What Do You Mean I'm The Captain Of A Yandere Mercenary Company? Chapter 856: Don’t Hold Back On Negotiations

Kaito leaned back in his chair, regarding me with a gaze after I had concluded my account.

"I see... So this truly is an unfortunate chain of events... Ironically, had you not been present, both my and that wretched woman's schemes would have unraveled, and neither of us would have been aware."

I had only divulged the absolute minimum to him, admitting that I stumbled upon his vessel adrift in the void of space and had intercepted their distress beacon.

I did, however, inform him about discovering the ship overrun by those abominable creatures and the necessity for my crew and I to collaborate in eradicating them, eventually leading to our encounter with the nigh-invulnerable turtle creature.

It was at this juncture that I presented a fabrication, stating that the creature had retreated into its damaged containment unit, a fact we then exploited to maneuver it aboard my ship.

I strategically omitted the details of how I managed to keep the animal concealed from the authorities, and should he inquire further, I intend to cite it as a proprietary secret.

Kaito then turned his attention to one of the attending secretaries, offering a curt nod that signaled her departure from the room without uttering a syllable.

I surmised he was dispatching her to verify the veracity of my narrative, but I felt no significant apprehension, as I doubted they possessed the means to uncover the actual truth.

What could she possibly do? Contact Clement and interrogate him about the incident?

I was quite certain they were unacquainted with him, otherwise, they would have provided the police with specific targets rather than merely employing a tracker to pinpoint the turtle's location.

Now that I had imparted my knowledge...

"So... You alluded to a collaboration?" I prompted him.

He inclined his head, "Precisely. This shrew intended to ensnare me by leveraging your involvement. Therefore, I reasoned, why not utilize her own ploy against her to my advantage? We can tarnish her reputation and obliterate any prospects she holds for securing the contract, all while you receive a considerable sum in Credits. A rather astute plan, wouldn't you agree?"

"That hinges entirely on the specifics of the plan... What precisely do you intend to execute?"

"First things first... You are in possession of the creature, are you not?"

I offered a noncommittal shrug, "Perhaps."

One of the secretaries swiftly produced a gleaming metallic sword, positioning the blade against my shoulder, its sharp edge disturbingly near my throat.

"I would advise choosing your next words with extreme caution, Merc."

My gaze dropped to the blade resting upon my shoulder before I lifted it again, raising an eyebrow at Kaito.

"Your subordinates appear rather lacking in intelligence, wouldn't you say?"

The CEO's expression contorted slightly, "They are... exceptionally devoted... Kindly overlook their impetuosity..."

I shifted my attention back to the sword-wielding woman, who seemed perplexed by my lack of visible intimidation.

"Have you forgotten? The authorities explicitly stated they are aware I am under your protection. Should I vanish, the primary suspects would inevitably be your organization. Consequently, it is in your collective best interest that no harm befalls me, you understand? Should that rival of yours succeed in eliminating me as well, the initial focus of suspicion would still fall upon you. Good luck securing any contracts with this ongoing investigation hanging over your heads, I suppose."

The woman faltered momentarily, and Kaito gestured for her to lower her weapon, "Retract that and extend your apologies."

The woman swiftly withdrew the sword and bowed her head deeply, "Please accept my sincerest apologies, Miss Tera."

I settled back into my chair, remarking, "An insufficient gesture."

Kaito's brow furrowed, "What is your objection?"

"She directly menaced my life, and I have no doubt she fully intended to follow through with that threat had I not reminded you all of the circumstances. If my memory serves me correctly... The party seeking a favor is not I, but rather you... And I was escorted here under the assumption that an apology and adequate compensation for my entanglement in an unwarranted police inquiry and detainment would be rendered. Yet, what I encountered was an individual threatening my existence? I wonder how such an account would be perceived if I were to lodge a formal complaint?"

Kaito's eyes narrowed, "Precisely what is it that you desire?"

