"Eh? Eh?"
Kaguya was stunned, then her pretty face rapidly flushed at a visible speed.
W-What is Natsuki saying?!
He's actually announcing someone as his girlfriend in public, even though I'm still angry... No! It's that I haven't even agreed to date Natsuki yet!
But Kaguya's lips were slightly parted, and the words of denial reached her lips, but she couldn't utter them no matter what.
"...Who among you approves, and who opposes?"
Natsuki asked again.
"..."
The training ground was silent.
The Evil Spirit guards looked at each other, no one spoke.
He had already announced the appointment in front of everyone. Opposing it now wouldn't that be slapping the manager's face?
Even Evil Spirits knew that the park wasn't just about fighting and killing, but also about human relations.
"If no one speaks, then I'll assume everyone agrees," Natsuki smiled, "You may salute."
This time, a more quick-witted Evil Spirit guard finally spoke up and shouted:
"Good morning, Vice manager."
The first shouts were sparse, but the other Evil Spirit guards quickly reacted and followed suit, shouting "Vice manager." Before long, the shouts became uniform:
"Vice manager!"
Natsuki turned to look at Kaguya and whispered:
"Kaguya, have you received a notification from the game?"
Kaguya's pretty face was crimson, and her gaze drifted as she said:
"W-What?"
Natsuki whispered:
"Check if you've received a side quest notification."
"Ah... Oh." Kaguya came to her senses and quickly looked at her quest panel, her eyes lighting up slightly, "I received a notification... The side quest has indeed been completed."
"As expected."
Natsuki nodded slightly.
As the manager of the park, second only to one and above tens of thousands, couldn't he appoint a few trusted subordinates?
There was no such logic.
Thinking back to when he became manager yesterday, and combining it with the possibility of failing to appoint Chika as Vice manager, Natsuki believed that it was most likely due to not being 'publicly announced'.
If you secretly appoint someone behind closed doors, who would know who you are?
Hence, at this very moment, Natsuki gathered the Evil Spirit thugs to verify the appointment of Kaguya as Vice manager—
Facts proved that the guess was not wrong.
Some matters must be made public to gain trust.
After confirming the method for completing the side quest, Natsuki didn't waste any more words. He stepped forward to Hayasaka, who was beside Kaguya, took Hayasaka's right hand, and raised it high, saying:
"This is my girlfriend. I am now appointing Hanamori as Vice Supervisor. Who among you approves, and who opposes?"
"..."
The training ground fell silent again.
Appointing one was enough, but he's doing it again? Does he really think the park is his family's business?!
Seeing that no one spoke, Natsuki raised an eyebrow and said:
"It's perfectly normal for me, as the park manager, to place a few of my own people, isn't it?"
The girls: "..."
Upon hearing this, several girls wanted to cover their faces.
Some things can be done, but they shouldn't be said openly. It sounds too shameful!
Natsuki continued:
"If you have any objections, you can go complain to Hachishakusama."
Complain to Hachishakusama?
The Evil Spirit guards certainly didn't have that kind of courage.
So the Evil Spirit guards all chose to be pragmatic and shouted:
"Vice Supervisor!"
Natsuki turned to look at Hayasaka and whispered:
"How is it?"
Hayasaka nodded gently: "I received a notification from the game."
Natsuki nodded and then walked over to Chika, repeating the process, practicing favoritism.
With the examples of Kaguya and Hayasaka preceding them, these Evil Spirit guards quickly laid flat—even if something really happened, it would be Hachishakusama's responsibility, and it had nothing to do with these small fries.
So, in a short while, Natsuki, in his capacity as park manager, arranged management positions within the park for all the girls.
Of course, not all of them could be girlfriends. Mitsui and the two passerby girls were given the identities of older sister and younger sister.
In short, it was one word:
Nepotism!
He sold his body and charm, painstakingly climbed to the top of the park's food chain, and finally reached a position second to none and above tens of thousands. So what if he practices nepotism?
