Previously!
The occupying Sukeban were a bunch of pushovers, and thankfully, Kaiser's 'Daily Health Farm' was actually a munitions factory!
After accepting the Sukeban's surrender, I put them to work here!
"That is all. President Min-chul."
"It's Director. And what's with the 'Min-chul'?"
The person, no, the tin can in front of me now is Director Park Min-chul. He showed up suddenly while I had the Sukeban cleaning up the factory.
Actually, I had anticipated this to some extent. Common sense dictates that even if they were trying to snatch my foundational business, they wouldn't give me a business so shitty I couldn't even build a foundation.
A munitions factory conquered by Sukeban? If they were going to give me something, they might as well have given me a business that makes bags or something.
In other words, from his perspective, it was like trying to lead a sucker to a cult but accidentally taking them to a violent gang's hideout.
Thankfully, that violent gang was on the level of kids playing house, so I beat them all.
"Is there a problem?"
"...No, it's just that."
"Ah. I've stored the important-looking documents separately. Of course, I haven't read them."
Of course, it's highly unlikely they came all this way just to reclaim a single munitions factory. A corporation as big as Kivotos' largest wouldn't suffer a major blow from losing one small factory, especially one that could be conquered by Sukeban. This means they came here with another purpose.
For example, a classified document detailing the reason they had to build even a small munitions factory like this.
Fortunately, they weren't complete morons and had hidden the classified documents well. That's probably why the Sukeban couldn't find them either.
"Arin?"
"Right here, Boss."
As I spoke, Arin, with her long black hair, handed over a bundle of documents from behind me as if she had been waiting.
However, I had forgotten that due to a lack of time and money, I had the girls working in their Sukeban outfits, so Arin showed up dressed as a Sukeban. It's partly my fault for putting them to work immediately, but is she crazy?
No. The Director might not notice—
"...Are you employing Sukeban now?"
He noticed immediately, damn it. I'll have to get them work clothes after this is over.
So what now? What else? I'll bluff.
Of course, they're real Sukeban, but from now on, let's just say they're not. Having Sukeban as employees would cause a lot of problems.
"What? Where are the Sukeban?"
"Well, that one over there is picking up a gun."
"They just wear weird masks, their school uniforms are a bit rebellious, and they don't go to school, but they're not Sukeban."
How can he judge a race by their attire? Maybe because he's a robot, it was hard for him to see from a human perspective.
What do you mean, what race? Just go with it.
"That's what we call... sigh, never mind."
Faced with my flawless logic, the director was so struck with admiration that he dropped the argument.
Then, as if confirming the documents he received were the ones he wanted, he began to look like he was ready to leave. Since I'd chased away the Sukeban and already established the business, it seemed he wouldn't insist on moving me to a different one.
'Well, even if he told me to change businesses, I was planning to protect this one with my life.'
"Well then, do your best for the next year."
"Yes, President Min-chul."
"It's Director. Ah, right. What did you decide for the company name?"
Company name.
No, not just for a company, a name is a crucial means of expressing an entity's identity.
For example:
Because three academies merged, Trinity.
Because it devours everything for itself, Kaiser (Emperor).
Because wearing a helmet is their identity, Helmet Gang (Morons).
Something like that.
What is the name of our factory?
After long and hard consideration, I came up with a name.
"We are 'The Farm'."
Farm. Usually a place where one tills fields to cultivate crops.
So, what meaning does our munitions factory, 'The Farm', hold?
"What does that mean?"
The director, having the same question, asked me.
The reason, of course, is.
"Using 'Daily Health Farm' as is would be fucking... no, it's just plain shitty, isn't it?"
"If you were going to say it anyway, why did you stutter?"
"I was too pissed off to sugarcoat it."
"Hah, aide. Let's go."
His business concluded, the director turned and headed for his car.
And just before the car took off.
"...Are you sure you didn't check the documents?"
"I'm sure, so just get going already."
Only after I confirmed it again did the director's aide start the engine.
Finally, they're leaving.
Son of a bitch.
I'll fucking destroy you one day.
Unaware that my gaze was fixed on the classified documents, the director's car drove away.
* * *
After Director Min-chul left, I ordered the employees to finish the tasks I had assigned them earlier.
What tasks, you ask? Cleaning, of course. True to their Sukeban nature, they had left the factory in a total mess.
I told them to throw out all the trash and gather all the weapons, separating the used from the unused.
"Boss!"
"Ah, you're done?"
"Yep! Come over here!"
Following Sarin into the factory, I was greeted by dozens of guns and three or four boxes of explosives, including grenades.
The quantity was enormous at a single glance. It would be worth a pretty penny if converted to cash.
