Chapter 23: Negotiator and Helping Hand from Behind

Chapter 23:
Negotiator and Helping Hand from Behind

 

A RIVER OF PEOPLE AND WAGONS flowed back and forth through the gray outer walls of Zibil. It was already noontime, so the dense traffic came as no surprise.

Gol and I disembarked from the wagon while Mr. Chotos looked down worriedly from within the canopy.

“Well then, I’ll go talk to Branch Manager Pepperoni now,” I said. “Everyone, wait here.”

“It’s Branch Manager Spero, got it? Will you really be all right, Nemaki? The way you’re talking…it’s making me nervous.”

“Right, Spero. I tried to erase him from my memory, and his stupid name was the first thing to go. I’m good, though. Leave it to me.”

“Oooh, I’m worried…”

Mr. Chotos and I had decided it would be safest for me and Gol to be the ones to deal with the Paisley Company. The witness, Ginem Bari, would accompany us to our discussion, while the remaining three would stay in the wagon parked outside the gates.

The Paisley Company seemed to be comprised of the sort of people who did whatever they wanted, but the Company preferred to maintain the veneer of a proper business. Until now, none of their untoward behavior had been disclosed to the city. Because so many people passed through the main gate, if we parked the wagon nearby, the Company wouldn’t be able to lay a hand on us unless they wanted to put their reputation on the line.

And anyway, I intended to finish this discussion before any new troublesome situations arose.

“Well, I’m off,” I announced.

“Hey, Nemaki,” Mr. Chotos called out and stopped me.

“What’s up?”

“Um, I really think you should let me handle the negotiation…”

“Come on, we’ve discussed this already. If you went to the office, they’d just have some punk knock you out with a single punch. But if Gol and I go, we can safely withdraw even if discussions break down. It can only be us.”

“But—”

“I didn’t really want to say this because it feels rude, but…I’m a foreigner, Mr. Chotos. You, meanwhile, know your way around this city, and you fit right in. That means you’re the one best suited to ensuring the safety of the others, especially if you have to escape and get through the gate. That part has to be you.”

“Ugh, I know.” Mr. Chotos reluctantly backed down, but not before he said, “Please, be careful, Nemaki. Try not to do anything reckless. All we want is mutual noninterference. Don’t go making any extra demands.”

“Ah, yes, yes. I know. I know.” However, I irresponsibly ignored every one of Mr. Chotos’s overprotective-parent warnings.

Then Teru popped her head out of the wagon. “Bye-bye, Mr. Nemaki!”

“Okay! Well, I’m off now.” I smiled and waved at Teru’s farewell before turning.

“Ah, wait, Nemaki! I’m not done!” Mr. Chotos was saying yet another something-something behind me, but I didn’t care.

Accompanied by Gol and the prisoner, Ginem Bari, I strode to the outer gate. Ginem’s hands were lightly restrained with a rope that had been in the wagon. With Gol on alert, any further restraint was unnecessary. He seemed to have resigned himself to capture, and had been obedient the whole ride back, neither struggling nor resisting once inside the wagon.

Now, he trudged behind me, shoulders drooped. After his jester golem partners were beaten, he had gone quiet and meek.

But again, I couldn’t say I didn’t understand how he was feeling. If our positions were switched and I was marched into Zibil by the clown brigade without Gol, I wouldn’t feel up to resisting, either. That is to say, I deeply sympathized with Ginem Bari.

We slipped between the wagons lined in front of the gate and arrived at the other side. For some reason, at this point, the thus-far-obedient Ginem Bari burst into tears of protest.

“N-no, I really can’t…! I failed my job. There’s no way I can show my face at the Company. Please don’t make me!”

I understood this, too. If I were in his shoes, I definitely wouldn’t want to venture into the Paisley Company’s branch office. I would’ve tried to run with everything I had.

However, he was a critical eyewitness. I needed him to come with us. “Please don’t be so unreasonable, Ginem. Your testimony is indispensable.”

But Ginem Bari planted himself on the ground and refused to move. He was just like a child throwing a tantrum in front of a toy store.

I was at a loss. I couldn’t do something violent like forcibly drag him along. In the first place, I didn’t have the physical strength. Ginem Bari was a fully grown adult; there was no way I could carry him around like a baby.

Wait. Carrying a baby? Hm. Gol was powerful and good at carrying. If I asked, my partner would kindly carry Ginem in a warm embrace overflowing with love. Case in point: This experienced fellow right here (me) had embarrassingly been carried in this way numerous times already.

