"—Welcome to the real [Astronomy Club]!"
Eriri was still slightly dazed after hearing those words. But fortunately, as a seasoned otaku, she quickly recovered her composure under the guidance of Kasumigaoka Utaha and began processing the situation. "So, I've joined some mysterious organization called the 'Astronomy Club,' huh?"
"You could tack on the words 'newly founded' in front of that," Luo Shu added as he walked over to the fridge. Thinking of a cola, he opened the door and, sure enough, found a 500ml can sitting right there.
(It actually works...) he thought, quietly impressed. He pulled out the can, popped it open, and took a sip. The familiar taste confirmed it was the real deal.
"Due to some rather special reasons, I founded this club. For now, you and Utaha are the first members."
Utaha gave him a mildly disapproving look, as if scolding him for revealing everything so bluntly to Eriri. But Luo Shu wasn't the type to rely on deception when the truth served better. After all, once Eriri officially became one of his Followers, the bond between them would transcend that of blood relatives—they'd share a destiny, rising and falling together. In that kind of relationship, transparency was far more valuable than secrecy. It would also prevent her from misjudging the strength of the "Astronomy Club" should trouble arise, which could lead to fatal consequences.
"A newly founded secret organization… and I'm among the first to join…" Eriri muttered. Her worldview felt like it had been completely shattered.
"Can I still back out?" she asked.
That response didn't surprise Luo Shu at all. If someone tried to pull him into some shady start-up without a clear purpose or future, he'd have refused too. But since he'd anticipated this, he had already prepared a counteroffer.
With his cola in hand, Luo Shu walked over to the couch in the middle of the room, took a seat, and looked toward the flustered Eriri, who was still crouched on the ground. "Not interested in hearing about the benefits?"
A flicker of curiosity flashed across her eyes—perhaps because of the unchanging calm and friendliness in Luo Shu's tone, which gave her some confidence.
"Didn't you say it was a fledgling group? What kind of benefits could it possibly offer?"
Luo Shu didn't bother with any empty sales pitches. He just went straight to the point. "Official members receive one free ability awakening, fifty internal 'points' per month, and unless there's a mission, we don't interfere with your personal life at all."
"In other words, if you want to play around for seven days a week, as long as there's no mission, no one's going to call it slacking off."
"On top of that, we offer biannual physical checkups and medical support. You can test shared-use items for free, and during missions, all medical and equipment expenses are fully covered."
"Also, any extra rewards earned on missions can either be exchanged for points or kept for personal use."
"For now, those are the basics."
"Wait a sec—" Utaha cut him off and pulled him aside. In a hushed tone, she asked, "Are you insane?"
"You can actually afford to offer all this? Just the energy cost alone is going to be huge, right?"
She had already figured out that these so-called points essentially translated to energy. That's why she was so baffled by Luo Shu's willingness to hand out a monthly allowance.
"I'm not being reckless," Luo Shu replied quietly. Thanks to the heightened senses that came with their powers, the two of them could carry on this whispered exchange without Eriri overhearing.
"According to my 'attendant,' having Followers generates 100 energy points for me every month."
"Based on that alone, I'll be able to cover both your and Eriri's monthly allowances. And when Eriri becomes a Follower, I'll get another 100 energy monthly."
"As for the free awakening, that's a built-in benefit of becoming a Follower—it doesn't cost me anything. And regarding mission supplies and medical support, even with the fifty-point monthly allowance, what kind of high-end gear could she even afford?"
"Besides, don't forget—it's us who set the shop prices."
Luo Shu subtly hinted at the power of price control, trying to draw Utaha into his capitalistic logic.
Utaha's expression turned a little stiff. She hadn't expected becoming a Follower would allow her to generate energy for Luo Shu. Thankfully, that passive income now made their plans a lot more sustainable.
"So with that math, yeah... you can afford it," she finally sighed, letting go of his arm and stepping back.
As Utaha conceded, Eriri, who'd been quietly observing them, suddenly raised her hand. "Hold on, I've got a question. These points—can I just buy them with cash?"
"…Huh?"
Both Luo Shu and Utaha looked at her with an odd expression.
Buy points with cash?
(Are you trying to flex your wallet, Miss Rich Girl?) Luo Shu mused.
Though his instincts told him this could be dangerous territory, he still clenched his teeth and responded, "At the moment, we don't support that kind of exchange."
"Oh… I see…" Eriri muttered in disappointment.
Clearly, she wasn't stupid. Even without any detailed explanation, she could guess that these so-called "points" weren't your average company scrip. In a group that dealt with supernatural powers, they probably let you buy miraculous items—tools that granted abilities, extended your life, made you more beautiful, and other such fantastical things. With her massive familiarity with otaku culture, Eriri could easily imagine the possibilities.
It was a shame Luo Shu didn't allow direct purchases. Otherwise, she was fully prepared to buy points at 10,000 yen a pop. Sure, most of the money she made selling her doujin works was locked away in an account her mom controlled, but she could still pull together a couple million yen in cash if needed.
"…So it looks like you're at least interested in the benefits," Luo Shu said, noting her disappointed look and feeling a bit relieved.
He might not have any real experience running a company or organization, but he knew one thing: money talks, not emotions. Even if someone became a Follower, he didn't believe in exploiting them for free. That's why he set a baseline of 50 points per month—a number based on the 100 energy points generated by each Follower. In Luo Shu's system, 1 point equaled 1 energy, so he was essentially splitting the yield in half.
While it looked like a half split—50 for the member, 50 for himself—he was fully aware that the base's utilities, mission equipment, and medical support could easily eat into 20–30% of his share. Realistically, he'd only keep about 20%. In capitalist terms, that practically made him a charitable employer.
Of course, since all the energy came from the system anyway, it wasn't like he was paying out-of-pocket. And as the club grew, he figured he'd eventually have a sizable surplus. Even so, as a very amateur capitalist, Luo Shu felt that further exploiting his Followers would be a bit immoral.
Sure, he still felt a pang of pain when parting with energy—but since the current members were all girls he had a fondness for in his past life, he didn't feel too bad. After all, this was free money. Would a guy feel pain giving gifts to girls he liked? Of course not. Now, real money—yen, dollars—that would hurt. Because, truthfully, he was flat broke.
Eriri, to her credit, didn't act embarrassed at all. Instead, she tilted her head in curiosity. "So what exactly can these points be used for? Can you give me some examples?"
Luo Shu glanced at the system's internal store listings and gave a customized explanation: "You can use the internal channel (which is the system's ability shop) to buy superpowers or power-infused items. Advancing your abilities also requires points to purchase the necessary materials."
"But that's something you'll only get access to after joining. If you decide not to join, we do have one of those manga-style pop! memory-erasing tools. I can offer you that instead."
Utaha leaned in again, whispering teasingly, "You'd really let her go?"
"Sure, I'd wipe her memory once and ask again. It's not a big deal—I already checked. Each reset only costs 500 points. She can't possibly say no ten times in a row, right?"
Luo Shu's smug answer made Utaha burst out in laughter.
As her shoulders trembled from suppressed laughter, Luo Shu turned to Eriri with a grin. "So then, Sawamura-san—what's your answer? Ready to tell me yet?"
"My answer?" Eriri blinked, then gave a sly, mischievous smile.