Tricia thoroughly dominated the meeting from start to finish.
"Then regarding the Divine Punishment conditions—"
"If you use it for its intended purpose, the Divine Punishment won't trigger. Surely you're not planning to break the rules?"
"T-then regarding the price surge of Tower Coins..."
"You mean easing the price of Holy Water? Wouldn't that cause one-sided losses for us?"
"That's... our side's items..."
"You want to sell them to the Tower? What are you planning to sell?"
"..."
Seo Ryu-in tried to carefully bring up negotiation proposals, but Tricia mercilessly cut her off each time, picking out only the key points.
Tariff adjustments, Divine Punishment conditions, easing Holy Water prices based on market rates—no matter what proposal was brought up, they were helpless before Tricia's sharp responses.
Her critiques were sharp and cold, as if she already knew everything about this meeting.
Kim Ha-cheong, worried the meeting might completely fall apart, secretly signaled to Seo Ryu-in.
*Don't demand that anymore! We'll all die at this rate!*
He was desperately trying to maintain balance so the government's demands wouldn't appear too aggressive.
"To begin with, the tariffs themselves aren't particularly problematic even by your legal standards, right?"
"...Yes, legally there are no issues."
"Mr. Constitution...?"
Meanwhile, Im Heon-beop remained in a dazed state, repeatedly answering that there were no legal problems with whatever Tricia said.
Seo Ryu-in's documents also included discussions about mutual defense treaties for diplomatic security, but...
"Weren't the Climbers the ones who attacked our Tower first? We're just trying to defend ourselves, is that a problem?"
They had taken for granted that Climbers would ascend the Tower, and now an unexpected problem had emerged.
The already unsettled atmosphere of the meeting was sinking into an endless swamp of despair, and the Guardians' mood was growing increasingly cold.
The three government representatives failed to find common ground with Tricia, and the meeting began flowing according to My Home Tower's agenda.
Crow hadn't said a word since the meeting began, just sitting quietly.
*At this rate, we'll end up signing a treaty with ridiculous conditions.*
Finally, Geom Heuk-beom stood up abruptly and exclaimed.
"Sophistry! Isn't the Tower supposed to be a place that provides trials for Climbers?"
Instead of Tricia, Zergos responded, looking at him fiercely.
"Wasn't it you who defined the Tower that way? Why are you imposing your standards on us?"
"...?"
With Zergos's single remark, the perception of "Tower" that had been taken for granted for five years crumbled in Geom Heuk-beom's mind.
"I'll acknowledge your general perception of Towers, but remember that this place is different from ordinary Towers."
"..."
Geom Heuk-beom finally sat down quietly, unable to offer any rebuttal.
At that moment, Yun Seo-jin stood up with a half-resigned expression.
He bowed deeply toward Tricia and pleaded earnestly.
"Our delegation is prepared to accommodate your demands as much as possible. So I humbly beg you. Please tell us the conditions of the 'Divine Punishment' in the Holy Water so innocent people won't be harmed...!"
Yun Seo-jin's words contained genuine sincerity, truly concerned for others without a trace of impurity.
"...You're sincere."
Tricia's first positive response to the delegation instantly melted the cold atmosphere enveloping the conference room.
The Guardians nodded at each other, and Tricia also nodded with a slight smile.
"Alright. I'll tell you the activation conditions for the 'Divine Punishment.' It's better to prevent unintended branding incidents."
And so, a proper meeting finally began.
First, the government was able to hear from Ju Ji-ye about the activation conditions of the "Divine Punishment."
The activation conditions were that the Brand would be applied if the Holy Water was used for purposes other than intended, and the activation range would target everyone who attempted to use the Holy Water for other purposes.
They were also informed that most actions that occurred during transport or storage for proper use, without tampering with the contents of the Holy Water, were not included in the activation conditions.
For example, if Holy Water designated for hospital use was stored in a hospital, and someone took out the bottle to take photos or wipe off dust, it wouldn't trigger the Brand since it didn't affect the contents.
