"Mibuomi Aoi, why are you the one who came?"
Ayanokoji was a bit surprised; he had thought it would be a challenger sent by Mibusakaomi for a Formal Match.
"What, does your Zenshoukai not have any 'livestock' left? Do you need your President to come personally?" Ayanokoji said sarcastically.
"We have over a hundred members in Zenshoukai, and more than fifty people still have Formal Match qualifications. As long as I provide them with enough funds, I believe they will be willing to have a Formal Match with you."
Mibuomi Aoi didn't get angry, explaining gracefully, "I came to apologize for Morikawa."
"Morikawa? Who are you talking about? Do I know him?" Ayanokoji tilted his head.
"It's the male student who challenged you yesterday. He secretly cheated during the Formal Match yesterday and was caught and forfeited on the spot," Mibuomi Aoi reminded him.
"Oh, it's him. There's nothing to apologize for. I'm quite grateful to him, actually. After all, because of his foolishness, I got 10 million yen without even gambling, didn't I?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka deliberately smiled: "Next time, remember to instruct the people you send not to cheat again. Otherwise, if they lose money to me without even sitting at the gambling table, it won't look good for you."
"I don't mind Zenshoukai members cheating. I'm just apologizing for his cheating being discovered."
Mibuomi Aoi looked at the Captain Dragonfly model in the corner of the bar, and asked with interest, "Your robot is really interesting. Is it for sale?"
"Sorry, it's not for sale." Ayanokoji shook his head.
Mibuomi Aoi nodded and said nothing more, as if he was just casually making conversation and wasn't very interested in the robot.
After pacing around the Cooking Room, he gracefully sat across from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, a smile on his face: "Ayanokoji-kun, have you thought about it? Will you agree to my request?"
Ayanokoji nodded: "I've thought about it. I won't transfer the patent to you."
...
Mibuomi Aoi's smile gradually faded, and he sighed softly: "Ayanokoji, the two boys I sent earlier weren't very good at gambling, but you don't think everyone in Zenshoukai is at that level, do you? You've won twice, so you should be satisfied with your face, right?"
"I understand, they were both just 'cannon fodder' in your hands; you deliberately sent them to give me money." Ayanokoji nodded.
In a Formal Match, as long as it's within the bounds of common sense, the challenged party cannot refuse the gamble.
As a rich young master, Mibuomi Aoi should not be short of money; if he were serious, he could directly offer Ayanokoji Kiyotaka a tempting stake and use a "Formal Match" to force him to put the patent on the gambling table.
But he didn't do that; instead, he had people start with five million Japanese yen as a test.
Ayanokoji had suspected before that Mibuomi Aoi might be using the Formal Match to "give him money," which would let him know his methods and also allow him to save face and readily accept his request.
As expected of someone from a political family, such small tricks came easily to him.
Mibuomi Aoi tapped the table and patiently asked: "Ayanokoji, since you understand, why refuse? This isn't a bad thing for you, is it? You don't want to be in the limelight either, do you? Otherwise, you would have announced the patent holder long ago."
"If you're worried about Sachiko Juraku's thoughts, I can go talk to her for you. Even if you sell the patent to me, I won't open a casino; you can still make money from these two casinos."
"That's not the reason." Ayanokoji shook his head: "In short, don't even think about this matter; I won't sell it."
"... You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit." Even if Mibuomi Aoi usually had good patience, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's unyielding attitude still angered him.
Mibuomi Aoi suppressed his anger and began to threaten Ayanokoji: "Ayanokoji, in a Formal Match, no matter what stake a livestock offers, as long as the other party can produce something of equal value, the challenged party must accept the gamble."
"Do you believe me? If I wanted to, I could completely have a livestock directly initiate a Formal Match, with your patent as the stake. At that time, you'd have to give it, whether you wanted to or not."
"Then why don't you do it?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka smiled indifferently: "Let me guess why you don't do that.
First, you don't want others to know who the true inventor of Landlord is, so you must hide it and won't make the patent ownership public.
Second, if you want me to put the patent on the gambling table, you also have to bet something you consider of equal value, and you won't easily put those things on the gambling table.
Because you are also worried, worried that once you fail, you will lose too much."
"What do you think is of equal value to your patent?" Mibuomi Aoi retorted.
"Talking about money is boring. Let me talk about things that money can't buy. For example, your identity as Zenshoukai's President, for example, your identity as Student Council Accountant, and for example, Miharu Taki Sakura's fiancé's identity... You are not willing to put these things on the gambling table."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka made his point without overdoing it.
Ayanokoji is not short of money; if Mibuomi Aoi were willing to put these identities of his on the gambling table, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wouldn't mind gambling with him.
Mibuomi Aoi actually started to think, then nodded in agreement.
"... You're right. These identities are very useful to me right now, and I can't possibly put them on the gambling table."
"Is there really no room for discussion?" Mibuomi Aoi frowned and asked again: "Can I just have the patent rights for a period of time? As long as I pull Momobami Kirari down, I can return the patent rights to you."
Ayanokoji answered a question with a question: "Before I answer, let me ask a question, what do you want these patent rights for?"
Mibuomi Aoi didn't hide anything and told Ayanokoji Kiyotaka what he had said to Miharu Taki Sakura in the Accounting Room.
He wanted to use "Landlord" as a symbol to unite the people of Zenshoukai and win over those wavering masses...
After listening, Ayanokoji couldn't help but look at Mibuomi Aoi with new respect.
"You actually want to use the game of Landlord to incite the public... You really have good foresight; the original intention of this game was to fight against the Landlords and redistribute land."
"Since that's the case...!" Mibuomi Aoi's eyes lit up.
"Since that's the case, I definitely cannot give this game to you," Ayanokoji emphasized.
"Perhaps Student Council President Kirari Momobami is indeed a Landlord, but is the Zenshoukai led by you a commoner?"
Mibuomi Aoi made a puzzled expression: "Why do you say that? The vast majority of our Zenshoukai members are 'livestock'; if they aren't commoners, then who is? You?"
"They are certainly commoners, but you definitely are not."
Ayanokoji stared at Mibuomi Aoi and said in a deep voice: "Whether an organization's nature is pure or not is not determined by the composition of the majority of the masses that make up the organization, but by the ideology of their leadership. The leadership's ideology often represents the nature of the organization."
"To you, Zenshoukai is just a tool that allows you to reach the position of Student Council President. Even if you speak flowery words now and treat the members of Zenshoukai as your brothers.
After you ascend to that position, you will definitely kick aside the Zenshoukai that helped you achieve your rebellion and instead approach the powerful and wealthy, completely forgetting the promises you made at the beginning."
"Are you slandering me?" Mibuomi Aoi's face was very unpleasant.
"Whether it's slander or not, you yourself know," Ayanokoji said unceremoniously.
"If you have the guts, why don't we have a gamble?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stared at him and said: "As long as you promise that after you ascend to the position of Student Council President, you will fulfill your promises within Zenshoukai, abolish the Livestock System and the Tribute System, and treat everyone equally, I will be willing to transfer the patent rights for Landlord to you.
If you do not fulfill your promises, then I will take away everything you currently have."
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"