This was his deserved reward!
"Another side quest completed..."
The female player clasped her hands in front of her chest, her expression unable to conceal her excitement. Looking at Natsuki's back, her eyes were filled with adoration.
Her previous admiration was a pretense, but by now, it had long since transformed into genuine admiration and reverence.
"S-So amazing!"
The second passerby player was equally excited, with a hint of daze amidst her excitement.
It was clearly a side quest that looked very difficult, yet it was completed so easily, easier than eating and drinking... Everyone must not be playing the same game, right?
Mitsui stood by, her expression calm, but the corners of her lips also curved slightly upward.
According to the Strange Tales Management Bureau's investigation report, the first dungeon for newcomers is the most dangerous, because players who just enter the dungeon are ordinary people without any special abilities, and they might lose their lives if they are not careful.
Most people rely on luck to clear the dungeon, with meager rewards.
But she was different.
With Natsuki's help, she had already completed multiple side quests. When the final settlement came, she would at least have several hundred more game coins than other players, which meant she could essentially take off... She really should have found someone to play for her!
"Little one, are you done arranging things?"
An elegant voice suddenly sounded behind everyone.
The girls all turned to look and saw Hachishakusama, dressed in a white dress and wearing a white sun hat, appearing silently behind them.
"Eh? Eh?"
"H-Hachishakusama!"
The girls were all startled.
The two-meter-six-tall Hachishakusama, in terms of aura, directly crushed everyone present.
Even with a beautiful and charming face beneath her sun hat, she still instilled fear in people's hearts.
Of course, there were definitely exceptions.
"Good morning, Hachishakusama," Natsuki looked up, his eyes clear, without a hint of fear, and he was even talking nonsense with a straight face, "The park has been lifeless recently, and its performance has been declining. So I decided to inject fresh blood. You have no objections, do you?"
"This isn't injecting fresh blood, it's clearly just nepotism!"
The Evil Spirit guards who had not yet dispersed all shouted in their hearts, their gazes towards Natsuki filled with schadenfreude.
Hachishakusama was elusive, rarely appearing in the park, but every word she spoke, no Evil Spirit dared to defy, for only one reason—
That was fear.
The seemingly elegant and beautiful Hachishakusama was actually terrifying and cruel. She could be smiling and talking to you one moment, and kill you the next.
Practicing nepotism and twisting facts in front of Hachishakusama, would he be killed?
Definitely, right?
However, a scene that made all the Evil Spirit guards dumbfounded appeared.
Not only did Hachishakusama not strike a killing blow, but she smiled and extended a finger, gently lifting Natsuki's chin, and said elegantly:
"It's a small matter. You can manage it however you like... However, I was very satisfied last night. When will you be free to satisfy me today?"
Natsuki said seriously:
"It's already done. I can satisfy Hachishakusama now."
"Then let's go."
Hachishakusama let out a soft sound, then turned and elegantly departed.
Watching Natsuki follow Hachishakusama away, Kaguya involuntarily puffed out her cheeks and couldn't help but say, "That Hachishakusama is too much! She's just making food, why does she have to say such strange things?!"
"That's not necessarily true," Hayasaka interjected from the side, "It's said that some Evil Spirits in dungeons will consume players in terrible ways."
...No!
Kaguya's pretty face flushed, clearly understanding what 'consume' meant here.
She hadn't even consumed the President yet; how could a mere Hachishakusama consume the President?!
"Kaguya-chan, don't be impulsive," Chika hugged Kaguya and comforted her, "The President definitely wouldn't do something like that. Humans and Evil Spirits aren't even the same species. You have to believe in the President."
"That's not necessarily true..."
Kaguya suddenly remembered a news story she had accidentally seen on Twitter.
A police officer in India, while patrolling the streets, encountered three men who looked flustered. He stopped them for questioning and eventually found in their phones that the three men had actually... with a giant lizard... Species simply can't restrict certain perverts!
