“Well, isn’t this simply a luxurious greeting, Akio my good friend!” Buck greeted me cheerfully, his brash Ameri temperament on full dispy as he met me outside my house, the driver Hinata’s grandfather had arranged for them depositing them outside our mansion. Them. Other visitors too, I see. Behind Buck were two women, one unfamiliar to me, a fairly gmourous blonde woman, middle-aged but still looking bright, wearing a long coat, perhaps feeling the chill in the air. On seeing my gaze, Butroduced her. “This is my good wife, my better half, Mary. She keeps me oraight and narrow, even if she ’t stop me drinking and gambling. Must be the Irish in me.”

  “Pleased to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Mary said politely in English, her at quite strong for an Ameri. “Though I hought the lucky man and woman Buck met in Las Vegas would go on to be so… renowned.”

  “That’s one hell of a way of putting it, baby doll.” Buck ughed again. “Oh, we don’t speak any Japanese, so…” he looked apologetic, but I merely shrugged.

  “Don’t worry about it. We’re pretty much all fluent English speakers here. And good m to you too, Ms ors.” I greeted the third member of the party, her usual stern look, paired with her prissy gsses, in evidence as usual. She wore a tight turtleneck jumper and long trousers that covered all her skin, and her hair ulled bato a bun. “This is a surprise.”

  “You call me Jennifer. Since you are a very important t of Midas Gold, I do you that honour.” She said, before turning to Buck. “The doorstep is no pce for versation. Though I feel rude intruding in your home, Oshiro-san…” she mahe Japanese honorifics fwlessly. “…it was irely our choice. I was tent to get a hotel, but it seems matters have progressed in a different dire.”

  “Yes, matters do seem to have beore plicated.” I apologised. “By all means, e in.” I gestured to the doorway, and soon everyone was seated inside, my mother preparing tea and snacks and chatting away happily. Once we were all settled, it was time to get down to business.

  “So, Buck, you wanted my support in breaking into the Japanese market, right? I’m ly sure what help I be, but I am well-ected.”

  As Mrs Kelly started to lose i, my mom took over. “Should we leave the b talk to the men? You’ve e all this way to Japa me show you some hospitality. Besides, I’m used to Japae being a fner, so I show you the sights without any troubles!” She was excited to be useful, but I warned her to take some security just in case when she went. Of course, mom was in no hurry, so for now she just took Mrs Kelly to the er of the room, chatting happily in English.

  “Oh, I heard Aliyah was w for you now. Miss Lua too?” Buck remembered, and I nodded.

  “Yeah, security has to be tight around my family. The st thing I want is them to be kidnapped.”

  “My Aki worries too much.” Mom fided in Mrs Kelly. “Of course, he’s a good boy, and I suppose he’s right. That’s why mom wants to be strong too! Ai, Shaeu and the others haven’t e back, and even Eri’s w hard with Daiyu-. We ’t be left behind!”

  “Oh yes, I thought I didn’t see Shaeu, my other lucky charm, anywhere?” Buck said, looking around. “A shame, because I wanted her input too.”

  Training was still ongoing aing ever more brutal. Holy, I was getting a little unhappy over the intense way everyone ushing themselves. Time in the Boundary flowed faster, so naturally they had been abusing their bodies aher for far too long. Though every time I pin, they rightly point out my hypocrisy, as I did the same thing a number of times in the past, and I’m even training right now. I blihe slight headay overid senses pulsing. In the Boundary I was disassembling and reassembling a number of crafts created by the Mortal Engineers, as well as brewing potions, melting and creating alloys, and many more tasks all at orying to learn new crafting skills and csses, and strengtheniher Crafting and Dvergr Teiques. “Oh? Shaeu certainly likes to drink, but she’s hardly an expert on business, although…” My smirk must have been noticeable, as Buck wondered what .

  “…Shaeu’s actually opened a number of bars and cafés herself. In the Fae nds.” I had to ugh, and then I stopped as Buck rubbed his hands together with glee. Jennifer pursed her lips at his exuberance, but said nothing, merely produg some dotation.

