Sonya settled into the seat at the table. It was a room, not pointlessly overindulgent in its design but rather more modern. Something that fit her sensibilities quite nicely. Personally she would have preferred a cafe or something more casual but who was she to deny these guys a ce to set the tone. She smiled as Lillian sat dowiving her a sidelong look. She wi the girl who frow her.

  “Bandit told us we’re doing dungeons,” she said a little testily.

  “Never said you wouldn’t,” Sonya said with a smirk, “You’ll get your vacation time. I promised it to you and I have a bit of a thing about promises.”

  Lillian rexed and sighed, “Alright, I get it,” she said, “I know we o stay sharp.”

  “That’s not why I’m setting you up, Lillian, you’re a smart and observant girl but you don’t read between the lines when you should,” Sonya said patiently as the others began to sit down. She reached up and patted her on the shoulder, “Give it some thought. This is something I want you to learn from.”

  “Why?” Lillian asked, shooting a g one of the politis who was listening closely to the versation.

  “Vilins don’t always take direct routes to getting what they want. You didn’t sign up just to fight monsters. You’re here for many reasons, not just to have a good time and go to the hs with your dy friend,” Sonya teased.

  Lillian furrowed her brows, searg Sonya’s face for a moment. She didn’t get flustered as she used to but took the ent in stride which was a good sign. Instead, something seemed to click behind her eyes. She huffed out a breath, “My friends and I have been looking forward to this trip ever sinentio. I want them to have fun.”

  “You care about them a great deal, I know,” Sonya said with a nod.

  “We’re a team,” Lillian said, “If they’re not on board, I’m not.”

  Sonya smiled, Now yetting it. She turo look at the politis arrayed arouwo of them gnced surreptitiously at the other young heroes as Marta stepped in behind her. She gnced over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow but Marta shook her head. Sonya frow her and Marta just closed her eyes, holding her position. Fine fine, we’ll go to something more casual ter. I won’t fill up.

  I assume she wants the authentic experience, Ishtar ented.

  Yeah, she’s like that, Sonya agreed as she returned her focus to the table. The waiter stepped in to begin taking orders. Sonya gnced idly down at the menu before looking away. It took her a fra of a sed to read it.

  Lillian is growing, Ishtar observed, She picked up much quicker this time.

  Of course she is, she’s always been someone who thinks critically and tries her best to observe. hua taught her to a her instincts and she isn’t terrible at versation. She just needs a little push here and there to get her to pick up a political mi, Sonya said.

  And you want that? Ishtar asked.

  If she wants to achieve her dreams, yes, she’ll o at the very least uand and unicate with people like this. I ’t be there guiding her all the time.

  Are you sure you’re n to raise your owioner? Ishtar pushed.

  I’m not aimi myself and you know it. He pys the same kind of games I do. Or at least he did in the past.

  A valid point. The waiter is here.

  Sonya turned and smiled up at the man who looked down at her, “I’ll have the house special, please.”

  –

  Mister Kaguma set his chopsticks down on their stand, exging a look with the other representatives as he did so. versation throughout the meal had been light and focused mostly on Miss ovna rather than engaging the heroes. He had a feeling that had been a bit of a mistake but not ohat couldn’t be recovered from. He only hoped that the men who had e with him to this meeting had picked up on it.

  The others khat his sole purpose in this dialogue was to observe the oute on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Emperor. The men around him wao extract bes from the young woman. Their goal was to eheir own standing when it came to this new industry and the others she had her hands in. Miss ovna styled herself as a champion of the hero movement, but was an industrialist. She would be angling for her own bes.

  He kept his expression bnk as he sat up and o the others.

  “Miss ovna, your young friends must be exhausted from their journey. Perhaps we have a vehicle take them to their hotel while we talk?” one of the men, Mister Taiko from Suhei Media said, “I’m sure this versation is of little io them.”

  Sonya set her own chopsticks down and ined her head to Mister Kaguma before turning her meical eyes on Mister Taiko, “I like to think they’re well trained enough that a little jet g isn’t going to bother them, Mister Taiko,” she said politely. “I wouldn’t dream of denying them a ce to learn more about the inner ws of an industry they are a part of,” she turo Crusader, “Your thoughts?”

  Mister Kaguma watched the girl as well. The little versation they’d had before dinner was an obvious but effective attempt to create a wall against a singur approach to the iations. Sonya clearly wao make this a teag experience for Crusader and use her opinion to guide her own decisions oter. To make matters more plicated, Crusader had posited that she valued the opinions and treatment of her team and would seek their sel.

