"You know, once someone is neutralized, we should try to recruit them to our side..."
As I sighed and muttered,
"What!? Are you soft on good-looking men too, not just women?"
"Keeping such a man alive would only bring disaster."
"I might not be one to talk, but Platanus isn’t the kind of guy who'd work under someone else."
The women all expressed the same opinion again.
"Honestly, I really want to recruit Platanus to our team. He's an absolutely necessary asset. I've always wanted someone like him on our side."
Although we have an excess of combat strength, led by Shion, we've only had Holly for intellectual labor, strategy, and consultation roles."If Platanus joins us, he would perfectly cover the weaknesses in our party. Plus, the pleasant surprise is that he's capable in combat too."
However, upon hearing my statement about wanting someone like him in our group, all the women's faces turned pale.
"You... were planning to add men to your harem?"
"Did you not make a move on Shion because you swing both ways?"
"No, no, in that case, it's not bisexual, it's definitely gay."
"There's no harem to begin with! How does not making a move on Shion equate to being bisexual? And I definitely like girls! I love all of you because you're all cute! I have no interest in guys!"
As I retorted, somewhat irritated, Cattleya and Iris blushed while Saffron looked baffled.
Well, at least everyone stopped butting in, so I decided to negotiate with Platanus, who remained silent and tied up.
My battle starts here.
First, I have to turn someone who tried to kill me into an ally.
If they're capable, even enemies should be turned into friends.
It's nothing new.
When I was searching for Shion, I managed to turn Cattleya, Iris, and Prince Heath into enemies, and Saffron was genuinely an enemy.
While thinking such thoughts, I sat in a chair facing Platanus.
"Platanus."
"I must say, I have no intention of joining you. I find it difficult to understand a group like yours and have no desire to be part of it."
Platanus outright refused to join.
"Nice guts, Platanus! I can kill you right here and now, you know? Huh?"
Cattleya, brandishing her Blazing Sword furiously, shouted, but Platanus remained unfazed.
"That's fine. At this point, it doesn't matter. A strategist prepares for their own death when their plans fail."
Platanus seemed genuinely prepared to die, not just pretending like me.
The difference between a genius and an ordinary person was clear.
"Crow, I really think convincing him is useless. I worked for Platanus for a while and talked to him several times, so I know. He's the kind of person who isn't satisfied unless he's number one."
If Saffron, who had previously served under Platanus, said so, it must be true."No, it's such a waste. Without him, we won't be able to carry out the reclamation project."
I don't have any negotiation skills to change Platanus's mind. Besides, I could never engage in a conversation that would convince someone smarter than me to follow my lead.
"All you think about is using others, don't you?" Platanus remarked.
"I can't do much myself, so I let others do what I can't."
"And what can you do?"
"Delegate work and be happy about it."
Platanus burst into laughter at my response but then warned, "You will regret it if you don't kill me."
"Pretty arrogant for someone who lost, Platanus. I envy that about you."
"You're always acting tough despite losing all the time."
"Shut up!" I snapped at Iris, who interjected.
"So, Platanus, what do you think led to your defeat?"
"Me, defeated?"
"Well, yeah. If I stop negotiating, one of us here will kill you. You're alive because I'm stopping them. I hold your life in my hands. Isn't that defeat?"
"Indeed..." Platanus agreed, then fell silent in thought.
"I hate to admit it, but my plans have all failed. Not only did I fail to sway the Hero, but even my ally Saffron betrayed me. My plans failed, and now I've lost my power. It's a complete defeat."
"Right. As a strategist, shouldn't you be analyzing your victories and defeats?"
"You're correct. Though it seems unlikely I'll have another chance to use this knowledge."
Platanus pondered silently for a while, then spoke, "Perhaps I underestimated you more than I thought. I can't imagine a way to gain the Hero's absolute trust or pull experienced warriors like Cattleya and thoughtless ones like Saffron to my side. You even managed to befriend Iris and Prince Heath in ways I couldn't fathom..."
"No, that's not it," I interrupted him.
"Don't overestimate the person who beat you just because you're bitter about losing."
Platanus looked at me, seemingly surprised by my words."Your analysis of me was spot on, Platanus. In your eyes, I'm a nobody, less than an ordinary person. You saw no reason to fear me, did you? I seemed like a weakling, right?"
"Exactly right."
"I don't have anything over you. There's no way I could win. You had no reason to lose to me."
"So? You can't figure out why you lost to such a weakling? Disappointing. Someone who can't understand their own defeat isn't of any use to us."
"What, then, is the reason for my defeat?"
"It doesn't matter now, does it? It's pointless for someone about to be killed to reflect on their mistakes."
"Please, tell me. I can't figure it out."
"It's Shion."
"Huh?"
"That's right, it was the Hero Shion. She didn't act as you expected. You should have just killed me directly. If I died and you weren't suspected, it wouldn't matter. That was the time to win over Shion. But you relied on an uncertain plan with a slim chance of success, like getting Shion to kill me. And you're too overconfident. Even when your plan was exposed, you didn't try to kill me at all costs. You openly confronted me instead. It didn't look brave, it looked reckless."
"I'm not part of the reason you lost. If Shion had done as you expected, I would have been finished. Honestly, I thought I was done for. I've never been so scared in my life. I thought Shion would kill me."
"Your plan was perfect from my perspective. I'm just a weakling. I was too complacent, thinking that as long as I had Shion on my side, everything would be fine. When I realized Shion might kill me in anger, I was paralyzed with fear. I thought I was going to wet myself."
Platanus stood silently, not responding, as I pointed at him with my index finger.
"I didn't want you to do the one thing you did. Your analysis of me was perfect. If Shion had acted as we both imagined, I would be dead now. You get it? I want your brain, Platanus."
"You want it?"
"I have people who can fight for me, but nobody who can think for me. I don't want to fight or think. I just want to live a leisurely, happy life. Understand?"
"You're the best, Platanus. I've never seen anyone smarter than you. That's why I need your help. If you join us, I won't have to worry about anything anymore."
"Help, you say? What will you give me in return if I lend you my strength and wisdom?"
"Nothing. I'll delegate everything to you, so you probably won't gain anything from it."
"Oh? That seems like a rather unfair cooperative relationship."
Platanus slowly began to smile.For once, Platanus wasn't wearing his usual fake smile; he was genuinely amused.
"You like working, right? You want to improve all the problems in this world?"
"That's correct."
"I hate working. I don't want to do anything. So, if we're together, we'll be happy."
"Hmm, but isn't that more of a one-sided exploitation, rather than cooperation?"
"Don't think of it so negatively. True acts of goodwill are often one-sided."
"How so?"
"Do parents need a reason to raise their child? Do healthy people need a reason to help the injured, sick, or elderly? If we start demanding reasons for acts of kindness, human society would crumble in a day."
"I see. Everyone benefits from mutual aid, even when it seems one-sided. You have a lot of skills, so being relied upon one-sidedly is inevitable. You should take pride in being dependable. Unlike me, who can't do much for anyone. It's a source of regret."
"Ha ha ha...!"
Just then, the Longinus Lance, held by Iris, started to glow green and moved on its own. It cut through the ropes binding Platanus and returned to his hand in an instant.