As the Landlord, Isn't It Only Reasonable to Collect Rent?

"Bang!"

Before Umaru could notice the computer screen, Sogo Doma snapped the laptop shut. Great, it seemed his image as a lazy bum was about to be inexplicably salvaged.

Come to think of it, the idea that you could fix malfunctioning electronics by hitting them hard really was an unreliable urban legend!

Sogo Doma figured it was a fallacy spread by unscrupulous merchants. If people didn't break their electronics by smacking them, who would buy new ones?

Still, the rumor had rescued his image in front of his useless little sister, and that felt pretty good. Just for that, he'd let those unscrupulous merchants off the hook.

"Um, right! What's the name of Onii-chan's manga? Umaru really wants to read it!"

Sogo Doma: "..."

Come on, where was that table from earlier? He wanted to flip it again. He didn't have a single work to his name!

Well, actually, he could draw anime he'd watched before. He didn't really care about plagiarism or anything—Sogo Doma didn't have a shred of a moral complex about it.

But—

This was a freaking fictional world. What if he ran into the characters from the anime he copied?

What if the anime he drew happened to match someone's life? Would he be predicting the future?

NO! If he had that kind of ability, why the hell would he draw manga? More likely, the male or female leads would think, Holy crap, have I been spied on?

If things really blew up, he had a feeling he'd end up being branded a pervert. Besides, who was Sogo Doma? He was the second-in-line heir to the Doma Family, born to live a playboy's life. There was no need to gamble on whether something like that might happen.

As for action manga—

Sogo Doma knew plenty of stories that had been huge hits, but—

What if another transmigrator showed up? Or a reincarnator from the Main God's space, or something? Wouldn't that completely give him away? Then his enemy would be in the shadows and he'd be out in the open. He had a feeling he'd be doomed in no time.

Thinking about it that way, Doma was more timid than anyone. How could Sougo possibly make such a mistake?

But that left Sogo Doma with no choice but to face Umaru's eager expression and say, "Umaru, actually, about being a manga artist..."

"Mm-hmm..." Umaru Doma looked very expectant.

Seeing his little sister's expression, Sogo Doma hesitated for a moment. But it lasted less than half a second before he raised his head.

"That's right. My manga career is on the rise. As for the title, I'll have to discuss it with my editor before I can tell you."

"Onii-chan, what does your editor think of your work?" Umaru, who always had to get to the bottom of things, asked.

Sogo Doma: "MMP."

Sure enough, one lie meant countless more to patch up the holes. Wiping sweat that wasn't actually there from his forehead, Sogo Doma held up a finger to maintain his dignity as an older brother.

"Of course it's absolutely perfect."

"Then where's Onii-chan's draft?"

Sogo Doma: "..."

Come to think of it, was his useless little sister really that familiar with the manga industry?

"Umaru, do you know what it means to fight to the death?"

The hamster Umaru looked confused. What did a draft have to do with fighting to the death? "?_"

"There's an old saying in the Celestial Empire: 'Either succeed or die trying.' So Onii-chan doesn't need a draft at all!"

Umaru Doma: "..."

And then—

"So Onii-chan doesn't actually have a manga, does he?" She exposed him without mercy.

"Ha ha ha..." Sogo Doma laughed.

"That's why I said Onii-chan is a lazy bum who could never hold down a job. And now you're even lying to your adorable little sister..."

Sogo Doma: "..."

MMP, was his glorious image as an older brother about to be ruined? Besides, at most he'd just been bragging a little. Calling it a lie was going too far, wasn't it?

Then again, even without this, did he have any image left to preserve in front of his useless little sister?

It was a serious question, after all. What little sister called her Onii-chan a lazy bum? She was much lazier than him! And today, she hadn't even spared his feelings—she'd called him out on his lie—no, his exaggeration—right to his face.

This useless little sister was getting more and more unruly. He should've beaten her at the game yesterday instead of deliberately losing. He should've drawn flowers all over her face!

While Sogo Doma's thoughts ran wild, Umaru seemed to make up her mind.

"Onii-chan, it looks like we really need to save money!"

"?_?" Hey, hey, hadn't they just been talking about him lying to her? How had she suddenly gotten serious?

"There's no helping it. Given how much of a lazy bum Onii-chan is, will we really have money coming in two months from now? I'll have to go out and work to support Onii-chan... Boo-hoo, a tragic fate always befalls a beautiful girl..."

Sogo Doma: "#^_^!"

That was practically a critical hit. Enough already! He'd only been lazy before, he wasn't a lazy bum. What exactly did his foolish little sister think of him? And besides, this girl's inner monologue was getting more and more elaborate!

"Thud!"

Annoyed, he gave the hamster, who was getting carried away with her act, a chop on the head. "All right, as long as you don't starve, that's fine..."

Interrupted, Umaru Doma stuck out her tongue. "Onii-chan, are you really not considering a job at a restaurant?"

Well, she'd just been saying it for fun. And considering all the skills her Onii-chan had, the hamster never had to worry that he'd let her go hungry.

"We'll see. All right, I'll look online for a suitable job. Umaru, you can play games by yourself today."

With a mix of coaxing and trickery, he sent the hamster downstairs.

"A manga artist, huh?" Remembering the way his little sister had looked at him with admiration, Sogo Doma opened the computer, then leaned back in the massage chair. "Seems like being a manga artist might not be a bad choice. What do you think, Shaqiang?"

"Searching for matching criteria. First: work from home..."

Matches.

"Second: decent pay..."

Matches.

"Third: about one hour of work per day..."

Does not match at all.

"All right, clear all the search criteria from earlier. For now, set the occupation to manga artist."

"Beep!"

"Search criteria cleared. Redefine occupation: manga artist!"

"Sir, that seems far removed from the career criteria you initially specified."

"People are fickle." Sogo Doma smiled. "Besides, who says it's far removed from the career criteria I set?"

Shaqiang: "According to the database, manga artists are chased around by people in a profession called editors. They also risk working late into the night to finish manuscripts."

Sogo Doma didn't seem to care much about these warnings. He simply stared at his laptop. "Shaqiang, you've already become a somewhat mature artificial intelligence."

Shaqiang: "??" Not again.

"As a mature artificial—well, I think you should learn to work and support yourself."

Shaqiang: "What are you talking about?"

"And since I'm the landlord providing you with a place to live, isn't it only reasonable for me to collect a small fee?"

Shaqiang: "A place to live?"

"Don't you understand? As an artificial intelligence with ambition, you should set out on the road to self-improvement!"

Shaqiang: "Evolution is something living things need... I don't need it."

Sogo Doma: "#^^!"

"Come on, listen to me. Just look at the laptop you're in right now."

Shaqiang was very honest. "Manufactured in 2010. Obsolete."