NOVEL NEXT WORLD “Whoosh~!”
A paper airplane flew through the air.
“I’m going to teach you how to write official documents. It’s not that hard.”
“Whooosh~!”
The paper airplane zoomed by.
“Wow, how do you know how to do all this?”
Zoom zoom.
“Just, you know. Look, this is the work manual that Pastel prepared. If there’s anything you don’t understand or find difficult, ask me. Or ask Pastel.”
“Don’t involve me!”
Pastel, running with a paper airplane, shouted.
Zoom zoom.
Elly and Dustin’s gazes gathered and then scattered.
“That’s right. Ask me anything.”
“Uh, okay.”
Elly pulled out a few books.
“You don’t have to think of the work itself as difficult. Most of it is paperwork, so we hardly need to get involved. The rest will be handled by Pastel.”
The books piled up in front of Dustin.
“The work will likely focus on document preparation. It might be hard at first, but the tasks themselves are simple. Just write down the contents according to the format and regulations provided.”
Elly tapped on the books.
“This is a casebook of documents that the student council has processed over time. Pastel organized it all according to field, item, and context, staying up all night.”
One of the books opened.
“Flip through the casebook to find documents that are similar or identical to what you need to write now, then just revise it to fit the current situation and submit it to me for approval. If it gets rejected, you redo it.”
Elly added flatly.
“Easy, right?”
“Is it, really…?”
Dustin seemed bewildered.
“Elly! Don’t be too harsh on the newbie! It’s only natural for them not to know!”
Pastel demonstrated a super ultra spinning stunt with the paper airplane while shouting.
Dustin examined the work manual and casebook, then looked back at Pastel with wide eyes.
“Did Pastel really do all this? That innocent Pastel?”
“Innocent?”
Elly looked at Dustin with a peculiar gaze.
“Girls…”
A sigh echoed.
“Yeah, they did all of it by themselves. In contrast to their appearance, they’re also the one who will coldly reject your documents.”
“So, then…”
Amazed, Dustin turned his gaze to the approaching Pastel.
“Is that paper airplane also a type of work?”
“Whoa! It’s going to crash!”
The paper airplane swooped down and stuck into Elly’s black hair.
Thud.
“Ah! Please save me! I crashed! Save the airplane!”
Elly’s black hair was disheveled.
Elly muttered with a sullen gaze.
“I’m just playing…”
#
Dustin’s handover was complete. He would now diligently work with Elly on student council tasks.
The proposal for the dormitory construction also passed without a hitch. Even though Pastel was running around with pink hair flying, there weren’t many difficulties.
And now, Pastel leaned against the rail of the airship.
“It’s the sky!”
The sky opened up.
Yahoo, smuggling!
It smells like the sky mackerel.
Yahoo, yahoo.
A demon next to her glanced with a subtle gaze.
“Little Craft.”
Ugh.
Pastel awkwardly whistled.
“H-here’s the sky~.”
Wow, it’s so beautiful!
The demon’s eyes narrowed.
Ugh, not working, huh?
Pastel cleared her throat gently and stared intently at the demon.
“Sir Demon, I’ve realized something.”
A fantastic and great realization.
“Go on.”
The demon crossed its arms, looking as if it was ready to listen.
“Since I’ve already crossed the line!”
Pastel beamed brightly.
“Let’s boldly go beyond it!”
She gave a thumbs up.
Thumbs up.
Oh yeah.
“This brat…”
The demon facepalmed.
Hehe.
Pastel twisted her body shyly. Then she suddenly thought of something and stared at the demon.
“Ah, right! Sir Demon! What are our smuggling fees?”
“…20%.”
Ahh, that’s super expensive.
Although smuggling is a fantastic act that changes a 50% tax rate to 0%, there’s still a smuggling fee involved.
When goods are loaded and they reach the dock, they go to the Demon Realm Stock Company to trade smuggled goods.
Just sign normally and receive payment normally. Even in broad daylight under the watchful eyes of the military and customs.
This is possible because the Demon Realm Stock Company is paying off bribes.
Since it costs a lot of money, the Demon Realm Stock Company also takes a smuggling fee from the smugglers.
And that fee is 20%.
Pastel’s hands trembled.
Ahhh.
20%, huh?
