Chapter 194: One Hundred Million
The silence was absolute.
Everyone kept their heads bowed, including the Stone, Wind, and Serpent Hashira.
Kagaya waited a few moments before continuing.
"I can’t guarantee Marcus won’t change in the future, but as of today he’s not the same as Muzan. He remains our best chance at eliminating him. If the Ubuyashiki family fought Muzan for a thousand years, it will fight Marcus for another millennium should he turn into a monster. We will never sit on our hands."
He inhaled deeply and exhaled calmly.
"I ask for your patience. Let’s finish this thousand-year struggle first."
"Understood, Oyakata-sama!" they answered in unison.
With the session concluded, the Hashira withdrew one by one, until only Shinobu remained in the room.
"Shinobu."
"Yes, Oyakata-sama?"
"You mentioned he needs funds—but did he specify an amount?"
"No." Shinobu confirmed. "He only indicated that he required money for the construction of Yoshiwara."
Kagaya stayed silent for a moment and sighed.
"...He’s testing my willingness."
Shinobu smiled lightly, though she showed a hint of doubt: "Isn’t there a possibility that... he felt too embarrassed to name an exact figure?"
"Embarrassed?" Kagaya let out a hearty laugh, as if he’d heard something amusing. "That kind of thing doesn’t faze him. Do you know what I discussed with Sakonji before the meeting?"
"About money?" Shinobu inquired in a low voice.
"That’s right." Kagaya held up three fingers with resignation. "Thirty million for his retirement."
"Thirty million?!" Shinobu’s smile froze. She knew Marcus would angle for a high figure through Urokodaki, but she’d never imagined that amount. "And you... accepted?"
"Of course," Kagaya replied with regret. "Sakonji gave his life to the Corps. His loyalty is worth more than that."
Shinobu remained silent. She lowered her gaze to contemplate her hands resting on her knees.
"...How much do you intend to grant Marcus, then?"
"That’s where his cunning shows," Kagaya laughed bitterly. "The Sakonji matter was the baseline. That he convinced his master to request such a sum proves how urgently he needs capital. We can’t offer him less than thirty million without looking unserious. The surplus will mark our level of commitment in his eyes."
Shinobu parted her lips, then closed them again.
She recalled Marcus’s carefree attitude when he’d asked for financing, a gesture that had seemed casual at the time.
But thinking it over now, that man had already been calculating everything from that precise moment.
No... perhaps even from long before.
What kind of strategist was that man, really?
"Shinobu?" Kagaya’s voice brought her back. "What are you thinking about?"
"I’m thinking..." Shinobu smiled bitterly, "that when dealing with him, you can never let your guard down."
Kagaya gave a slight smile.
"Indeed. Dealing with Marcus is like playing shogi."
After a brief pause, he sighed.
"On this trip, ask him on my behalf to wait a month. I need time to gather the cash."
"How much... are you planning to give him?" Shinobu asked hesitantly.
"..." Kagaya remained silent for a few moments. "In a month, adding the thirty million from Sakonji’s retirement, I’ll have one hundred million ready for him."
"One hundred million?!" Shinobu stared at him in disbelief.
"It’s the greatest show of commitment the Ubuyashiki family can offer right now."
Before Shinobu could process such a sum, Kagaya added: "Tell him as well that after receiving this amount, he’s not to ask me for anything else for a full year."
This time, there was a note in his voice of... how to put it...?
It felt like the reaction of a virtuous man who’d been pushed to his limit.
Shinobu pressed her lips together, surprised; she’d never heard Oyakata-sama speak like this, so far removed from his usual serenity.
Even so, Kagaya muttered under his breath, almost to himself: "Though it’s likely that a year from now, I won’t be the one he asks anymore."
Shinobu’s smile faded.
"I fear I won’t live long enough to witness that moment."
The afternoon light lit up Kagaya’s face, revealing a mix of self-mockery and resignation.
Shinobu lowered her gaze: "Oyakata-sama, your condition..."
"I know my own body," he interrupted with absolute calm. "I won’t make it past this year."
Watching the Master’s physical deterioration, a knot formed in Shinobu’s throat.
"...Oyakata-sama."
"Yes?"
"Marcus asked me to convey one more thing," Shinobu confessed. "Something I left out during the meeting."
Kagaya tilted his face: "Speak."
Shinobu drew a breath.
"He asked me to inquire whether you truly intend to leave this world in silence."
Kagaya opened his eyes slightly, showing no great bewilderment.
"Is he suggesting I turn into a Vampire?"
Shinobu stayed silent, unsure how to go on.
Kagaya noticed her hesitation and softened his voice: "It’s alright. Repeat his exact words."
Shinobu gritted her teeth and let out that man’s line, a proposal that nearly made her lose her patience.
"He said that if you accept, someone capable of managing your future commercial empire as general manager would come in very handy."
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