  “I just khe pair of you were my lucky charms! The world’s gone damn crazy, but it looks like old Buck still has his part to py.” On seeing my fused look, he ughed, pointing to the dots Jennifer had provided. “Princess of the Fae, she called herself, right? The Irish, they believed in the Fae, the Fair Folk, right? So… what better patron for a bar where we drink the drinks of the old try? I see it now, bars all around the world, her cute image encing people to drink…”

  “Her appearance is a bit of a problem, since she looks rather underage in most tries.” Jennifer pointed out, but Buck shrugged.

  “She cimed to be past twenty-one, right? Besides, while I’m a gentleman that would alk about a woman’s age, for all womeeenagers in their heart…” he chuckled as Jennifer tio sigh. “…even if human lied to the fair folk, she’s older thahink, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, though you’re right. She’s happy with her age on her passport. So that’ll do for me.” I crified. The dots were iing, certainly. “Most of this seems simir to Kelly’s Rest, but… what’s this?”

  “Irish bars do attract a certain sort of tele. Tourists from the Anglosphere usually, though we Irish are popur the world over and famed fenerosity and charm, so plenty of fners enjoy ing through our doors, to get a taste of Irend. But that’s not enough, not now.” Buck grinned, and his excitement was iious, so I found myself smiling too. I saw mom and Mrs Kelly talking in the er, watg us warmly. “Bars and pubs are a pce of socialisation, of dreams and adventure. So…”

  “Shaeu’s very impressed. She agrees.” I said, after havihe proposal. “Having a VIP-style bar in the ablishments themed on her and the Seelie Court tickles her fancy. But…”

  “I know she’s sweet on you, Akio my boy, but you really speak for her? I khere was something moing oweewo of you, even when you introduced the other doll as your fiancée, but…”

  “I could speak for her, just as she speak for me, but no, I’m reying your pns to her as we speak.” I showed off. “She’s a Fae, you have to expeagic, right? In fact, she has another proposal. I o run it past my own business advisor, but she’ll be here soon. Essentially… how would you like to handle distributing beverages from the nds of the Fae? You evehem in your new bars. Mom… you grab a bottle of that Fae mead?”

  Mom immediately shot up. “I love that!” She turo Mrs Kelly, who seemed fused, a bright smile on her face, blue eyes sparkling. “I’m terrible with alcohol. I’m a disappoi as a Brit. Maybe I was always meant to be Japahey suffer terrible hangovers.” She ceded. “But this mead is great! It tastes so sweet and smooth, but has a kick, and the hoself seems medial, as the day… clear-headed and no nausea!”

  Jennifer narrowed her eyes, thinking, while Buck guffawed loudly, spping me on the back heartily, only to cry out in pain, shaking his hand and muttering “What the hell you made out of, man? Steel?”

  Mom hurried back with the bottle, which was a work of art in itself. Ginneka was incredibly busy, but we were making sure that both the Boundary and Material had a few treats avaible. The liquid was a beautiful creamy e-gold, and when the cork ulled, a sweet yet strong fragrance filled the air. “I’m not sure you should be drinking while discussing business…” mom giggled. “…but my Aki isn’t fazed by alcohol anymore, so if iations go his way because of it…” She gave everyone gsses, including herself, and soon everyone was frozen, looking down at it. Buck was of course first to speak.

  “The colour, the smell… does it taste as good as it looks? Let me see…” He took a sip, eyes widening, before taking a rger gulp. “Damn, man, this is geous. Like sweet milk and honey, but with perfectly ied alcoholic taste. Got a real kick too. There’s fruit on the back too…”

  Jennifer was silent, but her wide eyes agreed with Buck’s assessment. Mrs Kelly was silent but clearly enjoying it, and mom was gulping it down, so I felt a brief fre of worry. Sure, the Fae booze is ofteer for hangovers, but mom’s still a lightweight. Better give her Ether Healing before I leave. Taking a swig myself I ehe moment, before making my move. “Currently, what we move is limited, but… the method is still currently secret, but I believe we could set up a brewery specialising in Fae beverages. In addition, supplying human booze in reverse, tail it to the tastes of Fae and Yōkai…”

  “Yōkai?” Buck said, puzzled for a moment, talking anratuitous gulp of the mead.

