Benito sighed inwardly as he looked at a face he had grown too accustomed to seeing recently.
“So, Lord Ademo. What matter brings you here today?”
“Matter? What matter! Tell me, when will I finally get my hands on it!”
“Hmm, that is something I cannot answer. Such matters depend on the other party.”
“What are you talking about so leisurely!”
Benito sighed ostentatiously at the exchange that had already repeated itself many times.
“I have said this many times already, but I told you it would take time.”
“If you continue to say that, the same thing that happened before could happen again!”
“Sigh… I cannot deny that, but does that mean I should forcibly take it from the other party? That is an impossible request.”
“What are you saying! With your power!”
Seeing Ademo say that with such fervor, Benito decided it would be futile to say anything more and changed his approach.
After looking at Ademo for a moment, Benito asked again with a sigh, “…Lord Ademo, why are you in such a hurry?”
“What did you say?”
“It certainly looks like you are in a hurry to me?”
Ademo snorted at Benito’s question.
“Why should I be in a hurry?”
Benito could not discern whether Ademo’s words held confidence or if he was hiding something.
However, Benito had sensed some form of haste in Ademo’s words and actions over the past few days.
Still, he knew that pursuing the matter here would not yield anything easily.
Benito shrugged lightly and replied, “Well then, I don’t understand the reason for your haste.”
Ademo snorted again at Benito’s words.
“Lord Benito, you seem to have a very misguided opinion.”
“Do I?”
“You certainly do.”
As Ademo’s provocative words continued, Benito responded lightly, and Ademo returned the light response.
Despite his naivete about the world due to his upbringing in the temple, Ademo was a person who, when it mattered, did not reveal his true intentions.
That was Benito’s current assessment of Ademo. Initially, he had thought Ademo was just a commoner, but the more things progressed, the less he understood Ademo’s character.
Of course, there was power struggle within the temple. It was not strange for someone to engage in power struggles while hiding their emotions. In fact, most of the high-ranking temple officials Benito had met until now did so as a matter of course. Therefore, it was not strange for Ademo to be capable of it. However, Benito also could not shake off the suspicion that it might just be his true personality.
Facing such an Ademo, Benito sighed and said, “In any case, I will continue the negotiations as before. The results will follow in the end.”
As if to say he was done with further discussion, Benito was stared at in silence by Ademo for a moment. Then, after snorting, Ademo muttered with a sigh, “I see. …Don’t regret it.”
“Regret?”
Ademo said nothing further to Benito, who tilted his head. He simply turned and left the place.
Benito, who had just seen Ademo off, put on a troubled expression. “Well, well, I know he’s trying to do something, but what exactly…” He shook his head from side to side and continued his monologue, “There’s no point thinking about it here. …It can’t be helped. I guess I’ll have to probe a little.”
With that, Benito was once again lost in thought, as if contemplating something.
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Mist, who visited Dana’s shop as usual around closing time, was a little surprised to see her hurriedly packing away her tools. She had visited many times before, but this was the first time she had seen Dana so frantically putting things away. Her negotiator’s intuition whispered that something had happened.
Trying not to let on that she knew, Mist spoke especially slowly, “Oh my. You seem to be in a hurry, has something happened?”
“Ah, Mist, I’m so sorry. Today…” Dana’s face looked apologetic, but she did not stop packing.
“Oh, no. It’s alright. Please continue as you were,” Mist said, and after a pause, continued, “Still, you seem quite flustered.”
“Yes. I’m supposed to meet someone soon, and it’s getting late…”
“You don’t have an appointment?”
“No. Rather, they told me I could visit anytime.”
Upon hearing this, Mist tilted her head inwardly.
She didn’t know where Dana was going, but meeting someone without an appointment was quite unusual. The fact that she could visit anytime suggested a private meeting rather than at her shop or workplace. However, Mist acknowledged that this might not be the case in reality.
With that thought, Mist decided to probe further. “Oh? That sounds like quite a leisurely person you’re meeting.”
Hearing this, for the first time, Dana stopped her work and looked at Mist. “Leisurely? …Now that you mention it, perhaps you’re right.”
Realizing this for the first time due to Mist’s words, Dana’s mind flashed back to the three women who had visited her.
The clothes they wore were not the highest quality, but they were all refined. They were the kind of clothes that anyone would long to wear once in their life. In other words, they were the kind of clothes one would wear for special occasions, perhaps once a year. Compared to the attire of nobles, their clothes were considerably less expensive, but still quite pricey. They wore them not as festive wear, but as if it were their daily attire. It felt more like noblewomen going out into the town incognito.
Thinking that far, Dana stopped herself from muttering aloud. She already knew Mist was a negotiator trying to obtain the Water Mirror. She had to be careful not to say anything careless. She restrained herself with that thought.
Shaking her head as if to dismiss her thoughts, she continued, “The clothes they wore were like something a well-off commoner could afford, so I’m not sure.”
“I see.”
Although Mist didn’t know what Dana was thinking, she was satisfied with the information she had gathered. It was not that Dana was being careless. It was better to reveal some information than to hide it strangely. Furthermore, the fact that the three had visited the shop could be easily discovered with a little investigation. After all, those three stood out even when just walking down the street. They probably knew it themselves, yet they made no effort to hide it. It was clear from this that they didn’t mind if certain things were discovered.
With those thoughts in mind, Dana resumed packing her tools. After parting with Mist, she headed to the location designated by Floria.
I’ve finally made a decision in many ways. What Dana’s decision will be will be revealed in the next chapter.
