Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Go Gunhee POV.
"Thank you for coming, Chief Director Costa-Brown," I said solemnly, nodding in her direction. She simply nodded after saying goodbye to Strider behind her, who then disappeared again after another nod.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Chairwoman Go," Chief Director Costa-Brown said politely. We both exchanged slightly tense glances. Relations between Korea and the United States had been strained for years, but there was no other way. We had to resolve the situation with the mutant ant and everything related to it and Taylor Miyamura.
The fact that Taylor Miyamura was American and affiliated with the PRT was a real problem, almost as much as Japan's claim to her. Despite being unconscious, we had to hold an important meeting. And that was to decide the custody of the mutant ant from Jeju.
None of the governments wanted to release it. A monster capable of defeating multiple S-Rank hunters with ease? Yes, definitely nobody wanted it to leave the country, much less for others to get it for themselves.
I had received dozens of calls to try and push the need to control the mutant ant, and if that also meant Taylor Miyamura, then it had to be done somehow.
And the Americans were in the same boat. It was impossible for them not to try to acquire the mutant ant. And Japan wasn't far behind; after all, they had the most to lose.
Especially against us, who had Sung Il-Hwan, and the Americans who had Andre, Star and Stripe, and the triumvirate. The Japanese were in the weakest negotiating position.
Having no national-ranked in their ranks after Ryuma and All Might's retirement, they were at a disadvantage and desperate to fill that vacancy, as demonstrated by Goto's attempt. But now they must be even more desperate due to Goto's failure.
Even if Izumi Miyamura had demonstrated fighting abilities superior to an S-rank, it would be years before he was granted the title and rights of a National Rank. Therefore, despite his individual strength, his political power was weak on the international stage.
So it was more than certain that they would try to keep Miyamura and the ant at all costs.
"Please follow me, Chief Director," I said to Costa-Brown before turning and walking to the meeting room. There was an oval table set up with only three chairs. One in the middle and the other two at either end. I signaled to Costa-Brown. She didn't even hesitate to go to one of the ends. I took the middle seat.
Now, we just had to wait for the envoy from Japan to arrive so we could begin the meeting. He would be here shortly, and I could hear footsteps approaching. Then someone knocked on the door a couple of times.
"Come in," I said, standing up. The door opened immediately.
"Please excuse the delay, Chairwoman Go, Chief Director Costa-Brown." Principal Nezu said as he entered through the door. I could see Aizawa Shota open the door for Principal Nezu before closing it without looking back.
Principal Nezu simply walked to the last free chair in the room, pulled it slightly out, and jumped onto it. Then he jumped again and climbed onto the table. Finally, he knelt in seiza on top of the table. He tapped the table gently, causing his shadows to tremble slightly before a small, plump toad emerged from them.
Principal Nezu reached his small hand into the toad's mouth and pulled out a complete tea set and something wrapped in a small cloth. The toad retreated back into the shadows as Principal Nezu prepared the tea with neatness and precision, despite his small hands.
A cup of tea was poured before opening the cloth-wrapped object and revealing it to be a large piece of cheese.
"Well. Shall we begin negotiations? " Principal Nezu asked calmly before taking a sip of his tea. "Would you like some?" he then asked politely.
"No thanks." I said immediately while shaking my head.
"I'm fine like this," said Chief Director Costa-Brown, raising her hand. We both recognized the acting when we saw it. Nezu didn't seem to mind; he simply continued sipping his tea calmly. "And, though I don't mean to offend you, Principal Nezu, I had hoped that Chairwoman Matsumoto of the Japanese Hunting Association, or even the Madam President of the HPSC, would attend this meeting," Costa-Brown added calmly. Nezu lowered his cup and placed it on the table, on a small coaster he had also set out.
"Oh, I'm not offended, Chief Director Costa-Brown." Principal Nezu chuckled calmly, then reached inside his suit and pulled out several folded papers. "Exactly two hours ago, Chairwoman Matsumoto resigned from her position as an apology, taking responsibility for the serious irregularities that occurred during the Jeju operation and its subsequent consequences of transferring an S-rank monster to Korean soil."
