Hearing Bronya's words, Takumi froze.
Damn, he hadn't even thought of that.
Now that she mentioned it, it made perfect sense.
Back then, he was only focused on moving the world.
"Mm... let's slow things down, then."
"We'll handle that side later."
"Establish the connection, but don't open a full passage."
Takumi frowned in thought, then made a decision.
That seemed like the only viable path.
It wasn't a big problem.
"As long as you have a plan," Bronya replied. "Just think it through. Don't move that world over on a whim."
She yawned, clearly not fully awake.
Then she leaned against Takumi's shoulder and started fiddling with her terminal.
Seeing her like that, Takumi was a bit helpless.
He gently smoothed her hair and began chatting with her about other things.
Just as they were enjoying a quiet moment, the doorbell rang.
Takumi was surprised.
"It's Miss Tomoyo," Prometheus's voice echoed.
"Open the door," Takumi said. So Tomoyo was done with her own tasks?
She must have dropped by after finishing her business.
Bronya sat up straight and looked outside.
Not long after, Tomoyo walked in, carrying a basket.
"Is nobody home?" she asked curiously as she stepped in, then saw Takumi and Bronya sitting on the sofa.
Takumi was also surprised by her appearance.
Unlike before, Tomoyo was now dressed in modern clothing, exuding a gentle older-sisterly aura.
"I thought no one was home," she said with a smile as she approached.
"Have a seat. Done with your tasks? What brings you here with free time today?"
Takumi invited her to sit and pulled out a teapot and cups from his Imaginary Space.
Since Ram and Rem weren't home, he had to take care of the hospitality himself.
"I've been done for a while," Tomoyo said cheerfully. "In fact, I've been hanging out around here."
"Here, I brought some specialties from my world for you to try."
Tomoyo smiled warmly as she opened the basket she'd brought.
She took out some specialty snacks from her world, ones she had made herself.
Takumi and Bronya's eyes lit up the moment they saw what she took outdesserts.
As the lid opened, the sweets inside were revealed, and a wonderful aroma wafted toward them.
"Such a nice smell!" Bronya said, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "They look delicious. What ingredients did you use?"
"Smells good, doesn't it? These are made with special spices unique to my homeland."
"Actually, I came here today to ask if those spices might sell well here."
"After all, I want to generate some income for my country too."
"Didn't expect the house to be this empty, though."
Tomoyo looked a bit disappointed as she said that.
Takumi's house wasn't as lively as it had been the last time she came.
Today, only Takumi and Bronya were home.
Hearing what Tomoyo said, both of them were surprised.
So Tomoyo was now hustling for income too?!
Chapter 504: Are You the Benefactor She Always Talks About?
Bronya looked at Tomoyo and couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to export the spices from your world to other worlds?"
Tomoyo nodded. "Yeah! After all our side is quite poor."
Just mentioning it made Tomoyo start to complain. Things were fine before, but ever since their world connected to Takumi's, their nation felt like a rural backwater. Although Takumi had built the teleportation gate in their country, profits would still take time to develop. Right now, her country needed money for just about everything.
That's exactly why she started thinking about ways to make money. She had even heard that some ministers were contemplating whether Princess Tomoyo herself should marry Takumi, hoping the country would benefit.
Thinking about this made Tomoyo feel a bit frustrated. Those ministers were absolute scoundrels! How dare they even imagine that?
Takumi and Bronya tasted the pastries Tomoyo brought. The flavor was undeniably excellentcompletely different from the unique ingredients they were used to. There was a curious fragrance to it. Even after eating, a faint, pleasant aroma lingered in their mouths. It was floral, but not entirely; Bronya loved it.
That reminded Takumiwasn't the light fragrance that Tomoyo always carried the same as this?
"It's really good," Takumi praised. "If you want to sell it, it'll definitely be popular. You should have someone deliver some to the Gourmet City. With all the chefs there, I'm sure many people will love it."
Takumi picked up a few pastries and sent them to the group chat's culinary expert.
Takumi: [Exclusive Red Packet for Alice]
Alice was baffled upon receiving Takumi's red packet.
Alice: [????]
Takumi: [Pastries brought by Tomoyo, give them a try. Let your cousin try them too.] [Being a princess isn't easyshe's out looking for ways to strike it rich.]
Seeing the message, Alice was dumbfounded.
Fujiwara Chika: [Tomoyo's here? I'm coming over right now!!]
