How to Live as an Immortal - Chapter 278
Only Noblemtl
How to Live Immortally Episode 278
278 Capitalism is cold
Who would want to hear that? At least, it was something Ryoichi didn’t want to hear.
“That means we’re that close.”
“We’re close enough to call each other by nicknames. So that’s why you followed me here.”
Ryoichi asks, not knowing that it is an ant hell, and with regret, humming softly to the point of being uncomfortable.
“You say so so clearly, but I wonder what it is about her that makes you think we’re close.”
“We can’t live without each other.”
Aren’t they two people who share the secrets they want to keep the most? There can’t be a more appropriate metaphor.
“Then do you also know the mistakes she made?”
“There is a suspicion that the leader of Ryongyeong, Yongdu, was dealt with.”
“It’s a fact that is almost certain within the Miyauchi-gumi, but it probably doesn’t matter to Gaon-san, an outsider. I’m in a similar situation myself, so I don’t really sympathize. In fact, what’s important is what happened because of it.”
If you were to discuss the order of the four major secret factions, opinions would differ, but if you were to ask which faction is the least powerful, everyone would pick the Miyauchi-gumi.
An organization that is that weak.
It is only natural that he has become more and more powerful after making many concessions in his conflict with Ryong-young 50 years ago.
It was inevitable that we had to improve our constitution to avoid being eaten up by other organizations.
“It was a time when we had to diversify our business or die.”
It’s not a matter of taste, it’s a matter of life and death.
“But Aris, who created the opportunity, immediately returned and started treating us like a thorn in her side. Isn’t that funny? The person who started the incident is now trying to scold those who are trying to fix it.”
Ryoichi’s protest seemed reasonable at first glance. However―
“It would have been a much more convincing argument if the tower hadn’t been built in such an inhumane and unethical way.”
“Mr. Gaon.”
Ryoichi added, scolding her.
“You’re not a child. Capitalism is cold. There’s no room for warmth there.”
Even as the guests who sensed the ominous atmosphere left, he continued to move his mouth without stopping.
“Surely you don’t think that the Yohanekai’s successful establishment in District 27 was simply due to their outstanding abilities. It’s because they all paid a price for it.”
Miyauchi-gumi’s single-minded determination to raise cash cows in the sun. The one who stands at the forefront is, ironically,―
“It’s the Shinkoukai that has grown in power through Mr. Gaon’s tricks. The swordsman of the previous generation who always causes trouble, or us who sacrifice ourselves without caring if we get our hands dirty, which one will benefit the Miyauchi-gumi?”
“You must have put honey on your lips.”
“Well, it’s not surprising that Mr. Gaon doesn’t tolerate us. Unlike other troubleshooters, he keeps his composure. Recently, he brought down the FD Shielder, who was running wild like a thunderbolt.”
Keuhehe, Ryoichi looks up at Gaon, laughing so hard his belly hurts.
“I knew that the industry standards had fallen a lot these days, but I never thought there would be people who truly believed such rumors.”
“Aren’t you just deciding that it can’t be true and ignoring it?”
“Oh, I see. The illegitimate child of the Baekdu owner family.”
“… … .”
If you keep at it, you will lose a hundred battles.
It was Ryoichi who started investigating when Aris brought Gaon. If a genius who would truly take the world by storm was on her side, then she would have to completely revise her existing plans.
However, Ryoichi, who traced back Gaon’s actions, learned his true identity and arrived at one fact.
Gaon’s claim of having swept away the FD shield was nothing more than an illusion created by Baekdu’s direct security unit.
It was all Baekdu’s behind-the-scenes work to support his illegitimate son, Gaon.
As such, no matter how amazing the magic trick is, it becomes trivial once you know the trick.
“People prefer to stand in line. It provides a clear indicator of who is helpful and who is not. It is a necessary virtue for animals that live in groups.”
No.93 Kirin Pavilion. His fame was great, but he was more like an empty cart.
“Even if you’re a Numbers, you can’t avoid it. People in the industry praise you as the best, but in the end, it’s only half-baked. The four major dark forces, the Mars Defense Force, the city government, and the major figures working in Megacorp are all excluded.”
In the end, it’s a score from an isolated well.
“What meaning would such a title have? A truly strong man shines alone.”
“You speak as if I am not.”
“Seeing that you got involved in someone else’s family feud with nothing to gain, I guess you must have faith that Baekdu will protect you even if the worst happens. I’ll punish you filthy people while throwing fight money at you from the safety of the audience seats… … .”
Well, I dare to guess that it might be a manifestation of that sense of superiority― but then Ryoichi, whose words were trailing off, slapped me in the face.
“I think my choice of words was inappropriate. I apologize.”
He even shed blood, so it’s more shocking than angry. Wasn’t he a different man from the start? His actions must have been calculated to include such feelings―
“I got angry, then reflected on it, then I was out of my mind.”
“I hope you understand that this is urgent. I am not in a position to be picky.”
