Chapter 179: Negotiation Breakdown

“Of course, it won’t be for free.” (Tomoki)

“…”

Give him Tomoe?

This guy certainly did say that.

It seems he is using his charm power and living a smooth life, but he is like a kid asking for a toy.

He really wants Tomoe who he was unable to obtain with his demonic eyes, and is now telling me to give her to him.

Is that what this is all about?

“The girls here are the daughters of nobles from the Empire. But they had some talent in battle, so I trained them.” (Tomoki)

“…”

I did lose my speech after that stupid utterance, but right now I am probably composed.

With the signal of that guy, Tomoki, the three girls that were at his back moved to both of my sides and my back.

“The level of those three are over 400. Their face and style, well, it is as you see. They are quite popular, you know? Well, compared to Japan, anyone in this world is good looking though. Hahaha!” (Tomoki)

“…”

The two at my sides are around my age.

A beautiful type and the other is a cute type. The last one that is at my back slightly bend and placing her hand towards my chin, seems to be older.

Did Princess Lily tell him my preferences, or is it just that this is simply his own hobby? I really don’t know.

The cute one is taking my hand and carrying it towards her breasts.

What a straight seduction.

Well, something like this… doesn’t matter at all.

“Lily has told me about Tomoe’s level. Even if we add numbers here, it wouldn’t be enough. If you want to, I can bring more. Later, I will guide you to where my harem is, so you can choose a number of them and take them with you.” (Tomoki)

“…”

Just how much of a joke is this guy.

No matter the details, they are supposed to be girls that yearn for him.

And also, Tomoe is practically family. An important existence.

I don’t have a single shred of intention to give her to someone who is trying to get her as if trading objects.

“Staying silent? Ah, you must be nervous.I can understand. You, don’t have experience right? Don’t worry. These girls will properly instruct you. At first, it is okay to just leave it in their hands. If I order it, they will go to whoever’s place, and they will obey anyone. I said this before, but these girls can fight at a level higher than standards. I promise you that I will properly tell them to devote themselves to you when I give them over.” (Tomoki)

“…”

Control them with charm, finish their training, and use them for battle.

When Root mentioned the Valkyries, he was referring to these girls huh. Or maybe, everyone in Tomoki’s harem are referred as Valkyries?

Whichever it is, his attitude feels like he is quite familiar with this type of situations.

Being Japanese, using people as object, and a high schooler before coming to this world; a person like that, how dare he act this naturally.

Are you telling me that he has already completely forgotten about Japan?

Is it really weird for me to cling onto it all this time?

“Hey, say something. What you wish! How many women do you want? Gold, land, rights for business; those things are fine too. What are you being all silent for?” (Tomoki)

I breathe in deeply.

Now then.

“…I refuse” (Makoto)

“Ah?” (Tomoki)

He asks me again.

In no way did I say this in a low voice.

He heard me, yet he still asked.

He is trying to coerce me.

Compared to Zara-san, this is a flimsy attempt.

“I said I refuse. For me and also for the company, Tomoe is not someone that can be replaced. Give it up.” (Makoto)

“… Are you seriously saying this?” (Tomoki)

“Give up. I won’t give you Tomoe. That is my wish.” (Makoto)

I clearly tell him this.

He was blatantly trying to coerce me and trying to shut me up with his presence.

“… You, you haven’t received any significant power from the Goddess, right? You are not that strong either. Tomoe and that other guy are quite strong, but they are not here right now. Lily has gone to deal with them after all.” (Tomoki)

“And?” (Makoto)

“I have a relative understanding of your abilities. You can’t beat me. Can’t you nod until being beaten by force? Are you stupid? This place is also perfectly sound-proof, you know.” (Tomoki)

“…If you don’t even intend to call me properly, there wasn’t much point in giving you my name. How can you properly gauge my power when this our first time meeting? Are heroes specialized in bluffs? Are you the type that is all bark and no bite?” (Makoto)

Can’t get a hint huh.

Even senpai was unable to notice much of my power, so I don’t think this thing can notice it.

Even if he is really the one that created that crater, that level of threat is no danger at all.

I already know that Tomoki is using some sort of tool to gauge my power.

In a sense, he is acting big out of a basis.

“You… it seems like you don’t properly understand the situation you are in right now.” (Tomoki)

Instantly after those words of Tomoki, blades were placed at my neck, heart, and wrists.

No need to say, this is the work of those girls.

Just that, they are not directly hitting me.

Even if it’s thin, these girls don’t have enough power to cut through my magic power armor after all. That’s why, it is natural that I don’t need to be on guard.

