A few minutes later after some rustling of clothes, Nona reappears from behind the crates.

「…I'm wearing more now, and I feel like I'm wearing less.」

She says, tugging down at her skirt that largely reveals her thick thighs.

「You can always strip down if that'll make you feel better.」

Straf dismissively says, fiddling with the camera. Nona pouts silently in response, and adjusts her pale black uniform jacket.

「…How do I look?」

She asks, peeking down at her skirt of same color.

「Very fetishistic and controversial. Keep those two in a good balance.」

Straf says, as Nona takes her peaked cap off to take a look at it. A metal, silver emblem of a dragon spreading its wings captures her attention. Her eyes drift lower to another emblem, a grinning skeleton holding its skeletal thumb up.

「Put your hat back on and look at me.」

Straf commands Nona, raising his camera just below his eye level. Nona quickly swings her cap back onto her head and faces him.

「And?…」

She asks, giving her skirt a few more tugs downward.

「Now look at me like I owe you money.」

Straf says, lifting the camera's viewfinder to his eye. Nona tilts her head, blinking at Straf with confused amber eyes.

「Tsk… Seriously? That is how your face would look like?」

Straf asks, lowering the camera with his mouth aslant.

「I don't really need money that much. Slink still owes me a few silvers.」

She shrugs her shoulders in her militaristic jacket.

「Wow, and he'd almost get away with it too, huh? Alright. I need you to make a serious face. Dead serious.」

Straf says, pointing his finger at Nona. He brings the camera back to his eye level, and Nona scowls heavily.

「No, stop forcing it. You need to look serious. Like there is no joy in your life. Like the only thing you look forward to is making peoples' lives miserable.」

Straf instructs her, and Nona shoots back a warm, cheery smile at him. Somewhat surprised, he lowers his camera. He and Nona look at each other, and after a moment she innocently cocks her head. Straf sighs.

「I don't think I get it…」

She says, tilting her head the other way.

「Okay. Imagine your job is to paint grass green. Imagine you'll have to do that for twenty, thirty years. You'll be doing that with a little tiny paintbrush. Every single blade of grass. Got it?」

Straf says, and Nona furrows her brows gently. She looks down at the floor, blinking, thinking about something. Her eyes return to Straf, and she looks at him with a mildly perplexed, greatly dissatisfied, and yet still somewhat neutral expression.

「Great! That's the exact face! Arms straight down and keep looking at me like that!」

He exclaims, and lifts the viewfinder up to his eye.

Fwap!

「Ow!」

The camera flashes in Nona's face, and she recoils back covering her eyes.

「Nice. Now I'll just have to wait for this to develop and stick it on.」

Straf says, setting the camera back down on the printer contraption. He pulls the undeveloped photo out, setting it aside, and throws the camera back into his [Portable Storage]. Nona pulls her hands away from her eyes, blinking as they re-adjust back to the dim light in the warehouse.

「…Is that it?」

She asks as she recovers from the blinding flash.

「Yup, the rest is my manual work… Ahhh, man, I really need to figure out a way to streamline this.」

Straf replies, sitting down with the photo in his lap. He reaches into the swirling purple vortex again, and pulls out quite regular looking scissors.

「…I thought there would be more to it.」

Nona says, looking over Straf's shoulder as he trims her photo into an identification-size portrait. Using his cast arm as an ad-hoc vice for the photo against his knee, he carefully snips away at it with the scissors.

「Like what? All I needed was your information and your photo, and since the photo is a little pain in the ass to change, I figure it'd be best if you'd be in the uniform for it.」

Straf says, reaching into his [Portable Storage] to pull out a little clay pitcher of glue, and a small brush.

「Man, good thing I don't need to reheat this, what a pain that would be…」

He mumbles to himself as he pulls out Nona's identification card and applies the glue to the photo area.

「…Well, you took me to a secluded place. And you gave me weird, revealing clothes…」

Nona says, idly pacing around the warehouse behind Straf with her hands clasped behind her back.

「You mean you wanted to change in public?」

Straf sarcastically asks, looking over his shoulder with his brows raised. He returns to what he was doing, and blows air onto the identification card after gluing Nona's grim face onto it.

「I mean that I expected you to do some pervolich stuff to me…」

She says, turning to face Straf's back.

