Think Different

I see...
So, what would be the best deal, then?
I had no idea.

Or should I think differently like a certain slogan from an an ad of commercial brand instead?

And how funny, it's the one I usually use for work. No promotion intended.

Objectively speaking, the best deal happens when both sides agree—especially when circumstances require the dealer to compromise. But ideally, the deal should favor the negotiator instead. It’s even more advantageous when it brings in a profit.

Or at least, that’s what I would think if I were a teller.

So, what would be a genuinely good option for me?
Should I keep insisting on the deal, or go with a push-and-pull approach?

For the former, it would certainly be tiring—mostly because the deal had already reached a dead end from the very beginning. As for the latter... well, I must admit I’m no good at negotiations.

“What’s taking you so long, Yui? Still thinking like a detective?”

So, she was right about herself being a clairvoyant.

No, I was being sarcastic. Thinking like a detective? Please.
I imagined myself more as a businesswoman in this situation.

“May I propose it for you then? I really mean it, by the way.”

She snorted and looked away, as if she hadn’t been interested in the first place.

“Hah! Devoured by you? What would I gain from that?”

I let out a devious smirk. Perhaps she hadn’t realized just how beneficial it could be.

“Don’t you want to possess me? And I want your knowledge.”
“Let’s say we become one… wouldn’t that be very interesting?”

Clarisse propped her chin, perhaps not understanding the impact of this deal.

“No, you don’t understand, human. Becoming one with you? That’s absurd. None of my victims would ever do such a thing—it’s impossible.”

Of course. That just shows how narcissistic you are.

I’d learned too much about personalities and behavior back in the academy. Or perhaps, I’d simply been trained for this kind of thing. Stroking someone’s ego when they falter is the only way forward. But since Clarisse was extremely guarded—almost as if she saw me as a threat—I had no choice but to reveal my trump card.

Still, it was only a matter of time before she revealed her true self.

[DOESN’T THAT MEAN YOU’RE GOING TO SACRIFICE THE SYSTEM?]

Of course! Oh, wait—

[NO WAY! THE SYSTEM IS EVERYTHING YOU HAVE. DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT MERGING WITH HER. IT’S BORDERLINE IMPOSSIBLE, AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.]

Hold on. Are you warning me?

I mean, I could see this as a good alternative, but who knows at this point. Both choices seemed equally terrible by their own merits.

Also—who exactly are you trying to warn?
That would be a crazier plot twist: if the system itself was a character in disguise.

[UM…]

Wait, that’s true?!

[NO, IT ISN’T. I MEAN…]

Huh?

[WARNING: ERROR. THE SYSTEM CAN’T READ THE TEXT PROPERLY.]

How suspicious…

The panel then disappeared all of a sudden, just like usual. Except this time, it seemed forcibly shut down. And yet, time remained frozen. Oddly enough, Clarisse noticed.

Doesn’t that mean she has something that lets her peek into the conversation I have? Which is why she called herself a clairvoyant?

Wait—hold on. I should confirm this before jumping in.

First possibility: she really can read my mind. If that’s true, she would’ve exposed me already, instead of letting me talk to myself like a fool. Unlikely.

Second possibility: she only reacts to what I say out loud. But… no. Her timing earlier was too precise. She knew more than just the words.

Third possibility: she somehow gets fragments of what the system shows me. That lines up. If she sees the panels, even partially, then of course she’d mistake it for some kind of “mirror.”

Alright. That fits better.

So—she isn’t actually a clairvoyant in the supernatural sense. She’s interpreting scraps of information she shouldn’t have, and giving it a fancy name.

Of course! She thinks she’s a clairvoyant because she can trace what I say through the system. But since she can’t see everything, her claims don’t add up to mind reading. At best, she’s peeking at the surface.

Conclusion: Clarisse is no mind reader. She’s only catching glimpses—enough to bluff, not enough to know.

Wait—shouldn’t I have figured this out earlier?!

Oh my gosh, when did I lose my touch for subtle observation? How could I be so stupid?

Apparently, I’d gotten too focused on the details, forgetting the bigger picture.

“Uhm… Yui.”

Oh no. How long had I been talking to myself?

Clarisse von Fahrmann—the ever-impatient villainess—looked back at me with a sharp glare. Her posture was composed, her gait elegant as always, her chin tilted upward.

Guarded, yet brimming with confidence. That’s how I read her gestures.

My instincts kicked in again. And perhaps it was extremely accurate to say: no matter which option I chose, it wouldn’t matter.

Whether I followed the system’s endless layered panels, or submitted to Clarisse von Fahrmann’s deepest desire, the choice was mine.

Because my mind was too powerful for a simple puzzle like this.
I would take everything—or nothing at all. And once again, it was now or never.

“Don’t waste my time. This isn’t a game.”
“And you have no right to negotiate here, you filthy being.”

Filthy, you said?

“How dishonest of you, Your Majesty.”

Alright, let’s play a little trick… shall we?

I let out a snarky smile, walking toward her with calculated, precise, elegant steps. Come to think of it, I wondered if I could make her react in a very specific way—the way I’d love to see from this sadistic tsundere.

“W-what are you doing? Get away from me! I never told you to come closer. I’m Your Highness here! I have authority, I can do anything, but you? Never!”

Well, if that’s so…
Then I’ll show you what it really means to be filthy.

Don’t you love a naughty woman, Clarisse? Hm?