But a smile appears in Tomoki’s face.

“With this, are you still able to keep using that contempting mouth of yours, Raidou-dono?” (Tomoki)

“…”

A man that completely gets on my nerves.

He is more annoying than most hyumans.

“I can somewhat tell the power of others. The method is business secret though. You don’t have the power to defeat a single one of those girls. And, the reason why you are able to have Tomoe obey you despite that…” (Tomoki)

“…”

“Must be because you have a strong taming power. You must be able to control strong mamonos and dragons with that power of yours.” (Tomoki)

… Totally wrong.

I don’t know how he reached that conclusion, but there’s a lot of questionable points.

Most of all, I am grateful that he has brought out blades to coerce me.

He is the one that began.

That will clear my conscience slightly.

I will just have Tomoe search for Grount’s location and quickly finish my task.

I don’t want to stay long in this country.

No, if possible, I don’t want to come here anymore.

“Well well, I didn’t expect to be seen through. It seems heroes are existences I can’t underestimate.” (Makoto)

While saying things I don’t really mean, I strengthen the sound-proof barrier that was already present.

Harden the walls, and place a lock on the door as well.

Done.

“That’s why, if you turn over Tomoe to me, she will have to obey me. Right?” (Tomoki)

“I see, I see.” (Makoto)

Ignoring the three girls that have blades on my body, I place strength in my legs.

“Hey, you—?!” (Tomoki)

A high-pitched sound and a short scream of a girl, cut off the words of Tomoki.

One of the blades falls onto the table in between me and Tomoki and makes a sound. The women that were trying to restrain me lift their voices at me who is standing without caring about it.

I look down on Tomoki who is still sitting.

“To try obtaining Tomoe when you have only piled up this level of women, it seems that you have really looked down on my follower.” (Makoto)

“This is the center of the Empire. Do you understand just how disadvantageous it would be for you to get in trouble with me?” (Tomoki)

Without caring about my gaze, Tomoki actually rested his back and looks back at me.

And then…

“Yeah, I understand.” (Makoto)

“What?” (Tomoki)

“I will have to do my best to hush it up.” (Makoto)

“Fuh, stop the bluffing. A single merchant like you can get the patronage of a large country like Gritonia, moreover, the number of talents you own will increase, you know? Think about this properly, merchant. You might be the owner of a slightly big company, but don’t go getting heated up over a negotiation.” (Tomoki)

“Sorry to say but, even if I am called the representative, I am more of a decoration. To the point that the title is too much for me. If you were looking for such composure from me, your calculations were wrong. My place is a bit special you see. If I don’t punch you right now, I will probably make Tomoe angry later. Well, even without that, I would still do it though.” (Makoto)

It seems Tomoki has noticed my change in presence.

“Girls, that guy—!!” (Tomoki)

He tries to gives orders to the three girls that had taken a bit of distance from me…

But it’s too late.

“Sleep.” (Makoto)

Sealing the movements of the girls around by stretching the hands of the magic power armor, I used a direct sleeping spell.

As if acting in concert to my words, their bodies fall onto the rug.

While at it, I also made the maid sleep as well.

“!! ga”

Kicking the table, I create a path.

Advancing just as is, I grab his temples.

The resistance of the sitted Tomoki was weak, to the point that it makes me doubt the power of a hero.

Is he the type that gets stronger depending on prerequisites?

Even so, I won’t change what I will be doing.

It is his fault for being unable to show his true strength unless those moments occur.

I smash his face onto the floor.

I lift my leg to the back, and just like that, I kick his head.

The hero flies with quite the momentum and hits the walls. But, there wasn’t much change in the situation outside.

It seems like the effect of the soundproof and the hardening is showing good results.

I unhurriedly close the distance.

“Hn”

I stop my feet.

Something comes flying from Tomoki.

It’s not a spell. A tool, weapon.

A kind of throwing knife; three of them.

It doesn’t seem like normal knifes, but I don’t mind them.

I once again walk, and receive the thrown blades with the magic power armor. The moment the knives make contact, they shine brightly, and explode.

And what of it.

Without minding about it, I close the distance, and this time, the glaring Tomoki shoots a spell at me.

When I thought something shone, it hit the magic power armor.

It is fast, but powerless.

If you want to make me flinch, you will have to show firepower on the level of Sofia.

Receiving all the attacks that don’t even need to be evaded, I lift Tomoki’s body with the magic power armor.

His hate-filled eyes had not changed even now.

Hmph.

