My Way · Frank Sinatra

POV Valentine

It turned out that I could safely stay in spirit form for five whole hours, before I notice the uncomfortable feeling caused by the beginnings of mental degradation. It was enough time for me, so I haven't tested the limits in fear of worsening my recovery. In the end I get both, a rested body and additional free time to concentrate on thinking about my life. Not to mention that I finally get administrative access to the HQ instead of relying on the limited tablet interface.

"How do I NOT find a simple mute option for you is beyond being unreasonable. I can make a toilet flush with my mind, but I can't mute an alarm! Where is the logic in that?!"

This will haunt my mornings for years, or until I can access the system while in a physical body without the need for a tablet. Falling asleep every time I need to check something, simply isn't an option for daily life.

.. .

I've been playing with the settings for two nights, saving a couple customized sets for specific scenarios. This way I need only a moment to implement them and make an escape. The changes can't be obvious, so I've left everything mostly as it is. On the other hand, any new functions will be locked behind my authorization. It's surprising easy to set up individual restrictions and permissions, though due to this opportunity coming so late in the game, I can only apply the same to everyone, else they notice my changes too early.

The most important and broken improvements are the secondary dungeon gates. On first glance they haven't changed at all, unless you have my clearance level. It's still a fact that only registered users can freely use them, however...I can change that, in addition to setting a fee for using them.

"Hehe~he~ soo many violent women to charge a small fee. An off the books fee that goes straight in my pocket, hehehe~."

Instead of giving free access to unregistered users, I was able to design a temporary pass that will allow the holder to utilize the portals. While they slaughter the monsters, it will absorb a minuscule percentage of their gained exp that will be stored and later used by myself.

It's a completely useless function for the time being, but as soon as they get past the sixth floor I'll start seeing the benefits. I've also falsified the cost of making those single use passes, 40 Mp per head per delve will add up pretty quickly in my private account.

"But, haaa... It will take years to make progress and the exp required for each Lv up is getting exponentially larger. They have been stuck at lv 2 for over a month, killing hundreds of monsters every day and just broke through during my last days alive! The fifth floor will take..mmm..a quarter of the year working eight hours a day? The sixth floor a year? Perhaps, more like two years if the difficulty is higher?"

I will need to look for an exp dungeon instead of relying on this food producing one.

'Right, let's pay for this search from the official mana balance and secretly purchase a gate to an old-fashioned medieval Isekai with cat girls by spending my personal funds.'

A man has a right to dream big, even if the true situation is neck deep in horse shit. Regardless of how I cut it, time is a limiting factor that I can't find a good workaround for. I must work with those slavers for the years to come, or take a gamble by picking a spot on the world map and hoping for the best.

I'm figuring out my moves while indulging in music when news of a "guest" arrived, plunging my mood into cold, dirty water.

"Caw. Caw caw CawCA."

"`Sigh. Can I have a few days to myself? No? Haha, yeah, that's what I have thought. Just...send her in."

I would have appreciated a few more days before I have to see her again, but alas no one expects the Spanish inquisition. I try not to grind my teeth upon her visit.

"Valentine: Is sitting allowed? Or should I get on all fours and wag my tail? Maybe "roll over" is more preferable?"

I'm pissed off because my memories of the last two weeks have just been internalised in my head. That concentrated dose of being played around with is like a fire-hot iron rod being pressed against my head. Too much and too fast.

"Mari: I've come to apologize..."

I cut her off, finishing the sentence myself.

"Valentine: For becoming a piece of shit that treats other as nothing more than objects to impose their will upon. Save the talk for someone who wants to listen to excuses. `Sigh. My head is really not in the right place for this today."

'Someone must have given her a talking to, probably her sister.'

For a lack of a better word, she looks genuinely apologetic. Still, can't roll out the possibility of her acting it out. Trying to take away the last thing that I had left to my old self was a step too far.

"Go home. Let me rest. I'll come back once I decide on how this... incident should be handled. ...You wanted a figurehead, right? Think about real incentives that YOU would agree to and not what this "thing" would be content with."

I'm usually a very chill person, but right now I'm boiling on the inside, overriding my laid-back nature and making me spit out fire. It could be argued that I've lost a large part of myself to the void, but this feels more like bottled up righteous anger than anything else.

"Mari: ... Alright."

I don't know if my emotional outburst is reasonable or not, however it fucking feels great to metaphorically give her a slap on the cheek. A literal slap would send that gorilla woman after me, tearing my weak ass into chunks, then grinding them up into fish paste for good measure.

She came and went like a fart, ruining the mood of those present.

'Hmmm... Now I don't feel like relaxing at all. Eh, I'll go to hang out at that hostess club for the night.'

I must not allow myself to stagnate. Not while I'm the weakest one of them all. I can't do much of anything with my mana outside of the kitchen, so that's where I must improve myself. Cut sharper, faster, better while infusing mana into my tools, until I can use the same skills in battle. Analyze the damn ingredients down to their molecular structure, until I can see through the monsters in the same way. If I can cook by relying on muscle memory and assistance from my skills, then I can do battle in the same way... .