"Fortunately, Chairwoman Matsumoto, before resigning, temporarily placed me in charge of the Japanese Hunters Association. In turn, Madam President has decreed and granted me full authority to negotiate at my discretion, with the full authority of the HPSC. Everything has been authorized by the Japanese government."
"Therefore, I am here to negotiate in my capacity as the temporary Chairman of the Japan Hunters Association, as a representative of the HPSC, and as a special envoy of the Japanese government. I have been granted full powers to negotiate and conclude an agreement. Here are all the signed decrees." Principal Nezu said with a cheerful smile. Only his smile became even more dangerous, and I couldn't help but shudder.
Damn. I'd expected Matsumoto. She'd been predictable. I'd negotiated the Jeju raid with her, and that was what I expected; it would have been easy to gain ground with her. But Nezu… Nezu was on a completely different level. These negotiations had become even more complicated.
I couldn't help the slight tremor in my face as my hand tightened under the tables. I even caught glimpses of subtle micro-expressions on Chief Director Costa-Brown's face, visible only because of my S-rank observational skills, and they were almost imperceptible.
It was known that she could perfectly control her expressions, so even a slight tic, even a barely visible one, indicated how dangerous these negotiations had become. And Nezu had noticed it, his smile widening even further as he let out a small laugh that sent chills down my spine.
What on earth did this animal do in the last two hours to amass all that political power? He arrived just minutes before the helicopters carrying the hunters landed at the building, so he had less than two hours between the end of the raid and their arrival in Seoul. Had he already accomplished all of that even before coming here? Before the raid?
"Of course," I said with a fake smile. "Then we can begin discussions and negotiations regarding jurisdiction, custody, and control over the entity now called Harbinger," I said firmly. Chief Director Costa-Brown immediately cleared her throat.
"Ms. Taylor Miyamura, as a U.S. citizen and a hero-in-training affiliated with the PRT, is under certain obligations, first and foremost to the United States. And as agreed in the international convention on entities emerging from gates, it establishes that any monster that has been tamed or controlled by any entity whose quirk allows such a situation, becomes the property and responsibility of the controller."
"Ms. Miyamura remains contractually bound to the PRT. By extension, the PRT has jurisdiction over her activities and responsibility for any entity she maintains under her control," Costa-Brown said without hesitation, being the first to respond. I tapped the table lightly.
"A convenient interpretation," I said dryly.
"An established interpretation." Costa-Brown responded neutrally.
"If we're talking about international agreements, a Gate, the dungeon, and the entities that arise from it initially fall under the jurisdiction of the state whose territory the Gate appeared in, regardless of whether the Gate has been breached or not, as stated in the principle of territorial origin, " I said without hesitation. "Harbinger was born in Jeju. South Korea never relinquished that jurisdiction. And since Harbinger has never left Korean territory, its ownership belongs to us," I said calmly. "Korea claims primary jurisdiction, regulatory rights, and an export ban," I added.
"And the rights to capture and reclaim them are protected under the Japanese government," Principal Nezu said calmly. "The contracts between hunters and authorized guilds allow them to claim materials, monster bodies, and much more. Izumi Miyamura joined the raid as a hunter under the Japanese Hunter Association, with full authorization from the Korean Hunter Association and the Korean government."
"He is subject to the same capture rights contract. And as stipulated in our contract for the joint Korean-Japanese raid on Jeju, we have the right to 40% of the resources collected during the raid," Principal Nezu said with a smile.
"Harbinger isn't an essence stone or a resource, Principal Nezu," I said, frowning. "It's a living entity of S-rank," I added.
"Currently, yes," said Principal Nezu. "But the point is, our agreement also includes the fact that Ms. Taylor Miyamura, the heroine Skitter's name, was able to take some of the ants under her control and ownership during the raid."
"But we are not... irrational. We will relinquish all other resources, including any agreed-upon compensation for the deployment of our S-rank hunters, and will only take claim to Harbinger, which belongs to Young Taylor." Principal Nezu said calmly. I felt my body tense slightly.
"Don't try to play games with me, Principal Nezu. That clause was included to allow you to keep ordinary specimens. No one considered that a creature capable of defeating S-rank hunters could appear," I said coldly.
