The Lie That Is A Generous Merchant

"I do. But first, we need to gather more information about the Mystic Emporium. We have to start digging into the truth surrounding Mr. Lovell's smithy. If a Merchant Group like the Mystic Emporium has its eyes set on it, then there must be something we're not yet aware of. We must act fast if we hope to have even a remote chance of leveling the playing field." Linkin said.

Val'Niya nodded in agreement, "Very well. In that case, I suggest that we split up and collect as much information as we can about the Mystic Emporium's intentions."

'My dear Assistant has quite a proactive attitude. Good, that will make things much easier.'

"Then, we'll go with your approach. I will do some digging on my end. I assume you have some connections you can tap into?" Linkin probed with a smile.

"I have a few in mind," Val'Niya answered without giving away anything specific.

"That answer is good enough for me," Linkin commented as he did not press any further.

Linkin understood that having a member of a noble household as his Assistant would provide a rare insight into a part of this world that remained a complete mystery to him. That is, outside of his own terrible experience from the way he started out in this world.

No matter what business one wanted to get into, there was one important factor that could never be overlooked—information. This was even more so for a Merchant when it came to potential clientele with deep pockets.

From the sound of things, it appeared that Val'Niya was not against discreetly using her status as a noble in her role as an Assistant. Since that was the case, the last thing Linkin wanted to do was push her too far and have her suddenly change her mind. If she wanted to remain secretive about certain aspects of her life, at least for the duration of the one-month contract, Linkin would not bring it up.

Of course, this did not mean that he could not take some matters into his own hands.

"We'll meet at the Drifting Clouds Inn tomorrow morning to share our findings. From there, we'll head over to Mr. Lovell's smithy and see its condition for ourselves. Words are good and all, but there's nothing like firsthand experience when it comes to these sorts of things." Linkin stated.

Ultimately, Lovell was a blacksmith who, from what Linkin could tell, possessed a limited understanding of business.

'It's too suspicious. A Merchant is all about profit. Purchasing a smithy that's supposedly on the decline at three times its worth out of sheer generosity—what a laughable cover story. Richard may have been able to fool our simple-minded Mr. Lovell with his "act of kindness", but the same excuse will not work on me.'

"Mr. Lovell should be returning soon with a client-merchant contract. Once we complete our business, we'll follow through on what needs to be done." Linkin said calmly.

"Yes-"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Sir Linkin, I've returned with the contract." Lovell's voice sounded after a series of knocks at the door.

One could hear the nervousness that returned to Lovell's voice. It was obvious that requesting the client-merchant contract brought forth the reality of his new situation and reminded him of his dire circumstances.

"It looks like I still have a bit of work to do before our client's truly at ease," Linkin said as he stood to his feet and walked toward the door.

Just before he opened the door, Linkin paused and looked back at Val'Niya.

"There is one more thing that I should mention, Miss Val'Niya. I was told by a certain someone that you're a rather troublesome person to get along with. During our brief interaction, that seems to be far from the case. So, tell me—have you finished absorbing all that you can from the previous Merchants you've worked under?" Linkin asked with a meaningful gaze.

"So you know about that as well. Though, given your recent observations, I can not say that I am surprised I'm at this point." Val'Niya sighed.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Sir Linkin? This is the right room, isn't it...?" Lovell muttered to himself.

Due to the way the private rooms were set up, one could hear what was going on outside; however, the opposite was not true. Of course, this was for reasons of privacy.

"If you were able to discover that much, then you should already know the answer to that question," Val'Niya stated concisely.

She then asked, "Is that going to be an issue?"

"The opposite, actually," Linkin said as he inwardly grinned.

An inquisitive expression formed on Val'Niya's face as one of her brows rose.

Click!

Linkin unlocked the door to the private room.

"From this point on, I want you to absorb everything that I have to offer wholeheartedly. Otherwise, by the time the end of the month comes around, you'll end up regretting it." Linkin said as he opened the door.

"Ah, Sir Linkin, the contract—I have it here," Lovell said with a mix of eagerness and anxiety.

"Well done, Mr. Lovell. After this, we can officially begin our partnership. I am looking forward to working together with you." Linkin said with a warm and comforting smile.

At the same time, Val'Niya slipped into her thoughts as her gaze remained locked onto Linkin.

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