Chapter 18

Having successfully snagged two fresh-faced beauties, Rokudo Mukuro was in high spirits. He thought that there was no time like the present, and he should get the Akutagawa siblings out of this wretched place as soon as possible so they could live a happy life with him.

"Where are we going?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Gin Akutagawa walked along Leibo Street, carrying their few belongings.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa never expected that he would actually believe the words of this child he knew nothing about, and follow him away from where he had always lived, heading towards an unknown future.

He looked at Rokudo Mukuro, who was about the same height as him and had exquisite features. No matter how you looked at him, he seemed like an innocent young master who knew nothing of the world. But he had a charm that made people unable to help but believe in him and rely on him.

Perhaps that's why he was so blinded by greed and chose to believe it. Ryunosuke Akutagawa thought to himself, "There's no turning back now. I might as well go all the way."

Walking down the street, Ryunosuke Akutagawa sensed the gazes fixed on them from the shadows, like eyes on a piece of meat. He suppressed the irritation and rage rising within him, but still couldn't help asking Rokudo Mukuro a question.

Rokudo Mukuro found it somewhat amusing. They had already come so far with him, and only now did they think to ask about their destination. These two children were far too careless.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Don't worry, I won't sell you off!"

"Did you know that a doctor opened a clinic in Leibo Street a while ago?" Seeing the speechless expressions on their faces, Rokudo Mukuro laughed even harder.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa thought for a moment and said, "I've heard of it." He had heard people mention it when he was out looking for food, but he hadn't paid attention at the time.

“I know that too. I’ve inquired about it. It seems to be Dr. Mori. His medical skills are quite good, and he also has two children with him.” Akutagawa Gin had specifically inquired about this clinic and doctor because of her brother’s poor health.

"Mukuro-kun, you wouldn't happen to be Dr. Mori's child, would you?"

“kufufu…no, that’s not it~”

Dr. Mori's child?! Rokudo Mukuro shuddered. If he really was Mori Ougai's child, he would rather send Dr. Mori to hell.

“Although I’ve been living with him recently, I’m not his child. Hmm… if you really think about it, I should be his creditor.” Rokudo Mukuro clasped his hands together and came to a serious conclusion.

"...Creditor?"

"Yes, that's right. Dr. Mori owes me a lot of money now." After all, that person couldn't resist the temptation of little skirts and bought a whole bunch at once. Alice liked to eat small cakes, and the two of them spent money extravagantly. How could the little money he earned be enough? In the end, he still had to ask me for a loan.

"So, are we going to the clinic?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa asked.

"No, let's go buy you some things first, then we'll go later." It's still early, what's the point of going back to see Mori Ōgai's face? Buying some daily necessities, clothes, and study books for the Akutagawa siblings is the most important thing.

If you take Akutagawa Ryunosuke and don't train him properly, that's when problems will arise.

"Give it to us?" Akutagawa Gin was taken aback. Having lived in Leibo Street for so long, she had forgotten what normal life was like.

“Of course, Gin is a little girl, so of course she needs to buy some pretty dresses and jewelry.” Rokudo Mukuro said matter-of-factly, then suddenly remembered something: “Oh right, I forgot to tell you, Mori Ougai, that doctor, is a pervert. You should stay away from him.”

“…Pervert?” Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s eyes sharpened. Having spent so much time in Raiba Town, he certainly knew what “pervert” meant. “Will it be safe for us to stay with him from now on…?”

Rokudo Mukuro laughed and said, "Don't worry, he's just a weirdo. He's not completely weird yet, so you can still get along with him. Besides, I don't plan for you to spend too much time with him."

After hearing Rokudo Mukuro's description of the doctor named Mori Ougai, Ryunosuke Akutagawa felt even more uneasy.

The shopping trip went smoothly, and the Akutagawa siblings witnessed firsthand the extent of Rokudo Mukuro's wealth and extravagance. Whatever he wanted, he wouldn't even ask the price; he'd just buy it. He swiped his card with such ease—he didn't act like a child at all; he was more like a domineering CEO!

The last stop was a bookstore. Rokudo Mukuro believed that both of these talented children should go to school and needed to buy books. He also believed that if Ryunosuke Akutagawa really wanted to become a writer, he would have to learn on his own.

"Go ahead and pick whatever books you want!" Rokudo Mukuro waved his hand, speaking with great magnanimity.

The Akutagawa siblings had become numb to his behavior. They put down the bags of various sizes they were carrying and obediently went to the bookshelf to choose their favorite books. Before, they were not used to a child spending so much money on them. No matter which store it was, they would just say, "Take whatever you want."

However, if they weren't picky, Rokudo Mukuro would buy them piles and piles of stuff.

So, are they being kept by a little kid now?!

In the end, they returned home with a full load.

Looking at the countless bags he was carrying, Ryunosuke Akutagawa felt a rare urge to sigh. The feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart was indescribable, but he was certain that it wasn't a negative emotion.

"Are we just going back like this?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa looked at all this stuff and wanted to rub his temples, but his hands were occupied.

