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When Nico Robin heard that it was finally her turn, the cool elegance drained from her face in an instant.
"What do you want to do to me? If you intend to do that to me, I won't let you succeed!"
Kaito found it quietly amusing to watch Robin's defiant expression, that look of someone who would sooner die than give in.
"Heh heh! Nico Robin, I think you've misunderstood. I never said anything about killing you!"
"Do you need me to help you find Pluton?"
Hearing that he didn't intend to kill her, the first thing Robin's mind jumped to was Pluton.
After all, with Ohara destroyed by the Buster Call, she was the only person left in the entire world who could read the ancient texts.
"Pluton?"
Kaito shook his head with a look of faint disdain.
"I don't want Pluton. I want you."
A blush crept onto Robin's composed face before she could stop it.
But not quite grasping his meaning, she asked, "Then what do you need me to do?"
She didn't for a moment think he had any romantic interest in her. Not with the two girls sitting beside him.
"Heh heh! Very composed, aren't you! I want you to serve as the Jura-Tempest Federation's diplomat. Temporarily, for now."
"What! Me... you want me to be your country's diplomat?"
Robin stared at him, her face flooding with shock.
"That's right! I want you to be the diplomat. Are you willing?"
"Let me make one thing clear. If you become our country's diplomat, you won't have to fear the World Government anymore!"
"So, are you tempted? As they say, it's better to act than to hesitate! Come on, sign this contract and become a mon..."
Thump!
"Ouch! Rimuru, why did you hit me?! Aren't we each other's angels anymore?"
Kaito covered his head and deliberately squeezed out a tear, looking pitifully at Rimuru.
"Kai-chan! Be serious! This is important! Stop fooling around!"
Kaito looked at her in genuine disbelief. He raised a trembling finger and pointed it straight at Rimuru, his voice rising.
"Who are you?! You're definitely not Rimuru! She would never say the word 'important'! Whoever you are, get out of her body!!!"
Rimuru stared back at him, completely exasperated. "Kai-chan! Stop messing around! Vivi and the others are still trying to stop the rebels!"
"Alright, alright! No more playing!"
Kaito put away his nonsense and let his expression settle into something serious.
"Back to the point. Nico Robin, what's your answer?"
Robin looked at the unpredictable man in front of her and felt an inexplicable dread settle somewhere in her chest.
But looking at the situation, there didn't seem to be any other real option. She pushed the feeling down.
"Okay. I agree."
[Eye of Identification]!
Nico Robin
Loyalty: 20
Affection: 35
Abilities: Flower-Flower Fruit, [Seis Fleur], Archaeologist...
Overall Strength Rating: B+
'Verbally compliant but not yet convinced. That's fine. Once you're here, I don't believe you'll want to leave.'
Kaito looked at Robin's status panel with complete confidence in the Jura-Tempest Federation. He genuinely believed any normal person would come to love it there. The higher-ups did nothing all day, but there was no infighting, no scheming against each other. Just an almost ridiculous amount of unity.
"Then I look forward to working with you, Miss Diplomat!"
Kaito stood up from his chair, walked over to Robin, and extended his right hand with a smile.
"I look forward to working with you, Mr. Kaito."
Robin reached out and clasped his hand.
"Good! Let me introduce you to everyone here."
Kaito pulled Robin over to where Rimuru and the others were drinking tea.
"This is Rimuru! She is the Queen of the Jura-Tempest Federation!"
"Hehe! Just call me Rimuru!"
Robin stared at the beautiful young girl smiling at her, her expression one of open shock.
"You... no... you are actually Her Majesty the Queen?"
Rimuru scratched the back of her head, a little embarrassed. "I am, but honestly I'm more of a mascot."
"The one who actually handles everything is Kag... uh... you'll meet him later. He's a very gentle and kind person!"
She thought of Kagaya, who always wore that soft, pleasant smile while extorting, blackmailing, and kidnapping entire families without so much as blinking.
Rimuru could only force a smile at Robin and leave it at that.
"Mr. Kaito isn't in charge?! Didn't he say he was the Regent? Is he also a mascot?"
"That's right! Kai-chan is also a mascot! Wahahahaha! I'm one too!"
Milim, who had been thoroughly enjoying the show from the side, finally couldn't hold back any longer. She jumped up and beamed at Robin.
"Hey! Why does it sound like I'm a mascot too?!"
"What do you think!" * 3
Veldora's incredulous shout was answered in perfect unison by Kaito and the other two.
Robin observed, quietly, that she had never encountered a country quite like this one.
The Queen, the Regent, and two others who were clearly senior figures as well. All mascots.
"Aren't you worried your subordinates will rebel?"
The four of them, who had just been arguing over who was the king of mascots, all turned to look at her with identical expressions of puzzlement.
"Why would they rebel? We're all family here."
Rimuru tilted her head, genuinely confused. And when Robin heard that word, something she couldn't quite name stirred inside her.
"Family? Could someone like me... be worthy of that?"
She dropped her gaze, her eyes going slightly red, her voice barely above a murmur.
"Why not? You're about to become our country's diplomat, aren't you? What does everyone think?!"
Kaito called out to the crowd around them.
"Yes! Once you join the Jura-Tempest Federation, you're one of us!"
"Of course!"
"That's right! Nee-chan, the moment you join, you're family!"
"I can even recommend you for the Eromanga Sensei Fan Club! I'm the vice president, you know!"
Aihara Enju puffed out her chest at Robin with the air of someone who held great influence and would be a reliable patron in the future.
"Aihara Enju!! You're not even thinking about me, the president?!"
Veldora roared.
"Tsk! You're just Veldora!"
"You little...!"
"Pfft!"
Watching the whole ridiculous, joyful scene in front of her, Nico Robin finally couldn't hold it back. She burst out laughing.
"You're all very different from what I imagined. I didn't expect this to be what you're like normally. It's so noisy."
"But I don't dislike it."
Kaito's lips curved slightly as he looked at the smiling Robin. Then he turned his head toward Cobra.
"Hey, you. Someone put him down already. He's been holding that pose for a very long time."
Cobra couldn't help but burst into tears. You've already dealt with Crocodile and you still haven't let me down...