When he got his facial expression under control, Baldas flew to join Micah and Rego as they walked toward the low-rise building. Micah only nodded as he noticed Baldas’ arrival, and Rego did his best to restrain his curiosity. Since Micah had persuaded Ystris, the representative of the demons in charge of Vanitapolis, there was certainly something special about Micah. And it seemed to be related to the demons of Hell since he had one accompanying him.
However, Rego wasn’t so bold that he would dare to ask Micah about it, and he stayed quiet as they walked through the city on the empty streets.
“So, how do you go about buying properties around here? Do you just throw the coins at the house and ‘boom,’ it’s yours now?”
“Yes, boss. That is actually kind of how it is done.”
“Really?”
“Yes, boss.”
“Huh.”
Micah’s question came out of nowhere, but Rego responded as if he had already prepared an answer.
“Is there a way to buy buildings from other people?”
“Yes, boss. If the new and the old owners agree to a price, the money just needs to change hands.”
“What about rent?”
“I do not think there’s anything like that, boss. At least not in Vanitapolis. In more developed cities with more facilities and functions, there are probably things that allow one to rent buildings or rooms.”
“How do you know about other cities? From what I understand, it’s pretty difficult to traverse Hell?”
“It is near impossible to walk through Hell without sufficient strength, yes. But there are ways if you have enough pol. And most information I have accumulated is passed around through word of mouth.”
“Is it the same with your information on Pride?”
“Yes- Boss! Shh!”
A subordinate shushing their boss was undoubtedly rude almost beyond measure. And Micah raised an eyebrow at Rego. But Rego looked worriedly toward Pride’s Mansion and didn’t see it.
“I guess not?”
“Ah! I’m sorry, boss! But speaking their name can lead to really bad things!”
“Such as? No, before that, tell me who told you that.”
Rego looked at Micah with a confused expression.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“W-what do you mean, boss? Isn’t it common sense that speaking their name will invite disaster?”
“What kind of disaster?”
“Eh….”
Rego’s confusion deepened, and he scrunched up his brows as he rubbed his forehead.
“You know… Disasters, Boss.”
“Rego. I’m asking you what kind of disasters this ‘common sense’ is telling you will happen if you speak their name.”
Rego started rubbing his temples as if he got a headache.
“I-I don’t know, boss.”
Merely speaking that sentence out loud took quite a toll on Rego. So, Micah didn’t push it any further. His Persuasion had probably done as much as it could to get that much out of him, but forcing anymore would probably leave Rego in too much pain to talk.
Baldas caught Micah’s eyes and shook his body to stop him from asking further after doing some weird signals with his wings. Micah couldn’t understand what Baldas was trying to say, but later, when he got some free time, he decided to ask Baldas about Rego’s situation and what those signals meant.
Rego rubbed his forehead to get rid of the headache that popped up when he tried to think about the answers to the questions Micah asked. But the headache and any sense of weirdness disappeared as soon as he stopped thinking about it. He even forgot that he had had a headache.
Eventually, they arrived in front of the low-rise building that would turn into Micah’s headquarters for the moment.
Micah took out the coins and walked toward the house with the intent of buying the house. As he did so, he felt a weird sensation telling him that the house cost two silvers and sixty bronze coins. He held out the coins in his hand and saw the amount needed disappear into thin air.
It was a little painful seeing that much pol vanish, but that was quickly replaced by the sensation of owning the house in front of him. Micah wasn’t quite sure how to describe it, just that it was slightly similar to the faint sensation he got when he used Persuasion. But a little more clearly defined.
Micah could hardly tell if he was actually using Persuasion or if it was a placebo. But he could tell that he could keep anyone else from entering the building in front of him and that if he had enough pol, he could do almost anything he wanted with it.
It was a weird feeling, and Micah savored it as he led Rego into the house and took in what would be the future headquarters of his newly established business. He hadn’t decided on what the name would be, but he knew that it would be a solid foundation for his work as the Hell Restoration Project Manager.
While walking through the empty floors of the building and planning how to design it in the future, Micah also thought about what he should name his business. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come up with anything at the moment, and he decided to focus on the more important part, such as the interior of the office as well as his floor and the floor his subordinates would use for now.
Since the floors were already completely bare, there wasn’t much that needed changing. He only needed to add a bunch of stuff. However, doing so cost pol. And after buying the house, Micah didn’t have enough to renovate the house as much as he wanted.
But he knew what to prioritize and quickly set up a simple office. It didn’t seem like there was any internet or the like in Hell, so Micah made sure there were pens, papers, and filing cabinets. For now, that would be the most important items since the first task was to begin organizing the town.
“Rego, start looking for people who are good with documents.”
“Yes, boss.”
If he wanted things to proceed smoothly, the first thing Micah needed to know was the resources available to him. And in a barren wasteland like Hell and a deserted town like Vanitapolis, the only resources were the few people living there. In order to make his business and future endeavors flourish, he needed to start finding talents and putting them to good use.