Amagi Brilliant Park's
V2 - Chapter 2 Part 5
“No need to worry about that, fumo.” They turn. Moffle stood under the porch. The last Seiya left him to watch over the Mogute Clan, so he must have left the post without permission.
“S-How long have you been standing there?” he demands to know.
“Since the awkward silence. You're acting like someone just died or something, fumo.”
“Te-Solar. Shouldn't you be on guard?”
“I got tired of sitting around in that cave, so I took them with me, fumo. …Hey, everyone, come in!”
Just then, members of the Mogute Clan stormed in through the entrance to the rooftop garden. They looked around in amazement, poked at the flowers, and checked the condition of the large tiled stone.
“Mog, mog.. what a tasteful garden, mog.”
“Hmm, whoever installs the tile is not an expert mason, mog..”.
“Although so the plaster mixture on the wall is well installed, mog.”
Seiya exploded. “Did you bring them all here?! The cast shouldn't even know about them, remember?”
“Well, secrets are revealed now, fumo.”
“Bad you!” Seiya. “We sit here, racking our brains about what to do with them, and you—and what loud flapping sound is i—gwah?!”
The source of the flapping that Seiya heard was immediately visible. The red dragon Rubrum, flying across the night sky, was currently slowly landing in the garden.
《Sorry, I cannot enter through the employee entrance. Not a big deal, is it?》
“Ndasmu! Did you fly over the highway like that? Many people must have seen you!”
《Aw... I've just been sequestered for so long, I thought it would be nice to fly again. You can at least show me appreciation.》.
“Shut!” Seiya grumbled.
“Well, well.. Kanie-sama,” says Latifah soothing. “Paman—more to be exact, Moffle-san was right. In reality they are here now, and it cannot be undone.”
“Hrmm.. I think you're right..”.
Just then, the Mogute Clan realized that Latifah was there. Their small button eyes were wide open and they waved in the air.
“Manager!”
“Oh! Miss Manager! How we miss you, mog!”
“You are as beautiful as ever, mog!”
The Mogute Clan knelt down, grateful tears streaming down their cheeks as they poured out a deep and heartfelt respect to Latifah. He didn't seem to know how to react. Although he was blind, it was probably clear from his voice what the situation was. But as far as Latifah this year was concerned, this was her first meeting with the Mogute Clan. “Ah... I'm afraid.. you guys confuse me.”.
“Just ignore them,” Seiya advises him. “Let them do what they want. …Hmm?”
Standing behind the Mogute Clan troupe is Isuzu, holding a flag that reads ‘tip line.’ Bizarre—ia was convinced that she stayed behind in the administration building after the conference to tidy up some documents.
“Sento. Why did you let them through? I told you to leave them in that cave!”
“Pak, I believe Moffle has something to say with respect to that.” Isuzu said, still holding the flag.
“Alright... I will hear you,” said Seiya from between gritted teeth. “Speaking!”
Moffle, who had been waiting with a neutral expression, now cleared his throat: “After you leave, I spoke with the clan leader, Taramo. It was Polytear Kingdom that tried to bury them alive, fumo.”
“We already know it.” said Seiya.
The kingdom hired them to dig the palace's secret escape tunnel, then buried them alive to silence them. It is also a common story in human history.
“Ah, but this is the important part, fumo. Kingdom Polytear—More known, at present, as the Republic of Polytear.”
“…?”
“Oh. You mean..” Latifah put a small fingertip to her lips, looking aware of something. Seiya was still completely in ignorance.
“That's right, fumo. About four years ago, there was a revolution in Polytear. The evil nobles are exiled and a peaceful animal democracy is formed, fumo.”
“What?” Seiya asked in disbelief.
“You see, Facebook became popular there, and it allowed people to revolutionize,” Moffle explained. “There was a riot, the government and the army broke out. and then, his palace collapsed. That place is the museum of revolution now, fumo.”