「First off, temper your expectations. Second, stop calling me that. I'm not even a necromancer and you're going to give me trouble sooner or later. Fwooo…」

Straf says, and continues gently blowing air at the photo.

「I knooow, I'm just kidding… But it'd be kind of fun, wouldn't it? If you'd raise me as a zombie?」

Nona asks with a faint smile, spinning around on her heel with her hands behind her back as she continues aimlessly waddling around the dim warehouse.

「Fun? Fwoooo… What's your definition of fun? I'm fairly sure you'd be dead if you'd be a zombie. Fwoooo…」

Straf furrows his brows at Nona's disturbing sense of fun. He continues blowing air onto the photo regardless.

「Ahahaha… You know, I've heard some necromancers actually trap souls of the dead in their bodies. What if you'd do that to me? Imagine I'd still be myself, just as a zombie.」

Nona giggles with a grin, turning back to Straf again. He pauses just before blowing more air onto the card.

《…I'm getting a sneaking suspicion she's not exactly healthy.》

「…Where have you even heard that? Fwooo…」

Straf asks over his shoulder with his brows furrowed.

「Just rumors with the guys some time back…」

Nona replies, pacing around some more with an innocent smile. Her amber eyes unnaturally reflect the little light that shines into the warehouse, causing them to appear almost like ominous floating orbs in the dark.

「Say, Straf… What would you do if I was your zombie? What would you have me do, if I was under your control? If I couldn't refuse?」

Nona asks with a smile, keeping her hands clasped behind her back. Straf looks up at nothing in particular as he thinks.

「…Honestly? Probably the rest of the uniforms and IDs for the Ministry. This is a drag. Fwoo…」

He shrugs, and continues blowing air onto the photo.

「Huuuuh? Boooooriiiing. I thought you'd make me do something a pervolich would do…」

Nona says, taking wide, slow steps as she paces around.

「Of course it's boring, that's why I'd have you do that. Again, temper your expectations. Fwoooo…」

Straf scoffs, shaking his head.

「Grrr… Grrr! Why do I live again!? What do you want of me!?」

Nona says with a wide grin, sticking her arms out forward as she shambles towards Straf. She draws closer and closer, zombie-walking with hands outstretched towards his back. Straf glances at her over his shoulder, and sighs.

「Grrr… What is your wish? What must I do for you to release me!?」

Nona continues growling with a grin, creeping closer and closer.

「For now, I'd appreciate it if you'd just let me finish- Hm?」

Straf looks over his shoulder at Nona with a slanted mouth as she approaches. To his surprise, she doesn't stop when she's right behind him. She reaches out for his shoulders, pushing him over onto his back.

Nona crawls onto Straf with a broad grin, still growling in a poor imitation of a zombie. She locks her amber eyes with his, looking down at him.

「Grr… What will you have me do?… Master?…」

Twap.

Nona asks softly with a smug grin. Her hat falls off her head and lands right next to Straf. Either accidentally or by intent, his knee is now between her thighs, just beneath her skirt. Heavy breathing breaks up the otherwise graveyard silence.

《…Alright, my pants are getting a little tight.》

Straf grunts, shifting around a little beneath Nona.

「…Can you wait patiently until I'm done with your identification? I have people waiting for me.」

Straf gets up, pushing Nona away with him by her shoulder.

「Humpf… Okay…」

Nona pouts as she picks her hat up. She dusts it off by patting it with her fingers, and puts it back onto her head. She returns to idly pacing around the warehouse.

「Craft… Badge.」

Straf continues muttering words to himself. Another object appears in a glow of light after he taps the thin air with his finger, a golden badge with letters MOS embossed on its stamped graphic, just like his.

「Wallet.」

He utters out, taps the air again, and a two-part wallet drops into his hand when the glow subsides. With deft fingers, he slips Nona's identification card into the upper part, and pins the badge onto the bottom half.

「There. Now you can intimidate people through the power of bureaucracy.」

Straf shows Nona her Ministry identification as she waddles up with her head tilted.

「…So if I show it to people, they'll do whatever I want them to?」

Nona asks, taking the identification into hands from Straf.

