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Even in a magic city where lights are everywhere even at night, there are certainly places where no light can reach. Walking in front of me in such an intended darkness was a pair of men and women who, at first glance, appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary.
“……………………”
I silently followed the couple, who were playfully cuddling and interlocking their arms, as they walked down the straight alleyway with sparse foot traffic. The sparsely populated, straight alleyway would normally be unsuitable for following, but I have the banishing skill [Vanishing Idea] that cannot be noticed. I continued my pursuit without anyone noticing, and when they entered the building they were looking for, I recorded it with the magical tool in my hand, and then I walked straight past the building and returned to the office where Canal was waiting for me.
“I’m home.”
“Welcome home, Ed.”
“Huh, Tia? You’re home already?”
“Well, I’m so talented, you see!”
Tia sat on a leather couch and greeted me with a smug look on her face, a small black furry creature lay sprawled on her lap. Despite the handicap of searching for a black cat at night, it seemed to be no trouble at all for Tia.
“Ara, Ed, you’re back. How did it go?”
“Perfect, of course. Here.”
I tossed the magic tool I was holding to Canal, who came out from the back of the kitchen. Canal lightly fiddled with it, and nodded in satisfaction after confirming that the desired item had been recorded.
“Good, good, You managed to take a good picture… but man, Hahhh~,”
“Hm? What is it, Canal?”
“I mean, I can’t help but wonder what I’m doing,”
“What do you mean? It’s your job, isn’t it?”
I responded to Canal’s muttered remark with a somewhat obvious answer. Yes, Canal’s job was that of a detective…a sort of private spy, and we had been doing some of that work for her.
“I know it’s my job! I just don’t know why I’m doing such a crappy job after all this time when I have 500 million ……”
“Fufufu, You don’t get it, do you, Canal?”
“What?”
Canal looked at me with a disgruntled expression on her face, and I continued with my words with a smug look on my face.
“You know what’s the difference between someone who suddenly gets a lot of money and has their life ruined and someone who isn’t? It’s whether or not they decide to change their lifestyle just because they have money. For example, Canal, have you ever thought about buying a mansion just because you got your hands on a large sum of money?”
“Ugh!? W-what are you talking about! It’s fine, isn’t it! Money is there to be spent, after all!”
“That’s true, but it’s all about how you use it. Even if you buy that mansion, what about the maintenance costs? Have you thought about how much money it would take to maintain a house with nothing but empty rooms every month? And if you bought a mansion, would you want to throw parties unnecessarily or start thinking about buying art that you wouldn’t even have considered before?”
“……………………”
My remark elicited a fiercely disapproving expression from Canal, which told me everything I needed to know. Nevertheless, I continued with my words.
“Buying things that you’ve wanted before getting a lot of money is fine. In fact, go ahead and spend as much money as you want on the best products. Why? Because those are the things you truly want or the things you could sensibly afford with your previous income. In other words, they are things that, in your current situation, you could lose without significant harm. However, things that one desires after acquiring a large sum of money are usually just fleeting fancies. They want it because they have the money, which means the reason for wanting it is retroactively applied, so even if they buy it, they will still feel unfulfilled. They end up buying things that they had no prior connection with, just on a whim. So when you spend money, calm down and think, ‘Would I have bought it even with my original income? You will still make mistakes, but with 500 million obra, there will be more than enough to offset most of the mistakes.”
(T/N: Ed for Finance minister 2024?)
“Ugh…why is someone younger than me giving me such accurate advice on money?”
As I shrugged my shoulders and spoke, Canal gritted her teeth and took a sip of the coffee she was holding in her hand. She made a face at the bitterness, let out a sigh, and then sat down next to Tia.
“I see. I’ll take your advice to heart. If I keep acting on my own, I’ll definitely end up failing and rolling on the streets. But putting that aside, is this really okay for you guys? When you told me to defeat the Demon King, I didn’t know what to do.”
“Ah, that’s…”
In response to Canal’s question, I grimaced. In regards to the plan of defeating the Demon Lord… a major problem that had never been seen before in this world had arisen. It was that we couldn’t locate the Demon King’s whereabouts with the [Akashic Compass].
“……………………”
Silently, I made the [Akashic Compass] manifest on my right hand. Then I again inquired about the location of the Demon King, but only a black haze floated in the metal frame, and the compass continued to spin around and around, unable to determine the location at all.
“It’s reacting differently from the past, right?” Tia asked,
“Yeah. Before, we could see the ‘Demon King enveloped in black miasma’, but this time it’s more like ‘the black miasma is blocking everything and nothing can be seen’. But since there is a reaction, there is no doubt that the Demon King exists.”
“I thought the ability to know the location of the target just by asking was an incredible magical tool, but it’s not as all-powerful as I thought,”
I answered Tia’s question, and Canal responded to my answer. I turned off my [Akashic Compass] and sat down on the couch across from Tia and the others and took a sip of coffee that was prepared on the table.
“So, since we’re in deadlock, we’ll be helping Canal with her work until we get some reaction”
I don’t know if they were never there from the beginning or if they were successfully eradicated at some stage, but there are no demonic beasts in this world. The walls surrounding the town are designed to prevent people from trespassing, not demonic beasts. So naturally, there is not a single clue to the Demon King, and I have no way of making a move.
However, as long as we are here, the Demon King must surely exist, and above all, Canal is a Hero. If that is the case, then there must be something in her way of life that will affect the future of this world, and I believe that working together with Canal is the best way to get closer to the Demon King.
Besides, there is a possibility that the Demon King will notice my presence and approach me as he did last time. Since I don’t have the crystal in my wrist, it is impossible for me to move around flamboyantly, but if I continue my activities, there might be some kind of reaction.
“Well, it’s fine with me. Even though it’s only at night, having two more people to help without pay will make the work much easier… Technically, it’s not really unpaid since I cover your living expenses,”
“I mean, it’s still cheap, right? And just so you know, that 500 million was my money and I won it, so even if it’s in Canal’s pocket, it’s still my money, you know?”
“……Oh! Right! Now that you mention it, that’s true! Um, Ed-san? Would it be alright if I got some kind of commission or fee for this, please?”
Canal’s face was filled with surprise, and she suddenly began to rub her hands together, making me involuntarily chuckle.
“You suddenly got so petty …… I ain’t gonna spend it all anyway, because it’s money I won’t be able to use once I leave this world. l’ll give you what’s left over and ask for your help in the meantime.”
“Really!? Yay! Then, can I start by upgrading to the latest Magicon? And I want to get a nice chair too! And the coffee, I couldn’t afford the specialty beans that I wanted to get…”
“Hahaha, I don’t mean to give you carte blanche, but you can use up to 10 million yen as you please. As I said before, the only thing that can be covered within that range is probably what you wanted from the beginning.”
“Wow, Ed-san is generous! Ed-san is the best! I love you!”
Canal suddenly jumped up from the couch and hugged me from the front.
“Oh my, Ed, you’re quite popular, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t call this being popular.”
As a man, it’s a situation that one would normally be happy about, but I can’t be completely happy being hugged by a woman whose eyes only seem to reflect money. So, I put on a vague smile while looking at Tia, who is calmly petting the cat with a gentle expression on her face.
“Well then, let’s replace the microwave too! And the curtains! And how about ordering that gourmet food from Kururikan that I’ve been curious about? I’ll also get the latest cosmetics and do my makeup perfectly, and buy new clothes and underwear… oh my, that’s a bit naughty!”
“I don’t know! Just get off! Go to work!”
“Kyafun!”
I smacked Canal on the head and took another sip of coffee before turning my thoughts to future activities.