Passtel worked hard to push for a one-on-one tournament and finalize the budget proposal.
It wasn’t just about playing around; she really had to run around busily.
There was a mountain of work that couldn’t be left to Ellie and Dustyn, such as persuading the faculty who had the authority for additional budget decisions and meeting with the bothersome administrative staff.
Ugh.
“The disaster I brought upon myself…!”
After finishing price negotiations with the relevant trading guilds, she returned to her lodging only at night.
In her pajamas, Passtel thrashed around in bed in agony.
“Devil! Devil! Please do my work for me! I don’t want to work! I don’t want to work! I want to live like a bum!”
The demon, who was massaging Passtel’s thighs, looked very displeased after getting kicked in the foot.
『Just how much do you want from me?』
How much?
“Like this much! This much! ”
Passtel spread her arms as far as she could while lying on her stomach. As she waved them, a large area on the bed was marked like angel wings.
“Everything!”
Just live instead of me!
I want a happy life!
“I imagine my ideal life! I’d make plans with my friends and go out every day! Then, since I would be short on living expenses, the devil can work for me! Just fill my pockets!”
『Wow, you’re quite bold now.』
The demon was flabbergasted.
Passtel’s eyes sparkled as she envisioned her happy life.
Brain buzzing…!
Buzz buzz buzz~!
“Of course, you can’t cover my meal expenses, right? Magic stones at gold prices? That’s nonsense! Even the devil can’t handle that! But luckily, I have a smart idea!”
Still lying down, she turned her upper body to look at the demon at her feet.
“Aren’t you curious? Curious! Super curious! Oh, I’m curious! Please ask, hurry!”
The demon raised one corner of its mouth as if to scoff.
『Not curious.』
Gulp.
Not curious, huh.
Passtel gasped in shock.
Then she rolled her eyes and cheerfully shouted.
“I knew you would be curious!”
『Don’t interpret it your way.』
“I’ll tell you! Right away, the devil will dress up like me and earn money just like this! So, like a pink and fluffy Passtel! No, like a pink and fluffy devil!”
As she spoke, Passtel imagined the image. Layering a pink dress over the drab suit the demon wore.
Oh?
A pink dress devil?
She dubbed the imagined scene with her voice.
“Not curious~.”
Gulp.
Totally doesn’t suit it.
Ahaha!
Passtel pounded the bed excitedly and laughed to herself.
Bam! Bam!
Struggling, a puff of air escaped from the demon as it was hit by Passtel’s foot again. The imprint of her bare foot turned red on the demon’s face.
『Try to develop some independence. This is getting worse by the minute.』
Then, it pressed down on Passtel’s thigh with the palm of its hand. The muscles twisted under the pressure.
Ouch.
Did my muscle twist?
Pain that started in her hips surged to her head and spread throughout her body.
“Kyah-!”
With a scream, Passtel twisted her body.
Pain!
Ow!
Tears welled up in her eyes. She grasped the bedspread tightly. The bedspread wrinkled under her grip.
“Devil! Devil! It hurts! It hurts!”
『Just try to endure it.』
“Bad person! Bad person!”
Passtel hurled furious accusations.
The demon scoffed.
『I am a bad person.』
“Y-Yeah?!”
Is it showing its true colors now?!
The demon’s hand grabbed her other thigh. With no mercy, it pressed down on her muscles. The muscle twisted.
Ouch.
Did my muscle twist again?
“Kyah-!”
Passtel trembled and cried.
Bad person!
Totally a bad person…!
#
Today, Passtel felt good.
Typically, yes, but today felt special?
It wasn’t just because she finished preparing for the tournament, but because the smuggling ship sent to the demon realm returned.
Wow~!
All my assets returned with compounded interest!
If it hadn’t returned, I would have been facing bankruptcy due to the reckless takeover of Prism Upper Realms, but I survived.
Passtel brought the trumpet she had used during the welcome for transfer students. Blowing the trumpet, she watched the airships docking.
Toot toot~!
“Welcome, welcome!”
Her heart raced.
Passtel’s cheeks flushed red. She couldn’t contain her excitement. Taking a deep breath, she puffed her cheeks and blew the trumpet with all her might.
Toot toot~!
Toot toot~!
Ah, this isn’t enough to express how I’m feeling right now.
She placed a hand on her heart.
Thump thump thump thump.
Her heart was beating unusually fast. Surely it was due to her excited feelings.
“Devil! Devil! I’m feeling so excited! What’s this all about?”
『It makes sense since you successfully completed the first transaction of the Crafting Guild. You need not worry too much about meal expenses from now on.』
“Ah! That’s right! That’s right!”
Passtel realized her own feelings.
This pounding is the thrill of passive income!
Miraculously watching magic stone boxes stack up just from sending out transactions without working!
The security of waking up and finding her account filled just by sleeping.
Her mouth gaped open.
“This is what a landlord’s heartbeat feels like?!”
