The conversation among the women seems to be taking some time.
It appears that Kitamiya and Amelia are largely focused on persuading Minami, and she’s on the verge of accepting the position of Section Chief.
“Speaking of which, with this, Amelia-chan is the only one not dating, right?”
Just as I was thinking how convenient it was to save the trouble of persuading her, Kaido, with a look that suggested he’d suddenly thought of something, touched on a sensitive topic.
We and Katsu looked at Kaido, thinking, “Is he really going to bring that up?”
“Well, well, she’s of age, so that kind of talk is bound to come up, but if Amelia herself isn’t interested, it’s meaningless.”
“That’s right! I have classmates who say they don’t want a boyfriend!”
When it comes to Amelia, the situation is quite unusual.
Especially regarding relationships with the opposite sex, the company is not just watching but has established a full alert network.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Amelia is the most highly cautioned against honey traps by the Testers.
And why is that? Because she has a past where she carried the soul of the Demon Lord.
Because of that, she is quite a target of attention within the Demon Lord’s Army.
A mere Demon Lord, but still a Demon Lord.
Many beings are interested in her, who has accomplished a rare, even abnormal, miracle of surviving unharmed while carrying the soul and retaining her ego.
And that’s within the Demon Lord’s Army. When it comes to matters outside the company, it gets even more complicated.
She is half Japanese and half American.
What does this mean?
Information has come through Kirie-san that her father, who is involved with the Demon Lord’s Army, is attempting to sue for Amelia’s custody and is trying to initiate legal proceedings behind the scenes.
Furthermore, there is also information that intelligence agents from various countries are trying to set honey traps for Amelia to interfere with this situation.
This has not yet been told to her.
It’s not confirmed information, and it’s still in the stage of “might move.”
As a precaution, Mie-san has been informed, and lawyers and preparations for lawsuits are being made through the company.
Consequently, I apologize, but Amelia’s romantic entanglements are, in my mind, like a minefield.
If Amelia had a specific person she liked, I would have them investigated and confirmed their safety. However, Amelia does not have such a specific person.
Therefore, we first need to find potential boyfriends.
It seems that the male students at Amelia’s high school have already been deemed unsuitable, so we are looking for someone external.
If foreign intelligence agents infiltrate that external pool, it would be a disaster.
Thus, the Demon Lord’s Army has a hidden reason for wanting Amelia to remain single for a while longer.
Kaido, unaware of this, probably said such things so casually.
From Katsu’s perspective, it was inherently problematic and careless to discuss such delicate matters within earshot of Amelia.
For Katsu and me, although our words might be the same, they carry different meanings because I have hidden circumstances and Katsu does not.
Regarding Kaido’s reaction to hearing this:
“Is that so? Amelia-chan is beautiful, and I bet she’s incredibly popular. She’s cheerful and easy to talk to, so if she decided to get a boyfriend, I feel like she could have one in no time.”
He completely failed to notice our attempts to change the subject. Has the alcohol dulled his thinking?
“Besides, wouldn’t it be fun if Amelia-chan got a boyfriend and we could all go on group dates or something?!”
Ah, yes, you’re saying that with good intentions, but knowing the circumstances that prevent it, I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.
In Kaido’s mind, he’s probably picturing scenes of everyone bringing their boyfriends and having fun at an amusement park, but there are too many obstacles to create that scene.
The whiskey, which was sweet a moment ago, now has a distinct bitterness.
“Yes, it sounds like it would be fun if that happened.”
Katsu also seemed to imagine that scene and found it enjoyable, but who knows when it will become a reality.
Amelia is quite a target, both here and there.
Considering the possibility of someone she genuinely likes appearing in such an environment, someone who would cherish her, it almost brings tears to my eyes.
“Senpai, what’s wrong? You’re suddenly holding your eyes.”
“N-nothing, just a little something.”
I couldn’t possibly say I was worried about Amelia’s future, so I brushed it off.
Incidentally, the most suitable men for the job happen to be us men here, including myself.
However, I have five wives, and Kaido’s case is a bit peculiar in terms of his preferences, and Katsu isn’t the type to take on more.
Maybe Katsu is a long shot? We are both dating women of legal age, but I have no intention of getting involved with a minor.
Right? Like me, Kaido often finds himself at the mercy of the women, ending up “burying the moat” before he knows it.
I believe it’s strange to enter into a romantic relationship out of sympathy for Amelia, so I earnestly hope that will act as a restraint.
“Speaking of which, Kaido, is Amili-san’s condition alright? I imagine she’s entering a rather demanding period soon.”
I’m afraid I might blurt out something unnecessary if I keep talking about Amelia, so I’m changing the subject for now.
Evia and I are hoping to have children with our respective loved ones, Kaido with Amili-san.
As a father, and having experienced the roles of lover and husband, I can’t help but worry about Kaido too.
“The doctor says her progress is going smoothly. I’ve accompanied her many times and listened, and it seems that her birth method is a bit different from others’. Nevertheless, she’s developing smoothly, like an example. Since Amili-chan can easily delegate her work to others, she doesn’t have to bear as much stress.”
“I see, that’s good.”
