Hoshizora Production (5)

Having taken the conversation home for now, Karona decided to think it over carefully.

"To think that I, of all people, would be scouted… how surprising～…"

For reference, she'd also been entrusted with a document laying out the various contract terms. Of course, since this was in BCD, it only looked like paper; in reality it was digital data.

"Looking at this, almost nothing changes from how things are now. The only real difference is my affiliation, and on top of that I get extra money. There's hardly any reason to refuse, is there?"

"In that case, would it not have been fine to give your OK on the spot?"

"That's exactly the thing."

Karona let out a small "whew" of breath at Sebas's remark.

"A deal too sweet to be true usually has a catch behind it～! There has to be, you know… there just has to be something like that～!!"

"A rather baseless and vague sort of unease, but I take your meaning. For our part, we have no particular objections…"

"As of right now, I'm not seeing any real negatives either."

Kokuyou had her own concerns as well, but the streaming quotas were actually lighter than Karona's current pace, and penalties had been adjusted for her circumstances, or waived outright. Even if Karona were entirely in the wrong, the worst that would happen was a reduction in her "salary" payment.

Any project type she didn't normally run would require prior approval, and anything that would damage her image too much was off the table. That said, if a project proposed by Hoshizora Production struck her as unreasonable, she also had the right to refuse.

If you really had to name a downside, it'd just be that "her affiliation becomes 'Hoshizora Production.'"

"Hmm. Honestly, Ojou-sama, I have serious doubts about whether they can make it as a company. If this weren't BCD, they'd be in the red for sure… Frankly, it's a mystery to me how they keep getting their corporate-affiliate licensing renewed."

"Oh my, is that so?"

Now that Kokuyou mentioned it, for a self-described company they really were awfully shaky. You could almost argue Dungeon Braver was the bigger operation… Though in terms of subscriber count, Hoshizora Production was a tier or two above.

"Ho-ho-ho, most likely that very fact is part of why they are courting Ojou-sama. Corporate-slot B-Casters are required to maintain enough combat strength to fulfill their dungeon-clear obligations."

"Dungeon-clear obligations? There's something like that, Sebas?"

"Indeed. On that point, Ojou-sama, you recently achieved the feat of repelling an Awakened dungeon on the spot. Not only are you a ready-to-deploy combatant, one might say you could also contribute to their dungeon-clear-obligation quota."

Put that way, it was certainly true that even if hiring Karona put them somewhat in the red, there was plenty of merit in it. You could almost call it a necessary expense for keeping up appearances as a corporate-slot agency.

That also tied back to the "that's how highly we value Karona" line from the interview.

"So does that mean there truly, truly is no catch?"

"From what we have investigated, none has turned up. I would like a bit more time to look, however."

"… Then please keep digging a little longer～!!"

"""Understood, Ojou-sama."""

The two nodded in answer to Karona's command.

… …

"… Ah. Would 'as you command' have been more to your liking, perhaps?"

"Nngh, that would not be bad either…!"