[MashUp] Ch 34: Respect Is A Mirror

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"I'll just eliminate every last one of you."

The instant Tohru's words fell, the space behind her twisted violently. A massive, terrifying, emerald-green dragon silhouette loomed into existence, flickering like a nightmare.

That raw projection of a high-tier lifeform instantly gripped every fairy's soul like a vice.

Isuzu's entire body locked up as if she'd been thrown into an icehouse.

More than anyone else present, she understood what that dragon shadow meant.

Just where had Takuma found such a walking calamity?!

And just as that monstrous power was about to fully take shape—

"Tohru."

Takuma's voice wasn't loud. If anything, it sounded lazy. "That's enough."

In the next second—

The dragon shadow vanished like smoke.

Tohru immediately pulled her aura back and jogged to Takuma's side, tilting her head up like a child waiting for praise, smiling bright and innocent.

"Yessir! All clear!"

The plaza was dead silent.

But fear was quickly receding. In its place came something just as overwhelming—

Shock.

Every single fairy's stiff gaze shifted from Tohru… to the man beside her.

A man who could speak so casually and make a dragon obey like a pet.

If his maid was a dragon—

Then what was he?!

Their fear and awe melted into one thing: An almost religious worship of Takuma.

"..."

Takuma ignored their shattered expressions, instead clapping his hands softly. "Snap out of it."

He looked around at the spotless park, and for the first time, a trace of approval appeared on his face.

"Yesterday, I told you to build me a world so perfect it feels unreal."

"Looking at it now… you delivered. This—this is exactly what a fairytale should look like."

Those few words set every fairy's heart ablaze.

Their faces lit up with pride at having earned his recognition.

Takuma let the feverish excitement simmer for a few seconds before snapping his fingers.

"Alright, party's over."

His tone went calm again. "A fairytale's nice and all, but you still have to eat."

"Now we talk about reality."

"You should all know this by now."

"Our only selling point right now… is how clean this place is."

"But the rides are old, the attractions are limited, the service is bad—there are still a hundred problems we haven't fixed."

"If we open the whole park like this, we're doomed."

"So, this time, we shrink the scope. We'll only open four areas in Sorcerer's Hill—each one polished until it's perfect enough to match that 'clean' image."

"The four areas are—"

"Moffle's Candy House."

"Macaron's Music Theater."

"Tiramy's Flower Adventure."

"And the Elementario."

The fairies all froze.

Takuma's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on a certain figure.

"Ashe. I need to know how long the park's funds can hold out."

From the crowd stepped a tall, tanned, curvy beauty with golden hair that looked ripe enough to fall from the branch.

Ashe Am Archamrel, the Chief Accountant of Amagi Brilliant Park.

Ashe bowed gracefully to Takuma, her movements respectful, though her voice was heavy.

"Takuma-sama, our remaining liquid funds are down to four million yen."

"After paying for the online promo campaign, that will just barely cover next month's wages for the fairies present…"

She hesitated, then dropped the real bomb. "But we can no longer pay a single yen of salary to the human employees."

The plaza fell silent once again.

Takuma's expression didn't change. "I see."

He nodded lightly.

"I'll handle the salary issue."

His gaze moved to the head of marketing, Moffle.

"Moffle, right now—make a second announcement."

"'Amagi Brilliant Park will host its very first Preview Experience tomorrow afternoon.'"

"We'll draw one hundred lucky winners from everyone who comments or shares the post and invite them to be the first to witness the miracle."

Moffle blinked. "But… only a hundred? And it's tomorrow—"

"Exactly."

Takuma cut him off, his tone carrying absolute command.

"And this lottery—will be faked."

The corner of his lips curved in a playful smile.

"Pick the influencers with the biggest followings. Pick the most active student club members. Pick locals who live nearby and make sure they win."

"And have PR print two hundred flyers. Send staff to hand them out at the supermarket entrances nearby."

"Tell every mom with kids that tomorrow only, kids get in free with a flyer."

The fairies' minds collectively froze again.

This time, Isuzu couldn't stay quiet.

She stepped forward, her voice urgent. "Takuma! With all due respect, this is pointless!"

Her hands trembled.

"Our real target is fifty thousand visitors!"

"Giving away two hundred free tickets, and then another hundred through a lottery? That's just a drop in the ocean!"

"And if people think we're tricking them, our reputation will collapse!"

Her concerns were shared by every fairy present—

But none dared speak.

Because by now, they had started blindly trusting this man.

"...I see."

Takuma just smiled.

He looked amused as he studied his overly serious secretary.

"Isuzu, let me ask you something."

"Two stores. One has a long line outside, and you have to get a number just to enter."

"The other screams and begs you to come in."

"Which store do you think sells better stuff?"

Isuzu froze, answering instinctively. "…Of course the one with the line."

"Why?"

"Because it feels rare, because everyone wants it."

"Correct."

Takuma snapped his fingers again, his smile turning a little wicked. "So why would we act like the desperate store, begging for customers?"

His gaze swept down at her—and at everyone else.

"Deep down, you all think Amagi is worthless trash. That's why you talk about discounts, begging, wagging your tails for scraps!"

"The cheaper you act—

"The cheaper everyone else will see you."

"Respect is a mirror: show yourself small, and that's all they'll see.You set the price for how the world treats you—"

"So stop selling yourself at a discount."

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