

“My home country is a place called Japan.”

As soon as I said that, the empress's eyes shone.

“Leave us,” she said. “I wish to speak to Yamamoto-san in private.”

As soon as she said those words, the palace staff began to vacate the room. They shuffled past the sliding doors, almost silently, like ghosts.

I glanced behind me. Tania and Lumi were still there.

“I guess I will see you guys later.”

Tania seemed reluctant to leave, but she took several steps back and left the room. As much as she looked down on the royal family, she couldn't directly disobey an order from the empress in her presence.

Lumi didn't move.

“Uhm, Lumi...”

“What is it, Keiji?”

Lumi smiled coldly and tilted her head slightly. A slight chill went down my spine. It was an expression I had never seen on her face before.

“The empress just said...”

“I heard what she said. However I am not a citizen of the Kingdom of the East. I am not one of her subjects, and therefore I do not have to obey her commands.” She grabbed my sleeve. “The empress is rather cute, no? Do you perhaps prefer a flat chest?”

She said those last words louder than normal.

“F-Flat — !” Empress Shiro exclaimed, her face suddenly red. “I will execute y-you for saying this!”

Lumi smiled slightly. “You will execute an individual who is not one of your subjects on the basis of speaking her mind? I believe that is extrajudicial overreach and suggests an abuse of power by the royal family. That kind of thing could spark a revolution, you know? And do you know what happens to monarchs during a revolution?”

“Y-You — !”

I turned to Lumi. “Where did you learn this kind of stuff?”

“Oh. Rosmund had a lot of books that were previously banned by the empress. Those books talked about mob psychology and how to use them to topple a country. I read all of them while you were busy with paperwork.”

For the first time, Lumi scared me slightly. Lumi tightened her grip around my sleeve. “I look into her eyes, and I can see that she is interested in you. I won't let this nest snatcher get in the way of our future marriage.”

I chopped her on the head. “Don't make stupid assumptions. I haven't agreed to any kind of marriage with anyone.”

“Che...”

“Anyway, just leave us for now,” I said. “I promise that I won't marry the empress, alright?”

Lumi pouted and sulked as she left the throne room.

I let out a sigh. I felt exhausted already.

I turned to the empress.

“I apologize for that. My companions can be rather rowdy.”

The empress took a moment to collect herself and then she came down from her throne. She closed the distance between us.

“Like you, I am also from Japan.”

“Y-You are?!”

“Shhh! Quiet! I don't want anyone to hear this. The royal palace has eyes and ears everywhere.”

“O-Okay.”

“I just need to confirm that you and I are indeed from the same place. Tell me, who is the emperor of Japan before you ended up in this world. What's the name of the era? What year was it? Who is the Prime Minister?”

I answered all of her questions. She nodded and let out a sigh of relief.

“Good, we are indeed from the same world.”

“I was summoned by Rosmund von Lichtenstein to be the successor of General Magic. How did you end up in this world? And if you don't mind me asking: how did someone from Japan end up becoming the empress of this world?”

Empress Shiro looked left and right.

“I think some of the servants are eavesdropping,” she said in a low voice. “Follow me.”

She showed me to a secret door that was located behind the throne. It led down a series of wooden staircases that were built between the walls and floors of the castle. Eventually we ended up in the stables and from there we walked to the zen garden.

With the dignified gait of royalty, she showed me around the garden. Her golden colored kimono shone brilliantly under the direct sunlight.

“That staircase was designed by the original Empress Shiro. It was meant to be a last ditch escape route in case of an invasion or rebellion.”

“I see.” So that was why it led directly to the stables. If disguised as commoners, the members of the royal family could simply pretend to be part of the revolution and ride away. “But what do you mean by the original empress?”

“Walk with me,” she said. “There are people watching us already, but from this distance, they can't hear us. If we keep moving, they shouldn't be able to read our lips.”

I wanted to say that she was being overly cautious, but now that she has said it, I did feel several pairs of eyes on me. I looked left and right, but I couldn't see anyone.

We walked through the zen garden together.

“My real name is Sato Himiko. I was summoned to this world three years ago, and since then I have been pretending to be Empress Shiro. The original Empress Shiro fell in love with her bodyguard, who was a commoner. They had nightly trysts, and that wasn't a problem until she became pregnant. She wanted to raise the child together with her lover, but the law prohibited her from abdicating the throne since she hadn't produced a royal heir. And of course a child with the blood of a commoner wasn't acceptable.

“The empress had no intention of giving up her child or being unfaithful to her lover, so she hired a mage and summoned a body double from another world...”

“And you are the body double?”

Himiko nodded.

“When I was summoned to this world and saw her for the first time, I thought I was looking into a mirror. We look more alike than two identical twins. Even our voices are identical. We even have birthmarks in the same places.”

“W-Wow...”

It seems that these summoning spells could have any kind of ridiculous requirement attached.

“Empress Shiro told me that I would have to spend the rest of my life pretending to be her.”

“What?! That’s so unreasonable!”

“I said the same thing, but she said that if I didn't obey her command, she would execute me for whatever reason she could think of.”

My jaw dropped. This was incredibly cruel — a quality Empress Shiro and Rosmund seemed to share.

“I had no choice but to accept her demand. After I assumed her identity, I tore down the castle and rebuilt it by copying the one in my hometown.”

“Osaka Castle, huh?”

“Oh, you could tell that I'm from Osaka? I was trying so hard to speak standard Japanese.”

“No, your Japanese is perfect. I can tell that this is modeled after Osaka Castle because it is famous all over the world, you know?”

“Huh, it is famous? To me it was always just an ordinary castle. Although come to think of it, I did see a lot of tourists whenever I was there.”

I guess Osaka locals really didn't see it as anything special. It probably was the same as Tokyo locals like me not thinking of the Sky Tree and the Meiji Shrine as anything special, but people from all over the world came to Japan to visit those places.

“Is it hard pretending to be the empress?”

“In the beginning, I was constantly afraid that someone might notice that I wasn't the real Empress Shiro, but over time, I found out that it was rather easy to be her.”

“How so?”

“An empress always speaks to her servants in a formal manner, so all I had to do was use a standard set of phrases and commands, and no one would ever talk back. The other members of the royal family are all busy trying to kill each other, so I rarely ever see them. Empress Shiro didn't have any close friends either, so there is no one who knows her well enough to pick up on the small differences in personality.”

I opened my mouth to speak but then closed it. That kind of life...

“She must've been incredibly lonely,” I said.

“Yeah.”

No wonder she fell in love with her bodyguard. She had no friends, and her family members were all too busy competing with each other for power, even going as far as killing each other. Her bodyguard was the one person who was always by her side, presumably standing guard outside of her room at night. It wouldn't be too much of a leap to invite him into her bed.

Himiko said nothing, and it was only then that I realized that I said something incredibly insensitive.

If Empress Shiro felt endlessly lonely, then the same went for Himiko since she was living the same life.

I wanted to apologize, but before I could, Himiko said, “I built this copy of Osaka castle because I felt homesick all the time.”

“Have you tried to reverse the summoning spell?”

“It was the first thing I tried when I became empress. But then I found out that only the original mage who summoned me to this world can send me back — and Empress Shiro had him poisoned after the summoning was complete.”

“That kind of thing...”

“She did it so that no one could leak her plans and to also prevent me from going back. No loose ends.”

I gulped. Even though I had never met the original empress, she was beginning to frighten me.

We strolled through the garden and eventually came across a little pavilion next to the pond. We sat down inside.

“No one will be able to eavesdrop on us here; the pond makes it impossible for any person to come close without being noticed.”

“Huh...this place looks kind of familiar.”

“I modeled this part of the garden after the Shukkeien in Hiroshima.”

“I think I went there before as part of a school trip.”

“One of the benefits of being empress is that within the castle walls, I am God. Any changes I demand will be implemented without question. But no matter how hard I try, this isn't home.”

“You really miss Japan, don't you.”

Himiko made a small nod. “Don't you?”

I shook my head and told her about how I was pushed off the station platform by my drunk colleague and then summoned by Rosmund.

“If I'm sent back, it will be the moment when I get killed

by an incoming train.”

“That is horrible! How could someone do that!”

Himiko had her hands balled together into adorable fists. Her eyes shone with righteous anger.

Ah...

This kind of look that was actually surprised by what people in the workplace are capable of…

“Himiko...were you still a high school student when you were summoned to this world?”

“Y-Yeah! How did you know? Did I tell you and then forget?”

“Don't worry about it. I just took a guess.”

I smiled wryly. Only a high school student who's never experienced the drudgery of being an adult could have this kind of pure emotion shining in their eyes.

“Anyway, like I said before, Rosmund summoned me here to become his heir. But there are some conditions I haven't told you about.”

“Hmm? What conditions?”

Himiko tilted her head slightly.

“If I don't find a wife within a year and produce an heir of my own within two years after that, and if my wife doesn’t truly love me or I lose control of the company, then I will be sent back to Japan.”

Himiko's eyes grew wide. Her mouth was half open.

“T-That is so unreasonable! So if you don't find a wife in just one year, you will be sent back to die?!”

“Yeah...”

“I'm so sorry that I can't help you...my position as an empress doesn't allow me to marry you.”

I blinked. Did she really just say those words without a hint of hesitation?

“Y-You would marry me?!”

“Ehhhh? Why are you saying it like that? I just mean, uhm...we are both foreigners who are stuck in this world. We should try our best to help each other, right?”

This time her face flushed red.

Instinctively, I reached out and patted her head. She was a good person, through and through.

“Y-Yamamoto-san, what are you doing?”

“Thank you,” I said.

“E-Eh? For what?”

“For your kind intentions.”

“Oh, uhm, it's just natural, isn't it?”

I wanted to tell her that in the world of working adults, helping others, especially strangers, wasn't a natural thing to do. If you see someone collapse in the station, you quickly walk away and hope that the station staff will take care of that person.

More than once had I seen someone collapse in the station and not a single person tried to help.

I was just like the rest of them. An adult whose heart has withered as youth faded away almost overnight.

“The people who have summoned us to this world are so selfish,” I said absentmindedly.

“I suppose you are right.”

After a moment of silence, Himiko said, “Uhm, would it be okay if I came to visit you sometime? I don't know when I will be able to get away from the castle, but...uhm...”

Her face flushed as she said those words.

I couldn't help but laugh a little. She was a JK masquerading as an empress in another world, and she was saying such words. Something about this situation was just funny.

“W-What?!” she said, her face red with embarrassment. “We're both stranded and stuck in this world. Uhm...visiting each other is only natural, right? I didn't mean anything else by that.”

“Sorry, I didn't mean to make fun of you. I just never thought that I'd be friends with a JK one day.”

“Heee~ Saying something like that makes you sound like an old man. For my part, I never thought that I would be friends with an uncle.”

“Ugh...”

She called me an old man and an uncle. That double combo was a painful hit.

But I suppose in comparison to her, I was indeed an old man.

We wanted to stay a little longer, but an attendant came over to the pavilion and interrupted our conversation.

“Your majesty, I am so sorry for disturbing you!” The attendant fell to his knees, and his forehead touched the ground.

Himiko clicked her tongue with annoyance.

“I guess they found me already, huh,” she muttered under her breath. Then she said to the attendant, “What is it?”

“The elders of the ten families have arrived.”

Himiko sighed. “This again, huh...”

“The ten families?” I asked.

“Let's go back. I will explain on the way.”

The High Elves were the highest-ranked race in the country, and the ten most powerful High Elf families formed the upper echelon of nobility, their power second only to the empress — and of course, the richest man in the country (me), which would put them in third place.

About three hundred years ago, two hundred years before the appearance of the Demon Lord, after the country had finally been reunited after a bloody civil war, Empress Shiro's great great grandfather decreed that the senior members of each of the surviving noble High Elf families had to visit the royal castle once a month. In addition, each family needed to have at least one heir serving the emperor or empress in their court.

In other words, Empress Shiro's great, great grandfather used the same system the Tokugawa Shogunate had used to keep the daimyo lords who controlled different parts of Japan in check. The daimyo lords had to make regular visits to the shogun, and each daimyo had to hand over one family member to the Tokugawa clan, effectively acting as a hostage to prevent rebellion. It was a cruel but clever system to ensure loyalty.

“Wait a moment. I feel like I’m missing something here. Tania told me that there were three major wars in the history of his country. The most recent one against the Demon Lord was a hundred years ago, and the civil war happened three hundred years ago. What about the second war?”

“You really know very little about this world, huh?”

“Well, yeah…I’ve been busy running the economy.”

“I’ll just tell you since it isn’t a big secret anyway. The second major war occurred two hundred years ago. According to the history books, the dragons of this country wanted to usurp the royal family before the second generation could take over, and all the races of the country united to exterminate the dragons in order to preserve the fragile peace that had been achieved.

“To me it seems that this country goes through a cycle of war every century or so. I suppose if you look at ancient Japanese and Chinese history, that is normal.

“And then it was during the last war against the Demon Lord when the current High Elf nobility cemented their power.”

I recalled the elves serving as maids in Rosmund's mansion. They were members of the highest-ranked race, but they worked regular jobs and made a living just like anyone else.

“But how are the High Elves of the ten noble families different from regular ones?” I asked.

“Apparently their bloodline is purer and stronger than those of other High Elves,” she said. “But another reason for why they maintained power is because each of those families was given one of ten holy bows to protect.”

“Ten holy bows? I've never heard of that.”

“You really have never read a book in this world, have you?”

“I've been busy with work.”

“The story goes that the Sun Goddess has blessed the Kingdom of the East with eleven artifacts — ten bows and one mirror that is supposedly a window connecting to the world of gods. These eleven artifacts form the legitimacy of the ruling class of this country. Each of the ten noble High Elf families protects one of the bows, and the royal family protects the mirror. It is from this story that the royal family derives its legitimacy.”

“Interesting... I've never heard of this until now. By the way, how do you know all of this?”

“The original Empress Shiro forced me to learn so that I could properly impersonate her. Once she finished teaching me the basics, she eloped with her bodyguard.”

“I see...”

We arrived at the castle and went back to the throne room. Lumi and Tania joined us when we saw each other in the corridor.

The representatives of the ten High Elf families were gathered in the throne room. They were all dressed in fine clothes, although none wore the golden color that Himiko wore.

Himiko sat down on the throne, and the ceremony began. One by one, the representatives of each family prostrated themselves before her and expressed their undying loyalty to the royal family. Then they presented Himiko with a present: fine silk robes, a bottle of fine liquor, or something else that someone with a peasant mind like me couldn't appreciate.

Lumi, Tania and I stood by the sidelines, witnessing this strange ceremony.

“So this is what nobles do all day,” Tania murmured.

“How strange,” Lumi commented.

Some of the nobles must've heard that because we got some dirty looks.

Eventually it was time for the final family to pay their respects. But there was something off about them. Unlike the other families, their clothes were noticeably shabbier, as if...as if they were poor.

The last family bowed before Himiko with greater reverence than any of the other families, showering her with praises and then presenting her with a rather modest gift — a silk pillow.

After that, the ceremony ended.

“Phew, what a chore,” Himiko said to me after everyone had left. She was walking with me down to the gates of the castle, with Tania and Lumi a few steps behind us.

“That was rather strange,” I said.

“I have to do this once a month, although the tenth and lowest-ranked family tends to come by once a week to pay their respects.”

“Do you mean the family with the shabbier clothes?”

“Mh-hmm.”

“Why do they look so different?”

“Ah, you see...that last family lost their influence over the years because about twenty years ago, they lost the bow they were supposed to protect.”

“Huh...what do you mean by that?”

“I mean what I said. They lost it. Like in the same way people misplace their wallet or keys every now and then.”

Comparing the disappearance of a national artifact to losing one's keys or wallet seemed a bit demeaning.

“Without the bow to maintain the legitimacy of their status, that family has been losing influence and money every single year. I heard that they've had to sell lots of land to General Magic in order to get the funds to maintain the veneer of nobility.”

We continued to walk.

“Ah, speaking of money,” Himiko said. “Can I borrow a few million gold coins? The government is on the verge of collapse because of all the debts Empress Shiro accumulated during her reign because the tax system leaks too much money.”

I could hear Tania muttering something behind me.

“Sure thing,” I said and wrote a note for her on the spot.

“Thanks~”

We arrived at the castle gates. My carriage was waiting.

“Come by and visit us soon,” I said.

Himiko nodded and smiled like sunshine. She looked truly happy to have finally found a companion in this world.

“I will!”

Lumi, Tania and I boarded the carriage and left the palace grounds. Himiko waved until the gates closed.

“Are you sure that loaning her that money was a good idea?” Tania asked.

“Why not? Otherwise the government will collapse.”

“But allowing the government to collapse might be a good thing for us; in the chaos, we could buy up everything the royal family owns.”

I smiled wryly. She truly was Rosmund's personal assistant. If anything, she should've taken over General Magic. Although this country might be in trouble if Tania controlled the company.

“Hmm, Rosmund never gave up an opportunity for long term profit, regardless of the short term cost,” Tania added. “That is the way General Magic was built.”

“I suppose you are right,” I said. “But doing so just feels a little...heartless.”

I looked out of the carriage window. The people of this country went about their daily lives. Some looked happy, some looked tired, some looked sad. But regardless of their expression, they were all living.

Disrupting all of their lives for more profit...it just didn't feel right.

Chapter 7

Lumi wants to be noticed!

I was sitting in my office doing paperwork, and Lumi was lying on the ground, holding a book in the air. Usually she was noisy and preferred to interrupt my work, but this time, a book had grabbed her attention.

Seeing how Lumi wasn't distracting me, Tania left us alone to attend to other matters.

I welcomed the peaceful atmosphere. It would be nice if every day was like this — but with a wife by my side.

...

I should finish this work quickly and get back to my main quest of finding a wife. Otherwise I will be sent back to Japan to get shredded by an incoming train.

Lumi dropped the book she was reading.

“This is so annoying!” she said.

Well, the peace was nice while it lasted.

“Huh? What's wrong?”

“Tania is so confident that you will never marry me that she leaves me alone with you all afternoon. Why is she so confident? Are my abilities as a succubus really that mediocre?”

“Maybe not mediocre, but non-existent.”

Lumi got to her feet.

“This will not do,” she said.

“Huh?”

With a pout, she stomped over to me, climbed onto my lap, and put her arms around my neck.

“Hey, I'm still working.”

Lumi looked like she was about to cry.

“A beautiful young woman is straddling you and basically begging you to take her, and all you can say is 'I'm still working'?!”

“Well...I know that your aim is to take over General Magic for the Illuminati, so that makes it a lot easier to resist your charm.”

“Ugh...but...but what if I wasn't an Illuminati agent? Would you push away all those scrolls and do me on your desk?”

Why did she always have to talk like that? I suppose those kinds of words were a turn on in some way, but it just didn't do the trick for me.

“Keiji?”

“No, you're not my type.”

“Not your — !”

Lumi looked at me with shock in her eyes. She was so close that I could feel her warm breath.

Actually what I said about her not being my type was a lie. She had a very attractive body, and her face was pretty. There was no way that I wouldn't be attracted to her, but knowing that she was after the company and not me cooled any feelings I had, which made it easy to resist her undeniable physical charms.

Her shock turned into indignation.

“Then what is your type?”

She leaned in even closer, her face filling my vision, her soft chest pressing me.

She smelled really good.

If she wasn't an Illuminati agent, I'd probably have given in a long time ago.

“Keiji, what is your type? Answer me!”

She rocked her hips back and forth.

“M-My type, uhm...well, I prefer a modest woman who is sweet and kind. She doesn't need to have a super sexy body or look like a model, but as long as she is easy to get along with and understands me, then it's fine...”

“Pff...haha...hahaha~”

Lumi gave a smug look.

“W-What? Did I say something strange?”

“I see...I see...”

“What?”

“So you like the innocent milk maiden type...I see...I see...”

“What's an innocent milk maiden?”

“Hmm? You’ve never heard of the milk maiden? She’s the kind who has never left the countryside and is as pure and true as the boundless sky above her. Her smile is like the first ray of sunshine in the morning. A girl who wakes early and milks the cows. Her natural beauty reflects the innocence of her heart. Well, well...I didn't know your tastes were so basic.”

“Basic?!”

Lumi slid off me and patted my head. “There is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing at all~”

The smug look on her face told me otherwise.

Lumi picked up her book and walked out of the office while humming a tune. Suddenly she was in a good mood.

Somehow I didn't have a good feeling about this.

Lumi didn't bother me for the rest of the day. I got a lot of work done and even managed to finish by mid-afternoon. My efficiency really increased if I was allowed to work in peace and quiet.

Although it felt lonely to sit alone in the office.

I returned to my bedroom to rest. Not long after that, there was a knock on my door.

“Yes? Who is it?”

It was probably Tania or Maria, the head maid. If it was Lumi, then she would just burst in without knocking.

“Keiji, can I come in?”

Only Lumi used my given name; everyone else in the mansion always used my last name.

“Lumi? Uhh...sure, come in.”

“Okay.”

She opened the door and stepped in.

“Huh?”

Lumi wasn't wearing her Illuminati uniform anymore. Instead she had changed into a simple cotton dress made out of rough brown cloth with a long skirt that reached down to her ankles. She wore a loose head veil and a cream colored apron.

She looked like a farm girl.

“Lumi, what are you wearing?”

“Hmm? Never mind that, Keiji. You've been so busy all day long, so I thought it might be nice if we went on a walk together.”

We've never gone on a walk together. Lumi hated going outside and preferred staying inside. She could bury herself in the library for hours on end.

I put a hand against her forehead.

“Are you alright? Do you have a fever?”

Lumi removed my hand and took a step back. She lowered her gaze, and her expression was demure.

“Geez, Keiji, you'll surprise me when you suddenly touch me like that.”

“S-Sorry...uhm...”

Her tone and expression were completely different. It was as if she was an entirely different person. If I had to describe it, she was acting like an innocent shy maiden who —

— ah...I finally understood.

She was acting like a milk maiden.

Why would she put on such an act? Was she trying to prove something? What was the point of all this?

“Lumi, you can stop the act. I know what you are doing.”

“Fine...” Lumi pouted and then looked at me with doleful eyes. “But can you just play along? My pride as a succubus is on the line here.”

She said those words in such a pleading tone that I couldn't possibly refuse her.

“O-Okay, but only for a bit. In that case, let's go for a walk.”

“Yay~ I'm so happy~”

Normally, Lumi would hug and rub herself against me, but this time she simply smiled and balled her hands into small fists, kind of like how Himiko did.

C-Cute...She looked really cute.

We left my bedroom and went for a walk in the garden that surrounded the mansion.

Lumi walked next to me, our shoulders almost touching. Sometimes our hands would brush against each other, and she would pull back.

I couldn't help but glance at her side profile. This farm girl costume really suited her. Even though I knew it was all an act, it was so easy to believe that this was the real her.

Her eyes were kind and soft as she gazed into the distance. A gentle smile graced her lips. Her head veil wavered slightly in the wind. Her cotton dress rustled as she walked forward.

Normally she would be wearing a miniskirt and a low cut shirt that revealed her cleavage. But this farm girl dress covered up all of her skin, and yet at the same time, there was just something alluring about this outfit. She was so beautiful that I couldn’t look away.

“Keiji? Is something wrong?”

Lumi looked at me and tilted her head slightly.

Ugh...I knew that this was all an act, but my heart was still beating like crazy. Looking at her kind of reminded me of the childish feelings of having a first crush back in middle school.

“It’s nothing…”

“Shhh, Keiji, look!”

“Hmm?”

Lumi pointed at a tree in the garden. Specifically, she was pointing at a squirrel that climbed down the tree.

“Huh, so squirrels exist in this world too,” I said.

“You also have them in your world? Then you should know how cute they are when their cheeks are stuffed with nuts.”

Lumi puffed up her cheeks. She looked adorable doing this. It made me want to poke her face.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“It's rare to see them in this area since we're so close to the city. Usually they are only found deep in the forests.”

Lumi dug into her pockets and pulled out a handful of nuts. She got down onto her knees and beckoned for the squirrel to come over.

The brown little creature was hesitant at first but eventually came over. It grabbed one of the nuts in Lumi's hands, and after a few moments, it climbed onto the palm of her hand.

Lumi gingerly stood up.

“Look how cute he is,” she said and gently stroked his fur. The squirrel seemed to be enjoying that.

“Normally these kinds of animals avoid any kind of contact. How did you get so good at handling them?” I asked.

“Hmm...well...” Lumi hesitated to answer. She continued to play with the squirrel, who was munching away on the nuts in her hand. She observed the little creature, but it felt like she wasn’t looking at it; she was gazing past it, into a far off memory, a time that has come and gone.

After a long period of silence, she said, “Before I joined the Illuminati, I had nowhere to go, so I lived by myself in a forest. I learned to survive by imitating what the animals ate. For example, if you observe these squirrels, you will learn when and where to find edible nuts. And if you watch the deer long enough, you will learn what berries to avoid.”

“I see...”

She looked like an angel playing with the squirrel like that. Like a pure maiden who had never been tainted by the world.

But she was only like that because she had nowhere to go. The elves didn't want her. The succubi tribes didn't want her. All these years she lived by herself in the forest, learning how to survive.

It sounded like a wonderful tale — living in the forest — but it was actually a cruel and lonely reality.

Lumi played with the squirrel's lustrous tail and then set it on the ground.

