Previously!
Director Min-chul left without any particular suspicion, thankfully, and I cleaned up the factory!
Sarin had turned most of the remaining inventory into scrap metal in the name of experimenting with guns, but in the long run, it's a huge gain! With this, our guns can be evolved to utilize Mystic better than the existing Kaiser firearms!
And we're going to terrorize Millennium!
"That's all. Any questions?"
"I have one!"
"Go ahead."
"We've used almost all of our supplies, and more importantly, after terrorizing the militarily superior Millennium, will we really be able to conduct our business properly in the future?"
What's with the logic? Aren't you guys Sukeban?
...No, that's a natural suspicion.
If my sister suggested we go raid Millennium, my first response would have been "Are you crazy?".
"But there's a problem with that question. Two, in fact. First of all, this isn't terrorism."
"What?"
"Rather than terrorism... let's call it 'a minor, un-negotiated act of public nuisance and violence for the sake of noise marketing.' Got it?"
"What the fuck, isn't that just terrorism—"
"Shut up. And second. We can worry about the future of the business after we've grown a bit. No, in fact, it's something we can only do right now."
Our Farm is a complete rookie with no activities under its belt, nor does it have anything that could be called a symbol or emblem.
Therefore, if we start our business right now, no one will recognize us...
To put it differently, no matter what kind of chaos we cause, doesn't that mean no one will know it was 'The Farm'?
"Additionally. Have you ever heard of the Dite-Laming effect?"
"What? No."
"Alright, Sarin."
"Yep! Boss!"
"You're emotional as hell, but you're a good fighter."
"Thank you!"
Look at her, jumping for joy.
Anyway, Sarin is clearly happy.
"And Arin."
"Yes, Boss."
"You're smart, but you suck ass at fighting."
"...I will strive to do better."
And this one's trying hard not to show her emotions. I can see you're pissed off, kid.
Anyway, Arin, on the other hand, is clearly unhappy.
"Isn't it strange? It was one compliment and one insult for both of you."
So what makes the difference? The order.
An insult before a compliment enhances the compliment, but a compliment before an insult just makes the insult more annoying.
"This is what's known as the Dite-Laming effect, or the 'Favorability Order Dilemma'. Do you think this only applies to words?"
"...Ah, I understand. You mean, rather than causing a controversy by committing misdeeds later, it's better to commit them now and use them as a stepping stone for future good deeds. Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes, exactly, Arin. See how smart you are?"
"Though you still suck ass at fighting!"
"Shut up, Sarin."
"Okay! You too, sis!"
Well, look at that. The sisters are perfectly in sync.
Anyway, to sum it up, this is how it goes.
Raising our brand value and spreading the word about 'The Farm' is something we have to do eventually.
If that's the case, we'll use a method only available to us now, while we're virtually unknown: noise marketing through 'a minor, un-negotiated act of public nuisance and violence' to get a huge boost.
Furthermore, this also serves as insurance in case problems arise later.
"So are we heading out right now?"
"Are you crazy? It's 5 PM."
"...Isn't that usually prime time for activity?"
"It is, but we had a lot to do today. And we still need to prepare basic supplies and other things. The Millennium Prize is in exactly three days, you know? Even if we're doing terror— I mean, noise marketing, we should have some manners. Our target is the day before. So, in two days. Everyone got that?"
"""Yep!"""
Alright, I've laid out the general plan for now...
"You guys don't have a place to sleep, right? Of course you don't, you're former Sukeban."
"But didn't you say you ran away from home too, Boss?"
"Yeah, I have to sleep on the streets too. Anyway then... everyone! Let's just do one more thing each and call it a day."
I assigned just three types of tasks.
"Yeah! Leave it to me!"
Sarin and one other employee were to organize and conduct further research on modifying guns and ammunition.
"I will do my best to prepare."
Arin was to list the factory's operational machinery, along with its power consumption and cost.
"Yep! I'll be right back! Boss!"
"It's President."
The remaining seven employees were sent to get pajamas and casual clothes for eleven people, pillows and blankets, other daily necessities... and finally, a shit-ton of snacks and drinks.
The first set of items was obviously for sleeping at the factory, but what about the second part, you ask?
What do you think? They're my first employees, after all. We all have to have a company dinner.
Although with my current assets being only the 300,000 yen I got from Kaiser, a big dinner is out of the question... but just you wait.
One day, I'll grow this company to the point where you all, no, all employees can at least have a barbecue.
* * *
"Boss! Here!"
About two hours later, Sarin came back with surprisingly well-organized data.
As expected, the Mystic-related stuff was focused on firearms, while the ammunition and explosives just had a strong feel of illegal modification.
It doesn't matter. As long as I get permission from the General Student Council, it's not illegal modification. I can sell it however I damn well please, can't I?
Next, Arin came back with a list of the factory's operational machinery.
"Ten guns and five thousand rounds per day. The approximate cost is one hundred fifty thousand yen per day."
"Huh? Aren't we fucked?"
"It's fine. It's not like we're going to run the factory three meals a day."
And if the plan goes well, we'll make more money before we even start operations.
But still, the cost is higher than I thought. I guess that's expected for munitions.
The production speed is also on the slow side. I'm not sure if she said that considering our financial situation, or if the facility is just a bit outdated.