“Hey, Gol. I’m really sorry to ask you, but do you think you can carry Ginem to the Company for me?” I asked Gol. I believed in her ability to handle our precious cargo with care.

Gol, the goddess of love with the compassion of a saint, slowly walked over to Ginem, who was whining like a child on the street. I was relieved to see her comply and turned back to the main gate.

All right, the real battle starts now.

 

***

 

We didn’t have any particular trouble passing through the city’s main gate. In fact, I would say we entered without any problems. When I approached, the gatekeepers moved aside, opening the road for us.

The first time we’d come to Zibil, we needed to pay money to procure entrance. Was there a different procedure for entering on foot versus in a wagon? Well, that did sound possible. Perhaps there was a special city tax for vehicles. Or maybe there was a tax on load. I couldn’t help wondering about it as we passed through the gate. The officials and gatekeepers all looked oddly pale.

In any case, once we entered the city, there wouldn’t be any obstacles between us and the Paisley Company. We’d reach the building in no time.

Moments ago, Ginem Bari had been making a racket, but it seemed he had quieted down. No doubt Gol’s gentle embrace had made his childish heart calm, like a boy in his mother’s arms. I believed wholeheartedly in my partner’s carrying technique, so there was no need for me to turn around and check. That confidence just went to show how much trust I had in her and our relationship.

As we approached the Paisley Company building, the number of people on the cobblestone streets increased.

“There sure are a lot of folks out and about…” I murmured.

It was getting kind of hectic, to be honest. At first, I chalked it up to the time of day, but that didn’t seem quite correct. The lines of people on both sides of the road continued to grow. What a strange feeling. There were even people watching from the windows of their homes. Was a festival parade coming through here later or something? Or perhaps there was a marathon? That was how it felt. Maybe if we finished negotiations quickly, we could go watch with everyone. Teru would be delighted.

“Wh-what’s this…? Public humiliation? That shrine golem has that man by the head!”

“Could that bloodied fellow actually be the Four Jester Wielder Ginem Bari…?”

“Did he somehow lose a golem battle?”

“How awful. Not only did they beat his face in, his fingers are horribly broken. What cruel tortures was he subjected to?”

The lines of people chattered noisily amongst themselves.

Honestly, I wasn’t concerned with they said. To be blunt, I didn’t have the mental capacity to pay attention. I was actually terribly nervous about my grim responsibility in this upcoming discussion.

 

***

 

We soon arrived in front of the Paisley Company’s Zibil branch office. The large two-story wooden building really was imposing, the fortress of an economic giant. The Company was far more powerful financially than puny me and my meager five gold coins.

But I wouldn’t retreat. I was here to lodge a complaint. My determination would no longer waver. For the futures of young Teru, the gentle old driver, and I’ll even throw in that pitiful balding man for good measure—for them, I would be dauntless in the face of this challenging negotiation.

The Paisley Company was an evil business that committed all sorts of depraved and illegal acts behind the scenes. I was sure they would deny my accusations and might even try to make cowardly threats. But as a proud, cultured man, I would not yield, not by a single step. Right now, I was a negotiator. I focused my mind and pumped myself up.

“Hey, he’s walking straight into the Paisley Company while his golem holds the Four Jester Wielder like—like—augh, I can’t look!”

“Looks like he’s going to fight the Company.”

“Catching the ire of that brutal golem wielder… The branch manager is done for.”

“I don’t care why, but please, I beg of you. Please, avenge my son…”

“I-I…I’ve heard of that shrine golem wielder. The rumors say he’s a bloodthirsty nightmare who annihilated the Swordbreaker and his gang in a gruesome display of vigilante justice merely because they happened to bother him on a stroll. I believe his alias was, um, Something of Tibar… Ah, right. He’s the Nightmare of Tibar!”

The crowd seemed awfully chatty. Unfortunately, I had reached peak mental load, so none of it reached my ears.

I pushed open the branch office’s doors, strode through the entrance hall, and made my way to the lobby.

“I would like to request a meeting with Branch Manager Spero,” I said to the receptionist in as clear a tone as I could muster. I admit I conveyed this in a somewhat loud voice. While I needed to remain formal, I also wouldn’t get anywhere with timidity.

However, for some reason, all the employees stiffened when they saw me. There were numerous other people present—customers, external traders and the like—but they froze, too. Not a single person spoke, not a one moved. Everyone simply stared at me as if caught in ice.

It felt like time had stopped.

“Ah, um…haah…haah…” One of the male personnel who looked like one of those handsome athletic types attempted to say something. In the end, he continued to trip up, nonsensical mumbles dribbling from his trembling mouth.

