As evening approached, the night grew darker, and by this time, most of the exchange's staff had left for the day. Only a few offices remained lit, their desk lamps casting a warm, yellow glow. Among them was Miral's office. At that moment, Miral sat in her chair, constantly glancing at the clock. Finally, when it struck eight in the evening, she stood up, changed into a modest robe, and put on a hood. Only then did she blow out the candle, pick up a gift box from the sofa, and leave quietly.
Half an hour later, in the affluent district of Hipu Town, at the renowned Elk Restaurant, a guest arrived—it was Miral. "I have a reservation, for booth number eight," Miral said succinctly. The waiter looked up and saw Miral wearing a hood, slightly lowering her head, with a black silk veil over her face, clearly not wanting to be recognized. However, in this affluent area, the waitstaff were used to such situations. With a natural expression, they led Miral to booth number eight.
Miral pushed open the door and looked up. She saw a figure standing by the window, facing away from her. The person held a wine glass in one hand and had the other hand resting on their waist. Even upon hearing the door open, they made no movement, simply continuing to drink quietly.
"Lord Gwath," Miral said, removing her hood and bowing respectfully.
Only then did Gwath turn around, his face indifferent as he looked down at Miral from a position of superiority. "Miral, you've summoned me. What is the matter?" Gwath asked, moving to the dining table and taking a seat.
Miral was taken aback, her eyes showing a hint of surprise. "Could it be that Gwath is unaware of the deal between Barto and me?" she pondered. Barto's death had been too sudden. Perhaps Gwath really hadn't had the chance to understand the relationship between her and Barto? But then, catching a glimpse of Gwath's attire from the corner of her eye, she understood. Gwath, like her, was not dressed in his usual constable's uniform or knight's armor, but in casual clothes, with a fisherman's hat hanging on the coat rack nearby.
"Normally, Gwath and I are not acquainted," she thought. "With Barto's recent death, he should be busy securing his sister's inheritance." Yet, as soon as she had sent someone to invite him, he had immediately agreed, also coming in disguise.
In an instant, Miral realized that Gwath was well aware of her relationship with Barto. His feigned ignorance was likely a tactic to take control of the negotiation. Thus, Miral let out a quiet sigh of relief, but maintained her respectful demeanor as she said, "Lord Gwath, please take a look at this."
Miral placed the gift box on the dining table and opened it. "As a token of our first meeting, this is a gift for you. I hope it meets with your approval."
Gwath, nonchalant, merely glanced at the box. But the next moment, his gaze became fixed. Inside the box lay a neatly folded, exquisitely crafted sleeveless wolf skin leather armor. Just as Miral had anticipated, Gwath, who had been trying to assert his dominance, now brightened at the sight, subconsciously moving closer.
"What a fine piece of armor. The smooth wolf hair, the dense stitching, the well-fitted design…" Gwath's eyes sparkled with appreciation as he caressed the wolf hair on the armor, as if touching a lover's face.
"Miral, I am quite pleased with your gift," Gwath said, his expression relaxing into an amiable smile.
"The reason you've called me here today is about the slaves in Barto's possession, isn't it?" Gwath got straight to the point, no longer beating around the bush. His earlier feigned ignorance, waiting for Miral to speak, was a move to establish dominance in their negotiation. After all, in any deal, the one who speaks first is usually the one with the upper hand, as they are the ones seeking something from the other.
However, now that Miral had proactively offered a gift, albeit not particularly valuable but carefully chosen and to his liking, it showed that she had come with great sincerity. Thus, Gwath, no longer cold, was ready to proceed with the main topic.
"Lord Gwath, as expected, nothing escapes your discernment…" Miral said with a smile, flattering him. However, Gwath remained unimpressed, still listening calmly.
After a while, Miral recounted in detail her dealings with Barto. "Lord Gwath, now that Barto's estate has fallen into your hands, I implore you to continue our collaboration in his stead. The profits will be divided as before, fifty-fifty… no, let's make it seventy-thirty, with you taking seventy and me thirty, how does that sound?" At the end, after a moment of consideration, Miral decided to offer the seventy-thirty split.
However, upon hearing this, Gwath merely chuckled and shook his head. "Lord Gwath…" Miral's expression changed slightly, thinking Gwath was being too greedy. She and Barto had originally split the profits evenly. Now, to fulfill her mission, she was reluctantly offering Gwath seventy percent. And yet, he was still not satisfied?
"No need for seventy percent, the original arrangement with Barto will do," Gwath said indifferently, leaving Miral momentarily stunned.
"Moreover, I could forgo the money altogether, as long as you can answer me three questions," Gwath continued, looking up and fixing his gaze on Miral.
"No money?" Miral was initially pleased upon hearing this, but quickly realized that the questions Gwath wanted to ask must be difficult to answer. After a moment of deliberation, she cautiously inquired, "What are the three questions? If I know the answers, I will speak freely and hold nothing back."
Gwath nodded, pondered for a moment, and then posed the first question. "First, among the four great noble families of Kurah City, which one are you truly serving?"
Hearing this, Miral was somewhat surprised; the question seemed rather simple. Nevertheless, she answered without hesitation, "Among the four families, I have collaborations with the Sal family and the Berman family. However, the person I truly serve is Mr. Maddox of the Sal family."
Gwath nodded, his expression unchanged, showing no sign of surprise. When Barto had initially asked for his help in handling the aftermath of the slave trade, he had conducted his own investigation and found that most of the slaves procured by Barto and Miral ended up with the Sal family. His inquiries were merely to lay the groundwork for the following questions.
"Very well, the second question: why does Mr. Maddox require so many slaves?" Gwath asked again, his gaze sharpening as he intently watched Miral's face, as if able to detect any signs of deceit.