However... the President should be fine, right?
Mitsui lightly coughed, changing the subject:
"We are now Vice Managers; do we still need to go to work?"
"Probably not," Yukino pursed her lips and pondered, "Let's use today to patrol the park."
"What for, patrolling the park?"
The female player asked curiously.
Yukino calmly said, "There might be other players in the park. We can try to find them."
"That makes sense," Chika nodded in agreement, "When poor, one cultivates oneself; when prosperous, one benefits the world. It's decided!"
"..."
The girls' actions aside for now.
Natsuki followed Hachishakusama to the cafeteria, and then spent the entire day pleasing Hachishakusama.
Hachishakusama, who is two meters sixty tall, naturally had an astonishing appetite and capacity, which could only be described as a water tank. A single ordinary dish was like a golden needle mushroom falling into a large water tank—it couldn't fill it, it simply couldn't fill it.
Time flew by.
In a blink of an eye, it was quitting time.
Natsuki sat opposite Hachishakusama and sighed wearily. If it weren't for his astonishing physical fitness, he would have been completely drained after a whole day of hard work.
"Madam, what have you decided?"
Natsuki took a sip of water and asked.
Hachishakusama put down the napkin in her hand, a satisfied smile on her face, and said lazily, "The food is indeed delicious. Never before have I been so satisfied as I am today... After signing a contract with you, will you truly be able to satisfy me every day?"
"I won't make any guarantees. If I did, Madam would only suspect me," Natsuki leaned back in his chair and said casually, "If I can't do it, Madam can drain me at any time, and I will never resist."
"Heh."
Hachishakusama chuckled softly, "Let me see the contract."
"Right away."
Natsuki's spirits lifted. He took out a rule card and displayed the contract's contents for Hachishakusama to see.
After carefully reading it, Hachishakusama casually stretched, a simple movement that caused a tempestuous ripple across her chest, making Natsuki unable to tear his gaze away.
Forget Little Lolis; even high schoolers wouldn't be able to breathe if they buried themselves in there, right?
"It looks pretty good..." Hachishakusama extended her pink tongue and lightly licked her lips, a dangerous yet alluring gesture. "Then it's settled. If you can't satisfy me, I really will drain you."
Natsuki took Hachishakusama's right hand and said earnestly, "I guarantee to satisfy Madam."
"..."
A moment later.
As the contract was signed, Natsuki walked out of the cafeteria with a smile on his face.
From now on, he was no longer the park manager, second only to one, but Hachishakusama's man, completely free to walk wherever he pleased in the park.
"President! President!"
After a few steps, Natsuki saw a girl waving ahead; it was Chika.
"I'm done."
Natsuki quickened his pace and walked over to the girls.
He noticed all the girls were there, and there were also two unfamiliar faces he hadn't seen before.
"President, are you alright?" Chika scrutinized him from head to toe, "Hachishakusama didn't do anything strange to you, did she?"
Natsuki spread his hands and said, "My clothes are soaked with sweat, so what do you think?"
"Eh?"
Chika stepped forward, sniffed Natsuki, then puffed out her cheeks and said, "The President is lying! You clearly smell of sweat, not that salty..."
Mid-sentence, secretary Chika's pretty face rapidly flushed, and she guiltily turned her head away.
"What's wrong, Chika?"
Kaguya's face showed a puzzled expression.
"Heh heh."
Hayasaka and Yukino, the two girls, showed identical expressions of disdain.
Hayasaka, being experienced, naturally knew what Chika had left unsaid.
As for Yukino... although nothing had happened in reality, in her dreams, she was quite experienced.
Mitsui broke the delicate atmosphere and introduced, "Natsuki-kun, these are the two players we found today."
The two newly found the passerby players, a man and a woman, both appeared to be office workers. However, as Natsuki looked over, neither of them had any 'elder' demeanor. Instead, they both bowed in unison with extremely respectful attitudes, clearly aware of Natsuki's identity as the park manager.
