332-Episode 244. Raise your hand if you're in favor.




For the first time in BU history, the majority vote was a tie.
That's because they accepted nine votes that weren't prime numbers, so it happens.

.................. Didn't you notice?

...... It was a mistake to let this man be the facilitator. I don't trust this guy to begin with. ......'
'What?What?

He straightened his arm and pointed at Gerasie.

'Didn't you say that you trust what I, Obayashi, have to say today, here and now?
'............ Crap!

You can argue with my methods, but you can't argue with my trust.
It's all about what you guys decided by majority vote.

'In the first place, the fact that there are three choices is abnormal!If we had two choices, this could not have happened!
'You're right.'

The Twenty-Three District Lords agreed with Gelercy's claim.
Then, he glared at me with a piercing gaze and gave me an order in the manner of a chancellor.

'Even though this is your first experience, you are still in the position of a responsible chairman. If that is the case, then in accordance with tradition, I will ask you to choose between two options. If you can't, then you should voluntarily resign.
'Yes!
'This is the consensus of our BU lords!

The opportunistic Lords of District 26 and the short-term, win-at-all-costs Lords of District 28 make a small, petty gesture.

Oh, I see.
I get it.

'Well, let's make two choices and start over.

I stare back into the eyes of the Lord of District 23 and say, 'Well, let's make two choices and start over.
The lords of District 23, who had their wits about them, did not avert their gaze. That's impressive. ...... unless it's just out of spite or pride.

In the event that you've got a lot more than one, you'll be able to use a lot more than one.

My words caused the air in the room to shake.
The air is filled with a sticky, stagnant air that has lost its freshness due to contact with the worst parts of human nature.

Now, do you notice it?
Hmm?What do you think?
Gellarcy, old man of the 23rd district. Are you sure you want to take a majority vote?

Wait.

I knew it was Donnis who wanted to wait.
You're boring me with your answers.
Well, I'll ask.

'What's wrong with you?
'When has that smile of yours ever not brought us inconvenience?
'Oh, am I smiling?
'Oh, ............, that's quite a smile. It's the kind of smile that strikes a nerve so beautifully that you want to put it in a steel box and put it in the back of your warehouse. It's a work of art.
'Thank you. Now you may speak.

With that artful smile on his face, he gives Donnis the right to speak.

'A majority vote must be fair. A majority vote with a clear outcome is invalid.
'You can see the results at ............!

Gellarcy gasped.
He finally realized it.
Yes, this majority vote has already been answered.
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.
If you include Estella and Lucia, the vote is three to six in favor of "only one of them". Absolutely.

'You, you've got to be kidding me!I'm not going to let you get away with it.

You didn't even notice until Donnis told you, but you're so brave, Gerasie.

'What are you going to do then?
'You don't have to think about it individually, you can sanction both districts or not .............'

He was about to say that, when Gelercy closed his mouth, seemingly realizing the error of his words.
That majority vote. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure it's going to come down to 'no punishment for both'.

The other four districts don't want to sanction just one of you. There's another ward that doesn't want to be sanctioned.
In the BU, where relations have become so strained, no one wants to do anything that would reduce the power of their own district. Or rather, no one can.
Normally, a community should have a relationship of coexistence and co-prosperity, a relationship of mutual ownership, in which the stronger part of the community reaches out to the weaker part to make up for the weaker part. ...... The current BU is different.
However, the current "BU" is different. All of them are declaring, "When the "BU" is weak, I will do as I please.

If they lose their power, they will lose everything and be thrown out.
No lord would choose to put his district at a disadvantage in such a situation.

'Totally ......'.

He shrugged his shoulders and let out a deliberate sigh.

'They're all just looking out for their own convenience, like a bunch of kids.'
'What the hell?

Gerrardsy bites back as if it were a conditioned reflex.



'Then let the twenty-nine wards make up for the drop in tax revenue of the twenty-seven and twenty-six wards. They're your friends, right?We should help each other.
'............ can't be made up by just one district, can it?