「Yeah, pretty much. You just need to say your name with a really grim expression like on the photo and say you're from the-」

「Nona Bounder, Minustea of Security!… You now have to do as I say, Straf.」

Pointing her finger at him, Nona shoves her new identification into Straf's face without allowing him to finish.

「…It's Ministry. Work on the delivery, and I might.」

Straf corrects Nona, and turns for the exit.

「Ehhh? Can you teach me, then?」

She hops behind Straf, catching up to his side.

「Nope, can't. I have people to see, votes to laugh at, and I'm going to the beach with Lia.」

Straf shakes his head, placing his hand back in his pocket.

「Can I come too!?」

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Nona asks with a wide grin and an excited tone, almost like a child half her age.

「Nope.」

Straf bluntly shoots her down.

「Ehhh!? Why?」

「'Cause you'll be too busy working and doing your best. Help the Ministry agents do their jobs, and interrogate anyone they bring in, alright?」

Straf says, reaching for the door.

「…You really get along with the queen well, don't you…」

Nona says, pouting as Straf opens the door.

「Yeah, kind of.」

He shrugs his shoulders and exits the warehouse, with Nona following closely behind…

…

Less than an hour later, in Straf's office…

The door gently cracks open, and a maid sticks her face in.

「Minister, should I send in the first candidate?」

She asks while Straf is reclining on his chair with his boots on his desk.

「Yeah, go ahead. He better be good.」

Straf shrugs, the maid leaves, and he waits a few moments. The door opens again. A young girl dressed in a cheap looking dress sheepishly enters.

「H- Hello…」

She nods her head at Straf, and her fluffy mass of hair forming the two short pigtails behind her head jiggles.

「Huh, he's a she. Off to a good start. Sit down.」

Straf says, pointing his palm at the chair opposite of his desk. The girl obediently sits down, visibly keeping her form as narrow and small as she can.

「Who are you?」

Straf asks with his arms crossed and a stern face.

「I'm-m… An…」

The girl stammers, stutters, and says something under her breath with her head lowered.

「What? Speak up.」

Straf raises his brows and commands the girl with a loud voice.

「Lily Hartman, sir…」

She says, much louder than before. Her hazel eyes only dare to momentarily peek at Straf in short bursts, otherwise remaining locked onto his desk.

「Lily? I know a Lily. What do you do?」

Straf nods, grimacing a little.

「I help my parents at their farm…」

She replies, almost too quiet to be heard.

「I figured. You look kind of poor.」

Looking at the girl's plain dress, Straf shrugs his shoulders.

「Ah- Is it that obvious?…」

Lily asks, looking at Straf with a beaten puppy's eyes.

「One look at your clothes and I could tell you belong on a farm. You just need a straw hat on your head and some weed in your mouth, and you'll be the picture-perfect country bumpkin.」

Amused, Straf shrugs his shoulders and grins at the girl.

「B- But this is my best dress… I thought I'd blend in…」

《「Well you thought wrong!」is what I want to say, but…》

Straf thinks as he looks at her. Her are eyes wet, and she's looking down at her lap on the verge of tears. Twiddling her thumbs, her bottom lip trembles.

《…Good grief. Just a little howdy, who are you and you're already turning into a blubbering mess? And you want to be a politician?》

Straf rolls his eyes and sighs.

《Whatever, let's give this girl a chance, at least.》

「Okay, never mind that… Suppose you win, what do you do? Why should I vote for you?」

He asks, and the girl's eyes rise with some renewed courage and excitement in them.

「Um, the kingdom has a large problem of wide-spread poverty!-」

「It has a problem of cookies running you a gold coin, but go on…」

Straf rolls his eyes again as the girl clenches her fist with an intense look in her eyes.

「Er… It has a problem of poverty, so… I thought the first thing I'd do is try to change that.」

「Into universal poverty?」

Straf asks with a smirk, rocking slowly in his chair with his boots still nonchalantly on his desk.

「No! I have an idea! Two, even!」

She shakes her head, and her fluffy pigtails shake with it.

「And that is?」

「What if we'd make sure everyone makes equal amount of money? If the poorest farmers made as much as the-」

With her finger up, she explains her idea to Straf.

「Tsk. So you want to raise taxes on everyone except the poor?」

He asks, glaring at the girl. Her confidence evaporates.

