"Liliana, come over here—otherwise I won't help you hold concerts anymore!"
In his heartbreak, Kiritaka actually blurted out a threat like that.
Liliana's eyes went wide at first, then she got angry too.
"Then don't! Kiritaka-san, I don't need you to hold concerts for me. Anywhere I am can be a bard's stage!"
Wandering everywhere, singing wherever there was open space and people—that was what a minstrel was supposed to be.
And even though Kiritaka's help had sped up the spread of her fame, it was honestly kind of a burden for Liliana.
Besides, she wasn't stupid.
When Kiritaka held those concerts, he sold tickets—meaning he profited from it too. She didn't owe him anything!
Liliana's decisive words stabbed straight through Kiritaka's heart like a blade.
"Liliana, y-you… are you really going to break with me because of this pretty boy?! No! What's so good about him?!"
It was true that, as a merchant, he'd seen Liliana's value from the start. Her singing could bring the Muse Company higher profits.
Using the "Songstress" as a commercial centerpiece, the Muse Company had made a fortune. But he also genuinely liked Liliana!
"Hmph. Hayashi Maki-sama, at least, wouldn't threaten me like you do! And he can help me create even better songs—something you can never do, Kiritaka-san!"
"Hayashi Maki-sama, let's ignore him. Let's go somewhere else and have fun!"
With that, she grabbed Hayashi Maki's hand and quickly pulled him and Beatrice away.
Kiritaka, meanwhile, wilted on the spot—so angry his eyes rolled back—and he fainted.
His poor white-haired butler hurried to pinch his philtrum. "Young master, wake up! Oh heavens—what in the world is going on?!"
It wasn't until evening that Kiritaka finally came to.
He immediately sent people to investigate and keep an eye on Hayashi Maki.
Clenching his fists and refusing to accept defeat, Kiritaka swore he would reclaim the Songstress he loved.
Hayashi Maki, however, didn't care in the slightest.
He'd already secured a partnership with Anastasia's Hoshin Company. If the Muse Company wanted to pick a fight, he didn't mind wiping them out.
It would even help his partner clear out competitors and dominate the Watergate City's business scene completely.
With Liliana guiding them, Hayashi Maki and Beatrice got a first taste of Pristella's prosperity.
After returning to the Japanese-style inn, Hayashi Maki told Beatrice and Liliana to go play together, while he headed to Aqua's room.
The moment he stepped inside, a strong stench of alcohol hit him in the face, and he frowned.
"Aqua, you idiot… just how much did you drink? You're practically turning into a booze-god!"
"And don't you automatically purify water when you touch it? So how are you even getting drunk?"
"Hmph, idiot Hayashi Maki. It's true that when my body touches water it purifies it automatically—but I can control that power with my tongue and mouth."
"Otherwise, everything would taste the same, and even I couldn't stand that."
Aqua said smugly, rolled over, and went right back to sleep.
Hayashi Maki's mouth twitched. He shook his head helplessly.
"So you really have nothing else to do? You drink all day—can't you do something meaningful?"
"Hah. What even counts as 'meaningful'? I worked in the divine realm for ages—finally I get to enjoy myself. What's wrong with indulging a little?"
She glared at him irritably. "Are you sleeping or not? If not, don't bother me while I'm resting."
Hayashi Maki's eyes lit up. "Sleep? Of course I'm sleeping."
He answered and scooped her up in one motion.
How to "sleep" was a topic worthy of serious research.
…
The next day, Hayashi Maki brought the girls onto a small boat to keep sightseeing.
Pristella was crisscrossed with waterways—boats were the main way to get around.
Good thing Hayashi Maki didn't get seasick, or traveling by water all the time would've been a pain.
The boat was pulled forward by a water dragon—basically like a ground dragon, but for canals.
Now and then, they'd see other boats passing by, their hulls drawn along as blue water dragons stretched their long necks. It was a surprisingly pretty sight…
While he was enjoying the scenery, a little girl's giggle suddenly echoed in Hayashi Maki's mind.
"Heehee, Hayashi Maki-nii—Rui's here too, you know. I wonder if you can find me?"
Rui Arneb—the youngest of the Gluttony trio. One of the Gluttonies had already been killed by Hayashi Maki, and his Authority taken.
For Rui to say this meant the other Gluttony had arrived in Pristella.
Hayashi Maki responded calmly in his mind: "As long as you show up, I'll recognize you. But borrowing someone else's body is weird. When the time comes, I'll make you a spirit body of your own."
"Really? If you say that, Rui's going to take you seriously!"
Her voice sounded genuinely delighted—light and excited.
If she could, she didn't want to wander around using her brother's body either. The problem was, she'd died with her mother before she was even born—leaving only a soul, and the shared Gluttony Authority.
"Of course it's true," Hayashi Maki coaxed her like a shady adult sweet-talking a kid. "You call me 'onii-san,' so I've got to take care of you."
"Heehee, no~ I'm tempted, but if Hayashi Maki-nii wants to eat Rui's onii-san, you'll have to find him yourself. Rui won't help you."
"That's fine. I'll find him—or rather, he'll show up in front of me on his own," Hayashi Maki replied. "Rui, I'm looking forward to meeting you properly."
"Kekekeke, okay! Then I'll look forward to it too. See you later, pervy onii-san~"
Rui giggled and went silent.
Hayashi Maki's lips curled upward.
Coming to Pristella was also for the sake of the Sage's Tower.
The Sage's Tower held plenty of secrets—information about the Corridor of Memories, and the location of the Witch of Envy's seal, all of it.
And the first Sword Saint, Reid, had left behind contingencies there as well.
One by one, Hayashi Maki would pry open this world's mysteries—then seize control of everything, and rewrite its past and future.