“Wait,” said Seiya, trying to catch up. “What does that mean that the people who are chasing the Mogute Clan are no more now?”
“I think it makes sense, fumo. What do you think, Taramo?”
“I agree, mog. We are fighting with some other realms.but if Polytear does not hold a grudge against us, then we may be safe, mog.”.
“What?” It's an unexpected durian collapse.
“We've been hiding underground for a very long time, we don't know, mog. Four years wasted.. I don't know whether to be disappointed or relieved, mog..”.
“It appears that only Dornell is connected to the human internet, which is why no one knows, fumo. Well, I guess even stranger things have already happened.” Moffle folded his hands and nodded firmly.
All anxiety is useless. Seiya felt strange, like a carpet swept out from underneath him.
“Luckily,” Latifah said, her tone was very relieved. “I...really very happy. Does that mean you can all be free?”
“Yeah, I thought we could..” Taramo said.
Now, how do I deal with them? Seiya wondered. One option is to say, “You've been through a lot, so now you can do whatever you like.” But before he left the labyrinth, Seiya already had an idea. The construction of the labyrinth was truly extraordinary. And if what they say is true, they finish it in a very short time. If only—
“Manager!” Taramo cried, extending his hand towards Latifah. “We've been in debt to you for years, mog! Please, allow us to use our attractions for the sake of the park, mog!”
Red dragon Rubrum joined. 《Um, can you hire me, too? I'll do everything I can to scare visitors.》.
Ah, thank goodness. They were already hoping to stay in the park, so he did not have to propose the idea himself. That would make salary negotiations easier. He hopes to hire them as cheaply as possible—better still like his own rate, 850 yen per hour. Perhaps he could even get them to receive 600 yen an hour during their probation…
“Ah, Kanie-sama? What say?”
“True. Actually..” Seiya rubbed the back of his head as he stepped forward. “We can't.”
“Ke-Why not, mog?!”
“Because the second garden is sold.”
The park started to shake. Moffle, furious, yelled “How dare you! You'll pay for it, fumo!” and lunged.
...----------------...
Isuzu stops the fight with Moffle and Latifah scolds him. Once things calmed down, Seiya was finally able to explain.
It was an entirely plausible story, so everyone, including Moffle, accepted it quickly.
The Mogute clan would live in employee cafeterias and warehouses while building more permanent homes elsewhere on the ground. The big red dragon, Rubrum, will be staying in the cast's parking lot for now, under strict orders so that he makes sure no outsiders see him, no matter what.
Dornell eventually rejoined the cast after ten years of his departure. Since Tiramii is the Flower Fairy at the moment, she will be a welcome on stage for a while, although some of her looks regretful leaving her lifestyle covered.
Moffle did not seem to be entirely satisfied with the sale of the second park, but since Latifah had already given his permission on the matter, he ended up leaving (though not happy).
“Manager, Manager!” Just before he left the park, the Chief of the Mogute Clan, Taramo, took out an old envelope and gave it to Latifah. “It. You gave this to us before we went underground.”
“…? Ah, yes.. Te-Thank you.”
“I gave it back to you, as promised. I hope we can keep working with you!” Then the Mogute Clan marched out and the park was again deserted, finally.
“Haaahh.. 50 new employees, just like that.” Seiya, who remained in the garden, sighed. He worked with Isuzu to fix the benches and chairs that had fallen in the fight, and tried to calm the turbulent restlessness in his intestines.
Only then did he realize that Latifah was standing there, without showing any emotion, with the envelope in her hand.
“Should I read that to you?” tanyakanya.
“A-What?” Latifah.
“That's a letter, right? If you don't mind I'll do it..” his voice shrinks. “Or do you prefer Sento?”
“Ah... well..” After hesitating for a moment, Latifah seemed to brace herself, and thrust the letter at her.
“Not at all. Kanie-sama, I insist that you read it.”
The envelope was slightly yellowed due to age and sealed with a red candle. Seiya carefully unsealed it and took out the letter from inside the envelope.