『In a way, yes, but it’s a rather shallow sentiment. Try to have a child’s sentiment instead.』
She pretended not to hear the guardian’s wish.
Wow wow.
I, a landlord of passive income.
Passtel brought the trumpet to her lips.
With passion, she tooted~!
Sending her true feelings toward the anchored airships.
Just as the cause met the effect, a blonde girl on the airship’s railing stared at Passtel.
A girl wearing a wizard robe and holding a staff.
Her name was Melissa Camerott.
Oh.
Passtel froze in the position she was in while playing the trumpet.
Somehow, Melissa’s hair looked frizzy, and she wore a grim expression. It seemed that the rough journey affected her gentle nature poorly.
Her heart raced.
Her mind was pounding.
Wow?!
Even so, with a sense of conscience, Passtel began to tremble. Cold sweat trickled down her body.
If there was a major crisis in her life, it would be this moment.
It was a super crisis!
Ahh.
I, I honestly didn’t expect it to be this hard.
I had sent Melissa with such a light heart, like asking a friend to handle a package, but I never expected it to be so taxing that I would need to take a leave of absence.
Back when I was involved in smuggling, all I had to do was deal with hardships like encountering pirates.
Of course, pirates were very scary entities, but I thought, since Melissa was strong, she could handle it easily, which gave me some sense of comfort.
I have no one to blame but myself for trusting Melissa too much…!
Melissa, now off the ship, approached with the sound of her heels.
“Crafters.”
Ahh.
Melissa, who had gotten close and casually called Passtel by her name without even asking for permission, called her back using her title!
Tremble tremble.
The trumpet stuck in Passtel’s mouth made a sound.
Toot toot…
Melissa glared at her. Then, in an icy voice, she said.
“You are greedy.”
The words pierced her heart.
The pink girl swayed.
Gulp, greedy.
The nice Melissa is so forceful in her condemnation…!
It felt like going from best friends to estranged acquaintances!
Passtel’s eyes filled with tears.
“Um, how much?”
“Huh?”
She repeated in a quivering voice.
“How greedy am I…?”
“Huh? Well, I’m not sure.”
Melissa seemed flustered, then pondered deeply.
“Your level of greed could be calculated by the difference in profit margins between regular trade and smuggling. However, to do that, we first need to know the actual tax rate applied to trade—not just the legal tax rate. Because there are many ways to save even if it’s not tax evasion.”
The top student crossed her arms and focused.
“However, knowing the actual tax rate does not immediately resolve your greedy nature. Since smuggling incurs additional costs from not going through regular routes, that needs to be calculated separately, right?”
It sounded like she wanted an answer.
Passtel, who was on the verge of tears, rolled her eyes.
She only asked how hurt Melissa was, and yet this is what I get—how perplexing.
“Um, I think that’s right.”
“But additional costs should also account for not just calculated expenses, but also the risks involved in smuggling. The legal and reputational risks that come when smuggling is discovered.”
As she said this, Melissa tapped her arm with her finger, crossing it.
“However, it would be unrealistic for someone inexperienced like me to accurately calculate the real tax rates and the income and expenditure including risks. Ultimately, all one can do is make rough estimates through inferences.”
Passtel, who had been listening blankly, examined the trumpet.
Oh, it’s got drool on it.
She wiped it off with her sleeve.
Sparkling clean.
“Oh, it’s spotless.”
“However, using approximations to calculate human greed is a very rude act. Therefore, that too is off the table. Thus, we can tentatively conclude that it is impossible to accurately calculate or even estimate it.”
Melissa seemed a bit proud as she spoke straight.
“The conclusion is that your level of greed has not been clearly calculable yet.”
Passtel, who had been lost in thought, gazed blankly into Melissa’s eyes.
“Huh, are you giving up on the calculations?”
At the top student’s question, Melissa flinched. She seemed flustered and retraced her thoughts.
“P-please wait. I’ll rethink it from the start.”
Passtel muttered blankly.
“Huh, rethinking it?”
Hearing that she couldn’t get it on the first try seemed to make Melissa flinch again.
Her blue eyes rolled around, surveying the area. She could see the airship dock and busy Crafting Guild members.
“That’s true. There are many experienced people around here. While a brief conversation may not fully reflect the field, it can improve the inaccuracy of the approximation.”
Melissa’s eyes glimmered as if she found the answer.
“Crafters, you were right. Improving the inaccuracy of the approximation so that it isn’t rude is the answer. Please wait; I’ll be back soon.”
The wizard’s robe fluttered as her heels echoed away.
Melissa sought permission from nearby Crafting Guild members and asked for advice.
Passtel was left standing alone.
Huh?
Rubbing her eyes in confusion.
She wasn’t sure, but it seemed like the furious atmosphere had dissipated?
Could she apologize and go back to being friends now?
Yep.
She put the trumpet in her mouth.
Toot toot~!
This is the 100th step in making friends!
The popular Passtel does not fight with friends~!
Toot toot~!