What is this? Come on, bro, stop that. You’re making me super nervous. Maybe I hadn’t spoken clearly after all? Honestly, my voice might have been hoarse on account of just how nervous I was.

I decided to try again, and I spoke once more, noticeably louder and stronger as I strove for clarity. “I’ll say it one more time: I want you to bring out your branch manager. You’re making people wait, and I don’t have time for this. Please don’t make this any harder.”

If the negotiations took too long, we’d have to spend another night in Zibil. Frankly, we were tight on time. At this rate, it was possible we wouldn’t get back to Tibar until after nightfall. Because the Paisley Company idiots were such selfish time-wasters, Mr. Chotos’s finances would take a hit and might even become strained. The unexpected inn expenses alone would be quite a burden.

As I recalled how Mr. Chotos looked the night before we departed for Zibil, when he despairingly calculated the costs for repaying the debt and travel expenses late into the night, my face unconsciously turned a bit dour.

At that moment, several employees noticed the change in my expression and turned green. They bolted into the depths of the building.

Ah, one of them tripped. Are they okay…? Ugh, I know I’m filing a complaint, but their customer service seems absolutely horrid.

On that topic, I had noticed something about the personnel. There were two types of beautiful people: those whose faces maintained their beauty even when distorted with high emotion, and those whose faces became terrible. I had just learned this fun new fact.

A moment later, I heard voices quarreling in a hallway farther inside. Soon, several employees were pushing a familiar man out of the hallway: Branch Manager Spero.

The dashing, monocle-wearing man with salt-and-pepper hair was frantically shouting. He was unbearably loud, and his cries echoed something along the lines of “How dare you lowlifes sell me out!” and “Why have all the guards run away?!”

Still, this argument between the handsome young men and beautiful older man could have been a most charming painting. I didn’t mind getting to see such a museum-worthy sight. That was, ultimately, a worthwhile new experience.

As the Company personnel scrambled about in the hallway, they began to throw blame at each other. While I watched them argue, I blurted out a sudden thought, “Oh, yeah. Given when the wagon’s Wind flotation box broke, it was definitely you guys, huh? I should demand compensation for the old driver as well.”

At this, the back-and-forth between Spero and the male employees grew more pitched. The nearby female employees raised equally pitched monkey screams. But since everyone was beautiful, visually speaking, it still wasn’t that bad to see, honestly.

In the end, the hallway scuffle resulted in Spero being pushed out into the lobby by several of his subordinates. When he resisted, he ended up scattering all the papers on a desk to the floor as his hands waved about.

Jeez, what a mess. These Paisley folks came off as an overwhelmingly gorgeous group of elites, but now that their true nature and lack of basic morals had been revealed, their stunningly average abilities just made them look ever more pathetic. Did this Paisley Company really unironically hire people solely based on their looks?

In any case, I was surprised the business had done so well thus far, given the quality of their staff. Maybe this discrepancy was a mere side effect of their underhanded elimination of opposing businesses by way of the same tricks they’d employed on us.

While I contemplated the Company’s organizational image, Branch Manager Spero finally tumbled out in front of me. He looked dashing as usual, but his hair was disheveled, his monocle was going to fall off, and sweat streaked his forehead and armpits.

“Hey,” I said.

“No! D-don’t come near me! You damn monster of a golem wielder!” As soon as I spoke, Spero fell into a panic and tried to scramble back, but he slipped on the documents he had scattered before and stumbled straight into the desk.

“Kkh… grgghh.” Spero crumpled to the ground, making a horrible croak and strange breathing sound.

This was bad. He might’ve broken some ribs. I rushed over to Spero and raised him up. “Hey, you okay?” I asked. Naturally, as the model of gentlemanly conduct who held chivalry close to his heart, I tended to Spero with fully good intentions.

Despite that, veins popped out on his bright-red face as he glared at me. “G-guh… I’m…I am the Zibil branch manager…of the Paisley Company. I-I won’t ever accept your damn demands.”

“Ah.” Then I remembered. That was right. I’d come here to negotiate. Everyone had started squabbling and squawking like those wretched monkeys, so my original goal had slipped my mind.

Anyway, it appeared it was at least possible to have a conversation with Spero. Since I finally had my chance, I aimed to start the settlement negotiations. I didn’t really like the idea of grabbing collars, but by now I was well aware that if I carelessly released him, he might try to run away and end up tripping and hurting himself again.

