A Bit More Than Four Billion
“Dusick-ah. How much did the donations come in?”
It wasn’t that I had no reason to believe it.
I knew from the last time that after I appeared on the broadcast, a decent amount of donations had come in, and even after excluding the maintenance costs for the minions’ salaries and facility upkeep, there would be some breathing room.
So I thought whether to use it for repairs and keep living there, or to repair it and move—either way, one of the two.
I was talking big, but this was all because of Kabe. It was our fault.
The inspection team hadn’t arrived yet, but when they did and checked, it would quickly be clear that it was our responsibility.
Personally, I wanted to move. The Underworld didn’t appeal to me. There was no sunlight there.
We were an evil organization, not a vampire one.
Dusick was like that, and Kabe was like that too. They were still in their growth phase, so the Underworld without any sunlight wasn’t a great environment.
“It’s a bit over four billion. After that, more donations came in…”
“Dusick-ah.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Release the transformation.”
“Big sister!”
As always, I felt that Dusick’s transformation form was too burdensome.
Before the change she was this lively little sister, but after it she became this vicious-looking monster. It was really awkward, and also… a bit much.
At least it wasn’t my type…
“Anyway, it’s a bit over four billion. Here, the money I have to pay this month is…”
“Money?”
Dusick froze. Hey, is this… I hadn’t expected that pattern.
“I don’t know…”
“Mother.”
While carrying Kabe, Eve approached me.
Her face had a strangely tired expression. Kabe was happily bouncing.
“Mm.”
“Do you have any countermeasures planned? If the inspection team comes out, they’ll immediately trigger a magic power explosion.”
“It’s surprising that the inspection team can detect magic power explosion…”
“That’s natural. It’s been several years since magical girls appeared. Data has accumulated enough.”
“I guess so…”
“Why do you have such a tired expression?”
“Well, it seems like you’re asking if I have countermeasures.”
“What?”
I called the countermeasures themselves because there are no countermeasures.
I called countermeasures because there are no countermeasures, and when I ask if those countermeasures have countermeasures, how do I answer?
“That countermeasure is you, Eve.”
At my words, Eve’s face crumpled hugely.
“You really are shameless, you know?”
“I’m the boss of an evil organization.”
“Only at times like this, don’t use your name. I know exactly what you did yesterday…”
“Kabe, Dad is being mean to Mom…”
“Daddy, don’t bully Mom!”
Kabe, who was on Eve’s back, kept pulling Eve’s hair and whining not to bully Mom.
Good, good, good!
“Ugh, I’m not bullying Mom, Kabe…”
The kids hadn’t mastered power control yet, so a few strands of Eve’s white hair were in Kabe’s hands. It must hurt. Not really sorry, though.
“Come here, Kabe. Come to Mom.”
“Uhn.”
Naturally, Kabe snuggled up, and I looked at Eve intently.
Eve, who met my gaze, soon sighed.
“I know, I know. Kabe, Dusick… Hey, wait a minute. Mother.”
“Mm.”
Eve grabbed my sleeve and pulled me, whispering in my ear.
“Dusick, is that uncle or aunt?”
Huh? Now that I think about it?
The transformation form of Dusick holding Kabe was quite unbalanced.
Her posture was off, and above all, she was fidgeting as if afraid of hurting Kabe, which was very… what should I say?
Cute.
“Kabe, Mom and Dad will go out for a bit ahead. Listen well to Dusick, okay?”
“Yes!”
“Dusick-ah, take good care of Kabe. If you drop her, I’ll drop you from the rooftop of the association building too. It’s 36th floor, remember?”
“Yes, yes…”
Leaving Kabe with Dusick, Eve and I headed to a cafe near the house.
“Ice cafe latte. Venti size.”
“Mother, you naturally make me calculate?”
“Eve. If your chest size is small, your stomach should be wide too.”
“Insane woman!”
Whether Eve was excited or not, I found a window seat and sat inside.
The situation was quite complicated and painful, but surprisingly, I was calm.
Well, I have a reason for that.
According to Keru’s words, the balance between good and evil is extremely poor right now.
If it continues like this, and this situation worsens, the Mogumogu-dan will go towards extinction.
That means, flipping the board.
Bringing disaster.
Not only humans like me who have little to lose, but also the similar life forms, the Main, have nothing to lose. Dusick is… well, anyway, the ones who have a lot in hand, meaning those who have a lot to lose, like Eve, are the ones who feel sorry.
In other words, in the current power structure, if we have a hard time, Eve has no choice but to help.
“Here. Eat.”
The mug cup placed in front of me. But the size is much smaller. This can’t be venti size, right?
“I ordered venti.”
