Councilor Sasaki listened to his guests with a calm expression. It took a brief moment, but alas, he looked slightly taken aback by the propositions of both women. "Ms. Mori, Ms. Hideyoshi, I must say, I am surprised that you even considered the idea of paying for the repairs. There appears to have been a misunderstanding. The repairs for Pipilo and Ocai were never meant to be a bargaining chip or part of any diplomatic negotiation. These repairs are a token of goodwill, given freely in recognition of your past and ties to the Dragon movement."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "The Blood Dragons remember the contributions and sacrifices made by those who have stood with us, in contrast to that, restoring the ships to their former glory is the least we can do and nothing short of a formality." With that said, it could be felt that the atmosphere in the room grew more collaborative. "Now then, if there are no other personal matters to address, we shall continue with our negotiations."
![[Image: nvLh5yk.png]](https://i.imgur.com/nvLh5yk.png)