"Then what do you want? Let me be clear, I can only pay you with money."
Akane Nanao vigilantly covered her chest, watching Alistair warily.
"Heh, since you know a little about me, you should know that I enjoy admiring the beauty of women. You already know my personality, yet you still came to me for help. You should have been mentally prepared, right? And coming straight to me suggests that normal friends likely can't help you. That means the only person who can help you is me, right?"
Alistair folded his arms, watching Akane Nanao with a playful gaze, curious to see how she would proceed.
No matter what, this feeling of threatening someone into compliance is pretty great. The smile didn't vanish; it just moved to my face.
"...Then, what do you want me to do?"
Akane Nanao was silent for a moment, frowning slightly. After weighing her options, she still didn't give up, instead asking Alistair what she needed to offer.
"First, tell me what you want to ask me to do. That way, I can decide what I want you to give me."
Alistair's lips curled up. He leisurely "enjoyed" Akane Nanao's uncomfortable, fidgety expression, feeling very pleased.
"I want to know what exactly happened to Shouya... Shouya Katase, why such a drastic change, and... he seems to be a little irritable."
Akane Nanao paused, looked toward Shouya Katase, and stated her request to Alistair, her expression tinged with worry.
"Oh, that Katase guy? Didn't he just hide his strength? Everyone knows it, and he said so himself, didn't he? There shouldn't be anything much to investigate, should there?" Alistair dismissed her casually, looking completely unconcerned.
"No, absolutely not. Shouya wouldn't be like this. At least, he certainly wouldn't be this boastful..." Akane Nanao shook her head, firmly denying Alistair's point. She was confident that the Shouya Katase she knew wasn't this type of person.
"Alright, fine. I can agree to help you. However, Shouya Katase has already become a 'celebrity' starting today. That means he'll constantly be surrounded by a bunch of brown-nosers. That makes things very difficult for me."
Alistair rubbed his fingers, the implication crystal clear.
"Hmph, I'm only asking you to investigate his past. You don't need to solve the subsequent issues." Akane Nanao felt that investigating Shouya Katase's past would only require some manpower and 'privileges' to make certain people talk; it shouldn't be too excessive.
She had considered asking others, but many people had no personal stake in her problem, so why would they go through such trouble for her? Furthermore, if she asked someone else, some key informants probably wouldn't bother with them, and if she offered money, they might sell fake information just to profit. That's why she preferred seeking help from influential people like Alistair.
Alistair shrugged and remained silent. He felt Akane Nanao might have spoken rashly out of panic. If Shouya Katase's ability could be enhanced like this, the physical strength of the subsequent creator must be at least on par with Shouya Katase. If she went to deal with it herself, wouldn't she just be serving herself up as a plaything for them?
"...Fine. I just want to know the reason why Shouya Katase changed like this. The subsequent issues can be discussed later." Sensing Alistair's odd look, Akane Nanao realized her blunder and quickly added a somewhat guilty amendment.
"Agreed. That works. Then, my fee: one night." Alistair smiled pleasantly, holding up one finger in front of Akane Nanao.
"Wh... what one night?" Akane Nanao's expression froze. Though she guessed his meaning, she still didn't want to admit her suspicions.
"Exactly what you're thinking. No need to doubt it." Alistair said with an encouraging tone, as if his suggestion were perfectly logical.
"Impossible... I'm just asking you to investigate Shouya Katase's situation. How could that cost me a whole night with you?!" Akane Nanao shrieked, her voice slightly too loud, instantly drawing some attention. Realizing the volume, she quickly bowed slightly in apology to those around her, then lowered her voice to address Alistair.
"Supply and demand, isn't it? You can always haggle, there's no need to get so agitated." Alistair looked completely relaxed, seemingly unconcerned if Akane Nanao refused to ask for his help.
Truthfully, if Alistair only wanted to "play" with Akane Nanao, he could simply summon her alternate consciousness. That "Akane Nanao" was far more obedient; she would do exactly what he commanded, never lifting her ass if told to bend over. The current situation was purely for the pleasure of threatening her, and since he had already played with her a few days ago, developing her deepest parts, there was no rush for a second round of development.