“Time to go home,” she said.

The squirrel looked up at her, its cheeks bursting with nuts, then it scampered up the tree.

“I wonder if he is living alone in that tree,” I wondered out loud.

“Hmm, I hope he has a family,” she says. “It’s rather lonely to live alone.” After a pause she said, “Nobody should have to come back to an empty home.”

There was an emotion in her voice I couldn't quite discern. I looked at her back, her black hair shining in the afternoon sunlight.

Was she thinking about the years she spent living alone in a forest? Even if she came across someone else in the forest, she couldn't make contact because she knew that no one accepted her mixed blood.

“Lumi...are you okay?”

She stood up and turned to me.

“Mm, it's nothing.”

We continued to walk around the garden until we ended up at the gate that led to the outside world.

“Ah… The garden is so big that I almost forgot that the outside world existed,” Lumi said.

“Rosmund really knew how to live his life. This garden might be larger than the one surrounding the royal palace.”

“My veil isn't covering my eyes, so I can't go outside.”

“Oh, don't worry about that. If anyone dares to say something about your mixed blood, I will fire them from their job. And if they work at a company that I don't own, I will buy that company and then fire them.”

Lumi laughed and covered her mouth.

“Keiji, you are so strange.”

“How is that strange?”

“Mm, never mind.”

I really meant what I said. If we came across someone like the guard at the Golden Spoon, I would fire them.

“The sun is setting,” Lumi said. “Let's go back before Tania finds out that we stepped outside.”

“I wish Tania would just give me a break. She is the only one I can't fire because Rosmund assigned her to me.”

Lumi laughed gently. “She cares a lot about General Magic.”

“I guess so.”

We went back to the mansion, and fortunately, Tania never found out that we went outside without her permission.

That night I lay in bed, unable to fall asleep.

Why?

Simply put, I couldn't stop thinking about Lumi. Even though I knew that today's 'pure-hearted milk maiden' persona was all an act, she still managed to bewitch me.

Her forlorn smile, the way she tucked her hair behind her ears, her slim fingers, the sight of her simple farm girl dress —

Damn it! Was I really that easy? If Lumi found out that just this was enough for her to worm into my heart, then I wouldn't hear the end of it.

Go to sleep...go to sleep...go to sleep...

Oh great Buddha, grant me enlightenment and allow me to forget about the Lumi's milk maiden act.

Stop thinking about Lumi.

The image of Lumi in that farm girl dress wouldn't leave me.

Argh!!

Sounds came from the outside.

Hmm? What was that?

Heavy raindrops splattered against the window, and a moment later, thunder crackled outside. It was a powerful roar, as though the sky was going to split in half.

W-Whoa. This was louder than any thunderstorm I experienced in Japan.

Come to think of it, this was the first time it has rained ever since I came to this world.

Outside, it continued to thunder. It was so loud that I couldn't sleep. I sat up in my bed and watched the rain. Since we were outside of the city, it somehow felt like I was closer to the elements of nature than before. I could smell the faint scent of rain in my room. The howl of the wind whistled past the window.

This feeling of being isolated by the elements of nature was both frightening and kind of exciting.

Then, the door burst open.

“K-Keiji!”

It was Lumi.

She came in without knocking. Huh...it looks like she has returned to her old self, but she was still wearing the farm girl dress from earlier today.

“What's wrong?” I asked.

She crossed the room on unsteady legs and climbed onto my bed.

Yup, this was definitely the real her. The milk maiden persona would've never done this.

“I-I'm scared. This thunder is so loud.”

“You're scared of thunder?”

“Of course I am! Who isn't?”

Just then, an ear-deafening split boomed. Lumi shrieked and drew close to me.

“I was getting a glass of water in the kitchen and then suddenly the storm started. I got so scared that I couldn't find my way back and came to your room.”

“S-Sure...but why are you wearing your dress?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Usually people change into pajamas when they go to sleep.”

“Do they? Why would I have a separate set of clothes for when I go to sleep?”

“Because it's more comfortable.”

“Is it? In the winter I sleep wearing my winter coat, and in the summer I sleep naked.”

Right, I forgot that Lumi used to live in the forest, where she would be at the mercy of the elements. Having pajamas in that case would indeed seem like a strange luxury.

Thunder ripped across the sky again.

“Kyaa!!!”

Lumi pressed herself against my chest. Her whole body was shaking. There were tears in the corner of her eyes.

She really was scared. This wasn't an act.

I suppose in the dark forest, the thunder would've been even more frightening.

I put my arm around her shoulder and held her close.

Lumi took several deep breaths and slowly calmed down.

“T-Thanks,” she mumbled.

“Sure.” And then I asked, “How did you deal with thunder when you were living in the forest?”

“Some animals would come into my hut for shelter whenever there was a storm, and we would cuddle up together and wait until it was over.”

“I see. You really did spend a lot of time in the forest.”

“Mh-hmm.”

“Actually, uhm...this is something I've been wondering about.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“You've been living alone for as long as you can remember, right?”

“That's right. I was alone until I joined the Illuminati.”

“If you lived all alone this whole time, then who gave you your name?”

“That — “

Lumi stopped. Her mouth was half open.

“I don't know... I've just always called myself Lumi.”

Usually it was parents who gave their children their names, but since Lumi had always been alone, she had no such memory.

Tossed aside by her parents, rejected by her tribe, condemned to living alone.

“Like I said before, I don’t have any memories of my parents. That’s why I joined the Illuminati; they said they would help me if I fulfilled my mission. But…I wonder…was it my parents who gave me my name, or was it someone else? Keiji?”

Without noticing, I had tightened my grip around her.

She looked up at me, her lips slightly parted. I lowered my head, our lips almost touching.

I blinked. What was I doing? If I kissed her, then I probably wouldn't be able to hold back.

I pulled back.

“It's okay.” Lumi smiled gently and touched my cheek. Her hand was warm and soft, her lips inviting. “I just feel relieved that even though I'm not a pure blooded succubus, I can still charm you when I try.”

Her smile wasn't mocking or smug. It was filled with affection.

“Did my milk maiden act move you?”

“Kind of...”

“Only kind of, hmm...”

“I was enchanted, okay?”

“I'm happy to hear that~”

She kissed me on the cheek.

“You know...if it was you, I wouldn't mind, even without...”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Mm, it's nothing.”

She snuggled up against my chest. I couldn’t see her expression, only the top of her head.

From this distance…

She smelled really good. My hands were still on her shoulder. I could hear her gentle breathing.

“Thank you, Keiji,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Hmm? What for?”

“I’ve always lived alone…this is the first time someone else has let me stay in their home for so long. It feels different from living alone in the forest.”

“I see…”

For a while, she did nothing. We simply stayed like this, listening to the endless sounds of the storm. Eventually the thunder faded, and there was only rain.

She said, “We should go back to sleep.”

“Are you going to be alright? The storm hasn't stopped yet.”

“The sound shouldn't reach my room in the basement.”

“I see.”

“Actually...if you wished for it, I could just continue with the milk maiden act. You liked it, didn't you?”

To be honest, I did enjoy it when she wore this type of outfit. She had fully and correctly identified my 'milk maiden' preference. If she had acted like this from the beginning, then I probably would’ve signed the marriage contract, consequences be damned.

But that wasn't the reason why I gave her a place to stay.

“I'd rather have you just be yourself. Everyone else around me is acting all the time because I'm the boss. It's nice to have someone who isn't acting.”

“Hmm... I kind of get it, but at the same time, I don't get it. Do you like it when I tease you?”

“Yes and no.”

“Geez, you...”

With her hands behind her back, she left the room.

The next day, Lumi was wearing her Illuminati uniform again.

“Keiji, if you need some stress relief, I am happy for you to release it inside me~”

Lumi planted her chin on my shoulder as I did my daily paperwork.

Yup, she has turned back to her old self: an Illuminati agent who didn't shy away from using lewd phrases to try to lure me in.

“Nope, I'm good with dealing with that kind of thing myself.”

“Che...how boring. You'd rather beat your own meat when you have such a beautiful maiden right here?”

“Do you really need to do it with me that badly?”

Lumi's face flushed red.

“It's not what you think! Just because I have succubus blood doesn't mean that I need a man’s seed. My elven blood prevents those hunger pangs.”

“Oh, that’s good to know...”

“Hnghh! Keiji!”

“Ouch! Get your chin off my shoulder! That hurts!”

Tania came into my office and dumped another pile of paperwork on my desk. She ignored how Lumi was preventing me from doing work.

“Remember that you have another meeting before lunch,” she said, her voice professional and sounding slightly bored.

“Tania, help me.”

“Please excuse me.”

She left the room.

Lumi licked my ear.

“Your next meeting won't be for a while. Come on, let's get married and make a baby. It will only take five minutes.”

“I'm not going to marry you! And even if we did, it would take longer than five minutes. I have at least that much pride as a man!”

“Heee~ Then let me find out.”

“Get away from me.”

It looked like my days would continue like this for a while, but little did I know that something would soon change this world.

Chapter 8

Shopping for a new me!

I was sitting in my office with a pile of paperwork in front of me. Lumi was asleep in her room, and Tania had taken a day off, which is a rare thing since she worked seven days a week.

Tania had to formally request a day off, because, apparently, this world didn’t have any labor laws (Rosmund destroyed all of them), so no one has the right to take a break.

Naturally I granted her request. I offered her several weeks of paid leave, but she refused and said that a single day off was enough.

This meant that for the first time in a long time, I was completely alone.

Naturally, my thoughts began to wander. I looked out of the window, at the fathomless blue sky. Here I was doing paperwork when I should be finding a wife and making babies.

So far, I hadn't gotten any closer to finding a wife.

How should I solve this problem?

I called in Maria, the head maid. Within the chain of command among the staff, she was second only to Tania.

“How may I serve you, Yamamoto-sama?”

Maria was an attractive young elf with slim curves, a flat chest, and beautiful flowing blonde hair. She had an air of calm competency around her, like she could face any situation without changing her expression. But she wasn’t an expressionless robot either; there was something wistful in the way she looked, as if she was hiding a second personality behind that professional mask.

“Maria, will you marry me?”

Maria laughed gently. “Yamamoto-sama, your jokes are always funny.”

I know that it is kind of pathetic, but I've already asked every maid in this mansion to marry me. All of them have turned me down.

Whenever I just tried to talk, they all kept their distance from me.

For better or worse, a lot of problems in this world can be solved with money.

But according to Lumi, most girls are scared of me because I am too powerful. And I also want to avoid a girl marrying me just for my money.

How do I solve a problem that is caused by having too much money?

“Maria, I want you to answer some questions with absolute honesty,” I said.

“Yes, Yamamoto-sama.”

“Why do girls — despite my impeccable clothes, mild temper and considerable financial resources — keep their distance from me?”

She put a finger to her chin and thought about her answer.

“Yamamoto-sama, you are simply too handsome and too good for most girls. You should find a girl who is worthy of you.”

I've heard this kind of flattering canned lie so many times already. Maria wasn't being completely honest with me. None of the maids are.

Suddenly, I had an idea. There was a way to solve this problem with the brute force of money.

“Give me one moment, Maria.”

“Yes, Yamamoto-sama.”

I grabbed my quill, dipped it in ink, and quickly wrote a contract on a blank scroll. Since I had been doing this work for several weeks now, writing in legal language wasn't too difficult.

I sprinkled some sand on it to dry the ink, then handed the scroll over to Maria.

“Read this, and if you are happy with the conditions, sign it.”

“Ehh? Uhm...according to this contract, you will pay me a year's salary in return for six hours of unfiltered honesty.”

“There's even a clause that prevents me from punishing you for your honesty during and after the defined time limit of the contract, in case you are afraid you will say something that will upset me.”

“Hmm...this certainly is a good deal...but just in case, please add a sub-clause that states if you do punish me, then the death penalty will be your punishment.”

Yikes, Maria really was taking no chances. Honestly, I was a little hurt by how little she trusted me, but I really needed her complete honesty for this plan to work.

I amended the contract, and Maria signed it.

“Okay! For the next six hours, you will have to answer every question with full honesty.”

“Yes, Yamamoto-sama.”

I took a breath. Somehow I felt kind of nervous.

“Why do you not want to marry me?” I asked.

Maria looked a little surprised when I asked this. She crossed her arms and put some real thought into it before she answered.

“First of all, before we even talk about marriage, we should be lovers. And since you are my boss, it is weird to go out with you, you know? Like I see you all day at work. Why do I want to see your face after work? When I get myself a lover, I want him to have nothing to do with my job, otherwise it will be really difficult to fully relax. It would be suuuuper annoying to go out on a date and just end up talking about work. I don't wanna end up in bed with my boss and then still have to worry about tomorrow's shift.”

I stared at her, my mouth half open. Her voice and personality had completely changed. Was this the real her? She was nothing like the sweet and gentle mannered maid I knew.

It was exactly like this in Japan too. Most people wore a 'mask' in front of superiors in the workplace and then took off their mask in private.

“Oh, okay, thank you for your honesty. But are there any other reasons?”

“Hmm...”

Maria's sweet and innocent eyes were gone, and instead she regarded me with a sharp gaze.

“You look like a rich guy, but that is also a problem. You see, money is important in a marriage, and I want a husband who works, but there are many other things as well. If my husband is too rich, then I'll always be afraid that he might run off with another woman once my youth fades.”

I gulped. “H-How do I solve this?”

Maria pointed her finger at me.

“Take off your clothes!”

“Ehhhh? Nooo! I mean why do you want to see me naked? There's really nothing impressive about me.”

“You idiot, I don't want you to strip! I mean the clothes you wear are a big problem. All of your clothes are made from the finest silk in the whole country. You look like a damn emperor. Girls love to fantasize about marrying kings and company owners, but in reality, no girl actually wants that. It's wayyyyy too intimidating for a normal girl to go out with someone so powerful. True love can never blossom when you can't relax around your lover.”

“I see...”

I suppose that is like a lot of guys fantasizing about going out with famous actresses or celebrities. It’s a nice fantasy, but if it were to happen in reality, that kind of relationship would never work out. The difference in status is too big, and the person with the lower status would feel intimidated. Of course, true love can overcome anything, but it is highly unlikely for true love to be borne out of something like this.

“I know that you are the type of guy who likes the sweet and innocent type of girl, a milk maiden, a fresh virgin farm girl who shines like the sun and whose heart is as pure as the morning dew and smells like the first scent of summer.”

“Ugh...how do you know that?”

“This is common knowledge among the maid staff.”

I fell to the ground, all strength gone from my body. This was too much. I could never recover from this. I would never be able to look in the eye of any of the maid staff ever again.

“Yamamoto-sama, it seems that you have taken a lot of damage. Shall we amend the contract to reduce the amount of honesty required of me? Absolute honesty seems to be too much for you.”

“Y-You are right, but no, I need to hear this.”

“I see. Please do not forget about the death penalty clause.”

“I know.”

I got back up with Maria's help.

“How do you suggest I change?”

“If you’re looking for the milk maiden type, then you need to change your style. Your current style will only attract gold diggers who will totally NTR you with a more handsome and younger guy once you are older.”

“Ugh...”

Those words felt like a punch in the stomach.

“Forgive my rudeness, but you will have to go shopping if you want to attract the milk maiden type.”

“A-Alright. Let's go shopping together. I've got an open wallet for today, so please pick out some things for yourself as well.”

“Understood, I shall make use of your generosity, and in the process, I will assist you in your search for your ideal milk maiden.”

“Ugh...”

Every time she said, ’milk maiden' I took damage. There was a shadow of a smile on her lips. I got the feeling that she secretly enjoyed seeing me suffer.

“By any chance, did you talk to Lumi?” I asked.

“Yes,” and then after a moment of hesitation she said, “Most of the maid staff discriminate against her by treating her as if she were invisible. But one time she was in the kitchen, and we ended up cooking together. She is a nice person once you get to know her.”

I wonder if Lumi told her about her plan to marry me and steal the company for the sake of the Illuminati.

Regardless, I didn't want to ruin Maria's impression of Lumi. Being a mixed blood succubus was tough enough as is in this world.

I summoned the carriage and we went to the city. The driver brought us to the luxury district of the city. The shops there all had fancy glass windows, gilded doors — they looked like tiny palaces.

Maria said that buying stuff here would defeat the whole point of our shopping trip and commanded the driver to take us to a different part of the city. The driver was shocked when he heard Maria but obliged under her commanding gaze.

We rolled away from the shiny golden shops and went to a street filled with regular looking stores.

Without hesitating, Maria pulled me into a General Store.

“You have a slightly above average face, but you lack the muscles that laborers tend to have,” she said as she felt up my arms.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“We can use that to our advantage. Contrary to what most people believe, some girls are actually intimidated by muscles. We prefer a regular guy. Of course this doesn't mean that there aren't girls out there who get hearts in their eyes when they see a muscle man. Those types of girls usually end up marrying beast men.”

“I see...”

Maria picked out some clothes and pushed me into the changing room.

Moments later, I came out wearing a regular cream colored shirt with a brown leather vest and cotton trousers. The clothes felt itchy and rough. My regular thousand year silk garments were a lot more comfortable.

“You look much more normal already, almost too normal,” Maria commented.

Ouch... She really didn't hold back with her honesty.

“Alright, buy these. We're going somewhere else.”

“Okay.”

I paid for the clothes and then followed Maria down the street to another store.

This new store sold suits.

“Huh... But I already have a lot of suits,” I said.

“Idiot! Your suits are lined with gold and your wrist cuffs are decorated with silver. We need to get you some regular suits. This store specializes in making clothes for merchants and the like.”

We went in and were greeted by an old tailor with a kind smile. He had a grey stubble and wore round glasses. His back was slightly hunched, making him look smaller than he actually was. There was a sense of tiredness in the many wrinkles on his face, like he had been through too much in life, but regardless he still stood today.

Without letting me speak, Maria told the tailor what she wanted for me, and the tailor bowed.

I honestly felt a little bad for letting Maria do all the work, so I tried to be useful too.

“Uhm, maybe this roll of silk could work?” I said and pointed at a roll of dark green silk.

“Ehhh...” Maria showed me a strained expression that said, 'are you sure?'

“Does it look that bad?”

“I see why Tania takes care of your wardrobe. You really have no sense for fashion.”

When I was still in Japan, I got all of my office clothes at AOYAMA and casual stuff at Uniqlo. I just bought whatever the mannequins wore because I didn't want to think too much about it.

Come to think of it, one time I managed to get a date with a girl, and when we met up at the station, she turned around and walked away when she saw my Uniqlo outfit.

“We can get a green suit if you really want to, but I don't think green suits you. Well…hmm…”

There was hesitancy in her voice.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Well…to be honest…green actually makes you look worse.”

She seemed hesitant to say more.

“I am paying you for your unfiltered honesty. Please speak freely.”

“In that case…well, I was just thinking that if your sense of fashion really is this bad, then it is no wonder that you have never bedded a woman. Your choice of color actually makes you look worse than without clothes.”

Ugh…

I could feel physical pain from hearing her words.

Maria's voice had suddenly become a lot gentler. Did I let the pain of that memory show on my face?

“I shall follow your guidance, master,” I said.

“Good, good. It's hard to pull off green, especially for someone with your face. Dark blue suits you a lot better— Yamamoto-sama! What's wrong? Why are you lying on the ground with blood coming out of your mouth? Was that too much honesty? Uhm...let me praise you, uhm...you are handsome! Super handsome! Come on, don't die on me now! Think about the milk maiden you may or may not marry! She will be a total cutie — probably!”

After I had recovered from Maria's unintended verbal assault (even the old tailor looked at me with pity), the old tailor summoned an assistant to take my measurements. The assistant was a young human woman. She wore a handsome suit and she had her hair cut short. She led me to a different room with a tall mirror in it.

“You look familiar,” she said while taking my measurements.

“R-Really?” I stammered. I could feel her slim fingers all over my body. I knew that she was touching me purely in a professional sense, but I couldn’t help but feel excited. Such was the reaction of a true virgin.

“Mh-hmm, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“I, err…I work for General Magic.”

“Is that so?” There was an edge in her voice.

“Is something wrong?”

She shook her head. “It’s just that my family’s silk garment business was bankrupted by Rosmund von Lichtenstein when we refused to sell. Since then, I’ve been working as a tailor’s assistant.”

“I see…I apologize on behalf of Rosmund.”

Damn it, just how many people did he screw over?

“Hmm? Why would you apologize on his behalf? You just work for General Magic.”

“Actually, I’m Rosmund’s successor. I’m the current CEO of General Magic. I can’t undo what he has done. I can only apologize for the hardship he has inflicted on your family.”

“…I see…then in that case, I apologize for this.”

“Apologize for what?”

She moved in a flash and pressed a needle against my neck.

“Don’t move,” she said. “Scream and I will kill you right now.”

My mouth was half open. This was the first time someone actually tried to threaten me.

“I’m going to insert this needle into your neck, and if you can survive that, I will let you live. And even then, it would only be a faction of the pain your company has caused my family and everyone else.”

Wait, that’s the same as killing me!

She drew blood. A red drop fell to the floor.

“W-Wait, don’t do this. I can help you out.”

“I don’t want your help. I want justice.”

She had no intention of letting me live. Her mind was made up. She was ready to kill me to quench her thirst for revenge.

The old tailor appeared next to her and grabbed her hand.

“What are you doing to our client?” he asked in a low voice.

“Let go of me,” the young assistant said. “This is Rosmund’s heir. I’m going to kill him for everything his company has done to us.”

“Before he is Rosmund’s heir, he is our customer. And you are threatening a customer.”

“But he is going to ruin your business too! He’ll buy this store and enslave us!”

“I understand. But right now he is our customer. You’re fired. Get out.”

I decided to speak up.

“W-Wait! Don’t fire her please. I understand why she is doing this. I am ready to forgive her, so please overlook it just this once.”

The old tailor looked at me with a confused expression.

“But she’s the one who tried to kill you.”

“I know, but…I know what it is like to have your life ruined by someone above you in the world of business. To have your existence stomped on. It is unforgivable. But nothing will get solved if she loses her job. Please keep her under your wing.”

The old tailor looked at me with bewilderment, but eventually sighed.

“Fine…as you wish.”

I guess Rosmund had a habit of buying any business that caught his eye and forcing anyone who refused to sell into bankruptcy. I couldn’t undo all the pain he and General Magic have caused, but at the very least, in this moment right now, I could save this girl from ending up unemployed and getting charged with attempted murder — even though I was her target.

I came out of the measurement room a little shaken and disheveled. Maria asked if something was wrong, but I told her that everything was fine.

I figured it’s better for what happened in there to stay a secret. Otherwise Tania might find out and take legal action against that girl.

Since we had finished buying the things I needed, we began to shop for some of the things Maria wanted.

“I know you said you have an open wallet but are you sure?”

“I am the richest man in the country.”

“Oh-ho~”

We walked around the city and had a great time together. Maria bought several dresses, and when we felt hungry, we went to a restaurant and indulged in some grilled meat. Maria taught me how to wrap the grilled meat around a layer of vegetables and eat it with different kinds of sauces. It was similar to Korean barbecue, and it was delicious.

“Don't tell Tania that I brought you here, or she might get angry with me.”

“Why would she get angry?”

“This kind of barbecue is usually for people of...erm...lower-income. Tania would hate it if she knew that I brought you to this kind of place.”

“Okay, I won't tell her. But in return, tell me: do a lot of the maid staff come here after work?”

Maria's gaze shifted left and right.

“Geez...the other maids will get so mad at me if they find out that I brought you to our gathering place.”

“I see, so this is your after-work gathering spot?”

Maria nodded. “Sometimes when Tania really cracks the whip, we come here after work to drink and eat our troubles away.”

“Hmm, I see. That sounds like fun.”

Honestly, it made me feel a little lonely that I wouldn't be able to join these parties because I was the boss.

And then I added, “I promise that I won't come here on my own.”

“Thanks~”

“But do you mind if I buy this business?”

“Geez, you...”

We both burst out laughing and ordered more ale and meat.

After dinner, we walked around the city with our stomachs stuffed to the brim. The evening breeze felt pleasant after such a big dinner.

The dying sunlight cast long shadows across the ground. Maria walked beside me. She looked beautiful in the tawny sunlight, like a painting where the artist wanted to capture a sense of nostalgia.

“Say Maria...”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want to marry me?”

Maria stepped in front of me with her hands behind her back. I couldn't see her expression.

“Actually...after today, I’m going to resign.”

“Huh? Why? Am I such a bad boss?”

She shook her head. “Mm, since I’m being paid a year's salary for my honesty today, I finally have enough money to start my own flower store.”

“A flower store?”

“Mh-hmm~ I've always dreamed of becoming a florist. Actually before I became a maid, I studied flower arrangement at the Eastern Academy of Art and Culture. But after I graduated, finding a job was difficult, so I became a maid instead.”

“I see...”

It was similar to the situation I experienced back in Japan. After I graduated, I took whatever job the company offered me, even if I hated the job itself.

“Before I get married, I want to go on an adventure. I want to see what I can do — how far I can go.”

Maria came across as the type of person who always saw stone cold reality in front of her, but in truth she was a hopeless romantic, someone who refused to give up on their dream and sheltered a fragment of pure and innocent hope in their heart.

She turned to me.

“But, thank you. I appreciate the offer.” She offered me her hand.

I smiled and shook her hand.