Although Ryoichi was unpredictable, one thing was certain. The person he was wary of was not Gaon, the human being. It was the background behind him called Baekdu.
“I didn’t know you would be so honest.”
“If I can prevent an emergency situation with just a few words, it’s a good deal.”
“What if I thought I should deal with you, the arrogant one, first?”
“Haha, you’re not that rude. I just wanted to let you know that Alice is no different from us.”
“What do you mean there’s no difference?”
“Do you know why Kenji, Alice’s disciple, was excommunicated?”
“well.”
I could easily guess that there was a reason why Kenji’s little finger was cut off, but I had never heard anything definitive.
“I think it was about a year ago. One day, Kenji suddenly killed an executive. And the entire secret organization that followed him.”
“But the swordsman would have the right to summary execution.”
“It is a right that is recognized only when there is a justifiable reason.”
It was a means to skip the procedure, not a way to ignore it. If it is exercised without limitation according to arbitrary judgment, it is not a purge, but a massacre.
“What’s interesting here is that the executive that Kenji dealt with was once a candidate for the position of swordsman.”
He was also the one closest to becoming the next swordsman. He was a strong man who could have become a swordsman at any time if he had lived. And―
“He was the former president of Shinkoukai.”
That means, he is the one who opposed Alice.
“Are you saying that you killed your political enemy on behalf of your teacher?”
“As expected, Lady Alice has taken the position of swordsman temporarily. Isn’t it interesting? The process of how it unfolds.”
The tip of Ryoichi’s tongue, forked in two, is visible between his lips, which are quivering with excitement.
* * *
Ryoichi Murakami.
His tongue was like a snake, capable of piercing the opponent’s weak points. His skill in stirring the mind and confusing the argument was also unparalleled.
It could not be denied that he was a material for an agitator.
By the way―
‘The name Murakami Ryoichi… … .’
He remembered hearing it somewhere. He searched for it just in case, but there were no results. However, the fact that it remained in his mind meant that he had heard it while carrying out a request. After searching through his devices for a while, Gaon was able to find the common denominator in the data he had saved previously.
‘Yeah, the list.’
I was able to find Ryoichi’s name on the list I got from Chieftain, the TF team leader of Starlight, who was struggling to change jobs from a planning company employee to a broker.
I think he said that he gathered together the troubleshooters that his grandfather, who was a broker, mainly dealt with.
It was the Chieftain who hired the mechanic after seeing this list.
There was no way that a mechanic who could become a target of the emergency disaster response team at any time would have formed a relationship carelessly. It was likely that Chieftain’s grandfather only specialized in special people like mechanics.
Ryoichi too, maybe―
“You were here.”
My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden sound.
The one sitting across from me was Aris, wearing a yukata. She had just finished bathing, and water droplets were running down the ends of her messy hair.
As the warm steam began to die down, Alice suddenly asked.
“Did you enjoy the hot springs?”
“So-so.”
“I heard you met Ryoichi.”
There was nothing to hide. It was an open place, and it was crowded at the time. This must have been a warning from Ryoichi to Alice.
“He was such a chatterbox. He was so eager to tell me things I didn’t know.”
“Can you tell me what story you heard?”
“There is no such thing as impossible.”
He relays the conversation he had just a few hours ago, without missing a single word. Aris’s face changes from moment to moment. She is serious, but then suddenly frowns violently, and finally smiles in vain, as if a candle has burned out.
“… … That’s why I got to see Miss Seventy again. It doesn’t feel like a leap in logic, but it turns out that they’re not saying things that are completely out of the blue either.”
“But I… … .”
“Appealing to emotions is a bad idea. What I want to hear is a sincere story.”
It had to be mentioned at least once. Although Aris describes Shinkoukai as an evil being, Gaon had not heard specifically what that actually meant.
“It’s a good opportunity.”
Alice, who drank sake as if it were water, let out a sigh of relief and let out a sigh full of alcohol.
“The one who formed Shinkoukai was a leader named Takuya Kayao.”
“You said you fought over the position of swordsman?”
“Yes, he was a very ambitious person. Didn’t I tell you last time? The Miyauchi-gumi was taking innocent children and training them into human weapons.”
“Did that guy put it in his mouth?”
“Is that all?”
About 20 years ago, the Miyauchi-gumi, which was gradually moving away from its status as one of the four major secret groups, came to an idea under Taku’s strong influence.
The Insanity Project.
Also known as loneliness.
It was an extremely evil trick that involved putting poisonous insects and pests in a jar and not giving them any food until the last one emerged.
The crazy idea of gathering children without connections and having them eat each other to determine their luck and talent―
“The ultimate talent that will support the organization for a hundred years, that is, the swordsman, was decided upon and produced.”
“If it’s a position with the power of summary disposition, wouldn’t it be more advantageous to take charge of it yourself?”
“It’s dangerous because there are so many tasks to perform. It’s better to just hold onto the leash.”
“This is the non-regular section, right? No, wait… … .”
But the first swordsman, Kenji, who was born that way―
“You said he was my disciple?”