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[Crossover] Ch 172: The Green Hat
🕑 Added 2025-07-29 14:34:24 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
The unexpected greeting stunned the room into silence for a solid few seconds.
Then, Asagi's face flushed red. She bolted across the room in three quick steps, slammed her hands down on the table in front of Ryo, and shouted. "Who the hell are you calling father-in-law?!"
Her voice practically hit the ceiling—it was all embarrassment, no shame spared.
Meanwhile, Ryo, comfortably seated on the sofa with one elbow resting on the armrest and his cheek propped up lazily, chuckled.
"Not bad, right? Pretty interesting way to say hello?"
"Interesting my ass!" Asagi was so flustered, she looked like she was about to cry.
"Really? That's disappointing. I was hoping to surprise you," Ryo said with a sigh, like he was genuinely let down.
"It was a shock, not a surprise!" Asagi half-laughed, half-complained, not sure if she wanted to scream or crawl under a rock.
What kind of person jokes like that in front of someone's father? Then again… this was totally in character for Ryo Yagami.
After all, he was the kind of guy who'd casually joke about picking up girls in bars right after meeting someone. No filter whatsoever.
Asagi turned her head with a dramatic sigh and gave her dad a sheepish look.
"Don't get the wrong idea, okay? That was obviously a joke."
'You say that, but how am I not supposed to overthink it?' Sensai Aiba forced a strained smile and looked past her—to the man still lounging comfortably in the chair.
Joke or not, it was painfully clear that Asagi and Ryo were close. Probably very close.
In a way, that was better than the worst-case scenario he'd imagined walking in here. But still, as a father, it left a sour taste in his mouth.
"Alright, joke's over," Ryo said, pointing casually to the open seat on the couch across from him. "Why don't you two have a seat? Make yourselves comfortable."
Once both of them had settled in, he leaned forward, propping his chin on one hand again.
"So… I assume you're both up to speed on the whole 'I now rule Itogami Island' thing?"
"Yes." Sensai gave a nod, his tone noticeably more relaxed than before.
Before entering the room, the words "Fourth Primogenitor" conjured up images of mass murder, bloodshed, and apocalyptic-level chaos.
Now? Now he was picturing a promising young man who might just be secretly dating his daughter.
That absurd shift in perception was entirely Ryo's fault—dropping a bomb of a joke like that the second they walked in. But Sensai couldn't help suspecting it had been intentional, a psychological trick to break down his defenses and soften his image.
And damn it… it was working.
Sensai knew he was lying to himself. But deep down, he wanted that lie to be true.
Because if this version of the Fourth Primogenitor—the laid-back jokester with a thing for his daughter—was real, then maybe… just maybe, his family wouldn't be in mortal danger.
Compared to her father's complicated mental gymnastics, Asagi's reaction was far simpler. She turned to Ryo the moment she sat down and started her usual snappy commentary.
"You suddenly becoming the Fourth Primogenitor and taking over the entire island... isn't that a bit too over-the-top?"
Ryo grinned. "Life's full of surprises, isn't it?"
"Yeah, well, every time you bring a surprise, it's just one freak-out after another."
She rolled her eyes and glanced around. "Speaking of which… where's Natsuki-chan?"
"She's busy organizing the island's security forces," Ryo said casually. "Don't let her size fool you—Natsuki is more responsible than she looks."
"...Now that you mention it, that's actually true." Asagi recalled hearing a lot about Natsuki's 'teacher from hell but heart of gold' reputation back at Saikai Academy. Tutoring failing students for free, staying late without complaint, harsh but fair—some students even called her an angel.
Yeah. She was definitely the overly responsible type.
Ryo let out a sigh beside her. "If only there were more leaders like her, the world would be a much better place."
"Totally agree," Asagi chimed in.
But her father, sitting beside her, perked up immediately. He caught the subtle shift in tone. His eyes snapped to Ryo, a hint of realization in them.
"Your Majesty… are you implying—?"
'Wow,' Ryo thought with a smirk. 'That didn't take long. Already calling me "Your Majesty," huh?'
He leaned back, still smiling. "The position of Prime Minister of Itogami is currently vacant. Interested, Senator Aiba?"
