The triumphal ceremony celebrating the conquest of the two eastern kingdoms was quite the spectacle.
It felt a bit dull compared to meeting Nine-Father, though.
Truly a King. My King-Father!
Emerging from the castle in a machine only a King was permitted to use.
I doubt I’ll ever forget that sight again in my lifetime!
“President! President Can?”
Right now, we’re on a mission directly requested by King-Father, up north.
“What is it? Did you dig up a corpse?”
“N-no.”
My subordinate’s report.
It seems the merchants, who were factors in confirming the death of the convicted criminal included in our mission, are requesting… cooperation? From us.
“From your perspective, can you trust them?”
Those failures who can no longer live near the Royal Capital.
Are they not eyeing us, who live in the Royal Capital now, for any chance to strike?
“Shifty eyes. Forced smiles. If asked if I can trust them, I’d say no.”
“I thought so.”
But having them milling about this area would also disrupt our work.
Should I eliminate them?
“President, if you do that, this area will be a mess, are you sure?”
Hmm, that would prolong the work.
“Haa, I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Understood. We shall politely ask them to withdraw.”
“Alright.”
“Then, I’m off.”
Watching the back of my subordinate head off to convey our decision to the merchants.
I once again surveyed the site of the landslide, caused by the convicted criminal’s reckless actions.
This happened several days ago, around evening.
The merchants who claimed they’d cooperate now were the witnesses.
Still, digging through this to find a specific corpse…
Even with my special ability, Accelerate, strengthening my employees, I briefly regretted taking this job, wondering how long it would take.
“Ah, forget it, forget it.”
Positivity is the vitality for success!
This is how Can Company grew so large.
Discard negative thoughts.
“Now then, I should make some throat lozenges and hard candy.”
***
The Royal Capital… Cooperating with Can Company from the Central Area,
They aim to regain their standing in the Central Area.
To clear even a sliver of suspicion of harboring the convicted criminal.
However, these merchants have completely failed.
“What do we do?”
“Do about what?”
Their suspicions are not cleared.
Moreover, if they do anything else, they’ll attract Can Company’s attention.
“Wouldn’t it be better to lay low until their work is finished?”
“That’s right, trouble isn’t a good idea.”
The merchants debated at length.
They decided to replenish their goods and gather items for bribes for the Central Area in the labyrinth and dungeon closest to the Central Area, in the northern and southern regions.
“Then,”
” ” “We depart for the Central Area!” ” ”
***
In the mountain behind where Tōyashi’s main residence once stood.
*Clink, clonk.* Tōyashi and his subordinate walk through the tunnel with an irate pace.
“Ah, dammit, dammit.”
“Tōyashi-sama, we’ll be at the rest stop soon.”
“Finally.”
Good thing I prepared an escape route just in case.
It was a close call.
I had prepared a corpse the size of my own back, but I never expected it to be needed so soon.
It wasn’t ready yet. So, I scattered human bones instead, but I sure hope it works.
Tōyashi and his subordinate take a short break at one of the relay point rest stops.
They replenish their food supplies,
Open a bottle of cheap alcohol, take a short nap,
And then they set off again towards the secret exit on the other side of the mountain.
The subordinate was Tōyashi’s hidden trump card, digging through this tunnel with his skill.
Domon Ganache.
His two abilities: Excavation and Processing.
Domon was Tōyashi’s trump card, employed to dig through the mountain since the day he was hired.
“Only half left.”
“Damn it, I’m going to kill those guys.”
“First, we need to get to the surface.”
“Ah, you’re right. Please guide me.”
Domon illuminates the tunnel with Life Magic, a gentle light.
*Clink. Clonk.*
The footsteps of the two echo deeper into the tunnel.
Tōyashi, who deceived Brain, the shadow warrior of King Nine, and the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Patch.
However, Rayos had asked Brain to confirm the corpse.
Now, what will be Tōyashi’s fate?
*Clink. Thud.*
“Kuh—”
“What’s wrong?”
Tōyashi kicked a small stone, or so he thought.
What he thought was a small stone was actually the tip of a jagged rock.
Tōyashi tells Domon it’s nothing.
“Then, let’s proceed.”
Domon, seeing there’s no problem, starts walking ahead again.
They stayed at the relay point, and around noon one day,
Their sense of time becoming blurred.
“We… we’re out! I’m out!”
“Good work.”
Accepting Domon’s words of労い (roui – well done/trouble is appreciated).
I finally reached the surface.
Ah, the sun is dazzling.
*Inhale, exhale.* The air is delicious.
No dust or musty smell. It’s the air of the surface.
“Now then, let’s stop by a village.”
“Yes.”
Tōyashi and the others reach a nearby village around evening.
After eating dinner, they dive into their beds.
“Tomorrow, I’ll start gathering information… *Snore*… Zzz.”
“Yes, good night… Zzz.”
***
Meanwhile.
The Cannibals are digging through Tōyashi’s main residence, which was swallowed by the landslide.
“Presiden—t!?”
One of the employees issued a warning that a landslide was occurring.
“Everyone evacuate—!”
Waaah! Waaah!
Accelerate, a simplified high-speed action.
Even if they can remove the dirt, if they can’t do something about the collapsing mountain, the work won’t progress at all.
Cannibal gathered all his employees.
He passionately explained that they wouldn’t be digging out what was buried, but rather, exterminating all that was in the way.
In short.
It means blowing up both the mountain and the earth with explosives.
The target corpse would also fly away, but
If bones or flesh fragments were found,
That would be the target! And the work would be successfully accomplished.
It was a brute-force approach.
“Bring the explosives! If you don’t have enough, have those merchants who have nothing to do! Ransom explosives from them!”
“Understood.”
“President! Those merchants! It seems they left for the Royal Capital the day they refused to cooperate with us!”
“Ugh, useless. Ah, then get them from the nearby nobles!”
“Understood.”
Cannibal and his group brought and set up explosives in this location one after another.
The nobles in the north, relieved by Tōyashi’s disappearance,
Secretly cooperated with Can Company’s explosives acquisition, while suspiciously wondering:
What in the world are they going to use so many explosives for?
They trembled on their own,
Fearing that Can Company had actually come to execute them as sinners.
They secretly gathered their private army and mercenaries.
“I absolutely refuse to be killed. That man has finally died. Now is the era when I can do as I please. I refuse to be killed doing nothing. Hey!? Bring the daughter from the village!”
” “Yes, understood, master. What about the old ones…? ♪” ”
“Ah, if you’re going to dispose of them, do as you please.”
” “Thank you! ♪ We’ll bring the daughter right away! ♪ Hehehe.” ”
