“Oh?”

Saitake Sougen noticed Noah’s presence and he lifted an eyebrow.

“Hey, aren’t you that brat from Fairy Tail?”

Seitenshi already had a bad impression of this man the moment he talked like that, Noah’s personal feelings aside.

They are both rulers of their regions but Saitake chose to address her bodyguard before talking to her.

This was a very clear show of his disregard for Seitenshi who he deemed too young for him to respectfully greet.

Noah smiled and he replied.

“Is it that odd to see me here?”

“I am more curious as to why you’re doing a job like being someone’s bodyguard.

His mustache twitched as he scoffed.

“Why not let Fairy Tail join me? I can give you more power and responsibilities than a mere bodyguard, that’s for sure!”

His brutal honesty was something that Seitenshi noted other than his malicious intent.

Noah snickered.

“Well, maybe you didn’t hear me the last time we spoke, you have nothing of value to offer me!”

“Hmph!”

Saitake glared at him.

“I see you’re just as rude as the last two times we spoke on the phone. For a menial civil defense officer, you’ve got a lot of hot air coming out of your mouth!”

“Oh, I am sure you have perfected your skills of using the appropriate tone with people based on your half-hearted assessment of people’s identity, old villain.’

Noah reserved no energy to take verbal jabs at this man.

“ ‘Menial civil defense officer’? Please, the strongest civil defense officers can affect the military affairs on an international or even global scale. Your skills of patronizing people and kissing butts are about as obsolete as you. Open your eyes, we are entering a new age where power speaks louder than political power. If you can’t even read that with your big eyes, you might as well go back to Osaka, you hick.”

From the way Saitake’s looking at him, Noah knew he pissed him off.

He leered back at the man without shrinking back. He also didn’t forget to give him a smug smile.

Saitake decided to stop this and he gave way for them.

Noah shrugged and he took a quick glance at Seitenshi who is clenching her hands under her gloves. He was surprised that she’s this nervous.

Come on, Seitenshi-sama, get your act together. This is just the prologue. The good stuff isn’t here yet, what will happen to you later?

He couldn’t blame Seitenshi for behaving like this.

In her previous summits, the bigshots would always watch what they say. They wouldn’t go at each other like Noah and Saitake. They wouldn’t let personal business affect the really important matters.

In such a hostile and confrontational meeting, truth be told, Seitenshi has never experienced one like this. Then again, she’s technically just someone who recently entered the world of adults.

Noah decided to cover for her.

“I am just here as a bodyguard. President Saitake, I think it’s time we take a seat and get this thing rolling?”

Saitake nodded and he sat down, motioning for her to take a seat.

He grabbed her hands and this jolted Seitenshi back into reality. She inhaled deeply to calm herself down before she proceeded to take a seat facing Saitake after giving Noah a thankful look.

Noah moved behind Seitenshi and he stood like a guardian statue, unmoving and solemn.

Saitake looked at Noah once more. He wanted to get rid of this matter first before they got down to brass tacks.

“What about the matter last time? Have you thought about it?”

“The matter last time?”

Noah narrowed his eyes.

“You mean the Bullets?”

“I can let you slide when you turned me down on restructuring Fairy Tail into my fangs and claws. There is nothing I can do but concede on that. But, those Bullets are an entirely different matter altogether.”

Saitake had greedy eyes, those are the eyes of a ravenous wolf that wanted to take everything for himself.

“You have something that is equivalent to a strategic weapon that can terminate stage 5 Gastreas, I must have it!”

Saitake bluntly said without hiding his intentions.

Seitenshi’s inexperienced so she decided to keep quiet. She thought about her next moves, how can she pull the ball back into her court?

Noah crossed his arms. He can legitimately look down at Saitake since he’s the only one standing here.

“I believe you won’t be so desperate if you just the Bullets to kill Gastreas, am I wrong?”

“I must have it!”

Saitake declared.

“I want to do more than just stop Gastreas, that’s why I must have it!”

Seitenshi couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“Do you want to use it against other humans?”

“Is there something wrong with planning how to run the world after getting rid of Gastrea?”

Saitake said matter-of-factly.

“Seitenshi-sama, you should know that in our current world, the country that can regain their former glory would be the one most likely to become the strongest nation of the new world. Striving for a greater and glorious country, that should be our ambitions as rulers of our regions.”

Saitake laid bare his ambitions and he stared straight into Seitenshi’s eyes.

“To do that, anyone who stands in my way, anyone who disobeys me will all be eliminated!”

His words are basically tantamount to a declaration of war against other countries.

Seitenshi was momentarily stunned by him.

There are people who wanted to seize the other regions as their own, to further their ambitions and visions.

But, he’s probably the first man who can and did say something like taking over the world while claiming himself as the will of the revived nation.

“Even in Osaka, I heard people lauding Seitenshi as the paragon of kindness and peace.”

Saitake laughed out loud.

“But, Seitenshi-sama, I am going to level with you. You’re not cut out to lead in a chaotic time like this. You can’t even bear living with blood on your hand, you’re disqualified as a leader!”

Seitenshi’s body trembled, it wasn’t anger that moved her. She silently knew that Saitake had hit a nail in her heart.

Saitake’s brutal honesty pierced Seitenshi’s pure heart.

Saitake gave her a smile of contempt.

Even if she’s a ruler of a region such as the Tokyo Area, she’s far too young to be skilled in the war of words and ideals.

Suddenly, Noah spoke out.

“A lot of little birdies told me about a certain situation in Osaka Area. Is it true that you were plotted against on multiple occasions for your over-the-top tax on your people?

“Those rumors are true.”

Saitake was a bit puzzled why Noah would bring this up at this point.

“What? You got something to say about that?”

“What’s more is there to say?”

Noah didn’t even deign to look Saitake in the eyes.

“I wonder, which dictator in the books of history managed to hold out until the end of their regimes?’

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He glared at Noah.

“The whole Osaka is mine. I am the will that moves that Area. As long as I continue acting in the interest of the Osaka Area, those maggots can’t do anything from their dark hiding spots. That’s because they know they can’t do anything to me or they will die!”

“We need a strong and merciless leader in a chaotic time like to pacify everyone!”

Saitake stood up and he declared. Then, he pointed at Seitenshi.

“Seitenshi, you’re just harming yourself with your warmth and kindness. Know this, you will never be the ruler of this troubled world!”

“I…”

Noah pressed Seitenshi’s shoulder down when she tried to retort.

Noah continued.

“It is as you said, this kind princess-sama is the farthest candidate from the dictator’s throne of a troubled world.”

Seitenshi was blown away that Noah would say something like this about her.

Saitake revealed a victorious grin.

Noah wiped away his smug smile with his next sentence.

“Fine, then I vote we put her up on the throne of the ruler of a peaceful era, how’s that?”