"Hello," Natsuki nodded, his tone gentle, "No need to be nervous. I'm no longer the park manager."
Hearing this, the expressions of the two the passerby players changed involuntarily.
Chika asked curiously, "Eh, what happened to the President?"
The female player said nervously, "Did Natsuki-dono anger Hachishakusama?"
"Me..." Natsuki said slowly, "I am now Hachishakusama's man."
"..."
Player identity verification successful.
The rest was simple.
Natsuki, as the park manager, and Kaguya, Hayasaka, Yukino, and others, either as Vice Managers or captains, occupied most of the park's management. Wherever they went, they were surrounded by followers, and even Hachishakusama came out to endorse them, allowing them to move freely throughout the park.
Under the leadership of Natsuki and his companions, the two the passerby players quickly experienced what it was like to clear a dungeon in 'kindergarten mode'—
First, the casino.
Upon entering the casino, the Evil Spirit guards inside all bowed.
Natsuki, in front of all the Evil Spirit guards, guided them to complete the 'Legend of the Gambler' and 'Daily Gold Influx' side quests. During this time, he even pulled out a bag of sin coins and distributed them one by one... No, it was a reward.
In short, everyone was happy and harmonious.
The remaining few side quests were also easily completed without any difficulty.
In just about an hour, the two newly joined the passerby players were dazed, their faces flushed, and their breathing agitated with excitement.
One, two, three, four, five... They completed a total of five side quests!
It should be known that each side quest represented an additional reward, and when added up, it might exceed the total earnings from their previous few dungeons.
What is getting rich overnight?
This is it!
No wonder so many people wanted to experience the taste of getting rich overnight; it was indeed addicting.
"I wonder if there are any other players in the park," Chika said softly on the way back to the dormitory.
"Perhaps, but there's no need to look for them anymore," Kaguya said calmly, "If we didn't find them today, we most likely won't find them tomorrow either."
"Kaguya has a point," Natsuki agreed, "There are two side quests left: one is the destruction of the park, and the other is escaping with one's life... As long as we escape the park, the main quest will automatically be completed, so we can probably clear it tomorrow."
Hayasaka stretched, "Indeed, there's no need to stay any longer."
Mitsui pursed her lips and asked curiously, "The 'escaping with one's life' side quest has no difficulty... How should we complete 'Park destruction'? Burn the park down?"
Natsuki nodded and said, "Mitsui is indeed intelligent. Physical destruction is indeed one of the simplest methods."
Yukino lightly frowned and said, "Even if Hachishakusama doesn't stop us, those Evil Spirits wouldn't just stand by and watch the park be destroyed, would they?"
Natsuki said, "That's the problem you all need to solve next."
"Eh?" Chika looked over curiously, "What is the President going to do?"
Natsuki said slowly, "I'm going to serve Hachishakusama."
The girls: "..."
Hayasaka, biting on a lollipop, put her right hand on her hip and said, "Assuming we're going to set the park on fire, we first need to gather all the Evil Spirits. So, there are two problems to solve... one is the place to gather them, and the other is the reason for gathering them."
Kaguya pursed her lips, following Hayasaka's line of thought:
"Flames will be discovered when they burn, so the chosen location should be sealed, so that those Evil Spirits cannot observe the park catching fire..."
Clap!
Chika's eyes lit up. She clenched her right fist and hit it against her left palm, exclaiming excitedly, "I know where to choose!"
"..."
No words were exchanged along the way.
Everyone returned to the dormitory. Natsuki, as the general manager, easily cleared out a dormitory for the two newly joined the passerby players to temporarily stay, and then everyone washed up and rested.
The next day.
Natsuki still stayed in the kitchen during the day, continuously making Dark Cuisine to satisfy Hachishakusama's appetite, while Kaguya and the others, as managers, made arrangements in the park in advance.
Unknowingly, it was evening again.
Natsuki finally received a message from Chika:
"President, the operation is about to begin!"