「 Well then, Yoshin.o.bu 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 For Kurama sisters, we will be accepting them to the brothel right away, but… 」
Yeah, I know that.
「 As for the other ladies in Misuzu-san’s table, Kanou Sakurako-san, and Torii Mariko-san 」
Huh?
「 Look at the two closely 」
「 Wait, you mean? 」
We’re also turning the two to prost.i.tutes?
「 No, that’s not it. It’s not related to the brothel, but with Kouzuki SS’ a.n.a.lysis work 」
Minaho-neesan accepts some jobs from Kouzuki SS through Shou-neechan.
「 That old man had the two ladies sit down on that table means that he wants you to be considerate of them 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 Among the young ladies who came to Kouzuki mansion, the two of them were loose. You know how the two of those were sitting on a separate table at first, right? 」
Minaho-neesan’s right, Kanou-san, and Torii-san were sitting on tables where there are no other young ladies. They’re isolated, sitting down with just their bodyguard behind.
They’re not talking to the other girls.
On the other hand, The Kurama sisters were sitting down on the table of the children of the Kouzuki group.
Kurama sisters’ father is failing in his business. However, before they were trying to make an appeal to Jii-chan directly, they were still sitting along with the other young ladies.
Kanou-san and Torii-san were ignored all the time, though.
「 Kanou-san and Torii-san. Are there any reasons why they don’t have friends? 」
I asked Minaho-neesan.
「 Well, I won’t say it 」
Minaho-neesan smiled.
「 You can find it out yourself, Yoshin.o.bu 」
So I have to look it up?
「 The matter this time has us in different positions 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 I’m moving according to Kouzuki old man’s contract. Therefore, I love cute girls, but I also need to think about the profits of Kouzuki house 」
「 Me too. In my case, Kouzuki SS is a business partner, and Kouzuki-sama is an investor in my brothel 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 We’re doing this for money, and so we can’t do stuff other than that 」
「 With our status, it’s just fair that we can’t tell Yoshin.o.bu anything specific, see? 」
If I heard the details, then I’d move accordingly for Minaho-neesan and Kyouko-san’s convenience.
「 And if we were to control Yoshin.o.bu, Misuzu-san will get angry 」
Then, Jii-chan, which is Kouzuki SS, has different thoughts compared to Misuzu and Ruriko.
Minaho-neesan gave me minimum information that Jii-chan will turn the Kurama sisters into prost.i.tutes, and to look after Kanou-san and Torii-san.
But…
Misuzu and Ruriko might be against the idea of turning the Kurama sisters into prost.i.tutes. I haven’t heard their opinions yet.
Besides, Kanou-san and Torii-san might have something to say.
To Jii-chan, it’s all matters between the n.o.ble families and Kouzuki house. Still, for Misuzu and Ruriko, they’re cla.s.smates attending the same school.
There’s a difference in viewpoints.
「 Yoshin.o.bu, you’re connected to many women, and so hear their opinions, and pick the path you’d like to take 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 I’m not forcing you. You check the situation, make your judgment, and decide your own position 」
「 We don’t care if you oppose it. It’s just that Minaho and I will still fulfill the jobs we took over 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 Then, you should return. If you take too much time here, Misuzu-san will feel impatient 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 Yeah got it. Thanks a lot 」
I bowed my head to Kyouko-san and Minaho-neesan.
「 Yes, sure, I pray you good luck, boy! 」
Miss Cordelia, who only listens to our conversation, waved her hand.
◇ ◇ ◇
I head to the corridor from Minaho-neesan’s room, and Margo-san’s waiting.
「 Margo-san, you didn’t enter the room because… 」
「 Yes. I’m in a different standpoint from them 」
Margo-san smiled.
「 For now, I can’t join in with Minaho’s plans 」
Margo-san intends to join in the martial arts industry on the surface.
And so, she’s not helping out on Minaho-neesan’s new brothel, nor on Kyouko-san’s underground jobs.
「 Today, I’m only here to gather sponsors. To be honest, my funds are on the safe side, but still, having a well-known company back me up would help a lot. It becomes insurance 」
The young ladies here have connections to big companies, after all…
Just having a big corporation backing you up gives the possibility of using that as a motive.
「 Then you should’ve brought Ya-chan too 」
I said.
I think it’s more effective if it’s the two of them opening up to sponsors.
