The following morning.
Vincent had barely finished washing up before Vivienne came in with a hearty breakfast.
"Your Majesty — Georgia sent word just now. They received an invitation this morning from the elder young master of the Hall family. They're heading to Hall's Bank shortly for a meeting."
"Oh? That was quick of Audrey."
Vincent picked up his glass of milk and took a small sip. "Do you think Georgia and the others actually have a chance of winning that young master's support?"
"Georgia and his people are unlikely to see the young master himself," Vivienne said. "For the Hall family, this is too small a venture to merit his personal attention. Even with Miss Audrey's assistance, the most they can expect is an audience with one of the elder young master's trusted aides."
"That's sufficient."
Vivienne continued: "In my own estimation, Georgia and his group actually have a decent chance. The Hall family is among Leon's new nobility — they represent the New Party's influence, and they've long stood in opposition to the Old Party led by Duke Negan. The grain industry has historically been Old Party territory, and by unspoken agreement the New Party has refrained from encroaching on it. As long as Duke Negan holds his position, neither side is likely to disrupt that arrangement."
"But refraining from involvement doesn't mean lack of interest. Especially in recent years, as relations between Leon and Feysac have grown increasingly strained. A war between the two nations could break out at any moment — and in wartime, grain becomes the true hard currency. If Georgia and his people can demonstrate real value, the Hall family wouldn't mind giving them modest support — a quiet piece on the board that might come in useful someday."
At that point, Vivienne suddenly noticed the Queen's eyes fixed directly on her. She faltered slightly and asked, "Did I... say something wrong?"
No — you said everything right.
Vivienne had just given what was essentially a precise prophecy of Leon's trajectory as laid out in the original story. That kind of sharp political instinct... it was genuinely wasted on a restaurant owner.
"Not at all. Is there anything else?"
Vivienne relaxed, thought for a moment, and added: "If the Hall family does decide to play this piece, they will most likely ask Georgia and his people to start in a city outside Backlund for the time being. This is, after all, the political heartland of the Old Party — attracting their attention too early would do more harm than good."
She gave a slightly sheepish smile. "That's everything I have. Though, if I'm being honest — most of it is just me piecing together intelligence I've gathered over time."
Vincent raised a thumb. "Impressive."
He set down his cup and changed the subject. "You prayed to that presence last night, I take it. How did it go?"
Vivienne's expression became attentive. She quickly recounted everything from the previous night's prayer, and then carefully described the ability she had received:
"Your Majesty — this Broker... why does it look rather like one of the Beyonder Pathways? But there is no such Pathway among the twenty-two."
She voiced the question she'd been sitting on all night, then added, "And besides — isn't each person only able to follow one Pathway?"
Vincent smiled. "On that point, I'm not entirely certain either. Perhaps when you have the opportunity, you can ask that presence directly. For now — simply carry out its instructions faithfully."
"Understood!"
After breakfast, Vincent summoned an Invisible Servant and had it deliver a message to Xio, arranging to meet at the Brave Man's Bar. It was time to begin preparing for the roleplay of the Shadow Trader.
Compared to the Broker — whose roleplay demanded constant threading of needles and middlemanning — the Shadow Trader's roleplay was considerably more straightforward.
A merchant could be a middleman like a Broker — or could conduct transactions directly. A merchant could trade in tangible goods like grain and spices, or in intangible ones: intelligence, commissions, and unseen commodities. The crux of it was transactions.
Faced with the many definitions of merchant, Vincent's answer was naturally: he'd take all of them.
...
The Brave Man's Bar.
When he spotted Xio, her hair seemed messier than usual, and her eyes lacked their usual sharpness. The moment she stepped into the private booth she let out a yawn. "Boss — what do you need at this hour? I only got to bed at three in the morning."
"Staying up that late — were you out stealing?"
Xio gave him a flat look. "Obviously I was out earning money. Get to the point — I need to get back and sleep."
Vincent slid a contract across the table. "Mainly just need you to sign something."
"???"
Xio picked up the parchment and scanned it, frowning. "Didn't you say there was no need for one? Why the sudden change of heart? Don't you trust me — or yourself?"
"Neither. I have my own reasons. As you can see, the terms are even looser than what I told you before. Signing won't do you any harm."
Xio muttered, "Somehow I don't believe that."
For all that she said it, she still took the pen Vincent offered her — though she paused before signing: "What does 'with both parties' shadows as witness' mean? I've only ever heard of 'a notarised oath made beneath direct sunlight.'"
Vincent smiled. "That's exactly why I want you to sign it. Just think of it as my own invented form of... notarisation."
"And if I break it — what happens?"
"Since both our shadows are witnesses, anyone who violates the contract will have their own shadow inflict harm upon their spirit. Rather like a curse."
"..."
Xio pressed her lips together — and finally signed her name.
The moment the pen left the parchment, Vincent quietly brought the Shadow Trader's power to bear, making a subtle alteration to the contract: changing his cut from the agreed twenty percent of each completed commission to twenty-five percent.
Not because he genuinely wanted to squeeze an extra five percent out of her — he was testing the Shadow Trader's ability and feeling out the method of roleplay.
"Well then — a pleasure working together!"
Vincent swiftly folded the contract and slipped it into his pocket. Throughout the process, Xio had been completely unaware that the terms had shifted beneath her eyes. She clasped his hand with a grin: "A pleasure working together."
In that same instant, Vincent felt the potion stir within him. It hadn't begun digesting yet — but there was already a clear sign that digestion was imminent. The direction was right.
So playing the swindler really is the key to digesting this one.
Looking at the guileless Xio sitting across from him, blissfully unaware, Vincent suddenly felt a stab of guilt — like bullying a child. He thought for a moment, then said: "Miss Xio — do you know how to accelerate mastery of your potion and advance to the next Sequence?"
Xio blinked. "There's a shortcut for that?"
"Of course. With the right method, a Beyonder can master their potion many times faster than otherwise. A Sequence 9 Beyonder who doesn't know the method might take years to fully assimilate a potion — but with the method, it could be done in months. And it's far less likely to lose control."
"That's — that's impossible!" Xio stared, astonished. "What method?!"
Vincent extended her hand wordlessly.
"..."
Xio clenched her fist, grinding her teeth. "How much?"
"Regular price, at minimum a thousand pounds. Given our relationship — I'll knock eighty percent off. Two hundred pounds from you."
"Two hundred pounds? I worked all last night and only made twenty!"
Vincent gave a regretful shake of his head. "So you're not interested?"
"It's not that I'm not interested — I don't have two hundred pounds."
Xio took a deep breath. "Can I owe you?"
"You can."
Vincent nodded, then added: "But I have to make one thing clear upfront — you cannot share this with anyone else. Not even your closest friend, Miss Forsi."
"Why not?"
"Because knowledge is money. I'm selling this to you — not to both of you. If you want to pay for two people, that's a different matter."
"Fine!"
Xio agreed through gritted teeth, then immediately added: "While we're at it — last time you said you had a way to help me grow taller. Throw that in too."
People, once they've crossed a line, tend to find the line has already moved behind them — as with Xio right now. What's the difference between owing a lot and owing a little?
To be continued…
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