“Let me know when your business opens. I will be sure to buy up all the flowers.”

“You will inconvenience the other customers.”

I laughed and soon Maria was laughing too. Our laughter travelled along the cobbled streets, towards the far off horizon and whatever lay beyond it.

“Let's go home,” I said.

“Okay.”

The next day, Maria handed in her resignation. Tania tried to get her to stay, even offering to raise her salary, but her mind was made up. She returned her work uniform and came to my office with a trunk next to her.

“Thank you for everything,” she said and bowed deeply.

She had returned to her usual, professional self.

“Thank you for your hard work,” I said.

She raised her head, and there was a twinkle of her smile in her eyes.

She turned around and was about to leave my office when I said, “Good luck.”

Maria stopped for a moment. She gave me a silent thumbs up without turning around and then left the mansion.

How far will she go?

I smiled ruefully as I let that thought ring in my mind.

Chapter 9

The Hero has Arrived!

My peaceful days came to an end when Tania stormed into my office one morning.

I was working like I always did: a pile of paperwork in front of me and Lumi hanging out somewhere in the room. There was a cup of freshly boiled tea on my desk, paired together with a plate of cookies.

Ever since I came to this world, I've been learning to enjoy the food and drink here. The tea might be different from the green tea I drank when I was still living in Japan, but I've learned to enjoy it regardless.

The cookies had a not too sweet flavor. Some of the maids bake them in the morning, and I sometimes get to enjoy them. This time, they've mixed in some kind of fruit jam I've never heard of, creating a flavor that was truly unique.

Lumi sat in the corner, reading a book. I wonder if it was another one of Rosmund’s book about how to take over a country. I wonder if Lumi planned on using this knowledge somehow. But even if she did, she would need the backing of General Magic since this company controlled more than half of this country’s economic output, not to mention it controlled almost all newspapers.

While I was taking a break and enjoying my tea, Tania slammed the door open and came in.

“This is terrible!” she cried.

“Huh? What is?”

Normally I would've been surprised to hear that something bad was happening but I've learned that there was nothing I couldn't buy and no problem I couldn’t solve with money, so I wasn't too worried when I heard those words.

“The Demon Lord has broken out of her prison, killed all the guards and made her former prison an impregnable fortress. She is assembling an army of demons in the northern island of this country.”

I dropped my tea and the cup shattered on the floor.

“This is the worst timing ever,” Tania moaned. “General Magic was just about to start selling a new product. If the Demon Lord launches an attack on the Kingdom of the East, then everyone will be too busy fighting for their lives, and no one will have time to buy stuff! Our company's quarterly revenue will go down!”

I stood up. Lumi put her book aside.

“Yamamoto-sama, do you know how to save this quarter's sales?”

Tania looked at me with tears glistening in her eyes.

“Hell yeah! This is what I've been waiting for!”

I pumped my fist into the air.

“Huh?” Tania blinked.

“I can finally go on a quest to defeat the Demon Lord like any other hero! I shall leave behind all of this paperwork, gather some companions and go adventuring!”

Tania looked at me with disbelief.

“But Yamamoto-sama, you have no affinity for magic and have zero combat skills. Rosmund summoned you to become the CEO of General Magic, and therefore you haven't been blessed with any combat abilities. Paperwork is the only thing you're good for. If you go onto the battlefield, you will be slaughtered like an immobile piece of meat.”

“Ugh...”

Tania's frank words pierced my chest like an arrow.

“If you go out adventuring, you’ll die instantly.”

“Even I'm not that weak...”

Just then, a maid came into the office and delivered a letter. The envelope bore the wax seal of the royal family. My heart leapt. Is this my summoning call? Is Himiko going to ask me to defeat the Demon Lord?

I read the letter.

“What does it say?” Lumi asked.

“Empress Shiro has asked us to come to the royal palace immediately,” I said.

The letter said nothing about defeating the Demon Lord, but perhaps Himiko wanted to ask me in person since such things were better conveyed in person and not in a letter.

“Why does that flat chested nest robber want to see you?” Lumi said, her voice monotone. “She is the empress; she can have a harem of handsome guys. You know what, just forget about this letter. I bet she is doing lewd stuff with twenty handsome young men right now. Keiji, forget about her and come to bed with me.”

Lumi tried to put her arms around me, but I kept her at arm's length.

“Let's go! Our quest awaits!”

Dragons and dungeons, sword and shields, travels across vast lands. Here I come!

We took the carriage into the city and were promptly allowed to enter the grounds of the royal palace. The Osaka Castle copy shone brilliantly under the sunlight.

Ah~ It's a good day to be alive.

What kind of armor should I buy? Since I wasn't blessed with any magic abilities beyond having tons of money, I should buy items that give me lots of protection from both physical and magical attacks.

Hmm, before we head to the northern island to take on the Demon Lord and her army, I should hire someone to teach me how to use a sword.

Lumi and Tania both had elf blood in their veins, so they should be able to use magic without a problem.

What kind of strategy shall we use? What kind of epic adventures will we go on?

Himiko came to the castle gates to greet us.

“You finally came! I've been so bored~ I wanna play with someone,” she said.

“What? You called me here because you want to hang out?”

“Yeah, why else would I call you over? Geez, I've waited for you this whole time, and you never came. I had no choice but to use a royal summoning to get you to come over. I feel like a newlywed wife who is being neglected by her husband.”

The light vanished from Lumi's eyes. She looked like she was ready to kill someone.

“W-Wait, we're not in that kind of relationship. A-Anyway, didn't you summon me here to ask me to defeat the Demon Lord?”

Himiko tilted her head in confusion. “What?”

“The Demon Lord broke out of her prison and is assembling an army! She is going to attack this country soon!”

Himiko's lips formed a little O shape.

“Oh, so that’s what you are talking about. I almost forgot about that.”

How do you forget about something like that?! You’re the empress.

“Aren't you going to ask me to go and defeat the Demon Lord?”

“Ehh? Why would I do that? You'll get slaughtered like a chicken.”

Did everyone just see me as some kind of rich paper pusher?

“Then what are you going to do about the Demon Lord?”

“The court mage is in the process of summoning a hero from another world to defeat the Demon Lord, so you have nothing to worry about. Anyway, let's go and hang out~”

Himiko hugged my arm and tried to pull me away. Lumi promptly grabbed my other arm.

“You're not going anywhere without me! I know that your government is in a lot of debt. You just want him for his money.”

Like you're one to talk!

“You're making me sound like some kind of gold digger! I am the empress! Bow before me!”

Upon saying those words, everyone around us got down onto their knees — everyone except for me and Lumi.

“Heh-heh~ I'm not one of your subjects.”

“Grrrr, fine! I will give you citizenship, and then you will have to bow. Where is the immigration officer? Someone give her citizenship!”

“Bleh!” Lumi stuck out her tongue.

The entire time I was sandwiched between these two.

I sighed.

“Himi - I mean, Empress Shiro. Before we hang out, I want to see the summoning of the hero who will save us.”

“Ehhh? But that is so boring...”

“Please.”

“Eh… Fine…”

We walked into the castle and down a set of stairs until we ended up in what looked like a dungeon. The walls and ground were covered with stones.

“Why are we down here?”

It was Tania who answered.

“Complex summoning spells need to be performed in a sealed room without windows to keep the magic concentrated. Preferably the summoning location is in a room lined with stones that don’t absorb magic.”

“Ah, I remember Rosmund summoned me in that kind of environment.”

“That's right.”

Himiko's attendants led us down a stony corridor, and at the end we entered an open cavern. It looked like it was a natural cave of some sorts.

“Natural caves are even better than artificial ones,” Tania said. “A natural closed off environment can potentially amplify the power of the mage.”

“I see.”

I was impressed how much Tania knew about magic since she was the type who prioritized quarterly earnings reports above everything else.

A mage had already drawn a summoning circle on the ground and had begun to cast the spell. The circle glowed with a pulsing golden light.

Himiko yawned loudly.

Lumi looked bored.

Only Tania and the attendants seemed to be interested in this.

The pulsing of the golden light grew more violent until it was so bright that I had to shield my eyes. There was a powerful flash and then the light vanished.

In the middle of a circle lay a naked man.

Wait a minute...

He looked...Japanese.

Himiko's attendants quickly covered up his naked body. The guy rubbed his eyes and sat up. Wow! His body is well toned. He even had a six pack. And he was really good looking.

Damn it all — this guy was a natural ikemen.

“W-Where am I?”

The attendants helped him stand up.

“I suppose I will have to explain,” Himiko said and stepped forward.

Long story short, Himiko told him that he had been summoned to another world to become the Hero and defeat the Demon Lord.

“Uhh...the royal family will provide you with weapons and armor and a harem — I mean a group of companions. Now please go fight the Demon Lord, okay, thanks.”

She said all of those words in a monotone and at rapid speed, like she was reading off a script.

Himiko came back to my side.

“Okay, now that we've dealt with this, let's go hang out.”

“Wait, your explanation was way too short! We can't just leave him here.”

“Che...” Himiko clicked her tongue.

In the end, once the summoned hero got dressed, Himiko and I took him to a room in the castle where the three of us could talk in private.

Once we were sure that no one was eavesdropping on us, we exchanged self-introductions. It turns out that the summoned hero was indeed Japanese. His name is… I didn’t really catch his name, so I’ll just call him the Hero. He just graduated from university and was about to start his first job when he was summoned to another world.

Just to be sure, I asked him if there was a truck involved or any other kind of vehicular accident leading to potential death, and he just looked at me with a confused expression. Apparently he had really just been summoned the normal way.

I told him that both Himiko and I were also Japanese, and we were summoned to this world for other purposes. Himiko was summoned to this world to impersonate the empress, and I was here to take over the country's largest company.

“So I was summoned to this world to defeat the Demon Lord?”

“That's right,” Himiko said. “The court mage told me that you should be blessed with magic abilities and combat skills because you are the Hero.”

“You're right. I can feel a strange power flowing through my veins.” He looked at us two. “What abilities did the summoning spell give you two? Perhaps we can form a group and defeat the Demon Lord together.”

As much as I wanted to go on an adventure, doing it with a guy like this would just annoy me. He was blessed with God-like abilities, and he was super handsome on top of that. I would never be able to find a wife if he was next to me all the time.

“My special ability is, err...I look exactly like Empress Shiro.”

“Er…I’m really rich in this world. I guess my special ability is being able to solve problems with money. “

No one said anything for a moment.

“Let me use my Appraisal skill,” the Hero said.

“Appraisal skill?” It was a common ability most protagonists had, but I hadn’t seen anyone in this world wield it.

“It seems to be one of the many skills I was given by the summoning spell; it allows me to see the worth and ability of anyone I focus on.”

The Hero looked at me and Himiko.

He sighed.

“It seems that you are right. Neither of you possesses any useful combat abilities.”

Kuh…I knew that he was right, but he could’ve phrased it better. It was like he was trying to belittle us.

An awkward silence settled in the room. I had to find a way to continue the conversation.

“Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?” I asked.

“I was born and raised in Saitama, and I recently graduated from Keio University Law School.”

Keio University?! That was one of the best private universities in all of Japan! Damn it, so he has both looks and brains. Some people really do have it all.

“Is there any way for me to go back to Japan? My colleagues at the law firm need me. Also, I had a date with a girl before I was summoned to this world.”

I could feel the envy rising up in my throat, so I said nothing. Instead, Himiko spoke.

“According to the court magician, you have been summoned to this world to defeat the Demon Lord who has recently broken out of her prison. Once you have fulfilled your mission, you will be able to choose between staying in this world and returning home. Those are your summoning conditions.”

“I see...,” the Hero said those words with a sigh. “Will I be rewarded for my troubles?”

“Uhm...”

“Because it seems rather unfair that I will have to fight on your behalf when this isn't my problem.”

He definitely had a point, although I couldn't help but feel that his words sounded rather arrogant.

“You are right,” Himiko said. “I suppose I can reward you by letting you take something from this world back to Japan.”

“But this world looks so medieval and underdeveloped...there is nothing that I want.”

This guy was really rubbing me the wrong way. He seems pleasant at first, but now he was just being a pain. Was this how people in the upper class stayed in the upper echelons of society? By making sure that they always profit from everything that they do — even when it is helping someone?

Also, all three of us are from Japan. Don't be so selfish. None of us chose to be here.

I wanted to say those words, but I kept my mouth shut. In the end, he was still the chosen Hero, and I was powerless.

“Well, I suppose you are right,” Himiko said awkwardly. “But please just bear with this request. The country is depending on you.”

“Fine, I suppose I have no choice,” the Hero said with an annoyed look. “Can I at least expect some material support, or are you going to send me in naked?”

“The royal treasury has a wide range of legendary weapons and armor for you to choose from. Also, the ten High Elf families will each supply you with an elite warrior maiden.”

“I guess that will have to do.”

What an arrogant guy. As soon as he was assured of his superior position, he began to talk down on us.

We went down to the treasury, and just like Himiko said, the walls were lined up with all sorts of legendary weapons. The Hero picked up a gaudy golden sword along with matching golden armor and a kite shield.

“You like gold?” I asked.

“Mh-hmm, gold is the color of victory and wealth.”

“Right...”

So he is wealthy, handsome, and has no taste.

He took some other support items (potions, throwing knives, a whip and boots that reduce one's weight) from the treasury and then we went up to the throne room to meet the ten warrior maidens from the ten High Elf families.

“W-Wow.”

The ten girls were lined up in a row, ready for a final inspection before heading out on their mission with the Hero.

They were incredibly beautiful. They all had long pointy ears, lithe limbs, and pleasing faces. Judging by their rigid posture, even an amateur like me could tell that these ten girls had trained in combat their entire lives.

All the warrior maidens had been outfitted with the legendary bow that their families protected — all except for one, of course. The last girl at the end of the line up wore shabbier armor and was equipped with a normal looking bow.

The Hero inspected all of the girls and stopped when he reached her.

“So you are the weakest out of all of them,” he said.

“I-I am very sorry,” she said. “My family is low in standing, and we don't have the funds that the other families have. B-But I am still a proud warrior. I will protect you with my life, sir.”

“And how exactly will you do that? I’m using my Appraisal skill right now and it looks like you are weaker than me in every area.”

“Uhm…well…I will die for you, if needed, sir.”

“Hmph…is this the best your family can offer?”

“Y-Yes…”

She avoided eye contact.

“But I will do my best.”

“We'll see about that.”

He turned his back on her.

This guy… Even if she was clearly the weakest, there was no need to humiliate her in front of everyone else.

The girl hung her head in shame. The other nine looked at her with smiles in their eyes, chuckling among themselves.

Once the Hero had finished inspecting the troops (and making sure to give each of them a good squeeze), he put his hands on his hips and looked at Himiko expectantly.

For a moment, no one said anything. An awkward silence hung in the air. It looked like he was waiting for something, but no one knew what he wanted.

“Shouldn’t there be a send off party for me?” he eventually asked.

Himiko looked at her attendants. They shook their heads.

“Huh? Uhm…well…we haven’t prepared anything. We are terribly sorry…”

She shrunk under the Hero’s expectant gaze.

“Geez, you people. I’ve been summoned here as the Hero, you know? You are asking me to defeat the Demon Lord for you, which is a difficult and dangerous task. And I’ve been summoned against my will too.”

“Uhm…I am terribly — “

“Unbelievable.” The Hero shook his head and sighed. We all looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact. “How will you take responsibility for this lackluster welcome?”

What is wrong with this guy? Doesn’t he realize that Himiko is just like him — a person summoned from Japan? Why is he being such a pain?

I suppose this arrogance is natural for someone who has always been successful his entire life and expects to be treated as such every step of the way, especially now that he is the Hero.

“You are going too — “ I said, but Himiko stopped me. She shook her head.

She got down onto her knees and prostrated herself before him. Her forehead touched the ground. As soon as she did that, everyone else followed.

“I am terribly sorry for this. The royal family did not mean any disrespect, Hero-sama.”

“Hmph…” The Hero sniffed. “Let’s just get on with it.”

The Hero left the castle with his ten warrior maidens in tow. He rode on a horse while everyone else followed him on foot. His golden armor shone so brilliantly under the sun that we all had to close our eyes.

I wondered how he was going to fight in that golden armor, but I wouldn’t be there to see it.

We all stood outside the castle gates, seeing the Hero off and letting out a sigh of relief at the same time.

“He is going to lose,” Lumi said.

She had suddenly reappeared next to me.

“How are you so sure?”

“Just a feeling.”

“But he has the best equipment and nine out of the ten legendary bows. Even if the Demon Lord is powerful, he shouldn't lose.”

“I suppose so… He has been blessed with superior combat abilities as well as a natural affinity for magic. He will be able to cast powerful spells with very little effort. I can also see that his intelligence is on another level… But he is going to lose to the Demon Lord, just not in the way you imagine it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You'll see.” Lumi shrugged.

She seemed rather disappointed by the Hero. I mean I was too. I didn’t expect for the summoning spell to summon who was so arrogant and difficult to deal with. But none of us could say anything because he was blessed with the power and title of the Hero.

But I wonder what Lumi saw in him that the rest of us couldn't.

Over the next couple of weeks, we received reports of the Hero steadily making his way north, easily cutting down the waves of enemies the Demon Lord threw at him. The ten warrior maidens fought bravely and none of them fell in battle.

In other words, they were invincible.

“See? I told you that he wouldn't lose.”

Lumi looked up from her book, tilted her head slightly, then returned to reading.

“He will lose. You'll see.”

“Seriously, do you know something that we don't?”

“Well...not really, it's just my succubus instinct.”

“...”

“If you don't believe me, we can bet something on it.”

“Like what?”

“If I'm right, you sign over your company. If I'm wrong, you get to have your way with me.”

“...there is no way I will risk all of General Magic on a single bet, especially when it involves someone as disagreeable as him.”

“Hehe~” Lumi stuck out her tongue.

I guess she didn't expect for that to work either.

The Hero and his companions continued to march north. Everywhere they went, their arrival was celebrated. However, there were some rumors that towns and villages also secretly celebrated the Hero's departure.

There were whispers that the Hero hated the food in every village and demanded that the locals follow the recipes that he provided. The villages obeyed since he was the Hero, but that also made him an undesirable guest.

He also complained endlessly about how scratchy the straw mattress was.

I guess he couldn’t afford a soft expensive mattress like me since he wasn’t a billionaire (like me).

Two weeks later, the newspapers reported that the Hero and his party have made it to the northern island. Most of the Demon Lord's armies have been wiped out by this eleven person company.

“If I defeat the Demon Lord, maybe Empress Shiro should marry me and let me rule this country as king — just joking,” the Hero was reported to have said.

“I should have him executed for treason and sexual harassment before sending him back to Japan,” Himiko said to me in private when she invited me to hang out at the castle.

“But wouldn't that just mean sending back a dead body?”

“Exactly.”

“You don't like him much, do you?”

“He rubs me the wrong way.”

“Same here...but...”

“But...”

He was the Hero. Anything he did or said we would have to grin and bear it. There was nothing we could do about that. He was the chosen one. The Hero chosen by the heavens via the summoning spell. And apparently the heavens chose an arrogant, handsome and intellectual Keio law school graduate.

I told Himiko about Lumi's prediction that the Hero would ultimately lose.

“Does his equipment have any kind of weakness?” I asked.

“Hmm...I don't think so. He chose that gaudy golden sword and armor, right? Those are the strongest pieces the royal family possesses. Of course it isn't perfect, but the legendary bows all work together to cover up any weaknesses.”

“I wonder why Lumi keeps saying that he will lose. Maybe the Demon Lord has some kind of new weapon?”

“If she does, then we are in trouble. But he won't lose. He is so arrogant, the Demon Lord will abandon her conquest just to get away from him.”

I laughed. “I suppose that is true.”

“Anyway, I'm just glad that he took that golden sword and armor off me. I've always hated how gaudy it looked.”

It was hard to believe that she was talking about the most powerful items the royal family owned, but I agreed with her.

Himiko and I then returned to drawing up plans to rebuild the Sensō-ji in this world. We both missed the atmosphere and look of Shinto temples since the architecture in this world was entirely European. We might have to import some building materials from the neighboring Middle Kingdom, but with the financial might of General Magic, nothing was impossible.

The Hero and his party were just days away from fighting the Demon Lord. They destroyed the last of the orcs and goblins the Demon Lord used and finally broke into her last stronghold: a dungeon deep in the mountains of the north.

And then —

— nothing.

Any information from the north suddenly dried up. Himiko sent her fastest messengers and best spies to the northern island, but no one was able to find any trace of the Hero and his companions.

Rumors soon exploded.

The Hero and his company had been wiped out by the Demon Lord. The Hero was placed under a curse. Their weapons had been stolen. The Demon Lord tricked the Hero, and he had been captured and the ten warrior maidens had been defeated, legendary bows all destroyed.

But soon the rumors changed.

The Hero got food poisoning and has been on the toilet the entire time. The Hero has suddenly turned into a NEET and refuses to leave the tavern. The Hero was afraid of cold weather and decided to wait until the summer. The Hero preferred older women and ditched his company of young elven maidens in order to find someone who is his type. The Hero and the ten maidens are holed up in a luxury inn and are doing lewd things as a big group.

When I asked Himiko, she neither confirmed nor denied that she was the source of that second set of rumors.

But then news finally came after two weeks of silence.

The last of the ten warrior maidens, the only one who was not equipped with a legendary bow, had made it back to the capital city. She was wounded and bruised, but other than that she was okay.

She was the one who broke the news: the Hero had been seduced by the Demon Lord, and for the past few weeks, they have been rolling around in bed together, ferociously focused on making babies.

Hey, hey! What happened to returning to Japan? Aren’t you too easily persuaded? What kind of horn dog are you?!

“It was terrible,” the surviving warrior maiden said during her audience with Himiko. “After entering the dungeon, the Hero was persuaded by the Demon Lord and began to attack us. He said that he wanted to offer our heads and legendary bows as a wedding present to the Demon Lord. He said that the Demon Lord was exactly his type and that they were going to start a family together.

“He only spared me because he forgot that I existed. Later I snuck into the dungeon and found the Demon Lord's bedroom and saw them rolling in bed together. Do you want to know what position they used? I have even recorded them for a little bit using a magic crystal that can capture images.”

“No, thank you,” Himiko said, her face contorted with disgust. Then she muttered under her breath. “Men are pigs.”

I smiled awkwardly.

But even though the Hero had failed in killing the Demon Lord, the country was now safe. As long as the Hero kept her busy in bed, she wouldn't have the time to conquer the Kingdom of the East.

When I returned home, I told Lumi the story, and she struck a triumphant pose.

“See? I was right!”

“How did you know that this was going to happen?”

“That Hero might have great physical strength and magic, but he is weak in character. If you leave him alone in a room with me, I would have him wrapped around my finger in less than ten minutes, no — ten seconds!”

“Right... And you know that because…”

“Succubus instinct; I naturally know everything about a man’s heart when I see him.”

I guess Lumi does have a good eye for people, or men at least.

Well, no matter. Hero-san, please keep the Demon Lord busy! We're counting on you! If you need to boost your virility, eat some mountain yams and red beef! Remember to get plenty of sleep. It's not healthy to stay up all night long.

Do your best! Stay hard for the sake of the country! We’re counting on you!

Chapter 10

The Demon Lord and the Hero Fall in Love!

“I'm boooooored. I wish a hot guy would just show up.”

Those words were uttered by Alysha the second, House of Echethier — also known as the current Demon Lord.

After spending a hundred years in prison, she managed to break out of her cell in a prison deep in the northern mountains. After killing all of the guards, she made the prison her home.

She sat sideways on her throne, her head hanging back and her legs lazily swinging off the armrest. Her black hair was like the night sky, a deep hypnotic darkness mixed with sprinkles of stars. The way she swung her legs made her skirt to ride up her thighs, causing her attendant to avert his eyes.

The attendant cleared his throat. He was just a goblin, but he was chosen to be her attendant because his voice didn't grate her ears.

“Empress Shiro has summoned a Hero, and according to reports, he has assembled a company of elite fighters from the ten High Elf families.”

“Oh...is that so?” She didn't sound the least bit interested.

“The demonic tribes who have awaited your return have each pledged a large number of soldiers. Shall we send an army to crush them?”

Alysha sat up and used one hand to massage her shoulders.

“Those High Elf families are so weak; do we even need an army to take them on?”

“Our spies report that the Hero summoned by Empress Shiro is rather powerful. We don't have a picture of the Hero, but this is a profile they put together for the current empress.”

The attendant handed over a scroll.

Alysha began to read it. Not because she was interested, but because there was nothing else to do.

She raised her eyebrows slightly when she saw the portrait of the empress.

“Huh, she looks a lot like the empress who managed to imprison me a hundred years ago. I suppose back then...that must be her grandmother since humans have such short lifespans.”

The attendant said nothing.

“Well, no matter. Since we have an army, we might as well conquer the country, no? Otherwise there's nothing for us to do.”

“Yes, master.”

“Then tell the commanders of our armies to march towards the main island. Oh, and tell them to capture any hot guy they see.”

“Yes, master.”

Over the next couple of weeks, the Demon Lord's armies swept across the northern island, across the strait, and onto the main islands of the Kingdom of the East. After spending a century being suppressed by the other races, the demonic races fought with revenge in mind. In particular, they wanted to kill as many High Elves as possible since they saw those as the most arrogant of the races.