"What I mean is that so many things are easily coveted by others. Even if one is wary, human greed is insatiable." Even Ryunosuke Akutagawa would be afraid of having so many things stolen!

“Kufufufu…This is indeed a problem, but who dares to come…” Rokudo Mukuro didn’t finish his sentence, but the danger in his eyes already showed his attitude.

“It won’t be easy to take this!” Ryunosuke Akutagawa glanced at his surroundings. There was no one around at the moment. He quickly released his “Rashomon”, and a black beast swallowed the pile of things in one gulp with lightning speed.

"Wow~" Rokudo Mukuro looked at Akutagawa Ryunosuke's ability with great curiosity. Even though he knew that the abilities in this world were different from the Dying Will Flame, he didn't know that this ability could be used like this!

"What is this? A personal storage space?"

“No, my ‘Rashomon’ can create a separate space where I can store things.” This was the first time Ryunosuke Akutagawa had revealed his special ability to someone other than his sister Gintoki, and it was also a way of slowly entrusting his trust to others.

"What a convenient ability," Rokudo Mukuro remarked. "Simple, convenient, and practical."

He didn't ask any more questions. He knew the secret of his superpower himself; it was a way to save his life, and it wouldn't be good for others to know too much about it.

"Let's go back." Rokudo Mukuro lifted his foot and walked forward. The Akutagawa siblings quickly followed. The sunlight shone on the asphalt road, reflecting a white light. The road ahead was unknown, but their future should also be filled with sunshine!

By the time they returned to the clinic on Leibo Street, it was nearly evening.

"Dr. Mori, we're back." Rokudo Mukuro led the two children into the clinic.

"Yo, Mukuro-kun, you're back." Mori Ougai also noticed the two children behind him. "Are these the two rabbit...kids you mentioned before? You brought them back!"

Mori Ōgai carefully observed the two children. The boy was clearly the older brother; he had a cool, aloof appearance, was somewhat frail, but possessed sharp eyes. "He looks like a rabbit, but inside he's a little wolf cub," Mori Ōgai concluded to himself.

Then look at the little girl. Mori Ougai's gaze softened the moment he looked at her. He repeated, "Little girls are the treasures of the world!" Look, look! Long black hair, big eyes, carefully following behind her brother—she's clearly a very well-behaved child! His gaze gradually turned sinister…

Wait a minute! How did the little girl in front of me suddenly turn into a burly man?! Damn it, a burly man with his upper body bare! His eyes!!

Mori Ougai quickly looked away, but the image of that burly man's body lingered in his mind.

His face was contorted with grief, his eyes filled with unspeakable sorrow: "Mukuro-kun! Why did you do this to me!" Mori Ougai's voice was brimming with indignation; his eyes were practically blind! He only liked lolis! What the hell was this burly man?!

He knew who did this; having spent so much time together, he roughly understood some of Rokudo Mukuro's abilities. But he never imagined they were so destructive!

"Kufufufu... What did I do?" Rokudo Mukuro grinned, showing no remorse whatsoever. To deal with a pervert, you need an even more perverted one. He'd only conjured a naked, muscular man; he hadn't even done anything to him yet. This was nothing!

"Alice-chan~ Let me hug you! Alice-chan~" Mori Ougai quickly hugged Alice, looking as if he had been rescued.

"By the way, Dr. Mori, one of them is named Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and the other is named Gin Akutagawa. Like me, they'll be staying with you for a couple of days," Rokudo Mukuro said to Mori Ougai, pointing to the Akutagawa siblings.

Mori Ōgai glanced at them quickly, then quickly looked away: "Of course you're welcome! Ryūnosuke-kun, Gin-chan~ Please settle in comfortably!" He was now completely too afraid to look around...

"Dr. Mori, you're going out too?" Rokudo Mukuro noticed that Mori Ougai's clothes were completely different from when he left. As far as he knew, Mori Ougai wasn't a particular person, especially after arriving in Raihachi, where he became even more slovenly.

"Ha, of course he went out, and like Mukuro-kun, he brought someone back! I don't know what he was thinking. He can't even support himself, yet he wants to raise a child. He's already being supported by Mukuro-kun!" Alice broke free from Mori Ougai's embrace, shoved him hard, and loudly scolded him with a face full of dissatisfaction.

"Alice said it herself, Alice hates him, she doesn't like him, but Rintaro still brought him back!" Alice's voice trembled with tears as she spoke. "I hate Rintaro the most! Alice hates Rintaro!" Alice turned and ran away, completely ignoring Mori Ougai's attempts to stop her from behind.

"Did Dr. Mori also bring back a child?" Rokudo Mukuro asked curiously.

"Yes, didn't you say you wanted to bring two children back, Mukuro-kun? So I went out to see if I could bring one back too, and I didn't expect to actually run into one! What a coincidence! I brought him back right away, but who knew Alice would be so angry." Mori Ougai sighed as he spoke, looking like he was heartbroken by his daughter's rebellion.

A note from the author:

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The domineering CEO Rokudo Mukuro, and his kept women: the literary giant Akutagawa Ryunosuke, his younger sister Akutagawa Gin, and the useless doctor Mori Ougai.