  “sider them Japanese Fae. It’s close enough.” I ughed. “It’s a business we were going to get into, and some of my fiancée’s could probably ect us with a suitable brewery, but…” It’s not all about profit. Sure, we’d make a rger cut partnering with one of the traditional breweries that the nobility deals with, but if we think loerm, about worldwide expansion… besides, there’s room for multiple aveo exploit…

  “You really do have the luck of the Irish.” Jennifer said to Buck, as she swirled the mead in her half-drunk gss. “When I accepted a fortunate gambler as a t despite the funds being somewhat g, on your reendation, I thought it couldn’t hurt. Now… Chase is very ied in your success, Barcys too. And the Japanese banks… they are traditionally dominated by a cartel of old families, no?”

  “They are indeed. I have a lot of money I draw on, but I have to make a profit for those lending me money, as well as myself.” I agreed. “More than that… it’s to save the world.” I promised grandly. “Buck, did you know… the owner of o El Diablo was cheating by using the same sort of powers we have.”

  “I did think something funny was going on, looking ba it. You and the doll were cheating tht?” Buck ughed. “Not that I bme you. The house always wins, so sometimes it’s good to strike back.”

  “I only cheated when I ying crooked games. Other than that… luck is a thing, you know. And Shaeu’s a very lucky girl, which rubbed off on me.”

  “I see. In that case…” Jennifer looked at me, her expression intense. “ you prove it?”

  “Sure. Give me some s. Just to prove no cheating I won’t use my own or touch them. Then you throw them and I’ll call heads or tails.”

  After a simple game of toss, where I correctly guessed more than y pert of the time, Jennifer let out a sigh. “os are finished. Poker tours too. A lot of games of ce will be ruined. Online os the world over will start losing money. I will have to advise our ts to sell stock they hold…”

  “Looks like you’ve caused some trouble.” Buck ughed, spping me on the back again, though mently. “Still, there could be moo be made. Jennifer here sure thinks so, and she’s got a nose for profit, just like I do.”

  “The number of Chosen with appreciable Fortune is going to be small, so it’s not as bad as you’d think. But… actually, with some tweaks, you reduce a lot of the issues. Maybe I should be a sultant. No, I have no time.” I snorted ruefully. “Anyway, Buck, how does it sound, brewing drinks the world hasn’t ever seen before?”

  “It’s tempting, by God it’s tempting.” He smiled. “I have little experience, but enough es…”

  It was then my phone beeped. Hinata had messaged me to say she’d arrived, and sooill in her school uniform, was rushing in cheerfully, followed by her grandfather, Motoko’s grandfather, and two girls from Hinata’s school, girls I reised from the new batch of trainees. But there’s a problem.

  “Cute!” my mom giggled, eyeing them with a predatlint in her eye, and I bit down on a sigh. Damn, mom’s hammered already it seems. Every time she sees a cute girl she wants me to snatch them up. Auntie Hana’s pulling her hair out over it every day, though to be ho, I think it’s more out of habit than any real obje now. It’s hard to hate my girls, they’re all great in their own ways.

  “I’m not sure what’s going on, but… why the uniforms?” Buck asked, seeing the two, one girl tall and well-proportiohe other younger and cute, wearing matg bd silver military outfits, long coats, trousers and even a peaked military-style cap, though o looked like cospy. It’s not though. It’s less fshy, but it’s the same as the girls were wearing during our uniform py. It’s genuine craft from the Boundary. I didn’t need my Eye to see it was something Ginneka must have sent over.

  “Simple. It’s a sign of resolve, of acceptance.” Hinata said brightly, and the two girls wavered for a moment, before nodding slowly, eyes oh feelings I couldn’t quite decipher. “Anyway, o meet you.” she said in English. “I’m Hinata Takatsukasa, formerly Hinata Fukumoto. I’m Akio’s dear fiancée. Here is my grandfather…” she went on to introduce the others, finishing with “…and these two charming girls are Nozomi and Arisa Shiraishi. Daughters of the famous Shiraishi family.”