“No, you need to listen to what I have to say.” I stared straight into Spero’s eyes and tightened my grip on the collar of his robe. “I have two demands. They are very simple. The first is that you will no longer involve yourself with miste—with the people from Chotos’s Mana Tool Shop. The other is that you will pay the cost for repairs as well as an inconvenience fee to the elderly driver of the wagon whose Wind flotation box you broke. Of course, you won’t meddle with him again, either.”

Mr. Chotos had droned my ear off, telling me future mutual noninterference was our only demand, but I ignored his overcautious pleas and decided to demand compensation for the wagon grandpa.

I mean, I was pissed. I needed the Company to make full amends for their grave sin of stealing the smile from my grandpa when they involved him in their malicious misbehaviors.

Of course, if I were to be frank, I also wanted to demand compensation for Mr. Chotos and myself. But, well… What if, by bringing up the matter of compensation for the ruckus the assassins caused, I accidentally wrapped back around to the violent incident the other day when Gol abruptly left all those debt collectors in a half-dead state—which could lead to me being the one compelled to pay?

At the time, the matter had been left unaddressed. However, if this story came up, Mr. Chotos might safely receive his due, but I was sure I would end up with the burden of huge medical bills as a consequence for being Gol’s negligent owner.

Sorry, mister. Give up on any payback for now. I’ll make sure Gol understands she can’t do anything like that again.

“I-I won’t accept…your damn demands…” Spero repeated.

“What did you say?” I asked. Ah, shoot. It appeared I really shouldn’t have ignored Mr. Chotos’s advice and added a personal demand.

Sorry, mister. Forgive me. No matter what kind of person you are, you’re still a senior and your words should be respected. I mentally expressed my deep regret to Mr. Chotos.

On the other hand, Spero glared at me with his face twisted in hatred and his eyes bloodshot. Incidentally, this dashing man was the type of beauty whose face turned repulsive when emotional. “I am from Kinas and I am of pure blood! My lineage, character—everything about me is superior to you moronic country bumpkins and vile savages from the eastern frontier! I will never yield to scum like you!”

“What?” I was bewildered by this spitting, red-faced man’s feeble-minded statement. What did our conversation have to do with race? Racists and elitists of all kinds were terrible; the thought processes of such distorted people were truly incomprehensible to me.

To make matters worse, it seemed that in his fear, this man had lost all composure and good judgment. I honestly didn’t know why he was so afraid of me when I’d only come to talk, but we weren’t making any progress.

This was bad. He had the face of an intellectual, but within, he was a feral monkey. What could I do? At this rate, we wouldn’t be able to settle anything.

I admit I became a little gloomy and muttered, tears in my eyes, “This is hopeless…”

Suddenly, Spero screamed like it was the end of the world. “Gaahhhhh! Arrrrghhh! Eeeek! Oh NOOOOO!”

“Huh?!” I was so startled that I almost released him—but I remembered that I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t allow this opportunity to negotiate to escape, not for anything. What the heck are you getting so timid for, me? Remember who you’re doing this for.

Just then, I felt something soft and warm at my back. It was Gol. She draped herself over my spine, popped her head over my shoulder, and frowned at me with a worried face. She was no doubt concerned by my hopelessness.

Huh? That reminds me, Gol. What happened to Ginem Bari?

Well, whatever. She was right. I didn’t want to make her worry, and as her partner, I had to show her I could settle this difficult challenge with aplomb.

I once again tightened my grip on Spero’s collar. My partner’s support had filled me with determination. I was sure I could do this. Rather, I had no choice but to do it.

“Hey, Mr. Branch Manager,” I began, but when I brought my face close to Spero’s, I found myself thinking: Isn’t he panicking kind of a lot?

Everyone, personnel and customers alike, was staring at me in some kind of petrified horror. Was something wrong with my face?

Ugh, I knew my face wasn’t the friendliest. When I’d seen my expression reflected in the ancient Earth Dragon’s dying eyes, I hadn’t looked like a mere delinquent—I’d looked like a Demon King of Hell Unending. If a fainthearted person had seen me then, they would have burst into tears and begged for their life.

Oh no—could it be that I’ve been unintentionally intimidating and oppressing people just like those advocates of violence I abhor with every cell of my being? Ah, right, okay, a smile… What I need now is a smile.

I smiled sweetly and got even closer to Spero.

The moment I smiled, I failed to notice that the onlookers paled and shook even more terribly.

“I don’t care about your lineage,” I said. “I want you to listen to our demands and find a compromise. So let’s talk.”

“D-damn brat. I’m above you. I will never yield. I am a beautiful person of superior lineage, chosen by—auuuughhh!”

“Hm?!”

Spero began to scream again. However, I didn’t even flinch.

