"May I ask how your morning's going so far?" Nale spoke neutrally the man sitting opposite her as she thumbed through the documents containing the budget requests for the Phoenix project.
"Decently." He replied curtly, sipping a glass of water as he waited for his copy of the requests.
"Good." She replied just as curtly, not particularly interested in prolonging a possibly one sided small talk conversation.
She slid him a copy of the requests.
"Do you feel that these numbers are accurate enough to present to the treasury? "
He raised an eyebrow at her before looking back to the document. "…This estimation is quite conservative"
Nale tilted her head in confusion, not expecting him to react this way.
"Really? I asked for 4 times the usual amount of yul it would take to renovate a small town."
"The treasury is what some might call…heavy handed when it comes to financial matters. Which is why we must request more than we need. I've dealt with them a few times while investigating financial corruption within the kingdom. They've decided to keep a tight hold on the kingdom's funds in response, which is understandable but makes it a pain to get projects approved for funding."
Nale listened intently before nodding in response.
She reached into her bag, rummaging for a moment before pulling out a pair of magic pens and a thick ledger, placing them deliberately in the center of the table.
"I'd like to make use of your expertise in reviewing these numbers then, if that's alright with you."
The air in the room became a little bit less stuffy as she asked that.
He hummed in agreement before connecting his magic to one of the pens, ready to let it start writing in the book as the discuss.
"It would be my pleasure,"he replied softly.
---
"Why were you so willing to join me on this project back at the meeting?" Nale asked him abruptly as they walked to the treasury, eyes briefly flickering up to him.
"I suppose I thought it'd be fun" he responded nonchalanty, somehow still managing to retain his air of superiority.
Nale raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "All of a sudden? You do not seem like a man who makes impulsive decisions."
"I'm not." He responded curtly, his tone as serious as usual.
"And you don't seem like the type who'd be quick to assume, yet here we are."
A hint of a smile graced her lips as she responded. "I'd rather assume and be proven wrong."
"Hm." He hummed quietly in acknowledgement as they walked the grand hallways of the castle.
---
"…Could you repeat that again?"
Nale glowers at the woman sitting across from her.
"It's precisely as you've heard, your request has been denied." says the treasurer with a slit eyed smile.
"After reviewing the numbers, we decided that you'll get a 10th of the amount requested as a trial. Once we see progress, you'll be cleared for more."
Nale stood her ground despite the treasurers tight hold on the funds.
"I'm going to need more than that.The amount I calculated was enough for one town, cutting it by 10 is absolutely preposterous."
The treasurer does not budge.
"I'm afraid that's all you'll receive."
The judge interjected smoothly.
"Increase it to 8. With an 8th of the price we can comfortably restore a small town ."
The treasurer remained unflinching despite his interjection.
The air crackled with tension as they stared each other down.
Meanwhile, Nale stared back and forth at the two, eyebrows raised interest as she
"What will it be?" Augustus asked calmly, His eyes glowing as a the pressure in the room worsened.
After a few seconds of staring him down, she relents with the preservation of her life and livelihood in mind.
"…You can have a fourth of the money requested, however you'll be fully responsible in dealing with the higher ups when they bring up this transaction."
"Deal."
---
After they're far away enough from the treasury, a grin mischeviously sneaks its way onto Nale's face.
"Stay serious for a bit longer will you?" He grumbles despite a tiny corner of his lips lifiting up, betraying his inner feelings.
She bursts out in laughs as soon as they cross the threshold of his office.
"I didn't know you were like that, Mr. Kira.. one might even say that move was a little fraudulent, Isn't that the kind of thing you fight against every day as a judge?'"
Augustus raised an eyebrow, reaching for the fund approval document as he smirked.
"Do as I say, not as I do".
"Still," he continued, " asking for more than we needed was entirely legal. You saw how we had to pry our funds from their tight, grubby hands."
"True." Nale admitted, slightly recovering from her laughter.
"Anyways, this..partnership is turning out better than I expected."
After a moment of hesitancy, Nale reached her hand out toward the older man for a handshake.
"I look forward to working with you." She said earnestly.
He looked down at her hand for a second before firmly grasping it.
"The feeling is mutual."