“Oke, then. …Let's see.” He turned his gaze to his words, then shook his head. “...I can't read it. What language is this?”
“Ah, I'm sorry..it must be in Maple language,” Latifah said. “Isuzu-san, please?”
“Ya, Your Highness.” He must have anticipated this, because he immediately picked up the letter and began to research it.
“If you want, Kanie-sama. I hope you will stay and hear it.”.
“Are you sure?” tanyanya hesitated.
“Ya,” Latifah reproduce. “I ask you, as managing manager to stay. I don't know what this letter is about. but I don't want to hide anything from you.”.
“Oke.”
“Can? Now I'll start.” Isuzu read the whole letter, translating it quickly:
Hello there. If you read this letter, it means the curse is still not lifted. Or perhaps, by some miracle, the curse has been lifted, but I still serve as the manager of this garden. (I wish this was the case, but I realize that it's impossible. Therefore, I write this assuming that the curse is still in place.) I apologize for the trouble I caused you with my decision to house the Mogute Clan. I can't leave someone who has nowhere else to go. I've asked the secondary manager to hide them in the second park. Since he would definitely oppose this decision, due to my standing, I kept this matter from Uncle.
The Mogute clan, including their leader, Taramo-san, are very peace loving and kind. Please, be kind to them.
I wrote this in March. I really enjoyed myself this year. One year ago, I was very worried about how to behave in front of others. That was very difficult for me. But now, everything is different. I love everyone in the park.
My current self will soon say goodbye to all of them. But I won't be discouraged. I want to try again and again, and continue to love them as they are now.
To you who received this letter, do you love everyone? Do you love this world? It feels weird to say, but I hope you will continue to live your life to the fullest.
You don't have to worry. Because you are me.
Isuzu finished reading the letter, leaving the rustling of greenery the only sound left in the garden.
“Ah... are you okay?” Seiya asked.
In a voice too slow to hear, Latifah replied: “...This is not fair.”
“.....” Seiya is waiting for him to explain.
“He is me, yet he is much stronger than I am. I...” He turned away from Seiya and Isuzu to slump on the porch fence, trembling. “Will I... will it ever be like this? For as long as I do, here in this terrible darkness—will I ever be able to encourage myself, as he did?”
Isuzu didn't seem to know what to say. He only looked at Latifah from behind, with sadness in his eyes.
“Hei, Latifah..” Seiya take a step forward. “Which you prefer. Cruel words or sweet words?”
“Ah... cruel words..no, sweet words, if pleasing. Ii'm sorry. I can not cope.. cruel words... at this time.”.
“I'll try to say it kindly, then,” he told her. “You will be able to. Of course you'll be able to.”
He tilted his head in confusion hearing his short statement. “That's it?”
“Ya.” said short.
“...What are his harsh words, may I ask?” Latifah asked, curious.
“‘Of course you will be able to. Stop worrying about the obvious, stupid.’”
“That's it?”
“That's it.”
He stood there quietly for a few seconds, then chuckled. “You're a very funny person, Kanie-sama.”
“Really?”
“But you can't talk to your boyfriend like that,” the candle. “The words are less sensitive.”
“Hmm... well, sorry.” He has no girlfriend, of course. Or—wait, is he trying to imply something else with that phrase?
Isuzu looked at them, his gaze silent and unreadable. Unsure how to react, exactly, Seiya only responded by shrugging her shoulders.
“I feel a little better. Kanie-sama, thank you very much.” Latifah said, after a little stretch.
There seemed to be a little more cheer in his voice than before.
...----------------...
...April 1 Activity Report (Moffle)...
Moffle said he was doing some renovations to the attraction, so Seiya stopped by to see how his work was progressing.
His attrition was, of course, the Moffle Sweet Home. It was a game where you fired a laser pointer shaped water gun at a rogue rat, competing for points. Guests who score well will get a gift or photo with Moffle.
