The Villain Reborn as Game's Final Boss

Chapter 262: Let’s do it [2]

"I wouldn’t call it bootlicking."

Ashlyn too leaned back in her chair, as she crossed her right leg over the left one.

The table being a little distant from her legs allowed me to view every minute action made on her part.

"It was just a way to solidify my position."

I couldn’t help but give an amused smile.

"I am not your ally, miss."

"But you would soon be."

Ashlyn spoke as if she was controlling the room once again.

But—

"What would I gain from it?"

She was far from being able to control me.

"If you want, I can make you the Vice-President of the student council."

Silence.

I didn’t show any reaction from the outside, though from within I couldn’t help but chuckle at these childish attempts to win me over.

"And what about your current assistant? Won’t she be left out?"

I asked while looking at Ana, who didn’t look surprised in the least.

"I don’t need the position."

Ana’s eyes stared into mine, as she spoke with a firm voice.

"Since when had the Wrights been this generous?"

Silence.

Ana’s face, which she had tried so hard to remain neutral, finally showed her inner emotions.

Her frown deepened as she narrowed her eyes while staring into mine.

"They had always been upright people."

It wasn’t Ana but Ashlyn who spoke in her place.

Haa...

Such friendship.

"The Levaiths had been betrayed once by those very upright people, hadn’t they?"

I smirked as the situation was now becoming a little funny for me.

It was like seeing a snake and a frog in the same place, sharing bonds of friendship.

At my words, Ana’s frown dissolved, replaced by guilt as she lowered her head in shame.

"That was in the past."

Heh.

Ashlyn spoke with the same calmness in her voice as before.

"But I don’t think her relation with me has anything to do with our current situation."

That may be right, but—

"I can’t really bring myself to ally with someone who can’t even differentiate between friends and enemies."

I wanted to test these tools.

"But I can."

Hm?

"It’s due to my capabilities to differentiate that I know who my friends are... and who could possibly end up as my allies."

"..."

I couldn’t really refute such a well-structured answer.

The girl indeed had some potential.

"Let’s get to the point."

"Sure."

I was satisfied with the girl.

Ashlyn too smiled at my quick response, though her smile didn’t last longer than a second.

"You just have to support me in the coming elections, and in return, I will try to fulfil your demands, if you have any."

Huh?

The proposal was quite broad and... bold.

Thinking that she had the ability to satisfy my demands?

Wasn’t that being on the arrogant side?

Or was this her way of establishing her supremacy in the negotiations?

"If I chose to support you... it will be your win."

Ashlyn simply nodded her head at my words.

"But if I chose to leave this place right now—"

"..."

"I don’t see myself suffering any loss."

After all, for a proposal to be equal, the desperation for a successful negotiation had to be the same on both sides.

Even if I chose a back seat during the competition for the position of the president... I wouldn’t suffer any damages.

Ashlyn, on the other hand, would end up being deprived of a potential supporter who could tilt the entire fight in her favour without her having to put up additional efforts into it.

I wasn’t ignorant of my worth.

"That might be true, but... I don’t think you are someone who would want to take a backseat in this powerplay."

Heh.

It was as if she was reading my thoughts. Ashlyn spoke with the same confidence in her voice, without lowering her position in any way.

"Victoria is my sister—"

"Someone who had her hand cut off by you."

Silence.

Ashlyn’s response was quick yet thoughtful.

She didn’t support my actions, while refraining from criticising me at the same time.

What she said was just a fact.

"Still... I don’t think supporting a Levaith princess would look good for my house."

At my words, Ashlyn didn’t reply immediately.

She simply rested her chin on her right hand before glancing at Ana, who had been silent for quite some time.

"A house that you had abandoned long ago."

Well... that might be true, but—

"That doesn’t change the fact that I am a Frost. And... it wouldn’t look good for me to betray my people."

Though my line was dramatic, my tone wasn’t.

My face had no change in expression whatsoever, as I stared into Ashlyn’s eyes.

"That’s fair."

Getting the hint, Ashlyn nodded her head, as she paused for a moment, sorting her next words.

"So what is your condition or... should I say, what are your conditions for supporting me?"

Haa...

Now I could say the real negotiations had begun.

"I won’t ask much. I only have two simple conditions."

I raised two fingers of my right hand, indicating the conditions that I had.

"The first condition being, you will have to help me, or in simple words, you and your subordinates will have to work for me whenever I demand your cooperation. You won’t be able to reject my demands, though you will have the freedom to change the terms of the demand."

I kept the window open for her to lower her guard and to make it easy for her to agree to my next condition.

"That’s ridiculous—"

"Let him speak."

Interrupting Ana, who had stood up from her seat, Ashlyn motioned for me to speak.

"As for the second condition—"

I paused as I began to have doubts whether the second condition would truly be useful to me, but...

It was better to bet on the future than constantly live in the present.

I had to create another perfect tool for me... one that would end up helping me in ways that none could.