Bab 52: Meeting (2)
Inside the carriage, we talking about our plan once again.
"Vin, please avoid long conversation with David. Since you don't know about Lady Sophia for a long time, it's better for you to keep a short conversation. I afraid David might feel suspicious of you."
"Yes."
"It seems you very talented to give a short reply huh."
"Yeah."
I still learning about this world language from this boy's memories after all.
"Lady Sophia too, please don't nervous. You have to confident because Lady Sophia will become the Leader of Avalon Merchant Union. In the future, Lady Sophia will meet with various noble."
Sam gives advice to Lady Sophia like a Father scolding his daughter.
After that our carriage arrived at David's mansion. I can see several Royal Guard patrolling around his mansion.
Hmm...
"Sam, do Royal Guards usually patrolling on North Quarter?"
"I think they're not. In the Capital, Noble resident already has their Private Guards."
"I see."
Did David call them because Lady Sophia will come to his Mansion?
Lady Sophia is an important person, I guess it makes a sense to call Royal guard as extra security.
But this is about David Wardenia and he won't call Royal Guard if he wants to take us as hostages.
Nah, let's see how will this ended up.
We get out of the carriage and Sam talked to David's private guards.
"Excuse me, we are from Avalon Merchant Union and we already made a promise for meeting today with Sir David Wardenia."
"Yes, Sir David Wardenia has waited inside. Follow me."
The Guards lead us inside the mansion. We first led into a waiting room, where we didn't wait for long before we were shown into a private room that David used on meeting with important people.
The room interior is the same as the meeting room, a round table in the center several elegant chairs. There, a fat middle-aged man was waiting.
"Welcome to my Mansion, Lady Sophia. I am David Wardenia."
He said that with a smile but I can see his eyes were ridiculing us.
"Thank you for accepting our request Sir David Wardenia. I am Sophia, the successor of Avalon Merchant Union."
"Feel free to sit down on the chair Lady Sophia."
"Thank you. But I want my friend to sit on the chair as well."
"Oh my. I apologize for my rudeness Lady Sophia. I thought they were your attendants."
He was acting.
Deep inside his head, he was mocking us.
".....Then, excuse me."
I take a seat beside Lady Sophia.
"It's fine Sir David. So would you like to start our discussion?"
"Relax Lady Sophia, why we have to rush?"
"We can't waste your precious time Sir David."
"I have plenty of time for important people like you 'Successor of Avalon Merchant Union'."
When he said that, his tone like he was insulting Lady Sophia.
"....Forgive me for asking, but have I possibly committed something of great offense? If so, please allow me to offer my most humble apologies..."
"No you do not make any mistake, but your parents do. Are they intend to joke around with me? Why they send their immature child to discuss with me?"
"I am sorry for disappointing you, sir David. But don't worry, I will prove that I am qualified for this discussion."
Ooh, I thought Sophia is a timid girl because she rarely joins the conversation, but she right now very different. Sam takes a paper from his storage pouch and gives it to Lady Sophia.
"I want to make a deal with you Sir David. Everything is already mentioned in the contract. Please read carefully."
Lady Sophia never talks to me about this contract. Normally, when discussing the condition of a settlement contract, the initiator and the party concerned would negotiate the fact and condition which settlements agreed upon.
In this case, Avalon was the initiator and we want to negotiate with David. Then it's natural for us to prepare a 'compensation' for David to make him won't oppose Avalon's branch store.
"Hmm, so you offer 50 platinum coins to me, so I wouldn't obstruct your branch store here?"
"Yes sir David, I think that's worth it. Do you agree?"
My God, Lady Sophia give him 50 platinum coins?!
If I have that much money, I can live easily without eating fish and camp outside for a fucking whole life.
I wonder if I just go to find a platinum mine and make my own coins.
But I don't know anything about smelting and making coin process dammit.
I can't find the mine either though.
There's no shortcut for success.
It's true indeed.
"I think that isn't best offers Lady Sophia. This is my territory and I can have my own store."
"But we have the permission of City Lord."
"Fufu, the City Lord is my puppet you know. He will do anything as my order. I invest much money to develop this place and I think your offer not enough to satisfy me."
Heck yeah, he so fucking greedy.
"How much do you want Sir David?"
Lady Sophia reply to him with a strained smile.
"At least 100 platinum coins is enough."
"One...Hundred.....platinum coins?"
Sophia repeats his word like a broken record. Nah, I can't blame her because 100 platinum coins are very very very much money. Even Sam makes a dumbfounded face with a pair of eyes as big as saucers.
"How about that young lady?"
David acts arrogantly as if he already won.
"I agree with that."
"How wonderful, I don't think Lady Sophia very considerate of me. So please change the contract first."
He is a sly fox.
He gives the contract back to Lady Sophia and Sophia gives it to Sam. Sam takes a 'FANCY Quill Pen' and writes something on the contract.
Maybe he changes the number...
After finish writing the contract, Sam gives the contract to Lady Sophia. She checks the contract for a moment before giving it to David.
"Here the new contract. Please put your sign there Sir David Wardenia."
