Will I Ultimately Become a Capitalist Tycoon?

It was completely the tone of someone ordering a maidservant around.

But hearing those words, Kiana actually got excited instead!

He hadn't answered her question, but accepting her kindness meant the relationship could still be salvaged.

"Leave it to me, big brother. You and my father both have bad necks."

That maiden put on a flattering smile as she followed Russell's orders, carefully helping him relax his neck.

Her attentiveness was enough to make her father Siegfried weep—he never got this treatment.

Did Siegfried even know his neck was bad?

But speaking of which, Kiana's skill was actually pretty good.

After all, she was a daughter of the Kaslana family—her control over strength was truly top-notch.

Hmm...

Russell narrowed his eyes, feeling as comfortable as a cat being scratched under the chin.

Chapter 15: Megumin, watch closely—this is how you use Kiana!

Russell woke up in the guest room and rubbed his eyes.

As a tourist, he should have returned to his own territory after handing the bank card over to Kiana.

But—

Russell got up, pushed open the door, and walked to the bathroom.

A brand-new toothbrush and rinsing cup were waiting, with toothpaste already thoughtfully applied to the brush.

After brushing his teeth, he stepped out to find milk and a slightly burnt sandwich already set on the dining table.

The sides were a soft-boiled egg and a fried egg.

The whole house had been cleaned spotlessly, the floor so shiny it could reflect light.

As Russell ate the breakfast Kiana had prepared for him, he noticed a small note on the side.

The note said he didn't need to go out for lunch—she'd be back at eleven to cook.

In the story, Kiana was completely like Megumin's daughter.

But after Russell impersonated her brother-in-law, that certain single-celled organism displayed astonishing housekeeping skills.

Kiana & Megumin.

Of the pair, the one better at taking care of others might actually be Kiana.

She acted so useless probably just because she liked being taken care of.

[So this is why you stayed overnight and even plan to not go back for now?]

The Prompt Device's font was a size larger than usual.

"What's wrong with being a bum here?"

"The room here is super soft, the central air is set just right, three meals a day are handled by a beautiful girl with a hint of tea fragrance, and yeah, she even helps relax my muscles and neck."

"I'm living so comfortably here—why would I go freeze my ass off in Ursus?!"

Russell ate his breakfast with a perfectly justified expression.

"Joy here, forget Terra."

Russell's rate of degeneration startled even the Prompt Device.

[Losing motivation in a greenhouse is normal, but you lost it way too fast!! It's only been one day!!!]

This wasn't degeneration—it was damn freefall, even accelerated motion!!

Under the erosion of urban civilization and Kiana's care, Russell displayed astonishingly impressive bum-like qualities.

[All your assets are still out in the Ursus wilderness!! Before you degenerate, at least sell them off first!!]

The Prompt Device felt its head throbbing.

"Tch, just messing with you, and you took it seriously."

Russell stretched lazily, then glanced at the talisman in his hand and logged into the group chat.

The group chat was quite quiet.

That was easy to understand.

Naruto had been hauling concrete all day, completely exhausted.

Huihui was still busy with the Shadowkhan masks and Shendu.

Valmont had just shaken off Shendu, running wild like a Husky off its leash—probably robbing a bank somewhere by now.

A quick scan showed only Megumin and the Happy Orca online.

Counting himself, only half the group was active.

Well, it's just that the other half not being able to activate is related to him anyway.

"My breakfast."

Russell casually snapped a photo and sent it to the group chat.

Whether intentionally or not, the sticky note Kiana had left on the table was also captured in the shot.

"Looks pretty good."

Miss Happy Orca commented thusly.

Back when her hometown hadn't been shattered by the Sea Born, it was as developed as a futuristic world, so she wasn't surprised by the relatively modern backdrop.

In stark contrast to Miss Orca was Megumin.

"?!"

Her reply consisted of only two symbols.

But the emotions packed into those two symbols were bizarrely abundant.

That beautiful maiden stared at the house, far cleaner than anything she'd ever tidied, and the perfectly standard breakfast, feeling as if she'd crossed into another timeline.

After a long pause, the maiden snapped out of it and asked uncertainly.

"Are you sure Kiana made this?"

"Ask a hundred times, and the answer will still be yes."

Russell's response once again shook Megumin's soul.

"...Kiana is more outstanding than I ever imagined."

Between the lines, there was a sense of melancholy.

Sadness.

The Cook realized she might not be the best cook anymore.

Russell thought to himself.

"Aren't you coming back?"

Megumin, lost in thought, said to Russell.

It's not like Cocolia would grab me for experiments if I stayed in Changkong City.

Why rush back to Siberia to freeze my ass off.

Russell rolled his eyes internally.

But speaking of which...

Russell walked to the balcony and gazed into the distance.

Maybe it's because this is a high-end residential area.

Looking left, he could see dense forests; surrounding the area was a clear river; looking up, ancient mountains were faintly visible in the distance.

Such a nice place, wasted as a test site—what a shame.

Great view.

Snap a photo, then send it to the group to share.

"...Russell, you seem to really like the scenery there."

Skadi's perception was quite sharp.

She felt that Russell currently carried the vibe of the Later Lord of Shu Han.

"Yeah, such a beautiful place, yet it'll end up as a test site—what a pity."

The boy spoke, his tone laced with regret.

His words plunged Megumin into a long silence.

Russell had talked with her about the organization his father belonged to.

In 1955, Schicksal Bishop Otto dueled the First Herrscher over ideological differences, and after losing, launched a Honkai Fission Bomb at New York.

The First Herrscher, Welt Joyce, died protecting New York.

Those who inherited Joyce's ideals defected from Schicksal and founded Anti-Entropy.

As an organization, Anti-Entropy grew too quickly, making it unsuitable to continue the management system from its Schicksal branch days; and since most of Anti-Entropy's elders were researchers without the ability to command armies or run corporations, the Executor system was born, letting each handle their own area of expertise.

This gave ambitious individuals plenty of room to maneuver.

Fortunately, the Alliance Leader was a Herrscher—someone who could mold nuclear bombs with bare hands—so they could keep the ambitious in check.

But with the Alliance Leader's disappearance, the ambitious lost their restraints.

Cocolia, a radical schemer.

That woman schemed against his father and seized the core of Anti-Entropy's heavy industry—ME Corp.

Then, using the Raikou family's legacy, she continuously built mechs and completely sealed off Changkong City.

An outsider seizing the foundation of one's own family, then trading that foundation for military power, turning one's hometown into a testing ground—such humiliation...

By the fireplace, the young girl stared at her hands.

Fair and delicate, not even the calluses from housework and swordsmanship could be seen.

Megumin was, after all, a Stigma bearer; even if the Stigma was sealed, it still granted this body a certain enhancement.

These hands were strong.

Megumin understood this.

As long as she held a blade, even dozens of people would struggle to get close.

But against the calamities that had turned Changkong City into a disaster zone, they were far too powerless.

Her hometown had become Cocolia's plaything...

And she could do nothing about it?

Megumin's heart twitched faintly.

All she could do for now was hide in Russell's residence, hoping that Cocolia would abandon her experiments in Changkong City due to a lack of test subjects.

Pinning all her hopes on that possibility.

What utter incompetence and cowardice.

By the fireplace, the young girl bit her lip, a faint taste of blood between her teeth.

Chapter 16: Cocolia? Reported!

[The Rich Young Lady is about to fall into depression. You should go comfort her, no?]

In Russell's field of vision, the Prompt Device's prompt appeared.