Katsuragi decided to move on and brought up another subject.

“Ahh, by the way, you’re planning to return back to exploring the ruins, right? Other than old-world relics, I actually buy and sell other things too. Things like information about relics location or the maps of the ruins that you can’t normally find circulating in public. If you still have nowhere to sell them, you can bring them to me. You can even use me as a proxy to sell them. Of course, I’ll take some commission out of it for taking care of all the troubles for you. But it’ll be easier than selling them yourself, right?”

“Even if I want to sell the data about the inner parts of the ruins, what should I do about the data format?”

“I know someone who specializes in analyzing the data collected by information-gathering devices. As long as it’s not a special information-gathering device, it should be okay. With this, you would not be coming back without any result even if you don’t find any relics after exploring the ruins. Well, even if you bring back information of an area that has already freely circulated in the network, you can still get a small amount of money for bringing in a bit more detailed information of that area.”

“Alright, I’ll do that when I feel like it. But still, I see that you’re handling all kinds of goods.”

“To be successful under the Corporate Government, I need more than just money, you know. But of course, I still need money too, so I accept investment from time to time.”

“I’m sorry but I don’t have that much money to spare.”

“Thought so.”

After that, Katsuragi exchanged his number with Akira and left the building.

Akira stuffed his newly bought medicines into his rucksack. But as he reached for the last 1,000,000 Aurum per box medicine and was about to put it inside his rucksack, he suddenly stopped.

He thought for a while before passing that medicine to Sheryl. She caught the medicine box, which flew at her in a parabola, with her both hands.

Akira then said to Sheryl.

“You can have that, just use it when you need it.”

“T-thank you very much.”

Sheryl tried her best to return a smile at Akira, but she couldn’t show her natural smile and looked rather stiff. Even someone who hardly knew her could tell that she was pushing herself to smile. At least, it was not a smile that she usually gave Akira.

Akira noticed that there was something strange with Sheryl’s expression. He at least understood that he had done something wrong, but he could not tell what and where he went wrong.

“Alpha, did I do something wrong again? I just thought that these children might get injured during their job in the slum city, that’s why I gave her that medicine... “

Alpha seemed to be thinking before answering back.

“I don’t think you did anything wrong. But well, people see you and Sheryl as a couple, or maybe lovers? They might find it strange that you gave her something so-not-cute like that medicine box. Moreover, if you give a present from a discount, then it means that your love is also discounted. Basically, if you give a 10 per cent discount object as a present, then it means that your love and gratitude are also 10 per cent less or something like that? Nah, I guess I’m just reading too far into it.”

“I didn’t think that far when I gave her that medicine though. But well, I guess it’s true that I wouldn’t have given her that medicine if I hadn’t got it as a bonus.”

“Well, as an object to show off to others that she’s your lover, if someone asks you which one works better between accessories like a necklace or a ring and a box of medicine, I guess you know the obvious answer. After all, it’s not like she can use a box of medicine as proof to other people.”

“...Ahh, right, that was the case, huh. Well, I did say that I’ll help her, I guess I’ll give her something which she can use for such purpose later.”

Akira and Alpha were talking to each other although they were somehow not talking about exactly the same thing. And of course, they did not even touch the subject about why Sheryl was making such an awkward expression.

While looking at the medicine box that she held with both of her hands, Sheryl thought that now she had received even more favour which she should payback. Although she already had enough problems thinking about how to repay Akira, she now had that hurdle raised up.

Sheryl was in a panic now.