"...Sarin, Arin."
"Yes, Boss!"
"Right here."
I was worried, but...
You really don't disappoint me.
"Are you serious? All of this is..."
"That is correct."
"This is all used, you motherfuckers?!"
They never fail to disappoint my expectation that they might not meet the standard of being completely useless.
You crazy goddamn Sukeban.
"...We have no excuse."
"We used it all up~!"
Let's say the explosives are fine, since even a slight scratch or suspicion of being defective would classify them as used.
But what the hell does a ten-member Sukeban group do to use up around thirty guns?
"...The subordinates were using Kaiser-made weapons for the first time, so they just started firing them off..."
If you say it like that, it makes me look like a total asshole.
...
Wait, no. They were using Kaiser-made weapons for the first time?
"You can find Kaiser-made stuff all over the Black Market, can't you?"
"..."
"Ahem..."
Are these bastards lying to me on their first day of work? No, before that, on the very first day we met?
You might think it's not a big deal. Since it's a munitions factory, we can produce more guns, and these aren't broken, just used.
However.
"Speak honestly if you don't want to die."
I don't care about the other Sukeban. But Goto Arin and Goto Sarin. These two shouldn't lie.
Probably, no, almost certainly, they will take on the most important roles after me.
And I have my suspicions. If those suspicions are true, it would actually be an advantage. So I have to confirm it.
"Hey~ Still not talking? You're a tough bunch."
At my words full of affection, Arin, who had been leading the lying, immediately shut her mouth, and Sarin stammered out a reply.
"W-well... we were playing around with them..."
"How?"
"Like, we tried cutting them to make them shoot harder, modified them, and used a lot of force..."
"Just using more force won't make the bullets stronger... Sarin."
"Hey! I'm telling you, it really does shoot harder!"
"Both of you, shut it."
"Yes."
"Yep."
After silencing them both, I grabbed my head and started to think.
So. They used most of the guns as test subjects, taking them apart, enjoying them, and savoring them?
...Hah, what the hell do I do now.
This is fucking perfect.
The reason I wanted a munitions factory is simple. It's the biggest blue ocean.
Huh? What am I talking about? In an academy city where one gun per person is the standard, why would munitions be a blue ocean?
It's true that Kivotos is overflowing with guns, but this is like seeing the trees and not the forest.
The massive supply of firearms is not just due to high supply, but because of a crazy entity called Kaiser.
The insane labor force from automata, not students or beastmen. Insane contract clauses that have thrown human rights to the dogs. And the endless capital flowing from their sprawling, octopus-like conglomerate.
Even if some other munitions factory tried to do something, it would be impossible to withstand the pressure from Kaiser, which is known to operate on the borderline between legal and illegal.
So, in reality, most of the current munitions market is dominated by Kaiser, which controls the prices. A bunch of bastards.
Well, normally it would be impossible for me too... but what's my affiliation right now?
'Status of a Contract Worker
Upon the signing of this contract, 'Party B' shall assume the status of a Kaiser contract worker.'
One year until the contract ends. For exactly one year, I am nominally part of Kaiser, so I can ignore most of the pressure.
What kind of crazy company would tell its own employee to stop working? Well, since it's Kaiser, I'll prepare some firewalls just in case.
Coming back to the point, for that reason, the fact that Sarin modified the guns is good news for me.
Now. Let's think for a moment. Even if 'The Farm', as a Kaiser subsidiary, could ignore the pressure and supply goods cheaply, there would be obstacles in terms of quantity and reliability. So how do we find a unique feature to overcome this problem?
It's simple. We just have to make them shoot harder.
How do we make them shoot harder?
We can find the answer in Sarin's words.
"and used a lot of force..."
What nonsense is this? You may not believe it, but it's true.
During the fight earlier, I caught Arin's and Sarin's bullets with my hands, but only one bullet hurt. Sarin's.
The reason for that is the 'force' Arin mentioned, or more accurately, 'Mystic'.
Then, a question. Unlike adults or automata, why do students possess extraordinary physical abilities despite their organic bodies?
Why was Sarin's bullet more painful than Arin's, and my sister's bullet more painful than mine, even with the same gun and bullet?
The answer to that, too, is Mystic.
Someone I knew once told me that most people who are called 'strong' utilize Mystic in this way, either consciously or unconsciously.
However, unlike the body, a gun has a complex structure, making it difficult to imbue with Mystic. So if the gun's output also increases, they're either truly strong or a genius, they said.
'...Why is Sarin a Sukeban? Her talent seems to be on par with my sister's.'
