Emotion Taster

Arc 4 New Stage: Chapter 24 - Played

The light of the room was a little dim. With the minimal light source from his desk laptop I could only get a little shadow about him.

The man wears a robe, a detail that is quite distinctive like witches and scholars in the medieval age. As he stood up, I could see his huge body, the shadow he created covered the scanty light source before me and gave a sinister impression. Then ....

“Put that bread of yours on that table.”

“...”

The man spoke to give me orders.

His voice sounded so loud, or rather more in a rude direction. Like using a special filter, every word and sound wave he emitted sounded abnormal. If described, the condition of his throat is like being stuck in broken glass.

I took a few steps forward, approached the so-called table and put the bread I had brought there. The table itself was not crowded by the goods, with the dark conditions of minimal light, I could only see some papers and stationery scattered. Rather than a mysterious being, this table was more like an ordinary office desk.

After that, I reflexively raised my head up, about thirty degrees to see his face. I could feel it, my every move being watched intently by the person before me. So, looking towards him was a form of self-defense in which I also wanted to know the next order he issued.

His body was so tall, it was probably about two meters. But, the muscle mass is not as large as his body, the flesh in his hands and body a little to make it look clearly classified as a thin person. I was unconscious before because of the loose-robed clothes she was wearing, but when I got closer I could study further.

My eyes continued to rise upwards, until they reached his head. At that time I could not see his face directly, the person was wearing some kind of mask. The mask design is also not clearly visible, dominant black in the middle and top and only visible small holes in the mouth for air circulation.

“So, what do you need now? There's no way you just came by chance to find my palace here. What's your request here?” ask the person who is still in his rough voice.

Hmn ... Okay, now where should I start?

My main goal is to negotiate so that he can live a quiet life not to cause trouble in my world. The existence of his magic made Pero himself feel worried about his great power. The crow demon did not tell and did not know about what plan was behind this magic wave. But, if it was a bad thing, then he himself did not guarantee the safety of the people involved.

Negotiating takes information, and if I want to dig up information, I want something that can only be obtained on this occasion. Things that Pero does not know, as well as being an important key to my goals.

“I'm here to find out. Previously you said this place is your palace, ‘kan? What does that mean and what is your goal to make a place like gini?”

Yes, at least it is the main supply. Questions that made me think the negotiations could work.

“OooOoohhhH .. I see, yes,” replied the person in a mocking tone even though his voice broke. “I can tell you, but what's in it for me? Are you giving will give you something again?”

“Something? What do you want from people like me? What can I give you is nothing more than the bread I just had.”

“Only that? Well, it seems like the same thing won't be as fun a second time either. Maybe this time I'll ask for something else.”

“Then, why don't you tell me first. About I have or not the thing you want, it can be told later.”

“Then, do push ups five times now. Then, I'll tell you.”

“...”

Hn?

I had a chance to rack my brain, examine the opinion where the word came out of it in the form of a game. I mean, if I did, there's not the slightest hint that he'd benefit from it.

“Cuman ... push up?” many ensure.

“No, no .. Push up for you is heavy right? Now you can only use one hand. So, that's why I'm asking you so,” he explained who still maintained his hoarse voice.

“...”

Yes, maybe there is a point. If I do push-ups now, then there is no choice but for me to do it with one hand. But, that fact does not change if there is nothing he can get from the action.

At one point I started to stop thinking. No matter what he meant, I could at least suck up information from his negligence right now.

I started turning around, walking away from her and looking for a place to do push ups.

“Oh, yes. You need a place to do it, ‘kan?”

Before I realized, it turned out that the person had already preceded. The existence of sofas and tables in the room makes no place large enough for my body can be free.

“Don't go forward first,” said the person who seemed like he wanted to do something in this place.

I just kept it up, quietly not talking much and trying to peek back about what he was going to do.

As soon as I saw, there was no sign of him moving out of his place. However, there I saw the man raise his hand, not too high which was only parallel to his chest. He did a little simple movement, clenching his wrists while facing the back of his hand towards the front. Then ....

Bugs.

“Hh!?”

For a moment when he threw his hand to the side, there was a loud voice in front of me. A loud jolt, or even more like the sound of a collision and the destruction of one item.