Finally, the seven who were sent to buy daily necessities returned.
"How much did it cost?"
"It was about fifty thousand yen in total!"
The card I gave them is linked to the bank account with the support funds from Kaiser. In other words, we've just spent about 17% of our total funds.
Is it a waste? Of course, it's a goddamn waste, but...
This is a space where I have to live too, and more importantly, these are not one-time use items but things we'll use for a long time. It's right to think of it as money that had to be spent eventually.
"Alright, throw the blankets, pajamas, and pillows in that empty room over there. And call everyone else. Let's eat some snacks."
"Yep!"
The current time is 8 PM. Just about dinner time.
And so, me and the ex-Sukeban employees set up the snacks on the floor as if we were having a campfire during a school retreat.
Of course, the middle school I went to didn't have school retreats. Even if it did, my sister wouldn't have let me go.
...But why do these guys look so happy?
"How much do you guys normally eat?"
"On a good day, two cup ramens per person. If not, we'd eat hardtack or just starve."
"Wow."
What the hell. I feel like even a failing school would feed its students better than this.
There are ten of you. With ten people, the portions would be smaller and it would cost less, so why did you live like beggars?
"So how about this amount of snacks and drinks?"
"Compared to our usual, this could be considered a feast."
"Yahoo! The boss is the best!"
Right. As long as they're this happy, that's all that matters.
"Hey! What are you all waiting for!"
Let's eat!
As soon as I finished speaking, the employees excitedly grabbed the snack bags and started tearing them open.
Did they really starve for three days?
"Wow! This is a proper meal for the first time in a week, Boss!"
You starved for longer? Just how screwed up was your condition when you fought me?
And so, my first night at 'The Farm' approached.
"Ah, Boss. I have a question."
"What is it?"
"That... Dite something-or-other. Was it real?"
"Ah~ The Dite-Laming effect?"
Of course it was.
"Complete bullshit."
"...What?"
What are you staring at?
You guys were convinced too. What's the problem?
Leaving the stunned yet still-snacking Sukeban employee behind, I went to look for a cup for my drink.
* * *
As the atmosphere warmed up while we were tearing into snacks and drinks, one of the Sukeban spoke up, as if curious.
"Come to think of it, which academy are you from, Boss?"
"Hmm? You're that curious?"
"I am."
"I admit, I am a bit curious."
"Looking at his mental state, maybe Gehenna?"
"Judging by the way he fought this morning, he could be from Trinity?"
It seemed to be a topic that everyone was curious about, as they started to debate one by one.
But who's the one talking about my mental state? I'm perfectly normal. Compared to my sister, at least.
"If you're that curious... well. It's not that hard to tell you."
I closed my eyes as if trying to recall the past, thought for a moment, and then answered.
"Have you ever heard of a place called Nero Middle School?"
"Yes, I have. Isn't that a middle school run by D.U.?"
"What~ So you're from a no-name academy after all!"
"Sarin. There's no such thing as a no-name academy, but... certainly. Compared to your fighting skills, Boss, it is a bit of a letdown."
Hey, I told you I'm average at fighting.
You guys are just super weak.
"That's bullshit."
"What did you say, you punk?"
"Sorry. But, Boss, saying you're average is pretty close to bullshit."
"I agree with that, Boss."
...Arin, you too?
"Normally, you wouldn't call the kinetic vision to deflect bullets right in front of your eyes 'average'."
"It's true. I always got my ass kicked before I fought you guys."
"By whom?"
"There is someone. My older sister."
"You have an older sister?"
"Maybe the boss's sister is just crazy strong?! Like, what's her name, that girl in Gehenna who's said to be the next head of the Prefect Team!"
"Are you talking about Sorasaki Hina?"
"No way. That punk?"
"Punk? It seems you're not on good terms with your sister?"
Should I say we're not on good terms?
Well, objectively, it's hard to say we had a good relationship.
We had good banter. But that's it.
My sister was a hopeless case who tried to forcefully take responsibility and control everything even when she could barely manage herself.
"Hey, she was probably just fond of you! If you put it that way, my sister is no pushover either!"
"...Sarin. Please."
I wonder.
Is it normally considered 'being fond of someone' to not even tell them the name of the high school you're attending, and to stop them from even going near it?
"...Was it that bad?"
"Yeah. That Nero Middle School was an hour away by subway. Thanks to that, I was late almost every day."
"Ehh~? That's super far!"
"Right? That's too much."
"That's probably why he ran away, you idiots."
It was literally overprotection.
After that sister of mine went to high school, she got even crazier, so I only went out occasionally on weekends. That says it all.
...I wonder what kind of shitty high school it was that she had to hide it so much.
"So you don't even know the name of the academy?"
"Nope. There weren't many famous shops nearby either, so I just figured it was some backwater place."
"Then what's your sister's name?"
"Ah! I'm curious too!"
"You wouldn't know her even if I told you. Her name is..."
"Takanashi Hoshino, that's what it is."
"Never heard of her."
"Never heard of her~!"
"I've never heard that name before."
"What did I tell you?"
My sister. I told you she's not very famous.
As they chattered on, none of them knowing, someone's heart was burning, but the moon, seemingly oblivious to this, was bright, and the night grew deeper.