The succubus tribes stayed silent for the most part. They were hiding deep in the forests and mountains, preferring to remain neutral. If the Demon Lord lost, then they would be continued to be treated as undesirable lower class citizens by the other races.

If the Demon Lord won, they would still be treated as lower class citizens because succubi were considered to be Lower Demons who had corroborated with the royal family — in short, they were quasi-traitors.

In fact, some of the succubus tribes conspired against the Demon Lord since she has ordered all handsome hot guys to be captured.

Just when the Demon Lord's armies were closing in on the capital, the Hero and his company put a stop to their momentum.

The handsome Hero from another world. The handsome Lawyer from another world. The handsome Hot Guy from another world.

Many different names circulated among both the demons and the other races. The main point was that he was handsome.

“What's a law-year?” Alysha asked when reports of those names reached her.

“Uhm...” The attendant struggled to find an answer.

“It contains the word law...so he writes laws?”

“But that would make him a king.”

“You're right... I didn't expect for him to be that strong. He's even managed to push back against our armies. But...”

Her eyes landed on the word 'handsome'.

There were no portraits of him, and no crystal managed to capture a video either.

“Is he really that handsome?” she asked.

“I cannot confirm that.”

“Hmm...”

“Master? Are you thinking of having the armies retreat so that you can confirm his handsomeness yourself?”

“W-What? Of course not! I was just thinking that if he is really so handso — I mean powerful, then it is better if I fight him, right? That way, there will be fewer senseless deaths.”

The attendant said nothing.

“A-Anyways! Give the order for the armies to make a slow retreat. Engage the Hero in skirmishes when needed, but focus on minimizing deaths! Tell the soldiers that I am doing this to protect their lives.”

“...”

“Go!”

“Yes, master.”

As a result of this order, the morale among the demon soldiers rose into the sky.

“The Demon Lord cares so much about our lives!”

“I will fight and die for the Demon Lord!”

“This is a Demon Lord worth dying for.”

The troops were so moved by her apparent concern, it caused a rise in morale among the troops, which pushed them to fight even harder rather than making a retreat. The Hero and his company ended up killing even more enemies than before.

“Casualties are rising. I'm not sure how long our troops can hold on for. The Hero is too strong, master.”

Alysha sat on her throne with a look of annoyance on her face.

“Why are they fighting so hard? Didn't I tell them to retreat?”

“Their hearts were moved by your benevolence.”

“Ugh... those idiots. What if they scratch his face — I mean, why do you have to throw away their precious lives like that.”

“Well, no matter,” she thought. “As long as the Hero continues to advance, then I will meet him sooner or later. But hopefully not too late, or else he will be past his prime. And if he isn't as handsome as the reports say he is, then I can just kill him.”

Several weeks later, the Hero defeated the last of the armies and was making his way into the mountain prison that had become Alysha's lair.

He fought through numerous traps and even killed her attendant, and then he finally reached the throne room.

“Your reign of terror ends now!” the Hero declared.

“Pfff—” Alysha had to stop herself from laughing. How cliché! Do people really still say stuff like that? It's like he came out of a novel or something.

Her eyes fell on him, or rather, his face.

Immediately there were hearts in her eyes.

How refreshing!

He had deep dark pupils and shining blonde hair. His facial features were well arranged — not in a way that made him so handsome that it was boring, but rather, his face expressed the profound intent and purpose resting in him.

In other words, a fine specimen of a man.

Ba-dum....ba-dum...ba-dum...

Her heart pounded against her chest.

Alysha composed herself. She wanted to find out more about him.

“My reign of terror?” she scoffed. “Do you forget that I was the one who was locked away for a century? I am simply taking back what is mine. The royal family's hold on power is illegitimate.”

The Hero pointed his sword at her.

“Justice will prevail, and I shall judge you with my sword.”

Alysha had to put both of her hands to her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

Such arrogance! Such righteousness! And that gleam in his eyes! It makes me want to push him down and ravish him until there is nothing left of his attitude. I want him to go down on his knees and beg~

“Is that so? I can see that you are strong, but your confidence is far greater than your strength.”

In a flash, she closed the distance between them. She was so fast that none of the other girls in his company were able to react.

“How —”

“Shh...”

She put a finger on his lips. She gazed directly into his eyes. Their noses were almost touching.

She smiled slightly.

“I think you are rather handsome. It would be such a waste for us to fight each other. What do you think? Am I your type? Rather than fighting, we could spend all day rolling around in bed together~”

One of the Hero's companions was about to release an arrow, but the Demon Lord snapped her fingers, and the elf girl exploded.

The remaining nine froze with shock. They had never seen this type of instant-kill spell before.

“You little girls are a thousand years too young to fight me,” Alysha said. “Stand in that corner over there.”

The girls did not move.

Alysha snapped her fingers, and a second girl exploded.

This time they obeyed.

Surprisingly, the Hero did not seem shocked at all by this display of raw power. In fact, his eyes were shining.

“Amazing,” he uttered.

Alysha grinned.

She knew from experience that people with great righteousness also had a great capacity for evil since they were two sides of the same coin.

It was easy to flip the switch — if one knew how to do it. And Alysha had a lot of experience in doing just that.

She melted away his armor and put her hand on his chest. He did not resist. She kissed him.

Ahh~ What a handsome guy~ His lips are so warm~~

“Demon Lord-sama!” he cried and buried his face in her chest.

“Kyaa~ You're too eager. At least wait until we’re behind closed doors~”

She stroked his hair.

“Can you kill all of your companions? I don't want them to watch us while we're doing it.”

“Understood!”

The Hero turned around and brandished his sword against his companions.

“How can you betray us like that?” one of them cried.

“It was love at first sight. Can you blame me for siding with true love?”

“You met her five seconds ago! How can that be true love?!”

“You will never understand. Anyway, I know I am right, so please die now.”

Alysha was impressed by his display of strength and arrogance. Even though the girls were the strongest warriors the High Elf families had to offer, he made quick work of them.

He had the advantage since they were inside a cave. His golden sword was more effective in this kind of environment than the bows and arrows of the elf girls.

In the end, one of the elf girls managed to flee, but she was the weakest out of all of them, and she didn't even have a legendary bow on her, so Alysha didn't care too much.

“These are the nine legendary bows of the ten High Elf families,” the Hero said and offered them to Alysha.

“Nine? What happened to the last one?”

“Apparently it was lost.”

“Lost?”

“The same way you and I would lose a pen.”

“...how careless of them. Well, anyway, let's...”

She slid off her dress and then took his hand and planted it onto her chest.

“Let's go wild in bed...and after that, we can conquer the kingdom.”

“I can't wait.”

The Hero laid down his sword so that he could take off his clothes.

Hand in hand, they went to the bedroom, leaving behind a throne room that was covered in blood and bodies.

Neither noticed how the sole remaining elf girl had snuck back in and followed them to the bedroom. She hid behind a corner and watched as the Hero and the Demon Lord got busy.

Quietly, she pulled out a crystal and recorded the entire act. Otherwise, she reasoned, the other High Elf families would never believe what had occurred here, and they would accuse her of betraying and killing the Hero and his companions just to avoid embarrassment.

She was inexperienced herself, and her face was completely red when she left the cave.

She didn’t like the Hero or any of the other girls since they always treated her like a burden, but she did understand why the Demon Lord was so quickly enamored by him.

He really was refreshingly handsome.

Chapter 11

The Empress wants to hang out!

It has been a week since the news broke that the Hero had become the Demon Lord's lover. According to spies who had been sent to the northern island, neither the Hero nor the Demon Lord have left the cave even once. It looked like they’d be tumbling in the throes of passion for the foreseeable future.

Life returned to normal. Tania buried me under paperwork, and I did all of it to keep General Magic running. Lumi hung out in the office, pestering me to pay attention to her and eventually settling for a pat on the head.

Tania still felt a little nervous. The fact that the Hero was able to kill nine out of the ten elite warrior maidens meant that even the most skilled fighters in the country did not stand a chance against him. On top of that, the Hero now also possessed nine legendary bows.

Seriously, this Hero was completely overpowered. If this world were a video game, then the power balance would be completely broken.

What kind of Hero (who was a former lawyer no less) has the power to defeat nine elite fighters wielding legendary weapons?! This was just stupid.

“Our only hope is that someone in the kingdom finds the lost tenth bow,” Tania said as she delivered another pile of paperwork.

“That bow has been lost like house keys. How is anyone supposed to find it?”

Tania sighed. “If the Demon Lord returns to conquering the country, then sales will go down again.”

“There is nothing we can do about that.”

“I suppose you are right.”

“The Hero's performance sure is amazing. How can he keep it up for that long?”

“Keep what up?”

Tania tilted her head slightly. She seemed confused.

I looked at her for a moment, and then I suddenly realized it: Tania had no idea what I was referring to.

Ugh... It would be way too awkward for me to explain it to her. And if she ends up hating me for it, then I'll have even more work to do.

“Uhm...never mind.”

“Please tell me! Is it something special from the world you were summoned from? Something that can only be found there? Do you know how to recreate it? I wish to know more! Perhaps this is something we can turn into a product and sell. Does it have a long shelf life?”

“If you cut it off...I don't think it has a long shelf life.”

“How do you cut it off? What is it? Perhaps it is a medicinal ingredient? Can it be ground into powder? What properties does it have? If it is something unique, then we can charge a high price for it!”

Tania leaned in close, stars in her eyes.

“I don't think you can grind it into powder...”

Ouch... I didn't even want to think about it.

Lumi was hiding her face behind a book, her whole body shaking. I'm pretty sure there were tears in her eyes right now.

“You can try to grill it, like a sausage,” Lumi said. “Season it with a little salt, and it will make a great meal.”

“Oh! That sounds like a great addition to the menu of our restaurants.”

I glanced sideways at Lumi. She seemed to be enjoying this.

Tania was going to push me for more information, but a maid burst open through the door. Her eyes were wide, and there was a bead of sweat on her forehead.

She looked like she had just seen something terrible.

“Knock before you enter!” Tania bellowed. “Did you forget your manners after Maria left?”

“I humbly apologize!” the maid said and bowed. “But w-we have a visitor!”

Huh? What kind of visitor would cause her to panic like that?

I went to the mansion entrance to see who it was.

“I've come to hang out!”

A girl wearing a golden kimono stood at the door. Her black hair shone brilliantly under the late morning sun.

“Himi - I mean, Empress Shiro?!”

Why did she come here? Normally she would summon me to the palace whenever she wanted to hang out.

Tania and the rest of the maid staff immediately fell to their knees. Only Lumi and I remained standing.

“Kneel!” Tania hissed at Lumi, but she only shrugged.

“Uhm, is something the matter?” I asked.

“I'm bored, so I've come to play.”

Himiko was a JK when she was still living in Japan. The words she said sounded something like a student would say.

“Shouldn't you be at the palace? The Demon Lord hasn't been defeated yet, only delayed.”

“But I'm bored. And the Hero is doing a good job keeping her busy.”

“I wonder how long he can hold out.”

“Anyway, please excuse me~”

Himiko walked past me and into the mansion. The maid staff continued to keep their heads bowed.

Lumi tugged my sleeve.

“Since when are you and the empress this close?”

“Well...I'm not sure.”

Tania tugged my other sleeve. There were stars in her eyes again.

“If you and the empress are this close, then you could ask her to let you buy some of the businesses the royal family has been protecting from General Magic. We could achieve total and complete domination!”

I sighed. These two...

I went inside and told Himiko that I still had some work to do and that I would hang out with her afterwards.

“Okay, then I will just wait for you in your office.”

Lumi interjected.

“Keiji's office is where I hang out.”

“So?”

“So that means you can't go in there.”

“It is Keiji's office and not yours. He gets to decide.” Himiko looked at me expectantly.

“Do whatever you want,” I said with a sigh.

And so, both Himiko and Lumi ended up hanging out in my office while I slaved away.

Since I needed to entertain the empress, Tania stopped giving me more stuff to do, and I was able to finish work shortly before lunch.

“So is there anything you want to do?” I asked.

“I'm not sure; I'm happy to just hang out and chat.”

Lumi got up and formed a wall between me and Himiko.

“Don't get all familiar with Keiji! You're just planning on stealing him away from me and using his company for your own selfish goals.”

Isn't that what you are trying to do too?

Himiko smiled smugly. “You never stood a chance to begin with. Keiji and I share secrets that you can’t even imagine. Our bond isn't something you can surpass.”

She must be referring to the fact that we were both from Japan and that only I knew that she was impersonating Empress Shiro while the real empress was busy eloping with her bodyguard.

“Ho? Are you referring to the secret that you are from the same world Keiji was summoned from and that you are actually impersonating Empress Shiro while the real empress is off eloping with her bodyguard?”

Himiko and I stared at Lumi.

“H-How do you know that?” I asked.

“Hmph, never underestimate my ability to erase my presence and spy on people — otherwise I would have never survived in this world,” Lumi said with a self-satisfied smile. “When you and Keiji were talking together for the first time under that pavilion, I followed you two and heard everything.”

“How did you do that?! I built the pavilion in such a way no one could follow us without being seen! It is the perfect spot for secret conversations.”

“Just because I know your secret doesn't mean I have to reveal my secrets to you~” Lumi said with a smirk. “But if you reeeeeally want to know, I could tell you, but in return, you will have to stop bothering Keiji forever.”

Himiko looked like she was ready to cry, so I decided to step in.

“Lumi, why didn't you tell me that you knew?”

“Hmm? You never asked, so I never said anything.”

I suppose she did have a point.

“Anyway, please don't tell anyone about Himiko's secret, or else the real Empress Shiro will find a way to frame her and get rid of her.”

“Nghh...but there is something I want in return.”

“What is it?”

“You're always spending so much time working and never paying attention to me...you should treasure me a little more...it's not like I haven't told you any of my secrets...”

Lumi averted her eyes.

Ah... Even though her aim was to steal General Magic, Lumi and I did have some intimate moments together. I hadn't forgotten about that time when she dressed as a milk maiden and then came to my bedroom when there was a thunderstorm.

That time, we almost kissed.

It was scary how well the milk maiden dress suited her.

“Fine, I promise that I'll spend more time with you. In return you have to promise not to tell anyone about Himiko's secret — and you absolutely cannot tell the Illuminati.”

“Okay~”

Lumi beamed. She agreed surprisingly quickly, especially since she was an Illuminati member, or rather an associate agent.

Himiko and I let out a silent sigh of relief. The Illuminati's goal was to take over the world, and the Kingdom of the East was one of the last remaining countries where they did not control from behind the scenes.

“Is there anything fun that we can do in this world?” I asked Lumi.

“I'm stuck in the palace all day. If possible, I want to do something outdoors.”

Lumi folded her arms and furrowed her brows.

“Hmm, since the three of us have formed an inseparable bond, let us reaffirm our bonds by raiding a dungeon together.”

““A dungeon!!”“ Himiko and I exclaimed at the same time.

“Huh? Why do you two look so excited?”

A dungeon raid was something every main character in every single fantasy story did — except me. I've spent more time whining about office work and making accidental trips to fantasy soaplands than going to the dungeon.

“I've always wanted to raid a dungeon!” I said.

“Me too! I've done it so many times in video games, but I never got to do it here because palace security won't let me.”

Lumi seemed almost intimidated by our enthusiasm.

“S-Sure, let's go raid a dungeon. Actually, General Magic owns the largest dungeon chain store in the country, so we can just go there.”

“I own a chain of dungeons?”

“Mh-hmm! It's called McDungeon’s. They are conveniently located in the city and are easily accessible.”

“...can we not go there?”

“Ehhh? Why not? At the end of every McDungeon’s raid you get rewarded with a delicious meat sandwich that contains their super secret sauce.”

Lumi began to drool. Her pupils dilated.

“What kind of dungeon rewards groups of adventurous with fast food…” I said.

“Eh? Why not? After killing lots of monsters, you’ll be hungry, no? A dungeon is the perfect place to sell something delicious.”

Himiko and I both shook our heads. We wanted to experience a real dungeon, one with treasure chests, goblins and orcs, and not a fast food place disguised as a dungeon.

“Fine…,” Lumi pouted. “There are some other independent dungeons, but I don’t know where they are. We’ll have to go to the local adventurers’ guild to ask for information.”

““An adventures’ guild!”“ Himiko and I exclaimed. Our eyes shone like stars.

“Y-Yeah,” Lumi said, startled by our reaction. “Why do you two look so excited?”

“I’ve never been to a guild before,” I said.

“It’s where dreams and adventures start!”

After all this time, I finally get to do some regular adventuring. Go to a guild, find a mission, raid a dungeon, collect my reward, level up in some way — the bread and butter of any fantasy story.

Lumi said that there was an adventurers’ guild just outside of the city, so we took the carriage there.

“Huh…it looks a lot smaller than I expected,” I said.

The guild was just a regular tavern-like building on the outskirts of the city. A shabby wooden sign hung outside. It said, ‘Black Raven Adventurer’s Guild’. It didn’t look like a place that saw a lot of business.

“Are you that this is the right place?”

“Mh-hmm! Is there something wrong?”

“I just expected it to be…livelier.”

We went in and the inside was just as barren as the outside. A few men in armor sat here and there, and a single receptionist was asleep at the counter.

We went up to the counter, and after ringing the bell, the receptionist woke up.

“W-Welcome, uhm…how can I help you?”

“We’re looking for a dungeon to raid.”

“Oh, have you tried McDungeon’s?”

“Anything but McDungeon’s please.”

“Alright…I can go into our records room to look something up, but are you sure?”

She seemed reluctant to do any work. She looked like the owner of a sleepy neighborhood restaurant on a Sunday afternoon, and when you walk in and order something, she will give you a look that says, ‘Are you sure? I will make it, but…’

“Actually, why is it so quiet here? Shouldn’t a guild like this be bustling with activity?”

“Huh? You’re talking about the glory days of the adventure guilds — that was almost a hundred years ago. Working as an adventurer has become unfashionable. This kind of job provides no stability, no health insurance and no guaranteed monthly salary. If you get injured during a mission and can’t work, then you’re going to starve, and of course the client isn’t going to pay for your medical treatment. Also there is no paid time off if you work as an adventurer because you are paid per mission. Most people prefer to work for a company like General Magic or Standard Crystal where they can enjoy job security.”

“When you put it like that…”

She was right. I never really thought of it that way before. Working as an adventurer appeared like a lot of fun because you get to hunt monsters and travel, but at the same time, it is terrible as a job.

It’s like falling into the gig economy — a merciless industry that provides nothing beyond an hourly wage. Working as an adventurer wasn’t too different from working for Uber Eats. There was no job security at all and a single injury could mean ruin.

I looked around the guild. The few men who were here sat at the tables, their expressions devoid of hope and waiting for nothing.

“Who are these people?” I asked the receptionist.

“Oh, these are men who were fired by General Magic, and since they had been fired before, no other business wants to hire them, so they are forced to work as adventurers. But General Magic and Standard Crystal both offer similar services, so not many clients come here to hire a freelancer. Anyone who can’t find a job ends up looking for work here, futile as it may be.”

In other words, these men were unemployed and the adventurer’s guilds in this world acted as a sort of last ditch unemployment center.

Somehow this felt really depressing.

The receptionist provided us with directions to a dungeon outside of the city.

“It is the last of the independent dungeons that haven’t been absorbed or bankrupted by McDungeon’s,” she said.

We boarded the carriage and gave the directions to the driver. A little while later, we arrived at the dungeon she was talking about.

The dungeon was a little cave located deep in the woods, surrounded by trees. It was the kind of place you could only find if you had been there before.

Above the cave entrance hung a shabby wooden sign that said, 'Dungeon King'.

“Somehow this logo feels familiar,” I said.

“Does this place also serve meat sandwiches?” Himiko asked.

“That's right!” Lumi made a victory sign. “I heard from the receptionist that if you manage to finish the final level, this dungeon rewards you with a delicious sandwich called the Whoper.”

“...”

“...”

“Why do your eyes look dead? I heard it's really delicious, okay? Rumor has it that you can really taste the flame on the meat.”

“How is this place not getting sued,” I wondered out loud.

“I don't think copyright and intellectual property laws extend to this world,” Himiko said.

“Good point.”

“Hmm? Is something wrong?” Lumi asked.

“Never mind that...Lumi, you are sure that this is a dungeon, right? With monsters and treasure and all of that.”

“Yup!”

“Alright, then let's go in.”

As soon as I said those words, a girl stepped out of the cave. She wore a tight leather outfit and a wide witch hat. She held a whip rather than a staff.

“Welcome to Dungeon King! I am Sofia McDungeon, the owner and manager of the greatest dungeon in the world!”

I guess all dungeons in this world have become privatized. There is no such thing as a wild dungeon anymore. And it seems that dungeon raids have become such a mundane thing that dungeon owners have to use fast food to attract customers. At this point, they might as well just give up the dungeon business and open a burger restaurant.

“Wait a minute...your name is Sofia McDungeon, like the famous McDungeon’s chain?” Lumi exclaimed.

The witch with a whip was silent for a moment. She answered with a stiff smile.

“My family originally founded this country's first dungeon franchise. It was called McDungeon’s. But then Rosmund wanted to buy the business, and he used the might of General Magic to corner us and made us choose between selling and total bankruptcy. In the end, we had to sell the business to avoid becoming homeless. Rosmund even bought our family name so that we can't use the McDungeon name to open a business anymore.”

Yikes, Rosmund really was a ruthless guy.

Sofia spread her arms. “As the only surviving child of the McDungeon family, I've sworn to build a dungeon franchise that surpasses the original McDungeon’s chain! That is why I have named this place Dungeon King! It is the king of all dungeons!”

Her explanation made sense but sounded really lame at the same time.

Sofia's eyes landed on me.

“Wait a minute, you look kind of familiar,” she said.

“My name is Yamamoto Keiji, I am Rosmund's heir and the new leader of the General Magic business empire. It's a pleasure to — “

Her whip split air like thunder. A jolt traveled up my body.

Suddenly Sofia's expression was hostile. Her eyes were filled with hatred.

“So Rosmund hates competition so much that he has sent you to buy Dungeon King? I will never sell this place! I will die defending it if I have to.”

“W-Wait there is a misunderstanding — “

“I was never able to do something about Rosmund, but you…”

Sofia licked her lips. Revenge flickered in her eyes.

She charged towards me, her whip in her hands.

Crap! She could probably split my skull with her whip. Damn it Rosmund! Why did you have to screw over so many people when you were still leading the company?!

Who knows how many people want to take revenge like this.

Sofia swung her whip and aimed it straight at my head.

Lumi put herself between me and Sofia and grabbed the end of the whip with her bare hands.

“You’re not allowed to hurt him,” she said, her voice monotone.

“This has nothing to do with you,” Sofia growled. “Rosmund has ruined my entire family. The laws of this country make everything he does legal and there is no punishment for his sins. The law removes him from the blood has he has spilled, nullifying any responsibility. I will take justice into my own hands.”

Himiko stepped forwards.

“Uhm, I think there has been a misunderstanding,” Himiko said. “Keiji doesn’t want to buy your business. We've come here because we heard that this is the only dungeon nearby that isn't part of the McDungeon’s chain.”

Sofia's eyes fell on Himiko.

“Empress Shiro!” She immediately fell to her knees and her forehead touched the ground. “I deeply apologize for not recognizing you. My rotten eyes are unworthy of gazing upon you.”

“Please believe Keiji when he says that we have come here as customers today. He really has no intention of buying your business.”

“Your highness…” Then she looked at me. “You really aren’t here to buy me out?”

I shook my head.

“I have a rough idea about what Rosmund did to you and your family, and although my words are meaningless, I am sorry for the suffering he has caused. I can’t undo what he has done, but today I’m just a customer. I have no intention of using Rosmund’s tactics.”

Sofia said nothing.

“Please stand.” Himiko spoke calmly and steadily. She was evidently used to other people treating her like this. “You could help us by explaining how your dungeon works.”

Sofia raised her head and explained everything to us.

Dungeon King was a mid-tier difficulty dungeon that was sometimes visited by adventurers who wished to train. The dungeon was populated by goblins, weaker orcs, and the strongest monster waited in the deepest part of the cave complex.

“The final boss is a surprise. Most people have to come several times before they can figure out how to reach the boss chamber. And so far, no one has ever managed to defeat the final boss.”

“I see...that's a good business strategy,” I said. “Finding the boss takes more than one visit, thereby increasing revenue opportunities.”

“Heh-heh~”

There was a greedy sparkle in Sofia's eyes.

She continued to explain.

Beginners are welcome. Newbies can rent or buy dungeon raid equipment at the entrance. That would of course cost an extra fee, on top of the entrance fee.

Sofia led us inside and to the reception area where we could buy our entrance tickets. Next to the reception counter was a mini store.

“In addition, the dungeon store also sells healing potions, temporary power-ups, swords, armor, shields and anything else one might need for a dungeon raid.”

Lumi scrutinized the wares.

“Hmm, the stuff here costs more than it does in the city.”

“Of course it costs a premium~ We charge a little extra for the convenience of being able to buy or rent all necessary equipment on the spot. Look, look! You can even buy a shirt with the Dungeon King logo on it.”

To be honest, with every passing minute, the dungeon was losing its magical appeal. It sounded a lot more like a regular gym or some kind of theme park.

“We don't have any armor or weapons, so we'll have to buy some stuff,” I said.