"I must still emphasize that I have yet to receive any form of compensation from you, you realize?"

One of the secretaries leaned forward with a menacing air, "That stipulation only applies when you have been wronged. The reality is, you have the creature aboard your vessel, do you not?! And yet you demand recompense after we have already established our initial premise was correct?!"

I feigned astonishment, "Oh? Was it? I do not recall you asserting correctness regarding the creature's whereabouts?"

She jabbed an accusatory finger in my direction, "You plainly stated that you confiscated the creature from the smuggler!"

"Hmm? Did I? Do you possess any concrete evidence proving my utterance of such a statement?" I inquired, a smirk playing on my lips. "Conversely, I possess impartial witnesses who can attest that I had no contraband aboard and that your actions toward me were indeed unwarranted."

Realizing that they had absolutely no proof, the woman sputtered. All their recording devices had been disabled prior to the encounter. The only witnesses who heard me confess to having the creature aboard were the two of them, and their word alone would hold no weight.

Kaito observed me from behind his visor, his expression stern. "You are quite a shrewd woman, Miss Tera..."

"Coming from you, the one who set a trap for the smuggler and is trying to ruin a competitor with underhanded tricks? I'll graciously accept that as a compliment."

He regarded me silently for a full minute before reaching into his drawer, retrieving several gold-colored Credit Chips.

After inserting them into his personal terminal, he slid one chip across the desk towards me.

"Five million Credits. Consider it an apology for all the trouble we've caused you."

Next, he pushed another chip forward. "An additional fifty million Credits for your cooperation in assisting us with this task."

I raised an eyebrow, questioning his offer. "Just fifty-five million Credits total? Are you perhaps low on funds? And honestly, a mere five million for all the trouble you've put me through? I've earned more from less demanding clients, and they never once held a blade to my throat. Do you truly believe five million is sufficient to make me forget that near-death experience?"

"And what exactly are you proposing then?" Kaito inquired.

"Since she attempted to take my head," I stated, "I believe a fitting compensation would be for her to offer hers in return, wouldn't you agree?"

His face contorted with displeasure as he grasped my meaning.

Naturally, I had no intention of actually having her killed on the spot. However, I was certainly not going to let them off the hook easily either. In fact, I might have been more lenient had he not attempted that charade earlier.

Did he truly believe I couldn't discern that the entire exchange with his secretaries was merely a ploy to intimidate me into cooperation, hoping to gain leverage without expending their own resources?

If those women had truly overstepped, he would have been panicking and intervened far sooner, preventing them from issuing such threats.

Yet, he simply sat there and watched until I voiced my complaint.

Therefore, even if I had been mistaken about the whole thing being an act, his failure to restrain his subordinates, allowing them to proceed as they did, was something I would not overlook.

Kaito frowned, his voice tight. "You are demanding that my associate... take her own life?"

"It would serve as a starting point to demonstrate your sincerity, wouldn't it? This subordinate of yours acted against your wishes and attempted to sabotage you by provoking me. Surely, you must consider removing someone who exhibits such disloyalty?"

"I will handle her punishment appropriately at a later time. That is not your concern."

"Is that so? Then I suppose whether or not I possess that creature is also not your concern. In that case, I bid you a good day."

As I began to rise, the woman abruptly drew her blade and pressed it to her own neck.

I observed a flicker of panic in Kaito's eyes, while the woman's face bore an expression of determined resignation.

Just as she was about to slit her own throat, I swiftly grabbed her hand, halting her action.

Satisfied that she was genuinely serious, I turned back to Kaito, nodding towards the Credit Chips.

"Let's increase that figure to one hundred million Credits for the inconvenience, and add at least three hundred million, with room for further negotiation, for me to proceed with your plan. Then, we can discuss a proper deal."

He scowled, but I surmised that my intervention in preventing his associate's suicide had convinced him to agree.

"Fine..."

I nodded. "Then let us talk business."