「 No, Nei’s popular with the younger girls but girls of the same age keep their distance from her 」
Margo-san said.
「 Especially if it’s a gathering of cute young ladies 」
Oh, some might feel hostile because Nei’s too beautiful.
「 I’d like to not cause trouble if possible for today. If it’s just me alone, I can convince them by saying that I’m a former bodyguard but is aiming to become a professional martial artist. Those who are convinced won’t be as hostile 」
But if we add Nei there…
“Who’s this beauty? What’s her relationship with Margo-san?” and it causes doubt and hostility.
「 And if there’s anyone showing hostility in that place, the atmosphere will turn sour. And once that happens, those who favor me will lose their interest 」
I see, anyway, for now, Margo-san’s showing off her appeal as a martial artist to get some sponsors.
「 As soon as they discovered that I’m just a martial artist now, the bodyguards loosened up in relief, didn’t they? 」
Yeah, some among the bodyguards would want to swap to another n.o.ble house.
If Margo-san was a freelance bodyguard, they might worry that she’ll take the job of being Ruriko or Yoshiko-san’s bodyguard.
But, they discovered that she’s not.
「 If I’m just a martial artist, then those who aren’t interested will leave me alone 」
I see.
「 With that said, Yoshin.o.bu, do you have any questions? 」
Margo-san says while we walk on the corridor.
「 You know, I’m in a neutral position right now 」
She’s not like MInaho-neesan and Kyouko-san who’s doing business…
She’s not like Misuzu or Ruriko, who’s friends with the students in that school.
「 Then, I have one thing to ask 」
Earlier, Kyouko-san mentioned the bodyguards trying to promote themselves and, then, from Margo-san too.
「 With that said, the bodyguards who enjoy being together with their Master, those who are serious about being a bodyguard of their master, and those who want to abandon their current master and try to promote themselves to another house, the group is divided into that three groups 」
Margo-san laughs.
「 Why do you think it’s like that? 」
「 I think that Kyouko-san’s right, but… 」
I…
「 Somehow, I feel like there’s something troublesome brewing up 」
I don’t think it’s as simple as three groups.
「 Well, can’t you a.n.a.lyze the reason why by yourself? 」
Margo-san peeks into my eyes.
「 Somehow, I have a bad feeling 」
I speak out the discomfort I’m feeling.
「 Kyouko-san had a serious battle with Michi and Edie. After that, Margo-san and Rei-chan had a beautiful fight 」
I saw it.
Even I can tell that the battle was high level.
「 But, as soon as the rest period started, the young ladies gather around Margo-san and Rei-chan, and they don’t talk about their fear from Kyouko-san, now show signs of it 」
Their fight is on a high level, and yet, they keep on squealing like it’s no threat.
「 You see, it’s because you’ve seen various people fight and so your eyes have become refined 」
Margo-san said.
「 And as for how fearsome Kyouko-san is… 」
Margo-san stopped and looked at the courtyard through the window.
It looks like the young ladies and the bodyguard are getting along and listening to Rei-chan’s lectures.
Misuzu’s also there.
Oh, in that table, Misuzu, Ruriko, Kanou-san, Torii-san, and Kurama sisters. Then, Michi, Shie-san, Adelheid-san, the Anjou sisters are still there.
n.o.body moved away from that table, that means that Kanou-san and Torii-san think that it’s convenient to stay in that table, under Misuzu’s care.
Much better than being alone in a table.
「 Earlier, when Kyouko-san was fighting, she didn’t purposely send any hostilities to the young ladies and their bodyguards 」
Margo-san said.
「 Therefore, the young ladies who never had experience watching people fight and bodyguards who lack training couldn’t say that our fight was dangerous at all. To them, they see it as professional wrestlers on stage 」
There’s an intense fight right in front of them, though.
Yet, they think that it’s all just a show?
「 Didn’t Reika-oneesan say it herself that it’s an exhibition match? And so, they think that it’s nothing but a practice match. The young ladies only thinks of Reika-oneesama and Kyouko Messer as celebrities on Television.
「 They think of it as fiction? So they see the fights happening on television as Kyouko-san and Rei-chan playing around? as Fabricated fights? 」
「 Not really. People hardly care if it’s real or fiction 」
Hardly care?
「 What’s important is their relationship with them. If it doesn’t affect their life, even if the other country is at war, they only think, “Oh, I see.” People can’t tell the difference between real war and a murder case in a show, see? 」
If it’s unrelated to their life, then they don’t care if it’s real or not.