“Of course~ Please step this way. I will help you pick out the correct size.”

Lumi raised her hand. “I don't need anything. I'll fight with what I'm wearing.”

“But you don't have a weapon,” I said.

She reached behind her back and pulled out a bow. Huh? Since when did she have something like this?

“I'm too used to using my own bow. Changing to a different, more powerful weapon will just slow me down. And don't worry about giving me armor. I have confidence in my agility.”

“Just so you know, Dungeon King is not liable for any injuries and death. If you are injured during your dungeon raid, please contact your health insurance provider directly,” Sofia said.

“I don't have health insurance,” Lumi said.

“Oh-ho~ How bold — anyway, I assume you and the empress will buy armor and weapons?”

“Yeah, and give us some potions and power ups while you're at it. Unlike the Hero, we don't have any affinity for magic.”

“Of course~” Sofia's voice was sweet, but I could tell from her expression that she was already calculating the price in her head.

Himiko and I put on armor and picked out our weapons. I went for a regular longsword while Himiko chose to dual wield two short swords.

The three of us entered the dungeon.

In my hand I held a blue crystal. It connected to an identical crystal that Sofia possessed. If we ever got stuck in any part of the dungeon, we could use the crystal to speak to her and she would give us hints — for an additional fee of course.

We entered the first room. It was populated by three goblins that barely reached my waist. They attacked us the moment we entered.

“Hah!” I swung my sword and cut one down.

Himiko aimed her short swords at the second goblin and stabbed it in the throat.

Lumi didn't even bother using her bow. She lazily kicked the third goblin, and it slammed against the wall with a crunching sound. The impact caused its skull to break.

Himiko and I both stared at Lumi.

“W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You are actually really strong?” I uttered.

“All that nutrition doesn't just go to your chest?”

“What are you two saying?! Did you think I was weak and useless the entire time?!”

“No, but...I don't know. I just didn't think that you would be this good at physical combat.”

“Hmph! I will have you know that I have wrestled bears with my bare hands and snapped their necks with my arms.”

I looked at Lumi's slender limbs. Just how much strength was her lithe body hiding?

We moved onto the next area. After clearing out the second room of monsters, we encountered a closed door with a small table in front of it. On the table was a cube with lots of colors on every side.

“Huh? The door is locked...does that mean we have to solve some kind of puzzle?” I asked.

“That's right~” Sofia's voice sounded from the crystal. “The next area won't be accessible until you solve this puzzle. A quality dungeon experience doesn't just test your body; it also tests your mind.”

“Huh... I see.”

“If you don't know how to solve the puzzle, I am happy to automatically open the door from my administrator room — for an additional fee of course.”

So training your mind is just an excuse. In reality it’s another way to get the customer to spend more money.

How sneaky...

“Ugh...this looks like a rubik's cube. I've never been good at these things. What about you Himiko?”

She shook her head. “When I was still living in Japan, I've always hated puzzle games. I've heard that there is a certain set of rules one has to follow to solve this, but I don't know what they are.”

Lumi stepped forward and took the cube in her hands. In less than a minute, all the colors of the cube had been aligned.

“Done.”

The door opened.

Himiko and I stared at her, our eyes wide open.

“W-What? Why are you two staring at me like that?”

“Lumi...could it be that you are actually smart?”

“All that nutrition doesn't just go to your chest?”

“You two seriously look down on me! This is really simple, you know? Even a child can solve this.”

Even a child...

Himiko and I suffered serious damage.

We moved on to the next room. This room was filled with orcs. Compared to the previous two rooms, this one was harder to beat. I took a few hits and so did Himiko, however Lumi had more combat experience and managed to take on most of them.

“You really are strong,” I remarked.

“Don't worry, everyone starts out weak, very weak indeed~” Lumi said those words with a smug grin on her face.

“Kuh...”

I couldn't think of anything to say in return.

This time, the pathway to the next room split into three pathways, each with a door leading to it. Each of the three doors had something written on it.

x = - 4

x = 10

x = - 12

Huh? This stuff looked vaguely familiar.

“Ugh, not this!” Himiko groaned.

“What is it?”

“This is one of those maths questions where you have to find the value of x. Maths has always been my worst subject...”

There was a table with a scroll on it. On that scroll was a single math question.

20x = 6 (8+4x)

“Why the hell would you put a math question in the middle of a dungeon?!” I screamed into the blue crystal.

“Fu-fu-fu~ I can tell you the answer — for a small fee of course.”

Himiko tugged at my sleeve.

“Keiji, you’ve graduated from high school, right?”

“That’s right.”

“And you’ve studied at university, right?”

“Mh-hmm.”

“You had a regular white collar job, paid your taxes and were a respectable working member of society, right?”

“Yes.”

“Which means you can solve this math problem, right?”

“No.”

“But you are supposed to be a proper member of society! Sensei always said that this stuff will be important later in life. How come you don’t know any of this stuff?”

“Uhh…most people forget almost everything they’ve learned at school the moment they graduate — hey, don’t look so disappointed. Most adults can’t solve this kind of equation, okay? I am completely normal for not being able to do this. Why are you looking at me like I’m some kind of NEET? I am the most ordinary, upstanding Japanese man you will ever see. If anything, you are the JK here; you should be able to do this.”

“Math has never been my strong suit…”

While Himiko and I bickered, Lumi took the scroll and blinked. Her lips made an O shape.

“Oh, isn't x equal to negative twelve?”

She solved this problem by just glancing at it. She did it as naturally as she breathed, like she didn't need to think about it at all.

“Correct,” Sofia said grudgingly.

Himiko and I stared at her.

“Lumi, could it be that you are actually a genius?”

“All that nutrition doesn't just go to your chest?”

“The third time isn't funny anymore! If you’re going to look down on me, at least think of something else to say instead of repeating this one joke again and again!”

Lumi looked like she was on the verge of tears, so Himiko and I decided to back off with our teasing — although we both were stunned by how smart and strong Lumi was.

I suppose she had to become smart and strong; otherwise she would've never survived on her own during all of these years.

Although I did wonder who taught her how to solve maths. This wasn't something one could just brute force with intelligence. Someone had to teach her the basic rules.

We entered the next room and found that there were no monsters in it. Smooth stone panels covered the floor.

“Uhm...Sofia, did we walk into the wrong room?”

“Of course not. This is a new type of room I have engineered specifically for Dungeon King. In fact, Dungeon King is the only place in the world where you can find this sort of challenge. It combines innovation and imagination to create the most exciting experience, it is magical and it just works. It is a work of art in itself, and you have to think different to…”

Sofia's marketing pitch went on for another five minutes before she explained how to get past this room.

“Step on a panel and it is either a safe panel or unsafe. If it is safe, then nothing will happen, but if it is unsafe, then your weight will trigger a trap.”

“So there is only one safe route across this room?”

“Correct.”

I looked at smooth stone panels. Is there any way to crack this puzzle? In theory, it should be possible to cross the room without triggering any traps, but how likely was that?

“Well, I'll go first,” Lumi said and carelessly stepped forwards.

“Lumi?!”

“She said that all we have to do is reach the other side of the room, right? She didn't say that we had to get there by walking on the floor.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Lumi did a couple of stretches, took a few deep breaths, then sprinted along the edge of the room. She made a short jump and then began to run along the wall. A moment later, she reached the other side of the room.

“Phew, this was easier than I thought,” she said.

Himiko and I stared at her.

“You can do wall running?” I asked.

“Yes, did I never tell you?”

“Is that even possible?!”

“How rude! Of course it is possible.”

Lumi put her hands on her hips and huffed and puffed. The expression on her face indicated that she expressed to be praised for her ability.

“Lumi, could it be that — “

“All that nutrition — “

“Stop saying that!”

With no other option, Himiko and I began to go across the room. Since we had the empress with us, I whispered into the blue crystal and asked Sofia to turn off all of the fatal traps — for a fee of course. Sofia happily obliged.

The two of us triggered all sorts of traps while Lumi watched on from her side of the room. The most annoying traps were quiz games and riddles where you only had one chance to find the right answer or else you would be teleported back to the entrance of the room.

Eventually Himiko and I managed to catch up to Lumi. After a few more rooms, we finally reached the boss chamber.

“Are you sure you want to proceed?” Sofia asked us.

“Yeah, why?”

“Honestly, you and Empress Shiro have very little combat experience. Lumi is the most powerful by far, but this final boss fight isn't something one single person can do on their own.

“In addition, once you enter, I cannot help you anymore. You see, the last boss is a wild dragon that I have captured, and it is impossible for me to control it. And once you enter, you won't be able to exit until you have defeated the dragon.”

“Why can't we just quit and run away?”

“I'm worried the dragon will follow your scent and burst through the walls. The repair costs would be insane, and no insurance company wants to insure this place because I keep a dragon in the basement.”

“Then why keep a dragon in the basement?”

“It's the only way to stand out from the crowd of all these dungeons. Anyway, once you go in, there is no turning back.”

In other words: once we entered, we were on our own.

No more cheat codes for a small fee.

“But we have to defeat the boss before we can get the Wopper, right?” Lumi asked.

“That's right.”

“Then let's go.”

Lumi pushed the door open.

What a glutton.

Lumi disappeared into the depths of the dark corridor behind the door. Himiko and I looked at each other, then followed her.

The door automatically closed behind us as soon as we entered. I suppose Sofia didn't want to risk the dragon escaping in case we couldn't defeat it.

Pitch black darkness surrounded us.

“Keiji, I'm scared,” Himiko said and grabbed my sleeve.

I was frightened to the bone, but as a man, I couldn't admit that. Instead I said, “Don't worry, with our armor and potions, we will be able to defeat the dragon.”

“O-Okay, but aren’t you supposed to say something like ‘I will protect you, princess’?”

“You’ve watched too many TBS dramas.”

We reached the end of the dark corridor and entered a cavernous chamber. We came face to face with a real dragon.

It didn't look happy to be here.

Lumi stood as still as a tree.

“What's wrong, Lumi?”

“When I lived in the forest, the animals there taught me the only method you can use to survive a dragon.”

“Which is what?”

“Run.”

“...”

“...”

The dragon roared, the fierce sound causing my teeth to vibrate. It stomped towards us, each step causing my whole body to shake. Each one of its teeth was the same size as me. Its scales were shiny and noticeably thick. I could tell without even trying that I wouldn’t be able to cut through it.

How the hell were we supposed to defeat that?!

Without needing to exchange words, the three of us ran back into the dark corridor. The dragon's roar followed us, but it's body was too large to chase us into the tunnel.

Lumi cast a spell that generated a ball of light so that we could see each other.

“So when you were living in the forest, whenever you saw a dragon, you just ran?”

Lumi nodded. “Fighting a wild dragon just isn't worth it.”

“Then why didn't you say anything when Sofia said the final boss was a one?”

“Err...I was thinking about the reward.”

Himiko and I stared at her, our eyes filled with vague disappointment.

“Sofia has already locked the door behind us, so we have to find a way to kill the dragon,” I said.

“I can't fight it on my own. I'll get eaten alive,” Lumi said. “It might be a Lesser Dragon without the ability to breathe fire, but it’s still too much…”

For a while none of us said anything. The dragon was the size of two busses put together and was covered in protective scales. Even if we did somehow manage to land blows, I doubt we'd be strong enough to inflict damage.

Plus, since the battleground was essentially a large cave, there was a limited number of boulders we could hide behind. Sooner or later, the dragon would crush us with its body. Luckily it wasn’t the fire breathing kind of dragon.

“Uhm, I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it is possible,” Himiko said hesitantly.

“I'm all ears,” I said.

Himiko explained her plan. It was daring at best and foolhardy at worst, but it worked in theory.

The key to the plan was Lumi.

“Do you think you can do it?” I asked.

“Err...”

“If you manage to do it, then you can have the reward all for yourself,” Himiko added.

Lumi's eyes shone. “Leave it to me!”

I looked at Himiko. She could read Lumi like a book. Himiko winked at me. I smiled slightly.

“Let's hope that the two of us can do our part,” I said.

“Don't worry, I'm a JK at the height of my youth. You should worry about yourself, uncle.”

“Ouch.”

“He-he-heh~”

Lumi's face appeared between the two of us. Her eyes were wide and devoid of emotion.

“What's a JK? I’ve never heard of that term before. And why is she calling you uncle? What kind of secrets are you two keeping from me? Ever since this morning you two have been whispering to each other. I already know your biggest secret, okay? Let Lumi in on your gossip, okay?” Her voice was monotone.

“I-It's nothing, just a joke from the world we came from,” I said.

“Hmph, I see.”

The three of us re-entered the chamber. The dragon had its eyes on us. It was as if it knew that we had nowhere to go and was waiting for us.

“Alright, then I will go first,” I said.

“Good luck.”

“Do your best, Keiji~”

I took a deep breath, then dashed into the cavern.

“Hey! Over here!” I called out to draw the dragon's attention. Just like I had intended, the dragon began to follow me, its long tail sweeping across the ground.

Our plan was fairly simple. Himiko and I would take turns distracting the dragon while Lumi quietly searched for a good spot to use her bow. She'd then aim for a vital point and hopefully kill it with one shot.

It was a plan where a thousand different things could go wrong. Maybe I would trip and fall. Maybe I would run out of stamina. Maybe the same thing will happen to Himiko. Maybe Lumi will get swept away by the dragon’s tail before she can even find a hiding spot.

But this plan was all we had.

Crap! The dragon was faster than I imagined. Even though its body was the size of a bus, it accelerated quickly.

I was running out of breath already. Prior to being summoned to this world, I was a regular salaryman who was too busy to take exercise. My hobbies were sleeping and playing games on my days off. I couldn't remember the last time I had gone out for a run.

And although I had been summoned to this world, unlike the Hero, I wasn't magically blessed with special abilities.

“Himiko! Switch!”

“Already?! You really are an uncle.”

Himiko grabbed a rock and threw it at the dragon. The reptile reared its head, and its attention fell on Himiko.

It turned out that she was a member of the track and field club and she specialized in sprinting. She wasn't the ace of the team, but a JK like her could run much faster than a salaryman like me.

Himiko surged forth and drew the dragon away.

I collapsed against a large rock. My heart was pounding so hard that I could hear it.

Damn it! Why was I so weak?! I felt pathetic for placing the burden on Himiko so soon.

And this armor wasn't helping either; the weight was costing me more stamina.

“In that case...”

I took off the armor. The heavy metal fell to the ground with an audible clunk.

One...two...three...

“Himiko! Switch!”

“Okay!”

I threw a rock and managed to get the dragon's attention. It was a good thing that it was a simple minded creature that followed whatever caught its attention. Himiko's plan would've fallen apart if the dragon had greater intelligence, like those talking dragons in some fantasy novels.

Without the armor, I could run for much longer, although I was still slow compared to Himiko.

“Your running form is poor! The way you run isn't very efficient!”

“I can't change the way I run while being chased!”

“Try to adjust your center of gravity! Kind of like this — “

“I'll do that when my life isn't in danger! Switch!”

“Okay!”

I hid behind a large rock, and Himiko drew its attention.

Ugh... I felt nauseous. My heart was going to explode. I could barely breathe.

Where was Lumi? I didn't see her at all while running around. It was probably impossible to find her if she was in stealth mode, especially since she was able to eavesdrop on me and Himiko at the palace.

“Kyaa! Ouch!”

Huh? That was Himiko's voice.

I emerged from behind the rock and saw that she had fallen over. Her knee was bleeding.

Crap! This was the worst possible situation.

“Lumi! If you can hear me, you better take your shot now!”

Nothing. My words simply echoed off the cave walls.

I grabbed a rock and threw it at the dragon, but its tail swiped it away.

Huh?

That didn’t seem like a coincidence. It was as if the dragon knew what I was going to do and responded.

It turned its head to me, and there was a gleam of intelligence in its eyes.

My stomach grew cold. Did it understand what I had just said? Did I underestimate its intelligence? If that was the case, then I had seriously screwed up just now. I had basically revealed our entire plan.

“I see, so that is your plan, human.” A solemn voice sounded in my head. It looked at me. “Don't look so surprised. A dragon's intelligence is on par with all the other dominant races of this world, but we don't live among you because we don't fit into your society.”

My mouth was wide open. I blinked several times and regained my wits.

“W-What do you mean?” I asked, my voice shaking. I pushed past my fear and shock and managed to utter these words. Right now, the best I could do was buy some time.

“Two hundred years ago, the other races decided that us dragons were too powerful for us to live side by side. They thought that us dragons could wipe out all the other race anytime we wished. So to prevent that, they decided to work together and wipe out the dragons first.”

I recalled the history that Tania gave me. The Kingdom of the East suffered through three major wars in the past three hundred years. The first was the bloody civil war where the royal family emerged victorious and united the country. The second major war occurred two hundred years ago, and it saw a fierce fighting between the dragons and the other races. And the most recent war was a hundred years ago, where the Demon Lord tried to conquer the country.

Tania told me that the war against the dragons was caused because dragons began to massacre the other races due to their perceived superiority, but according to this dragon, the other races attacked first because they feared the strength of the dragons.

“I thought the dragons started the war,” I said.

“Heh, so that is the version of history that is being taught now?” His voice dripped with disgust. “Us dragons can’t reproduce as quickly as the other races, so every single one of our deaths was a major blow. I am the last of my kind. There is no other dragon like me out there — a Lesser Dragon as you call my subspecies.”

Suddenly, the peaceful society that I saw every day in the capital city seemed very different. That peace was built on the blood of all the dragons that were slaughtered.

Tired anger flickered in the creature’s eyes.

“This cave shall become my burial ground,” it said.

“I-I'm sorry — “

“But I will kill all of you before I die.”

Yikes.

The dragon roared. It was so loud that I had to cover my ears or else my eardrums would've ruptured.

“Ugh...”

I could feel the ends of my hair vibrating.

The dragon turned its attention back on Himiko. I threw several rocks at it, but they just harmlessly bounced off its scales.

“Don't you dare touch her!”

I drew my sword and rushed in.

“Persistent little ant!” The dragon's voice sounded in my head, and his tail moved in a flash, hitting me in the chest, causing me to fly several meters back.

I tried to stand back up, but a searing pain caused my legs to falter. Some of my bones must have broken.

“Himiko!”

Himiko stared at the dragon, her eyes blank with fear.

“I'll eat the small golden one first.”

Himiko scrambled to get up, but her legs were shaking too much for her to stand. Instead she pushed herself back, trying to get away from the dragon. Her back hit a large boulder. There was nowhere for her to go.

The dragon opened its mouth, ready to eat Himiko, when Lumi emerged from the boulder behind her.

She jumped from the top of the boulder and into the air.

“May the Word of Light forgive my sins and bring peace to your soul,” Lumi said, her eyes sad.

It all happened in a single moment.

Lumi's jump closed the distance between her and the dragon. She shot off a pulsing arrow directly into its eye, at point blank range. The arrow skewered its skull and exited from the eyeball on the other side. The dragon was dead before its jaw touched the ground.

All three of us stared at the dead body. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I seriously thought that we were all going to die.

The blue crystal in my hand wiggled itself out of my hand and rose into the air. It grew brighter until the crystal wasn't visible anymore, and when it died down, Sofia had appeared.

“I didn't think that you three would actually beat the final boss,” she said.

You'd think she'd be happy, but her expression was subdued.

She helped me get up, and we went over to where Himiko and Lumi were.

It turned out that Lumi had formed a very specific strategy after Himiko and I began to distract the Lesser Dragon. While observing it while we ran around, she came to the conclusion that the scales didn't have a single weak point. Even if she charged her shot with all the magic she had, it would barely scratch it.

Lumi concluded that the only truly vulnerable spot were its eyeballs. However, even there, its eyelids were covered with scales, and it blinked frequently. After observing it some more, she discovered that whenever the dragon opened its mouth, its eyes were always wide open. It seemed that its jaw muscles were somehow connected to its eyelids.

“I had to wait for the perfect opportunity,” she said. “The dragon had to be at a spot from where I could jump from a boulder to reach its eyes, and its mouth had to be open at the same time. The shot had to be done at point blank range or else the arrow might not reach its brain. If that shot didn't kill it, then an injured eye would only make it more furious.”

She put a hand on Himiko's shoulder. “I'm sorry that I couldn't take action until you were just moments away from being eaten.”

Himiko shook her head. “Mm, I was scared, but you did what you had to.”

“And what would've happened if that perfect opportunity never came up?” I asked.

“Then we would've all died.”

She said those words calmly.

I suppose for someone who was cast out of society, every day was about survival. This was normal for her.

Sofia healed my broken bones with a spell and didn't even charge me for it. I offered to pay, but she shook her head. The entire time she didn't say anything.

“Is there something you're not telling us?” I asked her.

Sofia blinked. For a while, she was silent, her eyes contemplative. Then she spoke.

“I didn't actually capture that Lesser Dragon. One day it came to me and asked if it could serve as the final boss in my dungeon. It was the last of its kind, and it hoped to die while fighting all out against a worthy opponent.”

“The last of its kind...”

It could never reproduce or have its own family. I couldn't imagine how hopelessly lonely it must be to the last Lesser Dragon in this world. To know that there is no one like yourself out there...

Sofia bowed to us.

“Thank you for fulfilling its final wish. I was watching from the blue crystal, and he died a good and proper death. That shot you delivered was truly beautiful.”

Lumi shook her head. She took off her hood and revealed hair and ears to Sofia.

“That Lesser Dragon wouldn't feel the same way if he knew that a half-succubus like me killed him.”

Sofia grabbed both of her shoulders. Lumi's eyes widened with shock.

“Don't say that! It doesn't matter if you have mixed blood. The fact is that you managed to land the killing shot when everyone else has failed. Please hold your head high. Anything else would be an insult to the Lesser Dragon.”

Lumi bit her lower lips and tried to hold back her tears. Sofia put her arms around her, and Lumi began to cry like an infant.

Her cries echoed throughout the chamber.

Afterwards, Sofia treated us to the legendary Wooper. Honestly, it tasted kind of average, but Lumi seemed to love it. In the end, she ate all of our portions.

On the way back to the city, Lumi and Himiko fell asleep in the carriage. We were all drained.

I couldn't fall asleep. Bitter frustration was eating me alive.

Why was I so weak? I was the most useless one during today's dungeon raid. Even when we were fighting the Lesser Dragon, I did the least running because I kept running out of stamina.

I glanced at Lumi.

She was the one whom everyone else disregarded the most, and yet she was the strongest by far. She leapt right towards the dragon without hesitation.

Just how strong was her will?

In comparison to her, all I had was money. And that money wasn't even earned.

I felt so disgusted at myself that I wanted to throw up.

Lumi opened her eyes.

“Keiji, is something wrong?”

“Hmm? It's nothing.”

“Your expression is really scary.”

“It's nothing, really.”

We dropped off Himiko at the palace (the palace staff had been looking for her all day and were just moments away from declaring a state of emergency) and then went home.

On our way back, Lumi sat down by my side and leaned against my shoulder.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what? You are the MVP today, you know? I should be thanking you.”

“Mm, I wanted to thank you for believing in me. Even though you lacked stamina and combat experience, you still rushed headfirst into the cave.”

“Well...it's not like I had much of a choice.”

Lumi smiled wryly. “You know, that was the first time I worked together with other people. Before this, the Illuminati only sent me out on solo missions, and I did what was asked of me. I never had the chance to make friends like this.”

“I guess it's a good thing that I didn't sign that marriage contract.”

“Geez...”

Lumi lightly punched my shoulder.

After a moment of quiet, I said, “I want to become stronger. Even though I'm not blessed with any abilities like the Hero, I want to at least become strong enough so as not to become a liability during a dungeon raid.”

The truth was that Lumi was carrying me and Himiko all day long. She was just that much stronger than us.

“If you marry me and sign over the company, I will teach you how to wall run,” Lumi said with a grin.

“I don't think I could learn that even if you did teach me,” I said.

“It's not that hard! You just start running and refocus your center of gravity and just do it! It's all in the feel!”

“...”

“Let's try it when we get home.”

“No, I think wall running really is impossible for me.”

We continued to chat like this until we reached the mansion. Lumi and I got an earful from Tania for going out on our own without telling her. Tons of meetings had to be canceled and rescheduled.

We both apologized to her and told her that we simply went to have a look at a rival dungeon. Maybe we could improve the McDungeon chain as a result of that. That calmed her down.

That night, I slept more peacefully than I had in a long time.

Chapter 12

The Empress is in Trouble!

One day, I was summoned to the palace by Himiko. Judging by the tone of the letter, it sounded urgent, so I went there immediately.

Lumi insisted that she go with me since 'you never know when that tiny home wrecker will trick you into marriage.’ Just this once, I persuaded Lumi to stay at home. In return, I promised that I would spend one whole day with her.

Tania wasn't happy that I was skipping out on work again, but since this was a summoning by the empress, she couldn't really put up much resistance.

I took the carriage into the city and soon arrived at the royal palace. The sight of Osaka Castle in the middle of the city never ceased to amaze me. The style and color clashed completely with this world, and yet it was this very contradiction that gave it a sense of royalty. It was almost as if it was entirely removed from this world, and therefore contributing to the perceived legitimacy of the royal family and the ten High Elf families.

This time, Himiko didn't greet me at the gates. Instead, an attendant met me and took me to a waiting room on the second floor of the castle. Two royal maids were on standby inside the waiting room. One of them was a blonde haired High Elf and the other was a harpy girl with white wings on her back. They were both breathtakingly beautiful.

