Episode 27: A Pervert Seeks Romance
Shouzo, finally regaining his composure, wiped his eyes and turned to face Momoko.
“I apologize for the unsightly display…”
“It’s quite alright. Judging by your reaction, I assume you’ll accept the request, but before we proceed, there’s one important condition.”
“A condition?”
“This is a matter of national security, so absolute secrecy is paramount, and the leakage of technology is strictly prohibited. To ensure compliance, I need you to sign this document…”
Momoko fixed Shouzo with a piercing gaze, and the sound of someone gulping echoed strangely.
“If you violate the contract, your life cannot be guaranteed.”
“D-Does that mean you’ll kill me if I talk?”
Shouzo asked Momoko in a trembling voice.
She slowly blinked and nodded.
“If you cannot accept these terms, you are free to decline. We won’t be troubled by it.”
Momoko’s words were harsh, but she was right, and Shouzo had no room to argue.
All he could do was choose.
Either close the company, burdened with debt, or accept the invitation from what could be either a devil or an angel.
He could only choose one of the two.
But Shouzo didn’t hesitate.
There was no path to retreat.
He was standing on the edge of a cliff.
So, why should he hesitate?
“I understand. I accept the condition.”
“You won’t go back on your word?”
“No. As you know, we have nothing left to lose. If there’s a way to survive, there’s no reason to hesitate.”
“Understood. Then, please have Kurashige Shouzo-sama and all your employees sign these documents.”
“Understood.”
Shouzo received the contract from Momoko, carefully read through it, and, after confirming there were no issues, signed his name in the designated space.
Afterward, he apologized to his wife and daughter for making the decision without consulting them.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re all in this together. If that’s what you’ve decided, we’ll follow you anywhere.”
“I’m scared of dying, but either way, if the company collapsed, we’d die in debt hell! So, of course, we’d choose this!”
“Mayumi, Asami… Thank you.”
Receiving their willing acceptance, Shouzo shed tears once more.
“(Wow, what a great family.)”
“(It’s amazing they’re not angry about him deciding without them.)”
“(Momoko-chan, would you be angry if your dad made a decision like that without you?)”
“(Of course! He’s saying we’ll die if we talk? I’d be furious that he decided that on his own!)”
“(Well, some people are like that, and others are like these people.)”
“(I don’t understand it, but I think it’s wonderful.)”
The two were having a conversation in their minds as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Perhaps they were truly compatible.
If they told Momoko that, she would probably deny it with incredible vehemence.
After that, Shouzo returned to the workshop and told the remaining employees about Momoko’s offer, having them sign the contract.
Despite the fact that it was a choice that would greatly change their future, the three of them chose to trust Shouzo and follow him without a word.
It was a scene that clearly showed Shouzo’s character.
“Is this all?”
Momoko, having received the signatures of all the employees, confirmed.
“Yes, it is.”
Momoko, confirming that the contract had the signatures of all the employees, gave Shouzo a reassuring business smile.
“The contract is now complete.”
“Ah, excuse me, may I ask one thing?”
As Momoko was putting the documents in her bag, Asami called out to her.
She hesitantly raised her hand, her eyes filled with anxiety.
“What is it?”
“Um… earlier, you said we’d die if we revealed the secret, but how exactly would we die?”
“Ah, about that, you’ll die if you tell anyone other than the people here or us, the government officials. Of course, you won’t die immediately, but the moment you try to reveal it, you’ll become unable to breathe and unable to speak. If you still try to reveal the secret…”
“If we do?”
“Your heart will completely stop. And let me tell you, trying to convey it in writing or through email is also out. The effect of the contract will be triggered the moment you try to tell someone, so please be careful.”
“Forgive my ignorance, but is such a thing possible?”
The former Yakuza employee, after hearing Momoko’s explanation, couldn’t believe it and asked her with suspicious eyes.
“Since you’ve already signed the contract, I’ll tell you. There’s a Gifted within the government who has the ability to create contracts. Their ability is to punish those who break the contract.”
“I see… and that punishment is the death of the contractee?”
“Yes. But, as I said earlier, as long as you don’t try to tell outsiders, nothing will happen, so you don’t have to worry. Even if you accidentally blurt it out at a drinking party, you won’t be able to speak, so you won’t die that easily, so rest assured.”
“I-I see…”
Incidentally, the person with the Gift of contract that Momoko was talking about didn’t exist.
Kazuma used something called Contract Magic to create the contract and make the curse of death activate.
