The Corrupted Daily Life of an Alchemist Who Returned on His Own - Episode 10: Resolved?

Episode 10: Resolved?

“Izaki-sama, I’ve come to pick you up.”

“Onii-chan, since when did you get so important?”

“Evening, or maybe past midnight. Also, I’ve been the most important person in this world since I was born.”

At the entrance.

I gently placed the kindest hand in this world on Minami’s head.

“Minami.”

“Wha—! This kind of thing isn’t trendy! Onii-chan’s broken!”

“Minami.”

I called out to her gently.

“W-what is it.”

Minami. This time, I’ve made it so you can do anything you wanted to become.

“Hmph. You bear the same surname ‘Izaki’ as me.”

“Onii-chan, what’s wrong? Are you really broken?”

“Etch this into your heart. No matter what wrongdoing Minami gets into—Minami, I’ll be on your side. That’s only natural for someone sharing the same surname.”

“W-what? That sounded like you’re saying I can do anything I want.”

“What are you saying, Minami? Of course you can.”

Minami is slightly frightened by my casual declaration.

Why are you so surprised?

I’m the only man on the continent who defied logic.

Even the women and unemployed guys out there, as long as they paid the price, everyone ended up smiling in the end.

…It took me a few seconds to remember this is Earth.

Still—my fundamental philosophy hasn’t changed.

“You carry the same surname as me. Whether you seduce a man, commit murder, steal from a shop—if you say you want something, I’ll allow it.”

“O-Onii-chan…”

“It’s okay. I’m just saying I’ll be on Minami’s side. No need to overthink. Now, I need to go.”

“Y-yeah.”

With the driver saluting behind us, I left the house.

*

“Welcome! Izaki-kun!”

“Yeah.”

Upon entering.

The chairman seemed to be waiting for me. Various dishes were lined up on a long table.

He opened both arms wide and welcomed me with a full smile.

I pulled my hand from my pocket and exchanged a firm handshake with the chairman.

“Come on, Kimura, you sit down too!”

“Ahaha.”

“Ah—so you’re Kimura-san. Thank you for the other day.”

I also exchanged a firm handshake with Kimura, the aide, and sat down.

“May I call you Izaki-san?”

“What are you saying, Kimura-san? You’re older than me, right? Call me however you like.”

“──No.”

Kimura gently shook his head and smiled warmly as he continued.

“According to our projections, if it weren’t for your advice, the Shiranami Holdings wouldn’t have just taken a hit, but a huge one. The damages alone would’ve amounted to hundreds of billions of yen. I was skeptical. But the chairman’s bold decision resolved it.”

“Oh, let’s not dwell on that! Time to eat!”

When Kimura looked at the chairman, he found the chairman was already happily fixated on the western cuisine before him.

With a silent sigh, I started eating.

And it’s not even noon yet.

“Izaki-kun, maybe you’re too young to appreciate this?”

“Back when I was your age, I’d be delighted just with rice and miso soup.”

The chairman’s totally drunk.

What am I supposed to do?

In front of me is a spread of Japanese cuisine and French… I guess?

Anyway, I stuffed my mouth with the mountain of dishes piled on plates.

“Izaki-san, this is a seasonal five-dish assortment. I think it’s easier to eat from around here.”

“Ah, thank you for the consideration.”

I don’t like being too mindful. But Kimura-san even carefully served portions for me.

I don’t want to admit it, but he has the elegant feel of a typical Japanese father. So I couldn’t help but say it.

“There’s meat too. The chairman doesn’t eat much, so feel free to finish it. Also, this food is planned to be delivered to your family too. So no need to hold back.”

How thoroughly prepared.

Thanks, Kimura-san.

Be my assistant already.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. I have a son and daughter around your age. So I can’t help but see you in that light.”

Then, from a little distance, I once again glanced at the chairman who was drinking like an idiot all by himself.

Hasn’t even been 30 minutes since he started.

“Oh, and I’ve been entrusted with settling the deal terms with you on the chairman’s behalf. So please rest easy.”

“That’s good to hear. I was worried things might not go well in his state.”

“Hahaha. He may look like that now, but yesterday, he was handling things with a terrifying expression. Honestly, I don’t want to see that version of him again.”

What the hell happened?

Well, true, it’s my first time seeing him this cheerful.

“Looks like you’ve eaten quite a bit. Oh, feel free to eat as I talk. I’ll go over the details.”

He handed me a file neatly compiled just for me.

“What Izaki-san wanted in this deal is: one expendable location, a subsidiary established under Shiranami, and three bundles of cash—is that correct?”

“Of course.”

“We’ll skip the cash part since the chairman said he’ll handle it personally. Regarding the expendable location, what’s the intended use?”

“Well, there’ll be some filth involved. So a place where stuff can be flushed away… does that make sense?”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

“No, no. That face—you don’t trust me, do you?”

“Even the chairman told me to show you some consideration. He said, ‘Don’t go overboard with revenge.’”

Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?

“We’re Shiranami, you know? We’ve already grasped most of your surrounding situation. We understand your classmates have done some pretty awful things to you.”

Kimura responded immediately, watching my expression.

Ah. I see now.

That’s right—I’d almost forgotten.

“Thank you.”

“It may not be perfect, but the chairman said if anything happens, Shiranami’s got your back. So rest easy.”

“He’s really come around, huh?”

“Well… anyone would, if someone saved them in the face of death. Not only were the numbers bad, but the chairman’s whole family was in danger. There were too many unknowns about how far things could escalate.”

…Makes sense.

That incident immediately hit the news, too.

And it took a lot to turn trillions in red into black.

“There’s a suitable plot of land nearby. So shall we go with that? Or do you have something in mind?”

“That sounds good. The place should fit the purpose, right?”

“If it’s just about the purpose, then yes. It’s perfect—from noise control to avoiding detection.”

Kimura-san… you’ve got a brilliant smile for someone discussing shady business with a teenager.

“It helps me a lot though.”

“If I think of you as my own son… it makes my bl00d boil. Like, what the hell did they do to you!”

“I appreciate you saying that.”

“You’re quite mature for your age. So, shall we go with that location for now?”

“Yes. Then, about the subsidiary?”

“Right. Shall we finalize that next?”

As I talked with Kimura-san, evening quickly turned to night.

The conversation shifted to investment topics and got lively.

I thought it wasn’t that popular in this era. But it seems Kimura-san’s a bit eccentric.

We went from tech discussions to Shiranami’s current projects and vision—a variety of topics came up.

Yup. Probably tons of confidential info being leaked.

That makes me a bit uneasy.

But seeing how much Kimura-san trusts me, I can’t feel bad about it.

And before I knew it, it was past midnight—and with the chairman joining in, we talked until morning.

…Wait a second.

I’m a third-year middle schooler, aren’t I?