188, Come to Our Place?

Comparing an Arasaka department head position—a lofty post that small-company CEOs would willingly sell their entire businesses to obtain—to a street joytoy, Carl's way of thinking was truly unique.

But on her twisted scales of value, there was indeed no essential difference between the two.

No, wait.

That did not seem quite right.

It was practically an insult to those joytoys who were genuinely forced by circumstance to sell their bodies for a living.

Humans were nobler than beasts.

And for certain people who considered themselves superior, where did that "nobility" lie? It lay in how, when they "consumed" their own kind, they elegantly demanded that the other party prepare themselves properly before respectfully presenting themselves at the table.

And those self-important corporate elites—

They were more contemptible than the most vicious predators.

At least when beasts hunted, they did not put gold-trimmed collars on their prey, make them willingly offer up their throats, or wipe their mouths with handkerchiefs after feasting and say:

"This is the honor you deserve."

Carl could still tell which side deserved respect: the weak, forced into doing such things, or the strong, who elevated themselves and did the same.

Feeling nothing but amused mockery toward her appointment and the authority of her department head position, Carl straightened slightly, tapped her fingers against the chair, and said to Maki over the call, "I more or less know what position they gave me. It is indeed a fairly important one, but Maki, can you guess what I want most right now?"

"What do you want, Carl?"

Maki's thoughtful voice came from the other end of the communicator.

She tilted her head, lightly tapping her chin with her index finger as her gaze drifted between Haruko and Chiyome nearby—Haruko was bent over her desk working, her hair