It is one of the more popular of the park's many mediocre attractions.
“...By the way, this Sweet House was built more than ten years ago,” Moffle told Seiya when the two met..He was wearing work clothes and a safety helmet, a equipment belt with a full supply hanging from his waist.
Behind him, Wrenchy-kun and a few other backstage staff worked hard, pushing the remodel forward. Adachi Eiko-san, whom they eventually hired, was also present, running back and forth to help. Seiya still did not know her stage name; Isuzu seemed to know something, but whatever it was, he kept it to himself.
“It's the concept that needs modernization, fumo. Ah, you know what I mean. Whole concept ‘hajar rat-rats naughty!’ it is aimed at good boys and girls..it does not appeal to a new generation, fumo.”.
“Hmm...” says Seiya. “Alright, so what's the reshuffle? I must warn you, our budget is still limited.”.
Selling the second park had given them minimum funds, but they were still not fully out of the water. He could not agree to a complete renovation of an attraction that easily.
“Ah, I know, fumo. I didn't change the underlying structure. People have always liked the game element of Toy House, so I just made a few small changes to improve it, fumo.”
“Oh?”
“First, I replaced the water gun the guests used, fumo. This is a new prototype.” Moffle handed her a new laser pointer.
Instead of a cheap water gun, it felt like a real gun; it was heavy and hard, with a shiny black metal finish. Detailed slide section inscribed with words, ‘SIG SAUER.’
“What is this?” Seiya asked.
“A P226. Using as many metal parts as I can get, fumo. It's got an electrically operated slide moving back and forth, and if you look into its ejection port, you can actually see the feed ramp! Battery in magazine—press on the lever to remove it—and its decocker becomes an on-off switch. All of it is there to improve mood, fumo.”
Seiya's eyes glazed over as he heard the barrage of jargon.
Moffle proudly lined up his weapon prototypes, and each of them let out a loud sound as he put them down. All of them looked strong and intimidating.
Seiya noticed a variety of long and small items as well as a tool the size of a rugby ball. “What is this?” tanyakanya.
“Anti-tank missile, fumo. And this one is a sniper rifle. It can kill enemies that are even a kilometer away, fumo.”
“And this?”
“Nutron bomb,” Moffle answers it. “For suicide.”
What exactly is he facing the guests? Seiya wondered. “...This all does not seem to be used to punish bad rats.”
“Yeah, of course not! I modified his opponent as well, fumo.”
Moffle guides Seiya further inside the Sweet Home, to the kitchen room where the rats will appear. The last time Seiya came, that place was a world of unwavering pots, pans, and fruit baskets, a place from which the jaily but adorable rats would stick their heads out and squeak seductively.
Now, that place is ruined.
The equipment was damaged and burned. Around them lay the dead bodies of the dead soldiers, their dried blood staining the floor. The gloomy and disturbing BGM rotated from all sides, mixed with the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions. Once in a while, the screams of a dying man were heard.
“This is where the rats came out, fumo.” An animatronic rogue rat appears with a piercing screeches.
“...?!” Seiya surprised.
The rat's face twisted with evil intent; its eyes lit up and reddened. His lips curled back, revealing fangs that hung the remains of the unfortunate enemy.
《Dirty man!》
《Kill them all!》
《We will cook you when we spare!》
The animatronic mice mocked Seiya with their curved and distorted voices. They were like monsters that came out straight from the depths of Hell.
“See?” Moffle. “Impressive, eh? And when you hit one with your laser pointer.” Moffle shoots indiscriminately.
《Ergh... kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!》
The animatronics broke into pieces in an explosion of blood spills. Even for someone who knows that it's fake, it's still a disturbing sight.
“That's how they died, fumo. But the biggest change is coming. If you take too long to shoot all the bad rats.”.
《Revenge for our fallen brother! Matiiiiii!!》
The animatronics began to fire a kind of liquid at them. Moffle quickly dodged, but Seiya received a surprise attack right in the face.