“Yes, they say children are treasures. It’s strange, isn’t it? The moment you have a child, you suddenly realize, ‘Ah, I’m going to be a father,’ and you truly feel how precious they are. I used to think marriage was a distant dream I’d given up on.”
“I understand. At my previous job, it was a choice between overwork leading to collapse or being hospitalized. It wasn’t an environment where I could properly prioritize my family.”
Fortunately, the child’s growth seems to be progressing smoothly.
I, too, understand how good it is to watch Sachiera and the others grow, while also watching the child within Evia’s belly.
My lips involuntarily curl, and my voice becomes gentle.
This is probably because I have many past experiences of worrying that building a family might not be possible at my previous job.
“…”
“What’s wrong, Katsu? You look so serious.”
“No, it’s just… hearing about children…”
At such a celebratory topic, Katsu’s expression clouded over slightly.
Then, after hearing the reason, Kaido winced slightly, realizing his mistake.
Instead, I reached out and gently ruffled Katsu’s hair.
“Don’t worry about that. Your parents are your parents. I know you’re a man who cherishes others. Honestly, I’m more worried you’ll become such a doting parent that your child develops a complex about you.”
Katsu’s family situation is more than just “a little” harsh.
That’s precisely why he worries he might become like his parents in the future.
A parent who can’t love their own child.
However, from my perspective, that’s an unnecessary concern.
I can’t imagine Katsu, who has supported Minami for years not out of obligation but out of genuine affection, doing something as wicked as abandoning his child.
And more importantly, Katsu isn’t alone. There’s Minami, who loves and supports him wholeheartedly, albeit clumsily, and there’s also Kitamiya, who is likewise clumsy but caring.
In the end, these three clumsy individuals ended up together, but isn’t this a good relationship where they can complement each other’s shortcomings?
“That’s right, and if anything, the child will probably resemble Katsu-kun and be very fond of taking care of things, so Min-chan might end up getting criticized.”
“That cannot be denied, gozaru.”
“Whoa!? Don’t sneak up behind me like that!?”
Katsu’s family situation will not turn out to be bad.
As we were discussing such future prospects, Minami suddenly appeared behind Kaido, kneeling.
I could see her, and I sensed her presence, but her stealth skills have improved considerably.
She suppressed her magic and blended into her surroundings.
This is a technique forged through actual combat, something that requires more than just ordinary effort.
Perhaps it’s a skill born from her awareness of the rear-guard’s role, which is to avoid drawing attention.
“Deny it. While I can’t deny what Kaido-san said, I don’t want to.”
“Yes, I’m sorry to Min-chan, but I feel like a child of Katsu-kun would be very fond of taking care of things. They’d probably be seen cleaning with Katsu-kun.”
“That would be most welcome from my perspective, gozaru. My workload will undoubtedly increase from now on, that is certain, gozaru.”
Then, Minami, who had casually displayed such advanced skills, solemnly and deeply nodded, lending a certain persuasiveness to her words.
Kitamiya, looking exasperated but unable to refute that persuasiveness, reluctantly agreed with a wry smile, and Amelia nodded with a cheerful grin.
However, I caught a phrase that I couldn’t let slide.
“Minami, that is…”
“It cannot be helped, gozaru. If you will grant a few conditions, I will gladly accept the transfer of leadership, gozaru.”
Although things started off looking uncertain, it seems they are going well.
“OK, let’s hear these conditions.”
I’m curious how Kitamiya and Amelia persuaded her, but her willingness to accept based on conditions is a significant development.
Honestly, if they couldn’t convince her here, I would have had to change the schedule to some extent.
“First, you must assign me a deputy, gozaru. Frankly, I have absolutely no experience with administrative tasks in management. Therefore, I need someone who can guide me in that area, gozaru.”
“That’s fine. I don’t expect you to be able to do everything from the start. I’d be happy if you could become independent within half a year, or at most a year.”
Just avoiding that alone is a big deal.
And Minami’s first condition is, understandably, quite reasonable.
“Next, I’d like you to put a moratorium on other departments interfering, gozaru. It would be bothersome to have others meddling while I’m trying to establish a foundation, gozaru.”
“For how long?”
“If possible, I’d like six months, gozaru.”
“Understood. I’ll discuss it with Evia, and I’ll make sure to make appropriate arrangements on my end.”
The subsequent conditions are all things I was planning to do anyway, so I can agree to them without issue.
While we’re discussing this over drinks, which makes it a bit more relaxed, we are still carefully considering the content.
We need to decline where necessary.
We must establish that boundary clearly.
“These are the conditions you need to basically adhere to, gozaru.”
And, to Minami, these are the fundamental aspects.
Both are obvious, and in fact, these are conditions I was considering proposing myself.
This means that from here on, it will be Minami’s true intentions.
“Since you say ‘basically,’ does that mean the conditions from here on are a bit more specialized?”
“That is correct, gozaru. I don’t expect all of these to be fully met. So, the conditions from here on are subject to consultation, gozaru.”
Well, I really can’t predict what Minami will say next.
Feeling a slight return of sobriety, I waited for Minami’s next words.
Today’s Word: Be careful about loose lips.
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Currently, I am also serializing another work: Pandora Pandemic Panic. The Pandora’s Box has been reopened, but we are fighting back with various activities in secret bases and such! Please check that out as well!
