Chapter 371: Beep
“Who would have known that Lime would be changing too.” (Makoto)
“Old acquaintances were pleading to me one after the other, and I finally couldn’t reject them anymore… Sorry. ‘If it goes too far, we will stop. We won’t trouble you’, is what they said, so I ended up doing it.” (Lime)
“I didn’t even know about their existence until today, and it is not like I am thinking about crushing them, so don’t worry. I was just bothered by the atmosphere.” (Makoto)
“I can only guide you to two of the major ones that I am acquainted with, but…if you want to, I can investigate them a bit more from tomorrow on.” (Lime)
“No, we will keep an eye on them first.” (Makoto)
“Got it. Then, I will guide you to the forefront fan club of Sis, the Certain Kill Tomoe Family.”
Even if I were to suddenly go out to the city, I don’t know at all where I should be gathering information about the fan clubs of Tomoe and Mio.
Now that I think about it, I don’t have much experience in gathering information by myself.
When I called out to Lime, who I caught sight of, and brought the topic of fan clubs, his aura clearly changed.
His expression didn’t change much from the outside, but thanks to knowing him for a long time, I can feel the…how to say it? Vibes of Lime? The feelings? I could tell he had been shaken heavily.
So, once I inquired for a bit, it seems like he knew about their existence, and he also knows the details about them to a certain degree.
I tried to confirm if he might be a member, and he clearly denied that.
He did spill out that he serves as a consultant for the two top fan clubs.
In a sense that’s worse than a member which made me want to hold my head in pain, and Lime explained himself that he was simply asked to do it and he didn’t have much choice… Well, I decided to accept that for now.
“Isn’t this the Adventurer Guild?” (Makoto)
“Well, there’s steps you have to take, you see… Hide your face a bit with this.” (Lime)
“…Got it. I leave it to you.” (Makoto)
The place Lime guided me to was the Adventurer Guild.
Moreover, the one that’s not for the wasteland.
Lime may be a former adventurer, but he was a regular at the wasteland, so he is pretty out of place here.
At any rate, this place isn’t that prosperous.
There may be adventurers here, but the fact that most of them are pretty young ones stands out.
I could tell at a glance that it is a gathering of novices.
The city itself will be getting bigger, so their chances to make it big will become pretty limited now. The guild might be moved closer to a corner of the city.
“It will probably be treated as a fresh experience facility kinda thing…” (Makoto)
I mutter this as I follow after Lime.
I cover my head with a large piece of cloth while only showing my eyes.
Now then, about Lime…he looked at a request…and headed to the reception desk?
It is a weird sight, but I have left it to him, so the only thing I can do here is follow him.
“Welcome. What business brings you here today?”
“What’s inside the Fuji of today?” (Lime)
“…There’s red, reverse, and white.”
“I will have white.” (Lime)
After exchanging a mysterious conversation that feels like code language, Lime and the receptionist b.u.mped fist with the counter in between.
More pointlessly secretive moves…
“It has been a while, Consultant Latte!”
“Heya. Where’s today’s meeting? I was thinking about showing up since it has been a while.” (Lime)
“It seems like today they will be showcasing new merchandise, so we have secured a big place. Let’s see..the 4th storehouse sector.”
“Owned by the Oaks Company?” (Lime)
“Yes! As expected of the consultant!”
“Thanks. I will bring some gifts on my way back.” (Lime)
“! Thank you very much!! By the way, who is that person there?”
“New blood. I have been asked to watch after him by a certain someone I can’t go against.” (Lime)
“…One more for the Tomoe Family! We look forward to it!!”
“Yeah!!” (Lime)
4th Storehouse Sector.
So they don’t really have a set base.
Like an official FC headquarter kinda thing.
Ah, now that I think about it, they are talking about top and all that, but they are all unofficial.
So doing it all brazenly wouldn’t be right either huh.
Just what’s the standing of an unofficial fan club for a famous person I wonder?
Is it like a manga circle for 2d artwork?
Hmm, don’t know.
The 4th Storehouse Sector is a pretty big place.
It is one of the storehouses that the wasteland materials are temporarily stored and then withdrawn from, so the coming and going of the materials is pretty intense.
I have heard that the storehouses from the 10th and up are used to temporarily store the products that come from the Golden Highway to Tsige.
The Kuzunoha Company doesn’t use the storehouse sectors, so I am not too familiar with them. This is my first time going to a storehouse sector.
“4th Storehouse Sector… There’s gatherings even during the daytime?” (Makoto)
“They said something about the sale of new merchandise, so they are most likely hyping it up from early morning.” (Lime)
…
Is this a comic con?
“The 4th Storehouse Sector is centered around the wasteland, right? I don’t know much about the Oaks Company though. Are they open at this time?” (Makoto)
“The circulation of things there is pretty intense after all. Accidents are a daily occurrence there. They must have aimed for one of the gaps those have created. They may be a fan club, but unless they have a decent scale, using a whole storehouse is reckless though.” (Lime)
And you are saying it is possible for the Certain Kill Tomoe Family.
Hope they are not dancing with lightsticks in the darkness or something like that…
“…Woah?!” (Makoto)
When I entered the storehouse sector, I ended up raising my voice.
Because there was a pretty shocking sight there.
“! Boss?!” (Lime)
“Ah, sorry. Uhm, Lime…” (Makoto)
“Yes?” (Lime)
“That storehouse…is giving off a completely different air from the other ones, isn’t it? It is as if it is a war-tempered storehouse, or as if it had been attacked yesterday. There’s smoke, remains of magic power, and pierced swords in it, you know… It is quite the bizarre sight.” (Makoto)
That’s…since that one is that and the one over there is that…this is the 8th storehouse, huh.