Upon seeing Takumi's message, Chika's eyes lit up. Tomoyo had finally finished her tasks and had time to visit?
Meanwhile, Takumi said to Tomoyo, "I've sent it to a professional chef. I'm sure they'll like it."
Tomoyo smiled and nodded. "Our spices can be used in many waysmaking tea, pastries, even as seasoning. Very versatile. I just had the sudden idea that maybe we could generate some income. Otherwise, we won't have money to build our homeland."
Talking about this made Tomoyo sigh. Ever since their world connected here, many things had to changeand she was broke.
"I can lend you money if needed," said a sudden voice.
A figure appeared beside Takumi. It was Kaguya.
She had seen the messages in the chat and came over after learning that Tomoyo had arrived.
"Kaguya~!"
"You're offering me money?"
"No thanks. I don't want to borrow. I'd rather just sell the spices. Hopefully, at a good price. Borrowing money isn't a sustainable solution. I need to build up financial independence."
Tomoyo refused with a smile. She didn't mind. As long as she could sell the spices, things would be fine.
Kaguya didn't press the issue. Instead, her gaze turned toward the pastries Tomoyo had brought. Without any hesitation, she began sampling them. The aroma alone was tantalizing, and the flavor didn't disappoint.
"So delicious!" Kaguya's eyes lit up after one bite. This stuff could definitely fetch a great price.
"Are these ingredients unique to your country?" Bronya asked curiously. "Or are they common in your world?"
"If it's exclusive to Tomoyo's country, this business could be really lucrative. A bit of marketing and the price would skyrocket."
"It's exclusive to our country," Tomoyo explained. "It can only be cultivated in specific areas."
"Got it. This can sell for a fortune," Takumi nodded. "Tell your ministers to find a fox tribe girl named Tingyun. She'll help you sell this like crazy."
Tomoyo perked up at the name. "You mean Miss Tingyun from the commerce department?"
She had heard of Tingyun. Currently, Tingyun oversaw economic development in Takumi's world. Ministers said she was not only stunningly beautiful but had a charming way of speaking.
Now that Takumi mentioned her, it all came back.
Takumi nodded. "That's the one."
Tomoyo blinked with curiosity. "I heard Miss Tingyun constantly mentions a benefactor. Could that be you?"
She looked at Takumi with a peculiar expression, clearly intrigued. She'd looked into it before. People from her world often interacted with those from Takumi's side, so she had done some digging.
It seemed Tingyun's favorite thing to say was, "I must not let down my benefactor's expectations."
Now it all made sense.
Takumi sighed helplessly.
Still remembered by Tingyun, huh?
"Tsk tsk tsk. Beauty's favor is the hardest to bear," Kaguya teased.
"You brought her back here, then made her work like a mule. Haven't even gone to see her since. Classic scumbag!"
Kaguya couldn't resist the jab. She knew the backstory wellTakumi had saved Tingyun from the brink of death and brought her back, then promptly made her manage economic affairs. And never visited.
Real scumbag behavior.
Tomoyo's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Something juicy was going on here. Could Takumi share the details?
Takumi rolled his eyes but didn't deny anything. After all, it really was his fault.
Maybe it was time he visited Tingyun.
With that thought, Takumi made up his mind.
Chapter 505: Chika in Large, Medium, and Small Sizes
Takumi chatted with Tomoyo for a while at home before deciding to take her to meet Tingyun.
When Takumi announced his plan, Bronya and Kaguya looked at him with disdainful eyes. If they didn't say anything, this guy probably would've forgotten entirely about it. Truly ridiculous. As expected of a scumbag!
Takumi, of course, ignored their contempt. With a thick skin, there was no need to care about such trivial matters. Tomoyo watched the entire scene with amusementshe hadn't expected Takumi to have this side of him. Still, she didn't think much of it. After all, Takumi was quite busy. He was the top figure in this world. Not having time was only natural.
Takumi brought Tomoyo directly to where Tingyun was. At the moment, Tingyun was deeply engaged in business discussions with representatives from other worlds. Takumi and Tomoyo walked into the area designated for the Commerce Department, a large zone made up of dozens of office buildings, all under the department's umbrella.
Since Tingyun was busy, Takumi didn't disturb her. Instead, he took Tomoyo for a stroll around the area. Apart from Tingyun, Prometheus also kept a close watch over the department. Certain places were restricted, inaccessible without proper authorization. Of course, Takumi was the exception. His clearance was the highest in the worldthere wasn't a single place he couldn't go.
