Earth Dungeon 95.1

Test

Chapter 95.1. Goods

On the top floor penthouse of Amatsugahara Corporation headquarters, in the living room, Amano Sakimori sits on the sofa, squinting his eyes and rubbing his chin.

"Did it go well for now?"

I mutter, recalling the deal with the girl named Konoha from the Taira Family. Using [Shadow Teleport], I conducted the transaction through Shizuku, it went surprisingly well. The most surprising part was Shizuku being able to speak my words without any delay. If she becomes an interpreter, Shizuku will undoubtedly be in high demand.

[Shadow Teleport], obtained at level 4, allows the setting of up to four destinations, enabling teleportation from shadow to shadow. Only allies Shizuku, my familiar Mike, and the water serpent, Kō, can be teleported.

One is my home, one is Konoha, and the rest are unset. I thought about setting it for Serika, but I have a feeling she might see through it.

[Hehehe, leave everything to this Rei! By the way, after seeing the story of a boy in love with a girl with chuunibyou and then the story of a miraculous boy, I burst into laughter. That was a mistake. I completely messed up the viewing order.]

When did you have that mask and cape ready, and where is the sword? I thought, "I was rolling with laughter," said Shizuku, her nimble mouth relaxing."Is that the same person?" 

And, in a good mood, Shizuku-san explains that it's the same person, singing while swimming in the air like a dolphin. It's adorable, but it also brings a wry smile. It seems Shizuku really enjoyed this stratagem.

"It was Shizuku's doing, but if it goes well, it can bring money and connections. I thought the success rate was around 20%, but it seems surprisingly promising."

Through the Shadow Cat infiltrated into Konoha's shadow, Sakimori eavesdrops on the Taira family's discussions. Shizuku-san checks to make sure he doesn't peek into places like the bath. It's just right for him; it would be awkward otherwise.

[It seems the potion worked. It looks like they decided to proceed with the transaction, even if it seems suspicious.]

The Level 3 Skill 50% Up Potion was a skill I was hesitant to use. It seems quite rare. It was a close call. I'm glad I didn't give it to Karin.

"Yeah. We weighed the pros and cons and went for practicality. Those in power are different, huh?"

Dealing with a suspicious masked girl is quite a bold move. Now, have we established connections with the Heike clan?

"For now, Amatsugahara Corporation is too close to the Minamoto family. Something's off with Amatsugahara Corporation, which should have a mastermind. It raises questions."

[Sensational debut battle of the masked girl Rei! The Minamoto family will immediately realize I defeated the Azure Dragon. Knowing that I'm from the unfriendly Taira family, won't they withdraw their support?]

Nodding to Shizuku's increasingly cheerful words, striking a pose, I agree.

"They might not be completely united. Considering the benefits and drawbacks, they might be planning to switch from the Taira family. Let's gather information; they might become eager to do so."

Well, these complicated and mysterious connections won't be unraveled by the Taira or the Minamoto family. The actual combat forces are an old man, a girl, and pets: a cat and a snake. I don't think the tangled threads are just one. I'd like to make the tangle even bigger.

"Things usually deviate from expectations. Reality is harsh."

[The opponent will also try to outsmart us. Hehehe, let's set the shortest record in this chess game, shall we?]

"I don't know the rules of chess. I know the basic moves, but that's about it." 

In chess, though, I can't always count on my opponent to make the expected moves. Still, it's likely to become a selling point for rare items. For now, at least.

I also want to buy cores and items from opponents. There must be unused items lying around. But cores might raise suspicion...

The price of potions and their market value—I checked that when I charged Konoha for payment. A 3-level upgrade at a 10% increase is worth 50 million yen. Strengthening allies is crucial, but I want to earn a few billion here.

After all, I can never have too much money.

And since it's hard to grasp the flow of money in the black market and the abandoned town, they might not easily notice it if I mix the acquired money in there. Even if they notice, they'll just suspect that there's a connection in the shadows.

"Building something costs a lot of money."

The reason for needing a large sum is building construction. The cost of building a large apartment... I misjudged it. I didn't want to see the word 'billion'. 

Ryuko estimated it timidly, but it's really not okay. I understand why politicians in the past promoted public projects. There's no job more lucrative than this.

Even though I prepare machinery and materials, it seems it's still inexpensive. 

Huh, my eyes glazed over, and I ended up worrying Shingen and the others. I'm barely reaching a monthly net profit of 20 million yen. I'm short on funds. Bankruptcy is certain, heading straight for collapse. I want to build at least five more apartments.

So, I thought of selling things I didn't want to the cunning Serika. Conveniently, the Taira family has a feud with the Minamoto family. No need for mutual information sharing. It was a good idea to gather information in the inner city. Gossip magazines are wonderful. I was surprised to learn that the inner town can sell gossip magazines. They also have TV, so I was a bit absorbed in the mall's TV.

"I hope money circulates generously without causing severe inflation."

I don't want to hire people as cheaply as the folks in the outer city do for construction work. So, labor costs are also a concern...