People were already having fun at the club. The bar counter was occupied by kind fellows waiting for their order or turn to make it; the dance floor, in turn, was packed with girls with a slight admixture of guys. And our girls and, oddly enough, Kazuki, dressed in a waiter's costume, were bustling between the tables.
Judging by the fact that the Mouse was chatting cheerfully with the bartender while he was busy with cocktails, Akemi is already in place, so I can go to the place, and not wait for her with a glass in my hand.
There was no one in the room besides Akemi, and she herself, dressed in a business pantsuit, was sprawled on the sofa, pretending universal fatigue. Why by portraying?
— Shinji! — she jumped up on the sofa as soon as she saw who came into the room. "I've missed you so much, Shinji. So tired and so bored," she said, hugging me in her arms.
Flying through the whole room in a second, she, one might say, slammed me into her chest. Although, in general, I was not averse to being between
them
. The only thing that confused me was that this was another harassment, and I was used to harassment.
"You're going to strangle me, woman.
"Aren't you glad to see me?" Akemi asked sadly, pulling me away from her chest, but not letting go of her hands.
— Five minutes ago I would have been glad, but now I can't help thinking.
"You're breaking my heart, Shinji," the woman said, still sad.
"Give me something to drink," I said off topic.
"Of course, my lord. Here, please, we have juice, we have…
— It's already good to clownish.
"Oh, how boring you are, Shinji.
—Whatever it is," I replied, sitting down on the sofa. — By the way, I bought myself a car.
— Kru-u-uto! You're so cool!
— And at the entrance to the club, two scumbags tried to take it away from me.
— Well, that's their problem... as I understand it. She looked a little puzzled.
— Well, yes, well, yes… But if anything, I will send the local viewer to the next world.
— Are there any reasons? Akemi asked, instantly becoming serious.
— I don't know yet. Therefore, "if anything".
— Shinji, we need reasons. People will stop listening to me if I let such things go.
— I know, don't worry. You'd better tell me what's in my case.
— What, just like that? Without discussing the weather and me, beautiful? — she puffed out her chest, putting her hand behind her head.
— Don't worry, hehe, we'll discuss you, the beautiful one.
— Boring and harmful, — the woman frowned. "Well, that's fine," she waved a cheerful hand. — But keep in mind, you promised, Shin-ji-kun, — Akemi pronounced my name by syllables, pretending a languid look.
She reminds me of Mizuki. Not with a languid look, as you understand, but with changes in behavior.
— So what's there? Is there anything about me?
— Oh-oh-oh!
Hugging her cheeks with her hands, Akemi raised her eyes to the ceiling and, frozen in such a pose, looked at me. It was at this moment, after glancing at her, that I continued to look around the table littered with food.
- what?
— Did you ask me about it for form's sake? Are you really, really not interested? — Put your hands on your hips. That was the name of her pose.
— Of course, it's interesting, but I want to eat. I just had breakfast today.
"You're impossible, Shinji. — Yes, just the same. — If in general, then everything worked out.
— And if in more detail?
— Somewhere better, somewhere worse.
"Stop mocking me," I said, stuffing a shrimp in batter into my mouth. — Otherwise you'll run into an adequate answer.
— What kind of answer is that? The beauty asked slyly.
— Have you heard anything about the ancestral lands?
— Mm... well, yes. Who hasn't heard of them?
— I recently acquired a piece of such land.
— WHAT?!
Wide-open eyes, slightly open mouth, soaring eyebrows. Isn't she cute?
— So what's in my case?
— Demon... okay, I'll start with the fact that half of Garagarahebi considers the Tokyo Dwarf Koyama to be a Tire.
— I was surprised. — What kind of fright?
— You probably know yourself that many people have an idea of your approximate age. And now think about it, do we have many teenagers of the Teacher rank in our country?
Yes, I practically grew up in front of many people.
— And yet — confuse me with a girl? Somehow it's a shame.
— Rumors, what can I say, — the woman shrugged her shoulders.
— Do you happen to have anything to do with these rumors?
— No, of course not. Well, if only a little bit.
"Oh, you'll run into it someday," I shook my head. — And what does the other half of Garagarahabi think?
— That you are either a very strong Teacher or a weak Universal Master.
— Well, what made them think that?
— After your raid, there is no other way to say, there was a recording of the surveillance system, which shows part of your battles. This record cost surprisingly little. M-yes, so that's it. Judging by this recording and by the stories of the guards, you used "lightning". That alone spoke about your specialty, and then there was the speed. But besides that, there were some signs of the use of the element of wind. Literally a couple of moments, but an attentive look is enough. And two…
— Sorry, I'll interrupt. Specify what such moments are.
