— — — — — —
"You greedy little thing."
Shiroyasha clicked her tongue at Black Rabbit, then said with interest, "Still… this system is pretty interesting."
"A method that can reliably raise spirits to Five-Digit is extremely valuable. Anything that produces stable Five-Digits is a premium inheritance-type gift below Four-Digit. And yours is a full system."
She pulled out a black folding fan from who-knows-where, opened it and half-hid her face, her eyes narrowing.
"Kid, mind if I buy in?"
"You used 'dream-type' power to construct a false reality, right?"
"Even if you borrowed a bit of Sun Authority power to stabilize it, the foundation's still thin. No real material base means talent growth drops sharply."
Ryo's mouth twitched. So the reality warping power he got from the Strike the Blood universe really couldn't fool this old fox.
"Dream world?" Black Rabbit froze, then immediately turned red and glared at Ryo. "Ryo! You mean you didn't use the valut after all?"
This bastard hadn't wasted money, yet let her misunderstand and worry? What kind of twisted hobby was that?
"I didn't know we had a valut."
Ryo's expression was the pure embodiment of "it's not my fault."
That look made Black Rabbit so angry she actually trembled. If she didn't know she couldn't beat him anymore, she'd be swinging her tiny fists at him right now.
I'm such an idiot… way too soft. I should've bullied him more back when he was still weak…
Regret filled her heart.
"Hmmm....…"
Leticia gazed at the giant open gate ahead. Past the crack in the doors was a cluster of buildings in clean Japanese style. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"If that's the case, our community's gift game could be framed as an 'academy entrance exam.' Test whether a spirit has the potential to become a Shinigami."
"And the exam fee could be set over a thousand gold."
Participation in gift games usually cost money, and communities set the price themselves. If it was too high, naturally no one would join.
But a Five-Digit inheritance had a standard price of one thousand gold in Little Garden.
In a way, it was the same as running a school and charging tuition.
Whether you come out skilled or useless… that depended entirely on the buyer.
"One thousand gold? I'm in. I'm buying in, I want the big share. Brat, you hear me?" Shiroyasha instantly started shouting with gleaming eyes.
"Yes yes, how about you hold 51%?"
Ryo answered with a smile. He understood perfectly: Shiroyasha was offering him cover. Protection against scavengers wanting to snatch the profits of selling this inheritance.
Little Garden had plenty of communities that survived off robbery. The most notorious were the Demon Lords who abused host privileges.
And what Demon Lords feared most were the Floor Masters like Shiroyasha.
So to Ryo, giving up over half the earnings in exchange for Shiroyasha as a literal shield was not a loss at all. It was the start of a deeper alliance.
"Smart kid." Shiroyasha nodded approvingly. "But I'll take twenty percent. Outwardly, we'll claim I own the majority. Got it?"
"Them." Ryo's smile grew. "For payout, I'll give the full 51%. As for the extra amount, I'd like it converted into Thousand Eyes credits."
"That works too." Shiroyasha nodded, then asked, "So, when do you plan to hold the gift game?"
Ryo's eyes flickered slightly. "Seven days from now. I'll need some prep time."
"Oh?" Shiroyasha shot him a knowing look. "You should prepare a lot. People are not going to show up in small numbers."
Ryo rolled his eyes. "And whose fault is that!"
If she hadn't burned a letter to Queen Halloween, none of this would be happening.
And since he was now Shiroyasha's rumored love interest, the event in seven days would definitely be chaos.
Yeah… preparations were necessary.
---
[1024] Outer Gate – Pleasure Capital, Violet Bar
At the counter, Indra who was called Tokuteru Mikado now, suddenly set down his wine glass and told the bartender, "A cup of sake."
"Yes, Tokuteru-sama."
While the bartender moved with practiced efficiency, Tokuteru turned to the woman behind him, dressed in a sharp business suit.
"Well, long time no see, Kenshin."
Uesugi Kenshin shot him a cold look. "Figures you'd only be found in a place like this, Boss."
"No need to sound so icy."
Tokuteru waved lazily and took another sip of wine. "Peaceful days like this aren't going to last."
Kenshin frowned, took a seat at the bar, and the bartender set a glass of sake in front of her.
"You met the new leader of No Name?"
"No, no, no." Tokuteru wagged a finger. "It's Arcadia now."
Kenshin's eyes widened. "The kid actually reclaimed the flag?"
"That's right." Tokuteru chuckled. "That brat's slippery, but pretty capable."
He paused, then added with a sigh, "Thought it'd take him decades just to find the trail… but he actually snatched the flag back from those people."
"He used a bit of outside help, sure, but I have a feeling that kid's hiding something much deeper. Deep enough that Shiroyasha doesn't mind letting rumors link them."
Kenshin's frown deepened. "At this rate, he'll end up on the Demon Lords' hit list."
"Not 'will.'" Tokuteru downed his wine in one go. "He already is."
Kenshin exhaled heavily. "Then things are going to be rough for him."
"Which is why, Kenshin…"
Tokuteru set down his glass and smiled at her. "Wanna work overtime?"
"…Your meaning?" At the word "overtime," Kenshin's face darkened, though she held it back.
"Arcadia's leader will be hosting an event soon. I want you to go in my place and stabilize things a bit."
Tokuteru's eyes curved as he smiled. "Even if it's just a product-selling mini-game, those guys love nothing more than striking the hardest when the mood is best."
"You think those snakes would expose themselves?" Kenshin asked, face serious.
The Ouroboros members had stayed hidden for years. Would they really show themselves for one Yagami?
"Maybe yes, maybe no." Tokuteru shrugged. "What's your opinion?"
Kenshin stayed silent for a moment, then lifted her sake and finished it in one go. She let out a long breath.
"…Fine. I'll work overtime. I owe that kid a favor anyway."
.
.
.