"L.N.E, or as is more commonly called, Line, is in a unique opportunity for maximum profits from investments." Ayumi gathered her wits. Everything rested on her presentation. She could not afford to fail here. "This is as a result of the currency conversion from Syros – the game's currency – to real-world currency."

General Adachi's brows furrowed. "This conversion. Tell me how it works. If the company can add Syros for cash, wouldn't the economy crumble?"

Ayumi shook her head. "It does not work that way. Only Syros turned in by players can be traded. Genaco collects a commission from the deals processed. This way, there is little risk of artificial inflation when a few parties buy up millions of Syros and flood the market with this new wealth."

"Oh? It's more stable than I thought." General Adachi looked at the hologram. "So, if the economy is stable, there should be a standard transfer rate, right?"

"Not quite," corrected Ayumi. "The worth of Syros to the real world is dependent on how much the majority of gamers earn in-world. For example, at level 1, a gamer might have monthly earnings of about 1,000 Syros a month after repairs, equipment upgrades, potions, and general upkeep. However, by level 100, they would most likely be earning around 5,000 – 10,000. The skilled players who hunt the highest level monsters can earn up to 50,000 Syros a month. Currently, the bulk of casual players are around level 100 to level 150. The average income is 70,000 Syros a month."

Ayumi took a breath. This was the problem with MMO economies and why it was so easy for them to get thrown out of whack. One day, 1 gold could bag you 1$, but the next, you'd need 100 gold to get that same 1$.

"As players begin to earn more, the value of Syros decreases." Ayumi sighed, and then said, "This is an unfortunate reality that no one can change. A level cap helps to stabilize the economy, but we are yet to reach this game's level cap, so we are unsure of what the eventual standard rate will be."

General Adachi frowned. "You want to invest a huge sum in such an unstable economy? By your admission, the value of Syros would drop the day after your purchase."

"In a normal MMO, this would be stupid." Ayumi looked at the bank and then said, "But, L.N.E is different. Only the players' Syros are processed. This means that at all times, there is a finite amount of tradeable Syros. That gives us a unique opportunity." The young woman's gaze turned vicious. "What do you suppose would happen if one company had complete control over the bulk of this finite resource?"

"You would have a monopoly on the resource to be exchanged." General Adachi's expression grew grave. "You could very well dictate the prices at which the Syros are sold."

"Two." Ayumi raised her fingers. "We have two cycles we must take advantage of. The first rush exchange of Syros to Yen, and the proceeding rush exchange of Yen back to Syros. We must seize these for ourselves."

General Adachi interlocked his fingers and then fixed the young woman with a hard stare. "Why are there two cycles. The people buying the Syros will all be in the first rush, no?"

"We are the ones creating two cycles."

"Oh?"

"If we buy up all the Syros on the market, then those searching for Syros would have no choice but to form a second cycle to purchase from us." Ayumi tapped her finger on the hologram, which then switched to a chart. "We will change the flow of demand. Our bulk purchase will convince people to quickly sell off their Syros, instead of waiting for a prospective buyer. Then, we will sell back at an increased price."

General Adachi's eyes furrowed in doubt. "You are certain people will buy? Won't they rather wait for the prices to drop?"

Ayumi shook her head. "No. My only fear is that we won't have enough Syros to meet the resulting demand. You see, in MMOs, people are willing to spend upwards of hundreds of thousands of yen to skip the grind. Some casuals just want some Syros to buy some gear they like without having to fight scary monsters. But, most importantly, companies exist."

"...Companies?"

"Yes." The hologram switched to depict warriors charging through a battlefield. At first, the aim of this image was not obvious, but then Ayumi zoomed onto the distinct logo on the logo pauldrons.

General Adachi's eyes widened. "Isn't that?"

"Yes," Ayumi confirmed. "Many clothing brands like to recreate their brands in the gaming world. The thinking, I believe is that gamers would more easily buy their brands in real life if they are exposed to them more often in the game world." She switched the hologram to an image of two different articles of clothing with stat tables beside them. "The thing is, gamers don't respond to brand, as much as effectiveness. You see, if a loincloth has more defense stat than a full suit of armor, you can be certain gamers would choose that. So, if these clothing brands want to make promote their brand, they have to make sure they hire the best artisans with the best tools and materials. All these cost thousands, if not millions of Syros if they do not want to go through the trouble of procuring them themselves."

The hologram switched to a depiction of several floating logos. "Genaco forbade companies from getting involved in the game until the market opened. If even one company buys Syros to begin production as soon as possible, do you think the others would be willing to be left in the dust while waiting for cheaper Syros rates? Do not forget that these companies will be looking for millions of Syros, not a few thousand like normal people. How long would it take to amass all that?"

