22. Heaven on Earth

Sakamoto's gaze lingered on Shiki and Hidan for over ten seconds before he slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Since it's just a misunderstanding, please come aboard and have a chat. Your Cult Leader and I go way back—decades, in fact."

Hearing this, Shiki also revealed a sincere smile and said, "The Cult Leader often speaks of his friendship with Mr. Sakamoto in front of us."

"Is that so? Hahaha."

Sakamoto gave Shiki a long look, then exchanged a knowing smile with him.

The two looked like old friends reuniting after many years, chatting happily, leaving Hidan blinking in confusion.

As Shiki and Sakamoto walked toward the cruise ship, laughing and talking, a subordinate leaned in and whispered to Sakamoto, "President, these people..."

Sakamoto frowned slightly but didn’t look back as he said, "The Jashin Cult is one of our most important allies. Those who offended Mr. Shiki and Mr. Hidan deserved death. But since they were loyal and dutiful, give their families 100,000 ryo as compensation."

Upon hearing this, the subordinates—who had been somewhat disheartened by Sakamoto's earlier words—instantly brightened with renewed vigor.

A hundred thousand ryo!

This amount might mean little to a ninja,
But to ordinary people like them, it was enough to support a family comfortably for most of their lives.

Why did they work so hard, risking their lives as enforcers?
For money!

As long as the pay was good, even giving up their lives wasn’t a problem.

Noticing the shift in atmosphere around him, Shiki gave Sakamoto a deep, thoughtful look.

This guy isn't simple at all...

He spent just 400,000 ryo and not only avoided offending the Jashin Cult but also retained the loyalty of the merchant guild's people, preventing internal dissent over their alliance with the cult.

Sakamoto also smiled and extended his hand, saying, "Holy Sons, please."

Shiki nodded slightly and replied, "Please."

While the two exchanged pleasantries, Hidan had already swaggered onto the cruise ship, asking as he walked, "Sakamoto, this ship is huge. There’s gotta be some fried pork cutlets on board, right?"

Sakamoto squinted slightly.

Though annoyed inside, his face still showed a perfectly measured smile. "Of course. If you’d like some, you can go to the restaurant and have the chef make it for you."

Hearing that, Hidan grinned widely and dashed off as soon as he confirmed the restaurant's location.

Watching Hidan's back, Sakamoto looked thoughtful.

He couldn’t tell if this Hidan was pretending to be stupid… or if he really was.

"President Sakamoto, I apologize. My… brother experienced a bit of an accident while receiving Lord Jashin's inheritance. There’s something… a little off here." Shiki pointed to his head, explaining.

Sakamoto nodded in realization. "Ah, I see."

Shiki smiled and nodded as well.

After they left, a head peeked out from behind a tree near the dock.

To better imitate the cultists, Shiraishi Mori had somehow found a piece of black cloth and fashioned it into a makeshift robe to wrap himself up.

He wanted to make the disguise more convincing, but in such a small fishing village, it was impossible to find a decent cloak.

Shiraishi Mori clutched the necklace tightly in his hand.

With this, I should be able to sneak in, right...?

He wasn’t too confident, but to save his parents, he had no other choice.

After waiting a few more minutes, Shiraishi Mori finally took a deep breath and boldly walked out of the alley.

"Who goes there?"

After what had just happened, the guards at the dock were much more cautious this time.

Who knew if another Jashin Cult member might suddenly show up?

Shiraishi Mori, hiding under his hastily made hood, lowered his voice and said, "Jashin Cult."




After speaking, he began to use the faint moonlight to observe the expression of the person in front of him.

To his surprise, as soon as the other party heard the words “Jashin Cult,” they immediately became alert.

In the past, they might not have had any strong feelings about the Jashin Cult.
But now, the blood on the ground hadn’t even dried yet—what if they were suddenly killed again for no reason?
Didn’t even President Sakamoto avoid holding those lunatic cultists accountable?

The four subordinates looked at each other cautiously. Eventually, one of them asked, “Do you have any proof?”

Shiraishi Mori was delighted. He didn’t expect the name “Jashin Cult” to be so effective!

He extended his hand from his oversized black robe, revealing a crimson necklace with a circular outer shape and a triangular center that gave off a faintly dangerous aura under the moonlight.

Upon seeing it, the thugs quickly said, “Ah, an honored guest from the Jashin Cult! Please, come in! Come in!”

They liked money—but not death benefits!

Earlier, they had submitted to Sakamoto not because of the compensation,
But because he had demonstrated generosity with that money, making them believe that working for Sakamoto meant wealth. That was why they chose to follow him.

There was a difference between the two.

To stay in character, Shiraishi Mori simply gave a soft “Mm” and proceeded toward the cruise ship.

Watching his back, one of the thugs muttered suspiciously, “His outfit looks kind of different from the other two from the Jashin Cult.”

He was immediately rebuked.

“Keep your voice down! Since when do those maniacs from the Jashin Cult dress normally?”

“True enough.”

These were the types who’d kill without a word and enjoyed insane self-mutilation.

Not someone you want to mess with.

While Shiraishi Mori successfully infiltrated the cruise ship, Shiki and President Sakamoto had just finished touring it.

It had to be said—the cruise ship was incredibly luxurious, filled with all sorts of extravagant decorations that made Shiki feel like he’d stepped back into a past life.

Since Sakamoto intended to turn this cruise into the largest sea casino in the Land of Rivers, it was outfitted with a restaurant, music hall, dance floor, and even… a coliseum!

At this moment, invited by Sakamoto, nobles and elites from all over the Land of Rivers were dancing gracefully on the floor, accompanied by soft, elegant music.

And the name of this cruise ship? Sakamoto had named it Heaven on Earth.

Shiki gazed at the flickering neon lights, feeling the ever-present hormones in the air.

Sakamoto glanced at Shiki and clapped his hands.

In an instant, over a dozen scantily clad, voluptuous bunny girls appeared before them.

Their pale, glowing skin looked especially provocative under the neon lights, and their bright red lips were like blooming flowers in a snowy field.

Their flirtatious eyes and the sweet scent carried by their breath made the atmosphere thick with unspoken desire.

“What a true Heaven on Earth.”