Can I really take 20% from a starving child’s bowl of food?
“Th-this smuggling isn’t really smuggling.”
It’s just paying taxes cheaply.
No wonder it seemed too easy.
There’s no way that casually visiting, signing, and receiving money could be proper smuggling.
I thought life had become too easy because I became Pastel, but it was actually just half-easy.
Huh?
No wonder, no wonder!
When I was flying paper airplanes in the student council room, Elly’s gaze wasn’t good!
It was all because life became just half-easy for Pastel!
If life had become too easy for Pastel, Elly would have naturally accepted me playing around!
Ahhh, the harsh reality.
Pastel took on a courageous smuggler’s resolute expression.
“I can’t accept 20%!”
The demon looked down at the brat.
“So?”
Pastel raised her arm high.
“I’m going to do some real smuggling that doesn’t depend on others!”
Aiming for a 0% tax rate!
Let’s achieve Pastel’s too-easy life!
Oh yeah.
The girl got excited all on her own.
The demon stared blankly up at the sky.
“What on earth happened…”
#
The port city of Blue Wave.
It was one of the demon cities influenced by the Empire’s military downsizing policy.
A crucial point for military and economy, the military largely withdrew after the war ended, with only a minimal presence remaining.
But the economic power of the port city remained strong. Currently, in the absence of law enforcement, thugs, opportunists, and ambitions collided over gold.
Blue Wave was a holy land of crime and the starting point of trade.
“Wow!”
The view of the city with white buildings and blue roofs appeared.
“Totally fantastic!”
Leaning against the airship rail, Pastel’s mouth was agape.
“The Empire put some effort into creating a city, so the scenery should be worth it.”
“Let’s go sightseeing! Sightseeing!”
“Sigh.”
Pastel docked the airship and started darting around.
“Whoa! Grilled fish! Is it a local specialty?! One please! No, no! Make it two!”
Sprinkling gem powder on the grilled fish.
Before eating, she stared at the grilled fish with a dazed gaze.
“Sir Demon, Sir Demon! The Pastel who gave up chicken skewers no longer exists! There’s now a Pastel who eats whenever she wants! Just like this!”
She opened her mouth wide and took a big bite.
Nom nom.
The savory, delicate fish flesh burst in her mouth.
Whoa.
Is this the taste of the port?
Is this the taste of a banquet?
My life, sprinkling gold powder on snacks, is so blissful.
“Sir Demon! Sir Demon! You should eat too!”
The demon looked at the grilled fish in its hand with tired eyes.
“I’m not in the mood to eat.”
What?!
That can’t be true.
In that case, I’ll eat it!
“If you’re not going to eat it, then give it to me!”
Snatching the demon’s grilled fish, she opened her mouth wide.
The soft mouth opened, revealing a pink tongue.
Whoa, yum!
Soon after, Pastel was nibbling on the demon’s cooking and moved on.
She cautiously glanced around the warehouse buildings of the dock.
“So, we really need local assistance, right?”
Whispering.
“Yeah, you’ll have to stay on Sky Island anyway. You have to find helpers who can aid you during smuggling while settling into the demon realm.”
The experienced instructor’s lecture on smuggling.
I’ll keep this in mind.
Helpers, helpers.
It didn’t take long to find one.
As she wandered around the dock warehouses, some seemingly nice adults approached.
A man with a scar on his lips opened his mouth.
“What are you doing here?”
Pastel made a malicious expression and said in a dark voice.
“I’m up to no good. Looking for helpers for smuggling.”
Whoa.
The man looked dumbfounded and exchanged glances with his companions. Bewildered looks were exchanged.
After the non-verbal communication concluded, the man shook his ears and frowned.
“What’s a kid who doesn’t know the world’s ways doing wandering around?”
The man’s chin nodded.
“Follow me!”
Huh?
Pastel was guided into a shabby but somewhat proper building.
The man knocked on the iron door in a rhythmic fashion. From the inside, someone peeked through a crack in the door and opened it.
The heavy iron door made a noise.
The dimly lit interior was revealed.
“Wow! A criminal base.”
Pastel’s mouth dropped open as she followed closely.
The iron door clanged shut behind her, muffling the outside light and making the interior even gloomier.
Pastel’s eyes widened.