I was looking back, and reflexively turned my eyes back to the front after the incident. Following the shock just now, my feelings went back up when I saw what happened.

Ah .. so this means the great power that Pero said.

I'm not sure the telekinesis that can break that stuff is its greatest ability. Judging from so relaxed his gestures and so reckless he used force, I guess this is only a small part.

Whatever it is, I understand that Pero wants to negotiate rather than fight people like this directly. If I was in the position of the table and the wooden sofa, my body had also been split into pieces like a mortar explosion.

“Now the place is empty, you can use the carpet pad to make push up.”

“...”

After doing that, he still asked me to do push ups. Did he just want to show off his strength to scare me?

I was there to take a position, lower my body and put a hand to do push-ups. It was quite difficult to maintain balance when my hand that was hung with a cast caused an unsymmetrical anomaly in body weight. But, with a little effort and adjustment in the end I was able to do it.

I'm not a very athletic person, but I'm quite confident in my overall stamina. Doing push-ups one hand is not impossible.

When I finished, I stood up again and faced the person to collect his promise.

“Good, you did. Then it's my turn,” said the person who still kept his hoarse voice booming throughout the room.

“...”

I haven't read the emotional waves from him since. But that doesn't mean I don't feel anything. It's like he took out something I can't read straight away. Like a plain wind that is colorless or tasteless, even I myself do not know the temperature is hot or cold.

Maybe this is what happens if I'm dealing with a pure animus. After all, I also know that my strength only applies to humans. The person who had taken human form could feel a slight wave of emotion, but the person in front of me could only feel a dull wave.

“First, questions about the palace. I can only answer that the palace is my home. Of course, you are not expecting that answer. You want to know what explanation I call home. Right, right?”

“...”

I didn't answer, his voice was threatening to be able to answer casually. Therefore, I only respond with a view that I am listening and not arguing.

“My house is like yours, made of the same things as the ones in your house. It's just, I'm protecting my house a little differently. The tall fence was just a barrier, something I installed afterwards was a protector. You've gone into it, and it's an animus world I created myself where only I can open and close the portal.”

“...”

My heart rate began to tighten, cold sweat started to come out.

Hearing that I had no advantage at all. If what she said was true, it means that I have already entered into a loss where Amalia and Pero are in her hostage. That one factor alone is enough to make the opportunity to negotiate a thinning.

“Then, you asked me my purpose for doing this. Again, I have no other extraordinary purpose than to find a place to live. So, this time I will also add an answer that looks like you are looking for.”

“I search?” I said asking what his words meant.

“Of course, indeed I do not know your arrival today because of what? Of course it was because of the magic explosion that happened earlier this afternoon, ‘kan? Do you think it was an accident, do you think I did it accidentally, do you think I don't know with that fact?”

“...”

I returned to silence. Getting such a row of questions made me feel constantly cornered.

“Yes, the answer is clear. I must know, or rather I did it on purpose. I know that you magical beings will be interested in the existence of the magic I created. In the end it was I who called you, ascertaining who the person who possessed the magic in this region was. OooohHh .. ohohoho ..”

“...”

The laughter at the end sounded disgusting, he with a hoarse shattering sound in the broken microphone made me want to curse at him.

But, leave it aside about that. What he said has a point. If I think about it in reverse, I should know that this is going to happen.

He who said this explained directly that he had been here for a longer period of time. He who told me about this turnaround explained that my arrival was a plan for him. At this point, I don't even know how to respond and have talks to negotiate. Something I was thinking about was even more towards how he could allow me, Amalia, and Pero to get out of this place.

“Well you may ask, I am a good person or a bad person. Am I to be harmful or beneficial to you. Those questions will affect what you will do next.”

“Now, when I heard the explanation just now, I had no thought that I could choose now.”

“No, no, choose ... You have a choice now, I will not force you in one will.”

“Hoo .. if so try to say, what can I do now?” ask me with a challenging tone.

“That's not a sentence you can say in a snobbish tone,” said the person who seemed to be slightly impaling me.

“Sorry, I'm not an expert in controlling expressions,” my real words in the same state sound more like mocking.

“Alright, I ignored that. Other norms and rules only apply to you,” reply that big tall person who gave up discussing further. “We just get to the point. My goal here is to offer you a game, what do you think?”

“...”

Huh uh? A game?