A few seconds after Esme left, Rey felt the presence of two people approaching the door.
One of them was clearly Asher, but the second was an unfamiliar force.
He remained steady in his position while waiting for the doorknob to teist, and the man behind the door to reveal himself.
And then…
'Hm?'
… The both of them finally entered.
Asher was the first to come in. He had his usual smiling demeanor about him, however, it seemed he was a bit uneasy.
And it wasn't difficult to see why once the second man came in.
A buff figure who could easily be 6'10 in height walked in right behind Asher, his trimmed bearded face showing nothing but the direct contrast to Asher's smiling face.
The man had an air of authority around him, and he reeked of danger. Even Rey, in his seat, could tell that this man was something else.
Still, he hardly reacted as he watched the two men enter the room.
Asher allowed the man to sit, while he stood behind his couch.
Before the former could completely settle on his seat, however, Rey already resorted to [Absolute Appraisal].
The result—
[STATUS WINDOW]
- Name: Rebal Blanc
- Race: Human
- Class: Merchant (C-Tier)
- Level: 99 (99.99% EXP)
- Life Force: 10 (100) [200]
- Mana Level: 41/41 [200]
- Combat Ability: 60 [200]
- Stat Points: 0
- Skills (Exclusive):
- Skills (Non-Exclusive): [Bargaining]. [Combat Application]. [Weapon Mastery]. [Warrior's Aura].
- Alignment: Lawful Evil
[Additional Information]
Head of the KariBlanc Group, and one of the Councilors in the Obsidian Council.
[End Of Information]
'Ahh…'
Once Rey saw this, his entire outlook changed.
'I always suspected that this place had a wide array of connections, but even then… the Obsidian Council?'
Everything all made sense to him now.
The Obsidian Council was said to be the governing force of the Black Market. They made the Unwritten Laws, and they ensured there was order in the commercial sphere of the Criminal Underworld.
Apparently, they were also a part of some Triumvirate, but Rey didn't have too many details about the entire structure.
No one really did in this place.
'And now one of their Councilors is seated right in front of me.'
Rey pondered on the reason, and he considered many possibilities as the man made himself comfortable on his seat.
He was very buff—probably on par with the competitive bodybuilders back in Rey's original world.
His height also made him appear more intimidating.
He had rings on all his fingers, and unlike Asher, he wore a full-on suit.
It made him appear both professional and dangerous.
Rey couldn't say he disliked that.
"Sir Ralyks. I have heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you."
As Rey listened to the words of the man before him, he nodded slowly and watched from their distance.
They were separated by the center table, and while they shared a considerable distance apart, the man's huge build almost made it seem like they were much closer than they actually were.
Rey glanced at Asher, who stood like a statue with a smile on his face.
'How do I go about this? Play dumb or just call them out for their Bs?'
Right now, it was clear that the two were trying some form of tactics to get some high ground when it came to bargaining.
Or perhaps this was just how things were done in the Black Market and he had no idea.
In the end, there was only one way he saw the current situation being tutored directly in his favor.
And that was—
"And I've also heard quite a bit about you, Sir Rebal Blanc."
The moment Rey said this, the man's body and face froze up.
Even Asher had an expression of shock written on his face.
'Should I go a step further…?' Rey smiled underneath the mask, enjoying how the entire atmosphere was changing.
"It's not often that a Councilor appears in the open like this. Am I right, Asher?"
Rey darted his gaze to the flustered standing man who appeared even more flustered.
He had a look of confusion on his face, even as his father looked at him from where he sat. The two exchanged quizzical looks, and Rey simply sat back and watched.
'I'm sure I've disrupted everything they had in mind until now. Let's see how they'll take things from here…'
Even though they hadn't told him anything yet, Rey was already sure of one thing.
'They want something from me!'
It was most likely a favor; and considering how much the KariBlanc Group had done for him, it would be a bit unfair for him not to come to their aid.
'I'm sure that is what they want me to think!'
That was one of the reasons why he did what he did. At the very least, he would be able to prop himself up as someone who wasn't a pushover.
That way, he wouldn't appear weak in the course of bargaining.
'I don't want to be doing these people any favors, but I can't just walk out now…'
Esme was living here for free, and he still didn't have any other way to properly take care of her.
Since he was also going to be very busy with the upcoming Raid, it was better for her if she remained with the Blancs.
Of course, he knew he'd have to be on good terms with them for that to happen.
'Hopefully, whatever negotiation that happens with them ends well…'
Rey swallowed his saliva and waited for the response of the older male who sat before him.
"I guess there's no use hiding the truth from someone of your caliber."
The man leaked out a smile and rose to his feet, his entire build seeming like an imposing mountain that would crash upon Rey's smaller build.
As he watched him rise, Rey kept his normal position and simply raised his head to maintain eye contact.
"You are right. My name is Rebal Blanc, and I am a Member of the Obsidian Council."
Then, the man did the unthinkable.
Rebal bowed his head to Rey, absolutely shocking him to the very core.
"Sir Ralyks, the entire KariBlanc Group needs your help. Please hear me out!"