"How much would you be willing to sell that item for?"
As even Alia agreed that the map piece could be valuable, Shui wanted to get it, but he tried not to look too interested to avoid being exploited. When the customer, who appeared to be a short-haired young man, turned towards him, they seemed bewildered at first.
"You..."
[Oh, what an interesting coincidence.]
Both the customer and Alia realised something, and while Shui had an idea of what it was, he acted ignorant.
"Is there a problem?"
"No. Are you interested in this?"
"Yes, I have a hobby of collecting old maps."
"Is that so? Well, before we talk about price, what can you tell me about this map fragment?"
"I don't mind telling you, but are you sure you want me to say it here?"
Although the appraisers were trustworthy, there were other customers inside the store and people were easily capable of discarding morals for treasure.
"Fair point. Let's go outside then."
After leaving the store, Shui followed the young man into a nearby alleyway where the young man then used an artifact to create a space around them that trapped sound.
"I'm surprised you followed me so easily."
"There's no reason for me to feel worried after all."
"Confident, huh? Whatever, tell me what you noticed."
"That map fragment, it's a hint to an inheritance for array masters, correct?"
The young man was slightly shaken, but he responded in a daring tone.
"Not bad. Since you can tell that much, you must be a talented array master. What tier are you?"
"I've never been certified, so I wouldn't know."
"Is that so? Then how did you study arrays? Do you have a master?"
"I could make up a story to convince you, but do you really intend to give me that fragment?"
"Don't be so impatient. To tell the truth, this fragment is wasted on me, so I don't mind giving it to you for cheap as long as I think you can use it well."
"I see. That part at least sounds true. You want to know if I can find the inheritance so that you can steal it afterwards."
The young man's expression froze for a moment before they tried to run away, but Shui grabbed them before they could take a step.
"Wait, let's make a deal. Surely, you know by now, anyone capable of finding that inheritance is either too prominent to approach easily or too hidden to discover."
[What a joke. The only reason you haven't just taken it is because you're a pervert.]
[Say what you want, but I have a reason this time.]
The young man tried to struggle out of Shui's grip, but judging it to be futile, they settled down.
"What do you want?"
"Let's work together to find the inheritance. You have more information about it than I do, but similar to this map fragment, there's probably a lot you won't be able to decipher without a good understanding of arrays."
"So you're willing to be my puzzle-solver in exchange for your share of the inheritance. It's not a bad deal, but how can I trust you? You seem strong enough to take me out of the picture once you get what you want."
"I guess I can't blame you for thinking like that, given the current situation. Then, how about this?"
Shui let go of the young man and then raised his right hand next to his face.
"I swear on my pride as an array master that I won't be the first to break the terms of our deal."
Unlike a heaven and earth oath, Shui's words didn't have any inherent binding power, but disgracing one's honour was likely to create heart demons that could block further progress. Although Shui wasn't strictly an array master, he was very fond of the art of arrays, so he wouldn't make an oath like this without good reason.
[If you had bet your manhood then I wouldn't have minded acting as your arbiter.]
[What a kind offer. Maybe I'll consider it if I'm hopelessly desperate.]
Even if he underestimated her, Shui believed that Alia's power was at least comparable to the True Master Realm, so she would definitely be a good arbiter if he didn't trust the other party, but he knew she would be a little too fair in upholding the rules if he made that kind of bet.
After hearing Shui's oath, the young man was briefly surprised before showing a pensive expression.
"Hmm, let me add one more condition. I have information on where to find another map fragment, but in order to get it, I need your help in completing a job for the underground guild."
The mention of the underground guild made it obvious that this wouldn't be a clean job, but Shui wasn't deterred.
"I don't mind, as long as it doesn't involve harming innocents or mortals."
"If you were fine with that kinda stuff, I wouldn't want to work with you either."
"Good. You can call me Shui."
"...Fox. We'll need better privacy if we want to continue, so follow me."
After a few minutes of walking and a fascinating tram ride, they made it into a small cafe having private rooms equipped with sound isolation arrays and concealment arrays. Shui had acted calm during the tram ride, but he was still thinking about the tram system design and how it was constructed, so Fox had to call his name a few times before he responded.
"Oi, Shui!"
"Ah, sorry. I was a little out of it."
"I don't know why you blanked out, but try to keep your mind focused at least while we talk."
"Don't worry. My attention is yours now."
"I hope so. Anyway..."
Fox then described the mission the underground guild had given them as a test to improve their rank. They had to compete with other assassins to kill at least one of three targets, all heinous characters that the underground guild had received many assassination requests for. Although he was listening, Shui had little interest in this mission until he heard the name of one of the targets, Iris of the Pink Devils. Fox didn't tell him anything that could link this Iris to the one that came to mind, but his instincts told him there was a connection.
"Now, I'll talk about how this relates to that other map fragment I mentioned. I confirmed all three targets to be attending a secret auction tomorrow night, and I have news that the fragment will be one of the items there."
"I see. So what's the plan?"
"I'm sure the rest of the competition will use the auction as an opportunity to kill their target, so we'll use the commotion they cause to steal the map fragment. However, it'll be difficult to get it before it's shown on stage, so I need your help in deterring the other assassins from moving early."
"Hmm, and would there be a problem if I simply bought it at the auction?"
"You seem confident in your wallet. I don't mind, but it'll be difficult to get an invitation this late and the organizers will be extra thorough in verifying your identity."
"I'll still try my luck. We'll need to stop the other assassins from interrupting the auction, but there are three targets and two of us."
"We don't need to worry about the last one. Even with this opportunity, I doubt any of the assassins will be able to take his head."
"I see. Sounds good then."
After sharing more details about the auction with Shui, Fox was ready to leave, but then Shui said this.
"By the way, I'm still looking forward to talking more about idols with you. Would you be free to attend a concert the day after tomorrow, Miss Fox?"
"You-! Tch, just focus on the mission for now."
Fox then stomped out of the room. Fox had thought her disguise was perfect, but Shui made it obvious that she was wrong by referring to their previous meeting in that mining town.
[And you say you're not a pervert? I'm starting to think that Emily girl was just an excuse for you to flirt in a new city.]
Even Shui knew that his invitation sounded risqué, so he didn't bother trying to defend himself against the censorious spirit, though he really did just want to talk with Fox about idols.