  Through Crusader’s love of her rades Miss ovna has created a minefield for these men to walk through. He restrained a sigh. A minefield desigo trap old men who are used to getting their way and talking down to women and young people.

  He g Taiko, Taiko noticed and tried to diffuse the danger a little.

  “I want to learn more, Miss ovna. If it’s no trouble for you, I think my team and I would like to stay. If that’s alright with you guys?” Crusader said, turning to the other three who heir assent.

  “Of course, no trouble at all. Though it may be a bit b for them, these topics are difficult to follow,” Taiko said.

  Kaguma winced.

  “Are you suggesting that these lised heroes are children, Mister Taiko?” Sonya asked, “You are aware they’ve seen bat, right?”

  “Of course not,” Taiko replied with a twitch of his lip, “I simply wish to not burden them with unnecessary things.”

  “These talks are unnecessary?” Sonya asked, a predatory smile spreading on her lips.

  Kaguma shot a look at Taiko, Keep your mouth shut, fool.

  One of the others pushed in to save Taiko. Mister Megumi was the representative of the post-pandora development firm, Nara. “I’d like to learn more about your pns for ASTA being involved in our part of the world, Miss ovna, if you’ll indulge me.”

  Sonya turo Mister Megumi, pulling her hair back over her ear aing her hands in her p. She blinked slowly as her meical eyes shifted and focused in her head. Kaguma could almost hear the faint tig that came from her head. It was a little unnerving. “Japan has been a close ally of the Uates for a long time and we’ve shared a lot of things,” Sonya began, “Teological adva, media, culture, the list goes on. As you all are well aware I have a policy of not maintaining strict patents on the processes that ASTA utilizes,” she tilted her head a little, “I don’t share them either. It is up to my petitors to figure those things out for themselves if they want to pete.”

  Megumi sidered her for a heartbeat, “Are those processes oable?”

  “Well that entirely depends,” Sonya said with a light ugh, “ASTA certainly wants to expand into your market but we haven’t even got our foot in the door,” she shrugged, “Will the Japanese gover allow ASTA to set up shop?”

  Kaguma opened his mouth but Megumi responded first, “Miss ovna, you are a talented woman. This is business, though. You must uand that opening that door requires something from you first,” the man said, getting a few nods from the others, “Weling you to this meeting was a formality that we have observed.”

  “Do you py poker, Mister Megumi?” Sonya asked curiously.

  The man sat up a bit straighter and raised his eyebrows, “Hm? No I do not.”

  “I wouldn’t start,” Sonya said with a chuckle and wi him, she turo Crusader, “You four talked about what you wao do while you were here, right?”

  Crusader looked like she ut on the spot for a moment before rexing, she scratched her neck, “Uh, well we did talk a bit. It’s a pretty packed schedule even with the dungeons we’ll be assisting in. I was thinking about asking Bandit if we could do some patrolling alongside the local guilds as long as we had time to enjoy the sights,” she said awkwardly before looking at the others, “Obviously don’t want to overdo it. This is race period after all.”

  The sole man amongst the young heroes, BLF, frowned a little, “You sure that won’t cut into our time? There’s a lot we want to see. Handmaiden even helped us e up with the schedule.”

  The blonde girl, Harbinger, shrugged, “We don’t all have to go on patrols, we ge off ahe sights we were specifically ied in. Pack the schedule even more. Heck, we could patrol near some of the tourist spots,” she said a BLF’s gaze, “Maybe go in pairs?”

  Kaguma restrained a frown as Sonya turo meet his gaze. She’s saying she pack their schedule to the point that we lose access to Crusader for the Emperrandson. He’s already putting pressure on the Prime Mio ehe meeting, doting old man. She’s willing to py that card without a sed thought. She still has another card to py, though.

  “What is the-” Megumi began before Kaguma cleared his throat.

  “I think we all agree that having ASTA’s presence here in our nation only be the nation as a whole and provide healthy petition,” Kaguma said with a nod, “We’re here to discuss how that will look, not whether or not it is happening. We don’t want to waste the heroes time with endless iations. They should enjoy themselves during this break as much as possible.”

  Sonya brandished a winning smile at him, “I appreciate you saying that, Mister Kaguma.”

  Kaguma felt Megumi tense o him but ig. Taiko hopped ba, “Then it goes without saying that ASTA will focus its agency services on eg Japanese heroes to Ameri panies, Suhei Media has already established its own agency department and has a strong e with panies here. It would be better to let us handle such things.”

