After that, Fang Zheng and the others were arranged to stay in the castle's guest rooms. One could imagine that it would be a very difficult day for those dead people, but Fang Zheng did not care. After arriving in the room, he sat on the sofa, petting the little kitten with one hand while reading a newspaper he had casually picked up from nearby.
The other girls, on the other hand, discussed the matter incessantly.
"What do you think they'll choose?"
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this..."
"They'll probably agree to Mr. Fang Zheng's demands, right? If they don't, they'll all be burned to death!"
"But to them, we're outsiders. Asking them to make such a decision so suddenly..."
"Ah, this is so worrying..."
The girls kept talking, but Misaka Mikoto could not help getting irritated as she watched Fang Zheng petting the cat and reading the newspaper beside them.
"Mr. Fang Zheng, aren't you nervous at all?"
"What would I be nervous about?"
Fang Zheng casually replied as he turned a page of the newspaper.
"I've already offered them both the sword and the olive branch. Now it's up to them to make their choice. Once they choose, they have to bear the consequences."
"B-but maybe they just haven't thought it through. Maybe they'll decide to take a gamble..."
"I told you, Misaka."
Fang Zheng interrupted Misaka Mikoto's defense and stared at her.
"Everyone has to bear the consequences of their choices. The cause, the process, the motive—none of that matters. The same goes for you. Don't forget that the choice you made also led to the outcome you're facing now."
"...!"
Misaka Mikoto's face immediately turned pale as she sharply sucked in a breath. Of course she knew what Fang Zheng meant.