Chương 45: Chapter 12 When the World Started Watching(Part 2)

"And do I get a choice?" The moment the question left my mouth, Chiyoda's expression twisted. Not with anger. With discomfort. The kind of look someone wore when they already knew the answer was ugly.

"We would prefer that you cooperate willingly."

"That's not what I asked." A long silence followed. Then he sighed.

"If necessary..." He hesitated. Just for a moment. Then continued.

"... your family may become a factor." The room became very quiet. Dangerously quiet. I felt something shift inside me. Something cold. Something familiar. The Witch. The cigarette between my fingers glowed faintly. I smiled. A gentle smile. A pleasant smile. The kind that made people uncomfortable.

"I wonder." My voice came out soft. Almost affectionate.

"Which would you prefer?" Chiyoda froze. Mochida stiffened behind him.

"The collapse of a nation..." I exhaled a thin stream of smoke.

"Or dying here?" The temperature in the room seemed to drop. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. No. Not the temperature. The mood. The atmosphere. The realization that a line had been crossed. Family. There were many things I could tolerate. Many compromises I could make. That wasn't one of them. Mochida hurriedly stepped forward.

"Would you like another cigarette?" Good save. Very good save. I accepted it.

"Of course." I lit it with a small flame from my fingertip. The familiar burn helped calm me. Slowly. Gradually. The Witch retreated. Not gone. Just waiting. Watching. Eventually Chiyoda lowered his eyes.

"... That was careless."

"Yes."

"I apologize." I took a drag. Then nodded.

"Accepted." The tension eased slightly. Not completely. But enough to continue.

"As I said," I continued, "I have no problem cooperating."

"Then what concerns you?"

"The loot." Chiyoda blinked.

"The loot?"

"The items recovered from inside the Gates." Understanding dawned.

"Ah." He folded his arms.

"To be frank, the government sees enormous value in them."

"Naturally."

"Even a single healing potion would have tremendous economic and strategic significance." He leaned forward.

"Considering the risks involved, confiscating all recovered items seems reasonable." Reasonable. From a bureaucratic perspective, perhaps. From a human perspective? Not even close. I shook my head.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because people aren't machines." The answer came instantly.

"You can't ask someone to risk their life and receive nothing in return."

"The nation would compensate them."

"With what?" Silence. I continued.

"Honor?" I laughed. A short laugh. A bitter one.

"People don't die for honor." At least, not most people. They died for family. For dreams. For money. For survival. For things they could actually touch.

"The military might function differently." I pointed toward the ceiling.

"This country doesn't have one." Chiyoda frowned.

"We're concerned about crime."

"So am I."

"Then—""But don't ask me to solve human nature." I interrupted him.

"If I could eliminate crime by myself, you wouldn't need a police force." Mochida nearly choked trying not to laugh. Chiyoda didn't look amused. Still, he didn't disagree. Because he knew I was right. The discussion continued for nearly an hour. Regulations. Property rights. Danger classifications. Recovery procedures. Medical resources. Everything was being invented from scratch. Every answer created three new problems. Finally Chiyoda rubbed his temples.

"We'll need legal specialists."

"You'll need far more than that." I crushed out my cigarette.

"The world changed yesterday." Neither of us spoke. Because we both understood. The old rules were already dying. People would gain power. Real power. Power beyond governments. Beyond corporations. Beyond institutions. You couldn't stuff that back into the box. Eventually Chiyoda sighed.

"Regardless, you'll be part of those discussions."

"I assumed as much."

"For now, your official designation will be..." He checked a document.

"... Special Hazard Countermeasure Personnel." I stared. Then burst out laughing.

"What kind of ridiculous title is that?"

"The kind created by a committee running on no sleep." Fair enough. I couldn't argue with that.

"Your influence regarding Gate-related matters will be substantial."

"I'll try not to abuse it."

"Please don't." Then Chiyoda paused.

"Is there anything else?" Anything else? I thought for a moment. Then nodded.

"Actually, yes." Something important. Extremely important. Potentially life-changing. For entirely personal reasons.

"We should legalize same-sex marriage." The room froze. Completely. Mochida blinked. Twice. Chiyoda stared at me.

"Explain."

"Simple." I spread my hands.

"My body changed." No objections there. Everyone in the room had eyes.

"If it happened to me, it can happen to someone else." I leaned back.

"Gender changes. Physical transformations. Appearance modifications." The Gates clearly didn't care about conventional biology.

"If that becomes common, legal complications will be a nightmare." Marriage. Inheritance. Identification. Family registration. The list went on forever. Mochida slowly nodded.

"... Actually, that makes sense."

"Of course it does." Chiyoda narrowed his eyes.

"You just want to benefit personally." I smiled.

"A wonderful accusation."

"You aren't denying it."

"Because it's true." For the first time all day, Chiyoda actually laughed. A short laugh. A tired laugh. But a genuine one.

"We'll add it to the discussion list."

"I appreciate your wisdom, Four-Eyes."

"Fraud."

"Compliment accepted." The atmosphere had finally relaxed. At least slightly. Then Mochida suddenly touched her earpiece. A message. Her expression changed immediately. Serious. Urgent. She leaned toward Chiyoda and whispered something. His face darkened. Slowly. Very slowly. Then he looked at me.

"The Gates have activated." The waiting period was over. The real world had finally arrived.