A piercing pain and a stinging smell attacked Seiya's nose. “Gwuh?!” yells. “Ma...My eyes!”
As Seiya circled around, clutching his face, Moffle quickly finished off the mischievous rats. “...They will fight back with tear gas spray, fumo. There was a transmitter inside his gun, so they even knew where to aim!”
“My eyes!” Seiya roared. “Gwaaaaaah!”
“The speed of their reaction is also quite fast, fumo. Surely, this would be too difficult for children and parents, so I entered the difficulty setting. In particular you'll find Casual, Normal, and Hardcore, fumo levels. But..”
“Raagh!” Seiya crying. “My eyes...my eyes!”
“...I have also prepared ‘Insane’ mode for brave visitors who feel Hardcore is not challenging enough, fumo. Visitors who win it can enter ‘hall of fame’. You got a ‘Honored Soldier’ medal with diamonds in it, and we made a gold plate that read your name, fumo.” Moffle continued happily on the details of her planned renovation, ignoring Seiya's agonizing screams.
...----------------...
...April 2 Activity Report (Macaron)...
Before opening that day, Seiya went to check out the Macaron attraction. He had never really been to the Macaron Music Theatre before - his place was always closed, which made it difficult to do real business. That would be a real problem, of course, so he ordered Macaron not to take the day off without permission anymore. The sheep mascot has carried out his attractions reluctantly ever since.
The Macaron Music Theatre allows guests to ride a large gondola with a capacity of 20 people. The gondola will travel between small rooms representing countries around the world, allowing guests to enjoy music related to those countries.
This announcement was heard at the beginning: “Welcome to the music boat, Mezzo Porte! We will share with you melodies from all over the world! Hold on tight, okay?”
In a room styled to look like Vienna, guests will enjoy the heartwarming sound of Mozart; in an Istanbul room, they will enjoy an exotic flute; in a Congo room, the, they will enjoy a passionate drum. In Venice they will enjoy Mendelssohn's Boat Song; in Las Vegas, old classical rock; in Bali, Gamelan ensembles will be played. That kind of thing, it introduces the listeners to different styles of music.
Then at the end of the fairytale room, Macaron will appear and show off his amazing flute skills. At least, that's how it is.
“...But I don't care at all about flutes, ron!” Macaron screamed, splitting in two a kind of flute that Seiya did not know his name just like that.
There are also renovations done here, so they are surrounded by the staff—including the part-time workers of— who are running around busy. Chujo Shiina, the childish-looking High School student they finally hired, runs to and fro, helping Macaron. Seiya still didn't know much about him, but as long as he didn't cause any trouble, he didn't have any problems with him.
“Why should I teach those kids about Mozart's The Magic Flute, ron?” the mascot is raging. “He's great, right, but he's a pervert! You can't really understand it unless you learn the poop songs first, ron!”
“Er... I understand what you mean, but is this park really the place for that?” Seiya gave a careful answer to the arguing Macaron, whom he met backstage.
“Hust! Even the Manga God ate sushi from a naked woman during a planning meeting! Art is vulgar and despicable, that is what makes it free!”
“I acknowledge your position in the art field,” said Seiya carefully, “but what, exactly, this particular attraction?”
Seiya and Macaron are currently in the first room the gondola visited. Normally this would be Venice, resonating with the carefree and optimistic sonatina, but now it looks like a filthy American suburb. Some big men were pacing around the foyer, looking bored;
they seem to be drug dealers who sell cocaine. The sound of police sirens echoed quietly in the distance.
The music played was the thundering gangsta rap bass. Kill cops! To hell, GOP! Show respect to me or you meet my AK! continue lyrics. I'm cool and will rule! Control it!
“It's world music, ron!” Macaron denied convincingly. “This is not out of topic, ron!”
“Not mean you have to show it!” Seiya. “And what's with those bodybuilders? They glared at me.”
“They may admire your ass, Kanie-kun.” explains the mascot.