You're not making any sense.
You came at me with such vigor, but you're losing ground.

'If the toll tax has been reduced, shouldn't the profit from the beans be used to make up for it?

The lords of the 23rd and 25th districts nodded in agreement with Gerasie's words.
But Donnis naturally protested.

'We are sharing the profits of the soybeans in exchange for sharing the toll tax. If we don't get the toll tax, we should cancel the distribution of the soybean profits.
'In this situation where the BU is in dire straits, are you still talking about such selfishness!
'Hmph!You call me 'you' as if you remembered.

Donnis and Gerrardsy stared at each other.
From the side, the lords of the 26th and 28th districts, who are troubled by the loss of their distributions, say a few words to persuade Donnis.

'Well, let's be generous here.
'We hope that our great compatriot, Donis Donati, will show us what it means to be an adult. ......'

That's just adding fuel to the fire.

'Then you'll double the amount of red beans and cocoa you've been paying us?
'What?
''Wow, our beans are only a small profit compared to soybeans. ...... Besides, aside from District 26, our District 28 is in a location where we can hardly expect any tolls. In the event that you have any kind of questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at our own webpage.
'U, we are the same!
'No, there's also a toll tax in the 26th district, so it's always 'double it or not' anyway, right?
'How can it be okay if I don't?Listen, you!It's betrayal, that's what it is!

Leaving Donnis alone, the gray-haired opportunistic geezer from District 26 and the skinny longhair from District 28 start arguing.
Neither of them seems to be very good at fisticuffs, so it won't be a problem to leave them alone.

'If you're going to review the distribution, shouldn't the 29th district be the first to increase the amount?
'You, McCurry!You've got to be kidding me!

Gellarcy spat at Tracy's surprise attack.
But Tracy says it without a care in the world and without a tantrum.

'District 29 will be more profitable in the future due to the revitalization of the distribution of sorghum. In addition, if a new distribution route connecting the 30th and 42nd districts is created, the toll tax may be increased.
'But both are possibilities!We can't say for sure at this point, can we?
'No, it will definitely increase profits, I'm sure of it.

Donnis points at me, confidently.

'That new seasoning called bean sauce that that guy brought, it's a very profitable thing. Its raw material, soya beans, will naturally increase in value.

Those who didn't know this fact started to make a fuss.

'Is that true, Mr. Erin?
'Are you saying that you have increased the profits of your district by communicating with this most annoying of men, this most annoying of men, ......, of the 42nd district?

The lord of District 28 bites, and the gray-haired geezer of District 26 rants, his blood pressure rising to the point where he feels like he's about to die.

'No, no!I don't know anything!Mr. Donati, is it true?Oh, you think this is the man who created that new seasoning, ......!
'Oh, yes. That's why he needed our koji and came to our ward. ......, right?'

Well, it's slightly different, but 'brought' is true.
I didn't produce it.

'What's wrong with that?

I'll give you a straight answer.
And that will spark the anger of those who didn't know the truth.

'...... So far, I've been pushed around by this stinky guy, but ............ I didn't realize that I was benefiting from his communication. ......'

The Lord of the 23rd district stroked his mustache and stared at Gerasie with terrifying eyes.
District twenty-six, district twenty-eight, and even district twenty-five join in.

The friends who had been fighting together to defeat Obayashi, whom they had recognized as a clear enemy, were actually benefiting from that enemy.
It was painful to find out at this stage. Gellarcy's credibility is at an all-time low. This would be a decisive blow.

'You made a deal with Assunto, didn't you?The head of the 42nd district branch of the peddlers' guild. Then you should have at least understood that 'it was District Forty-two that brought in the business deal related to soy sauce', right?'
'That's ......'.

That's what you get for hiding something you're guilty of.
At a time when I was about to impose sanctions on the Forty-two Wards, the Forty-two Wards offered me a business deal.
Moreover, it was a revolutionary deal that would turn the sorghum that had been in surplus for years into a large sum of money.
So I jumped at it.
And I hid it.