The terrifying thing about this magic is that even Sage Ludwig couldn’t undo it.
Once you’ve formally entered into a contract, it’s game over.
There’s also something called Subjugation Magic, but Subjugation Magic can be undone even if you kill the contractor, and it can be easily undone with Dispel Magic, so it’s not that threatening.
“Do you have any other questions?”
She looked around at the faces of all the employees in the office, but no one seemed to have any questions and remained silent.
Momoko, seeing that there were no more questions, stood up, indicating that the discussion was over, and bowed gracefully.
“Then, the discussion is over. From here on, I’ll leave the explanation to the Crimson Knight.”
She gestured towards the Crimson Knight, who had been silent all this time.
Everyone’s gaze turned towards him, and a thread of tension was stretched taut.
The Crimson Knight, who had been silent until now, stood up, and as everyone tensed, wondering what he would say, Kazuma dispelled the Illusion Magic.
“Huh?”
Shouzo and the employees were stunned to see the Crimson Knight suddenly transform into a young man.
Next to him, Momoko, looking exasperated, put her hand to her forehead and sighed.
“Nice to meet you all! I’m the Crimson Knight, Satsuki Kazuma! I look forward to working with you!”
Kazuma winked playfully, trying to lighten the mood, but the office was filled with screams of shock.
“Man, being in the Crimson Knight getup all the time really makes my shoulders stiff.”
“H-Huh…”
“Oh, and just so you know, the fact that I’m the Crimson Knight is also a secret, okay? Be careful, because you’ll die if you try to tell anyone.”
“Y-Yes, I understand…”
The employees nodded repeatedly, as the contract also stated that they were prohibited from revealing anything about the Crimson Knight.
“Now, what I want you all to develop this time is a Powered Suit! As she said earlier, I want you to create something different from the conventional ones, and that’s why I chose this company.”
The reason Kazuma had his eye on Kurashige Industries this time was because they had developed an unusual Powered Suit.
Conventional products were like the one Kazuma used in the Academy Battle Tournament, with a look that was a highly elastic suit that followed the body.
The basic purpose was to improve physical ability and protect the body, so the appearance was similar for every company.
However, what Kurashige Industries had created was an armed Powered Suit that looked like something out of a robot anime.
Naturally, the burden on the user was greater, and the mobility was terrible, but the Vulcans attached as secondary armaments were truly appealing to the hearts of men.
If Kazuma saw something like that, it was no wonder he made an immediate decision.
He was convinced that this was the place that could meet his needs, and he chose Kurashige Industries.
In short, it was the result of seeking romance.
“This time, we’ll cover the development costs! If you need any materials, please tell me. I’ll get them, even if they’re at the ends of the earth or the ends of the sky.”
Shouzo was about to let out a roar when he found out that the incredible talent known as the Crimson Knight would be helping them, but he managed to hold it back at the last moment.
The biggest bottleneck for new Powered Suits was not only the funding but also the materials to be procured.
The Crimson Knight himself would procure them, so it was no wonder Shouzo was about to go crazy.
The Ibinom used as materials for Powered Suits were basically purchased from processors, but most of the major companies, such as the Tennoji Group, commissioned their own Gifted to capture them.
By doing so, they could keep costs down.
However, at Kurashige Industries, the costs were inevitably high because they purchased from vendors.
To solve this, they would need to hire combat-type Gifted, like other companies, and obtain Ibinom to be used as materials.
However, Kurashige Industries didn’t have that kind of financial power.
After all, combat-type Gifted risk their lives, so their personnel costs are ridiculously high.
“R-Really, would anything be alright?”
“I don’t mind. If you know my power, you should understand that nothing is impossible, right?”
Yes, the Humanoid Ibinom, known by everyone both domestically and internationally as the worst calamity.
The one who overwhelmed and subdued it with sheer power was the Crimson Knight.
He was saying he would offer his full cooperation.
There could be no better option than this.
Swallowing hard, Shouzo’s eyes sparkled at the future to come.
If the Crimson Knight said he would lend his power, there was nothing they couldn’t do.
And, as for the costs, the government would cover them.
At this point, nothing was impossible.
Convinced that he could pack in all his dreams, hopes, and aspirations, Shouzo stood up and extended his hand to Kazuma.
“I look forward to working with you from now on!”
“Likewise!”
The man harboring passion and the pervert joined hands.
On this day, the history of the world had indeed taken a significant turn.