You treated Tomoe as an object.

You must be properly prepared for the result of your actions, right?

At Tomoki who had his face and body equally pressed onto the wall, I mindlessly punched him to a point that I had stopped counting the number of times in the middle of it.

I ignored anything he said. No matter what he did, I blocked it. Because I thought that this way would be more effective.

When I aimed for his face every time he opened his mouth, in time, he shut it.

I thought that I would be refreshed while punching him, but it didn’t happen.

Aside from the first punch, the ones that followed didn’t serve as a refresher.

I have to make it so he doesn’t think about putting his hands on Tomoe ever again. With that reason alone, I continued inflicting pain.

In time, I let off Tomoki who has lost his ability to speak coherent words.

“It’s great that I am weak, right? Because you are let off with only this much.” (Makoto)

That image of him curling his body and holding his head with both hands… made me imagine something.

“… So this time you are the one staying silent huh, Tomoki. Hey, aren’t you a hero? How about being a little bit more dignified even when being beaten? That look of yours, it is comical how you look like a bullied person.” (Makoto)

It looked like Tomoki reacted to the word bullied, but… there’s no point in digging deeper into it.

I grab Tomoki with my own hands.

I shrink down the magic power armor, and in exchange, I use [Sakai] to heal the wounds of Tomoki.

The healing proceeds quite quickly.

Because the concealing ability of the magic power armor was released, the light of magic power leaks out to my surroundings.

If Tomoki were to gauge me when I’m in this state, he might actually not have gone for a forceful method.

He doesn’t look like the type that picks a fight with the strong after all.

Whether it is senpai or Tomoki, their power is not that big of a deal.

No, frankly speaking, the war itself is not a threat for Kuzunoha Company or Asora. That’s why, whether it is Tomoe or Shiki, they probably won’t say much to me about this.

Because no matter what happens, the difference would be like using my left leg instead of my right to kick a small pebble.

It is ‘troublesome’, so it is a war I don’t want to get involved with though.

The external wounds finish erasing. The healing is done huh.

I drag Tomoki, who is taller than me, towards the sofa he was in, and throw him there.

I return [Sakai] to concealment, and return the kicked table to its original place.

I slap the cheeks of the spaced-out Tomoki to return him to his senses.

…

Tomoki looks at me with conscious eyes.

Just that, those eyes weren’t filled with strong will or haughtiness, and there was clear weakness and fear mixed in it.

“I properly healed you, so there should be no impediments in your war with the demon race.” (Makoto)

I look at his eyes and tell him with a smile that he has been healed.

“Well then, I will be leaving now. I have another business here in the Empire you see. I am kind of…busy. Of course, it is not as important as being a hero though.” (Makoto)

While speaking, I line up the three girls and maid that I forgot about, and have them sit on the sofa I was in.

I pass at his side and head to the door.

“Ah, also…” (Makoto)

I release the lock from the door and the hardening of the walls.

And then, I place my hand on the knob and tell him something important with my back still facing him.

“Don’t wish for Tomoe… no, for anything and anyone of Kuzunoha, ever again. Next time, whether it is intentional or an accident, I will not forgive it. I don’t care about you using your charm power in whichever way you want, but that’s only if it doesn’t involve us. Don’t forget that.” (Makoto)

Right.

If he tries something, I won’t be merciful.

To the princess, and the other countries; it is because I didn’t clearly say this that something as stupid as this has occurred.

As expected, maybe the main problem is that I look like I am easy to deal with. That’s making Kuzunoha Company like a tasty chance.

That’s why every place wants to try and put their hands on it.

I should properly tell the other party that I don’t plan on yielding.

The friction that this will create, I will just consider it as a necessary price.

Yeah.

If in the future there’s a weird haggle demanded from me, I wouldn’t be able to take it.

The presents of Susanoo-sama and the others has not been made clear either, and I also have the errand of Root. There’s also the audience with Limia and the Demon Lord.

Now that I think about it… teaching Tomoki here about this might have been a plus in a sense.

There was a slight good in coming to the Empire.

Leaving onto the hall, I tell the knight-looking people that the talk is over, and tell them that I want to return to where Tomoe and Shiki are.

I thought that they would bring someone to guide me, but it was the knight-san himself that took the guiding role.

It would be nice if Tomoe and Shiki didn’t go on a rampage as well.

…If it’s those two, there’s no need to worry huh.

Hah…

Looking at my opening and closing hands while facing the sky, I make a sigh that’s definitely not from regret.

It’s because I have flung crude violence.

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