Hmm...while waiting for Himiko, I suppose I could try to find a wife.

“Uhm, excuse me...”

The two maids immediately stepped in front of me and bowed.

“Yes, master?”

“What do you desire, Yamamoto-sama?”

Both of them spoke formally. Well, I suppose that is to be expected. In their view, I was Empress Shiro's guest and therefore had to be treated with deference.

“How long have you two been working here?”

“I've been working for the royal family for about two hundred years,” the elf maid said.

“I've had the pleasure of serving for ten years,” the harpy girl said.

“Huh? Why is there such a big difference?”

“High Elves have a much longer lifespan than the other races. Some say it is due to the magic in our blood.”

“I see...”

The High Elf maid spoke with a steady voice. She carried herself with an almost queen-like aura; she had seen the world go through different dynasties and epochs. In her eyes, I and everyone else must be like children.

Why was someone like her working as a maid for the royal family? Or perhaps only individuals of her caliber could serve?

The harpy girl, on the other hand, looked her age. Her expression contained an innocence that reflected her youth. Looking at her made me want to protect her from the evils of the world.

I couldn't even imagine having the mature elf maid as a wife (we wouldn't even be equals; it'd be like marrying an angel — we'd be on two different planes of existence), but in the span of five seconds I was able to imagine marrying the harpy girl, having children with her and sitting together on the veranda in old age, watching the sun go down.

Damn it. The imagination of a virgin was frightening.

“If it's not too much trouble, could I talk to you alone?” I asked the harpy girl.

“Ehh? Uhm... Well...”

“Understood.” The High Elf maid left the room.

Now it was just me and the harpy girl.

“What's your name?” I asked.

“Uhm...C-Chibi, Yamamoto-sama.”

“Right, then I'll just call you Chibi if that’s okay.”

“P-Please do as you wish.”

Her eyes darted left and right as if she wanted to be saved by someone.

I suppressed a sigh. Was I that scary? Or maybe she was afraid of offending the empress?

“You don't have to worry about anything,” I said. “Empress Shiro and I are just good friends.”

“I s-see.”

Chibi had her hands folded together in front of the white apron that was tied around her waist, and her eyes were looking at the floor.

“Chibi, look at me.”

“Y-Yes!” Her voice was high and shrill.

There was no time to waste.

“I don't have much time. Actually I have less than a year left. Every day I work in the office, doing this and that. Every day I spend alone is another day wasted. I need to find a wife before the year is up, so...”

“You are dying, Yamamoto-sama?!”

“Huh?”

“How terrible! I was wondering if there was something wrong because you appeared sickly every time you came to visit Empress Shiro. Please forgive me for not realizing that you are dying from a deadly illness. I shall go get some herbal tea for you right away!”

“W-Wait, I'm not — “

Before I could say more, Chibi got up and quickly left the room.

There was a huge misunderstanding. Chibi thought that I was dying. I guess I phrased my sentence badly — but still! And why did she say that I was looking sickly? Am I really in such bad shape?

Well, I suppose I haven't gotten much exercise or sunshine since I'm working all the time.

“Heh-heh-heh~ She said you look sickly~”

A smug voice sounded from behind one of the sliding doors. The door slid open and Himiko emerged.

“Himiko? Since when — “

“Since you asked the elf maid to leave because you wanted to hit on Chibi-chan.”

Ugh... I could feel my face turning hot.

“Just so you know, I'm not going to let you marry Chibi-chan, even if it saves your life. She is such an innocent girl. I can't even imagine the perverted things an uncle like you would do to an innocent thing like her~”

She said those words with a grin on her face.

Just let me die already. This was too much humiliation.

Himiko cleared her voice, and her grin vanished.

“All jokes aside, are you that desperate to get married and knock up a young woman? I know that you are on a deadline, but isn't that a bit much? It’s like you’re ready to stick it into any girl who lets you do her.”

“If you had a one year deadline to find a boyfriend or husband or else get thrown in front of a train, wouldn't you hurry up and try to find someone?”

Himiko looked at me with a sense of alienation.

“You really don't understand women at all, Keiji.”

“...right.”

I suppose she was right. I've never even had a girlfriend before I was pushed in front of a train. I didn't have any female friends when I was in high school and all of my childhood friends were other boys. My experience with girls was at an absolute zero.

“Anyway, why did you summon me? Are you bored again?”

“The way you say that makes me sound like a spoiled child who'd summon on a whim.”

“Well, you've done that before.”

“I'm still Empress Shiro, you know? Even I have duties that I need to attend to. I'm not always free...just most of the time.”

“So? Why did you want to see me?”

“Erm...well...the government is broke again, and it is on the verge of bankruptcy.”

“What?! Didn't I lend you a bunch of money when we first met?”

“You're right, but...”

Himiko explained the situation. It turned out that the government was extremely corrupt and that at every stage of handling the money, corrupt government officials siphon off a little bit to fill their personal wallets. By the time the money gets to where it needs to be, it has gone through so many hands that there was barely anything left.

“I see...” I murmured.

This was something that happened in a lot of mature governments, but monarchies were especially vulnerable to developing deep systematic corruption. This kind of thing happened all the time in ancient China, and that was why there were so many Chinese dynasties. Whenever a government became too corrupt, there'd be a revolution, a new emperor with a new government would be installed, and after some time, they too would grow corrupt.

Japan had the same kind of problems throughout its history, causing it to break up into smaller parts, each controlled by a clan.

In theory, this kind of thing could be solved by democracy, where the government and the leaders are held accountable to the public through the process of voting, but…

“You could try to implement democratic reform to hold local officials accountable to the public, but I think that would just cause this country to fall into a civil war. The High Elf families would see it as a chance to seize power from the royal family, and the country would split into warring states — like the Sengoku period or the Three Kingdoms.”

Himiko looked at me with wide eyes.

“I don't really get it...but I do remember reading the Three Kingdoms in those Chinese classics we had to read. Keiji, you're surprisingly good at this kind of political thing.”

“I used to read history books in my free time.”

“That sounds like a boring hobby — I mean, wow, that is interesting.”

“...”

“So...how do we solve this corruption problem?”

“I could just give you more money, but that would just cause the corrupt officials to fill their pockets even more than before since they never suffer consequences for their actions...”

There should be a way to solve this. Something that was possible with the level of technology in this world. My first thought was to mark every piece of taxpayer money with some kind of tracking spell, but considering the sheer amount of money involved, it was completely unrealistic.

“Preferably it would be something where the government officials’ own income depends on it and therefore keeps corrupt government officials on their toes.”

“You mean a kind of incentive system?”

“Something like that. But I also mean it in the sense that the government could operate a business to earn money.”

“So the profits from the business could fund the government, huh. But what kind of business do you have in mind?”

“Hmm... I have no idea.”

“If you think of something that works, I'll let Chibi-chan work at your place.”

“I shall use every brain cell I have to solve this problem.”

Himiko's expression was a mixture of both smugness and disgust. It was as if she wasn't sure how to feel.

Hmm...

Something that could earn the government money and also encourage the government officials to keep an eye on each other. It would have to be a kind of business that could be established quickly and easily — and of course it would have to be something that Rosmund hasn't already exploited...

This might be impossible after all.

“How about a soshage?” Himiko suggested.

“Huh? Sosha — what?”

“So-sha-ge! A social game!” She pulled a smartphone out of her pocket. “Like in this game you can spend money to pull gachas and then get rare characters. It is totally addictive, and people spend tons of money on it. A lot of my classmates worked part-time jobs just so that they could fund their gacha addiction.”

I chopped her on the head.

“Before you can make a soshage, you need to invent the smartphone first. And before you invent the smartphone, you need to invent the computer. The technology in this world is on the same level as medieval Europe. They might have magic here, but it can't create something technical like a computer.”

“Hnghh...!” Himiko pouted. “I'm the empress; you're not allowed to call me stupid.”

“I never called you stupid.”

“You were definitely thinking it. I can sense it based on the way you spoke.”

“Geez, you — “

I stopped.

An idea flashed through my mind.

The technology to make a soshage did not exist in this world, but instead we could...

I patted Himiko on the head.

“E-Eh? Keiji, what are you doing?”

“Thank you, Himiko. You are brilliant.”

“S-Stop talking formally like that. It sounds weird!”

Even though she said that she didn't move. She looked like she enjoyed being patted on the head.

“So, what's your idea?”

“The technology to make soshage gacha games possible doesn't exist in this world, but we can do what inspired soshage gachas in the first place.”

“Ohh! You mean gachapons? I used to spend all of my spare coins there. They always have some kind of cute new item that I just had to have.”

“Hmm, yes, but not quite. The machines and the rewards inside them are made out of plastic and to produce them at scale we would need industrial processes. This is impossible because this world hasn't experienced an industrial revolution and likely will never due to the existence of magic. Also, to make plastic, we need oil, and this world doesn't have that.”

“Ehh...then what?”

“I was thinking of a form of gacha that existed before the gachapons.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Himiko tilted her head slightly. She looked adorable doing that.

Of course she wouldn't know what I was talking about. She was a JK when she was still living in Japan and JKs would never hang out at that kind of place. In fact, she wouldn't even be allowed to enter since you had to be eighteen or older.

(Besides, it was for old people and salarymen like me. Even after she turned eighteen, she wouldn't be caught dead in that kind of place).

“We should open a pachinko parlor.”

That’s right. Gambling. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Casinos or pachinko parlors or any kind of organized gambling didn’t exist in this world. People bet some money when playing dice or cards at the taverns, but that was all informal. There was no place exclusively dedicate to this.

Himiko blinked, then after a moment, there was realization in her eyes.

“Right, right! I used to walk past a pachinko place after school. But...uhm...are they really that popular?”

“Pachinko is the world of adults. And yes, they are very popular.”

“Heee~ You make it sound like perverted things go on in there.”

“Of course not! It's a place where adults go to forget about their worries!”

“Hmm...” Himiko didn't look entirely convinced.

“Pachinko parlors are the original gacha! Gambling is illegal in Japan, so they use metal balls that you can exchange for money, so it's not strictly speaking gambling.”

“Right... But can we earn enough money with something like that?”

“Pachinko accounts for roughly four percent of Japan's entire GDP. It makes more money than some countries!”

“W-Wow! Gambling is amazing!”

I have to admit that pachinko parlors could be dangerously addictive. When I first started going there, I almost gambled away my entire food budget. That month, I had to survive entirely on cup noodles.

“But is this possible with the technology in this world?”

“Hmm...modern pachinko machines have lots of fancy features, but at their core, they are just pinball machines which don't require electricity or computers to function. With the power of General Magic and the royal family, we can assemble the best engineers and have them build prototypes based on my descriptions. The metal balls can be fashioned out of magic crystals. If we use different types of magic crystals with different magic signatures across different shops, then we can prevent customers from cheating.”

“How will this solve the corruption problem?”

“Government officials will have to work in the pachinko parlors. The customers will keep an eye on the workers and the workers will also be suspicious of each other. This suspicion will keep people honest. And if any of the shops have an imbalance between the number of balls purchased by customers and the revenue taken in and paid out winnings, then we know that the government workers assigned to that shop are corrupt, and we can fire them.”

Himiko immediately issued an order to assemble the best craftsmen the kingdom had to offer. I also instructed General Magic to give me access to wood, metal and the largest inventory of different types of unsold magic crystals.

Within a week, the craftsmen presented a working prototype, and we gave it to the palace staff to play with. It became an instant hit and soon staff lined up in the palace corridors for a chance to have another go at it. After considering the feedback of the palace staff, the craftsmen made modifications to make it more appealing for the natives of this world.

In the end, three finalized models in three different sizes were produced. A large one for beast men. A regular one for human sized users. And a small one for fairies, goblins and the like.

Himiko instructed the craftsmen to produce a hundred of each model.

I hunted down some unused shops near high foot traffic areas and sold them to the royal family at a discount. The pachinko machines were installed in those shops and a grand opening was staged.

“A-Amazing.”

Himiko's eyes were wide and her mouth hung open.

Himiko, Lumi, Tania and I were walking around the city, inspecting the long lines that had formed around each of the locations.

The locals couldn't get enough of it. There were even reports of some people spending their life savings on these pachinko machines.

“The power of gambling can be frightening,” I said, and then added, “And this just pachinko.”

“What else is there?”

“Blackjack, poker, roulette — the possibilities are endless.” I looked at the lines. “I suppose it doesn't matter if it is in a different world or even if the clients aren't human; gambling will always have a mysterious power.”

Lumi pulled my sleeve. She was pouting.

“Hnghh, so this is what you were doing the whole time. You were always working when I snuck into your bedroom and totally ignored my nightly visits.”

“Sorry... I just got caught up in the work. I promise that I will pay more attention to you, okay?”

“Fine... I forgive you.”

Tania didn't look pleased either.

“What a waste,” she said. “Why did you have to hand over this amazing idea to the royal family? If this was done by General Magic, then we could quickly open up more outlets in other parts of the country.”

Incidentally, upon my advice, Himiko passed a law that made it illegal to operate pachinko venues unless one had a license. And of course the only one with such a license was Himiko.

It was strange to think of the empress of a country being a pachinko queen, but by making her the owner of the shops rather than the government, it would discourage corrupt government employees from stealing; no one wanted to defy the empress since instead of firing you, she could simply order your execution.

Of course this also stopped Tania and other executives within General Magic from opening up copycat pachinko shops. If they did that, they could crush Himiko's business with their raw economic might regardless of her status as a royal.

“Blackjack, poker, roulette... Keiji! Teach me how to play those games. We should open up larger shops all over the country and introduce everyone to these games. That way, government revenue will go up even further.”

Her eyes gleamed with something that could only be called greed — or dollar signs.

“It might be a good idea to promote responsible gaming,” I said. “Otherwise a lot of people will lose all of their money and that might cause social instability. If you're not careful, that could cause a popular rebellion.”

The sparkle in her eyes vanished.

“Fine... I suppose that makes sense.”

And thus this was how the government's money problems were solved and Himiko became a pachinko queen.

Chapter 13

Succession

I never understood why Rosmund had to summon Yamamoto Keiji.

There is nothing special about him. He has no business acumen to speak of. He has kindled a friendship with the empress, he still failed to secure favors for General Magic. Even though he has nearly unlimited wealth at his disposal, he still does not do anything to anything to expand the business.

In fact, he was nothing but an ordinary worker in the world he was summoned from.

Why would the heavens deliver Yamamoto Keiji as an answer to Rosmund's summoning spell?

If anything, it took every bit of effort on my part to prevent this useless man from harming the company. If he wasn't kept busy, then he couldn't do any damage. Who knows how quickly he could destroy General Magic if he was allowed to do whatever he wanted.

Or worse yet — hand it over to the Illuminati because he couldn't resist the advances of the mongrel.

Letting her into the house was my biggest mistake. If she wasn't here, then I could handle him. But she has taken control of him and is slowly worming her way into his heart.

I was wrong to trust him. I was wrong to not take action sooner. I was wrong to think that he had any integrity.

He handed over a golden business idea to the royal family and did not even secure a royalty deal or future favors.

He isn't even a regular person; he is a fool.

I assume he did that because he was attracted to the empress. He truly is controlled by that little sausage between his legs.

Why? Why did the summoning spell deliver Yamamoto Keiji? Some priest told me that, 'the Word of Light works in mysterious ways,’ but no matter how I think about this, it doesn't make any sense.

Yamamoto Keiji is unable to keep General Magic together. By not expanding the business empire, he is causing it to shrink. In the world of business, becoming complacent means to die.

Just because Rosmund told him that there is nothing more for him to achieve, he actually goes ahead and doesn’t try to do anything. He simply does all of the work I give him and doesn’t do anything beyond that. He is like a simple drone who just listens to anything other people tell him. And on top of that, he always tries to take days off to do whatever he feels like.

He lacks vision. He lacks work ethic.

He is someone who will oversee the decline of General Magic.

After observing and thinking for a long time, I came to a conclusion.

Rosmund was wrong.

The heavens were wrong.

The Word of Light has made a mistake.

Hundreds of thousands of employees work at General Magic for their wages. All of them depend on the CEO to lead the company forward so that we all may continue to earn our wages.

If the CEO isn't leading, then the company will decline and employees will have to be terminated.

And it's not just the employees who will suffer. Those with children will suffer even more due to a loss of income.

Entire families will fall apart if the CEO isn't doing his job of growing the business in order to avoid having it shrink and therefore shed jobs.

And Yamamoto Keiji isn't doing his job.

He is failing at it.

He is putting the entire company at risk.

He is risking thousands of peaceful lives. Thousands of families. Thousands of happy childhoods could be ruined if the parents got fired by General Magic.

I cannot wait for his one year trial period to run out. That mongrel will make him sign a marriage contract before then.

For the sake of all those who depend on General Magic, I must kill Yamamoto Keiji.

Chapter 14

A Date with Lumi

Before the sun had even risen, I felt a weight jump onto my bed. When I opened my eyes, I saw that it was Lumi.

“Wake up!” she said.

“Ugh...it's still dark outside.”

“You promised to spend the whole day with me! Be grateful that I held myself back for a few hours after midnight.”

Right, I had promised to spend the entire day with Lumi. After neglecting her while I was busy with the pachinko project, Lumi was unhappy, and I decided to give her an entire day of my time.

“Just let me sleep a little longer...”

“Hmph, if that's how it's going to be, then…”

Lumi slipped underneath the cover and pressed herself against me.

“L-Lumi?”

“Heh-heh~ How does it feel to have a cute girl underneath your covers? I have succubus blood flowing through my veins, so I'm confident that I smell good. Here, you can sniff my hair if you want.”

“I don't have that kind of weird fetish.”

I would never say it, but Lumi did smell really good. Underneath the covers, it was as if her scent was concentrated and all I could smell was her. My heart involuntarily pounded against my chest.

Sigh... If only she didn't want to take control of General Magic, then I would've married her and I wouldn't have to find a wife to save my life.

“Why do you look so disappointed? Do I smell bad?”

“No... it's because you smell good.”

“Keiji...” Her eyes grew wide.

“Don't make that kind 'Your words have moved me and I have suddenly fallen in love during the springtime of my youth’ expression. I'm not going to give in that easily.”

“Heh-heh~ I didn't think so either, but it was worth a try.”

Lumi moved closer and tickled my sides.

“Stop!”

I tried to get away from her, but her hands were glued to my sides. We rolled around in bed together until I got on top of her and pinned her hands down. Both of us were breathing heavily.

The top buttons of her uniform were unbuttoned, and I could see her cleavage. Her face was flushed from rolling around. She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling.

I suddenly realized what kind of position we were in.

“Idiot.” I got off her and turned away. “Thanks to you I'm wide awake. Let's just go eat breakfast.”

“M-Mm,” Lumi sounded.

I couldn't see her expression, but it didn't sound like she was acting smug.

We had a hearty breakfast and then afterwards discussed what we should do during the day. I thought about going into the city and visiting the McDungeon Adventurer’s Guild to see if there were any interesting quests, but then Lumi would have to disguise herself to avoid being discriminated against.

We could also explore one of the regular McDungeon’s, however those were also in the city (the majority of McDungeon’s stores were underneath the capital city, which makes them easy and convenient to access).

Tania came into the dining room.

“Oh, please excuse my interruption, Yamamoto-sama. It is rare to see you up so early.”

Now came the greatest challenge. I'd have to persuade Tania to let me have a day off.

She's been in a bad mood ever since I gave the pachinko parlor idea to Himiko; she said that I had lost the business opportunity of a lifetime.

“Uhm...Tania, today I am going to spend the day with Lumi, so I won't be able to attend any meetings.”

I prepared to face a wave of objections, but Tania appeared surprisingly indifferent.

“Oh, is that so? Well, I suppose there is no helping it. I shall cancel your meetings.”

She sat down on the opposite end of the table.

“Do you mind if I eat here? Usually I have breakfast before the beginning of the day.”

“S-Sure.”

I stared at her. She didn't seem to care at all.

The maid servants served Tania her daily breakfast. Toast, butter, an apple and warm milk. It was a simple and frugal meal.

“What do you and Lumi plan on doing today?” she asked.

“I'm not sure. It's difficult to do something in the city...”

“How about we do something outside of the city?” Lumi suggested. “You always spend the whole day in the office. It's important to take exercise outdoors every now and then.”

“You're right. I haven't taken any exercise since we raided Dungeon King.”

I was so busy with helping Himiko that I had almost forgotten about how useless I was during our first dungeon raid. Lumi was a seasoned fighter and Himiko had the speed of a youthful JK. I, on the other hand, was a useless salaryman with no skills outside of the office.

“In that case...” Tania said and pulled a scroll out of her dress pocket. “I heard that a new dungeon for beginners opened up outside the city. If it’s not too much trouble, could you two please have a look at it? We might learn something that could help our own McDungeon’s business.”

I blinked. Not only was Tania not objecting to me skipping work, but she was suggesting what I could do with Lumi?

It was like she had been replaced with a different person.

“T-Thanks. But uhm...”

“What is it?”

“Are you okay with me skipping meetings? It will cause a lot of trouble for you.”

Tania shrugged. “I've gotten used to it.”

“R-Right.”

It was as if Tania had resigned herself to the fact there was nothing she could do about me skipping out on work.

I couldn't fire her, but at the same time I also outranked her. It was a strange relationship.

After breakfast, I got dressed, and we summoned the carriage.

“I've done a bit of research, and it turns out that there are a lot of amazing places outside of the city,” Lumi said. “Before we go to the dungeon, there are some places I want to check out.”

“Sure. Lead the way.”

Lumi told the driver where to go, and we pulled away from the mansion.

Soon we had left the mansion behind and found ourselves deep in the forest.

“Are you sure that this is the right way?” I asked.

“Mh-hmm! You forget that I have elven blood in my veins. And elves are born with a good sense of direction. Plus, I’ve spent years living on my own in the woods. Even if every part of the forest looks the same to you, I've got a strong sense for where we are in relation to the mansion.”

“That's good to know.”

After a little while, we cleared the forest and came across a meadow. But there was something unusual about this grassy space; in the middle of the clearing, there was a collection of short trees with tiny pink petals blooming on the branches, making it look like a sea of pink.

It looked exactly like sakura trees.

“T-This — “ I uttered.

“Hmm? I read in a guidebook that the founders of the capital city planted these trees as a memorial to eternal peace. But it seems that most of the locals have forgotten about this.”

“These trees...they...”

My vision grew blurry and tears trickled down my cheeks.

“K-Keiji, why are you crying? Do you hate pink trees? Uhm...”

“N-No.” I dried my tears with my sleeves. “It's just that these look a lot like a certain tree in my home country. Seeing this made me feel a little homesick.”

Lumi smiled gently.

“I see.”

I glanced at Lumi and saw a sliver of sadness in her expression. It took me a moment to understand why.

She didn't know what being homesick felt like because she had no home. No place she belongs to. No tribe that wanted her.

“Lumi...”

A gentle gust swept across the meadow and rustled the branches. Pink pedals were lifted up into the air, their gentle sweet scent enveloping us.

“Wahhh! Keiji, look!”

“It's beautiful.”

It's such a shame that the city dwellers forgot about this wonderful place.

We wandered around the meadow some more, and then Lumi said there was another place she wanted to go. She gave the carriage driver directions, and we soon arrived at an old church in the middle of the forest.

This was actually my first time seeing a Western style church since most neighborhoods in Japan only had Shinto shrines. I heard that Hokkaido has some classic cathedral style churches, but they were hard to find in Tokyo since there was so little space.

“Is there something special about this church?” I asked.

“The outside is pretty ordinary,” Lumi said. “But it is the inside that is interesting.”

We went inside and saw that instead of where the altar was supposed to be, there was a statue of a young woman in heavy armor with a dog beside her.

“I read in a book that this church was built to honor Silvia the Great, a heroine who fought to unite the country,” Lumi said. “After the war, she died from her wounds and was canonized as a saint posthumously.”

While I was slaving away at the paperwork Tania brought me, Lumi always sat in the corner with a book in her hands. She had probably learned about this country’s history during that time.

“Lumi, you’re kind of a history otaku, aren't you?”

“W-What? Nooo, you misunderstand! I just read a lot since there is nothing else to do.”

“I mean that as a good thing. Most people don't bother to learn history and gradually everyone forgets about the lessons of the past. Can you tell me a bit more about Silvia the Great?”

“Eh? Uhm...sure. I read that Silvia the Great served the royal family and played a big part in the war against the Demon Lord. She led the biggest army in the history of this country and crushed all those before her. Anyone who didn't pledge allegiance to her was killed.”

“Oh...”

I suppose since she won all the wars she fought, she will be remembered as a hero rather than a villain. History is a matter of perspective.

“None of the books I read had any pictures of her, so I was curious as to what she looked like.” Lumi looked up at the statue with her hand on her hips. “She is a lot cuter than how I imagined her. I thought that she'd have less baby fat on her face.”

“Huh... I guess if I had to imagine a legendary warrior woman, I wouldn't think of someone who looks this young.”

Lumi narrowed her eyes. “My succubus blood tells me that this Silvia...yeah, she definitely has a thing for muscle men.”

“...what?”

“I don't have any evidence, but looking at her makes me think that she probably likes muscular ones. The history books didn't mention if she had any lovers, but now that I look at her, she probably had a few lovers. Keiji, why do you look surprised? Girls have needs too, you know?”

