After a while, Lunamaria-san finally recovered and bowed deeply to Kuro and me.
"My apologies. I have shown you a most unsightly side of myself."
"U-Uh, yeah. Are you okay?"
I barely managed to swallow the retort that I saw that "unsightly" side of her all too often. Kuro also looked at Luna-san with a mix of concern and bewilderment.
Well, anyway, setting the No-good Maid aside for a moment, I turned to Hina-chan.
"...Hina-chan, you seemed to be hesitating over something. Was there a magic tool you wanted?"
"Eh? Oh, yes! Look at this, Kaito-senpai! Isn't it incredible!?"
As she spoke, Hina-chan pointed toward a shoe-shaped magic tool displayed at one of the stalls.
Let’s see... fatigue reduction, wind magic assistance... Ah, I see. It was a magic tool specialized for running. It was a choice perfectly suited for Hina-chan, given her love for the sport.
"...Heh, that looks really convenient for running."
"It is! With these, I might be able to run twice as much as I do now! It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for, but... the price is..."
The price was... hmm, five Gold Coins? That wasn't much—no, wait, get a grip, Kaito. My senses were going numb. Five million yen for a single pair of shoes was outrageously expensive. Hina-chan’s reaction was the normal one.
This was all Alice’s fault for making me custom-made clothes lately. Since they were so pricey, I’d lost my perspective. If I really thought about it, the three outfits I was currently rotating through were ultra-luxury items worth ten million yen total.
While I was lost in thought, Kuro spoke up nonchalantly.
"Hmm? Hina-chan, why don't you just use the pocket money I gave you earlier?"
"Eh? Oh, come to think of it, I haven't even looked inside the bag yet. I'm so sorry."
"There are 100 Gold Coins in there, so I think you can easily afford it."
"Whaaa!?"
Hina-chan let out a strangled yelp of pure shock at Kuro’s words. Beside her, Aoi-chan—who apparently hadn't checked her bag yet either—wore an identical expression of dazed disbelief.
I mean, just casually handing out a hundred million yen as "pocket money"... yeah. Maybe my sense of money was paralyzed because the people around me were just too wealthy.
"Ch-Chrome-sama!? I-Is it really okay for us to accept... s-such a massive amount of money?"
"Ahaha, you don't need to worry about it so much. It’s not that big of an amount, really..."
"...She’s rich. That is a line only allowed for the truly rich."
Well, she was the wealthiest person in the world, after all.
"...By the way, Kuro. This is a bit late to ask, but... is the reason you're so wealthy because the sales of the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company are that incredible?"
"Hmm, that's part of it, of course... but I also hold the patents for nearly 80% of all existing magic tools, and I own about 70% of the mining rights for magic crystals. Plus, I have quite a few different investments, so I have earnings from those as well."
"I-I see... or rather, I should have guessed, but I didn't realize this world even had a patent system."
"It does. Actually, Shaltier was the one who created the system and made it standard. I have Shaltier manage the patents I hold, and in exchange, she takes 20% of the income as a management fee."
"Heh..."
I see. Alice really did have her hands in everything. I finally understood, at least in part, where she got the money to pay her subordinates' salaries. So that was how she earned her keep.
Still, Kuro was incredible in her own right. She held the patents for the magic tools that symbolized the technology of this world, and she’d even secured the rights to the magic crystals essential for making them work. As expected of a King, I suppose.
"Well, even though I say patents, I don't charge for everything. I’ve made the patents for things like magic crystal processing methods and the basic formulas used for writing magic open and free for everyone."
I was speechless. All I could think was how amazing she was. She really considered the big picture.
Overwhelmed by this new realization of Kuro’s greatness, I watched as Hina-chan decided to buy the magic tool with her "allowance." She handed the Gold Coins over to the female shopkeeper.
Kuro waited until the transaction was finished and the shoes were handed over before speaking to the woman.
"...Could I ask you something for a moment?"
"Underworld King-sama!? Y-Yes!"
"Did you write the magic formula for this magic tool yourself?"
"Y-Yes. That is correct."
"I see... it’s a beautiful formula. It’s very well-organized, and your simplification is excellent."
"I-I-I am honored!"
The woman bowed her head repeatedly, looking visibly shaken by the praise.
"...By the way, are you currently under contract with any trading companies?"
"N-No, not yet..."
"I see..."
Kuro nodded, then produced a piece of paper and a pen from thin air. She scribbled something down, tucked it into an envelope, and offered it to the woman.
"If you're interested, I’d be very happy if you visited the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company with this Letter of Introduction."
"!? U-Underworld King-sama... D-Does that mean..."
"Yeah, I'd like to hire you for our company if you're willing. Of course, I won't force you."
"Th-Thank you so much!"
It looked like she was scouting the woman right there. The shopkeeper accepted the letter with trembling hands and bowed deeply.
Being scouted by the world's largest magic tool firm... the joy on her face was unmistakable.
Kuro told her they would discuss the specific conditions when she visited, waved to the woman as she bowed one last time, and then left the stall to rejoin me.
"Sorry, I kept you waiting."
"No, it's fine... Was she really that skilled?"
Since we couldn't stand in front of the stall forever, we began walking away with Lilia-san and the others as we talked.
I still didn't have a good eye for the quality of a magic formula, but Kuro must have seen something special in her.
"Hmm, in terms of raw technique, she’s probably not quite there yet. However, she was exceptionally good at simplifying formulas. The talent to organize a formula compactly is vital. If the formula is compact, the magic crystal required can be smaller, which keeps production costs down. A girl with that kind of sense is perfect for product development."
"I see..."
I caught a glimpse of Kuro the CEO just then, and it was quite impressive. Her decisiveness—scouting talent the moment she spotted it—was exactly what I’d expect from the head of a world-class company.
As I was thinking that, Kuro suddenly grasped my hand tightly. Her serious business expression melted away, replaced by a soft, beaming smile.
"Kaito-kun, where should we go after the Magic Tool Area?"
"Hmm, let's see..."
Dear Mother, Father—I think Kuro is cool when she has the expression of a business owner or a King, but as I thought, I love this face of hers, smiling so happily, the most. Being able to see it from the closest possible vantage point is a wonderful thing—I think it’s a lover’s privilege.
Serious-senpai: "...Th-This feeling... Oh no! My experience and intuition are screaming... the next chapter is going to be... s-so much sugar!?"