"Oh, I completely agree," Principal Nezu said cheerfully. "No one considered that. And that's why the contract doesn't establish a limit on rank or strength. Nor does it differentiate between workers, soldiers, royal guards, or any other special variant of the species. It only states that any ant, with the exception of the queen ant, permanently subdued by Skitter's quirk, can be claimed by her."
"And Harbinger meets every single one of those conditions," Nezu said with a wide grin. Damned animal. I almost wanted to growl in frustration.
"And as entertaining as this may be, it only makes it clear that Harbinger belongs to Ms. Miyamura. According to the claim and the contract, they endorse and acknowledge Harbinger's ownership by Ms. Miyamura as a private entity, not by the Japanese government as such." Costa-Brown interrupted without hesitation.
"Of course," Nezu said easily. "I have never stated otherwise. Harbinger belongs to Taylor Miyamura." Nezu said, taking another sip of his tea. "Which brings us to the next matter. One to which we both know the answer, Chief Director Costa-Brown," Principal Nezu said, almost condescendingly. "Taylor Miyamura's citizenship as a Japanese citizen is not under consideration, and young Taylor's desire to remain on Japanese soil is more than well known," Principal Nezu said calmly.
"She is also a U.S. citizen and remains affiliated with the PRT," said Chief Director Costa-Brown, perfectly neutral. "The PRT has contractual obligations to her, and vice versa. There are institutional responsibilities toward entities submitted through our staff's quirks," she added.
"Certainly," Nezu said amusedly. "Responsibility. Not ownership. We're still on the same issue, Chief Director. But if we wish to recognize Taylor Miyamura as property, I'm more than willing to do so. In fact, it would be an excellent way to simplify this negotiation." Nezu said, nibbling calmly at the cheese. "We just need to determine under what jurisdiction Ms. Miyamura and her property will reside."
"And as you may recall, young Taylor Miyamura is legally married to Izumi Miyamura, and they have both signed documents as co-owners of the marital property. There is also a mutual power of attorney for situations of medical incapacity, absence, or operational emergency. So, if it comes to that, the power to act on her behalf will pass to young Izumi Miyamura," Nezu said playfully. I grimaced.
I could feel that my headache had only just begun.
And I had been right. An hour. We had been going around in circles for an hour without getting anywhere. I could even see Costa-Brown's impeccable figure about to crumble from frustration.
"Well, I see we're not getting anywhere." Principal Nezu chuckled calmly. He was the only one who remained calm as he nibbled on cheese. I could only stare at him, trying not to glare. Whose fault was it that we weren't getting anywhere? He was the one who kept tearing down law after law and argument after argument as if it were nothing. I swallowed my frustration as I massaged my temple.
"Should we ask for a break? To calm down and refresh ourselves? " I offered wearily.
"Hmm, I don't know, I'm fine. I could keep this up for another hour," Nezu said jovially. I closed my eyes wearily. "But, I suppose it's really time to move on. So… I propose something," Nezu said with a wide, terrifying smile.
"...what are you proposing?" I asked cautiously. Principal Nezu chuckled slightly.
"A Korea-Japan alliance," Principal Nezu said cheerfully. My eyes widened, and I accidentally gripped the armrest too tightly; it shattered beneath me. Chief Director Costa-Brown couldn't help but react. She jumped to her feet and glared at Nezu with a terrifying expression.
"An... alliance, you say?" I asked cautiously as I licked my lips and tossed the remains of the chair aside.
"An alliance. Mutual aid. A strategic partnership between our two nations," Nezu said cheerfully. His words carried weight despite his tone of voice. I stared at him.
"...continue." I said slowly and deliberately. Nezu laughed happily.
"Of course. Intelligence sharing. Joint training. Monster and technology research. Dungeon resources. Immediate support on any threats and temporary access to high-level Japanese hunters if needed, and other minor details." Nezu said with a broad smile. "We will share Harbinger 's legal jurisdiction and deployment protocols equally. Taylor Miyamura will become its full-time operational controller, but depending on the circumstances, she will be able to be deployed to Korea and Japan alike."
"The Jeju raid is the perfect time to do this. I'm sure the citizens like young Taylor after she visibly helped during the raid and even saved retired hunter Min Byung Gyu from Harbinger. And then the Japanese and Korean hunters worked together to subdue the insect swarms. And young Miyamura has kept everyone safe by defeating Ant King."