  “I see.” Jennifer narrowed her eyes. “So, we have a political powerhouse, the Minister for Defeno less, as well as the chairman of a pany even Chase Bank respects. Shiraishi, Shiraishi…” she pondered. “I’ve heard that name mentioned retly in business circles. Ah…” she looked satisfied as she remembered. “The Tengokusentou.” She stumbled over the fn pronunciation. “It’s talk around the business world. A Japareasure snatched up by fh funds. That rarely happens.”

  “Yes.” Motoko’s grandfather agreed. “It is greatly disappointing. The Shiraishi family has owned and raengokusentou for years, it is their very identity, and it is iricably lio the s and ceremonies of some of Japan’s most iial families.” At that the irl started to tremble, her younger sister trying to fort her, but at the hard look in Hinata’s eyes they both froze, though the elder was gnawing her lip in a very undignified dispy of worry, quite uhe usual poise of noble daughters. “No matter what we offer, or roxies we use, no sum of money, even a great, even absurd profit, will persuade this fund and their shadowy fn owo relinquish it. It seemingly is no longer about money.”

  Jennifer narrowed her eyes at the pressure from Katsuro-san. “Yes, rest assured Chase has no iment in that fund. If we did, we would certainly have swallowed the rge profit and sold it. It does seem perplexing.”

  “Sounds like spite to me. Even good businessme immuo it.” Buck said, also thinking. “Either that or this hotel is in the way of something. That seems unlikely, right? It’s just a hotel, no matter how fancy.”

  As the two girls flushed red, wanting tue back but not daring to, Hinata agreed. “You’re right. It seems to me it’s either jealousy or malice. And I don’t like that. I’m determio get it back. It’s not a matter of how. Though if they make enemies of us, whoever is bag this wealth fund will regret it!”

  “She’s a fierce little one. A bit young though.” Buck observed. “But who am I to judge? In some cultures, you ’t even have a gss of beer.” He fided grandiosely, and Hinata smiled at him.

  “You must be Buck Kelly. A friend of my Akio is a friend of mine. Yes, you’re right. Getting e my age is perfectly legal, both here and in mother-in-w Emily’s try. So we won’t listen to any objes or pints. Not that a friend of Akio’s would ever be so crass.”

  “Yeah, definitely a firecracker. Hey, I’m all for more love in the world.” Buck ughed. “You’ll be a terror on the booze when you’re older.”

  “Maybe I’ll show you ter, when we celebrate a great victory.” Hinata looked at me then. “So, this is iing. This woman… she’s from Chase Bank?”

  “Jennifer ors.” She handed over her business card in a very Japanese fashion. Hinata actually returned one of her own, which surprised me. Seeing that, she handed me one, and it was tastefully doh delicate golden ink. Uh… it’s certainly something, that’s for sure.

  “You’ve put your role as my wife in charge of finances, business acquisition and money ma?” I said, raising an eyebrow, and to ughter all around she blushed.

  “Why not? It’s what I do best. I’ve made cards for the others as well, but I’m the one who moves in these circles, so…”

  Her grandfather coughed, and she stopped, flushing a deeper, more embarrassed red. “Anyway, that’s not important. What is important is opportunity. So, Ms ors, Mr Kelly, how would you like to win a little favour with not just Akio, but the powers that hold Japan in their hands? Who also owe Akio, so it’s a pound effect.”

  “I’m listening, doll.” Buck said, curious, and Jennifer paused for a moment, before her curiosity got the better of her and she nodded.

  “Great. Doll, huh? I don’t hate that. You Ameris sure are enthusiastid forward.” Hinata smiled. “But that might be what we need. So, here’s the thing…” As she began to talk, Bud Jennifer were greatly surprised. As am I. That’s a bold scheme, a bold scheme indeed…

  Meeting Kenji-san’s eyes, Hinata’s grandfather mouthed a few words at me, and I nodded, agreeing. Yes, Hinata’s greedy, but she’s greedy to help me and the others. These girls too it seems. On hearing that they would be ruined because of the as of their foolish parents, my sympathies spiked, and I resolved to give it my best shot…

  ShipTeaser