The Straw Millionaire, the Cat, and the Princess Volume 2 Chapter 1 part 2

“People are applying because of an unfounded rumor like that…?”
 
Of course, the rumor has a solid root, beam, and all, but there’s no evidence anywhere.
 
“I’ve been responding on the chat too, but a ton of people keep asking the company [‘Do you have that robot?’]. The adventurer part-timers have been chasing them away, but we’ll need countermeasures eventually.”
 
“I see, I suppose we’ll need to hire security guards.”
 
“Everyone visiting and applying has been male, it seems. I guess all boys love robots.”
 
“If they love robots, I think they should join the Self-Defense Forces.”
 
I relayed to Section Chief Abukuma, who was handling recruitment, about consulting on hiring security guards and closing part-time hiring once the slots were filled, and hung up.
 
“What was that?”
 
Mars, the cat walking beside me and grabbing a baby castella with his paws, asked me. The cold building wind, mixed with dried leaves, blew through at our feet, but his fur coat didn’t seem to bother him.
 
“Apparently, a lot of people who want to ride robots are coming to the company.”
 
“Like Tonbo.”
 
“All boys dream of being special vehicle pilots.”
 
Chatting about that, we headed for the Tokyo Metropolitan Area Dungeon Management Guild Headquarters. Yes, a week had passed since that incident, and finally, Sawara from the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency, who served as our liaison with the Self-Defense Forces, had summoned us.
 
After his seemingly perfect alibi, it was unclear whether it took a week for the charges to be filed or for the evidence to be solidified. In any case, I was fully prepared during that period. I had obtained a low-powered force field barrier device capable of stopping punches and bullets, and although I was missing an arm, my combat robot Third Eye was stored in the junkyard. My spacecraft Psycho Dragon was on standby in stealth mode in outer space.
 
Even if the worst came to pass, I should have had enough leeway to escape. As I took a deep breath while clutching my chest considering this, Mars chuckled, his mustache twitching.
 
“No need to be so tense, I think. If they were serious, they’d have stormed your apartment.”
 
“Of course I’m tense, what did you expect?”
 
“It’ll be fine, fine. Things will turn out however they do. Besides, with Princess’s presentation about getting the Self-Defense Forces involved in space development, it might be their side that’s in disarray?”
 
Saying this nonchalantly, he stuffed the paper bag from the finished baby castella into the pocket of my jumper.
 
In the end, just as Mars had said, when we arrived at the headquarters, we weren’t immediately detained or anything. We were shown to the usual reception room. The untrustworthy Sawara san was there as always, serving the signature coffee that was neither delicious nor unpalatable. I thought the usual exploratory conversation would begin…but then an acutely probing discussion started before me.
 
“Couldn’t your country formally establish diplomatic relations with Japan?”
 
In other words, let us talk to your backers.
 
“Well, we don’t really have a ‘country’ per se.”
 
“Could the Awaji Island turtle be the issue?”

READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM


 
Ostensibly, my company was said to have been founded by Mars and his people who came from the wilderness dungeon beyond the giant turtle-ruled Awaji Island, with me, an ordinary person, installed as the president. If that turtle was removed from the equation, would there be room to join hands with their homeland on the other side of the dungeon? The Self-Defense Forces surely never dreamed that Mars’s group were castaways from the far reaches of space.
 
“No, that’s not it at all. We’re not affiliated with any particular country. All the interdimensional employees, myself included, have been naturalized, and we pay taxes, don’t we?”
 
“Ah yes, of course, I understand.”
 
Though he clearly didn’t understand at all, Sawara san dropped that line of discussion and brought up something smaller.
 
“Well then, if you have anything bigger than the powered exoskeleton Labor suits, we’d love to do business with you.”
 
Since a direct deal was a no-go, I suppose she meant they at least wanted to buy that robot. Well, I can see why – with just one of those, you could probably handle most city-destroying threats.
 
“We don’t have anything like that at the moment…why do you ask?”
 
“Ah, you should take this as a joke, but there are some rumors going around, you see. Remember that mysterious robot that defeated the giant serpent, the Saitama Dungeon Six ? People are saying it might have been one of your company’s robots.”
 
“Hah, if we had something like that, the Self-Defense Forces would be the first we’d try to sell it to.”
 
“Yes, yes, that’s what we’d like to believe. Ah, and this is just another rumor, but…apparently some foreign intelligence agencies have taken that rumor seriously and are looking into your company and its employees.”
 
This was not just a rumor, but the truth. Ever since Third Eye’s sortie that day, our company database had been hacked into countless times, and the insect drones Princess had deployed worldwide had confirmed the presence of suspicious individuals of various nationalities. We did have drones with riot control capabilities stealthily stationed near the homes of our employees and part-timers’ families…but it was honestly a massive headache.
 
“That’s troubling. I’ll have to remind our people to keep their guard up.”
 
“But surely some employees would still feel uneasy?”
 
“……..”
 
Sawara san and Mars stared at each other in wordless exploration…and in the tense, uncomfortable silence, Mars was the first to speak.
 
“…Sawara san, just say it outright. What does the Self-Defense Force want from us?”
 
“While the politicians may have their own thoughts, the Self-Defense Force has two urgent requests for now.”
 
“Let’s hear them.”
 
“One, the exclusive sale of weapons and armaments above a certain level to us. And two, for you to base your headquarters in Japan.”
 
Upon hearing this, Mars shrugged.
 
“We can’t decide something like that right away…but actually, this might be good timing. We have something to discuss from our end today as well. The vice president wants to talk, so she can negotiate while she’s at it?”
 
“The vice president, you say?”
 
It’s honestly a relief that they’re not putting this on me as the president, as anything I’d say wouldn’t get us anywhere.
 
“The vice president’s proposal is something we were planning to bring to the government too, but I thought the Self-Defense Forces might also be interested.”
 
“……..”
 
Mars took a tablet out of his bag and placed it on the desk. He made a video call on some app, and with one ring, an icon of Mars’s pawprint appeared and Princess’s voice filled the room.
 
“Vice President, this is Sawara san from the Self-Defense Forces. My regards.”
 
[…Pleased to meet you, Sawara san. I’m Yuri, the vice president of Kawashima Trading.]
 
“The pleasure is mine. I’m Sawara from the Defense Equipment Agency.”
 
[To get straight to the point, is the Japanese government interested in space? We’re planning to begin space development soon. If you get in now, we could let you get a slice.]
 
“…I see, space development. No wonder…”
 
The clever Sawara san seemed to connect “space” with something, taking a thin IC recorder from her chest pocket and placing it on the desk.
 
“Then please, tell me more details.”
 
As if awaiting those words, an illustrated presentation appeared on the tablet screen.
 
[For today, I’ll just give you an overview.]
 
And so began the discussion that lasted until the sky outside grew dark.
 
Although she said the details would be taken home, thanks to Princess’s magical negotiation skills…Kawashima Trading secured a secret agreement to protect its employees and families, as well as a promise to purchase a former logistics center site from a withdrawing foreign company for expansion purposes. In exchange, the Self-Defense Forces contracted to immediately procure a certain number of force field barrier generators capable of protecting against fire and ice to a certain degree.
 
And so we would hold a major presentation another day, with bureaucrats from the Defense Ministry and government space development officials in attendance.

TLNOTE : My friend just started a space fantasy web novel, and it’s awesome! If you’re into space adventures with a fantasy twist, you’ll want to give it a read


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