「 On the other hand, they feel sympathetic to anything pitiful in fiction, saying “Poor ****-chan” and such. It’s nothing but fiction, n.o.body died in real life 」
Y-Yeah.
「 A movie director back then carried out an experiment during a school lecture 」
Margo-san said.
「 At first, they had some old fashioned Shakespearean playwright. And in that historical drama, the names of the British n.o.bles who were killed in action are called out. He handed the lines to one of the students and told “read this” 」
Okay.
「 And since we’re talking about the middle ages in Britain, the names were exaggerated since it’s a rose war. Naming them “Prince ***** and Duke ****” Therefore, the reader laughed, and those who were listening aren’t serious about it either 」
Well, yeah.
It’s an old fashioned list of names of dead people, getting serious while reading it is hard.
「 Then, the same student was handed a list of people who died on a recent great earthquake and told to read it 」
People who died in an earthquake disaster?
「 This time, the names read “***Machi **-san” or “**Mura **-san” The student reads the names nervously and with care, the students who were listening turned quiet and listen earnestly 」
Margo-san looks at me.
「 Why were they laughing at those killed in action in a Shakespearean historical drama, but turned serious when they started reading names of those who died in the great earthquake? 」
That’s…
「 Because the great earthquake happened for real and the names of the dead have died. As for the play, it’s because it’s fiction? 」
Margo-san smiles gently.
「 Shakespeare’s work is a play, but the rose war was a real war. The names of those killed in action in the play were real people who died. It’s not fiction, they were all real people who died 」
Real people.
In a sense, the two are the same.
「 The students turn quiet when the names of the people who died during the great earthquake because it’s still clear in their memories. It might be someone in school or their family or a friend who died 」
Therefore, they accept it sincerely.
「 The names of people on Shakespeare’s age, during the rose war, were people from their father or grandfather’s era. Therefore, the names of the people who died in that war don’t seem real for the audience at that time. It’s just names of those who were killed during their ancestor’s era 」
People will get serious if it’s close to them at the moment.
If they think it’s unrelated to them, then they don’t pay attention, even if it’s real.
「 Lastly, the movie director told the student to “read the names of the list of people who died during in the historical drama with the same emotion as those who died from the great earthquake” Then, the student starts to read the “Count who died in battle,” which they laughed at earlier. Those who listen starts listening with serious intent as well 」
I see.
「 Everyone can see that Kyouko-san’s strength is real. But, if they don’t sense hostility, they’ll only accept it as a fun show. That’s how ordinary people see it 」
If it’s just a show, then they won’t care about it after it’s over.
They can have fun talking with Rei-chan.
They don’t care about the meaning of the fight.
「 What’s frightening about Kyouko-san is how she can do that easily. Those who sensed the meaning of that fight will no longer be cautious of Kyouko-san if they see her next time 」
Ah.
For example, if they meet Kyouko-san on a hotel somewhere.
The young ladies will only see her as the happy go lucky lady who had a match with Rei-chan on an event created by Kouzuki house.
They only think of her fights with Rei-chan on TV as a promotional campaign from Kouzuki SS.
Then…
“Oh, right. Back then, she didn’t show any hostility. Therefore, I can trust her,” or so they think.
「 The scariest person in this world are those who come close to you without showing any hostility. And even more frightening is the idea that the person is coming at you with kindness. People are weak to those they see as kind to them 」
Margo-san said.
「 Then, once they slip their hand to your pocket, they change suddenly 」
If you think that person isn’t an enemy and that person likes you…
You’ll get backstabbed right away.
「 Yoshida-kun, how do you feel about Kyouko-san and me? 」
That’s…
「 Do you sense hostility? Do you think that we’d do something evil on you? 」
「 I don’t 」
Instead, I see you as someone who has goodwill and is kind.
「 See? You’re dancing in Kyouko-san’s palm. Maybe in mine too 」
Margo-san laughed.
「 Those who send their hostilities your way are nothing big. You will have to fight your real enemies from now on 」
Enemies who are pretending to be friends with you.
And as soon as you lower your guard, they’ll backstab you.
「 Kyouko-san shows off a fight like that to test the young ladies and their bodyguards for today. Who’s easy to fool and who noticed the plans we had 」
Some sensed that there’s something wrong on why Kyouko-san, an absurdly strong person, purposely shows off a fight that looks like she’s fooling around.
