Corporate Heist and Silken Gifts
My head throbbed like someone had whacked the back of my skull with a solid wooden bat stuffed full of something heavy.
"What the fuck?"
It was so ridiculous that a genuine curse slipped out.
That noise must've reached Siron's ears too, because I heard rustling from outside.
"You idiot. What the hell's wrong with you all of a sudden?"
"Ah, no. I think I left a window open back home."
"...Jesus. What bullshit."
Siron muttered something like, 'Scaring people and pulling this crap...' under her breath as she shuffled back to her spot.
I turned my head again. Rubbing my head while pressing down on the conspicuously empty sack with one hand.
I'm saying it again: it was so absurd that my mind felt numb instead of sharp.
Did the company really just rob me under the guise of a "donation"?
I grabbed the sack's mouth, pulling and pushing it open and closed a few times while rethinking it all.
No matter how I sliced it, yeah, I'd been fleeced. By a company I'd been slaving for four years, no less.
What the actual fuck?
We weren't even getting paid jack shit all this time—hell, one fat paycheck wouldn't cut it—and now this? A donation?
Have you ever seen such healthy, long-lived bastards?
"Hoo..."
Heat surged up for a second, but I let out a sigh to calm the raging fire in my gut, at least for now.
Yeah. Pitching a fit here wouldn't change shit anyway.
Truth be told, I was pissed enough to twist my insides. But there was no one to yell at, no way to even meet them.
So jumping around like a lunatic would change fuck-all—not even goblin-shit worth—and just tire me out. That realization hit home.
"Hoo..."
Fucking assholes. Those psycho meters skimming 30% off every damn category.
Ah, no, that's not it.
I rubbed my face with both hands and opened the material storage.
I needed to remake 275 pairs of stockings. Each pair takes 2kg, so total pure iron required: 550kg.
"Good. Plenty to spare."
I didn't panic and nudged the partition door shut with my hip.
Luckily, I'd split production into three parts, and only the arm section was gone.
I spread the empty sack wide and churned out fresh stockings with practiced hands, stacking them neatly.
—Hey, idiot. What're you doing in there?
"Uh, just tidying up. Be out soon."
—Then get your ass out here. That crazy-eyed bitch is heating up.
"Yeah."
Looks like Kernax had finished directing the soldiers' traffic.
I hammered the 'Create' tab with my index and middle fingers at top speed.
New stockings tumbled into the gaping sack mouth, piling up with soft thuds.
"Mm. Performance is solid."
The sudden heist still pissed me off royally, but seeing the Holy Artifact Creation function in action cooled my boiling rage a bit.
Even after remaking the stolen 275 pairs, I still had iron to spare.
Staring at the storage list, I wondered: what if I'd been smarter and dumped all the iron from the remaining wagons into storage?
"How it'd go?"
If I had, I'd probably be curled up on the floor right now, groaning in rage.
At the same time, it hit me: this goddamn company would probably yank 30% of every category of my assets once a month, whether I liked it or not.
"Wait a sec."
What if I buy a house or land later? Do they take 30% of that too?
If so, I'd never own a home or property for life. At 30% a month, it'd vanish in under two years.
"No way they'd go that far."
A house might be possible, but land? Nah, that'd shrink the continent every time I bought some.
As I stewed in fury with these pointless thoughts, groans from the soldiers echoed outside the partition.
Kernax must've opened the wagon door.
I quickly flung the partition open.
Just in time to lock eyes with Kernax climbing aboard.
I smoothly closed the partition behind me and wrapped my arms lightly around her waist as she ascended.
"S-Smith?"
"Shh."
Of course, with her still half-in, the door didn't shut. The soldiers, who were rolling on the ground moaning, shut up like they'd forgotten their pain and stared holes through us.
I planted a light kiss on the bridge of her cute, blinking, frozen nose, just like I'd said.
Kernax's eyes went wide.
Not sure if it was my imagination, but I swear I heard someone gulping.
I released her waist.
"Kernax."
"......"
Looking at her frozen with saucer eyes, I kissed her cheek next.
"Ah..."
"Kernax?"
"......Huh?"
A dopey sound I'd never heard from Kernax before leaked out.
She blinked a few times, and a red flush crept from her neck up to her earlobes, staining her pale skin.
I called her name once more.
"L-Listening..."
She finally nodded in response.
"Got something for the soldiers. You free now?"
"Soldiers... Ah. R-right. Yeah. W-wait a sec."
Her face beet-red, she spun around, pulled her foot the rest of the way in, and planted it.
"Rina!!"
Kernax bellowed Rina's name from the wagon entrance.
If my memory served, Rina had been in the crowd gawking at the windows.
"......Yes."
"......"
Spot on. Rina, crumpled on the ground a bit away like a squashed can, weakly raised a hand.
"Sleeping there'll make your eyes go funny."
"......"
Rina's eyes narrowed in that super telling way—you could practically read her thoughts.
"I could make it so you lie down forever."
"......Sniff."
Tears welled in Rina's eyes like she was utterly wronged, and she propped herself up shakily with trembling arms, slowly rising.
"Smith has something for you all. Line up the soldiers in front of here ASAP."
"......!!"
Rina's narrowed eyes popped wide like Kernax's earlier. Not just her—the battered soldiers around her shot up like it'd been a lie.
