Chapter 21 - The Arrival of the Princess
After personally taking down a cadre from the Selfish Organization, Ash nonchalantly made his way back to the organization's base located in the bowling alley.
"Hey!" As soon as he entered, he bumped into the young cadre named Ira, who seemed to be in a disheveled state.
"Have you seen that guy, Bel? No matter how I try to contact him, he never replies. What's up with him?"
When Bel left earlier, he only mentioned causing trouble for Precure, but he never disclosed any details on how or where to find them. As a result, now that he and Marmo encountered other troubles and needed his help, they couldn't reach him.
"How would I know about that? Maybe Precure took care of him in some dark corner."
It was Ash, the mastermind, who effortlessly spewed lies without batting an eye or a racing heart. At the same time, he paid attention to Ira's expression. He noticed that the person's face first froze upon hearing those words, then turned mocking.
"If that's the case, it can only mean he's incompetent, truly bringing shame to King Jikochū!"
Alright, it's confirmed, a typical backstabbing-type villainous organization. Case closed.
This relationship can't be described as a harmonious family reunion, but at the very least, it's a battle of wits.
Witnessing Ash entering the base, Ira exchanged glances with Marmo, who appeared out of nowhere. They both smirked mischievously.
"He's really inside."
"And the princess is still in there, right?"
"Yeah, let's sit back and enjoy the show!"
Speaking in cryptic words, the two individuals locked eyes once again, as if they had successfully stolen a chicken, reveling in their mischief.
"!"
As soon as Ash stepped into the base, he noticed something amiss. Scattered tables, randomly placed desserts, and plush toys—all indicated the traces of other people's activities.
Among the three cadres of the Selfish Organization, the other two cadres, including Marmo, who thought they were hiding and went unnoticed, Ash encountered them as soon as he entered. Bel also sent Dragblacker into the mirror, so who is this newcomer?
In an instant, Ash considered various possibilities, including his own plot to eliminate Bel being exposed, and the opponent planned to trap him by closing the door and capturing him like a turtle in a jar. Another possibility was that he, a human "pawn," who joined them, caught the eye of King Jikochū, and they were preparing to reward him generously.
However, regardless of the possibilities, Ash had long prepared himself for any situation. Keeping his transformation device within reach at all times was a compulsory lesson.
"Who are you?"
Woman... Is that a little girl's voice?
"Just passing by... it’s Ash, who are you?"
Ash quickly changed his response, almost blurting out someone's catchphrase, and countered the girl's question.
A golden-haired girl with a bright red bow on her head approached him with delicate steps. Splashes of blood-like crimson adorned her black dress. As Ash observed her, the girl with curious sky-blue eyes also stared back at him.
The girl began to recall when this handsome guy appeared among their Selfish Organization. Then she remembered that there was indeed talk about a human from a certain world joining their peculiar group.
Ash, on the other hand, felt that since he had boldly appeared here, it meant that this girl was not only affiliated with the Selfish Organization but also harbored some secret.
"Remember it well, my name is Regina, and..."
"I am also King Jikochū's daughter!"
The revelation of this news instantly shook him. The organization he was currently in, the Selfish Organization, had as its supreme leader an enigmatic life form named "King Jikochū."
The child of the villainous organization's leader... As soon as this element came to mind, phrases like "You understand nothing" and "Get over it now" as well as memorable scenes and songs started playing on loop in Ash's mind.
"Hey, what are you daydreaming about! I'm talking to you!" Seeing Ash lost in thought, the spoiled and willful Regina got angry and lifted her round-toed shoes, ready to unleash her signature move of stomping on his toes. However, Ash quickly dodged in time.
"King Jikochū's daughter, how should I address you, Your Highness?"
It turned out that the flattering title Ash came up with on the spot was quite effective. As Regina was called by that name, she instantly forgot her displeasure towards him and wore a genuine sense of satisfaction.
"Even though you're just a human, you're quite good at flattery. So, you want to join us, right? Well, I'll allow it on behalf of my dad!"
With just a few words, Regina unilaterally decided on this matter, completely disregarding Ash's expression of "just cooperating with you."
"From today onwards, you will be my servant, Lord Ash. It's settled! Now, I want to eat chocolates from the human world. Go and buy them for me!"
Without any politeness, Regina bossed Ash around as if it were the most natural thing, completely oblivious to the changing expression on Ash's face._
_"Indeed, you truly live up to being King Jikochū's daughter, so self-centered."
