22.2. Diplomatic Negotiations - Part 2

The Czech Prime Minister confidently walks inside. She's one of those people you only see on the news and have no chance of seeing in real life under normal circumstances. She's roughly the same age as Liana and has a similar stern expression but I'm surprised that she's smaller than I was envisioning her.

For what she lacks in height, however, she totally makes up with her dignified conduct and an authoritative aura. She brings four bodyguards and two other members of the government with her. And she doesn't show any surprise seeing us in Draconian clothes.

"Katerina, I'm actually glad to see you," Liana welcomes her and stretches her hand towards the former classmate.

"Laura," Bauerova nods and clutches her offered palm. I can feel she's wary and a bit tense but at the same time doesn't expect we'd endanger her.

"Please, call me Liana," my Viceroy says. "That's my Celestial name."

"If you prefer so," Bauerova shrugs and they're staring into each other's eyes for a while. Then she looks at me. "And you're the famous Aefener," she addresses me with my Celestial name after Liana showed we wish it that way.

"Nice to meet you," I articulate properly because Liana would kill me if I stuttered. I offer her my hand as well. I bet that if she knew I'm a telepath, she would never touch me. But she doesn't know so our palms meet.

She's similar to Liana in many aspects—ruthless, hard-working, ambitious, an over-achiever. But she's also so different. And moreover so... human. Even though I feel she's a person we can't mess with, she's fair when it comes to holding her part of an agreement. Naturally, she lets go of my hand almost immediately so I can't get anything else.

It turns out that those other two people, a man in his fifties with a beard and a bald man in his forties, are the Minister of Defence Brezina and the Minister of Interior Kovar. Their faces are familiar to me but I've hardly ever watched news before the Great Evolution so I wouldn't be able to recall their names if it wasn't for their introduction. They don't offer their hands.

The Minister of Defence is acting very confidently but I can feel he's uneasy. Fefnir's dragon appearance makes him especially uncomfortable but he's most wary of me. As if I was a ticking bomb or something. The Minister of Interior is a bit more relaxed but only a bit.

Next to me, Aefener, Liana briefly brushes the back of my palm when she's getting to her chair so that she can instruct me because we had no time to agree on seating order.

I have no reason not to comply so I sit next to her. The table is a perfect square because there's a 3D projector in the middle so nobody has to feel they're sitting too far or in a chair of lesser importance. I really appreciate it.

"I won't lie, Liana, you making your headquarters in Prague is a huge deal," Bauerova says honestly and without unnecessary courtesies. "Why not staying in your home district in Berlin?"

"Prague is better for our purposes," Liana says, also honestly. "I can't vacate my main offices so easily while this is just a subsidiary. Also, and I have to thank you personally for that, the Bohemian government isn't as stiff. No ulterior motives, just a favourable location in Central Europe."

"Hmm, that's one thing cleared then," the Prime Minister nods. "Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm guessing you want to obtain the status of an embassy?"

"That we do," Liana confirms.

"And you think I'll let you do that in my country?" Bauerova narrows her eyes and the two ministers frown, disapprovingly.

"Actually, I do, Katerina," Liana smiles slightly. "I wouldn't think it possible that the first European LGBT Prime Minister could support any kind of discrimination."

I stare at Bauerova. I didn't realise she's such an advocate for equal rights. I mean... I knew she has a wife, every Czech citizen knows that because she won a campaign while being openly gay. It just never crossed my mind it's relevant in our situation.

"That... I do," Bauerova admits and glances at me and Erik.

She's torn apart. On one hand I can feel she's happy that another influential figure, meaning me, is openly queer, on the other it's hard to compare one's sexual orientation to the appearance of four new races with potentially dangerous powers.

"It would calm the transformed," Liana continues her persuasion. "If Draconians knew that they have an official safe place to come for help, they wouldn't be so nervous."

"You want me to create a precedent," Bauerova sighs.

"I'm not hiding that."

"You're the same as ever, Laura," the Prime Minister shakes her head. "Oh, sorry, I mean Liana," she corrects herself immediately. After all, she's the last person who would deadname anybody.

"So... will you at least consider it for now?" Liana asks her in a kind voice.

"That I can promise," Bauerova hesitantly nods. "I'm not doing it for you, though."

"Oh, I'm actually hurt," Liana grins. "Why then?"

"For my nephew," she says matter-of-factly but I feel a burst of turbulent emotions from her. She glances at Emi.

"He's a Draconian now?" Liana blinks.

"Yes, he started playing that damned videogame of yours as soon as he turned fourteen and now he's a Clawfang," Bauerova says, partly angry, party reconciled with the fact. "I want to protect him. And kids like him. But no promises, the decision isn't only up to me," she looks at her companions.

Emi's expression is unreadable but I feel she didn't expect Bauerova to be so understanding. Is there still a chance to mend her relationship with humans?

"Of course, thank you, Katerina," Liana relaxes that the hardest topic to discuss has been resolved.

"Still, Aefener remains the main problem," the Minister of Defence Brezina speaks up.

