Book 3: Chapter 11: Resumption of Negotiations

After fixing ourselves and putting our clothes on, we lined up in front of Irene.

However, because we are in a hurry, Suzette has forgotten to put on her mask, making her face laid to be laid bare.

“You, that face……”

Suzette’s expression turned bitter at Irene’s words.

“Could it be…… that the girls outside as well?”

“……Yes, they are just as ugly as me.”

Silence fell over the place.

Suzette might be feeling guilty right now, of insulting them while ignoring their own faults and having sex with me without permission.

To me, of course, they are things that I can easily pass as nothing. Rather, I feel even thankful as I was able to save them from their loneliness. Suzette, however, was just too serious and stubborn about her job, which really gave me a massive headache.

Irene should be feeling complex emotions right now.

Because she knows my thinking, she wouldn’t be that angry about me having sex with Suzette.

The problem is that Suzette and her colleagues are still public officials in the end, so in a way, they are similar to her. Hence, she might be feeling a bit of incompatibility with them as they are from the same line of work.

If this goes on, the atmosphere between them will only get even more sour. Before that happens, I called out to the both of them.

“Well, how about we switch venues for now and go outside? The air is getting hot in here.”

As I intervened, the two people who had been in a staring contest with each other shifted all their scopes on to me.

“Also, it doesn’t seem that we will arrive at anything if we stayed here. I’m thinking of having Suzette and her colleagues enter the city. What do you think, Irene?”

The room is in a sorry state right now. The floor is dirty with love juices, and the air that remained is only but a pungent smell of copulation.

It’s not in a state where we can negotiate properly anymore.

“……, I see. Tomo has a point. Then, Miss Suzette, can I have the pleasure of inviting you to my mansion?”

“I guess. let’s do just that.” Suzette finally consented.

“Then, I’ll prepare the bath for you as well. It seems that you’ve done……quite a lot of fancy works in here. You must be tired.”

“Ugh……I’m grateful for the offer.”

Suzette and her friends were now wrapped in a thick smell of sex all over their bodies right now, that even Irene from a distance could smell them at her spot. Since they couldn’t go home in this state, they reluctantly accepted our mayor’s proposal.

And so we all went to Irene’s mansion. They headed to the bath soon as they arrived.

After having a soothing soak, officials, now feeling indebted to the mayor, could only make awkward glances at her now, a great contrast to the hostile gazes they had earlier in the log cabin.

I’ve heard that soaking in a bath not only cleanses your body, but your mind as well. It seems to have a close effect to them.

While Suzette and the others were taking their baths, I decided to return to my room and wipe my body in there with a towel soaked in hot water.

Though Irene’s mansion is big, there isn’t enough room for an extra bath.

By the way, the hot water that Irene has brought for me was apparently heated by a maid using magic.

As Julie had told me before, even if a human has magical capabilities, they can only apply magic pathetically to this extent.

At first, I was having lewd thoughts and was planning to join them in washing our bodies, but Irene held me in check.

Apparently, it seems she was still jealous of me having sex with another woman on my own, even with the fact that they are similar to her.

Soon after the officials finished their bath, Irene took over, implying that she’s banning me from entering the bath today, and after a while, she went out of the bath with gleaming colors. We then proceed to the reception room that was being prepared by the maids.

As we entered the room, Suzette was already there, sitting on one of the couches while waiting for us.

We sat on the couch opposite of hers.

“Now then, I care that you will now listen to our side of the story, correct?”

“Yeah, yeah. Get on it so we can leave.”

The two put up a sparking staring contest once again.

“Come to think of it, I have some questions about you and my Tomo, but for now, let’s talk about the issues of the city.”

Their relationship started poorly at first because of the issue of the city, but now that I had sex with her without permission, the issue is now a 50/50 split between the city and me.

“My final request still stands. I wish for this city to be approved by the state.”

Irene cut in first.

Suzette listened in silence, as if telling her to keep going.

“We used to live in hiding, scarred by the discrimination of the outside world. I thought we would be living the rest of our lives as a discarded existence. Honestly, if you came a little bit earlier, I might have followed your conditions to recede, and we won’t be talking like this today.”

“Then, why?”

“Tomo came and changed our lives, that is why. Tomo had given us the hope that we needed when we were about to give up everything.”

“So what you’re telling me is that just because you have been recognized by one person alone, the country will recognize your existence as well?”

“We don’t, and I understand that it will be a difficult path, but we……”

“Too naïve!”

Suzette interrupted Irene’s speech.

“Indeed, it’s a great relief to be recognized by Tomoaki as a woman. I and my subordinates are also grateful for that matter.”

This is the first time I heard personally that they felt relief on what I’ve done.

I couldn’t help but get happy, knowing what I did wasn’t a mistake.

However, Suzette’s next words pummeled me back to the harsh reality right away.

“You are but one of the tiniest settlements in this country, if I put it in a category with the rest of the cities. What’s more, yours is basically functioning as a campground, as you guys can’t even do even the basics of the trade like what a city does, hence the reason that your existence not being officially sanctioned by the government. To sum it up, it is just too unproductive for them.”

