Bang!
The Prime Minister of John Bull shot to his feet, slamming his palm onto the table with a dull, resounding thud. The bottle of mineral water at the corner of the table shook.
His face was flushed red, veins throbbing at his temples. His voice carried the anger and humiliation that had built up all afternoon before finally finding an outlet.
"We disagree. There is no way we will sign a treaty like this!"
After speaking, he paused, his gaze sweeping down toward the document covers before lifting again.
"If we sign this, will our country still be our country? We'll all become vassal states of Rabbit Nation!"
His finger lightly tapped the tabletop before withdrawing and falling to his side.
"We can discuss disarmament—but there is no reason whatsoever to sign a document of total surrender like this. Our people will never accept it."
The room fell silent again after he finished, and no one across the long table responded.
Not long after his words faded, the President of Bear Nation spoke from his seat. His voice was low and restrained, carrying the firmness needed to hold one's ground in negotiations.
"That's right! Once this treaty is signed, every bit of our nation's independent decision-making power will cease to exist. Our defense budgets, diplomatic direction, education systems, media content, energy imports and exports—all of it will need Rabbit Nation's approval. This is no longer a treaty. These are the measures imposed on a vassal state." He paused, lowering his voice further. "At most, we can agree to disarmament, but we cannot sign a treaty like this. Rabbit Nation may be powerful—but dozens of countries are sitting here. You cannot wipe out every one of us."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the conference room seemed