And then, after carefully going through the documents we had prepared, he signed it.

  “.……Received.”


  I also checked the documents and accepted it. And then handed it over to Sei. All that’s left is for Sei to submit the copy to the trade guild.

  “.……Alright then, Vuld-sama. Let’s call it a night with this. Time is valuable, after all. To me, and to you as well.”


  “Oh my, you’re being quite hasty now, aren’t you? Well…… you are a president of a company so I am sure you are busy but from this point onward, I am jobless. Do I have any time worth that much?”


  Saying such, he was still laughing.

  To which, I wore a puzzled expression and replied,

  “Oh? ……But I think you’re far more busier than me, though. After all, someone who has lost his job needs to inherit another business.”


  “I do not have such business I can inherit, you see.”


  “Ah, I see…… Ah, but, are you done packing? Please complete it within a week, alright?”


  I said with a sneer.

  “I do think there is no need. From the point I signed that document, it has been decided that this company will be closed. Since the company will be closed and you will settle the debts, all the land and buildings belonging to the company will be turned over to me, personally. So I do not see a reason for taking my private possessions.”


  He said with a smile, explaining it neatly.

  “.……What do you mean? I am pretty certain that the document you just signed just said you would be leaving the company…… It surely didn’t say anything about the company closing.”


  In response to his explanation, I ended up replying with a far lower voice than I had thought.

  “Whatever it is…… The papers I have signed said that I would leave the company but I have not touched the permit at all. I do not plan on handing over the permit to anyone so the company will end up closing, inevitably.”


  Hearing those words, I shivered. He probably saw that and his eyes glowed with a sense of superiority.

  Ah, I can’t help it anymore……

  Being unable to hold my laughter, I hurriedly hid my mouth with my fan.

  “.……Is something funny?”


  He came asking without even trying to hide his displeasure.

  “Thank you very much for your thorough explanation. However…… are you not getting a bit too impertinent?”


  “What ever do you mean?”


  “What do I mean……? Well, after all, this company isn’t really your ‘personal possession’, you know?”


  It was quite hard putting together my words all the while trying to hold back my laughter.

  “10 years ago…… after the president of the company at that time and his wife died from an accident, you took control of the company. Taking advantage of their child not being of age, you hardened your foundation in the company and took power…… And then you expelled the son and all the officials who sided with him. Am I wrong?”


  To my question, he looked up at me with shock.

  “H-how do you……?!”


  “How……? It is something one can easily know if they check with the trade guild.”


  “However, it means nothing if the person concerned does not register.”


  “Fufufu. I said so before, didn’t I? I have big ears in this business. I already pinned down his location and talked it over with him. He said he would inherit the company and updated the permit just a while ago. All that’s left is for you to resign and the company will be his.”


  “Kuugghhh……!”


  “Too bad for you. You probably thought that if the company collapsed, all its belongings would be yours.”


  His face had lost all red and turned white. His whole body was shaking.

  “.……Don’t screw around with me……”


  He said like a whisper. However, as he said it with such a low voice, I couldn’t understand.

  “.…… Don’t you screw around with me!! What, what rights do you have to……”


  As he kept getting more and more heated up, his words were starting to become audible again.

  And within a while, he started shouting. It could probably be heard outside the room as well. Wondering what was going on, more and more people came looking in on the situation.

  However, he probably didn’t notice that or his mental state wasn’t well enough to be paying it any heed, his wandering gaze fixed onto Sei.

  And then he grabbed on to him to snatch the papers.

  The one who stopped that was Tanya, who has hiding in the shadows.

  She grabbed his hands and locked them behind his back.

  “Guuh……!”


  “That is as far as you go, Vuld Rankam.”


  Weaving his way through the crowd, a man entered the place. Seeing him, Vuld’s eyes opened wide.

  “Why is…… Karim here……”


  “You let the cat out of the bag, huh, Vuld-san? I am surprised you were able to remember my name even after 10 years. Do I resemble my father that much?”


  In response to the words Vuld said unintentionally, Karim replied like he was enjoying himself.

  “.……Ah……”


  Overcome with surprise, Vuld was looking at Karim.

  “10 years ago, after losing both of my parents at once, you had quite the guts to say ‘leave it all to me’ and drive me out of my own house. Thanks to that, I had to desperately stay alive these past ten years.”


  He was smiling but his eyes were definitely not happy. In fact, the atmosphere around him made it feel like he would start resorting to violence anytime now.

  “.……Karim.”


  As I called out his name to make sure he was in control, he smiled at me, showing that he knew and then closed his eyes for a moment.

  “There are a lot of things I would have liked to say but…… well, what do you know, now that you are finally in front of me, they don’t really come up, do they?”


  Saying that, he opened his eyes again.

  “I have already reported that, I, Karim Douma, the son of the previous head, will inherit the company. As I am an adult now, from the moment you signed that document, I am the head of the company.”


  Saying that, he looked around.

  At all the faces with expressions saying that they didn’t understand anything of what was going on, he raised the trade guilds permit papers.

  “And, as the head of the company, I now officially declare that we will be in business partnership with the Azuta conglomerate. I won’t accept any objections.”


  Karim declared. It appeared that he was a master of this, and his presence could be felt.

  “.……I am sorry but could you throw this man out? I wouldn’t bear any harm coming to my important business partners. Besides, that man has no relation with the company anymore.”


  Tanya nodded to his request and dragged Vuld out. As Vuld was still in a daze, he didn’t really resist either.

  “.……Ah, that’s right. Vuld-sama.”


  As I called his name, Tanya who was dragging him out stopped.

  “The aid money to the company is nothing but for the deficit money. The amount of money you had provided in the beginning was for the company…… On the papers you had signed just now, it had clearly stated that. Please properly pay your own debts yourself now.”


  I said with a smile.