“That’s……”

Irene was shocked to be told that the city that she has spent five whole years growing up is only as good as a camping ground.

Even I felt hurt too, with the criticisms she has thrown directly to our faces, but what hurts the most is that we couldn’t fight back, as we know that she had only spoken the truth of the matter.

“You need massive support from something of great influence when you appeal to the government. You won’t be heard from just one person alone.”

“But, how could we find someone or something willing to support a city that has no resources or strategic value, more so that is a gathering of people who were discarded by them in the first place?”

“I don’t know. But even if you do, they will end up being silenced by the government anyway. The worst thing that could happen is that they could mobilize the military to deport all of you.”

The drawbacks were pointed out one after the other that it was already insufficient with our own hands to solve.

In the world where I came from, it was already hard to get a country’s recognition on anything, but it was even harder in this world as the power here is too centralized.

It was already considered normal for them to have these small requests to be ignored.

Some of the lines in this chapter are purposely cut as countermeasures to copypaste sites. please view it at my site. thank you very much.

“We owe Tomoaki a debt of gratitude, and we’re willing to help as we could to fulfill it.”

The officials were looking at me with reddened cheeks.

Looking closely, Suzette is glancing towards me as well.

As expected, it was really embarrassing to be stared at by a lot of people……

“However, there are still a lot of people who have more power than us.”

Based on how she grimaced when she spoke those words, it seems that even they, too, were not left unscathed by those around them for their looks.

It was undeniable that it was due to her hard work that she was able to obtain her current position, even at the expense of hiding her true face.

However, even with her position as a senior official, it would not be of much help as she was still inferior to a minister who is directly involved in the affairs of the state.

“Most of the current ministers despise ugly women like us, to the point that they’re reckless, if I’m going, to be frank with it.”

Being told that much, I felt devastated.

At the same time, I felt angry upon realizing how badly Irene and the others were treated by their surroundings.

I was already quivering with my clenched fists, but Suzette still continued without being aware of it.

“We won’t say anything anymore, just go on and keep living your life as it is. We’ll keep the authorities from putting hands on you on our part. As long as you don’t do anything that will fancy them, they won’t interfere with you. I’ll make sure of it.”

I could feel the heavy determination possessed in those words.

After all, these were the words of someone backed by the experience of living in this harsh world.

However,

“No can do, Miss Suzette.”

“Me too. I don’t like it as well.”

We have no intention of giving up.

“You guys, why go this far?”

Suzette was startled for a moment, but she quickly regained her calm and asked us a question.

“Irene and I promised ourselves to be married in the truest sense.”

The moment I said those words, silence came to the place as if time had stopped, and the next moment, the parliament official started to create a fuss.

“M-m-marriage? You and him?”

“Well, that indeed is something that needs to be approved by the country.”

“I’m so jealous……”

“Marriage……What’s a marriage?”

“Everyone, could you shut it for a moment!”

Suzette collectively silenced the buzzing air.

“I see. Now I understand why you guys were so determined. You haven’t changed your resolve even after listening to what I had said, have you?”

Suzette stared at us with a sharp gaze, as if saying that she won’t tolerate any falsehoods as an answer.

However, there were no traces of nervousness in our bodies right from the start.

“Of course not.”

“We love each other in the truest sense.”

We said while returning an intense gaze back at her.

“I see……then I’ll try to help.”

Suzette, who released her hard gaze on us, said back.

Her colleagues, in turn, shouted at her in surprise.

“Are you serious about this, head rep?”

“We’ll be marked down by the top management as well……”

The girls tried to stop her, but Suzette remained unfazed.

“I didn’t believe at first that there existed such a great man in a hangout of runaway women who couldn’t stand the slander of their surroundings, but it seems I was wrong. What we can do to help is limited, but I promise you that we will do as much as we can.”

As she spoke every word with great emphasis, the officials realized that Suzette was serious about this matter. Soon, the voices of opposition waned until it was no more.

As a part of the one who holds everything in this country in place, I’m sure she already knows it’s bad spots like the back of her hand.

She knew better than us on how difficult this challenge will be.

In that case, we should keep our head high to make her feel that her cooperation with us is worth it.

“Thank you very much! I’ll also do the best I can.”

“Me too. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

After that, the three of us exchanged a firm handshake.

“Our boss is really serious about it, isn’t she?”

”But if they succeeded, we may now have another place to go now besides this stupid work.”

“A-also, we’ll be able to have sex with him once in a while……ehehehe.”

It looks like even the other officials were in agreement to help us.

As the barriers that we need to overcome is high, I was glad to have as many comrades as possible.

After we finished our talks, I gave everyone an order to stand up and gather in front of me. Soon, I felt like a basketball coach being huddled by the team in the middle of a time-out.

It was a bit embarrassing, but at this point, I have to put up with it till the end because it was me who spearheaded this deal.

“Everyone, let’s work together to make this city an official one!”

“”””””Oooooooooooohh!”””””””

My voice was soon followed by cheers from the beauties around me.

With this matter resolved, we have now made a big step forward. I just hope this goes on until we succeed……No, I will make it succeed.

I made a resolution in my heart.