Looking at the utterly sincere and serious Seitenshi, Satoru Gojo leaned back against the sofa and settled into the most comfortable position he could find.
Only then did he speak.
"I'm willing to work with you on this."
"But like I told Mr. Yasuwaki yesterday, the real question is what you're prepared to offer in exchange."
"Then could you tell us what you want, Mr. Gojo? For this partnership, I'd like you to fully understand how serious Tokyo is about cooperating with you."
Seitenshi's voice was earnest, her eyes as clear and innocent as a newborn lamb's.
"My conditions are actually pretty simple."
"I want you to meet my everyday needs as much as possible."
"Everyday... needs?"
She blinked in confusion, clearly not expecting such a request.
The condition wasn't difficult.
If anything, it was too simple.
What counted as everyday needs?
Food, clothing, housing, transportation.
How much could one person possibly spend?
Especially for an entire nation. No matter how extravagant someone was, there was a limit to how much they could consume.
Even if Gojo asked for things that bordered on excessive, such as having attendants to wait on him, the cost would still be insignificant compared to the benefits he could provide.
"That's right, everyday needs."
"The basics like food, clothes, transportation, and a place to live go without saying."
"But if there's anything else that catches my interest, I expect you to accommodate that too."
"For example, Mechanized Soldier enhancement technology, or other fields of research."
"I don't want us to become partners only for you to start brushing me off with 'classified information' every time I ask about something."
Mechanized Soldier technology wasn't especially useful to him.
That didn't mean it was inferior.
Some of it was genuinely practical, like Rentaro Satomi's artificial eye.
According to Rentaro, when pushed to its limits, the prosthetic's performance was remarkably similar to Gojo's Six Eyes.
There was a reason the Six Eyes and the Limitless Cursed Technique had always been considered the perfect combination throughout the Gojo Family's history.
The Six Eyes allowed unimaginably precise control over Cursed Energy.
Rentaro's prosthetic eye achieved something similar through a built-in computer capable of performing calculations at incredible speed.
Its processing time could reach one two-thousandth of a second.
Its only real weakness was that the human brain couldn't keep up with the enormous amount of information it generated.
For an external device to achieve something like that was fascinating.
Even if he never modified his own body, using it as an external tool would still be incredibly useful.
Or perhaps...
They could even build Betty a powered mechanical suit.
That sounded fun.
Besides, once he returned to his own world, plenty of this technology could be handed over to Masamichi Yaga or Suguru Geto.
It would help them gain a stronger foothold in the rebuilt Jujutsu Society after the coming purge.
If they could master the manufacturing process behind the artificial eye, he could even bring it back to the Gojo Family.
A Six Eyes user only appeared once every several centuries.
Without the Six Eyes, even someone who inherited the Limitless Cursed Technique couldn't properly wield it.
But with an artificial eye capable of assisting those calculations, even without the Six Eyes, basic applications of the technique might become possible.
Technology like this would remain valuable no matter which world he traveled to next.
"..."
Seitenshi frowned slightly instead of answering immediately.
His condition was simply too vague.
It seemed to define nothing while including everything.
The scope was so broad that even as the ruler of Tokyo, she couldn't agree to it on the spot.
"Mr. Gojo, your request covers far too many areas."
"Could you narrow it down a little?"
"Miss Seitenshi, if I remember correctly, before the Cursed Children were discovered, your governments called the Mechanized Soldier project the New Human Creation Plan. It was humanity's greatest hope against the Gastrea, wasn't it?"
She nodded silently.
"A multinational project like that must have consumed unimaginable resources. Even routine maintenance for those prosthetic limbs costs astronomical amounts of money."
He smiled.
"So tell me honestly."
"Do you believe the power I possess is worth less than the Mechanized Soldier project?"
Gojo didn't yield an inch.
If there was something to negotiate, he preferred settling it once and for all.
He had no interest in arguing over technicalities after the partnership had already begun.
"I..."
Seitenshi fell silent.
It was true.
Compared to the Mechanized Soldiers or the Cursed Children, the power Gojo had displayed in the recordings surpassed both by an overwhelming margin.
Back when the New Human Creation Plan was launched, participating nations had poured countless resources into it.
Viewed from that perspective...
Gojo's request wasn't unreasonable at all.
At least, provided he didn't start asking for something absurd.
"Mr. Gojo, I understand your reasoning, and I agree with your point."
"But please understand our position as well. If one day you ask for something we truly can't provide, neither of us would want that to become a source of conflict."
"You don't have to worry about that."
Gojo waved a hand with an easy smile.
"I'm not going to ask you to do anything immoral or unethical. I'm not some kind of psychopath."
"Whatever I request will stay within the bounds of what you're capable of accepting."
He spread his hands.
"I'd say that's a pretty sincere offer."
"After all..."
"You're the ones asking me."
His words were blunt.
Almost impolite.
But they were also the truth.
Standing behind Seitenshi, Takuto Yasuwaki remained silent, making no attempt to ease the pressure on her.
Gojo wasn't in any hurry to receive an answer.
The milk and desserts arrived at that moment, and he and Betty happily dug in, chatting between bites.
Watching the pair casually enjoying themselves, Seitenshi sat in thoughtful silence, struggling with her decision.
A knock suddenly sounded at the door.
The reception room opened, and a tall figure stepped inside.
"Lord Tendo."
Takuto immediately straightened and greeted the newcomer respectfully.
Gojo glanced over while eating his dessert.
The man was tall, dressed in a traditional kimono, with snow-white hair and beard. His stern face carried the natural authority of someone long accustomed to command.
