Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:HO Crossover (section)

===3: Capitalist Corporations===

Mariydi: Are you the defector from the Legitimacy Kingdom?

Kamijou: I have had it up to here with that place.

Mariydi: Yeah, they are a bunch of weirdos who follow fossilized old traditions and love cheese that smells like wet socks. You drew the short end of the stick ending up there. As a special deal, I am willing to give you as many 0-cent smiles and as much sympathy as you want.

Kamijou: If the protagonist side is that bad, I can’t imagine how messed up this entire world is.

Mariydi: That aside, how much do you have on you?

Kamijou: What?

Mariydi: You say you want to defect to the Capitalist Corporations, so I assume you come bearing a gift like a blank check or a large diamond. So hand it over already. For just a small service fee, I will convert it into our currency for you. To be clear, you would end up paying more at a professional money changer. I just want to cover my expenses.

Kamijou: Wait, wait, wait. What are you expecting from a simple high school boy, little girl? A check? A diamond? The only things in my wallet are a drug store point card and a sticker from the spring plate decoration festival.

Mariydi: A point card, huh? You plan on selling off your personal information? You do know that’s like the social equivalent of selling your organs, right?

Kamijou: I’m not doing that! What is with this money obsession!? But if that’s the name of the game, you’d better not underestimate Kamijou-san, king of the thrifty house-husbands!!

Mariydi: Thrifty, hm? Do you ''want'' to cry? Your rights are bought with cash, so now is not the time to be thrifty.

Kamijou: Okay, let’s figure out where this misunderstanding is coming from. First off, how is something a “right” if you have to pay for it!?

Mariydi: Hold on, I just had a thought. Could you look more closely at our world power’s name again?

Kamijou: Um, the Capitalist Corporations?

Mariydi: Exactly. Giant corporations and capitalists stand at the top of our power. You have no money? You can’t pay? You must be joking or you’re suicidal. Thriftiness is a rejection of economic activity and failing to pay your taxes is the same as selling off your rights. You’ll have the right to live stripped from you at this rate.

Kamijou: The right to live!? Surely I have a lot of other rights to go before getting there!?

Mariydi: What makes you think you have a right to speak if you won’t even pay your taxes? As long as you have money here, then bloodlines, history, and justice itself can be rewritten. But if you don’t? Well, that’s another story. There’s nothing fun about being one of the ones being rewritten.

Kamijou: …

Mariydi: Life can be bought, but that means your life is over if you can’t buy it. I honestly feel sorry for you. Well, come back after selling an organ or three. We’ll treat you like a human then. Good grief.

Kamijou: Are you kidding meeeeeeeee!?