“Somehow saying that about a saint feels wrong...”

“She was canonized as a saint after her death; she probably didn't behave like one when she was alive.”

“Right, good point...”

I looked up at the statue and couldn't help but imagine all sorts of things...

I silently apologized and begged for forgiveness.

“But how are you so sure?” I asked. “Does your succubus blood give you an instinct for women as well?”

“Hmm? Not really, but it’s just a feeling, you know? Like I look at her face and I think, ‘she totally likes muscle men’ and ‘she probably wants to be embraced by a pair of thick arms at night.’”

“I don’t get it…”

We continued to explore the church and found some artifacts being exhibited under a wood and glass display. There was an old and rusty sword, as well as some books that were open on a random page.

“Ohhh! Keiji, look! These are Silvia’s personal journals!”

I blinked.

“Her personal writings? You mean like her diaries?”

“Mh-hmm!”

“Wouldn’t it be embarrassing to have your diary on open display like this…”

I imagined having my innermost thoughts and feelings lying open for everyone to see. I’d die of embarrassment.

Lumi bent over the display and planted her nose against the glass. Her lips moved and she murmured under her breath.

I had a look too, but I couldn’t make sense of the writing.

“You can read this?” I asked.

“I can read most of it…it’s written in old-fashioned script and some of the words don’t make sense to me. But since this is her personal diary, she is writing in a colloquial tone and not formal language, which makes it easier to read.”

“What is she writing?”

I’m sorry Silvia. My curiosity got the better of me.

“Hmm…on this page she is saying that she feels lonely after a long day on the battlefield…and then she goes on about how she wants to be embraced in bed and do many embarrassing things in embarrassing positions in embarrassing places and how she is tired of being the perfect heroine and ‘I want to see the world blow up’. Then on the next page she talks about this new guy who joined her company and that he is supremely handsome and has muscles too — oh, but then the page cuts off. The story continues on the next page, but we can't open the display.”

This really was her personal diary…

I looked at the statue again.

I want to do many embarrassing things in embarrassing positions in embarrassing places and I want to see the world blow up.

Who knew that behind this dignified expression, she was having these kinds of thoughts.

After looking at some more artifacts in the church (it was amazing how nobody was guarding these items; I suppose that just showed how little the people cared about Silvia the Great), Lumi and I left the church.

After spending so much time in this world, it was refreshing to learn about some of its history like this.

Although Lumi's history lesson was different from what you'd normally hear in class. It was as if the teacher said, “Hmm, now that I think about it, the Meiji Emperor probably had a thing for big jugs, don't you agree? You can totally sense it.”

We were both getting hungry. With the help of the carriage driver, we found a tavern in the woods, located at the side of a road that led to the city, and had lunch there. Fortunately, the owner (who was human) didn’t say anything when Lumi took off her hood. Instead, she simply smiled and asked us what we'd like to order.

Lumi looked surprised since she wasn't used to this sort of treatment (she was even reluctant to enter the tavern), and the owner said that outside of the cities, nobody really cared about what your blood was.

“But it seems that the people in the cities have become more weary with every passing year.”

She sighed and shook her head, then returned to the kitchen to prepare the food.

Lumi blinked in wonderment.

“I didn't know that people like her existed.”

I smiled slightly. Even if I had to work double duty tomorrow, seeing her expression made it worth it.

While we waited for the food, two children with wolf ears came into the tavern. A boy and a girl both were both roughly ten years old.

““Mama!”’ they called out at the same time.

The owner came out of the kitchen with a ladle in her hand.

“Look at you two,” she scolded them affectionately. “You are covered in dirt. You’ll make the tavern dirty. Go outside and wash yourselves clean first.”

““Okayyyy.”“

A beast man stepped through the door. He had a scar covering one of his eyes, and his snout was permanently injured too.

“Dear, you need to make sure they don’t roll around in the mud,” the owner said.

“Sorry, sorry,” the beast man grunted. “But you can’t learn how to hunt without getting dirty.”

“They won’t need to learn how to hunt if this tavern has more guests.”

“It’s always better to have a backup.”

“Sure, sure. Go and change your clothes; you’re covered in dust.”

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then returned to the kitchen.

Lumi and I watched the scene unfold before us. It was a nice little scene out of everyday life. A family of four. When I was still a salaryman, I often wondered if I’d ever have this kind of life, if I could ever come back to a warm home like this.

I glanced at Lumi. She smiled slightly, but it was a sad smile.

“How nice,” she murmured, a deep yearning in her voice. But her eyes had the light sucked out of them. In them I saw an abyss that made my breath freeze.

“Lumi…are you okay?”

“Sometimes I wonder…I wonder if I ever had something like this. Were my parents — ah…”

She shook her head and looked away. She didn’t finish what she was going to say, but I had heard enough to understand what was going through her mind.

When we first met, she said that one of the reasons why she joined the Illuminati was because she wanted to find her parents. She wanted to find them because there was something she absolutely had to know. At that time, she refused to tell me what it was, but after seeing her like this, I think I knew.

She probably wanted to know if she was the product of love or if her parents threw her away after she was born. Did her High Elf father simply lose his senses for a moment and did her succubus mother take advantage of that to get what she needed, or were they a family for even one moment in time?

“Lumi…”

She shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it, Keiji.”

“Sure…”

A heavy silence of unspoken words hung in the air. She probably knew that I had figured her out, but at the same time she didn’t want to talk about it. I suppose we all had one or two things we wanted to keep locked away from the world.

Fortunately, the owner came back with lunch. She must’ve noticed the awkwardness in the air because after she put down the food, she began chatting with us, even continuing to talk when Lumi wouldn’t respond. Eventually she sat down next to Lumi and had a drink with us. Her merriness dispelled the awkwardness in the air.

“Thank you,” I said to the owner after Lumi went to the bathroom.

“Heh, don’t worry about it,” she said. “You two aren’t the first couple to have a fight in here. Diffusing awkward situations is one of the many skills a tavern owner needs to have. I just wish my husband were more perceptive of the mood.”

Her two children came back into the tavern and tumbled into her lap.

“Your hair is still wet,” the owner scolded them. She got up and went to get a towel.

After Lumi came back, we paid and left. I made sure to leave a generous tip.

With our stomach full, it was time to hit the gym — I mean the dungeon. I gave Tania's scroll to the carriage driver, and he followed the directions.

We were taken deep into the forest and eventually had to stop because the trees were too dense for the carriage to go on.

“From here, you just need to go straight on for about ten minutes and you should see it,” the driver said.

“Okay, thank you.”

I grabbed the dungeon raid gear I bought at Dungeon King and we made our way into the forest.

“It's kind of weird for a dungeon to be all the way out here,” Lumi commented.

“Is it? I always thought that dungeons were supposed to be hidden and hard to find; if anything, McDungeon’s is weird for being out in the open like that.”

“I suppose so...originally dungeons were hidden like this, until they were commercialized by Rosmund.”

After a short trek, we finally arrived at the dungeon in question. It was a cave entrance leading into a mountain. From the outside at least, it didn't seem like a very challenging dungeon. Which was a good thing because Dungeon King was far too difficult for me.

“Don't worry, I will protect you,” Lumi said in a deep manly voice.

“Ugh...please don't remind me. It hurts my pride as a man.”

“Heh-heh~” Lumi cackled with laughter. “Alright, let's go in~”

She pulled out her bow and led the way.

I let out a relieved sigh. It might hurt my pride but seeing her back to her normal self made it all worth it.

I drew my sword and followed her into the cave.

Right away, we were faced with six goblins. They reached only up to my knee and were armed with wooden clubs rather than knives.

“Leave this one to me,” I said.

“Because you need the practice?” There was an edge of smugness in her voice.

“Yes, I need the practice, or else I will never get better at fighting.”

“Sure, sure~ Lumi-sensei will watch over you.”

“Lumi-sensei?”

“Don't talk back to your teacher. It's disrespectful.”

“I'm sorr — “ I began to apologize instinctively but then stopped myself. “Wait a minute, that doesn't even make sense!”

Before I could say more, one of the goblins jumped into the air and swung its club at my head. For such a small creature, it could jump surprisingly high.

I blocked the attack with my sword, and the impact caused me to fall over. It was unexpectedly strong; if that attack had hit, I would've lost consciousness.

“These short goblins usually aim for a vital point right away because they can't win otherwise,” Lumi called out from behind me. “Make sure they don't hit you in the balls. It might not kill you, but it will hurt a lot, and you might not be able to make babies anymore.”

Somehow that thought was more frightening than getting hit in the head.

I parried the next attack and sliced off the goblin's head. After that, his companions began to attack in pairs. While I was blocking one goblin, a second one would aim for my crotch. I pushed back and just barely dodged the attack.

One of the goblins fell on his back, and I quickly finished it off. The other one regrouped with the remaining four.

“That looked pretty dangerous. Do you need my help?”

“I'm fine.”

“Okay~ Just tell me when you need help.”

The remaining five attack simultaneously. Three aimed for my knees while the other two swung at my head and crotch.

So these goblins only knew how to fight like this, huh.

Although if I was facing an opponent three times my size, I would probably do the same thing.

There was no way I could block without getting hit at the same time, so I stepped back and avoided getting hit by a hair.

“If you keep doing that then they will force you out of the cave,” Lumi said.

“I know! But it's impossible to fight against five goblins without any special techniques.”

Unlike the Hero, I wasn't blessed with any spells or fighting techniques. My body remained unchanged from my time as a salaryman.

I was breathing hard. Fighting one versus four is really exhausting, even if my opponents were short.

“Remember, the best defense is a good offense,” Lumi said.

“Right.”

Instead of waiting for the goblins to attack, I charged in at full speed.

“Ahhhhhhhh — !’

The five goblins were shocked at my sudden increase in speed. They must've expected for me to stay on the defensive, but Lumi reminded me that to win a fight, I actually had to attack.

Three goblins stood close together, and I managed to slice off their heads in one swing.

The remaining two cried out with fury and attacked me. This time, I kicked one away before the attack could land and parried the other. I quickly finished off the one close to me, then stabbed the one I had kicked away.

Lumi clapped behind me.

“Not bad, you learn quickly,” she said. There was no sarcasm in her voice.

“Thanks.”

I felt pathetic for feeling this exhausted after just one round, but it would take some time to get this salaryman body into shape.

The more I thought about it, the more jealous I felt towards the Hero. He was blessed with all those abilities, and he was probably still rolling in bed with the Demon Lord.

“This world is really unfair...” I murmured.

“Hmm? What did you say, Keiji?”

“It's nothing.” I looked around. “Anyway, it doesn't look like this cave goes any deeper than this.”

There were no doors to go through or corridors to follow. It was just one shallow cave.

Just then, a light flashed in the middle of the cave and ten more goblins appeared.

“I see, so this cave is a wave-attack dungeon,” Lumi said.

“What do you mean?”

“This dungeon doesn't go any deeper than this, so instead, a new wave of enemies will show up once you've defeated the previous ones. This style of dungeon has gone out of fashion because you can't explore and find rare items. You could say that this kind of dungeon is only good for exercise — but why take exercise here when you can do it for a reward at McDungeon’s?”

“I see...that does make sense.”

“And look behind you. The cave entrance is still open. We can retreat anytime we want. I guess that's part of the reason why there is no reward.”

No risk, no reward.

“Ten goblins is a bit much; do you think you could help me?”

“Hmmm? What did you say? I couldn't hear you clearly.”

“Can you help me, please? Lumi-sensei, I humbly beg for your instructions.”

“You really leave me with no choice,” Lumi said with an exaggerated sigh, but her lips were smiling.

She readied her bow.

“Go on, rush in and attack them. I will provide support.”

“Okay, thanks.”

I took the initiative and dove into the group of goblins, attacking them before they could rush me. Lumi shot off several arrows from behind me, killing goblins that had gotten behind me and were about to attack me from my blind spot.

“Don't worry, Keiji. Fight with all your might! I will make sure that they won't touch your baby batter factory~”

“Ugh, please don't say it like that. It sounds gross.”

We continued to fight together like this until the sixth wave of goblins. By then, the cave was so full with goblin bodies that we had to be careful when dodging or else we would've tripped.

“This is enough,” I said.

I was completely out of breath, and the shirt under my armor was soaked with sweat.

“I think you improved a little bit today.”

“Only a little bit?”

“Only a little bit~ Lumi-sensei doesn't want to praise her pupil too much, lest he starts putting on airs.”

“Anyway, let's leave before the next wave appears.”

I sheathed my sword, and we made our way out of the cave —

“Ouch!”

I walked into what felt like a wall, but there was nothing in front of me.

“Wait, Keiji.” Lumi reached out and seemed to touch something. She planted her palm flat against something invisible in the air. “This is some kind barrier.”

“What? How is that possible?!”

“These kinds of wave-type dungeons never have invisible barriers like this. Someone must've planted this.”

“But since the enemies never stop appearing, wouldn't this barrier turn the dungeon into a death trap?”

Lumi closed her eyes and her hand began to glow with a blue light. Then she opened her eyes. “This is pretty bad...this is ancient magic written in a script I've never seen before. I can't figure out how to dispel it.”

Her expression was somber. She wasn't joking. Fear crawled over my skin. We had wandered into a death trap. Even someone like the Hero would die here because sooner or later he will run out of mana and stamina.

The next wave of goblins prepared to attack.

“Lumi, what should we do?”

“Keep fighting until we figure something out.”

I readied my sword. One versus ten. I had no choice but to attack first, otherwise things would go badly for me if the goblins took the initiative.

Lumi remained behind me, with one hand planted on the invisible barrier. Her lips were moving inaudibly.

I somehow managed to defeat all of the goblins without letting a single one through.

“Anything?” I asked.

Lumi shook her head.

The next wave of goblins appeared, and this time it was fifteen of them. Like last time, I rushed in before they could attack.

It was amazing how much desperation raised my physical abilities. I couldn't even feel my exhaustion anymore; I just kept fighting like my life depended on it — and it did.

After two more waves, I couldn't hold the line on my own anymore and Lumi had to support me. This meant that she had to stop working on the barrier. Based on her grim expression, she hadn't made any progress.

Like this, we fought through five more waves of goblins.

“Ha....ha...” I was completely out of breath. The adrenaline had subsided, and I could feel my muscles aching. I threw up and fell to my knees.

Lumi was breathing heavily too.

“I'm out of mana,” she panted.

I tried to calm down my breathing.

“I guess this is it,” I said.

But the next wave of goblins never appeared.

“What's going on?” I murmured.

Lumi went up to the barrier and touched it.

“The dungeon isn't letting us leave. This is strange...usually these wave-type dungeons should have an infinite number of enemies since goblins can be easily created using magic.”

I swung my sword at the barrier, but that only caused my blade to chip.

A figure emerged from the forest. I narrowed my eyes and saw that this person was female. She gradually stepped closer until I was able to see her face.

“Tania?!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

She didn't answer. Instead she looked at us with disdain.

“I see,” Lumi said. “She was the one who set up this barrier.”

“What do you — “

It was Tania who recommended this dungeon. It was because of her that we ended up in this situation. Come to think of it, she was oddly agreeable when I told her to cancel all the meetings.

“Tania, what is the meaning of this?”

She came up to the cave entrance and touched the barrier from the other side.

“I really didn't think that you two would survive all the waves I had prepared,” she said.

“You prepared these goblins?”

“That's right. This used to be a wave-type dungeon until it ran out of mana and was unable to generate more enemies. All I did was charge it up with enough mana for about twenty waves of goblins. I figured that would be enough to kill you two and make it look like a regular dungeon death, but...”

She looked at me with raw hate. “You actually survived all of them, you useless piece of trash.”

“T-Tania?”

I didn't understand why she was speaking like this. Had she hated me the entire time?

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a red crystal.

“This is enough; you and that mongrel will die here.”

She crystal pulsed gently and —

—?!

The ground vanished underneath my feet. Lumi and I fell down a shaft.

Ugh...

I tried to stand up, but a searing pain pierced my shoulder.

“Damn it...I think I dislocated my arm,” I said. “Lumi, are you okay?”

Lumi was on her knees. One of her arms was bent at a strange angle.

“My arm is broken,” she said, her voice devoid of feeling.

I looked up and Tania was looking down on us.

“This fall didn't kill you either? You two sure are persistent. Well, no matter. You two will starve to death down there.”

“Why are you doing this?!” I cried.

“Hah?” Tania raised an eyebrow. “I'm doing this because Rosmund lost his marbles. He wants to retire, so he summons some random human from another world to run the company?! I built General Magic together with him. This company is my life's work, and I'm not going to let some nobody like you run it into the ground.

“At first I thought that I could just keep you busy with work for a year and then you’d just go back to wherever you came from, but then this stupid mongrel had to show up. You rejected her, but it's obvious that you two are slowly falling for each other. I'm not going to let you fulfill your end of the contract and stay in this world.”

My jaw dropped. So that was why I was always buried in work, even though a lot of the meetings didn't feel super important. Tania was trying to keep me from finding a wife and then get me sent back to Japan.

“But I'll die if I'm sent back to my homeworld.”

Tania shrugged. “Your lack of responsibility is none of my concern.”

“Why don't you trust me with running General Magic? Didn't I do all of the work you gave me?”

Tania sneered.

“Some spineless weakling like you could never survive in the world of business. Rosmund told you that there was nothing left for you to achieve, and you actually allowed yourself to not expand the business. Not only that, when you had an actual good idea, you handed it off to Empress Shiro rather than giving it to General Magic. You clearly don't have the company's best interest at heart. For the sake of the business, please die.”

“W-Wait! It's just business! There's no need to kill someone over a company.”

“Hah? Just business?” Tania growled. “I can't forgive you for looking down on my work. I will kill you with my own hands.”

She vanished from view for a moment and then reappeared above us with a bow and arrows.

“Stand still,” she commanded.

The space down here was so cramped, it would be almost impossible to dodge. Lumi and I both had broken limbs; we couldn't climb out and neither of us could use Lumi's bow.

Damn it! Is this really it? Was I going to die in a hole?

At the very least, I wanted to do one useful thing with my life.

“Keiji?”

I planted myself between Lumi and Tania, effectively acting as a meat shield.

“After she has killed me, use my body as a shield until she runs out of arrows. Then you can eat me, regain your mana, heal your arms and climb out of here,” I said.

“N-No! I can't let you do that!”

Her eyes were wide open with horror. Her breathing was ragged.

She picked her bow and held it up in the air with her remaining arm.

“Lumi?”

“I refuse to let you die, and I refuse to die without fighting back.”

Even though she only had one usable arm, even though she couldn't fire off any arrows — despite all that, she still stood and fought.

“Fine, then die together,” Tania said indifferently.

She shot off two arrows at the same time.

I grabbed Lumi and held her close.

Suddenly, Lumi’s bow began to glow with a golden light. It separated itself from her hand and floated in the air. It pulsed like a heartbeat and Tania's two arrows froze in the air, then dropped to the ground like two stones.

“What the — “ Tania mouthed, but she didn't have the chance to say anything else.

Lumi's bow pulsed violently, sending golden shockwaves towards her. One of them sliced off Tania's head. Blood spurted from her headless neck and her body collapsed.

Lumi and I blinked. What just happened?

The bow stopped glowing and gently lowered itself into Lumi's hand.

“Keiji look, there is something attached at the end of a bow.”

Indeed, a scroll that wasn't there before was tied to the end of the bow.

She undid the knot very carefully and unfolded the paper. It looked like a letter. We read it together.

To my dearest daughter:

I am writing this while you are sleeping in my lap. Every now and then I make sure to wipe your mouth because you drool in your sleep. You also like to kick away the blanket and catch a cold afterwards. Sometimes you cling to my arm when I try to put you down.

You call me Mama even though I'm your father.

Hearing this fills me with joy — and it breaks my heart.

How old will you be when you read this letter? Are you still a child? Have you become a beautiful young woman? Perhaps you have a boyfriend (I will kill him with my bare hands)? Maybe you are married and have children of your own.

You must have so many questions, and I will do my best to answer them, even though I'm not sure of what you will ask.

Lumi. That is the name your mother gave you. She said your smile is like a candle flame that illuminates the darkness of the deep forest. That is why she named you Lumi. It was a nickname at first, but then it just stayed like that.

Your mother is the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Even when I used magic that made me resistant to succubus magic, I was unable to look away. I thought that she would just sleep with me for my essence and then vanish the next day, but I found her next to me in the morning, her hand in mine.

What was it about that sight that made me want to cry?

We've spent every day together like this since then. We built a little hut deep in the forest, where no one could find us. Even the best trackers of the High Elf families could never find us here.

In time, your mother gave birth to you.

I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you two like this. But this world is unjust and cruel. And there is little we can do about it.

One day, a tracker did find us. Your mother and I were teaching you how to use magic, and a warlock with great sensitivity locked onto us.

If the High Elves found out about a mixed-blood child born to a High Elf and a succubus, they would've killed you.

The warlock was onto us. We had to run. Your mother said that it is better for us to split up. She would return to her succubus tribe and persuade her elders to help us. Meanwhile, I was tasked with setting up magic barriers to hold off the warlock.

But the succubi elders had no interest in helping a High Elf and a half-blood child.

The warlock returned with more allies, and I couldn't keep them away for much longer.

Under the cover of darkness, I returned to the family I belonged to and stole the legendary bow that my family was supposed to protect. I'm sure that I will be tortured and healed and tortured over and over again for this act of treason. And when I refuse to speak, they will kill me.

I entrust this bow to you. The ancient spirits in this bow have agreed to protect you. I thank the Word of Light for their benevolence. When your life is in danger, this bow will protect you. I am attaching this letter and trust that the bow will hand it over to you when you are ready to read it.

You just sneezed in my lap and are drawing into a tight little ball. Your little hands grabbed my shirt. This is the last time I will get to see you sleep. After tonight, I will have to run, for the warlocks have already identified me as the thief who stole the legendary bow. And I am guilty as charged.

Have I fulfilled my duty as a husband? Have I done everything I can as a father?

I don't know.

My dearest daughter. I love you more than anything else in the world.

— [                         ]

The letter was unsigned. Nowhere did Lumi's father mention what his name was, only that right now he was probably dead.

“Lumi...”

Her shoulders were shaking. She doubled over and cried like a newborn. She held the letter close to her chest as though it was her most precious possession.

I sat by her side and said nothing. There was nothing I could do or say.

A lifetime of doubt had been answered.

She was loved from the very beginning. Her family was torn apart by the different races that ruled this world.

I wonder what she must be feeling.

After a long while, she had no more tears left to cry. Exhausted, she leaned against my shoulder. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was gentle.

Finally, I summoned the courage to ask.

“Are you okay?”

Lumi said nothing. Was she asleep? But eventually she opened her eyes and said, “Yeah...”

“He never mentioned what his name was, or the name of your mother or the location of her tribe.”

“Mm...you're right. I think he did that on purpose. Maybe he didn't want me to go look for them since it would be dangerous.”

She held the legendary bow in her hand.

“Who would've thought that this is the lost bow the High Elves are looking for,” she said.

“It looks ordinary to me.”

“Hmm...now that I think about it...”

Her voice trailed off.

“What?”

“When lived alone, actually even after I started living with you in your mansion…after I washed my clothes, I’d use the bow to hang them up to dry...”

“...”

I wonder what the High Elf families would think if they knew that their priceless possession (bestowed upon by the heavens no less) was being used as a laundry rack. Actually, how would the ancient spirits residing within the bow feel about that?

It’d be like someone using the Holy Grail as an ordinary tea cup.

“And when my back was itchy, I'd use the bow to scratch the spots I couldn't reach.”

“...”

“And sometimes when a coin dropped into a hard to reach place, I'd use the bow to nudge it out...”

“And despite that, this bow still used its power to save you.”

“I should treat it with more care from now.”

“Yeah...”

We both laughed.

Eventually, we both began to feel hungry. Neither of us thought that we'd be trapped in a cave, so we didn't bring any food.

“We have to find a way out of this shaft,” Lumi said.

“We both have at least one broken arm. It's impossible for us to climb out.”

“What if we call for help?”

“We're really deep in the forest...if anything, we’d attract wild animals”

“You're right...but there's no other option, right?”

“Yeah...”

Both of us began to shout with all of our might.

“HELP!!”

“IS ANYONE THERE?”

“I'M REALLY RICH! SAVE ME AND YOU WILL GET LOTS OF MONEY!”

“THERE'S A RICH GUY DOWN HERE! HE HAS MORE MONEY THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE.”

“...”

“What? I was just going along with your idea.”

We continued to shout like this until our throats were hoarse.

“Ugh...my throat...” I groaned.

Lumi said nothing. She had already given up.

Both of us rested against the stone walls, too tired to stand. If at least one of the goblin corpses fell into this hole, then we could eat it and Lumi could restore some of her mana.

“Hello? Uhm...is someone there?”

Lumi and I looked at each other. We weren't imagining it. Someone had heard us.

““Over here!”“ We shouted at the same time.

The sounds of footsteps drew closer.

“We're in the cave! Be careful! Don't fall into the hole!” I said.

A person's head appeared above us. She was looking down into the hole.

“Eh? Yamamoto-sama?”

It was Maria.

Lumi and I were dumbstruck. We didn't expect for anyone to find us out here, let alone a former employee who quit so that she could become a florist.