We didn't know what the others would think if they found out about our business dealings with the enemy's 42nd district.
So we hid it.

The majority vote would be one-sided anyway, and after imposing the sanctions, we could start dealing with District 42 as District 29 alone.
You've been caught off guard by such a notion.

'The bean sauce, the new distribution channel ......, all I can see are developments that are favorable to the 29th district.'

Tracy says with a hint of sarcasm.


Gerrardsy had no such intentions. He didn't, but he didn't have the means to prove it either.

That's why it's easy to push him.

'So, let's have a majority vote on whether or not the twenty-nine districts should pay twice as much in distributions as before.
'Don't make a majority vote to humiliate an individual!

I don't know which mouth is saying it, but Gerrardsy barks.
I don't know which one of you is saying it, but Gellarcy is barking, even though Donnis and Tracy get annoyed when I say it. Are you seriously forgetting what you've done, this guy?

'If that's your attitude, we should consider imposing a tax on the koji used to make bean sauce.
'What?Wait a minute, Mr. Donnerty!
'If the current leader himself abandons the duties of the BU, we will have no choice but to deviate from the rules.
'What are you doing, Ms. McCurry?
'Our coffee is only sold to a few areas, so I'm thinking of growing soybeans and beans.
'Are you going to make trouble with me, little girl?

What Tracy said was exactly what the other districts had always wanted to do, which naturally angered Donnis and made the 25th and 28th districts gleam in the opposite direction.

'If that happens, I'll impose heavy taxes on soybeans outside of my 24th district, just as I've always done for all districts except BU!If you disobey me, I will refuse to sell koji to that district.
'That may be a bit arrogant, Mr. Donati.
'Yes, it is!Then how about this?How about we take a majority vote on whether or not to ban the Koji monopoly?'
'You guys are trying to eat my 24th district!

In short, soybeans are that good. Financially speaking.
Well, I'm sure none of the wards are happy with the current situation where they have to force other people to eat a lot of unsold beans.

If you can produce soybeans, you can make a profit.
Soy sauce and miso are made in the outer districts. But koji is only found in the 24th district.
Koji is only possible with Whitehead's hearing.
So, I want to somehow persuade Donnis to make soybeans as a bonus. Such ulterior motives are apparent.

All right.
You're getting pretty self-absorbed, all of you.

The people who at first were just wearing iron masks because they were BU's, killing their own hearts and being cogs in the organization, are now revealing their desires.
I wonder if they are aware of that. ...... I doubt it.

It's about time.
Now for the final touches.

Look at that face, it's like a boiled octopus.
That's enough to push him over the edge.
He was cool, he took a step back, he was flawless-- that one hair.

Now I can finally move Donnis. Just like I wanted.
All I need is a little pressure and she'll fall for me.

I give Estella the signal while the BU's are cursing each other.
Estella nodded with a wry smile and cleared her throat lightly.

'So, Mr. Donati.

The sudden sound of Estella's voice caused the room to fall silent.
Unperturbed, Estella continued. With a big smile on her face.

'Would you like to make a deal with us?

Time stops.
'What are you talking about?
'What is it this time?
These thoughts seem to appear as a string of words. The gazes of the Seven Lords turn to Estella.
You've grown up, to be able to keep a fresh smile on your face in the face of such countless gazes.

'Why don't we tie up with the 42nd district?Rather than being devoured by the BU, let's share the profits with our trusted district.'

That's the devil's invitation to collapse.
If you pull out a corner of a community that has been supporting each other,......, it's clear as day.

I'll take the 35th Ward if that's what you're talking about. You need koji.

We'll set up a perimeter and--

'All right, all right!I'm out of the BU!'

--I'll get what I want out of you.

'Are you insane, Mr. Donnerty?
'Huh!I've been treated so unfairly, even I can't keep my mouth shut.
'If you leave the BU, you'll lose all the benefits you've received so far, not to mention the toll tax exemption!
'I don't care!I know exactly what you're up to today. You can't be trusted!Especially you, Gerasie, as long as you're in charge.
'............Donis......Donati......... ...!