“Doesn’t it get dark and gloomy here? Is it just for keeping guests? Shouldn’t it be bright usually?”
The doorkeeper looked at Pastel.
“What?”
“I’m not familiar with the world.”
The guide shook his head as he spoke.
“I know about the world!”
Pastel added seriously.
“This is a kidnapping situation, right?”
Wow wow.
A calm voice came through.
“Hmm, not bad. It’s small scale but I can feel the bond among members. No pointless pride struggles either.”
The demon was completely trustworthy.
I could feel the aura of someone with experience.
If it weren’t for the demon, I’d probably be screaming right now instead of wonderin’ around!
Should I do it now?
Aah!
Aah!
The eyes turned towards the pink girl.
The guide looked utterly bemused. As if trying to judge the girl’s logic, he slowly blinked, then gave up and turned around.
“World-familiar kid, follow me.”
“Wow, he acknowledged me right away! Uncle is so nice!”
Is this the kindness of the world?
When they got to the third floor, Pastel was finally able to sit down alone with the boss.
A well-dressed young man had a stick in his mouth, looking at her.
“What do you want?”
Pastel’s eyes sparkled.
“Smuggling! I need a local helper!”
The boss nodded his head silently with the stick in his mouth.
Then he ran his hand over a tea set on one side of the table.
The teapot tilted.
Hot tea filled the cups.
Two cups were placed in front of Pastel and the boss.
The boss quietly lifted the cup to his lips.
Ooh, there’s a vintage atmosphere.
I want to be vintage too.
Pastel picked up the cup with both hands, blew on it, then realized it was hotter than expected and blew on it to cool it down. Then she took a sip.
Whoa!
She tasted the bitter grass flavor.
Eh, it’s green tea?
Eew, gross!
Her expression contorted.
The boss calmly put down his cup.
His sharp gaze fixed on the girl.
“Did you finally catch on? Right. I coated the teacup with paralysis poison. It’s a technique to lower your guard by sharing the same tea and getting you to drink from the cup.”
Huh, what did you say?
Pastel’s eyes widened. She looked down at her hands. They were trembling.
Paralysis? Is that what this is?
Tremble tremble.
Aah!
Aah!
“…You swallowed the gem awakening potion as well, so why are you panicking? It won’t work on you.”
Oh, right!
She looked at her hands again. They were fine now.
Whoa!
Aha!
I guess I was just trembling in surprise.
Hehe, how embarrassing.
A subordinate entered as the guide led her in. He looked at the girl.
“What should we do with her, boss?”
“What do you mean what to do? We should send her home.”
“That’s what I figured.”
The boss tidied up the tea set. Meanwhile, he locked eyes with Pastel.
“You realize how scary it is, right? Keep it in mind, little girl. The dock warehouse is no place for you to wander freely.”
The boss waved his hand.
“When the paralysis wears off, take her home.”
“Yes.”
Huh.
“Isn’t it a lie? The group dynamics aren’t bad. Even if they get their hands dirty, they should at least be kind to a kid. I’ll use her as a helper.”
But demon, I’m about to be kicked out!
How am I even supposed to find helpers? Isn’t this a crime organization?
“It’s easy.”
The demon said calmly as if reading her doubts.
“Just knock them all out.”
Huh?
A subordinate came closer.
“I’ll carry you for a moment. We need to leave the boss’s room.”
His expression and voice were kind.
You can feel the warm consideration in not being frightened.
“Weaklings.”
Huh?
“Show them the logic of power to those who don’t understand the world.”
Huh?
“Hurry up.”
The instructor’s firm voice rang out.
Aah!
Aah!
Pastel squeezed her eyes shut.
“I’m sorry, everyone!”
And then she swung her fist wildly.
The subordinate, who had hesitated about how to carefully carry her, received a punch to the face. His nose squished and blood poured out.
“I’m sorry!”
Unforgiving punches followed.
The instructor told me to do it, so I did!
The sound of impact echoed repeatedly.
The subordinate collapsed, unconscious.
Pastel charged towards the stunned boss.
Her pink hair flew in the air.
“I’m sorryyy!”
Her fist struck the dazed boss’s face.
His face squished, blood splattering.
Relentless violence overwhelmed the innocent crime organization.