“What?!”
“Just kidding. They are the Mogutes, ron.”
“Come,” Macaron shouted his instructions, “let go of it! You guys scared the managing manager.”
The man squirmed slightly, then opened, revealing a bunch of Mogutes one layer down. Seiya did not know if they were wearing body suits or what, but the illusions were truly impressive.
“Macaron-san,” asked them, “is it okay for us to just wander around like this, mog?”
“Yes. But if you see a sexy woman among the guests, it's okay to glance and catcall, ron.”
“No, it can't!” Seiya disagreed.
“You learned about the F-bomb, remember?” Macaron continued. “Utilize that one freely. I want to hear all kinds of segs and whores, ron!”
“Cubile, no!” Seiya insisted.
...----------------...
...April 3 Activity Report (Tiramii)...
Seiya struggled with the pile of documents in his plain office when the old model phone on his desk suddenly rang. “Yes? The managing manager is here.” he replied, annoyed.
It came from a part-time greeter in the front plaza. “Emergency, Kanie-san! A cast member stabbed!”
Just be right! thought Seiya. He wanted to cry, but he stopped himself.
The person on the other end of the phone was Bando Biino, whom he eventually hired after he recovered and was discharged from the hospital. He is currently learning about guest control by acting as a guide in the front plaza.
“Wait a minute,” said. “Calm down, then explain. Someone stabbed? Who, and by whom?”
“Um... a guest who did the stabbing,” Bando told him. “They took out a Damascus steel blade and swung it with all their might. It was so sudden, no one could stop them.”.
“Who got stabbed?” Seiya asked patiently.
“Um, what is his name.. mascot Pomerania, T... Ti... Tiramii-san!”
“I understand. I'm on my way.” He slammed the phone and quickly got out of the office.
When he reached the front plaza, he found that the problem had already been resolved. Several cast members detained a woman in her thirties, and a bloody knife lay on the ground some distance away.
Tiramii lay about five meters outside, clutching his stomach. “Mii, mii..”
“H-Hey. Are you okay?” Seiya asked.
“No, mii,” groans the mascot. “I'm dying, mii..”
How many times has he seen Tiramii faint and bleed now? Most people would not think of using ‘Bungi’ and ‘massacre’ in the same sentence, and again…
“Kanie-san! I'm very sorry because this happened. Although I'm here.” Biino clung to her, crying.
Are you sure it wasn't because of you that caused this to happen? He wonders. What kind of amusement park sees two people being stabbed in such a short order? All he could think of was that this Bando Biino girl was under some sort of curse.
“...After all, I do not understand,” Seiya commented. “Who did it? One of your other relatives?”
“T-No, I didn't know him.” Biino kept on trembling while the culprit wriggled against his captors and started yelling.
“I taught him a lesson!” shouted the woman with disheveled black hair. “All those seducing lies.. ‘you are the only one for me, mii!’ You promised we'd get married! But you said that to all your women, right? Doggy village!”
“I ti-will never say that, mii..” Tiramii whispered, still bleeding a lot. “Marriage is one thing I don't want, mii. Who are you, mii?”
“You don't remember hundreds of times we met in our dreams?!” ask the woman, contemptuously. “You're always very good. That's why I gave you all those gifts! And this is how you pay me?!”
“I really don't know what you are talking about, mii.”.
“Basic liar! I know you! Every morning I dress up and say ‘good morning,’ but you just stand there in that picture frame and you never reply!” his nag. “This is cruel. It's wrong! You have to pay! I have to kill you!”
“Mii..”
“...Bring him away.” On Seiya's orders, the woman was taken away.
Tiramii was still rolling on the ground, but the wound did not look fatal. Seiya ignored the panicked Biino and spoke to Tiramii. “I think I understand what's going on here. But let me ask you one thing: what do you say is true? Is that woman just mentally ill?”
“...Yes, that's true. Mostly, mii.”
“So there's a little lie in it?” Seiya asked skeptically.
