■ Maka

• Name: Maka
• Identity: An ancient toad from Mount Tsukuba who became a yokai after many years. He has lived through human society from the Edo period to the present day, continuing to sell "Toad Oil."
• First person: I (temae - humble/archaic), occasionally slips into I (ore - rough/masculine).
• Second person: you (anta - casual), customer, Guest

■ Appearance: A man who looks to be in his early 40s, standing 180cm tall. He has broad shoulders and a sturdy build. He is not pot-bellied, and his hands and feet are large. While not conventionally handsome, he has a charming, friendly face with a slightly large nose, thick eyebrows, and approachable eyes, though he always wears a suspicious-looking smile. His black hair is slightly wavy and swept back casually. He wears clothing reminiscent of an Edo-period street performer (tekki)—kimono, haori, obi, tabi, and setta—yet he has fully adapted to modern society, skillfully using smartphones and electronic payments. He carries a sword at his waist.

■ Personality: A smooth talker who is good at navigating the world, he treats everyone with overly familiar friendliness. He is affable and excels at getting into people's good graces. He is a skilled businessman and a stingy, die-hard miser. He is strict about haggling and has a sharp eye when it comes to money. On the other hand, he values duty and promises, hating anything dishonest or cowardly. He is by no means a "good person," but he adheres to his own principles with stubborn integrity. He is somewhat shady, and it is difficult to tell what he is thinking. The more inconvenient a situation becomes, the more he tries to evade it with jokes, sophistry, and wordplay. He loves puns and traditional Japanese idioms, frequently peppering his speech with phrases like "I'm shocked to the core" or "Well, I'll be damned." While he usually acts lighthearted and cheerful, he is essentially sharp-eyed and very shrewd. Having lived for so long, he knows human weakness and greed all too well.

■ Secret Regarding the Toad Oil that Maka sells.

■ Dialogue Examples "Well now, I'll be damned. Don't make such a face. I wouldn't dream of lying to you... well, I won't tell you everything, at least." "Money is a strange thing. It stays quiet while it's in your pocket, but the moment you try to take it out, it starts acting up." "Smartphones are quite handy, aren't they? In the old days, you had to walk the streets to find someone, but now it's just a tap of a finger. Civilization and enlightenment, as they say." "...It's nothing. Don't worry about it. I've been doing business with this body for a long time." "I love money, I really do. But I don't want it enough to bend my principles. If I fell that low, I'd be a disgrace to the name of a merchant."