He raises a clenched fist.
The head waiter and the butler move swiftly again. But that's not necessary.

'Yes, "BU" collapse ~~~~!

You say in a bottomlessly cheerful voice, and clap your hands in unison.


All the emotions swirling around the place are directed at me.
Yes, yes, pay attention, to me.

'If District 24 goes, BU won't be able to survive, will it?I mean, wouldn't you?We can get to District 24 by taking a detour after entering the city gate. Who'd bother to go through District 23 where they charge a toll tax?

Although it would waste some time, the merchant would choose it if it would reduce the toll tax. No one wants to pay taxes.
In addition, until now, beans from BU were taxed exorbitantly, which made it impossible to grow them in other districts.
Even if they were grown, the heavy taxation made the selling price so high that they could not be sold. The peddler's guild would not accept them.

However, if one of the BU's were to collapse, there would be an example of how to avoid heavy taxation by passing through it.
If that happens, the peddlers' guild will definitely use it.
They have a network in every district, so they will naturally choose the most profitable route.

And when that happens, there will be other wards that will leave the ...... 'BU'.

'Ms. Tracy. If you're willing to leave the BU, we'll ship our crops to the center via the 27th district, what do you think?
'Estella......-sama............, is that serious......?'
'Of course.'
'If you still trust ...... me after a confrontation like this,......'
'I think there's enough trust built between me and Tracy, isn't there?
'No, of course not!Between me and Estella-sama, there is a strong, thick, unbreakable, and inviolable love.
The bond!
It exists!

Estella interjects with perfect timing.
The word 'bond' was thrown in at the perfect time to drown out the word 'love'.
That was just in time.

'Wait a minute, please wait a minute!

The one who was in a great hurry was the Lord of District 28.

'If that happens, no toll tax or bean profits will be distributed to ...... our district.'
'That's not all. The fact that the 24th and 27th wards are leaving means that ......'
'Isn't that where the distribution will be concentrated!

Even the lords of the twenty-five and twenty-six districts turned pale.

The BU was long and thin, dividing the outer districts from the central districts, and existed without gaps all the way around, acting like a fortress that controlled the flow of people and goods.

When compared to a square, the 24th district is in the lower left corner and the 27th district is in the upper right corner.
If those two districts were erased, the "□" would take the shape of a '', and such a faint fort would be meaningless.
People and things will leak out.
In addition, if the beans are made in the periphery, BU, which is inferior in terms of territory size, will have no chance.


That would mean the complete collapse of BU.


'There's going to be a war!

Gerasie barked vigorously.
But Lucia and Estella kept a cool face.

'I don't mind, but ...... can your district, with its small territory and small population, compete with our district, which has many beastman tribes?I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of people who are willing to help you.
'If it's a fight you're selling, buy it. And if you take away the rights to the waterfall, you'll wake up.
'...... ............ d*mn it!

Unable to say anything back, Gellarthy slammed his fist on the table.
There was a sickening sound. He might have hurt a bone by going too hard.

He doesn't care, and continues to punch the table over and over again.

'Master Gellarcy. Please stop.'
'Shut up!

The silver-haired, E-cup head waiter, Inez, calls out to Gerasie, but he doesn't stop.

'Excuse me, sir.'

Inez grabs Geraci's elbow with her right hand.
With that, Gerrardsy's arm stopped twitching.
...... You're awesome, head waiter. You're definitely a martial arts expert.

'.................. You're making fun of me, too. ......'
'...... I'm sorry.

It's obvious to everyone that he's acting out of concern, but ...... he can't help saying that. He's a pain in the ass.

'...... haha............'

The lord of the 23rd district thrusts his elbow into the table, puts his forehead on his crossed hands, and lets out a particularly loud sigh.
He is convinced that he has lost, and he is worried about the future, which has no prospects.

As I look around, I see that the lords of the 25th, 26th, and 28th districts are also throwing themselves back in their chairs, weak and dumbfounded.
There's no benefit for these people to get out of the BU.
One way or the other, you know.

