Arc of Turmoil
Negotiation
Just as Aidi arrived at the rabbit dungeon, Rokuko came barging in as well.
"I heard everything! Aidi's going to become our pet! We'll have to build her a new room in the house!"
"That's right. We were just discussing how I'd become your ornamental sword."
Wh-whaaat?!
… No, that's not it!!
"Now hold on. That's off the table. Besides, that's another one of those Demonlands words with a different definition, isn't it. It was the same thing a moment ago, so explain it in enough detail that Rokuko and I can actually follow, would you."
"Very well. Let's see…"
I had a feeling the conversation would only get more tangled if this got dredged back up later, so I decided to hear it out first.
Aidi launched into an explanation of this pet business.
"If you make me your ornamental sword, you may hang me on the wall, or grip me whenever the mood takes you. You could stand my sheath beside me and gaze upon my bared blade."
Ah, I see. A decorative sword mounted on the wall. Not a lapdog but a lap-sword.
The kind of thing that doesn't really carry any lewd meaning.
Well, when a demon-sword-type core like Aidi offers up her own body, it just comes down to the sword. I mean, it's a sword. Yeah, a sword. The way she puts it is a bit much, but it's a sword, okay?
"To be a sword and yet devote myself wholly to being an ornament that cuts down no foe… I'll accept that humiliation for you. Men are fond of this sort of thing, aren't they?"
"Hm? Hmmm?? Hm???"
Am I… into that???
It's true you see plenty of people who mount swords and weapons on their walls… so maybe I am.
If so, then coming from a Demonlands core, this is a proposal stacked with concession upon concession, you could say… could you? Maybe you could.
"You may use me for practice swings, too, but I'll want you to maintain me every day, so I'll include Sebas as your maintenance staff."
"… O-okay?"
"For the two of you, I wouldn't even mind if you licked my blade. There are people who are into that sort of thing, after all."
"You mean like a street punk licking the blade of his knife?? Well, uh, we're not going to be dueling, so none of that whatsoever."
"Oh, that's right. Fufu. How unlike me. Picturing life together with Rokuko turned out to be unexpectedly fun, and I got carried away."
Aidi gives a little laugh. Then she looks at Rokuko.
"Had I won, hanging Rokuko on my wall instead might have been rather nice, in hindsight."
"Me, on a wall? I'm not a sword-type core. How would you even display me?"
"… Strung up, or crucified? Or, if you like, I could spread you across the floor like a fur rug."
"I don't want anything painful or agonizing, all right? The only one allowed to do that kind of thing to me is Kehma!"
"I won't, though?"
What is this dungeon core suddenly prattling on about.
"Anyway, this is supposed to be a negotiation over the so-called Divine Sword, isn't it. No, no."
"Ah, so it was. Then, the price for having you negotiate for me… the price in the Imperial sense of the word, I mean. Rokuko, what would you like?"
"Let me see…"
Hm? Somehow, before I noticed, it's quietly become a given that we'll be taking on this Divine Sword business… So this is what they call the Demonlands style of negotiation… Well, I don't mind, I suppose.
"Just telling Ane-sama that you're after this 'Divine Sword.' That much I'm fine with, sure?"
"My, how obliging. That makes me happy, Rokuko."
Rokuko agreed just like that.
The price… well, yeah, I'll draw that out of them over the course of the negotiation.
"Only, it's a hobby of Ane-sama's, this 'demon-sword collecting.'"
"Oh my. Is that so? So that's why Haku-sama has a Divine Sword."
"And among all of those, once it's something incredible like a Divine Sword, I'd think it'd be quite the treasure even within her collection."
"I should think so."
Mm-hm, mm-hm.
"So if we're going as far as to negotiate, then having Aidi become our pet really does feel about right, wouldn't you say."
"… Indeed."
Whoa there. Unexpectedly, Rokuko's actually started demanding a proper price.
… Let me watch how this plays out a little longer.
"But surely even you wouldn't be happy with that, Aidi? So, like Kehma was saying earlier too, I think it'd be better to have you do mercenary work for us a few times."
"Agreed. I think that's the sensible place to land, too."
Huh, did I actually say that after Rokuko turned up?
Was she watching for the right moment to cut in, maybe?
"But for the time being, at least, there doesn't seem to be anything we'd need a mercenary for. Honestly, my Kehma can win just fine without leaning on you, Aidi."
"… You do have the Divine Blanket, after all. There's a way around it, granted, but it's a nuisance."
"Riiight? So, when you factor that in… it flips the whole thing around: what can you actually offer us, Aidi?"
"… Mm, I did think I'd be able to name a fair price where Rokuko was concerned, but this is difficult."
Oh? Is this the flow where she pretends to accept, only to turn it down?
Either way's fine by me, though.
"So give me Aidi's 'Replica' sword. Do that, and I'll see the matter through for you, hm?"
"… My, so that's how you come at it. That strikes me as rather greedy, though."
"Hmhm. My dungeon is the 'Cave of Greed,' you know? Only natural."
"Now that you say it, true… Well then, what to do about this one, honestly."
Hmm, Aidi muses, a hand to her chin.
"Yes. So let's settle this the Demonlands way."
"The Demonlands way?"
"Yep. Kehma and Aidi duel, and if Aidi wins, I'll speak to Ane-sama for free. But if you lose, it's off, and I take your 'Replica'! How about it?"
"I'm in."
… This is clever. Even if we lose, we're out nothing.
Rokuko simply having a word with Haku-san costs us essentially nothing.
"Mm-hm, mm-hm, I didn't really follow, but if you're gonna duel, we've got an arena-kyu."
Wait, huh? I'm the one dueling? Aww.