David takes the contract and put his signature there. He gives the contract to Lady Sophia.
"The contract is enhanced with [Trinity] and written by special Ink with 'Permanent' attribute. With Trinity, you can't break the contract unilaterally and the contract can't be modified because of the 'Permanent' attribute. Do you understand Sir David?"
Lady Sophia already prepared huh.
"Of course I do."
"Thank you for your cooperation. I hope we can make a mutual relation in the future too."
"Yes, have a relation with Avalon Merchant Union is very good after all. But Lady Sophia, I was curious who is this boy?"
Finally my turn huh...
"He is my childhood friend. He just wants to accompany me to visit Andalas. I come here just with my Butler and him, so he is worrying me."
"Hmm, is he strong to protect you, Lady Sophia? I think he can't even swing a sword."
"He is still a child and he doesn't come from Knight or noble family so he can't use a sword. But don't worry Sir David, we can hire powerful adventurers to protect ourselves."
Good introduction Lady Sophia. She tells him about me as a weak child and nothing to worry about me.
"Fumu, so he is a commoner huh...Lady Sophia, you're rich and smart too. You can find someone worthy to become your friend isn't it?"
"Don't insult him, Sir David, his father is the one who helped my father when we just recently made Avalon. He is an important friend."
Umm, I feel bad to make you lying Sophia.
"Hahaha, I don't intend to insult your friend, but isn't your friend very timid? He doesn't speak a single word since the beginning."
"I am sorry for my rudeness, but I think it's inappropriate for me to interrupt your discussion."
He turns the ball to me, and this my turn to answer him.
"Fumu, at least he knows the etiquette."
"Our discussion is over Sir David, may we leave now?"
"Please wait a moment Lady Sophia. Why don't we eat breakfast together? I already prepared a feast for this occasion. You can think this as a celebration of our cooperation and as apologize when I insult your friend. Please accept my offer, Lady Sophia..."
This is the main event.
He is very cunning. He already calculated everything and make sure we fall into his trap. We can decline his offer, but he will spread a rumor about us being impolite to him.
Noble society is painful to deal with.
First, he insults Lady Sophia and ridiculing her inside his head, then make a crazy demand for 100 platinum coins, and insult me as an extra, yet he just invite us to breakfast and
*Poof*
Problem solved.
He looks down on the commoner like us.
If this world was Earth, he will be in prison for the rest of his life.
"I will accept your offer Sir David if you insist on this matter. I feel bad to reject your kindness."
"Please relax and enjoy yourself, Lady Sophia. You can bring your friend and your attendant to having breakfast together?"
"Really?"
"Of course."
Normally attendant won't share the same table with their master. His invitation is weird, isn't it?
"Thanks, it's an honor for us."
"Don't worry, the highest quality foods have been prepared for today."
He leads us to the dining hall of the mansion. Inside the room was a long, big rectangular dining table with several chairs. David takes the seats first and lets us share the same table with him.
Afterward, David's attendants carried the dished in and we promptly began our feast.
"The meat is top grade, I can tell it had been grilled properly as well."
Lady Sophia said with a satisfied expression, cheeks stuffed with steaks.
"I am much obliged, " David said with a smile.
The menu is a complete set of 'meat'.All various dish made by meat lined on the table. This is a disaster. Is he eating this whole 'Meat Course' every day?
No wonder he is fatty noble.
In this world, only noble or wealthy people who can afford to eat meat every day. Because high-quality meats are expensive. The commoner usually eats monster meat because they're cheaper and the stock always available anytime.
There is porridge made by wheat too, but the taste is worse than wheat porridge on Earth. They were dry and make my throat uncomfortable.
But they eat the porridge vigorously.
Yeah, I come from the modern world after all.
Hmm...
David eats the same food as us.
Is he drink an antidote so he won't be affected if there's a sleeping drug inside the food?
We finish our feast safely without any problems. We bid a farewell to David Wardenia and leave the Mansion.
Outside the mansion, we can see our carriage already waiting for us. I can see some Royal Guards still patrolling around David's mansion. We enter the carriage to get back to Avalon's branch store.
But I noticed we aren't going to the usual route to our store. I can see it from the window inside the carriages.
"Lady Sophia, Sam, it seems the carriage doesn't bring us to Avalon's branch store. David already carries out his plan."
"...."
Strange.
Why they don't answer me?
I was so focused on remembering the route where the carriage is taking us, so I don't look at them. They still don't answer me.
I look at them and surprised. They already lost consciousness.
That's very fast. Luckily I still not affected by the drug yet.
"Cure."
I use my magic to neutralize the drug from my body. I don't use [Cure] on them because I was afraid we will be exposed.
I don't know how good they on acting so I can't take a risk.
Sam can't control his emotions sometimes. He even tries to hit me before. So I doubt he will able to hold back his emotion when he sees something bad happen to Sophia.
I think Lady Sophia is capable to act. She already proves it when she talks with David Wardenia. But she can't help me to do anything even I wake her.
Thus, I will be a solo player today!!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone