"What is it, Akasha?" Zeke asked. "Did you find the Gemkar representatives?"
[Notice.]
Negative. It is something else, but the host might still be interested. It involves a secondary objective.
"Ohh? Where is it?"
Akasha directed his attention toward the center of the hall. The inside of the circular hall was filled with tables. It was an area intended for the many representatives to chat and drink. At one of those tables, an old man was having a discussion with a party of three, a young man whom two guards accompanied.
Zeke got closer and sat at an empty spot. He picked his location carefully, with his back toward them and definitely too far to overhear them. However, with his sphere of perception, their words were as clear as day to him.
"…I think we gave you enough time, sir Nair," the young man said sternly. "It is time you make a decision."
The old man remained silent, his back hunched and head lowered. However, Zeke didn't miss the anger in his eyes. Whatever they were discussing, it was apparent the old man was unwilling.
However, eventually, his body relaxed with a sigh. "Very well. I will give you an answer by the end of today."
"That is good then," the young man said, a smile finally appearing on his face. "I knew you would see reason. Don't worry; both our families can only benefit from this union."
The old man nodded listlessly before getting up and leaving. Zeke waited for a brief moment before following behind him. He didn't know why he should be interested in the dealings between those two groups, but since Akasha had explicitly pointed them out, there had to be something he could gain.
He followed the old man to the other side of the hall. There, he saw the old man join a group that was sitting around one of the larger tables. Once again, Zeke positioned himself close by, intending to listen in.
"How did it go, Grandpa?" the girl beside the old man asked. She was a stunning woman with caramel-colored skin and deep, dark eyes. Even though her face was contorted with worry, it wasn't enough to hide her enchanting appearance. The other people seemed to share her anxiety as they also waited for the old man's explanation. Both nervousness and hope could be seen in their eyes.
The old man frowned bitterly before shaking his head. "They wouldn't accept it. We will have to give them an answer by the end of the day."
The hope left the people's eyes as they looked at the beautiful young woman with pity. She, who had called the old man Granpa, swore upon hearing his explanation. "Curse those Firebrand bastards. They are more poisonous than sand vipers! We should never have traded with them!"
Zeke perked up upon hearing that name. Firebrand was the name of the school the Lion's Den opposed. However, he didn't think this was why Akasha had led him here. After all, he didn't care much about the rivalry between the schools. Furthermore, there was no significant benefit in his assisting either side.
The old man shook his head. "Calm down, Aisha. There is no point in bemoaning what has already passed. Right now, our top priority should be to find a way to deal with this situation."
The young woman, apparently called Aisha, scoffed. "What way? What can we even do besides giving in? If we don't find a way to pay them back in full, we will have no choice but to accept their offer unless we are willing to sell our home."
The old man frowned but didn't seem to have a way to refute her statement. For a while, the entire group remained silent, and then, one after the other, the people started to devise alternative ways to raise the missing funds.
From their discussion, Zeke learned that this group belonged to the Nair family. They apparently had been a well-regarded and affluent household in the capital. They made their fortune in trade but had fallen on hard times recently. The old man he had followed here was called Mohan Nair, and he was the current head of the house.
Their conflict with the Firebrand family apparently stemmed from a missing delivery of enchanted weapons. They had requested the products multiple times, but their caravan had continuously been robbed on the way here.
This point was already suspicious, but every other delivery has been intercepted since making this deal. They had become entirely unable to conduct any trade at this point. It was no wonder the family had fallen on hard times.
Not being fools, they naturally suspected the Firebrand family to be behind those mysterious robberies, but without any proof, they could do nothing. The strongest guards the family possessed had long since been killed in the repeated attacks. Even so, no evidence had been found.
Zeke was rather impressed with the methods of the Firebrand school. They seemed to have realized that the Chimeroi could also be used to further their agenda outside the arena. Even if they were caught, they could claim to have sold the slaves beforehand, deflecting all blame.
"Enough," Aisha said eventually. Her voice was quiet, yet full of resolve. "All your plans will take time to bear fruit, which is a luxury we no longer have. We have to accept their proposal."
"No!" Mohan interjected right away. "I can't let you do that!"
"It is the only way, Granpa," the girl said as she gently held the old man's hands. "That bastard has been courting me for many years. He will not leave us alone until I agree."
"Even so—"
"Too many have already died, Granpa," Aisha said, cutting him off. More strength had entered her voice. "I can not bear to see any more harm befall our family without doing anything. As your granddaughter, I can only blame myself for being too weak to find another way."
The old man remained silent for a long time before shaking his head once more. "Even if we agreed to the proposal, I doubt they would just let us be. Our name still carries weight in this city, and those snakes would never let go of prey already entering their mouth. Surrendering now would only hasten our downfall."
It was then that a mysterious figure approached the group. He was tall, with lean muscles and an athletic figure. His face was hidden behind a makeshift veil, but the golden eyes peaking out were sharp and calculating. It was Zeke who had finally decided that this was the time to strike.
"Do I have the pleasure of addressing the representatives of the honored Nair family?" he asked courteously. At the same time, he swept his gaze over the group before stopping on the old man he knew to be the head of the house.
Every face turned toward him. After a moment, the old man replied. "That is right, young man. I am Mohan Nair. What can I do for you?"
Zeke bowed fractionally before addressing the old man. "Greetings, sir Nair. The patriarch of my house has sent me to extend an offer to your family."
Mohan immediately grew alert when he heard that Zeke had come with an offer. "Who is your patriarch, and what does he want?"
Zeke showed his palms, signaling his peaceful intentions. "Don't worry. Even though my Patriarch is well aware of your situation, he has no intention of taking advantage. He is a man who has no need for such petty schemes."
Instead of relaxing, the old man grew even more wary upon hearing those words. "Who is your Patriarch?"
Zeke took a breath. This next part would be a bit of a gamble. "I serve Ezekiel of Tradespire."
"Hoh!" The old man exclaimed. "The rising star? I didn't think his influence extended so far already."
Zeke smirked under his veil. As a merchant family with ties to Tradespire, it was no wonder Mohan knew about him. Still, it was a risk to reveal his name.
"My Patriarch has more wealth than he can spend in several lifetimes," Zeke bragged. "It is only natural that he would look for ways to extend his influence."
The old man nodded in agreement. His vigil seemed to have lessened after learning Zeke's identity. After all, such a famous person had no reason to play petty tricks on foreign merchants. "What is this offer you speak of?"
Zeke inclined his head. "Despite being known for its honest and upright character, your house has been driven to the brink of destruction. And now Miss Aisha Nair, one of the most famous beauties of Korrovan, is being pressured into accepting an engagement with a snake. When my Patriarch learned of this, he was deeply infuriated. Therefore, he has tasked me with offering a way out of your predicament."
"Could it be…" Mohan asked, looking between his granddaughter and Zeke, "…that your Patriarch is also after my lovely Aisha?"
Zeke was dumbfounded. He had only meant to flatter the woman by complimenting her. But judging from the blush now spreading across her face, it seemed his intention had been misunderstood.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You misunderstand, elder. Even though the miss is indeed a woman of boundless charm, my Patriarch has no such intentions. He often says that a happy marriage is only achievable between the willing. Therefore, he would not make such a demand."
"I see. It seems this was my mistake then," Mohan said, not the least bit embarrassed about his assumption. Zeke even suspected that this might have been a test to gauge his character. If so, then the old man was quite sly, as expected of the head of a merchant family.
Zeke continued, "The proposal pertains to something else. My Patriarch offers to pay off all the debt incurred by your family. This would free you from any and all responsibilities of your past contracts."
The old man stroked his beard in thought. "That is not a small sum. What does your Patriarch want in return?"
"He wants your family to work for him in the future."
"What!?" The old man, who had been calm all along, finally lost his composure. "Work for him?"
"That is right," Zeke confirmed calmly.
"Haaa!" Mohan exhaled deeply before glaring at Zeke. "That is an even worse offer than those cursed Firebrand bastards made. Have you no shame?"
"That is not so. Instead, it is a golden opportunity for your family," Zeke said confidently.
"Enlighten me, then," the old man said. He grew slightly interested upon seeing Zeke's conviction.
"As things stand, your family cannot survive. Even if the harassment from the Firebrand school were to stop, you still couldn't resume operations with your remaining forces, isn't that right?"
The old man nodded reluctantly. There was no use pretending at this point.
"You must find a new path either way. And that is what the Patriarch offers — a new path."
"As lapdogs?" Mohan questioned. "I am sure we can do better."
"When did I ever say such a thing?" Zeke said, shaking his head slowly. "What my Patriarch offers isn't something like that. Instead, he wishes for your family to represent his interests here in Korrovan. This role isn't only vital, but also quite lucrative."
The old man's gaze wavered for the first time. It seemed those words had finally managed to shake his stubborn resolve. "What interests does your lord have in this country?"
Zeke smiled. "I am certain you know of how my lord rose to prominence in less than a year after arriving in Tradespire?"
"I am."
Zeke looked deeply into the old man's eyes before speaking with a deliberately heavy tone. "He intends to do the same thing here."
Mohan's gaze wavered. It was no wonder. After all, if those words were the truth, then this might turn out to be the most promising chance of his life. He could quickly turn his family's luck around by managing Ezekiel's dealings in this country.
"Ahem… what does the young lord intend to sell here?" Mohan asked. "I do not think that the Gondola would be a suitable product. The safety of this city isn't comparable to Tradespire."
Zeke nodded, a smile emerging on his face. He hadn't missed the changes in Mohan's way of speaking. The old merchant was already giving out suggestions now. "The young lord is aware of that fact. He will introduce a new product suitable to the Korrovan market. However, I can't say more until we've come to an agreement."
He stared intently at the old man. "Now, do we have a deal?"