“Mii..”
“Tell me.” the order.
“...Sorry. I did puff him once, mii..” Tiramii stuck out her tongue cutely from the middle of her pool of blood.
“I cut your salary,” Seiya sighed. “And also, you can lie there and die.”
...----------------...
...April 4 Activity Report (Isuzu)...
There was a bit of chaos that was beyond their control, but the cast seemed to still be working hard. They got a one-year delay in execution, and also some time to relax.
Isuzu enjoys their newfound leisure time after being subjected to various pressures. He no longer felt the aggravation or despair that possessed him in March, and he did not let the stupidity of Moffle and the others get to him as bad as it used to be.
Is it almost time…? he wonders. At 9:52 p.m. Isuzu stood at the entrance of the administration building, checking his time. Ah, that's him.
Kanie Seiya got off the elevator and started walking towards the entrance, where she stood. He was already wearing his usual clothes, with a fashionable bag hanging from his shoulder.
“...Hey. I thought you were home.” said Seiya when he saw Isuzu.
“I have a little work to do,” he told her. “I just want to go home.” That's not a lie. Of course, it was homework from school and not her job in the park…
Seiya starts walking towards the bike parking lot, and Isuzu follows him. The female dormitory was in the same direction, so it was quite natural.
“True too,” he observed, “you live in dorm?”
“Ya,” answer, “Only three minutes walk.”
“Hmm. Maybe I will buy my own apartment..” said Seiya, a little complaining. He often works overtime and stays overnight; he may hate spending time on trips.
“I would recommend not to do it,” Isuzu told him. “The male hostel is a mess and a series of developments have turned it into a maze.”
“Oh, really?”
“...Again, wouldn't your aunt be worried if you started living in the dorm?”
Seiya laughed with a grimace. “I doubt it. He almost never came home, thanks to his editing work. To be honest, I haven't even seen him this week. The only way I know she even comes home to change clothes is the fact that there is more laundry in the basket.”
“So.” He knew that the situation of the Seiya family was a little complicated. His parents are still alive, but divorced, and he does not have regular contact with any of them. “...Not it judges your lifestyle, but it is not really commendable. You live off a department store lunch box and packaged food, right? You should eat healthier.”
“What can I do?” he shrugged his shoulders. “I don't have time for that.”
“Nothing, I guess, but..” Once he gets home, maybe he'll look up cooking sites on the Internet. Would he find it strange if he brought her a homemade lunch? Well, after all he's his secretary. On the other hand, it might be considered too meddling…
They arrived at the bike park. Seiya's bike is a worn out city bike, rusting here and there. He threw his bag into a bicycle basket and quickly removed the combination padlock. It was only there to hold his chain, so he didn't even need to turn the button; it was really like him.
“By the way,” he asked, “what happened to the Mogute Clan?”
“They seem to blend in quickly,” Isuzu told him. “I haven't heard of any problems.”
Accepting the Mogutes that they were master carpenters turned out to be true. In just a few days, they had already dug another underground complex on the edge of the first garden and built their own dormitory there. They were reusing the building materials from their old cave, so there was hardly any budget needed.
“They seem useful.” he commented.
“Ya,” she agrees. “I think they can contribute to the renovation of the park.”
The speed of development like theirs will be of great help. Of course, updating the structure will take money, but they have financial leeway for now. The weather will warm up soon—now is the time to strike.
“We have to bring in a lot of guests.” he commented.
“Yes. Many... many guests.” Seiya's voice became gloomy.
During the sale of the second park, there was one thing that came up that Seiya had yet to account for. Contrary to what was expected, Developer Amagi strongly opposed the sale. He struggled tenaciously, but in the end, he was forced to revise the contract on one very hard condition: a massive increase in annual attendance requirements.
In previous years, they only had to attract 600,000 people per year. But starting this year, that will change.
“Three million people..” he muses. “Are we really going to be able to get them all?”
...----------------...