Russell’s residence was in Deity Grypherburg.
His business, however, was located north of the city of Chernobog.
Compared to the lands further north, the temperature where Russell’s property was located wasn’t too bad, only ranging from minus five to minus fifteen degrees Celsius.
Russell used the talisman to light the fireplace.
Strictly speaking, the temperature here wasn’t unbearable for him, but guests were coming today, so there was no need to skimp on firewood.
After all, the grand opening ceremony couldn’t be too shabby.
Speaking of which, do Naruto’s shadow clones need winter coats?
Hopefully not.
Otherwise, he’d have to spend money to buy them…
Russell muttered to himself, calculating the recent price of cotton-padded jackets.
If he absolutely had to buy them, he hoped he could get Raiden Mei to purchase them for him—modern society’s coats were cheaper, and he might even be able to buy them on credit.
[Pathetic.
Absolutely pathetic.
Your ambition is too small.] The detector scoffed at its host’s thoughts.
[You should be pursuing Raiden Mei right now, marrying into the Raiden family, eliminating the radical faction of Anti-Entropy, taking over the organization, and then transferring all of Anti-Entropy’s assets into your own name.]
“Ah…
aren’t you overestimating me a little?” Reading the simulator’s suggestion, Russell felt a toothache coming on.
He was a member of one of the Sankta races.
The Sankta of Terra had a flavor quite similar to the inhabitants of another world called Terra.
Casually withstanding blows from twenty-centimeter-diameter steel pipes, leaping tens of meters into the air, and unleashing all sorts of powerful Originium Arts were basic maneuvers for them.
It made one suspect they were essentially a race of biological weapons.
But biological weapons were still within the realm of biology.
The leader of Anti-Entropy was a Herrscher of Reason who could crush a Dongfeng missile with her bare hands.
A Herrscher.
That thing was closer to a god.
Although Welt Yang was already half-dead, a half-dead god was still a god.
If he were caught trying to embezzle Anti-Entropy’s assets, he’d probably have every last hair on his body plucked clean, get kicked from North America to Europe, and then from Europe to Asia.
[A prestigious education is nothing compared to having guts!
Just give it a try!
What if you don’t get caught?]
The hell.
Why don’t you tell me what happens if I do get caught?
“I think earning a bit more Lungmen-Dollars and taking care of a few more beast-eared girls is a better path.” Russell rejected the system’s tip and reached out a hand to feel the air temperature.
Mm, not bad.
Russell nodded, then glanced at the nearby dining table.
Laid out on the table was a proper Russian-style meal: borscht, dumplings, caviar, and large chunks of stewed meat.
There was nothing overly extravagant; after all, Old Master Russell was quite broke at the moment.
Feeling that the temperature had risen to a level comfortable for human activity, Russell opened the chat group to call his friends.
“Friends, come and experience the unique cuisine of Ursus!!”
“Is it time to eat?!!”
Megumin, who had deliberately starved herself for a good meal, was the first to charge in.
She quickly activated the transmigration function, her eyes as sharp as a husky’s staring at an empty food bowl!
Based on her previous travel experiences, activating the travel key would cause a portal to appear in front of her.
All she had to do was step through it to…
to…
Amidst Megumin’s bewildered expression, a large hole opened up beneath her feet without any warning.
“Ah!!!”
“Why is the travel method different from before!!” she shrieked, her entire body becoming a falling crimson mage, plummeting from a portal that had opened in Russell’s ceiling!
This chat group’s method of sending people was to just drop them from the sky?!!
Watching the mage hurtling straight for his head, Russell’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Shit, gotta run!!
He instinctively tried to dodge, but the detector flashed in the corner of his eye.
[Above you is your precious production asset.
As a successful mine owner, how can you tolerate the risk of your production asset being damaged from a fall?]
Hearing this, Russell’s expression changed dramatically.
The legs that were about to retreat were suddenly injected with power.
He leaped up like an ape, stretched out a hand to pull the witch into his embrace, and landed smoothly.
“Are you hurt?” the young man gently comforted the production asse—ah, no, the cute witch in his arms.
“N-No problem,” Megumin stammered in reply.
The gaze of the person before her was simply too intense.
Honestly, being stared at by a member of the opposite sex with such fervor would give most women goosebumps.
It was easy to associate it with a pervert.
But Russell’s eyes were so clear, without a single trace of lewdness.
Ah…
what is this situation?
The young girl was momentarily at a loss.
“If you’re okay, go rest over there for a bit.
There’s fruit and stewed meat prepared for you.” The young man gently set Megumin down, as if handling some precious treasure.
After doing this, he became deeply vigilant.
This chat group he had joined seemed to have some problems; its transportation method was unreliable.
He had to stay sharp and catch all the group members.
Especially Uzumaki Naruto and Raiden Mei.
The former was his labor force before he acquired the Shadowkhan, and the latter was a genuine rich girl.
He was counting on her to reclaim ME Corp and help him with capital investment…
As Russell stood guard, another girl did indeed fall from the sky.
It was Raiden Mei.
He leaped, fast as a bolt of lightning.
The young man once again landed safely with the girl in his arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked the girl in his embrace, his face bearing the practiced smile of a paladin.
“I’m…
I’m fine,” Raiden Mei said, but her slender fingers were clutching Russell’s collar tightly, her face pale.
She truly hadn’t expected “transmigration” to mean a hole opening up under her feet and airdropping her into another world.
“As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.” Russell comforted Raiden Mei, preparing to get up and catch the next group member.
But before he could turn, his expression froze.
“Awooo—”
Uzumaki Naruto’s miserable scream came from behind him.
Dammit, why is the falling speed increasing?
“Are you okay, Naruto?” Russell quickly escorted Raiden Mei to the side and rushed towards Naruto, his expression grief-stricken.
What the hell is with this chat group’s crappy travel method?
Dropping my precious production assets just like that?
This is too much!!
“I’m…
I’m fine.
By the way, Big Bro Russell…
how do you know the Shadow Clone Jutsu?” The unlucky ninja staggered to his feet, pointed at Raiden Mei, and asked.
“Are you a ninja too?”
Russell: “…”
Raiden Mei: “…”
Megumin: “…”
Skadi: “…”
Wait, where did Skadi come from?
Russell stared in a daze at the silver-haired woman who had suddenly appeared beside him.
“You didn’t fall?”
The woman was also stunned.
“Didn’t everyone just walk through the portal?”
Well, I’ll be.
Did the chat group’s teleporter fix itself just in time for Skadi’s turn?
Russell clutched his head, feeling both sad and happy.
Happy, because he didn’t have to perform a mid-air orca catch—Skadi’s weight was likely quite considerable.
If he failed to catch her properly, he might go from being Russell to Russell-paste.
Sad, because the chat group he joined seemed to be a bit unreliable at times.
“Ahem, let’s all eat first.” Russell sighed, deciding not to think about the chat group’s issues anymore.
This was the group’s first get-together; it wasn’t the right time to dwell on such frustrating matters.
“After we eat, I’ll send you the information you’re interested in.
Then, I’ll introduce our company’s upcoming business.”
As he spoke, the group members all turned their gazes to the food on the table.
“Yeah, yeah!
Nothing’s more important than eating!”
The foodie Megumin deftly picked up the prepared utensils and served everyone a full bowl of meat and dumplings.
Russell habitually sat on the side closest to the garden.
The view from this seat was excellent; through the window, one could see the vast white snow, the silvery coniferous forest, and the banner of the Reunion Movement.
Wait.
The banner of the Reunion Movement?!!
—o—