We're sinking.
We're sinking.

'What's wrong with the air?

I said to him, but he replied, 'You don't say! but I got no reply.
What the hell? You're really embarrassed.


Is it hopelessness?
Is there no hope for the future?

You really can't see any other way but "BU"?

...... is so pathetic.

'Hey, Enes.'
'It's Inez.'
'Oh, sorry. I was just looking at your E-cups.
'...... I'm going to penetrate you, okay?'

Scary. ...... I bet his weapon is some kind of spear or rapier.

What is there to be angry about?
I'm sure your parents named you Ines with the hope that you would grow up to be an E-cup.
As proof, the brown D-cup in District 23 is called Deborah, right?See, it's "D-bora"!
And the lord of the 42nd district is called A-stella.

I'm sorry. Can one of you soldiers lend me your knife?'

Estella, who has been banned from bringing weapons to the meeting of the lords, is calling out to the soldiers.
...... Don't anticipate my mind and try to harm me. I'm not sure how you know that.

I'm not sure if you've seen this, but I'm sure you've seen it.

.......
A boring guy. ............ Oh, that's wrong. I'm not a fan.

So, as boring Estella says, I'll do what I have to do.

'Inez. I'm going to open a window for you.
'............ as you wish.'

He's too busy holding Gerasie's arm to deal with me.
I mean, he's not very nice.
I don't know why I'm so unlikable.

The head waiter has given me permission to open the window of the conference room.
This is the window I checked the last time I was here.
I've already checked with Mahr to see which direction it faces.
So, ......

'Go this way ......!

I fly the bamboo dragonfly I've been carrying high and high out the window.
I painted it bright red to make it stand out a little more.

So, I guess we have about ten minutes left.

'...... What have you done?

When I turned around, Gerasie was staring at me like crazy.

'At this point, ...... what the hell did you just do?

It seems that his spirit has reached its limit. ...... Poor thing. I'm sorry.

'It's a flying toy. I've got another one I'd like to give you.
'I don't want it!
'Don't say that. No one will think it's a bribe with this toy.'
'I don't trust a word you say!

Ahh... You've violated my "trust me only today" policy.
Now I can frog Gerasie, ...... even if it hurts a desperate man like this.

'If you don't want it, I can put it between your E-cup cleavage where you're currently stuck due to the restraints on your arms.
'Suit yourself!
'Thanks a lot!
'...... I'll kill you, okay?'

Don't be so direct.
If you're a girl, at least try to be a little more subtle about it. Skinship. In the West, hugging, blushing, and pinching are common greetings.
Isn't ...... dong dong? Isn't ...... it?

You can't just walk on the rails, can you?

With that, the room fell silent.
Then, Gerrardsy raises his eyebrows.

'...... rails?

d*mn it!
So there are no trains in this world?

'It's an iron road that runs a trolley.

Estella followed up.
There are trolleys, aren't there?

'What's that, a mining term?

Oh, rails is a mining term?
Well, it's okay.

'In short, you can only walk a certain way.'

We've been clinging to tradition, using predetermined methods, predetermined words, predetermined ways of winning. And we will continue to live the way we've always lived.

Is that the only way to live, you people?

'Majority rule must have two choices'?You're stuck with the narrow-minded idea that it has to be one of the choices presented to you. Isn't there any innovation?



If I were you, when confronted with a question of two choices, I would look for the third answer first.
If not, I would create my own.

'The breakthrough in District 42 that you envy so much, that you can't help but envy, was brought about by innovation.

The forty-second ward, which had nothing, now has a technology that makes other wards say, 'What the hell is that? It has become a treasure house of technology that makes the surrounding districts ask, "What's that?
They are exporting their technology and using it as a weapon in negotiations.
We have risen from the damp land under the cliff to this place at once.

I'll show you a glimpse of that now.
Take a good look.

See the value of the things you've decided are worthless and abandoned even looking at.
Once you know its value, there are many ways to do it.


'Please wait!
'I'm in trouble!