"Oh... Fuck! How did I not notice? I'm back to being stuck in an untrained body! My fucking months of progress! Asshole DEMON, give me back my muscles!"

This is the worst. My routine training gone down the drain. All my hard work wiped clean.

"Haaaaa!!! Fuck, I need to go back sooner than later. ... Might as well shave my head. I'm fucked anyway, what's one more thing added to the shit pile of problems?"

I've considered getting rid of this nasty hairstyle, but that would have made me look uglier. Now, I have run out of fucks to give. I'll be dedicating my time to training for the time being anyway, so it won't be that noticeable.

'No, I should give it a month to grow out and then shave off the top part. I'm not a skinhead person, that is for sure.'

Flamingo (米津玄師) -acoustic arrange-／DAZBEE × 模(katagi)

POV Kate

I didn't think that Mari was so soft, or rather blind to her own actions. It was plainly obvious what cards were held in whose hands, but apparently she didn't see it that way.

"Kate: You DON'T want to threaten him? What can he do? Turn to the police with a fake ID to be deported? And.. you know what will happen to him after moving over 6 km away. Your bid to imprint servitude has failed, true. It would have worked if he remained in that state for a year or so, I blame the confusing information we've been given. This doesn't mean that we need to give him back the authority. He didn't show too strong of a character. We can still break him in."

'He smelled of working class from day one. Reckless and ready to do the right thing. An easy target to manipulate with a few gentle words once his guard is down, or receive a bullet from if one pushes too much.'

"There is a limit to blind self-righteousness. You must have realized what you were doing at some point."

I haven't seen Mari blushing from neck up to her ears, ever. It's pretty cute compared to her usual cold appearance and displays her immature side for all to see.

"Mari: I... I've messed up. It seemed to be the right thing to do, until I've put myself in his position. He..he just obediently did everything I said and, and it felt right... ."

'Someone definitely doesn't have the experience of using money to achieve the exact same result. Gods, how sheltered can one be?'

I'm not exactly sure as to where Anna's group stance is on this matter. Their inactivity suggests that they're having an internal debate, and I feel the winds of fate picking up. I may need to play things differently than expected or risk becoming an outlier.

This sisterhood that we are building will become a great force to be reckoned with and it needs a bedrock solid foundation. In the long run, it may be more beneficial to have a partnership rather than engage in a hostile takeover with him. It's also concerning that I can't see his fate due to whatever is repairing his soul.

'I need to do a new cost to benefit analysis. The situation has changed too much in these hectic months. Hmm..., I'll need a pair of eyes monitoring him from up close if this absolutely has to be done.'

"Kate: Haaaa...this is going to take a while. I'll make tea and then we can discuss what needs to be done."

Just like with the little show that we put on, in front of the new girls, we need to keep a strong front image. This blushing mess isn't the best representation of a strong leader. Damage control is in order.

I give it my best to appease her emotions, but.. . It's not easy to stroke her flames of biased hatred when the man in question literally died for her. Instead, I appeal to her protective nature towards the students to narrow her range of actions.

Some privileges are surrendered, some limitations lowered, promises were put down on paper. All in all, it's a drop in the bucket that looks more impressive than it really is. Combined with our influence over the sisterhood, nothing actually will see any physical changes.

'Just like in the old saying: it's the thought that counts. I can't have anyone else running the show, so empty promises will suffice for now.'

As long as he stays in line and does what he's told to do, throwing a bone won't be a problem. Perhaps it will even make him fat and complacent, like a pampered house cat.

'Mmm..hmm. Yes, I can work that angle. Let's add a bit of extra pampering and cut off his claws just in case. What was the word for it... repentance or something?'

We draw up a simple contract while we are at it. One that has many blank spots left for a discussion once he comes back. This is the easiest form of control: services rendered for an agreed upon price. As an added bonus, it will also allow me to put eyes on him without it looking suspicious.

"Kate: See, this arrangement promises to treat him like a landlord. A bit more than we were initially planning for, however it satisfies your need for a compromise without putting us in danger."

"Mari: `Sigh. I don't know what to think anyone. I should have stepped away from this situation at the very beginning, but everything went so smoothly...that I didn't notice anything wrong. I should have asked Chiyo for help instead of hiding everything, again."

'Hm? Mmm..no, that would have been too much pampering. I need a functional worker, not a useless couch potato.'

"Kate: Get over it. What's done is done. We have duties to fulfill in the sisterhood and the councils matters to attend to. There is no time for slacking off and getting all emotional. Leave him alone for a month to cool down, then explain your side if the story. You won't get any rational response from approaching the issue right now."

'It will also give me time to assess the situation and plan accordingly. Who knows, perhaps her sob story will work in our favour.'