  “And what about the heroes who sign with ASTA to represent them?” Sonya asked, “Won’t that make it difficult to get endorsed by Japanese panies?”

  Taiko huffed, “Do you expect that many Japanese heroes to sign with ASTA over a native pany?”

  “You might be surprised,” Sonya said with a chuckle, “I wasn’t talking about them, though.”

  Taiko frow her and g the four young heroes whiving him pointed looks. Kaguma wao grab the man by the back of the head and sm him into the table but held his temper. Sonya gnced his way and smiled at him a little, mischief twinkling in her eyes. It was like she was feeding on the man’s arrogance. I uand Taiko’s . ASTA is well established and reliable. Some Japanese panies will happily work with her and many heroes will accept her tract over his own, especially given how draian some of those representation tracts are. Bpanies… good grief.

  “Mister Megumi,” Sonya said abruptly, shiftitention away from Taiko, “I might be willing to share some of our experts in the field of optimizing post-pandora material processing. I think it would be beneficial to the people of Japan to ensure as many groups are handling the materials properly as possible. What you and the panies you represent give to make that equitable?”

  One of the other post-pandora manufacturer representatives who hadn’t spoken up put his hand oable, “Miss ovna, I feel that you aren’t taking this versation seriously. There is an expectatiohat you make cessions if you want to do business in our territory.”

  Kaguma had to close his eyes at that point, Don’t say the quiet part out loud you idiot! We already agreed that it’s happening. This is about give and take and staying on an even pying field, the woman!

  Sonya turned her head in the man’s dire, “You might be surprised to hear that I already am making cessions, sir,” she said cooly.

  He smmed his fist oable, “Y children to a serious versation and expect me to believe you are taking it seriously?” he demanded, “Sitting here spouting nonsense about what we are willing to give when this is our nd? You call yourself a businesswoman?”

  Kaguma frowned, “Mister Kirihara.”

  “This woman thinks that she just e here and take over, no one is that powerful. She o surrender bes to our panies and to the Japanese Gover if this versation is to tinue!”

  Kaguma exhaled, “Mister Kirihara.”

  The man turo Sapporo who had been quietly this versation, “You ’t seriously be sitting there and allowing this nonsense! I know you respect this woman but you are the shield of our nation. You should be standing for what bes us!”

  Sapporo scowled, “I am a shield, not a sword, Mister Kirihara,” the big man growled, “I serve the people of this world, not just oion. I will protect my home with all I have but you will show some respect to this person!”

  Mister Kirihara was nearly red in the face, he jabbed a fi the table in Sapporo’s dire, “Your role is to empower this nation, a role you have sistently snubbed in favor of outsiders! Do you have any idea-”

  “MISTER KIRIHARA!”

  A wave of pressure washed through the room, a heavihat itched at the back of the mind. It smmed into Kaguma’s chest for a brief moment before vanishing. He looked up at Sapporo who’s expression had gone dark. Kaguma caught his breath as everyone else in the room fell still. Sapporo stared Kirihara down and the ranting man wilted, his skin going pale and cmmy as that pressure seemed to mount. Something in the room cracked.

  Takehara, who had been quiet throughout the versation cleared his throat, “Sapporo,” he said ftly, “That’s enough, you’ve made your point.”

  Kirihara let out a sudden gasp, catg himself and spun towards Kaguma, his expression wild with indignity. He then looked back up at Sapporo who was gl at him and the young heroes who’s expressions had gone hostile. Sonya didn’t move an inch, sitting quietly at the table and waiting for the man to sit down. Kirihara sat slowly, shaking, and lowered his head towards the table. Kaguma let out a sigh and looked up at Sonya, meeting her gaze. “I suppose the dungeons are off the table now?”

  “You knew?” Sonya asked.

  “I looked into the owner of those plots of nd, I had to gh a few shells to find you, but yes, I was aware,” Kaguma said with resignation.

  Sonya gave him a sad smile, “I’m afraid they are for the moment, Mister Kaguma. I think we might be able to revisit them during the round. We’re all tired, aren’t we? Why don’t we stop here with the agreement that ASTA will be entering Japan and local and fn heroes will be allowed to choose their own representation. I will of course be happy to provide my experts as well to your material processing panies.”

  Kaguma shot Megumi and Taiko a hard look and they both nodded relutly before scowling at Kirihara who flinched uheir gaze.

  “I think a break would be best, Miss ovna. Thank you.”