A strange light gleamed in General Adachi's eyes as he listened to Ayumi state her case. "Hmm... Playing on their uncertainties. Without access to the transaction records, these companies will never know if the other has already purchased Syros. That conflict ensures they will jump on the first chance to buy Syros." The General closed his eyes. "Seizing the opportunity to create artificial scarcity, understanding the psychology of your intended targets and thus manipulating them to willingly serve your purpose." General Adachi opened his eyes and approvingly nodded. "You have certainly grown well, Ayumi."

Ayumi's fingers trembled. Her whole body was shaking, but she somehow managed to prevent the tremors from rising to the surface. 'He complimented me!' A genuine compliment was so rare in this household. In her entire life, Ayumi could count on her fingers how many times her father had offered a genuine compliment.

"...However—"

Ayumi's trembling immediately stopped. She could not let herself get caught up by her emotions. This man would certainly strike the most important questions during her moment of weakness.

"—This plan of yours is heavily dependent on the first purchase of Syros." General Adachi cut straight to the heart of the issue. His sharp eye latched onto the single thread that could unravel everything before it even began. "If you can think up this plan, others can. What prevents other companies from buying up these Syros before you? For that matter, what stops Genaco themselves from buying them."

Ayumi swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. As expected of General Adachi. This man never failed to notice the crucial aspects of a business proposal. Most would have been overtaken by the profits and signed off on the deal, but he accurately pinpointed the one, tiny, but ultimately significant weakness. 'Thank you, Miote.'

Luckily, even though it might seem like it, Ayumi was not fighting alone. For the first time since the meeting began, a soft smile spread on the young lady's lips. She once again switched the hologram to depict, "New Genesis Bank."

"What?" General Adachi's brows furrowed. His daughter rarely smiled in his presence. The last time she did was when she beat the internship to wrest control of her future. Was she confident? Or was it something else?

...Or someone else?

"New Genesis Bank. It is the key to this plan." Ayumi's smile brightened. "This is the bank created through the efforts of my guildmates, and friends."

The General's brow twitched. 'Friends?'

Ayumi, oblivious to her father's thoughts, continued, "The process of currency exchange is as follows: Players submit Syros to a designated in-game bank. The bank then exchanges that Syros with any external party who wants to purchase Syros for real-world currency. When the player's Syros is sold, their balance is sent to their real-world bank account. Currency Exchange can be only done by submitting Syros to the bank."

Ayumi's eyes shone as she stated, "Do you understand? All Syros flow through the bank first. And then the bank decides who to sell it to. So, since this is our bank—"

"You get the first refusal on all Syros." General Adachi unclasped his hands. For a long time, he just stared at his daughter. Seeing that smile on her face, he recalled another woman who never stopped smiling... Even as she bled out on the maternity table. The old general shut his eyes and then controlled the storm that had begun raging in his heart. When his heart calmed down, General Adachi let out a sigh, and then looked at Ayumi, unmistakable pride in his eyes, "Your mother would be proud."

"Mother!?" Ayumi's smile broke. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth opened in shock. "D-did you just say, mother?" How could she not be shocked? First, General Adachi complimented her twice in one day when he hadn't in over a year, and then, he suddenly mentioned her mother, who he had not mentioned even once since Ayumi could tell the difference between left and right.

"You are just like your mother." General Adachi continued in his deadpan tone. "She too liked to save the clincher for last. You could have led with that, but you purposely strung me along for the ride. Did you want to be complimented that much?"

"Pat my head! Do it, you blockhead! Don't you know how to show affection to a prim lady?"

"What lady?"

"Father?"

Ayumi flinched as General Adachi rose from his chair. The general rounded the table and then stood in front of Ayumi. His gaze lowered as he looked at the young lady who was a spitting image of her mother, his late wife.

Ayumi cringed as the General raised his hand. Granted, her father had never hit nor raised his voice at her, but she could not fight the unease at this unfamiliar course of events.

Puff...

"Huh?" Ayumi stared at the man whose hand softly patted her head. "Huh? Father?"

General Adachi's lips cracked, slowly curling into a small smile at the edge of his lips. "You did well. You really did well."

"Huh? Ah?" Ayumi, absolutely flustered, could only manage unintelligible noises. 'What the hell is going on? Why is Father patting me? It's not like it doesn't feel good. No, it feels really good. But why!? Is Father sick? Is he dying? Is this his final wish, and/or atonement?' A thousand thoughts flew through Ayumi's mind. In the end, she took her father's lesson to heart, and directly asked, "Are you dying?"

Twitch!

General Adachi's fingers twitched. His smile froze as he looked into his daughter's suspicious eyes. 'Okay. I deserve that.' His face returned to a neutral expression as he dropped his arm. "Yes. I'm dying." Ignoring the shocked girl, he returned to his chair and sat down. "I'm dying from the incurable disease called old age. I probably only have a few decades left."

"Fa—"

"In fact, since this old man is dying, I think it's time I retired." General Adachi fixed Ayumi with a neutral stare that gave nothing away. "From tomorrow, the company is yours. Grow it, Sell it, Burn it, I don't care. In any case, I already have enough savings to last me three more lifetimes."

