Chapter 267: Unity
After promising he would get back to him once the Dragon's Pavilion had a clearer understanding of how to proceed, Vahn parted ways with Minato and met with Venelana, Grayfia, and Misla to apprise them of the situation and hear their opinions. Consequently, they spread the word to the rest of the executives—leading to a marathon screening of the expanded Naruto anime in a private theater.
Though he had viewed Naruto's completed and various what-if sequels multiple times at that point, Vahn found great joy in rewatching them alongside his loved ones. The private theater replaced traditional cinema seating with plush, three-person chenille recliners, so over the course of the nearly ten-day marathon, he went from giving Koneko a lap pillow and caressing Kuroka's velvety bottom to being sandwiched between virtually every combination of his lovers at least once...
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[Day 40]
Following a half-day recess, which, like the marathon itself, occurred in compressed time, Vahn found himself at the head of a large, ring-shaped wooden conference table with Koneko's familiar, Shiro, curled atop his lap as Venelana kicked things off, stating, "Alright, now that everyone is up to speed on the situation in SW-2092, we will now open the floor to opinions and ideas on how to best or most expediently integrate them as one of our core worlds."
As was often the case during such discussions, Sona was the first to raise her hand, her expression and tone calm behind her square-rim glasses as she proposed, "Considering their geopolitical situation, I believe there are three feasible approaches we can take. The most expedient is to reach an agreement with the Daimyo of each Elemental Nation and offer to provide them with the necessary resources they lack. The second is similar, but it involves dealing with the hidden villages. As for the third, it would require us to establish a branch of the Dragon's Pavilion within SW-2092, fulfilling a similar role as the Shinobi Union."
"The third option would surely lead to dissent, but the others would lead to us being taken advantage of by the corrupt officials currently in power," affirmed Rias, contending, "We can still provide what each hidden village needs to bring them to our side, but establishing a central authority is the fastest way to introduce broad changes and reforms."
"Then the solution is simple," chimed Aileen, leaning sideways in her chair with her left foot pulled up and her right cheek resting on the knuckles of her right hand as she suggested, "Just plop a Tower down in the center of their continent and only allow those who agree to obey the Pavilion's laws to enter and benefit from its resources. Then, erect a barrier that prevents killing and restricts power systems, just like the Tower of Ascension's safe zones. Anyone who violates the Pavilion's laws within it gets expelled and won't be able to reenter without an appeal."
Not expecting Aileen to actively contribute to the discussion, everyone at the conference table, including Vahn, stared at her with raised brows and expressions ranging from stupefaction to wonder.