「 It’s not about people’s abilities. You need insight, as well. Some of the bodyguards there have become strong through training. But, even if they had strength, if they got caught in Kyouko-san’s trap, they’re useless. Instead, Kyouko-san looks at those who aren’t that strong and yet have insight 」
Margo-san looked at the courtyard and said.
「 You can improve strength with some training, but girls who don’t have insight have it in their nature. Your perception is the only thing you can’t train with other people. You can’t get better unless you understand it 」
Insight.
「 Earlier, about the bodyguard groups you mentioned. It’s not three but six 」
Six.
「 First are those who gather around Rei-chan and me, those who didn’t notice Kyouko-san’s swindling. They’re real fangirls. Those who are in the school just to deal with the bullies by name 」
Girls who don’t have insight and were a.s.signed as bodyguards due to her family lineage.
「 However, their strength is unknown. They probably are strong when you send them to training. But they’re likely useless in actual combat, or they just become a dead weight to their allies 」
I see.
「 The second one is those who are still making a fuss with us, but they noticed Kyouko-san’s plans. They’re scary. They saw Kyouko-san’s real strength, and so they purposely fake having fun to protect their masters 」
They prepared themselves and pretend to be having fun.
「 The third ones are those who hadn’t noticed Kyouko-san’s plans and stayed with their Masters. They don’t know what’s happening. They can’t point out how fearsome Kyouko-san is, nor they can’t point what’s the meaning of our match, but they think “Kyouko Messer and Kouzuki SS aren’t that big of a deal. I’m stronger” 」
Oh, the real idiots.
「 The fourth one is those who noticed Kyouko-san’s plans and is protecting their Master with maximum cautiousness. They’re standing around, watching out for the dangers coming to her and her master. Well, they pa.s.s as bodyguards, but they’re uninteresting 」
Yeah.
「 The fifth are those who didn’t notice Kyouko-san’s plans, but they got excited from watching our fight. Then, they’re thinking of abandoning their master and finding a new one. They’re like a child who watched a hero movie and wanted to become a hero themselves, see? Basically, they saw us fight and hallucinates that she wants to get stronger as well 」
Oh, the most troublesome type.
That said, their loyalty to their master is lacking.
「 The sixth and last one. They’re those who noticed Kyouko-san’s plans and noticed Michi-chan and our strength 」
「 Why would those people stay away from their master? 」
Why are they abandoning their job as a bodyguard?
「 First is that if they abandon their master but stay in a distance where they can save her makes us cautious 」
Oh, They’re moving under the a.s.sumption that there might be death.
「 And the other one is that they want to become strong, just like Kyouko-san. Shocked at the difference in level 」
Knowing the difference in strength.
「 Seeing that she’s weaker than Kyouko-san, Reika-oneesan or me, or maybe, Michi-chan or Edie, she’s frustrated 」
Women who live as warriors think that way.
「 Therefore, those in that group are seriously thinking about becoming Kyouko-san’s disciple. If they can’t, then Reika-oneesan will do. Maybe, Michi-chan, even though she’s in Kouzuki SS 」
Huh?
「 If they head to somewhere related to Kouzuki house, there’s a chance they can steal Kyouko-san’s techniques 」
Is that how charming Kyouko-san’s overwhelming strength?
「 Either way, they noticed that if they stay with that specific house, they cannot become as strong as Kyouko-san 」
And so, they want to abandon their master and promote themselves to someone related to Kouzuki house.
「 That’s just my opinion, it’s your choice to believe it or not 」
Margo-san said with a smile.
I look at the ladies in the courtyard.
「 I think Margo-san’s right. 」
I look at each and one of the bodyguards.
Those who are fangirling with Rei-chan.
Those who are concentrating on their master, ignoring the lecture.
Those who are cautious of her surroundings and preparing her escape route.
Those who are looking at the young ladies of other houses.
Those who are sending glances at Misuzu, Ruriko, and Yoshiko-san.
Then, those who are peeking at the mansion where Kyouko-san disappeared.
「 I got to do something about that 」
Once the lecture is over, this will become a get-together party.
I know that there will be a commotion.
「 But, I still have to concentrate on finding sponsors 」
Margo-san smiled.
「 I know, I’ll do something about it 」
I hurry back to Yomi and Luna’s room.
If I want to do something about the situation.
I’ll need their cooperation.