「Ah- Er… Um… What I meant was… What if everyone was given the same amount of money, no matter what work they do?」

She meekly says, making herself small again as she taps her fingers together. Straf snaps his fingers and points at her.

「Right! So you want to make sure no one can raise above anyone else?」

He asks, crossing his arms again and resuming his rocking.

「Um, I wouldn't call it like that, but… I suppose that's how it would work?」

Lily says, anxiously running her fingers through one of her fluffy masses of hair.

「Right. So one of your ideas is a crab bucket. And the other?」

Straf shrugs, and his eyes return to their standard bored look.

「…My other idea is… The bulk of the kingdom's population is in the villages, and the majority are impoverished simple workers like farmers…」

「Yeah, I noticed that. Go on.」

Straf nods along as the young candidate explains.

「…And yet, those simple workers are usually very poorly paid, and don't even own the land they work, or the tools and the workshops they work in. Usually a property owner benefits from the long, long working hours of the people working on his property.」

「Yeah, that's how it is. And?」

Straf keeps nodding along, the girl's eyes grow sad and her tone of voice becomes more somber.

「…I know something about that. My parents just recently bought out their farm, and that's after ten years of grueling work. They didn't have the money to send me to a school. I am very, very lucky to have been taught how to read and write by the village elder…」

She continues, and Straf listens with a slanted mouth.

「…And so when I heard about the queen's plan, I got really excited. I thought that maybe finally I could change things for the better, for everyone-」

「Okay, but what's the idea?」

Straf interrupts the girl, rocking slowly in his chair.

「Ah… Well, it could be two-part, or it could be just one half of it. Either would work… First, what if we stopped using money at all?」

The girl asks, sticking her index finger out.

「…Huh?」

Straf utters out in a somewhat displeased tone.

「What I mean is, what if we all simply agreed we all contribute to the kingdom? Without making assumptions how and by how much? Money is a representation of value for labor, but the poor create disproportionate value for how much they labor in return for the money they receive-」

Straf's cold glare and expression makes the girl pause momentarily as a chill runs down her spine, but after a few blinks, she continues.

「Um… So what if we just stopped using money, and we shared things for free? Food, cattle-」

「Tsk.」

Straf clicks his tongue, glaring daggers at the girl in silence. A deep sense of dread washes over her, and her hands begin to shake.

「A- Aah… M- My other id- Idea is… W- What if the simple laborers implicitly owned their tools and workplace?-」

Straf spits on the floor, interrupting Lily again.

「I know what you are now. Get out of my office.」

Straf growls with a scowl on his face.

「Ah- Ahh… Have I done something wrong?…」

The girl asks as she hastily gets up from her chair and takes a few steps back. Her hands tremble heavily, despite clasping them together to make it appear less so.

「Yeah. You pissed me off. Out.」

Straf rumbles, glaring at her, and points at the door.

「Th- Thank… F.. R… Ti… S- Sorry…」

Lily walks towards the door, turns around and bows down low towards Straf, mumbling and stammering some inaudible thanks and an apology. She straightens out with tears in her eyes barely held back, and she opens the door.

Outside in the hallway, the maid raises her brows. A young girl with her lip trembling exits Straf's office almost crying. She takes a few steps off to the side, facing the maid.

「…Is that it for your meeting, Ms. Hartman?」

The maid asks tenderly, attempting to avoid implying anything uncomfortable.

「I… I-」

Lily looks down, sniffling as she begins to sob.

「You forgot something!」

Straf calls out through the open door.

Fwoopfwoop- Thwack!

A blacksmith's hammer flies out of Straf's office spinning through the air, and lodges itself in the wooden paneling in the hallway's wall. The horrified maid just barely manages to hold back a shocked gasp, after the hammer almost smashed the girl in front of her in her head.

Lily turns around, certain something brushed her fluffy pigtails just now.

「…Huh?」

Confused, she looks at the source of the loud noise with her hand on her fluffy mass.

「…And this!」

Fwapfwapfwap!- Thunk!

Straf shouts out of the room, and a farming sickle carves through the air right in front of Lily's confused face, lodging itself in the wall right next to the hammer.

「Eep!」 「Ah!」

Both the young girl and the maid cry out in fear, jumping up like a startled cat.

「Hack-tfoo. Next.」

Straf spits audibly in his office, and calls out to the startled maid…