— Well, for example, the way you sometimes managed to get up from the ground. It's like someone was pushing you from below. And "lightning" does not achieve this. But airmen have similar techniques. Add to this the "air fist" with which you swung the "sand" Veteran, and you will understand that the result is obvious.
—How well it all turned out," I said thoughtfully. — So, a station wagon. And among the station wagons, as far as I know, there has never been a single Virtuoso in the whole history.
— That's right. Although even this will not save you from the desire of many people to communicate with you.
Master station wagon. In general, it sounds cool, but they are stronger than the standard Master and very rare. But the difficulty in managing the two elements at the root cuts the opportunity to become a Virtuoso. In fact, they are quite talented people who have realized that for one reason or another they will not be able to reach the top of martial arts. There is only one genus in the whole world that specializes in two elements, and there have never been Virtuosos in this genus. The imperial family. To them, by and large, it was not so important. Their job is to give orders and sit in the palace. For me, it meant less attention from the aristocracy.
— And how strong do you think their desire will be?
— I'll tell you so. They will be looking for you for one reason: to get you into their service. This, I think, is understandable. And now imagine that they were too "persistent" and managed to anger the Master. What's the point of them keeping such a threat to themselves? The master, Shinji, is a very, well, very scary uncle. This is a fucking company of combat robots in a bottle of one person. With his mobility and cunning. You need to either be friends with the Masters or fight. It will not be possible to hold him against the force. There were precedents. Only Virtuosos are worse, but there are few of them. So you don't have to worry. They will undoubtedly be looking for you, especially ours, but everything will be quiet and peaceful, so as not to offend. And even if they find you, they will please you in every possible way to win you over to their side.
— If I refuse, they may be offended. And the aristocrats will have something to love me with.
"Anything is possible, Shinji. But I doubt very much that they will want to quarrel with you. A senseless waste of resources. Conflict from scratch.
— The same emperor will not refuse another Master.
— For him, even you are still a trifle. And if it were that simple, Garagarahabi would not exist. I don't understand your fears at all. Being a Tokyo Dwarf, you risk no less. If the risks have increased, then not much. But now you can be sure that at least they will want to talk to you first. Previously, they could start hunting right away.
M-yes. After all, I knew what I was getting into. As it is, everything is much better than I expected.
— Of course. Well, how are you doing?
— Uh, no, first the story of the ancestral lands.
— There's nothing to tell. Have you heard about the Crystal Evening?
— No, I haven't. Although wait, something familiar... no, I don't remember.
— Strange, considering where my last order went. In general, this is a party of aristocrats, where they first play poker, and then arrange an auction. That's where I got to, where I was just lucky. And, seeing the girl's uncomprehending look, he added: "I won at cards.
— Holy shit!
— Something like that.
— Wait, wait. But now the real hunt will begin for you.
— Ha! But I didn't guess. Are you even aware of the legal ... uh ... how should I put it ... in general, what can be done with the land, and what can not?
— From where? I know no more about ancestral lands than a simple man in the street.
— In short. Any financial transaction with ancestral lands excludes its repetition within the next hundred years. Sold-bought, wait a hundred years to repeat. You can't even give them away. It's the same with rent. I rented it for a minimum period of fifty years, and at the end of the lease, wait another fifty to be able to do at least something. That is, once I do something like this, the hunt for me loses its meaning. There are still aristocratic problems there, but that's what's important to us.
— Ponya-ya-yat. So, you just rented them out. And to whom? Koyama? It's a pity that now you've lost them for fifty years. On the other hand, it's only fifty years. For the sake of acquiring ancestral lands... eh.
— I made it trickier. He beat everyone. I'm just happy myself. — Having said that, I reached out to pour myself some juice.
— What kind of monster are you! Come on, come here! — And, jumping up to me, she began to strangle me with her huge hemispheres.
— What are you... ugh. Let me go! You'll strangle me, you fool!
Somehow fighting off her, he moved to the other side of the table.
— Will you talk? Nakata persisted. — Although you can keep quiet, it's even better for me.
— That's it, Akemi, stop. Good. What are you like a child?
— So don't worry my nerves. What did you do there? — she said, sitting back down on the sofa.
— I handed them over to Shidotamor.
— That is... wait... you mean, you handed over the ancestral lands to yourself?
—Think about it, yes," I began, sitting back down. — I'm a minor, I can. Be it otherwise, and according to the law of the empire, fully owning Shidotemoru, I could not hand them over to my company. We even have such a clause in our laws.