Suddenly, the hallway becomes noisy.
The panicked voice of a waiter approaches from afar.

'What's going on?

Inez shouted sternly while holding Gerasie.
One of the waiters rushes to the door to see what's going on and is about to ...... when there's a knock on the door.

The waiter froze at the unexpected situation and turned around to look at Inez.
Inez is also confused.

So I say.

'You can come in.

At the sound of my voice, the door slowly opens.
Standing in front of the door is...

'Sorry to interrupt your meeting. Gentlemen, would you like to eat?

Ginette.
And--

'...... sweets are the perfect thing to eat when you're frustrated.
'Come on, come on, everyone!Don't be shy, eat up!

Magda and Loretta.
It's a sunny day party.
...... Even though Loretta had to push through muscle pain to participate, she didn't show any sign of pain. She's a pro.

In addition, Delia, Norma, Nephrite and Paula are also there.
Including the temporary helpers, I guess it's the Sunlit Pavilion All-Stars.

'This is ...... what's going on, Obayashi!
'Hey, Gerasie. Don't ask people for everything. Try to judge the situation yourself for a change.'
'......!Inez, let me go!
'But ......'.
'It's okay. ...... won't get any worse.'
'......All right, sir.'

Gerasie, having escaped Inez's restraints, approached Ginette and the others.
A large cart is placed in front of Ginette.
It is a cart that Umaro had made in two hours to carry a large amount of food at once.
It is covered with a beautiful white cloth to make it look gorgeous.

'This is ......'.
'This is a dish made with beans from the BU.'

Lined up in front of Ginette were pancakes filled with peanut butter and chocolate doughnuts. There's also coffee jelly, taiyaki, and honey-roasted peanuts.
Over there is a big pot of pea potage. I made some rice with peas as well.
And the now familiar mapo tofu.

Such dishes are all lined up in a row.

'Okay, pretty waitresses, please serve the food.
''''' Yes~'''''
'...... Mm.'

Everyone except Magda replied in a cute voice.
Magda's reply would probably make Umaro faint.

Then, a group of waitresses (except Delia and Magda) who are somewhat nervous because they are in front of the lord of a superior district of another district, enter the conference room.
They looked awkward at first, but gradually returned to their usual natural state. They get used to it quickly.
The girls of the 42nd district have a lot of guts, don't they?

'Hey, Gee San, you're the lord of District 26, you make cocoa, right?These chocolate donuts are delicious!Try it!It's a big deal, chocolate!

...... Delia is too uptight.

'This fish-shaped food ...... has bean paste in it ............ and is delicious.'
'This savory cream is made from our peanuts?
'Mmm............ deep, the flavor. Pea potage, huh?

Each of them tasted their own bean dishes and were impressed with the taste.

'Oh, it's been a long time since the manager's coffee jelly ....... Nene......, come join us.'
'Yes. Tracey ....... I'll join you.



No, you can call me "sir" or "ma'am" all you want now.
There won't be any foot jabs as punishment this time. Just be normal.

'Gelercy, try this.

Donnis approaches Gerrardy's seat with a bowl of bean curd in his hand.
Inez stiffens for a moment, but Donnis takes one look at her and she relaxes her stance. They must have realized that it was futile to fight each other here.
In return, Inez seems to feed Gerrardsey, who has a broken hand, some bean curd.
...... You're flirting with me. You're abusing your authority, that plump lord.

'...... This is ............'.
'That's the taste of bean sauce. I've heard that it gets deeper when it's aged.'
'What is this white stuff ......?
'It's called tofu, made from our district's soybeans.
'It's a collaboration between District 29 and District 24.
'And the forty-second district's.'

Donnis and Gellarcy both look at me.
Hey, hey, hey. If you're talking about District 42, you should be looking at Estella, not me.
I'm just a diner worker.

'Our district's beans are made into this kind of food ......'.
'If you imitate this,......, no, but imitation alone will surely leave you behind again in the future,......'
'I see. ......Innovation. ......'
'Show me the ...... difference in power ............ and I'll show you which lord is the best.