While Takumi and Tomoyo were wandering, they unexpectedly ran into someone familiarFujiwara Toyomi, Chika's elder sister. Takumi hadn't expected to see her working here. Toyomi also recognized him. She had met Takumi when she first arrived in this world, brought along by Fujiwara Chika.
"Takumi-kun?" Toyomi looked surprised. She hadn't expected to see him here.
"Yo, Chika's big sis. Fancy seeing you here."
Takumi greeted her with a smile. Compared to Chika's cute and ditzy demeanor, her sister was more mature and gentle. Each of the three sisters had their unique charm, and Takumi rather appreciated that.
"I've been working here for quite some time now. What brings you here, Takumi-kun?"
Given how busy he always was, Takumi wouldn't show up here without a good reason. As a departmental manager herself, Toyomi was curious.
"I'm here to see Tingyun. No need to worry about mecarry on with your work."
Toyomi blinked. He was here for Tingyun?
"Tingyun-san is a bit busy right now. Would you like me to let her know?"
Tingyun was always swamped with tasks. Without prior notice, it would be hard to catch her.
"No need. Someone's already informed her."
Takumi shook his head. Since he was already here, Tingyun likely knew. Even if no one told her, Prometheus would ensure it appeared in her schedule.
Toyomi nodded and said, "Then I'll head back to work. Let's chat another day. Things have been hectic lately."
She gave Takumi a brief farewell and left. With more and more worlds connecting, the Commerce Department had become busier than ever, and Toyomi was no exception.
Watching Toyomi walk away, Tomoyo asked curiously, "So she's Chika's sister?"
"That's right," Takumi nodded, inwardly chuckling. Just a moment ago, a bunch of people in the group chat had said they were coming to see Tomoyobut now he had already left. They were probably at his house by now.
He glanced at the group and saw that, indeed, people were asking for his whereabouts. Takumi chose to ignore it. Bronya would explain things.
He continued showing Tomoyo around the Commerce Department.
"She looks so similar," Tomoyo remarked. "But her sister seems gentler."
"Much gentler than Chika," Takumi agreed.
"She also has another younger sister," he added. "Next time, have Chika introduce you. Large, medium, and small Chika editions."
Takumi chuckled at his own joke. Three sisters, like three sizesbig, medium, and small.
Tomoyo laughed as well. It really did sound like that. She'd love to meet them one day.
While the two strolled and chatted, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"My benefactor came but didn't inform me?"
"If Prometheus hadn't told me, I might've missed you entirely."
Tingyun's tone carried a trace of grievance. Takumi really was too muchnot even saying a word before showing up.
"I saw you were busy, so I didn't want to disturb you," Takumi said with a warm smile as he turned to the fox lady jogging toward them.
Seeing Takumi again filled Tingyun with joy. She had often wanted to reach out to him but refrained, thinking he might be busy. World development had kept her occupied as well. Just after wrapping up her last meeting, Prometheus told her Takumi had arrivedand she couldn't contain her excitement.
"A benefactor should always inform me," Tingyun said with a playful pout. "No matter how busy I am, I'd make time for you."
She was clearly unhappy he hadn't said anything in advance. Without Prometheus, she really might have missed him.
Takumi felt slightly awkward but didn't press the issue. Instead, he gestured toward Tomoyo.
"This is Tomoyo," he introduced. "Get to know each other. She's the princess of a newly connected world."
Tingyun's gaze finally fell on Tomoyo. At first glance, her eyes lit up. Her racial intuition told her Tomoyo was someone easy to get along with. Being around her would be comfortableand Tingyun was very confident in her instincts.
Chapter 506: How About Calling Me Brother-in-Law?
Due to her instincts, Tingyun had a favorable impression of Tomoyo.
"Miss Tomoyo, hello. I'm Tingyun. Pleased to meet you."
Tingyun greeted Tomoyo with a bright smile.
"Hello, Miss Tingyun."
Tomoyo returned the smile just as warmly. She too felt that Tingyun was a very easy person to get along with.
When two kind-hearted people meet, everything naturally feels peaceful and pleasant.
"The reason we're here today is actually to ask for your advice. Tomoyo, go ahead and explain it to her."
Takumi briefly explained their reason for visiting.
Tingyun was immediately intrigued. What was going on?
She turned her curious gaze toward Tomoyo.
Although she felt slightly disappointed that Takumi wasn't there just to see her, Tingyun didn't dwell on it and kept her feelings to herself.