"Then... how about a kiss?" Akane Nanao hesitated, then held up one finger, suggesting timidly.
"No way. Your 'payment' is too cheap. And do you think I care about a kiss from you? I'm not some pursuer of yours. You are begging me right now. Get your roles straight." Alistair rolled his eyes, speaking irritably.
"Then what do you want?" Akane Nanao's face was slightly flushed. If only she knew she had already been violated by Alistair, she probably would have agreed to his demand.
"If one night is too much, how about one fuck?" Alistair asked with a smirk, shaking the single finger he held up.
"No! At least my first time has to be with Shouya." Akane Nanao bit her lower lip, resolutely refusing.
"Oh. Then how about you use those tempting melons of yours to jack me off?" Alistair dismissed her claim nonchalantly, pressing his demand. After all, her virginity was already taken by him days ago, so he didn't care what Akane Nanao said. And even if she wanted to offer herself to Shouya, the "Akane Nanao" in her mind would stop her. When it came to controlling the body, "Akane Nanao" had the highest priority; the conscious self was only second.
"Wh... what melons? You bastard..." Akane Nanao bit her teeth in shame and anger, her face covered in crimson blush, ready to scold Alistair.
"Forget the 'what-what.' You need to understand that the task I'm doing for you involves the private life of Shouya Katase's family and might lead to someone being arrested. You can't do this, you can't do that. Are you just going to offer to jerk me off? I can find tons of people for that. If you didn't have that sexy body, do you think I'd waste my time talking to you here?"
Alistair cut off Akane Nanao directly, speaking without reservation. His face darkened with impatience, as if he were about to reject her request immediately.
"Then, I'll use my chest for you once." Akane Nanao gritted her teeth, finally deciding on a less resisted method of exchange.
"Acceptable. It's settled then. Well, happy cooperation~" Alistair's expression instantly changed from stormy to sunny. He spoke to Akane Nanao in a slightly joyful tone.
"...."
Alistair's sudden change of mood made Akane Nanao's expression freeze. She was so angry she wanted to curse Alistair, but remembering she needed him to do the job, she swallowed her words.
"By the way, Senior Akane, are you really not considering the back door?" Alistair asked with renewed interest.
"The back door? What back door? Wait, you bastard... Hmph!" Akane Nanao initially looked confused, not understanding Alistair's meaning. Then, linking it back to their current conversation, she suddenly realized what Alistair meant, her face flushing with shame and anger. She wanted to say something but held back, turning away irritably.
Watching Akane Nanao walk away angrily, Alistair wasn't bothered. The investigation into Shouya Katase wouldn't be the end of it; she would surely need his help to solve the subsequent problems, and he would have more fun then.
"Hey, Hisa, I have something for you to do." Alistair opened his phone and called the secretary he had only met once.
"Yes, Young Master Koyasu. I have plenty of time right now." Hisa, on the other end of the line, immediately sat up straight, listening attentively to Alistair's instructions.
"I need you to investigate someone's recent life. You have the contacts, right? His name is Shouya Katase, a second-year student at Sakura Public Academy. He's undergone a significant change recently. Find someone to investigate what happened to him recently. If you can't find anything, then you're incompetent. It's natural for capable people to replace those who aren't, isn't it?"
Alistair spoke casually, not forgetting to add a threat at the end. He didn't know the woman's background, at most guessing she might be the heroine of some cuckold scenario. Since he hadn't contacted her for work much lately, Alistair worried she might slack off, so he explicitly threatened her.
"Yes, Young Master Koyasu, I will find a way. However, it might take a little time." Hisa shuddered at Alistair's words and immediately assured him.
"A little time is fine. Just try not to take too long."
It was normal for investigating a person to take some time; it wasn't like searching online for information. Alistair didn't mind waiting, but it was a bit regrettable that he couldn't immediately get Akane Nanao to use her melons to grip him. Speaking of which, Alistair had planned to go and thoroughly enjoy Akane Nanao tonight; he had already made an appointment with 'Akane Nanao.' It seemed he would have to tell her to go straight home when the time came.
Sometimes, a good dish needed to be savored slowly. If the first time was a hurried gulp, the second time certainly needed to be slowly appreciated for its deliciousness.