“Hey, if your chest size is big, eat less.”
“Pure coercion. Jealousy is ugly, President.”
“Ah, this crazy woman.”
Grinding her teeth, Eve sat across from me.
“So, is there a reason you called me separately, President?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me, President.”
“Remove that ‘President’ sound… Anyway, what do you want? After all, you’ll have to pay the repair costs, and decide whether to continue living there or move.”
“Well, that’s true.”
The cafe latte is delicious.
“Do you have money for the repair costs? For moving? Finding a building of that size would be hard. There’ll be a lot of rooms, so remodeling will be necessary. Also, Dusick is in growth phase, and Kabe is there, so we can’t crawl into the basement. We’ll have to look on the ground floor.”
“I do have some money from donations received before. I’ll have to find a building.”
“Sigh… This woman is really without countermeasures…”
Eve frowned. Her white face crumpled strangely, making me feel oddly good.
“I’ve been Mother for a bit over a month now? If I can come up with countermeasures for this situation, am I not talented?”
“I think you’re talented from the moment you threw away the Precure in one go…”
“Isn’t that some kind of rhyme?”
“Crazy woman. Anyway, just come to our association building.”
The real crazy woman is here.
“Eve, you seem to have some misunderstanding. We’re an evil organization.”
“I know.”
“You’re magical girls. We’re enemies.”
“I know that too.”
“But you want us to come to your association building? Where’s the apartment?”
“No apartment.”
“No… Hey, President. I’ll say it straight.”
“Mm.”
“Ask for money with money. We don’t have money, that’s why. Just give money.”
“If direct support grants go to you, we can’t process that as cost either. And, if we just keep our mouths shut, no one will know. Who would know?”
“Hey, what kind of world is this now. There’s even a saying that daytime is watched by CCTV and nighttime by ears.”
Unbelievable. I thought I wasn’t in my right mind, but I didn’t think there was a psychopath surpassing me.
Moreover, entering your association building. Did you forget that we’re enemies?
“The top floor has only the president’s office. I’ll remodel that, so come there. It might not be bad for bosses to plot together either? Besides, security is thorough. There’s no one with the ability to install CCTV in the president’s office. Also, even if they know, they probably won’t say anything? Rather, it’s fresh. An evil organization coexisting with the magical girl association.”
“There are people who have been brainwashed by the boss of an enemy organization.”
“Th-that’s…!”
As soon as Frilly’s name came up, Eve’s face flushed red. Ho, look at that? She has some naive side?
“I’ll think about it. The deposit and monthly rent are, of course, free?”
“Eh? Eh, eh.”
“Remodeling costs?”
“Hey, you’re subtly thick-skinned. That’s within your reach.”
“Mm. Then, what about foam board partitions?”
“Aaahhhhhh!”
Eve let out a scream as if she was about to tear her hair out.
As a result, the customers’ gazes in the cafe all turned to us.
“Sorry. She’s a bit…”
I subtly spread my fingers and pointed at Eve. Eve glared at me. What? What can I do.
“Mother. If you keep doing this, I won’t just take it, you know? I have to get at least one thing I want from you.”
“What?”
Eve took out her phone and started sliding through something.
“Look at this.”
The phone Eve showed, in the gallery on the screen, there were photos.
A face flushed red, a red uniform half-undressed, half-open mouth and closed eyes. And, decisively, a lewdly lying posture…
“This is… me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Eve, taking photos is a crime.”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not taking photos. You were lying there openly, and I just took the photo. You were just unconscious.”
“We call that taking photos, President. It’s a social promise. You know, right?”
Honestly, since Precure appeared, Frilly appeared, Pravel appeared, and meeting Frilly again, my image of magical girls had completely disappeared.
But after meeting Eve, I thought maybe there could be a magical girl who protects love and justice, but from this moment, I have to correct that thought.
These people are not in their right mind. A group of psychopaths who far surpass, or even surpass in a different league, the evil organization we are! Maybe it’s the balance of good and evil, and it’s not good winning, but evil is overwhelmingly winning!
“So, what do you want?”
“Well, it’s fine. I don’t really want anything. That money is dirty money anyway. If you want, I can even build a building.”
“I want it. So, build it. A building.”
“Don’t people usually say they don’t need it?”
“What about making our organization members suffer like this? To raise my pride?”
“…Anyway, that’s what it means. I’ll remodel, and I can do any small amount of money. What I want is one thing.”
“What?”
I looked at Eve intently with fake tension. Her plump red lips were slightly trembling. What absurd demand would come out of that mouth. If she says ‘offer my body’, she’s planning to ask for a building.
“Kabe, today I’m taking you to sleep.”
“Okay.”
No need to be tense.