One of my subordinates in a black suit made a dull report, causing me to frown.

“Oh? A new recruit, and one who defeated the witch Aria, no less?”

“They’re dangerous. It’s clear they’re here to spy on our internal operations.”

It seemed he wanted me to use my authority to overrule his hasty decision. But I wasn’t about to play into his hands.

“No problem. Let them roam freely for now. We can brainwash them into a combatant with Nightmare magic.”

“But…”

“Diversity within our organization is essential. It’s also part of Edge Hope Corp’s philosophy. Besides, that’s another five karma points for us!”

“K-Karma points…”

“You know it well. The critical evaluation metric that the First Shadow established for organizational expansion. By engaging in actions that earn karma points, the organization grows naturally, and the subsidiaries’ market values increase accordingly.”

“But that was a system set by your predecessor. Surely you could develop your own style and direction?”

I glared at him for his foolish comment.

“I could kill you right here, and it would still net us a karma point or two.”

“Eep! Forgive me!”

“Listen carefully. The rules set by the First Shadow are absolute. Even in advanced realms, metrics like GDP are said to hide societal woes. Exam scores are the law of the land for exam-takers in other worlds. The Second Shadow used karma-point actions to expand the organization. If you think these metrics are flawed, bring forth a better one. Anyone can criticize without offering alternatives—it’s a basic rule of business today.”

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“….”

Numbers shut him up. This world is built on numbers. If there's any mistake, it means the mathematical model is flawed. Just create a better model that aligns with reality. That’s how the heliocentric theory, Newtonian physics, and Adam Smith’s economics were all proven—through numbers, numbers, numbers. Numbers are everything in this world.

No time to lecture. I remembered what was important.

“By the way, where is Rabbid? We were supposed to hire a contract killer with the funds saved from dealing with Aria.”

“Y-Yes! He just arrived and is waiting outside.”

“Send him in.”

Rabbid appeared, covered in white fur, with tall ears, a scar on his cheek, and wearing sunglasses. He had a cigar between his teeth. Glancing around at the gilded art pieces, he scoffed.

“Tacky. Is all this just to boost those ‘karma points’?”

“It was the previous Shadow’s taste. They got into magical feng shui, adapting some foreign culture from Otherworld China. Well, sit down.”

“Hmph. Bound by your predecessor’s obsessions, huh?”

We sat facing each other at the long table.

“I heard you’re a rare summoned beast, a mythical rabbit who’s taken humanoid form. Fascinating.”

“On Earth in Otherworld, we’re not that rare. Kept as pets or, in poorer countries, bred as giant rabbits for food.”

“So, why did you become an assassin?”

“In this magical world, rabbits have long been treated as secret weapons with formidable combat capabilities. I was one of those. But I got tired of being an experimental subject. So, I killed my creator, Dr. Eine Kleine, and decided to live my life freely.”

“Interesting. Using a free spirit like you—a ‘free rabbit,’ if you will—will earn us karma points. I like it. I’ll give you a mission.”

“So, karma is your only criterion. Fine. Who’s the target?”

“Elise.”

I handed him a photo, and Rabbid snorted.

“This frail-looking girl? You’re telling me she has hidden magical power?”

“Even if she’s the Cobalt Princess?”

“What?”

The assassin grabbed the photo and stared at it intensely.

“No way. This elegant young lady is really… a man?”

“She’s nearly all woman inside, which makes her formidable.”

“I see, so you want her eliminated.”

“There’s a plan. She has bodyguards. Discrediting Edge Guard Corp would lose us karma points.”

“I get it. So, we’ll separate her from her bodyguards. Is that the gist of it?”