A heavy mood permeated the living room.
Kisara sat on a sofa separated from the opposite sofa by a table while crossing her arm, she kept staring at the other side like there’s a filthy object there. She didn’t even hide her disgust. Most of this tense atmosphere was created by Kisara.
Meanwhile, compared to Kisara, Miori is all smiley. The sight of her gracefully sipping tea made Kisara grind her teeth in anger. Rentaro sat on another couch, he had front-row seat to this brewing battle, this is a seat he never wanted but for fear of triggering a second round of tongue-stabbing, he stayed silent albeit completely anxious and worried.
Opposite to Rentaro, Noah sat while sighing. He wanted to grumble about his bad luck.
Why does stuff like this happen to him?
Is this the shuraba (Scene of carnage) he read about on books?
He’s just friends with Kisara, Miori is also a business partner albeit she’s just above being a stranger as Kisara puts it.
How did this happen?
Noah wondered if it’s like Rentaro said.
The two of them would always bicker whenever they encounter each other, it just so happens that they met at his home.
Noah is the unlucky bastard who didn’t have anything to do with this but got dragged into it anyway.
Kayo with her 210 IQ predicted this outcome and she chose to ditch him. She went off with Enju to god knows where leaving him to burn in this hell hole.
If at all possible, Noah wanted to take a page from Kayo and Enju’s book, namely, the page of disappearing like a ghost.
Before that, he needs to settle this.
Noah turned towards Miori, breaking the tense silence.
“I can more or less guess why you’re here, but, I am going to listen anyway. Okay, why are you here?”
Kisara and Rentaro also sat up straight.
Miori kept her cheerful attitude, she supported her chin with her fan which seemed like it was made from some sort of metallic alloy.
“Ma ma, Noah-kun, don’t use such a grave expression, I am not going to touch the topic you have in mind.”
“Oh, then what did you want to talk about?”
“You’re not?”
Noah lifted an eyebrow.
“What is it then?”
“Noah-kun, you’re smart so I am going to level with you, Shiba Industries is always on the lookout for business deals. My topic won’t stray far from this general direction as well.”
Miori continued.
“Fairy Tail is not only a sanctuary for cursed children, but it also develops and nurtures outstanding initiators. A good promoter and Initiator should always come with a good loadout right?”
“You’re wrong.”
Noah shrugged.
“Fairy Tail is a nursery-cum-career-development establishment. But, we don’t use varanium weapons, we use training weapons. As for on-job duties, the officers are expected to get their own weapons since strictly speaking, Fairy Tail is not a civil security cooperation.”
Much like how the original Fairy Tail operated, the guild does not provide weapons for the guild members.
The guild doesn’t hire the members with contracts or salaries. They took jobs whenever they wanted to, he took a cut from the earnings they get on jobs and that’s about it, there are no provisions requiring them to work.
This freedom also extended to their equipment, they are expected to get their own weapons if they went on jobs.
Her offer seemed less enticing to others now that Noah pointed this out.
“It’s still better than having no reliable suppliers, right?”
Shiori giggled but her eyes are dead serious.
“If Fairy Tail wants some weapons to be supplied, our company is willing to supply them, even varanium weapons, for free.”
“Free?”
Noah, Kisara, and Rentaro flinched in surprise.
There has to be a catch somewhere, this deal looks too good to be true.
Sure, she gave them free guns and ammo but if she really gave everyone free weapons and weapons without getting something back, Shiba Industries would have gone bankrupt a long time ago.
Miori sponsored Noah and Rentaro with equipment because the amount she supplied is insignificant.
But, to provide Fairy Tail with free equipment is on another scale altogether.
Nobody is dumb enough to think she’s some kind of saint who gave away free weapons. He started treating her with more respect.
“What does Shiba Industries want with such a huge capital expenditure?”
Noah got straight down to brass tacks.
“Miori-san, I am sure your business mind would baffle anyone but I should have you know that I won’t compromise on certain issues, you understand, right?”
Noah implied that he’s not going to tell her anything about the “bullets”
It’s something he made up to hide his Crush Magic, after all.
If she came for that then she’s going to be sorely disappointed.
“Well, it’s not like I don’t get where you’re coming from. A weapon that can bring down a mighty Stage 5 Gastrea, everyone would want to get in on the action, wouldn’t you think so?”
Shiori probed Noah with her eyes. Her curiosity betrayed her calm expression.
“I am not going to ask you where you got the bullets, what they are made of, and how do you make them, no, I just want to know if Noah-kun still has some bullets left after the fight, do you?”
Their beaming eyes suggested that Kisara and Rentaro looked like they wanted to know too.
Noah closed his eyes to think about the appropriate answer.
“I do have some left.”
Kisara and Rentaro’s eyes shined brighter. Miori hurried up with a follow-up question.
“How many bullets are left in your possession?”
“Hmm, I wonder?”
Noah shrugged.
“Let’s just say I have more than enough to kill all the Stage 5 Gastreas.”
“All of them?!”
Kisara and Rentaro gasped in shock.
“Killing all the Stage 5 Gastreas….”
Miori’s lip moved and she yelled out loud.
“Noah-kun, marry me!”
Pfftt
Noah and Rentaro spat out whatever they were drinking just now.
“Y-you vixen, I knew you came here with impure intentions!”
Kisara stood up, she pounced on Miori.
“You think I am going to just sit here and let you do whatever you want?!”
Shiori panicked as Kisara pressed her down on the sofa, the two started tussling.
“You’ve finally shown your true colors, huh? Kisara!!!”
“I will exterminate you!”
“You’re just a has-been ojou-sama who left home, you can’t even feed yourself. Have at thee, taste my Shiba-style techniques!”
“After I give you mouthfuls of my Tendo-style techniques!”
The two noble ladies of the Shiba and Tendo family started gloriously pulling each other’s hair like hooligans in a catfight. Any resemblance of a technique is just a coincidence.
Noah and Rentaro exchanged looks before they both sighed.