Fifth floor, demon hunter guild. Inside an office space.
—Tap! —Tap!
The rhythmical tapping sound of my fingers echoed across the office space.
Opposite to me was Edward Stern's holographic image. Neither one of us spoke.
"What you proposed is 15% on all profits with no shares, am I correct?"
He was the first to break the silence.
"Mhm, that's my initial proposal"
I nodded my head in confirmation.
"Isn't that a bit too low?"
"I believe fifteen percent is extremely fair. Given that we're just borrowing your name for protection"
Throughout the exchange, neither mine nor Edward's expression changed.
To be a good negotiator one needed to be a good actor. That was what I had learned throughout my life.
If the other party knew about what you were aiming for, things became much easier for them.
Only through deception and indifference could one make a great negotiator.