Chapter 225 - New Goal

“So, that [Storage Pouch] had also been with you?”

When I first disappeared from this world, Tina must have retrieved this storage pouch and other items, like the dagger bestowed by Creator God-sama.

“Yes. However, I entrusted it to a subordinate I could trust, so it remained in the possession of H&T Corporation until recently.”

“I see... so you have subordinates, too.”

It made sense, given that Tina is the CEO of the world’s leading company, but I was still surprised to hear she had subordinates.

“By the way, the Guardian Hero is also a co-owner of this company, so it is now considered the property of Halt-sama.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve already acquired another high-grade storage sack for the company, though it’s not as powerful as this one. So, this was returned to me, and I apologize for the delay in giving it back to you, Halt-sama.”

The ultra-rare [Storage Pouch] was a dream item for adventurers. No one would have to worry about lugging back the rare treasures they collected from dungeons, and that alone made it highly coveted.

Still, I had already been storing my collected items using the same technique I used to store Hakoku, so it didn’t really matter if Tina returned the pouch or not.

Maybe I could just give it to someone in my family.

There was something else that caught my attention during our conversation.

“Uh... Tina. Am I... the owner of H&T Corporation?”

“Yes, that’s correct. However, it’s not something you are obligated to manage, so please don’t worry about it.”

I hadn’t done anything, yet I was the owner of this massive company. Was that really okay?

“If you wish, Halt-sama, I could also entrust the management of the company to you. But bear in mind, there are thousands of employees, so you’d need to properly learn business administration.”

Yeah... no thanks.

I won’t—I *can’t*.

A company where thousands of people depend on their livelihood? As expected, I don’t have the confidence to handle something like that.

Still, I always knew Tina was a genius, but I didn’t realize she was this skilled at management, too.

At any rate, I wouldn’t do anything for now.

It’s not like I had pressing tasks to handle, and I didn’t really have a reason to involve myself with the company either.

Just like before, when I didn’t know I owned H&T Corporation, nothing would change in my current lifestyle.

Tina also reassured me that it was fine to stay uninvolved.

Apparently, I had a lot of money to spend freely now, so there was no need to work hard to earn more.

Somehow, that felt a bit disappointing.

I wanted to become an adventurer and do my best to provide for my family... but now there was no need for that.

This was the first time I understood what it meant to feel aimless despite being wealthy.

I lost my goal.

But even though money was no longer an issue, founding and managing a clan still seemed appealing. That was one of my original motivations, after all.

Yeah, that’s it!

How about gathering strong comrades and training them thoroughly to create the world’s strongest clan?

Every four years, a tournament is held to determine the ranking of the top clans. It’s known as the [Strongest Clan Competition].

Let’s enter that tournament and aim for the top!

The timing is perfect. By the time I establish my clan, the tournament will be just around the corner.

The competition, which decides the clan worthy of the title “strongest clan,” isn’t just about raw combat power.

Much like the inter-class competitions at Ifrus Academy of Magic, the tournament tests coordination, intelligence, support skills, and true combat prowess.

And our opponents won’t be students but professional adventurers who hunt monsters for a living.

It’ll be tough to reach the top in our first tournament.

But after four years, eight years... I want to build the strongest clan, one that can triumph in the tournament someday.

Just like that, I gained a new goal.

In the past, my primary focus was ensuring that my family and friends could defend themselves against majin attacks. I did a lot of things for that reason, but I’ve come to realize I genuinely enjoy helping them grow stronger.

Strongest Clan—yeah, that sounds awesome.

Alright, let’s do this!

And so, in exchange for the loss of my need to earn money, I gained another exciting goal.