“Maria? What are you doing all the way out here?”

“I go deep into the mountains to collect flowers and rare seeds for my shop. Why are you and Lumi down there?”

“It's a long story...uhm...but if you look to your side...”

“Huh? Let me see — EEEEEKKK!”

Maria disappeared from view, and there was the sound of her vomiting. She must've seen Tania’s decapitated body.

After a while, she appeared again, her face pale and gaunt.

“W-What happened?” she asked.

I told her that Tania tried to kill me and Lumi, a lot of things happened, and as a result, she lost her head in the process.

“We've both broken our arms during the fall. Do you think you could help us climb out?”

“O-Of course! But I can't do it on my own. Let me go get some help.”

Maria dropped some bread into the hole and then vanished. A few hours later, she came back with the family we met earlier at the tavern. Since we couldn't climb out even with a rope, they lowered a large basket into the shaft that we could climb into, and then they pulled us up.

I offered to reward Maria and the tavern family for their help, but they both rejected it.

“We've got our own peaceful life,” the tavern owner said. “Just make sure to recommend our establishment when you meet a traveler.”

“As for me, you can reward me by ordering flowers from my store when you two get married.”

Apparently the carriage driver was working together with Tania, and he ran off when he saw Tania’s head rolling.

“Should we hunt down the carriage driver?” Lumi asked.

I shook my head.

“I am the owner of General Magic, the business that controls this country's economy. He will spend the rest of his life living in fear of retribution from me. That should be enough punishment.”

We hired a carriage and driver at the tavern, and together with Maria, we returned to the city.

The next couple of days were chaotic or would've been if I didn't control the flow of information.

I made sure that Tania's death was swept under the carpet and kept a secret. I didn't know if there were others besides the carriage driver working together with her.

When I came back to the mansion, I simply told the staff that Tania had decided to go on an extended holiday and wouldn't be back for a while.

Lumi and I had our broken bones healed quickly by the best doctor the city had to offer. The old elf was reluctant about treating Lumi because of her mixed blood but eventually gave in when I slapped him with money.

“What to do next...” I wondered out loud as I sat by myself in the office.

Without Tania here, the constant flow of paperwork had stopped. Company executives still came in for meetings, but there was a lot of confusion because usually it would be Tania who was their first point of contact.

I haven't talked much to Lumi ever since that time. She had just been holed up in her room and only came out for meals.

I glanced at the corner where she would usually sit; it felt odd to see no one there.

“Heh...”

Who would've thought that I'd become so used to Lumi, the half-elf, half-succubus Illuminati associate agent who wanted to steal General Magic.

Although now that she knew the truth about her parents, I wonder if she still wanted to work for the Illuminati.

Suddenly, the door opened. Lumi entered my office.

“H-Hey,” I uttered.

“Hmm.”

I faced my desk and pretended to be busy. Lumi sat down in her corner and picked a book from a pile.

Every now and then I glance over my shoulder to see her reading. Every now and then our eyes meet. Neither of us would say anything.

I still needed to find a wife, but for now, this wasn't so bad.

Afterword

Hello, everyone, this is Oniisanbomber. To everyone who picked this book up after reading my previous series, welcome back. And if this is your first time reading one of my books, I hope you enjoyed it! But either way, thank you so much for reading Reincarnated as a Billionaire!

After writing romcoms for a while, I really wanted to write an isekai story, but at the same time I also wanted it to be really different from anything else that I have come across. The result is this. A strange tale of a guy in another world who ends up having too much money and power.

I wish I could say the same thing about myself.

I was actually kind of nervous about writing Billionaire because it is so different from my Soapland light novel series, and it might not be what people expect from me. But then the clock struck 2021, and I decided to start off the year by writing something completely different.

Let’s see, what else to say for the afterword?

Right, I need to express my gratitude.

A big thank you to Gamadonburi for drawing the art for this volume. Lumi turned out great, no? Gamadonburi wanted to make a certain area of her body smaller, but I lobbied hard to make them big. Because bigger is better, right? Please don’t think of me as a creepy old man…

Also many thanks to everyone who contributed their ideas and feedback throughout the editing process. I couldn’t have done it without you!

Come to think of it, it has been almost a year since I lost my job and started writing down the first ideas for the Soapland series. So much and yet so little has happened in the span of a year. I published four books in less than 12 months. Wow…I never thought I could write this much.

If you would like to read the Soapland series, please check out the preview bellow! It’s about a salaryman who ends up living together with a JK who used to work at soapland! It sounds lewd, but I promise that it is super wholesome. But not that wholesome!

As always, follow me on Twitter for the latest updates - @oniisanbomber

-Oniisanbomber

Instead of Becoming the Hero, I’ve Reincarnated as a Billionaire! Volume 1

Copyright © Oniisanbomber 2021

All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.

Terms and Conditions:

The purchaser of this book is subject to the condition that he/she shall in no way resell it, nor any part of it, nor make copies of it to distribute freely.

Cover design and story illustrations by Gamadonburi

Contact information: oniisanbomber@gmail.com

I Fell in Love With A Soapland Girl! Volume 1 Preview

Today I am going to lose my virginity.

I made a booking at a reputable soapland (or at least as reputable as a house of ill repute can get). The soapland offered to send a white van to pick me up from the station, but I declined. I told the person on the phone that I'd rather walk.

I was super nervous about the whole thing. I had obviously never been to a soapland before. Even as I was walking out from the station, I felt butterflies in my stomach.

The soapland itself was a twenty minute walk from the station, located deep within a quiet neighborhood.

The neighborhood looked like it had seen better times. A lot of the houses looked abandoned and not a single person was out on the street. Even the vending machines had been shut down.

Maybe this was one of the places that thrived during the bubble era, and then the residents slowly moved out when the party ended.

Eventually, I found the address I copied from the website. On the outside, the building looked a bit run down, but according to my research, this was unmistakably it. It was the kind of building you'd walk past without a second thought.

Maybe that was the intention of this soapland — to hide in plain sight.

I stood in front of the door. I could still turn around, go home and everything would be the same as it was before.

The same as before...

I've been a virgin for twenty-seven years, and although I had a few girlfriends when I was in university, I somehow never ended up at a love hotel with any of them.

I always tried to be a gentleman. I always offered her my coat, always made sure I didn't eat garlic or onions before a date, always planned our dates, and never tried to get my date drunk so that I could make a move on her. I wasn't super handsome, nor was I ugly.

I guess I just had bad luck throughout my youth. Now my youth was over, with one important memory missing.

Once I started working at a company, I had no time or energy for romantic pursuits. Every day was just work and more work. After work, I ate dinner, watched some TV, and then went to sleep. On weekends I was too tired to do anything other than sleep.

Such was the life of a normal salaryman.

I didn't want to go back with my virginity intact. All of my friends had done it before. I was the only one at risk of turning into a wizard.

My hands were sweaty. I reached out and grabbed the doorknob. I turned it and pulled.

“Welcome.”

I walked into a small reception lobby. A tall bald muscular man in a suit greeted me. His voice was deep. Was this some kind of bouncer the soapland hired to discourage customers from acting out of line?

“Are you Sato-sama?” he asked.

“Y-yes. I called earlier...”

“Thank you very much for your booking.” He bowed. “Please follow me to the waiting area.”

The big bald man took me to a dimly lit room with several large armchairs facing away from where we entered. There were two other customers waiting. The armchairs were arranged in a way to prevent us from seeing each other. The dim light helped too.

The big bald man guided me to an empty armchair and handed me a leather folder.

“This is our menu. Please take your time, and when you have decided, press this button.”

He gestured at a white button on the armrest.

“Okay, thank you.”

The big bald man disappeared.

I opened the black folder and every page was filled with the profiles of several girls. Every profile contained their picture, their name, some vague lines describing their personality, their age, likes and dislikes, as well as their three sizes.

Below each profile was a little table listing the days and times they were available, and their prices.

My heart beat fast.

I could feel the immorality oozing out of this folder.

Honestly, I felt a little pathetic for losing virginity like this. But I really wanted to feel a woman's touch! Every time my friends and I went drinking, I have to listen to their stories, and it's so awkward having to dodge their questions.

I sighed.

My youth was already over. I was a salaryman now. This was the only way.

The other two guys made their choices and were led away.

Let's see...

I flipped through the menu. All the girls were pretty, but none of them really caught my attention. The idea of sleeping with a pretty girl was something I dreamed about. All of these girls were really cute, but if she was a complete stranger...

Maybe this was a bad idea after all. I should just go home and —

“Hmm?”

My eyes landed on the last page.

This girl...

I stared at her profile, my mouth half open.

Her name was Himeko.

Out of all the girls on the menu, she was the only one wearing a school uniform. On top of that, she somehow looked different from the other girls. She definitely looked cute, but in a wholesome kind of way.

She had long chestnut hair, and she looked at the camera with a gentle, almost invisible smile.

It was hard to describe, but she felt 'real' compared to the other pictures.

And then there was also the fact that she looked a lot like the girl I liked when I was in high school.

I gulped.

Was this really okay?

I pressed the button, and the big bald man immediately came in.

“I'm very sorry for the wait. Have you decided, Sato-sama?”

“Y-yes...uhm, I'd like her, if possible.”

I pointed at her profile.

The big bald guy looked at the picture and his brows furrowed. His mouth was half open as if he was hesitant about my choice. He looked like he didn't want me to choose this girl.

“Are you sure, sir?”

What a weird question.

“Yes, is she not available?”

“She is available...but...”

He didn't finish the sentence. He seemed to be contemplating something. Several moments of silence passed before he spoke again.

“Thank you very much,” he said. “Please come with me.”

He led me upstairs and down a narrow corridor with several doors on each side. Perverted noises leaked out from each door.

The big bald man opened a door at the end of the corridor. I entered.

“Please wait a moment. Himeko will be with you shortly.”

“Oh, okay.”

The big bald man bowed and closed the door.

The room he showed me to was amazing.

There was a large sofa to the left, and on the right, there was a bath area along with an air mattress. Bottles of unknown liquid were arranged neatly alongside the mattress.

Even someone like me knew what kind of liquid those bottles contained.

I sat down on the sofa.

Damn it, why did I still feel so nervous?

I guess it's only natural.

Several moments passed. Then the door opened.

“Sorry for the wait, my name is Himeko. Thank you for choosing me~”

A JK entered the room. Or rather, a girl who looked exactly like a JK.

She wore a black blazer with a white collared shirt, a red ribbon, a buttoned sweater with her sleeves sticking out a little from the blazer, and a short skirt. She wore black socks and brown leather shoes. Her long chestnut hair reached down to her waist.

This looked like a real school uniform. It was amazing how genuine this looked.

I knew soaplands were supposed to deliver a fantasy, but I didn’t know they were this good at their jobs.

“Y-yes! Sorry for bothering you.”

Wait, why was I apologizing? Ah damn it, I was such a loser that I didn’t even know how to behave properly at a soapland. I should have looked up soapland etiquette before coming here.

Himeko put her hands behind her back and leaned forward. Her face filled my vision.

She was so pretty. Her almond shaped eyes were beautiful and her eyelashes were so long. Her nose was and lips were well arranged. Her skin was so smooth.

This girl was the embodiment of wholesome cute; the kind of cute that would cause any man to want to protect her with his life — a girl worth dying for.

“Heh-heh~ Were you looking forward to seeing me? What should I call you?”

“I'm Sato Hiroshi.”

“Hmm, then I'll call you Sato-san, okay?”

She smiled and winked.

“Okay.”

She sat down next to me and wrapped herself around my arm.

“It's so quiet here these days. I've been lonely. Thank you for choosing me.”

I knew that this was all an act, yet I couldn't help but feel excited about this. Talking to a JK was a fantasy many salarymen had.

“Really?” I said. “I heard…uhm, lots of noises coming from the other doors.”

Himeko blushed slightly.

“Ehehe~ Today there are a lot of customers. I just mean that not many choose me, so I’m glad you picked me, Sato-san.”

She took my hand. Her hand felt soft and small.

“Hmm, I’ve learned a little about massages. Judging by your hand, you seem a little tired, Sato-san.”

“I guess, I’ve been tired lately.”

“Then I will do my best to help you relax.”

She guided my hand to her chest. Suddenly I felt something warm and soft against the palm of my hand.

“Do you like my boobs, Sato-san? Sometimes I feel like they are too big…”

Her breasts stretched the fabric of her sweater.

She had a petulant look on her face.

My mouth was half open. Soaplands were magical places where dreams came true. I knew it was all fake, but just like Disneyland, it was still magical.

Who would’ve thought that Disneyland and soaplands were fundamentally the same?

“Th-They are nice,” I stammered.

“Hehe~ I’m glad you like them. You can touch me all you want, okay?”

I nodded.

“Let me wash your back~”

She took off her blazer and then proceeded to take off my clothes. It took her awhile to unbutton my shirt; her movements were a bit clumsy, as though she didn't know how to take off a man's clothes.

“Sorry, sorry,” she said with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, no, it's all right.”

This was actually the first time I was going to be naked in front of a woman. Suddenly I felt self-conscious. I was neither fat nor skinny, but I wasn’t muscular either. No salaryman had the energy to work out on weekends. But that was just my assumption. Maybe most guys had six packs and super large biceps?

She stripped me down, and the entire time she kept her eyes on the ground.

I sat down in a sukebe chair, and she began to wash my back.

Her slim hands traveled all over my body.

“Heee, Sato-san, you’re in pretty good shape.”

“Really?”

“Mh-hmm! Most guys are too fat these days. It must be because everyone is working so hard and eating unhealthy stuff. I’m glad to see that you are taking care of yourself.”

I let out a silent breath of relief. My body was actually better than average. Although I wasn’t sure if she was just trying to flatter me.

“Your muscles are very tense. Has work been busy lately?” she asked.

Her hands were all over my back. She reached up and gave me a shoulder massage.

It has been a while since anyone had given me a simple shoulder massage. I let out an involuntary groan. This felt really good.

“Hahaha,” Himeko crackled with laughter. “I'm glad you're enjoying this.”

“Work has been busy lately, although I can't remember a time when it wasn't busy.”

“Poor you~ You've been working so hard, so l-let me re-reward you today. You can do me r-really hard, okay?”

Huh? Something in her voice had changed slightly. She still sounded happy and easy going, but there was a quiver in her voice. She was trying to say lewd stuff, but it just ended up sounding awkward.

“My uniform is getting wet. Please wait one moment. I need to take off my shirt...”

Her hands left my back, and I could hear the sounds of clothes being removed. In the mirror in front of me, I could see her removing her red ribbon and unbuttoning her shirt. She had a demure expression.

She looked up and our eyes met in the mirror.

Her face flushed red.

“Uhm, s-sorry!” I looked away.

“Mm, it's okay.”

She looked down and continued to take off her clothes.

Why was I feeling embarrassed about this?! I was at a soapland. I was supposed to enjoy...well, her. It felt odd putting it like that.

She took off her shirt and revealed a black lace bra. That underwear looked way more mature than I expected. Although I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Since she looked exactly like a JK, I thought...

“Please relax,” she said. Suddenly I felt something warm and soft against my back. She moved up and down.

“Does this feel good?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Mm, that's good.”

I could feel her warm breath against my ear. Whoa, she smelled so good.

Her hands reached around and rested on my thighs.

“…Heh-heh…”

Her voice sounded slightly forced. Maybe most other guys wouldn't have picked up on this, but I guess I was more sensitive to how other people talked.

“Uhm...are you okay?” I asked.

She stopped moving.

“Eh? Uhm...Ehehe~”

It was just a short string of utterances, but I detected a range of conflicting emotions.

She reached down and grabbed a part of my body no woman had touched before.

I looked down. Her hands were shaking.

For a moment I didn't understand what I was looking at. Why were her hands shaking? Was this part of her act? But what would the point of that be?

...

This didn’t look like it was part of her act.

Was it possible that she was scared?

“Hey, uhm, Himeko?”

“Y-Yes, Sato-san?”

“You don't need to do this.”

“Eh, no, I have to, I mean I want to please you...”

Without even looking at her I could tell what her expression was like based on her voice alone.

I was starting to understand why the big bald guy was so hesitant about me choosing her.

“You don't have to force yourself.” I grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. They were still shaking.

I turned around and for a moment I saw an expression on her face that was undoubtedly real. She looked tired, worn out, and scared. When she realized that I had turned around and was looking at her, almost immediately she put on a bright smile.

“Sato-san~ I am super sorry if I did anything to upset you. Let me help you relax, okay?”

She took my hands in hers.

“Himeko, I don’t know how to say this, but you don’t need to do this.”

Her expression froze. Her smile fell. And just as quickly she put on a stiff plastic smile.
“Do you want to exchange me for another girl?”

Somehow seeing this rapid change in her stabbed my heart. It hurt to see a girl like her putting on such a plastic smile. What did life do to her for her to end up working at a place like this?

“I am really grateful,” I said.

“Eh...grateful? Sato-san, what do you mean?”

She tilted her head in confusion.

Seeing her tired and scared expression made me realize that I didn't want to do this. I mean I still really wanted to lose my virginity, but this just didn't feel right.

“I think I'll just go,” I said and stood up.

“Ehh?” Fear flickered across her face before she regained control of her expression. She grabbed my wrist. There was unexpected strength in her grasp. “Please don't go.”

Her voice sounded desperate. The happy-go-lucky JK persona was gone.

“I am deeply sorry, Sato-sama. I beg for your forgiveness. But…but if you leave now, I'll get in trouble,” she said. “So please...if you don't want to do it with me, then I can get another girl.”

“It's just a matter of time, right?”

“Eh?”

I got up, dried myself with a towel, then put on my clothes. The whole time Himeko stared at the ground.

“Don't worry, I won't leave. And I'm not going to exchange you for another girl either.”

“What do you mean?” She looked at me with bewilderment.

“I don't want you to get in trouble.”

I sat down on the sofa. Himeko put on her clothes and sat down next to me.

She tried to resume her persona, but her expression was strained.

I wish there was something I could do for her.

I didn't know I had such a white knight complex.

It was obvious that she wasn’t used to her job, and I could understand why the big bald guy didn’t want me to choose her.

“I assume you've lost quite a few customers?”

“Am I really that bad at it...?”

She had her hands tucked between her legs.

“Well, sort of,” I said.

“You're so mean!”

Upon hearing her outburst, I couldn’t help but chuckle. We both laughed a bit.

“The big bald guy seemed hesitant when I chose you.”

“Oh, you mean Miyagi-san. I've caused him a lot of trouble. Out of all the girls, I'm the only one who has lost customers.”

“Are you...uhm, are you new to this business?”

“Kind of...”

Her answer was vague. Did she mean that she had to work at other places like this before?

“Hey, how old — “

I quickly closed my mouth. Even a stupid virgin like me knew that asking personal questions were taboo in a place like this.

“Never mind, it’s nothing.”

“Mm, it's okay. I'm eighteen years-old.”

She was eighteen and she had to do work like this.

“I'm twenty-seven,” I said, somehow feeling the need to return the honesty.

Looking at her, she was really cute. The way she tucked her shirt into her skirt really emphasized her curves. Her breasts were large and stretched the fabric nicely. I couldn't help but glance at her legs; her thighs were toned and soft.

She was like the girlfriend I never had.

Himeko noticed where I was looking.

“Uhm, I know you paid for something more, but I could give you a lap pillow if you want?”

Heh...I came to a soapland just to get a lap pillow.

“Sure, why not.”

I put my head down on her legs and went to heaven.

When I left the soapland, the big bald man asked me how my session went.

Before I left the room, Himeko put her hands together and begged me to put in a good word for her with Miyagi-san.

I wanted to tell her that a girl like her didn't have to work at a place like this, but did I have any right to tell her how to live her life? I had no idea what her circumstances were and yet I still wanted to act self-righteous. And it's not like I had achieved anything special in life.

So I promised her that I would put in a good word for her.

She thanked me with a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“How was your session, Sato-sama?” Miyagi-san asked.

“Uhm...erm, Himeko was very accommodating,” I said. “It was fun.”

“Fun, you say.”

“Y-Yes.”

Did he doubt my words? I think I lied quite smoothly.

“Thank you very much for your feedback. May I offer you a ride back to the station?”

“I'll walk, thank you.”

I left the soapland and walked back to the station. The whole time Himeko's smile was on my mind.

“What a piece of shit world,” I muttered.

It's not like I was any better though.

“So you finally lost your soapland virginity,” Nakamura said.

Nakamura and I were sitting at an udon restaurant, slurping down noodles during our lunch hour.

Nakamura was my senpai. He was several years older than me and therefore held seniority. He had been working at the company for ages, but rumors said he had actually avoided promotion to the main branch in order to stay at our small side branch.

Nakamura did emit the air of a slacker. He had droopy eyelids, his hair was a little unkempt and a bit too long. But because he had more experience than anyone else in the office, we all looked to him for advice.

Incidentally, he and I sat next to each other in the office and became work buddies. Even though he was my senpai, we managed to form a closer friendship than most office friendships.

“How was it? It was pretty fun, right?”

“Yeah...I choose a JK. I mean I chose a girl who looked like a JK.”

“So you wanted to relive your youth, huh?”

“I guess so, although I didn't have much of a youth. By the way, you look awfully cheerful today. Did something good happen?”

I tried to change the topic, mainly because I didn't want to tell him the truth about what happened. Luckily Nakamura didn't find it suspicious because he actually did look cheerful today (us salarymen didn't get to see each other smile very much).

“Today is the start of summer vacation for high schoolers. My daughter is coming to visit me for a few days.”

Nakamura was divorced, and his daughter lived with her mother. He only got to see his daughter once or twice a year. He never told me why he got divorced, but I assumed it must’ve been messy because his wife didn’t let him see his daughter more than what was agreed upon during the divorce proceedings.

“It's summer vacation for students already? Ah, that brings back memories. Although I didn't have a girlfriend like the popular guys and couldn't make beautiful memories.”

“Hahaha,” he laughed. “That's how it was for most of us. Now we're lonely salarymen, looking at high schoolers with envy. I'll be taking some days off next week so that I can spend more time with my daughter. I'll count on you to handle my workload~”

“Go to hell.”

Nakamura laughed. I couldn't help but smile. He and I worked in the same department and were war buddies of sorts. When things got tough in the office, we stuck together.

“Don't worry so much,” Nakamura said. “I heard we're getting a summer intern. You could offload your extra work on her.”

“I doubt some university kid would be able to handle the work. They'd just cause trouble.”

“Didn't the boss tell you? It’s not a university student. The summer intern is a local high schooler.”

“Eh?”

“My name is Kaneko Ayumi, I will be an intern here for the next month. Please take care of me.”

A high school girl in her uniform stood in our office and bowed.

“Everyone can just call me Ayumi.”

Our boss, Ogawa, stepped forward.

“Ayumi-chan will work as an amateur model for our company. She will participate in several photoshoots for the new soda drink our company wants to sell, as well as a TV commercial. It's just a small local commercial, but I want everyone to do their best.”

“Yes, sir,” the office sounded.

Everyone said those words except me.

I was too busy staring at Ayumi. She looked exactly like Himeko. No, I think she was Himeko. Even identical twins couldn't look this much alike. The same eyes, same nose and lips, the same haircut, the same uniform.

Why was the girl I met at the soapland an intern at my company?!

Shortly after Ayumi/Himeko introduced herself, Ogawa called me into his office.

“Sato-san, I need you to take care of her while she is here,” he said and pointed at Ayumi/Himeko through his glass door. She was sitting on the sofa near the elevators.

“What do you mean, Ogawa-san?”

“I know you will have to take on Nakamura's work while he is away, but I want you to take care of Ayumi as well. Somebody needs to drive her to the shooting locations and make introductions. She's still a high schooler, so she can't get around on her own. And after the shoots are done, just be her mentor and find some work for her to do at the office. We're paying her, so you should get some work out of her.”

“But why her, Ogawa-san? Shouldn't we hire a celebrity for this job?”

“We are a small branch; we can hardly afford some famous actress or model. Also, I want our commercial to have the theme of youth. Only a real high schooler can embody that. Since this is technically a part-time job for her, we can pay her minimum wage. Anyways, here is her schedule for the next couple of days.”

I wanted to raise an objection, but the way Ogawa-san spoke gave me no choice but to simply nod and accept it.

Sigh...I'll be doing a lot of overtime while Nakamura is away. Well, it's not like I was normally getting off work on time anyway.

So I replied with the line every white-collar worker uses when their boss gives them an assignment they don’t want to do.

“Thank you for this opportunity. I’ll be able to learn a lot from this. I’ll do my best. Please excuse me.”

I left Ogawa’s office. It was time to confront her.

I walked over to where she sat. She wore the same uniform I saw her in yesterday, even her skirt length was the same. She sat on the sofa with her knees pressed together and her hands on her lap. She looked like a model student.

“Uhm...err, Ayumi. My name is Sato Hiroshi. I've been assigned to be your mentor during your time here. You can just call me Sato-san.”

She looked at me. For a moment she said nothing. Cold sweat ran down my back. Did she recognize me? Or had she forgotten about me already? As wholesome as she looked, I had to remind myself that she probably received several customers a day, dozens a week, and probably couldn't remember me.

That thought made my stomach lurch, now that I knew that she was a real high schooler. I was pretty sure that it was illegal for that soapland to hire her.

[To read more, please check out the full volume on Amazon or Kobo]