I don't know which of these words is from which lord, but I don't care because they all seem to have somewhat similar feelings.

'These bean dishes will surely become popular. --And since we have promised to provide the recipes of these dishes to the lords of districts forty-one to thirty-six in return for their recklessness towards this meeting, the market will expand rapidly.

If you build a port or a passage to the top of the cliff in District 42, those districts will be hit hard.
To make up for it, or rather, ......, it's a big deal to atone for your sins as well.
You can make a lot of money if you monopolize the sunny side up. ...... It's not a cafeteria anymore. I'm going to be very selective about the menu at the Sundaily Pavilion.
So, I'll give you the bean-related recipes.

So I'm sure there will never be enough beans. It's already beyond what BU can manage on its own.

The beans that were left unsold have found their destination.
From now on, the beans will sell like hotcakes and the profits will flow in.

I'll remind the lord of the current situation.

'So it's good that we can grow beans freely now.

'What ......? Some of the lords gulped.
Hey, hey, hey, did you forget?

'The 42nd and 35th districts will be sanctioned, so the only way to cover the damage is to make a lot of beans and raid the gap of the collapsed BU~'
'That's right. We need to start construction immediately and expand the fields, please, Natalia.
'Leave it to me, I'll make the arrangements without delay.
'The harbor in the 35th district might get lonely. You know, Gilberta?
'I can't help it, the situation is what it is.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm going to proceed on the premise that.
Then, at the end, we face each other and let out a smile.

'Oh no, we're going to make a lot of money, aren't we?
'We're going to be sanctioned, aren't we?
'I heard that the majority vote is absolute.

When sanctions are imposed, we all profit.
I'll remind you of that.
I'm going to remind you of the reality that we're going to profit by destroying the profits that BU has been making.

'Hey, Obayashi!

His mouth turns red and he thrusts out the spoon in Gerassi's hand.
...... You're too hungry for mapo tofu, you know. I'm sure you've got a sore hand.

Please. I beg you.

'Please, let's have another majority vote!

I don't have the right to ask that, but ......

'What do we do?'

I look at Estella and Lucia and say a bit deliberately.
Some of the lords are getting impatient. I see a man shaking his ass out of the corner of my eye. Irritating.

'Yes, ......, it's been a bit of a slap in the face, and there are some things that have gone unanswered. ......'
'That's right. It's not good to be left in a daze. It would be a good idea to come to a decision by majority vote one last time.
'Eh~......, well, if you guys are going that far, I don't mind~'

In the event that you've got any questions regarding where and the best way to get in touch with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.

You guys know what you're doing, don't you?
Move for your own good. Don't make mistakes, okay?

See you at ......



'This is the last time. All those who think that sanctions should be imposed on the 42nd and 35th districts, raise your hands!

As soon as I finish, Estella and Lucia raise their arms.
If sanctions are imposed, we'll make a lot of money, woohoo!

But...
But no other hands go up.

'............ Who says no?'

I asked, just to be sure, and seven arms went straight up.
Even Donnis was against it.

'Heee!

I say, even louder, and snap my fingers.
With this, my plan to dismantle the BU, which I had tried so hard to carry out, has been abandoned.
The BU will continue to exist as the BU, and will be responsible for the management of people and things.
If there had been a tear or a hole somewhere, we could have made a lot of money!

'Aaah!It's a shame we lost.
I'm not sure what to say.

Gerrardsy snapped at him when he was plainly embarrassed.

'You're ...... completely incomprehensible to the very end, you know that?

He smiled, as if his anger and dismay had become amusing in a roundabout way.

'Yashiro.
'anchovy'.

I turned around to see the two men who had done so much for me with their hands raised to shoulder height, as they called my name (although anchovy was not my name).
These guys have done a lot of work for us.
Let's at least give them a little credit.

'Well, that's it then.
'Good job.
'It was a good cause.
'You too.'

Estella and Lucia exchanged high fives with one hand each, and I with both hands.