The Bet (3)
The section chief spoke as if it were no big deal, all innocent-like. "Wrongdoing? Well, there wasn't anything particularly wrong today, but her expression was so pissy. She had the nerve to glare at me like I was beneath her."
"...I see."
Just then, the analyzer beeped, signaling the identity verification was complete. The section chief nodded as he checked the results.
"Sorry for the hassle. I had no idea the tower lord would come all the way here. If you'd given me a heads-up, I could've entertained you properly..."
He contacted the minister to announce the tower lord's visit, then yelled at the slave to bring tea quickly. Terria tried to politely decline, but the section chief insisted he at least have some tea before leaving. The man seemed thrilled to chat about his possessions, no matter the topic.
They sat across from each other at the table in the center of the office, steam rising from their cups. When Terria glanced at the slave who had brought the tea, the section chief kept bringing her up.
"Doesn't she seem a bit arrogant to you too, tower lord?"
"...She does have that vibe, yeah."
"Right? That's why you gotta keep 'em in line. Slaves are supposed to be nice and obedient, aren't they?"
While they waited for the minister, I stood silently behind Terria on the reception sofa. I wondered what the point of this pointless conversation was—was he saying it for my benefit, or just rambling?
Terria had lived as a slave but had little experience owning one, so maybe he was trying to pick up tips from the section chief.
"And who's this beside you...?"
"My slave and assistant. Personal assistant."
"She's quite the beauty, haha. Looks like she'd have a strong personality."
The section chief gave me a meaningful smile, but that was it. Their conversation stayed superficial after that. I couldn't say a word, just forced a small laugh.
"Strong personality... yeah, she has her moments..."
"You seem too lenient with your slaves, tower lord. Sometimes you gotta be firm like me, right?"
"I keep her around because she's good at her job. She knows a lot and helps with research."
Terria's tone didn't fully agree with him—like he was just humoring the guy until it was time to move on. I wondered if that last part was sincere, though. Good at her job... Does that mean he expects me to work for it?
I tuned out their chatter after that, lost in thought. Seeing the section chief and his slave reminded me of my old self. I'd treated Terria the same way back then. No regrets about it—no second-guessing the beatings. I agreed with the section chief to some extent: slaves need discipline to obey.
If I could go back, I'd still hit him if needed. He was the son of the enemy who killed my comrades, after all. The anger had faded, but that didn't mean I owed him kindness. The body swap was my fault—I'd been dumb enough to drink the potion after he tricked me.
So I didn't regret the beatings or humiliation. He knew I wasn't the type to dwell on it. But seeing the section chief's pitiful slave trembling in fear, tending her wounds... it hit me. Our situations weren't so different.
In that sense, Terria's treatment of me had been a stroke of luck so far. The anxiety gnawing at me now? It was because he seemed to be reflecting on all this. Maybe watching the section chief gave him ideas. Separate from my lack of regret over tormenting him—it scared me anyway.
Did he not want payback for what he'd endured? Of course, I was relieved if so... but still.
The tea didn't take long to finish. Pity for the section chief's slave aside, I had no intention of saving her—who was I to judge?—so we headed straight to the minister's office.
"Ariel, long time no see."
"Good to... see you, Minister."
Terria, who had entered first, trailed off mid-sentence. Bad first impression of the minister? I followed him in, pondering.
The minister, someone I'd met occasionally, was a man in his forties. My assessment: a sleazy type with the power as the empire's second-in-command at the Magic Department and the wealth to match. But sitting at his desk in the corner, he didn't seem off. Terria wasn't one to let his guard down easily, so I couldn't guess why he'd hesitated.
"How've you been? Impressive results at the conference this time."
"Just the usual. Nothing groundbreaking."
Yet with a guest here, you'd think he'd offer tea or snacks, but he stayed seated. A bit rude, sure, but not suspicious. Though his lower body was hidden by the desk, out of our view.
"You're always so humble. So, what brings you here?"
"Well, I have questions about this year's tower funding amount."
"Funding? Ah, yes—the government budget allocated to the Magic Department was cut this year. Sorry about that; even I can't do much."
"This might take a while, so I'll sit too."
No refreshments for guests? A bit annoyed, I stood behind Terria as he took the visitor's seat. They kept talking.
"Minister, to be direct: I get the budget cuts. But why does it look like the exact amount cut from Blue Tower went straight to Red Tower?"
"Ariel, that's a misunderstanding. It's Lucas's turn for more funding this year, that's all."
But faintly, intermittently, came a slurping sound—like sucking on something. The kind a baby makes instinctively when given a finger, cheeks puckering.
My ears were sharp; I caught sounds others might miss. And it came from inside the minister's desk.
Like someone's hiding under there...
"I can't understand it. Did you take a bribe? Say, from Lucas's parents pressuring the palace?"