"Even before, the public and visible departure of Izumi Miyamura and Sung Jinwoo was highly visible and received a lot of media attention. With all that, and by deciding to share the responsibility for Harbinger, it's a good start, don't you think? " Nezu asked, still sporting his enormous smile. His black eyes shone intensely as he looked at me. I considered it slowly. That... wasn't a bad idea.
"And the United States?" Costa Brown asked through gritted teeth. Nezu bowed his head.
"What about them?" Nezu asked playfully. Costa-Brown glared at Nezu as if she wanted to kill him. "Let's be honest, Chief Director Costa-Brown. The events surrounding Taylor, her arrival in Japan, and the reason for her arrival have left a very bad impression on the Japanese government. Especially the way it's all been handled. Our international relations are unstable at best."
"And I'm sure your relationship with South Korea is just as bad, or worse, after Hwang Dongsoo," Nezu said matter-of-factly. Hwang Dongsoo. That indelible mark. An S-Rank hunter recruited by the Americans. I couldn't help but clench my teeth and glare at Costa-Brown. She at least had the courtesy to flinch slightly, but even so, she gritted her teeth.
"We will make sure Hwang Dongsoo is returned to Korea," she said immediately. I snorted loudly.
"No, thank you." I refused without hesitation. "We don't need Dongsoo if she's capable of betraying Korea so easily the first time. Her citizenship was revoked years ago, and even more so after she came to South Korea to cause trouble by trying to kill one of our hunters. I'll ask you to keep your hunters on a shorter leash, Chief Director Costa-Brown." I said coldly.
"...we'll make sure that Huntress Hwang never sets foot on Korean soil again," Costa-Brown said through gritted teeth. I just smiled coldly at her discomfort.
"Getting back to the topic," Nezu said, amused by Costa-Brown's discomfort. "Although I'd like to finalize the deal here—after all, no one bothers my students—I'm willing to negotiate an alliance or partnership with the United States, under the same conditions as with Korea." Principal Nezu said cheerfully. I looked at him in surprise. "Obviously, under certain… conditions," he added, almost menacingly. Costa-Brown pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Let me guess. Taylor Miyamura's full Japanese citizenship and rights," Costa-Brown said bitterly. Nezu smiled broadly.
"Exactly," Nezu said cheerfully. "Although, as I said, I'm not irrational. Young Taylor has made friends in the PRT. If in the future she wishes, she can go to the United States under whatever conditions she desires. The only thing I ask is that her entry and exit not be complicated by the U.S. government in any way," Nezu said. Costa-Brown slammed her fist on the table.
"You're asking us to surrender to an S-rank hunter who owns and can control a monster stronger than half a dozen S-ranks?" Costa-Brown said through gritted teeth. Nezu simply laughed and bowed his head.
"You could always refuse, obviously," Principal Nezu said playfully. "But I don't think you have... many options. Do you? " Nezu asked, his smile turning menacing. "Hmm, I seem to recall something about the questions young Taylor asked Dinah Alcott, as part of their deal. What was it? Oh yes. 87.539% chance that Star and Stripe will die fighting All For One," Nezu said jovially. The table beneath Costa-Brown cracked and nearly shattered, and I nearly did the same in shock. Star and Stripe... would lose to All For One? I could feel myself paling slightly.
Sung Il-Hwan. More than once he had said that he couldn't stop Star and Stripe if necessary. That meant All For One couldn't be stopped by Il -Hwan. I swallowed audibly.
"That was confidential," Costa-Brown said firmly. He didn't even try to deny it. I could only stare in disbelief.
"Was it? I'm certain the questions and answers were designed for Miss Taylor. Therefore, the information obtained from them was something Miss Taylor could divulge at her discretion," Nezu said calmly. Costa-Brown just kept staring at Nezu, gritting her teeth. "Furthermore, I'll say it again. I'm not irrational. The stipulations of our alliances will not be detrimental to the United States in any way."
"All For One has proven herself to be a dangerous being. And she will be even more so in the future. It has already been demonstrated that the League of Villains is not afraid to operate on American soil without any problems. Japan offers full cooperation against All For One and the League of Villains."