Compared to Seitenshi, he looked far more like Tokyo's true ruler.
Gojo only spared him two glances before returning his attention to the pastries.
An old man simply wasn't as interesting as dessert.
"Vice Minister Tendo."
Seitenshi looked at the newcomer.
"What brings you here?"
"As your Adviser, Lady Seitenshi, how could I possibly stay away from negotiations of this importance?"
The elderly man walked straight over, sat across from Gojo, and introduced himself.
"I am Kikunojo Tendo, Lady Seitenshi's Adviser."
Without even looking up from his dessert, Gojo suddenly asked,
"Do you know Kisara Tendo?"
"She is my disappointing granddaughter."
"Oh."
Gojo acknowledged it with a single word.
Then he continued eating.
Clearly, the cake still held more of his attention than Kikunojo Tendo.
"Mr. Gojo."
Seeing himself ignored, Kikunojo remained calm.
"As for your conditions..."
"Miss Seitenshi."
Gojo interrupted him before he could continue.
"You're the ruler of Tokyo, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Then that's all that matters."
"I'm here to negotiate with you."
"Whether we cooperate or not, your answer is the only one I'm interested in."
"As for everyone else..."
"I don't have time for them."
If every person wanted a private discussion with him, when exactly was he supposed to rest?
"So let's keep this quick."
"My patience isn't endless."
Just as he'd concluded while browsing the System Store earlier, nothing in this world was essential to him.
Everything here was merely a bonus.
Whether this deal succeeded wasn't particularly important.
A trace of coldness flickered across Kikunojo Tendo's weathered face.
Officially, Seitenshi was indeed the ruler of Tokyo.
But officially was all that was.
In reality, the man who controlled both military and political authority was Kikunojo Tendo.
He was the uncrowned king of the Tokyo Area.
Its true master.
It had been many years since anyone had dared treat him with such open disregard.
Yet now, a mere teenager spoke to him as though he were beneath notice.
Even if that boy possessed extraordinary power, it was still infuriating.
Fortunately, decades in power had taught Kikunojo how to conceal his emotions.
"Lady Seitenshi."
He turned away from Gojo entirely.
"I believe Mr. Gojo's proposal deserves further consideration."
"And cooperation should always be mutual."
"If we accept his conditions, then what exactly are his obligations?"
"Will he hand over the entire cultivation system?"
"Or merely instruct our people in how to practice it?"
"These are matters of the highest importance."
"I ask that you handle them with the utmost care."
With that, Kikunojo rose, turned around, and left the room without another glance at Gojo.
After quietly considering his words, Seitenshi looked back across the table.
"Mr. Gojo."
"I've given your proposal serious thought."
"I hope you'll allow us a little flexibility regarding your earlier request."
"You understand that promising to fulfill absolutely any request would simply be too much."
"However, I can promise that if your requests involve resources alone, we'll do everything we can to accommodate them."
"As for the Mechanized Soldiers you mentioned earlier, whether you're interested in their principles, want finished products, or even their manufacturing methods, we can provide all of it."
Gojo watched the conflicted expression on her face.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
His reaction left Seitenshi momentarily flustered.
She instinctively touched her own face, wondering whether she'd said something wrong.
"Miss Seitenshi."
"If that's how difficult this is for you..."
"I'm willing to compromise."
"But there's one thing I need to make clear first."
"If there are areas where you can't satisfy my requests, then I'll achieve my goal by my own methods."
"I'm not negotiating that point."
"I'm informing you in advance."
"If you don't have any objections..."
He extended his hand across the table with an easy smile.
"Then here's to a successful partnership."
Seitenshi looked at the offered hand.
After only a brief hesitation, she reached out and shook it firmly.
As long as his requests could be fulfilled, Gojo had no reason to resort to extreme measures.
And if he ever did...
They probably lacked the ability to stop him anyway.
If that was the reality, overthinking it served no purpose.
It was better to make a clean decision.
"Here's to a successful partnership."
The agreement was made.
Gojo wasted no time getting started.
"Betty and I are both Unregistered Citizens right now, so arrange proper identities for us."
"We'll also need a complete set of digital equipment."
"Oh, and register both of us in the Civil Security system."
"And prepare several state-of-the-art compact drones."
Seitenshi was briefly caught off guard by the sudden stream of requests.
Fortunately, someone beside her was already accustomed to this sort of thing.
She glanced toward Takuto.
He immediately pulled a notebook from his pocket and began recording every request.
Gojo looked at Betty.
"Can you think of anything else?"
She thought for a moment.
"I think that's everything."
"Oh."
"Have fresh ingredients delivered to Rentaro Satomi's place every day."
"His cooking is pretty good, and that way we won't have to travel far whenever we want to eat."
"Sounds good."
"Add that too."
He turned back toward Seitenshi.
"That should be everything for now."
"Any problems?"
She mentally reviewed the entire list.
Every request was surprisingly ordinary.
"No problem."
"We can have everything arranged for you today, Mr. Gojo."
"Excellent."
He smiled.
"Then let's move on to Cursed Energy and magic."
"I assume you're already aware of the strengths and weaknesses of both."
He rested his chin on one hand.
"Or..."
"Would you like to see what a Cursed Spirit actually looks like?"
The moment he said those words, Seitenshi remembered Takuto's earlier report.
She also remembered the sketch an artist had drawn based on his description.
The grotesque image of the Cursed Spirit immediately surfaced in her mind.
She vigorously shook her head.
She might be Tokyo's highest ruler.
But she was still only a sixteen-year-old girl.
Her resistance to things like that wasn't nearly as strong as she'd like it to be.