"Baseless speculation. I know your instincts are sharp, but don't assume they're always right."
The minister answered promptly. Terria frowned, troubled. No hard evidence, after all. The cuts matched Red Tower's gains exactly, but that was just suspicion. Had to probe.
Separately, the minister twitched and paused mid-sentence now and then. Curious, but I watched Terria press on.
"You heard about my argument with him at the conference, right?"
"Mm, yes, I did."
"Then you know I planted a listening device on him—and heard your entire conversation?"
"That..."
Terria struck a nerve; the minister's face twisted awkwardly, trailing off. But there seemed to be two reasons for it.
A "pfft..." leaked out simultaneously. The minister stifled a grunt, his waist shuddering. His face flushed slightly, clothes rustling.
At this point, someone was definitely under the desk. And unless you're an idiot, you could guess.
Terria knew too. A woman was sucking his dick under there.
The minister was more shameless than I'd imagined. Sweating lightly, he forced a calm expression and continued.
"Fine, yes. I took the bribe. But like you said, palace connections—I couldn't refuse. Personally, I rate you highly, but the court pressed directly."
There was no bug, but he admitted it flatly, like it didn't matter if caught. Terria went on the offensive, voice rising as if he truly cherished Blue Tower.
"Hah... so we just take it lying down? And pretty shameless, aren't you? Feels that good getting sucked off while talking to me?"
"Heh, you noticed too? Sorry about that. It's common enough. But there might be a way."
"A way...?"
"If I push hard, even the palace won't ignore me. But then I need something in it for me, right?"
Saying that, the minister eyed me with the same lecherous gaze Lucas had at the conference.
"Hey, get up."
The woman crawled out from under the desk and stood. Older-looking, her mouth smeared with saliva, exuding a lewd, pathetic vibe—but utterly unashamed. Terria just stared at the minister pitifully.
"What's the intent here?"
"Nothing much. I know the woman beside you is your personal slave. How about a swap? You noticed, so straight to the point."
He smacked her ass. She finally acted coy and flirtatious, fawning on him.
"Trade 'em and give each other blowjobs—then I'd consider it. She's amazing at it. Couldn't stop even hearing you were coming. Sorry about that."
"Ngh..."
I swallowed a gasp involuntarily. His lustful gaze slithering over me sent chills like snakes on my skin. Disgusting. I'd never looked at Terria that way.
Terria snapped back in protest. But for a split second, the exact same emotion flickered in his eyes.
"Minister, you think that makes sense?"
"What do you mean by that, Ariel? Sounds like comparing your slave to this woman is absurd—which is exactly why I'm suggesting it."
He glanced between me and her. He thought the tower lord found the proposal gross because she wasn't "high-class" enough.
I looked at Terria. He clearly disagreed. Judging tower funding on some mock-orgy was ridiculous to him—or so I hoped. But suddenly, doubt crept in. Really? Then what was that look in his eyes moments ago?
If he actually wanted that...
Terria turned and met my gaze, signaling silently like at the conference. 'You decide. What do you think?'
'Absolutely not.'
'Why? Just like you did to me before. That was a deal too.'
'That's... that's different!'
I shook my head sharply. No, absolutely no. Just reject it outright—why push the decision on me? Unless... you wanna try her too...?
I stared at him suspiciously. He just shrugged and told the minister,
"Sorry, Minister, but we can't accept. She's not a slave for that purpose."
"If you're dead set against it, fine. But people of your status all enjoy this stuff. Staring like it's unnatural hurts my feelings."
The minister lectured like it was obvious: powerful people naturally indulged in base pleasures.
"Mm, is that normal?"
"Of course. Bet your real feelings aren't that pure. Never seen a noble keep a beauty like that just for work. Must've cost a fortune, right?"
"...Let's drop it."
But Terria seemed to be listening more closely, and it made me uneasy. I wanted to shut the minister's lying mouth. He was planting bad ideas.
I'd never touched Terria's body sexually in three years, so he'd never considered using slaves that way as "normal." Permission and normalcy were different. But if he started thinking it was natural...
For me, that was deadly serious. Even as he pondered nobles' views on slaves' "functions," Terria glared hostilely at the minister.
"Fine, since I admitted the bribe and rate Blue Tower highly: Lucas seems to covet your assistant. Negotiate with him directly—say, hand her over."
"Minister. This isn't our fault. Why should we lose out?"
Terria slammed the desk lightly, furious. Seeing him defend Blue Tower—even if acting—relieved me. Blue Tower's Ariel—that's all I have left keeping me sane. The achievements, the reputation.
"Even so, I can't do much. How about a bet with him? I'll mediate. The empire favors towers contributing to research."
"A bet..."
The minister laced his fingers, like he had a plan.