Of course he was interested. Sensai weighed the possibilities silently before replying calmly. "What kind of empire are you hoping to build, Your Majesty?"
Ryo tapped his fingers on the table, one beat at a time. His voice was slow and deliberate.
"Prosperous. Civilized. Harmonious. Free. Just. And lawful."
"...Understood." Sensai placed both hands on his knees and bowed slightly.
"You can count on me. I'll handle it."
Ryo's grin widened. "Then I'll leave this new country in your capable hands, Prime Minister Aiba."
"???"
Asagi looked between them, completely lost.
What just happened?
Did they really just name my dad Prime Minister like it was no big deal?!
From the corner of his eye, Ryo caught her blank stare and held back a laugh.
Poor girl. She has no idea her dad just sold her off.
Sure, Sensai might have the political skill and administrative experience to take on the job. But in his early forties, with no elite family background, he had zero chance of becoming Prime Minister in any real-world political ecosystem. Positions like that were practically reserved for a handful of legacy families.
Even if Itogami Island had just declared independence, its old systems wouldn't vanish overnight.
But if the Aiba family were to produce a princess…
Well, that changed everything.
So, yes—technically, Sensai had just asked what kind of nation Ryo wanted to build.
But the real negotiation started the moment he accepted the joke about the "father-in-law" without protest.
Which meant, in a way… Ryo had just cleared the biggest hurdle in any relationship: winning over the dad.
Not that he particularly cared about that part.
"I'll have Meiga Itogami send over the formal documents," Ryo said casually. "As for policymaking, I'll grant you full authority and my personal backing."
"Thank you for your trust."
As the two men continued exchanging political courtesies like old friends, Asagi sat there, totally out of the loop, her expression reading: Who am I? Where am I? What am I even doing here?
After another ten minutes of high-level agreement between her dad and Ryo, the conversation finally circled back to her.
"Now, about cyber-security…" Ryo said, turning to her. "I want to hire you as the Chief Technology Officer of the Artificial Island Management Corporation."
Sensai hesitated, knowing this was the critical point—the real issue: control over the Priestess of Cain.
He opened his mouth, looked at Ryo, then exhaled deeply.
"...Let her decide. I've failed as a father long ago. I haven't been able to control this child for years."
Asagi gave him a sharp look that basically said, 'Glad you finally figured it out.'
From her perspective, this was a massive personal victory. The cold, distant father she'd fought with for years had finally backed off.
She had no idea how or why it happened.
But who cared? A win was a win.
Seeing that her dad had officially surrendered parental authority, Ryo smiled and turned to her.
"So, Asagi—what do you think?"
"How much does it pay?"
She asked without hesitation. For her, jobs started with one question: what's the salary?
Ryo looked slightly amused. "Name your price."
"Oho~ Then don't blame me for being greedy!" Asagi grinned playfully.
She decided she'd ask for ten times the going rate. Not too outrageous, since she'd be asking Ryo for a favor soon. Better not go full blackmailer.
'Yeah… she's definitely not the bargaining type,' Ryo thought with a soft chuckle.
But salary wasn't really his aim here.
—He was after the person.
And now it was time to seal the deal.
"Well, since the empire's just getting started, I can't offer a huge salary right away. But how about this—I'll trade you something that is within my power."
Asagi's eyes lit up.
She was just wondering how to bring up her mom's condition—and here he was, offering without her even asking. That caught her off guard.
Is he seriously this thoughtful…?
Trying not to look too excited, she nodded seriously.
"You sure? No take-backs."
Ryo, ever the smooth operator, replied with a smirk. "A King doesn't go back on his word."
Her heart skipped.
Then, slowly, carefully, she asked. "...Then what if I want you to turn my mother… into a vampire?"
The room fell silent.
Sensai froze.
Ryo blinked.
They both turned to look at each other.
In that moment, Ryo could see the imaginary green hat hovering over Sensai's head.
Coincidentally, Sensai was picturing the exact same thing.
The awkwardness in the room hit critical mass.
Somewhere in the background, the Cuckold Alarm was blaring like a fire drill.
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