Another warning was that since the Holy Water bottle resembled Tricia's appearance, if someone were to clearly lick the figurine on the cap or use it to satisfy impure desires... it could be considered blasphemy and trigger the Brand.
Thinking that the last warning would inevitably lead to trouble for someone, they also asked about methods to remove the Brand applied by the "Divine Punishment"—
But they received only an ambiguous answer: one must understand their sin and repent properly to remove it.
When asked what the proper method was, Ju Ji-ye answered:
"It varies from person to person. If you find yourself unable to figure out how to remove it... come to My Home Tower and seek Tricia's pardon."
And in exchange for providing information about the "Divine Punishment," My Home Tower requested only one thing.
Tricia spoke to the delegation in a solemn voice.
"Please ensure that Climbers can continue to freely visit My Home Tower in the future."
She also added a subtle warning that if Climbers completely stopped visiting My Home Tower for some reason, even they couldn't guarantee what might happen afterward.
Subsequently, the government achieved results by finalizing a contract for mass supply of Holy Water.
An enormous contract allowing for the trade of over 10,000 bottles of Holy Water monthly.
However, the moment of signing the contract was absolute terror.
Seo Ryu-in had to sign in front of the otherworldly being Shephid, who seemed lethal to the touch, and the undead Zergos, who was half skeleton.
*They're both terrifying—!*
She wanted to run away out of fear, but she couldn't flee after coming this far.
Suppressing her urge to escape, she signed with trembling hands and obtained the official diplomatic document.
As soon as she returned to her seat, she collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
Although they hadn't managed to reduce the tariffs by even a penny, just finalizing the deal was a significant achievement.
With this, the historic diplomatic meeting between the nation and the Tower seemed to finally conclude.
Tricia seemed to think the same, as she stood up and delivered closing remarks to the delegation.
"I think it's about time we wrap up the meeting. Do you have anything else to say?"
Normally, this would be followed by a few more questions before ending, or the meeting would end without questions.
However—
"Oh, I do!"
Seo Ryu-in, with glazed eyes, reflexively answered.
And suddenly she began pouring out her impressions about My Home Tower's recreational facilities!
"The recreational facilities in My Home Tower were absolutely amazing! The atmosphere was wonderful, the hot springs were effective, and all the food was delicious...!"
At that moment, the entire delegation felt like they stopped breathing.
Even Crow, who had been watching indifferently until now, was surprised by this sudden outburst!
The startled delegation hurriedly tried to stop her, but Tricia raised her hand to restrain them.
"It's fine. Please continue."
"...Huh?"
Only then did Seo Ryu-in realize what she had said.
But it was too late to turn back!
Moreover, since the Tower Administrator had asked her to continue, she had no choice but to keep going.
"...Yes. So, the maids were extremely kind... the hotel was beautiful... the massage was incredibly pleasant... and the cocktail bar in the casino..."
Even in this incredibly awkward situation, she had to keep talking.
Strangely enough, the Guardians were nodding with pleased expressions one by one.
Tricia also nodded quietly, her mood visibly improved.
"...It was truly like a dream."
As she finished speaking, applause erupted from Tricia and the Guardians.
"Thank you for such kind praise. This is a small gift."
Then she reached into her wing and pulled out a well-packaged box.
She levitated the box into the air, and it traced a gentle arc before landing neatly in Seo Ryu-in's arms.
As she received the box, a system window appeared in mid-air, revealing the item's information to the delegation.
「Replica Statue of the Majestic Angel (Small)」
「All residents in the area governed by the possessor of this item will receive the [Angel's Touch (Small)] buff.」
「This buff persists according to faith in 'Eriel Tricia,' and its effects are incrementally strengthened when faith values exceed certain thresholds.」
[Angel's Touch (Small)]
- Damage reduction increased by 3%
- Slight increase in natural healing ability
- Slight increase in disease resistance
- Slight alleviation of mental disorders
「※ This item does not provide resurrection buff effects.」
"...???"
Everyone in the delegation was astonished after reading the effects.
Assuming Korea's president used this, it meant all citizens living in the country could receive the buff.