Being genuinely open with people can be of good use, but I prefer concrete plans that produce results and not relying on constantly changing emotions. Nonetheless, it feels good to be asked for help by otherwise competent people in their time of need. This also opened up new sides to the always calm and collected persona, something to tease her about later.

"Mari: Haaa... You are right, he said it himself, to leave him alone for the time being. What a headache."

.. .

Done with damage control, I derail the conversation to the upcoming training sessions for the new girls.

"Kate: At least seven of them want combat classes, the problem lies with the others. We haven't figured out how any of the powers are acquired, except for focused training that has worked out for ourselves. Everything is just too personalized for us to give any meaningful guidance. I'm not sure how a mage is supposed to train in real life, much less anyone not combat related."

"Mari: We have promised much, without sufficient abilities to see it through. I'm afraid that we can only give them our best support and encourage hard work. Hmm.. finding the right environment should be of some help and if there is none, we could help in creating one."

"Kate: What about a magic crafter?"

"Mari: ... ... Well... starting small? I'm not sure if fantasy materials are within our reach right now. Making truly magical items would probably require years upon years of experiments, since we are starting from scratch. We should outline what is reasonably within reach to everyone once again, before they make the final decision."

'We may have overdone our little show. They are too enthusiastic and starry-eyed.'

We can extend the lecturing for a few days at most, before they start becoming restless. Getting them to Lv 1 within this week is an unavoidable fact. They crave for the opportunity to start laying down their own path, and they know that it will require time and effort. The third years won't stay patient for long.

"Kate: We will need to keep a close eye on things and set standards for progressing farther down the dungeon. Minimum requirements for safe passage... as safe as we are able to judge from experience."

"Mari: We must assume the worst-case scenarios. There will be no repeat of what has happened."

'Ah, there it is.'

Self-confidence and unyielding resolve. The steadfast belief in a cause deemed worth pursuing. On one hand I could argue that it was a freak accident that we haven't confirmed the cause of, on the other hand, we can't afford to lose a single person to negligence.

'If it were me in that precise situation, it's more likely that I would have been left behind.'

"Kate: Indeed. We've had two near misses and I doubt that he will be there to take the fall when the third one hits. Safety first will be our modus operandi."

'Heh~ I could get used to toying with her in this way.'

Seeing Mari squirm under my mercy is pushing me to lick my lips. Reluctantly, I resist the pleasure and move us towards the next topic. The renovation of the old prison block will be finished by the end of this month, and we need to come to a unanimous vote on how to best utilize it.

POV A. Kurihara

'Perhaps it is time to retire for the... business stage.'

I haven't been run this ragged since my hey days, many decades ago. I've barely had the time to see my daughters, and the old hag has been...a demanding customer to please. Unfortunately, these deals have to be done in person.

"Old official: Kurihara, don't sleep while standing, you aren't that old just yet. I can see that this project has you under pressure, so I won't say anything else."

"A.K: Yes, apologies. I've been... running like an errand boy lately."

"Old official: Delivering the "souvenirs", hehehe. Well, considering what you are asking for it is the least that you should do. Tokyo is already well developed around those parts and land isn't made available without paying a price."

I'm very limited in the real-estate sector, having scant few people I can turn to and none that could help me with what I need. I've turned to looking for available land to build everything from the ground up instead.

"If. If we were talking about existing infrastructure that could be repurposed, then perhaps things would move faster. My memory and body aren't what they used to be, so I may have forgotten about the exact place that fits the bill... ."

"A.K: How much would that cost me?"

"Old official: It's an old government owned building, solid construction with little activity going on. Built more in line with being a shelter than anything else. Ten bottles, and you won't see any problems popping up."

I'm genuinely shocked at his demands. Given how potent the special medical wine is, it would be obvious that it's far more scarce than water in a desert. I didn't even need to pretend in front of him. My expression showed how I truly felt.

"A.K: That is in addition to the official... price?"

"Old official: Umu, indeed. I did say that you wouldn't have any problems, didn't I? A clean deal, no strings attached."

In reality, it takes only a couple days of work to make one batch of potions, and it's enough to cover the ten liters he asked for.

"A.K: ...It can be arranged for. Keep in mind that once the bottles are secured and sent to me, they start to quickly expire. In two months they lose half of the desired properties and become useless in another month at...best."

Using very old and unmarked bottles is very helpful in selling the story. It gives the product an air of ancient mystery, but forking out over ten bottles is too much. I negotiate the price down, until I promise to relinquish two more authentic bottles and have the rest presented in the modern ones. Trying to lower the actual amount of healing potions would be a futile waste of time.

'Now I need to find reliable civil engineers to assess the building and brief them on what I need done. Depending on the findings I'll need to act accordingly.'

Hopefully this process will let me have some time to rest at home. Though, I wouldn't want to start getting my hopes up too soon. I will need to make frequent quality checks all over the place. Construction, equipment, personnel, security, legal, financial, etc.

"This will make me go bald from stress."