This is the 8th storehouse in the 4th Storehouse Sector.
Just what’s happening there…?
Don’t tell me it is that one.
“Aah.” (Lime)
“You know?” (Makoto)
“That’s our storehouse.” (Lime)
“‘Our’? …Eh? Ours?! As in the Kuzunoha Company’s?!” (Makoto)
“Yessu. Sis complained that the number 4 was bad luck and didn’t want it, but when she heard the 8th was open, she said ‘that’s fine then’.” (Lime)
“…That Tomoe. I don’t get her.” (Makoto)
“She said something like *48 moves* and forty eight. That she wouldn’t want it if it were 4 alone, but if it comes with 8 as a set, that’s fine then.” (Lime)
…
I was surprised that our company had a storehouse, but I am also surprised that Tomoe is playing a weird number game with the storehouses.
“Well, I understand now that that’s a storehouse we have borrowed, but…why is it in that state?” (Makoto)
“It is attacked on a daily basis. Well, we are dealing with quite the outstanding products despite our scale, so thieves probably attack us without much worry. Most would fall from Sis, Mio-neesan, and Shiki-danna, but there’s also Mondo, me, Aqua and Eris, and the dwarves. We pride on our strength, but without enough hands, those kinds of people pop out endlessly. It is properly being protected by Eldwa Security, so there’s no losses on our side though.” (Lime)
“I see. It is because we are making transactions on an amount that would be troublesome to explain if we were to not borrow a storehouse, huh.” (Makoto)
“Right-ssu.” (Lime)
“By the way, what do you put inside it?” (Makoto)
If the attacks are frequent, we shouldn’t put anything too important.
“Empty-ssu.” (Lime)
“Empty, huh.” (Makoto)
“Yes. We have been throwing out information that we are putting things in there, and there’s times when we act as if we are taking out stuff from there. Actually, in the normal product storehouses at the other side, the 13th storehouse of the 13th Storehouse Sector is ours as well, and it is also empty.” (Lime)
“That’s…if an attack were to miraculously succeed, it would be pretty pitiful…” (Makoto)
“The fate of thieves is mostly pitiful-ssu.” (Lime)
“…Right. By the way, was it Tomoe who chose the general product storehouse one?” (Makoto)
13th of the 13th.
“No, that one was decided on the fly by Mio-neesan because that one was coincidentally open.” (Lime)
“Aah, this time it was Mio. I see.” (Makoto)
Just how much in maintenance costs would it take to borrow two storehouses of such sizes? …Wait, it should obviously be in the account book that I check on a regular basis.
Is it an amount that I would even skim over?
No, let’s just admit that I slack by just skipping over all items that don’t have quite the high number in it.
I should reflect on it.
“Oh, it is that one-ssu ne.” (Lime)
“…It is such a normal looking storehouse among normal storehouses. Is it a secret organization?” (Makoto)
“In a sense, it is. The iron rule of the fan club activities is to not cause any trouble to the people themselves. There’s the possibility that Sis and Mio-neesan have already noticed it and have just left it be since they find it cute though.” (Lime)
“…I see.” (Makoto)
Is it like the bro code?
They might be more of a decent bunch than I thought.
I may get betrayed, so I should stop having faint expectations.
“Then, let’s enter.” (Lime)
“Apologies, but this storehouse isn’t taking or sending any go—Consultant Latte!”
“Osu. Are the sales of the merchandise going well?” (Lime)
“Sorry for the rudeness of just now. Ah, and who may that person be?”
“Potential new blood. A request from a person I can’t refuse.” (Lime)
“If it is a referral from the Consultant, there’s no problem! Go ahead! A bit of a problem is happening, but it will soon be…oh.”
“Hm?” (Makoto)
Feeling the presence of people, I move away, and a number of people pa.s.s by flying between us and the person that seems to be the gatekeeper.
A fight?
“You’ve got guts bringing drugs to Tomoe-sama’s fan club!”
Drugs?!
The comeback of the Dusk Street?!
“You as well. Don’t go bringing out strange business discussions here and there!”
Aah…people that gather for things like fan clubs do give the impression that they have loose pockets.
“You stink of Aion. What. This time you are trying to enter our ranks and thinking of doing some sketchy stuff? …Want me to erase you?”
Aion…
Aion did accept the invitation of coming to Tsige despite having been completely beaten up at the war, so they must have a reason as to why they accepted.
Of course they would try to have their prided spies infiltrate Tsige, huh.
…They really don’t learn.
Considering that they have an eye on Tomoe means that they have quite the discerning eye, and yet, it doesn’t seem like they are taking into account the chances of success.
Not only that, they were disposed of in an instant. Can’t help but laugh.
“Looks like it has been wrapped up, so…Consultant, potential new member, please go ahead and come in.”
“Alright. Keep it at just driving them away, okay?” (Lime)
Lime waves at the people who were surrounding the blown away people as well, and entered the storehouse.
Now then, it is finally the moment of truth.
“Location cleansing-ssu ne! Consultant, thanks for speaking to us-ssu!!”
…Hierarchy, physical education gathering system.
Location cleansing; is it the edo kind?
A type of exile punishment.
They also support Lime quite a lot despite what he says.
While holding slight uneasiness in my heart, I was also swallowed by the darkness inside the storehouse.