The two executives, who were secretly peering in from outside the door and witnessing this scene, were astonished by Regina's arrogance. After all, having seen Ash's true strength, the Selfish Organization's executives didn't perceive him as a mere ordinary person, and they certainly wouldn't speak to him in such a manner.
After all, boasting for a momentary satisfaction might result in a beating, and there might not be anyone to come to their rescue.
The subsequent development unfolded just as they had expected. Ash seemed genuinely angry.
Perfect. They didn't like either of these individuals, and if a fight were to break out, regardless of the outcome, they would get to enjoy a juicy spectacle.
His fist tightened.
Ash's fist tightened.
He maintained a smile on his face, but the back of his hand, holding a card box, was already displaying bulging veins.
Just as Ash was about to explode and teach this brat a lesson, whether she was King Jikochū's daughter or Beria's daughter, Regina's next words made him pause.
Originally, the two Selfish Organization executives couldn't stand being ordered around by King Jikochū's daughter and couldn't take any action. They hid away, ready to witness a potential clash between Ash and Regina.
They had expected that these two self-centered individuals would at least be at odds with each other if not outright enemies. They were prepared to enjoy the show when the time came for a feast.
The subsequent development left their jaws dropping.
"By the way, is this the Dark Heartbeat you wanted?"
Regina's next words made him stop.
Initially, the two executives, who were observing from afar, anticipated that these two self-centered individuals would clash at some point, eagerly awaiting a chance to feast on the drama.
The unfolding events astonished them.
"Your Highness, here's the chocolate you wanted." Ash presented the colorful chocolate he obtained.
"It's delicious! But I'm feeling a bit thirsty now."
"Your Highness, here's a beverage." This time, Ash pulled out an energy drink he had casually taken from the Night Raid Team's cafeteria.
"I'm getting a bit bored... Is there anything interesting?"
"Your Highness, this is a novel by a renowned author." Ash pulled out another manuscript novel he obtained from the Tōma family.
After making the filthy backroom deal, Ash seemed to kneel down right there.
No, it wasn't as if Ash suddenly got struck by a love arrow, transforming his personality into a weirdo loser who wanted to be Regina's lapdog or anything like that.
It was simply because she had given him too much!
Looking back at his past, Ash had experienced being a member of various villainous organizations. He had been ordered by Zagi to knock people out with a club, passed toilet paper while the Emperor was being tortured, and helped play background music during the grand entrance of an old demon lord. His "achievements" were quite remarkable.
From the honest Faust to the mysterious Yodonheim, and even as a human infiltrating as an angel of a certain dark god or Orphnoch's Lucky Clover, Ash had gained extensive experience.
But when it came down to it, leaving aside the differences in perks and benefits, these villainous organizations usually followed a simple standard: if you were useful, they would exploit you to the bone.
Not to mention the dangers of internal power struggles and the daily companionship with tigers. Being bossed around and beaten half to death by righteous comrades was a common occurrence. If you lost, it was because you were useless and deserved it. If you won, most of the credit would go to those above you. And if you encountered an inhumane boss, they wouldn't even offer you a sip of soup.
Although Ash enjoyed the adrenaline rush of fighting for justice, even an indulgent criminal needed plenty of rest. He loved having fun, but he wasn't in love with death.
So, rather than joining as a member of a villainous organization like he had in the past, the current Ash was more inclined to appear as a third-party force in profitable collaborations. Wasn't it better to be his own boss?
In comparison to the anxious days spent in those wretched villainous organizations, Regina stated that as long as Ash made her happy, she would reward him with Dark Heartbeat from Dark Echoes, a billion-dollar subsidy. She would give him as much as he wanted, even presenting him with a portion as an immediate reward.
When Ash saw the progress bar for collecting Dark Echoes increasing in the system, a "naïve" smile, as if he had found his meal ticket, appeared on his face.
For Ash, who already felt that Ryuga wasn't up to par and wanted to unleash even more power, Regina's appearance was like a gift from heaven.
After all, you must have power as a foundation to have fun; otherwise, you're just providing entertainment for others.
Not to mention, it's not like he's selling himself; he's just playing with a brat, running errands to buy snacks and toys, and receiving an immediate reward. (And the most important thing is that this brat is unusually honest and won't shortchange you.)
Ash expressed that this was like touching an electrified wire, an unbeatable opportunity.
At the same time, he added his plan to exploit opportunities to his schedule.
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