Why is a Sukeban so skilled at using Mystic, and why does she wear a hair tie with a box cutter blade attached in case her hair gets grabbed?
Anyway, the fact that Sarin, a perfect talent in combat, has researched how to increase simple output and how to better imbue Mystic is nothing short of good news.
Even more so since the subjects of that research were the products we'll be selling in the future.
Great! I have a grasp of what to do for the next week or so.
First, I need to let them know... but I can't go to each of them individually.
"This won't do. Gather everyone."
"Y-yes!"
At my words, Arin and Sarin started to run off in a hurry.
Why are they like scared dogs...
...Wait, how does this look from their perspective?
Right after I started with
"Both of you, shut it."
"Yes."
"Yep."
And then thought hard for about 10 seconds before saying
"This won't do. Gather everyone."
...That's what happened, right?
"...Uhm."
...I feel like I've become the evil boss who establishes discipline on the first day.
I'll have to explain things properly when they get here.
* * *
"What are you doing?"
"A token... ugh, of our apology..."
"Do... ge... za..."
No, that's not dogeza, that's more like hazing.
And even if there are only ten of you, if you bow your heads like that, it makes me look weird. I'm a soft-hearted person, you know.
"...Get up."
"But..."
"I'm not mad. That's not why I called you here in the first place."
As soon as I finished speaking, everyone stood up straight.
...I feel a little bad. They must have had a hard time. Why were they doing unsolicited hazing anyway...
"Sit down and listen. I'm going to tell you our business plan."
Then, I brought out a whiteboard I had picked up somewhere in the factory. This factory, though old, had more useful things than I thought. Even a rotten company is still Kaiser, I guess. Though it's mine now.
First, I wrote the word Farm in big letters in the middle of the whiteboard.
"Alright, this is our company. The Farm. For now, it's under my name, but what happens if it doesn't become a super awesome company within a year? It all goes to Kaiser."
Kaiser's reputation seems to be truly in the gutter, as everyone started whispering about becoming slaves.
"Fortunately, while I may be trash, I'm trash who knows what human rights are, so I'll take care of you as much as I can. Anyway. So how do we become a super awesome company?"
Under the word 'Farm', I wrote 'Munitions Factory'.
"Luckily for us, we have Kaiser's technology."
As if I had more to say, I gestured for the Goto sisters to stand up, and they scrambled to their feet.
"And we have these two as well. Arin, Sarin. From now on, they are directors."
Whispers spread at the word 'director'.
Right, I was worried it would be seen as preferential treatment.
"What's a director?"
"The boss's right-hand man, an executive, you idiot."
"Oh, so our bosses are becoming executives?"
"I guess so? Well. They're both good at what they do, right?"
"That's true."
...It really is a family-like atmosphere.
They acknowledge their abilities, and there are no complaints?
A world of difference from the sibling I know.
"Anyway. Administrative and financial matters will be handled by Internal Affairs Director Goto Arin, while planning related to munitions will be handled by Operations Director Goto Sarin. Got it?"
When they both nodded, I gestured for them to sit down.
"Congrats, Bosses!"
"...Thank you, everyone."
"Hehe, it's only natural, isn't it~!"
"Sarin, please."
The two sat down amidst the applause of the other eight, and only after the atmosphere calmed down did I continue.
"Fortunately, we have some initial capital, a factory, and some goods. So what should we do now?"
"We sell them!"
"Who's going to know and how will they buy it? Rejected."
"We advertise!"
"We don't have that kind of money. But that's the right answer. How are we going to advertise?"
At that, the Sukeban, no, the employees now, started talking amongst themselves, racking their brains.
The more I look at them, the more I think they're too good to be Sukeban. How did they end up like this?
Well, it's all the fault of Kivotos, of the General Student Council's incompetence, isn't it? These tax-thieving bastards.
"Alright. Listen up. What we're going to do is noise marketing."
Noise marketing.
A type of high-risk, high-return advertising technique that deliberately creates issues to advertise and inform consumers about a product.
"What do you have in mind? Noise marketing also requires a certain level of recognition."
"Good question, Arin. Listen carefully, from now on, you all will be."
A single word was written on the whiteboard.
A long English word starting with M.
It was one of the three great academies, along with Gehenna and Trinity.
"A major academy that's about to hold an awards ceremony. You're going there."
It was Millennium.
"So, Boss, no, President. Are we entering our weapons too?"
"Nope. We're going to cause a ruckus."
"Yes. Wait, what?"
"Don't you know what noise marketing is? First, it has to be damn noisy, doesn't it?"
What are you all standing around for?
That Sukeban vehicle you used to ride, it still works, right?
Sorry, but it's time to get back to your main line of work.