Sorry, I lied. I was actually startled and moved a little. However, I managed to maintain my smile. “Like I said, I don’t care about your circumstances. I only care that you listen to my demands… So hey, let’s talk, okay?”

“Talk or not, this kind of…torture wo—gaahhhhh!”

I was baffled, but I strove to maintain my smile. “Speak in words that even I can understand. If answering in sentences of your own devising is too hard, you can just reply, ‘Yes, I understand.’ So give it a rest and let’s talk.”

“Thamn savage gihh—gahhh—auuggghhh!”

I blinked.

“Hah gangh ngh! Ngh?! HooOooOOOOOHH!”

“Eh?”

Huh? Two times in a row, now?

As I stared in utter bafflement, the two soft, marshmallowy pillows pressed against my back moved delicately leftward. This time, Gol quietly popped her head over my left shoulder.

What is it, Gol? Is this a new game? You know, I’m kind of in the middle of an important conversation with the manager… The difficulty of this negotiation had spiked.

While the trajectory of the two parties failed to intersect, Spero screamed for the fifth time. Excluding the first series of loud screams, he had now screamed a total of ten times. At this point, Gol finally separated from me.

Are you sulking because I didn’t play with you? Sorry, partner. Once I finish this job, I’ll play with you a bunch.

Although I inwardly apologized to Gol, the situation wasn’t progressing. Spero started screaming all over again.

Hm. This wasn’t the first time I’d encountered this phenomenon. It had been the same with Ginem Bari and the large leader of the punks. It appeared that sometimes the people of this world let out a tremendous scream in order to intimidate their opponent and, if possible, escape. I could probably attribute this strategy to some sort of otherworldly cultural quirk, but for now I’d avoid making any claims.

Each time Spero screamed, some of the onlookers wobbled, and some eventually began to faint from dizziness. No one left the building, though. Everyone was glued to their spot as if they had lost the use of their legs. In other words, Spero’s screams were intimidating the crowd, innocent and otherwise. Ugh, what a problem. This man always found stunning new ways to disappoint me.

Also—I wrinkled my nose—the horrible stench of blood was coming from somewhere. Had I gotten some of Ginem Bari’s on my robe? I needed to check later.

Spero screamed an additional ten times after Gol separated from me. In total, the number of times he had screamed today exceeded twenty. In a way, his capacity for screaming amazed me.

As I frowned at his unsightly behavior, which was unbefitting of a working man, Gol stuck herself on my back again and popped her head over my right shoulder.

Oh? You came back, huh, partner? Where have you been playing?

Gol’s long elven ears tickled my right cheek. The two of us exchanged a glance and had a silent conversation for some time. This was the very image of a heartwarming connection between two trusting partners.

In contrast, Spero’s expression when Gol returned to my right shoulder was truly something. He vibrated in fear, and his eyes filled with the hopeless despair of a sinner thrown into Avīci, the lowest and most dreadful level of hell.

In any case, since the branch manager had been screaming his head off this whole time, was it possible he had already forgotten the contents of my demand? I should probably reiterate them just in case.

“Hey, Mr. Branch Manager.” With a warm smile, I spoke to Spero in the kindest voice I could. “If you really didn’t understand what I was saying, I don’t mind giving you an overview. It’s a little frustrating, but it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to keep explaining it until you understand, right? So let’s talk, okay?”

Spero was drenched in sweat as he wheezed, his face ashen. His eyes had become dull and his dilated pupils didn’t seem able to focus.

Well, that’s what he gets for all that screaming.

“E-eek! N-no more. Puhleeze fuhgive… Guh arrggghhh!”

For a while now, I had been hearing these odd cracks, like something thick had been broken, or snaps, like something hard had been twisted. However, they were practically drowned out by Spero’s terrible howling. Furthermore, he had been screaming so close to my face that my ears were ringing.

I thought that maybe those sounds were all in my head. To tell you the truth…I really didn’t know.

“Hey, if we keep having to do this over and over again, we’re going to reach the end of business hours, you know? Don’t you guys have a reputation for prompt work?” I suggested this to Spero with a smile. “So let’s hurry up and get started.”

“Aah, aah. I’ll do whaehbur ou say, so… Please. Please nuh muure…” Just like that, Spero finally stopped objecting with those awful wails and decided to listen.

As long as you persevere and strive, you can engage in sincere discussion, no matter how stubborn your opposing party or how difficult the negotiation. I felt like I had reached new heights as a peaceful, cultured man.

Filled with a sense of accomplishment, I smiled—not a forced smile, but one of genuine pleasure. Still pressed to my back, Gol looked elated.