"All we want is for the PRT and the U.S. government to commit to accepting her disaffiliation if she requests it and not to interfere with the autonomy of Taylor Miyamura and Harbinger," Nezu said calmly. Costa-Brown stood still, thinking quickly. After several minutes, she finally nodded.
"…Fine." Costa-Brown spat out as if it were the hardest thing in the world. Nezu laughed and clapped happily.
"Chairwoman Go?" Nezu asked in my direction. I could only stare at Nezu in disbelief before my mind raced. All for One. It had been announced to the governments and the high command of hunters and heroes that All For One was still alive, and that the threat from the League of Villains went far beyond simply being a group of international villains.
All For One was still alive, even after the Kamino battle in Japan. And if that monster was capable of defeating Star and Stripe… I licked my dry lips and finally nodded.
"I agree." I finally said with a sigh. Nezu nodded happily.
"Very well! Then, let's begin discussing the terms of our alliance! " Nezu said cheerfully. The next three hours were the most torturous of all the years I've worked as president of the Korean Hunters Association.
Costa-Brown was a tough negotiator; after losing the actual custody of Taylor Miyamura and Harbinger, she made sure to seek every possible benefit and concession as if it were revenge, which was understandable.
But nothing had prepared me for Nezu. Not only had he guided the conversation about Harbinger 's custody from the start, and somehow steered us toward an alliance between three of the world's strongest nations, but now he was being terribly accommodating with many of the conditions.
I couldn't help but search for hidden motives in what Nezu was doing and granting. But I couldn't find anything. Yet I was certain there had to be something. I just couldn't see it, and that made it even worse. That rat was playing a different game, speaking a different language, or perhaps even planning something far more significant than what we were doing. That rat was terrifying.
"Well! This was a very productive negotiation," Nezu said cheerfully, showing no sign of fatigue. I, for my part, could only nod wearily.
"As you know, we haven't accepted yet. I'll have to discuss it with the Korean government for their approval, and then we'll need to meet with the relevant authorities to finalize the alliance agreement," I said wearily. Costa-Brown nodded.
"Me too," she said. Her body remained just as still, but her voice sounded tired, just like mine.
"Of course, of course," Nezu said calmly. "You can take all the time you need. I'll be here waiting." He said cheerfully. My eye twitched slightly. "Besides, it will buy us time until Young Taylor wakes up. We can't decide anything before we see that she has complete control of Harbinger," Nezu added. I sighed and nodded.
"Very well. Then we can adjourn the session." I said without hesitation as I stood up. I could feel my old bones protesting. Even my aura and my years as a hunter couldn't prevent the stiffness in my bones after such long negotiations.
"Of course. I hope this is a great start to our collaboration." Principal Nezu said cheerfully as he stepped off the table after putting everything back inside that chubby toad from the beginning. Then he headed for the door. I moved quickly to open it for him, and he nodded in thanks. I could only sigh as I watched him walk away happily.
""Damn heartless rat."" I sighed wearily, my voice echoing Costa-Brown's. We exchanged a pitying glance before sighing once more. Costa-Brown withdrew to speak with her superiors. And I… I had to do the same. That meant more hours of work. I could feel the phantom pain in my bones.
I sighed wearily. Still… it was a good outcome. Better than I expected. And I was sure that rat had controlled all the negotiations from the start, but it's not like I could complain since it benefited Korea. Nezu was truly dangerous.
I sighed once more and headed to my office; it was going to be a long night. Wait… had we… had we been playing games with that rat this whole time? From the very beginning… from Izumi Miyamura coming straight at us during the training exercise.
Was it all planned that he fought and tried to attack Sung Jinwoo to the point of almost killing him, and then the next day showed up at his house for a very public 'double date'?
Was it planned that HPSC sent Taylor Miyamura from the beginning and then Goto placed her with the Korean group from the start? All this to begin demonstrating positive public relations between our nations? All this to get to this point?
No, it was impossible. It was completely absurd…right?
I could only shudder and immediately stopped thinking about it.
Damned rat.
Author's Notes: Ugh, politics, I can't write about politics! Even so, I think it turned out well, I hope you liked it!
A/N: If you liked the story, join my patreon, patreon.com/Camellya_Addams, there are up to 10 chapters in advance, thank you. Or you can also visit my Ko-Fi, ko-fi.com/camellya_addams.