They turned to Rina; she turned to them. Nods all around, then—
"Assembly!! Front and center at the central barracks NOW!!"
"Any slowpokes get their heads bashed later!!"
"Move your asses!!"
Rina and the soldiers scattered, hollering everywhere.
"What a shitshow."
"......Hah."
Siron tsked her tongue, and Kernax hung her head, shaking it like she'd been caught in something embarrassing.
Anyway, figuring the soldiers would gather quick, I ducked back into the partition and grabbed the fresh three-part stockings.
As I emerged with them, Siron stood from her seat. Guess she was coming along.
I stepped out with Siron, Kernax sticking to my right.
Sandwiched between Siron and Kernax, I waited for the soldiers to assemble.
"Soldiers were rowdy—what happened?"
As they gathered one by one, Giena and Beneo returned from returning the bowls.
I showed Giena the stockings in my hand.
"Gonna explain how to wear these and hand 'em out."
"Ah, got it. I'll grab 'em then."
Giena hopped into the wagon casually.
Beneo, behind her, glanced at the stockings in my hand, then sidled over and plopped her butt next to the curled-up drake like it was her spot.
Looked like Beneo was interested in the stockings too.
"Captain. All present and accounted for, no stragglers."
Kernax nodded.
I eyed the soldiers encircling us. No podium or projectors here—half wouldn't hear me like this.
Good thing I wasn't the only one thinking that; Kernax gave Rina some extra orders.
"Call every squad leader up front."
"Yes, ma'am!!"
Rina saluted casually despite her swollen forehead and dashed off.
Soon, 20 soldiers followed her from the back to the front.
Kernax pointed at the new 20 plus the original 10 up front.
"They'll listen and relay to the rest."
I nodded. Kernax stepped back. Siron followed.
All eyes on me.
"Ahem!!"
Not a single soldier was unattractive or uncute. Their stares made me tense up for no reason.
Would've been way easier with hairy-ass dudes.
Anyway, the quicker I finished, the sooner they rested, so I cleared my throat and started unfurling the three new parts—but paused.
Oh right, gotta demo wearing them. Rolling up my pants here? 100% Siron and Kernax would chew me out later.
Calling them up felt awkward. Rina or another soldier? Nah, it'd spark misunderstandings—and Siron's jealousy.
I pondered, then locked eyes with the one person... elf... immune to Siron and Kernax's ire: Giena.
Standing by the bulging sack, she tilted her head at my sudden gaze.
I beckoned to Giena, conveniently in shorts.
"Mind helping a sec?"
"Sure."
As expected, Giena nodded lightly and approached.
First, I stretched out the leg stockings for all to see and did a lap.
"See, the flat foot part? That's for legs."
After showing everyone, I knelt by Giena on one knee.
Simple reason: gotta take off shoes to wear 'em, and I didn't wanna make her stand barefoot after asking.
"Giena, shoes off. Foot here."
"......Pardon?"
First time Giena blinked like she didn't get it right away.
I pointed at her foot and repeated.
"Shoes off, foot over."
"Uh...... Okay."
She dragged it out, nodding slowly.
As requested, she slipped off her shoes and gingerly placed her small, snow-white foot on my thigh.
I widened the stocking and slid her foot in.
Then just yanked it up smooth.
Naturally, my knuckles grazed her soft calf and thigh on the pull.
Anyway, hauled it up to just over her shorts, slipped her shoe back on, stood, and addressed the soldiers.
"Up to the thigh like this. Pull tight as possible."
Soldiers nodded blankly, cheeks flushed, no words.
Kinda lukewarm reaction. And suddenly my back prickled.
Glanced over: Siron and Kernax glaring daggers at Giena's nape with super sketchy looks.
My gaze naturally shifted to Giena.
Shockingly, her always-pale earlobes were lobster-red.
I swallowed dryly.
Had I flipped someone's switch again?
Seeing Siron and Kernax's eyes narrowing more by the second, I quickly unfurled the next stockings for the soldiers.
Drew eyes back to me and sped through demos for the arm and torso wraps on Giena's hand and body.
"Ahem, as you saw, super simple. Just split the torso one in half to wear. Annoying? Drape loose if you want, but coverage drops, so personally, slice and layer over clothes."
—Yes, sir!!!
Thankfully, they bellowed back strong nods at the end.
"Giena?"
"......Yes?"
"Uh, time to take 'em off."
"Ah, right. Y-yeah. Got it. I mean... yes."
Giena flailed her arms a bit, then snapped to and peeled off the leg, arm, and torso stockings, handing them over.
I stowed them in their sacks and eyed Kernax.
She was still glaring at Giena's nape.
"Kernax?"
"......Yeah."
Just calling her name, and she nodded, stepping before the soldiers.
"Rina controls the line. Squad leaders first, one pair per section."
Rina stepped up as rep.
Squad leaders followed, grabbing one pair each per section; then soldiers in tens, snagging their shares.
Clank.
Glanced back: Beneo, who'd been spectating seated, dusted off and hopped to the coachman's perch like it was hers.
I turned forward again.
No way I'd miscounted, but just in case of shortage, I'd board last after everyone got theirs.
Then a menacing voice from behind.
"Hey. Archer bitch."
"Spare a glance back here."
I didn't turn.
Just... glad Siron and Kernax clicked so well unexpectedly, while plotting when to make Giena that new Comforting Bow.