Strike the Blood - Volume 22 - Chapter 3.4

4

The next morning—

Crowds of people flooded the streets at the center of Itogami Island’s urban zones.

The sight, reminiscent of a large-scale protest march, had no chaos within its ranks.

They were gazing at footage displayed on a huge screen on the side of a building showing an interview with a Gigafloat Management Corporation executive. He was conducting the first public policy announcements following the conclusion of the Electoral War and concerning the Necropolis and the gate to Nod that had appeared in the sky above the island.

“Looks like your dad an’ them finished their presentation.”

Motoki Yaze addressed Asagi as he listened to the earthquake-like sounds of cheers erupting around Keystone Gate in the urban areas on the other side of the canal.

“Looks like it.”

Asagi, lying on an office sofa, toyed with her smartphone as she gave that curt reply.

Asagi’s father, Sensai Aiba, was the former mayor of Itogami City and a current councillor on the Itogami City Council. Even after retiring from the position of mayor at the end of his term, he had exhibited shrewdness in negotiating with the government of Japan after the War of the Primogenitors, garnering the absolute trust of the citizens in the process.

That morning, Sensai Aiba was scheduled to address the citizens in the form of a press conference. He was to say negotiations with MAR for the purchase of Itogami Island should be wholly entrusted to the Gigafloat Management Corporation, a pretty arrogant thing to say in one sense.

The citizens’ response to this would be assessed in an instant online poll. In other words, the address put Itogami Island’s very fate on the line. It wasn’t that they lacked the odds for victory, but even Yaze and company had no way to know the results of the vote. That was why Yaze was being fidgety.

Sheesh, thought Asagi, making no effort to hide the blatant exasperation on her face as she slowly sat up. It was then that she heard steady footsteps approaching the door to the office.

The first one to enter the room was a blue-haired female secretary, bringing Kazama Yaze with her. As senior director of the Gigafloat Management Corporation, he was in charge of the presentation and the online vote.

“How’s it looking, Bro?”

Yaze impatiently asked Kazama that.

“The citizens’ reaction isn’t bad, thanks to Councillor Aiba, that is.”

The corners of Kazama’s lips faintly relaxed as he looked behind him. It was that very moment Sensai Aiba himself entered the office room. He was a middle-aged man with a stern face. He wasn’t all that hugely built, but the sense of presence he emitted was remarkable. He gave off the impression of a politician’s politician.

“It’s the effect of the Gigafloat Management Corporation’s manipulation of public opinion. From the citizens’ point of view, Itogami City-State being the only one to negotiate independently with MAR, who are able to drive even the HGTO military back, can’t feel that bad at all.”

Sensai spoke in a low, calm voice. Glancing at his daughter sitting on the sofa, he smiled, seeming a little amused.

“The existence of that boy Kojou Akatsuki looms larger, though. MAR doesn’t even fear the three primogenitors, but he has Itogami Island negotiating with them on equal terms. The people believe in the works of the new ruler who survived and won the Electoral War. Rumors are even spreading that it’s young Akatsuki who’s the World’s Mightiest Vampire—the Fourth Primogenitor.”

“Isn’t that the result of your public opinion manipulation?”

Asagi spoke bluntly. She didn’t come off as all that pleased with his praise for Kojou, but Asagi was at a difficult age where she couldn’t be honest with her own father about that.

Yaze had a pained smile as he shrugged his shoulders.

“It ain’t really that at all. He’s been standing out, acting up all over the place… Of course, there were witnesses, so there’s been more than a little talk about him until now.”

“You’ve done a good job of controlling information via the Internet, but word of mouth isn’t something even we can deal with.”

Kazama rationally pointed this out.

Hmph, snorted Asagi as she showed them the screen of her smartphone.

“—Wait, most of the eyewitness info going around is about Himeragi, not Kojou…!”

“Well, that girl stands out on a visual front…”

Yaze seemed conflicted as he lightly scratched his temple.

Asagi’s cheeks puffed up, clearly not finding this an amusing twist at all.

“…We have received acceptance that the meeting with Ladli Ren is due to begin at sunset today. We can’t help you any further than that.”

Sensai looked straight at Asagi, speaking with a serious look on his face.

Many of the citizens of Itogami City had agreed with the Gigafloat Management Corporation conducting negotiations with MAR, but that didn’t mean they accepted selling the island to them, never mind making it part of the Devas war machine.

Itogami Island would have to reject MAR’s demands while avoiding being enveloped in the fires of war. On top of that, they had to nullify the Beast Vassal Warheads in the Devas’ possession and stop the plans of Shahryar Ren in Nod—these negotiations, difficult beyond anything realistically achievable, were the needle Itogami Island had to thread.

Also, the only one designated to negotiate with Ladli Ren was their ruler, Kojou Akatsuki. Neither Sensai nor Kazama could intervene in these negotiations.

“You’re really going to do this on your own?”

Sensai frankly aired the worries everyone must have felt.

Asagi looked up at her father’s worried face with a little smile. It was a powerful smile of absolute confidence.

Then she gave her brief reply.

“Of course.”