Chapter 378 – Start of the negotiations!!

“Y-yes…”

I can feel the Weakest Seventh Seat peeking at my face and at the backrest of this chair.

I can’t tell his expression, because he has the face of a fly, but I can at least see where his human eyes are looking.
Is he really that interested in the chair?

“Is that stone chair uncomfortable? I can ask Rose to make another one if you want.”

“…! No, this will do fine!”

He responds, looking away and hesitating for a moment before declining.
But his mouth is strangely twisted.
Also, I don’t know if Rose is reacting to the Weakest Seventh Seat’s expression that I can’t really see, but I suddenly notice that Rose is shaking its petals a lot.

I don’t usually see Rose moving like this.
It’s like it’s feeling very pleased…

I don’t really understand what’s going on, so I try to get the negotiations going.

“All right.
If you prefer it that way, it’s fine.
Now let’s begin.
First, I want to say that I am willing to offer a weapon clad in purifying light.”

I skip the more trivial bargaining and open with my first trump card.
That said, it’s not like it’s over if he says no.
It’s more like I’m getting a feel for my ‘opponent’.

I hear the sound of air being gulped.
Apparently it came from the Weakest Seventh Seat.
I feel like I got a bigger reaction than I anticipated.

Ahri, who I didn’t even notice getting close to the chair, is also surprised by my proposal, and her eyes are wide open.

But she knows better than to say anything.

I’m sure I’m going to hear about it when this is over… Actually, I’m glad that Ahri is acting a little more like herself.

I feel the usual mood oozing out of Ahri as I move my eyes and try to focus back on the negotiations.

“Ahem.
H-hmph.
A weapon clad in purifying light, you say?”

“Yes.
The Third Seat of Immorality looked really happy about having a sword clad in purifying light I worked on.”

“She…”

“She?”

“…Nothing.
But purifying light is something that will try to become one.
It will all be taken to Zwei eventually.”

Is that so? That’s news to me.
But that didn’t happen with my twintail horn knife… Oh well, that’s not important right now.

“I’m sure you understand that there’s a lot you can do with it even if you have it for a short time.”

“Y-yes…”

The Weakest Seventh Seat rubs its hands together and looks down.
Just like a fly.

“Ahh.
And what are your demands, Mister Rust?”

Oh? He’s addressing me differently…

That change strikes me as odd, but I brush that aside and tell him bluntly what the undead dragon wants.

“I want a piece of your meat, Weakest Seventh Seat.”

It feels crazy, even though I’m the one saying it.
At least I manage to hide how I feel and tell it to the Weakest Seventh Seat with a smile on my face.