Chapter 3: The Brave Kitakou Kanako
No sooner had Kitakou Kanako hung up the phone than fast, rhythmic footsteps came from downstairs.
Under Maeda Kaima's astonished gaze, a group of broad-shouldered, thick-waisted men with chiseled, meat-heavy faces, all in standard suits, charged down the hallway, then lined up: heads up, chests out, buttocks in, no smiling allowed!
"This…" Kaima's mouth slightly opened.
She felt the same as when she first entered Hinata Manor—back then, she was a tender 15-year-old, and the manor still housed the former Senpai's "chicken wings."
That day happened to be the wedding of that Senpai. She had caused a few mishaps, and later, for some reason, the Senpai changed their surname and transferred Hinata Manor to Aunt Urashima Haruka, disappearing for a long time. Only after her daughter was born did they reconnect.
Truly nostalgic… wait! What are these people?
The Senpai was indeed formidable, but were his kids really this formidable too?
Senpai! The child you described as obedient and sensible is now running with the underworld?! How many rules did you break!?
"Um…" Kaima stepped forward. "Excuse me, what exactly are you…"
Then she noticed the huge, menacing aura ahead.
"Apologies, Miss Administrator," Kitakou Kanako straightened her chest, waited until a hint of envy appeared on their faces, then smiled softly. "Please don't worry. They are all professionals in cleaning this domain. If convenient, I hope you can give us a brief introduction so we can provide assistance to the best of our abilities in the future."
Regardless of Kaima's reaction, the black-suited men felt a pain in their hearts.
Could they say their "cleaning" normally involved living things? Not a chance.
With the boss standing nearby, they dared not speak the truth.
Their leader had said on the way: if the boss frowned, die quietly; if alive, line up and get beaten!
So they continued: heads up, chests out, buttocks in, no speaking…
"…Alright, please follow me."
Kaima led them southward while explaining.
"Hinata Manor was built by Ms. Hinata Urashima, an ancestor of the Urashima family. Later, it was inherited by Keitaro-Senpai. About ten years ago, the manor's assets were transferred to Urashima Haruka, but the land still belongs to Keitaro-Senpai…"
"Excuse me, Maeda-san," Hachiman suddenly interrupted. His expression was subtle.
"The Keitaro Senpai you mentioned, is that my father? And this is called Hinata Manor?"
"Yes, this is Hinata Manor. Ah? Didn't Senpai tell you, Little Hachiman? Senpai used to be surnamed Urashima. And Kanako too… Ah! Sorry, does this lady also go by Kanako? I mean, Senpai's sister… oh no, wife… ah, oh dear, since Senpai didn't mention it, I shouldn't have said it to you, Little Hachiman."
Everyone: "…"
As for Hachiman, being the center of attention and witnessing Kaima's expression of "oops I accidentally said it" and "oh no, I said it again," he could only think—Oh, for heaven's sake!
Damn it! So the reason Cheap Dad often went to Germany was for orthopedic visits! And to sleep with his own sister reasonably, he even changed surnames!?
Does that mean the old residents were your "chicken wings" from back then!?
The "children of the old residents"…
As a god-slayer who had handled multiple god-slaying situations, Hachiman found Cheap Dad's manipulation truly audacious.
"It's fine, Maeda-san, please continue your introduction…" Hachiman's voice sounded exhausted.
How could he maintain the big-brother image in front of Komachi's friends now!? Look at their expressions! Even Zaimokuza wouldn't know how to describe them!
"Oh… okay. Hinata Manor underwent four reconstructions. The first three were completed by Ms. Hinata herself. Initially, it was the old building on the rear hill; we are now in the main building. Little Hachiman's room is in the South Wing. The girls just stayed in the North Wing," Kaima said enthusiastically.
Seeing everyone paying attention, she continued: "The last expansion by Ms. Hinata was the West Annex. About ten years ago, Senpai Kanako renovated the Southwest Annex. The new building mainly hosts visitors, the North Wing has an open-air hot spring bath, and behind the Annex is a shrine… Alright, we've arrived."
She opened a door and added, "Although some items are temporarily placed here, the location is excellent; you can see the open-air bath from here."
Hachiman immediately felt a ton of heavy gazes behind him.
Hey! Hey! Don't announce this in public!
What a careless woman.
Suppressing a sigh, Hachiman looked into the room.
The space was large, well-lit, and suitable.
"Thank you," he said to Kaima, then stepped into the room.
Kitakou Kanako, silent until now, clapped her hands.
The black-suited men, long itching to act, immediately entered the room in an orderly fashion. Their movements were skilled and fast; within about a minute, the room was cleared of clutter and cleaned.
"Wow! Really professional!" Kaima's eyes lit up. "Little Hachiman, how much do you pay them per hour?"
The men, working hard, immediately sensed trouble.
"Actually, since the place is large and there are few people, most of Hinata Manor can't be thoroughly cleaned, only the New and Main Buildings are better maintained," Kaima explained.
"No problem, Maeda-san. Leave it to us professionals," Kitakou Kanako stepped forward.
Standing tall, demonstrating her flexibility, she commanded her subordinates: "Everyone heard me! Make Hinata Manor look beautiful, understood?"
"Yes, Miss Kitakou! Leave it to us!"
The black-suited men bowed in unison, hearts bleeding.
Damn! This place is huge! Forget about visiting a nightclub tonight…
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