"W-what about me?" I almost panic.

"Everything," he frowns and folds his arms. "The EU did a thorough check on you and didn't like what they found."

"Like what?" I still don't understand. "I'm just a student."

"Where should I start?" Kovar cringes his forehead. "Most Draconians are still not fully transformed yet and you're already manipulating three elements at once. We were trying to predict you at level 80 and our generals were uneasy imagining what you'll potentially be able to do."

"Also," Brezina adds, "we're afraid of your influence. Your social network currently has 352 million followers and counting. Most of them aren't even Draconians."

"Then there's your family background," Kovar continues.

"What about it?" I don't understand.

"It's basically non-existent," the minister says. "Someone made an effort to erase everything concerning your mother's history in Japan."

I freeze when they mention my Mom. Were they digging in my past?

"Ryuu," Erik suddenly grabs my hand. "Calm down."

I blink, confused for a moment because Erik feels anxious.

"Aefener, that doesn't look good," Liana grabs my other hand and hisses.

I finally see what's happening. The water in our guests' glasses is boiling.

"I... I didn't mean it... I...," I'm stuttering.

"See? What if he boils our blood next time by accident?" Kovar points out. "It seems even high-levels have to train hard to do spells while Aefener is doing it totally spontaneously. He's a threat."

"You can't do anything to him!" Emi bursts out. "You can't touch any of us. Our people will riot should we be abducted or harmed."

"That won't happen in Bohemia," Bauerova switches to defences. "We won't make the same mistakes as the US. The last thing I want is a civil war, believe me."

Emi studies Bauerova's face for a moment and then calms down a bit. I guess it's because Clawfangs have an extremely sensitive sense of smell. Emi would be able to smell if Bauerova was blatantly lying, literally. Liana did a really good job when considering where to move our headquarters. She couldn't have chosen a more amicable state official. Even Fefnir seems like he trusts the Czech Prime Minister.

"Then we have a lot of to discuss," Liana starts. "There're many points we have to negotiate."

Liana eyes flash and she starts hard negotiations. She might be super rich but even she can't possibly offer financial support to every Draconian in the EU. Minister Kovar is hesitant at first but then he has to admit that they have to petition the EU for help, both financially and materially. Quite a high percentage of Draconians had to leave their homes so unless the Czech government (and all other government for the matter) want to soon face serious problems, they have to be actively looking for solutions.

"Part of the problem is that people are simply afraid of the new races," Bauerova says and her eyes find Fefnir. I get why she thinks it's him who's the most intimidating person among us, at least based solely on the appearance.

"The Dragonkin are actually the most peaceful race, Katerina," Liana sets things straight. "They're generally calm and phlegmatic."

"And we know that, we did our research," the Prime Minister agrees. "The problem is that the public won't see it that way."

"We're really sweet, people just have to come know us better," Fefnir jokes a little.

"So how do we do that?" Bauerova asks.

We continue for another hour. And then another. It's not like I'm getting bored because we're discussing most important topics that might potentially influence the whole world. But I'm getting progressively hungrier and hungrier. I can feel that Erik is starving as well but his hunger doesn't seem that urgent. What the hell? Is my stomach really starting to hurt?

I'm not touching Erik so that he doesn't feel my discomfort but I'm begging Liana to finally end the torture. She does so after another half an hour. The meeting is adjourned to the day after tomorrow when we're supposed to come with some reasonable suggestions.

"Okay, that was long and intense," Fefnir comments when Bauerova and the two ministers finally leave the conference room.

"But rather successful, no?" Ingri asks hopefully.

Being just a teenager and no race ruler, she didn't participate at all in the debate but Liana still wanted her to be there to represent the Earthborn. Also, I'm starting to suspect that my Viceroy is training her to become our future secretary.

"Quite so," Liana nods. "It might not entirely seem that way but Bauerova is supportive of us."

"C-could we go for a lunch now?" I ask weakly. For the last part of the meeting, I wasn't talking much and all I was desperately focusing on was not letting our guests know that I'm not feeling well. Liana is right, we can't afford to show any weakness.

"Sure, the restaurant is actually waiting for us," Liana says and then she notices how cracked my voice sounds. "Are you okay, Aefener?"

"To be honest... I don't feel so good," I admit, wrapping my arms around my stomach.

"Do you feel sick, Ryuuto? Like throwing up?" Erik pets my back in comfort.

"I don't have anything to throw up," I remind him.

"What did Dr Stein tell you about skipping meals?" Liana gets furious. "Your body is still developing."

"Sorry, we overslept and were in a hurry," Erik explains. "We didn't even know where to fetch something to eat."

"In the cafeteria, where else," Liana rolls her eyes. "Why didn't you ask your bodyguards to get you something?"

"Can you stand, Ryuuto?" Erik touches my forehead. I imagine I must be looking very pale.

I try to smile, assure them that I'm coping but the moment I stand up, my vision blurs and if Erik didn't catch me immediately, I'd have probably ended up on the floor.