"FA—"

"Before you refuse, consider this," General Adachi tapped on the desk and then said, "The company's investment budget is 200 million dollars. That will be yours to play with as you please. You can even invest in this gaming project. I'm sure you have people there you trust. Investing a massive sum is enough. You do not need to personally participate, do you?"

Adachi Ayumi frowned. She was her father's daughter. Everything she knew, she had learned from this man. He was not the best father. Most would consider him a terrible father. But, he was a constant in her life. When she was younger, he would stay late into the night, ensuring she completed her assignments perfectly. Sometimes, he would end up not sleeping as he still needed to complete his deadline before work began.

Whenever Ayumi fell sick, he would be the first to come to her aid, and would only leave when she had fully recovered. His expression never changed, and he very rarely gave any words of praise, but no matter what, when it mattered, he would listen and defer to her judgment.

It was precisely because she was her father's daughter; because of how well she knew this man. Ayumi knew. She could smell it. Something that did not belong around her father.

Desperation.

General Adachi was desperate. He was so desperate that he did no longer bothered to hide it. Ayumi could not understand it. What would make this man desperate? General Adachi was not the kind of man to be intimidated because his daughter wanted to strike out on her own. Instead, he would be the first to praise her independence.

Then... the problem could only be 'why' Ayumi was striking out on her own. L.N.E. The general did not like something about L.N.E.

"...His name was Shouyou! Master Adachi called his name when he shouted him out of the compound."

Shouyou James! Ayumi smartly pinpointed the most likely source of her father's strange behavior. "Father." Ayumi's gaze hardened. "The man named Shouyou. What did he say?"

General Adachi stared at his daughter. Once again, he recalled his wife's brilliant smile. "Are you certain you will not stay and inherit the company?"

"Father. General Adachi. Be Direct. Leave no room for guesswork, remember?" Ayumi approached the table. She leaned over and stared into her father's eyes. "Spill it."

General Adachi visibly aged as he let out a long sigh. Eventually, he looked at Ayumi. "I found Suzuki. The kid you were searching for. I found him."

"Really?" Ayumi struggled to control her emotions. She knew this was not the crux of the issue. "What went wrong?"

General Adachi looked at his daughter. In her entire life, Ayumi had only called two people 'friends'. The first was a youth by the name of Mato Suzuki. His daughter began to change from the moment she met that boy. He knew the lengths she would go to meet him again. The general sighed. "Suzuki and several other people have been gathered by Genaco for a secret experiment."

"Oh?"

General Adachi nodded. "Shouyou James offered to take you to see him."

"Is there a problem?"

The general frowned. "He said, if you go there, you will most likely end up risking your life in battle in the near future." General Adachi glared at his daughter through reddened eyes. "Real life, Ayumi. Not that game. You will end up having to fight or kill someone."

Ayumi, however, had already tuned out from the first sentence. Her hands trembled on the desk. "Then, Suzuki, right now, is in a place where he will end up risking his life?"

"Yes."

Ayumi clenched her fists. "How do I get there?"

General Adachi frowned. "You will end up risking your life."

"How do I get there?"

"Do you know what it feels like to kill someone?"

"Father! How do I get there!?"

"Ayumi!"
BAM! "DAD!" Ayumi stared in shock at her father. She had never raised her voice to him. She felt guilty seeing his stunned eyes, but she steeled her resolve. If she grew weak here, she might never get the guts to ask again. "Just tell me! How do I get there?"

"Shouyou James will be in touch after some battle at... Oni Hill, I think he called it." General Adachi slumped in his chair, revealing a very rare weak expression. "He said you would understand."

Ayumi nodded. "I do." Her eyes drooped as she observed her father's exhausted face. She had never seen him like this. Not even when he got into an accident. He always wore a neutral expression, as if unafraid of whatever the world threw at him. For the first time, the stoic General Adachi had fear on his face. Ayumi could not help but feel guilty. She reached out and squeezed the old general's hand. "Don't worry Father, I will be fine."

"Don't worry, honey. I'll be fine. It's just a little blood, right doc?"

General Adachi stared at his daughter. The same reassuring smile. The same words. The same face. He shut his eyes, unable to bear it any longer. The general wrenched his hand free and then turned his chair around. "Leave. Do as you wish. You may collect what you need from the Investment Accounts."

Ayumi froze. That cold, frigid tone. She knew he was seriously pissed off. "I'm sorry, Father." Ayumi bowed and then walked out of the room. She shut the door behind her, and then rested against the door as she looked up at the moon.

Sob... Sob...

Ayumi's eyes watered. He was crying. The strong general. The man who never wavered. He was crying.

'I'm sorry, Father.' Ayumi wiped her tears with her arm. Her tears glistened in the moonlight as she walked along the garden path. Her gaze hardened with resolve. 'Watch over me as I walk my path...'

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