The Neighborhood High School Girl, Miss Isezaki, Is the Great Saintess Returned from Another World~ And I, Suddenly Awakened as Her Exclusive Mana Supply Uncle, Travel Between Earth and Another World with Time-Space Magic~ - 223. Business Negotiation

223. 223. 223. 223. Business Negotiation

Colin and I used [Dimensional Teleport] to arrive at Mr. Juuzou’s hospital room.

“Oh, you’re here. Good to see you,” 

Mr. Juuzou greeted us warmly as we appeared before him. He really had grown accustomed to this. After a brief exchange of greetings, his curious gaze fell on Colin.

“Hmm, so this is… the one?”

“Yes, she’s accompanying me as a bodyguard from another world—”

“I’m Colin! Nice to meet you!” 

“Oh, uh, yes. Nice to meet you too. Hmm… I’ve heard about you, but still, it’s hard to imagine such a small child being capable of serving as a bodyguard— No, wait. Forgive me. I’ve recently learned that applying my own logic to another world is… unwise.”

Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Mr. Juuzou seemed to recall a recent incident where his skepticism about the other world had angered Isezaki-san.

“She’s defeated one villain after another over there. Honestly, she’s far stronger than most adults.”

“Is that so? As small as she is… appearances can be deceiving.”

“Hehe.”

“Indeed, indeed,” 

Mr. Juuzou muttered, his expression softening as he looked at Colin. It was almost as if she were his grandchild. Of course, she hadn’t just defeated villains—she’d outright killed them—but I figured that part was better left unsaid to Mr. Juuzou.

“…So, then. Matsunaga, you’re planning to pitch that medicine to Shouda, aren’t you? I’ve known him for a long time, and I understand how to handle him. If you want, I could sit in with you.”

“Thank you, but your support alone is more than enough. I’ll try handling this on my own.”

After all, this was my personal business venture. It wouldn’t feel right to lean on Mr. Juuzou too much.

At my reply, Mr. Juuzou sank into his sofa. A slightly bitter expression crossed his face.  

“I see. Then go ahead and give it a try. But be careful—he’s not easy to deal with. He’s talented, but, well, troublesome.”

Ugh. Did he really have to say that now? Suddenly, I was feeling a lot more nervous.

Maybe I should have Mr. Juuzou come along after all—no, no. I’d already made a confident declaration. It would be embarrassing to backtrack now.

I had to focus, steel myself, and do this on my own.

“Well, I’ll be on my way, then.”

“Alright. I wish you a fruitful negotiation.”

Returning his nod with a somewhat stiff smile, I left the room.

◇◇◇

Colin and I headed to Mr. Shouda’s hospital room after stepping into the VIP lobby. Though spacious, it didn’t take long to reach his room. It was located fairly close to Mr. Juuzou’s.

I pressed the intercom button outside the door.

“Thank you for seeing me the other day. My name is Koutarou Matsunaga. I heard from Mr. Jounai that you had something to discuss with me, so I’ve come.”

“Thank you for taking the time. Please come in,” 

Mr. Shouda’s calm voice came over the intercom, followed by the sound of the door unlocking. 

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself before stepping into the room with Colin.

The interior was spacious, fitting for a VIP room. Though, it lacked the opulence of Mr. Juuzou’s. The simplicity of the design stood out starkly, with functional furniture arranged neatly. The room’s starkness gave it a cold, sterile feel.

Standing in the center of the room, Mr. Shouda greeted us. He seemed to be in good condition, showing no signs of needing a cane.

“Thank you for coming, Matsunaga-san. I had to ask Juuzou to connect us because there’s something I must ask you—oh, and who might this be?”

“I’m sorry. This is my sister’s daughter. I’m looking after her right now, and she’s at an age where I can’t leave her alone…”

“I’m Colin. Nice to meet you!” 

“Nice to meet you too, Colin-chan. I rarely have visitors, so it’s nice to have some liveliness around here. Now, would you like something to drink?”

“Oh, there’s no need to trouble yourself.”

“I’d like juice! Orange is my favorite!”

“Haha, I happen to have some orange juice. Make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll bring it right out.”

Feeling slightly awkward, I sat on the sofa. Though simple, the sofa felt luxurious. Its soft, smooth material was incredibly comfortable.

Mr. Shouda left the room briefly, returning soon after with a tray. He placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of me and a glass of orange juice before Colin.

As I took a sip of the aromatic coffee—far superior to instant—Mr. Shouda spoke up, watching Colin drink her juice with a smile.

“The results of my regular check-up have come in.”

It seemed the conversation was about to take a serious turn. Mr. Shouda picked up a sheet of paper from the table and turned it toward me.

“…The cancer that had metastasized throughout my body disappeared, and even the primary tumor in my lungs shrank significantly.”

“Is that so? Congratulations!”

“Thank you… though I must say, you don’t seem surprised.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was a terminal cancer patient, wasn’t I? Such a sudden improvement shouldn’t be possible. My attending doctor was trying to hide his disbelief, but even he seemed too astonished to be entirely happy.”

“Is that so? I’ve heard stories of miraculous recoveries on TV. I don’t think it’s entirely impossible.”

Learning from my experience with Mr. Juuzou, I decided not to immediately attribute the recovery to the potion. Instead, I wanted to ease Mr. Shouda into realizing the truth without overwhelming him.

“TV is full of fiction. When my cancer was first diagnosed, I tried all sorts of things. But none of them worked. …….But then, it turned out the miracle was closer than I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“Juuzou, of course. Until recently, he’d say things like, ‘I’ll go ahead and wait for you on the other side’. He was on the verge of death himself. But before I knew it, he was jogging in the mornings. Naturally, I asked him what had happened. But all he would say was that it must have been a miracle.”

Mr. Shouda shrugged, exasperated, but his narrowed eyes gleamed sharply. He then abruptly cut to the chase.

“—The water that Riori-chan made me drink the other day. I believe that’s what caused my cancer to shrink. Thinking back, the moment I drank it, the fatigue in my body vanished. And I could walk without a cane. …Am I right, Matsunaga-san?”

It seemed he had deduced the truth on his own. That made things simpler. I nodded.

“You’re correct. That water—a potion—has healing properties. I wasn’t certain how effective it would be, but I’m glad to see it worked even on cancer.”

“Hmm, so your sales pitch caught me after all. …And where exactly did you obtain this potion? Can you continue to procure it?”

“I’m afraid I can’t disclose the source. However, I can sell it to you.”

Since I planned to sell potions to others as well, I intended to keep the details as vague as possible. But—

“…Not knowing the source is problematic,” 

Mr. Shouda said, furrowing his brow and speaking earnestly.

“I had resigned myself to death once, but living longer has sparked new desires. Right now, I’m willing to cling to any lifeline. Even in retirement, I still have influence, and it would be troublesome if potions were ever used as leverage or a threat. That’s why I need to know where they come from—for safety’s sake.”

Though his tone remained soft, there was a quiet intensity behind his words. However, I couldn’t back down either.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot share the source.”

“I’ll promise to buy only from you, as long as there’s no trouble—no matter how high the price.”

“Even so, I must decline.”

“…….I see. Then it can’t be helped.”

Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had accepted my response, Mr. Shouda clapped his hands.

Suddenly, the door behind us burst open. Several large men in black suits and sunglasses stormed in. They surrounded us in an instant. Mr. Shouda’s thin lips curved into a satisfied smile.

“So, will you reconsider my request now?”