For some reason, the resurrection buff wasn't available, but it might be excessive greed to expect such an effect from an item that already provided a nationwide area buff.
Tricia smiled gently and said:
"In our next meeting, I'd like to discuss sharing agricultural products, technology, and magic. Thank you all for your hard work."
"Ah... thank you!"
After expressing the intention to continue regular exchanges in the future, Seo Ryu-in conveyed grateful thanks with joy.
"Shall we shake hands before concluding?"
At Tricia's suggestion, the Guardians all rose from their seats and moved toward the conference room exit.
The delegation also stood up.
Although some Guardians were still intimidating and frightening beings, since the meeting had ended on a positive note, they couldn't ruin the atmosphere, so everyone forced smiles and exchanged handshakes.
In Gluttony (Wang Jjin-ppang)'s case, he surprisingly created a normal-looking hand for the handshake, but because his appearance was so bizarre, the delegation members all gave strained smiles and quickly finished shaking his hand before moving on to the next Guardian.
However, Im Heon-beop's mental state still hadn't recovered, and he continued shaking hands mechanically with a blank expression.
Soon after, Lilithis stood before him.
Pretending to shake his hand, she stretched her head close and whispered quietly in his ear.
"Don't worry. What you experienced on the 39th floor... wasn't an irreversible reality, but merely a sweet dream."
"...What?!"
At that moment, focus returned to Im Heon-beop's eyes.
Realizing that the time he spent with the succubus was just a "dream," his frozen brain began working rapidly again.
If that appearance and dream were just memories implanted by the succubus, merely a mischievous prank...?
*Right, there's no reason I would have done such things. I completely fell for the succubus's prank.*
Though it was his wishful thinking, by reminding himself that he was still a law-abiding citizen and a normal human being, he was able to return to his usual cold-headed self.
After all five delegation members finished shaking hands with the Guardians, Crow and Tricia finally faced each other.
They silently extended their hands, and their eyes met briefly during the firm handshake.
"So, are you satisfied with the results?"
"Actually, in the middle, I was considering whether I should say something because it was hard to accept..."
"Hmm?"
"I trusted you and waited. The results are satisfactory enough."
"That's good, then... will you be able to complete the request well?"
Reminding him about electronic devices and identification cards, Tricia looked at Crow.
"I'll complete your request as soon as possible. And... at that time, I'll show you the face behind my mask."
With those words, he released the handshake and followed the delegation outside the Tower.
Tricia smiled, happy at the thought of being able to use electronic devices soon.
And so, the truly long day was coming to an end.
---
As the delegation stepped outside My Home Tower, numerous reporters and cameras swarmed around them as if they had been waiting.
"How did the meeting go?"
"What did you discuss with the Tower Administrator?"
"Was it a success or a failure?"
Surrounded by reporters, the delegation members nodded as if by prior agreement and spoke in unison.
"This meeting was successfully concluded thanks to Seo Ryu-in here!"
"That's right. Without Seo Ryu-in, we couldn't have changed the Tower Administrator's mind."
"I agree. Without her, this meeting might have failed."
Geom Heuk-beom, Yun Seo-jin, and Crow took turns praising Seo Ryu-in—
"???"
Seo Ryu-in looked around with a bewildered face.
Even Kim Ha-cheong and Im Heon-beop, quick to read the situation, hastily chimed in with agreement.
*I... didn't do anything except sign...*
She felt wronged.
But her contribution to the smooth conclusion of the meeting was undeniable, so it wasn't entirely untrue.
Naturally, her photo appeared prominently in the headlines of numerous articles.
"Government's Secret Weapon Successfully Retrieves Holy Water!"
"Who is Seo Ryu-in, the Victor Against My Home Tower?"
"Amazing Rhetoric That Even Gold Line Robbers Would Admire... 'Emotional' Waves at My Home Tower"
As sensational headlines exaggerating and inflating Seo Ryu-in's achievements began pouring out, the media showed an explosive response.
Her name topped the real-time search rankings, followed by My Home Tower in second place and Crow in third.
And so, in just one day.
Seo Ryu-in had become a <Popular Star> supported by countless citizens.