Faced with Xio's sheer abandon, Vincent smiled magnanimously. "That one I'll give you for free."
She immediately went on high alert. "You'd do that? Willingly?"
"The prejudices of the heart can be mountains, Miss Xio."
"..."
"Growing taller is actually quite simple — the same way I became a woman, in fact. It can be achieved through a potion: the Warrior's Pathway. If you've ever seen the people of Feysac, you'll know they tend to be very tall — partly due to their bloodline, but partly because of the changes the Warrior's Pathway induces in the body."
Xio blinked, and then the penny dropped. "So the reason you're giving it away for free is that it's completely useless to me. Everyone knows a person can only follow one Pathway."
Vincent grinned. "So then — you know there's a method that allows a Beyonder to purge a potion from their body, return to being an ordinary person, and then take a potion from a completely different Pathway?"
"!!!"
Xio let out a cold laugh. "There it is — that's the real paid item, isn't it? Miss Natasha, I don't think you're a Broker at all. I think you're an absolute swindler!"
"Hahahaha!"
Vincent burst out laughing — not just because Xio had made her laugh, but because in that very moment the Shadow Trader potion had simply begun to digest.
"No — that one's free as well. If you genuinely want to change Pathways, I can tell you how right now."
Xio went quiet.
She had chosen to walk the Arbitrator's Pathway partly because her father had been an Arbitrator — in a sense, it was the Daly family's inherited Pathway.
After a long pause, Xio said, "Let me think about it. First — tell me the method for faster mastery. And don't tell me I need to sign another contract."
"No contract necessary. But a friendly warning: this method is strictly forbidden from being shared outside — both the Church and official bodies have explicitly prohibited its dissemination. I trust I don't need to spell out what would happen if large numbers of unaffiliated Beyonders got hold of it."
"Why?"
Xio's eyes went wide. "Wait — are you saying the Church and the officials already know this method?"
"Of course."
"And they've prohibited it from spreading? That doesn't make sense. If it helps Beyonders avoid losing control, shouldn't they want it widely known?"
Vincent shook his head. "That touches on something else entirely. Once you've done me a big enough favour — I'll tell you, free of charge."
"...What counts as a big favour?"
"Bringing me large transactions — the larger the better. Helping me build networks of connections and interests — the more people involved, the better; the higher the Sequence and standing, the better."
Xio grumbled, "That's awfully vague..."
Vincent didn't elaborate further, and moved straight into explaining the roleplay method: "The method for mastering your potion faster is called the Roleplay Method. The central concept is this: the key to a potion isn't mastery — it's digestion. It isn't about excavating — it's about acting. And the name of a potion is not merely a central symbol — it is a concrete image, and the key to digestion itself!"
Xio narrowed her eyes, as though something was clicking into place.
"More specifically: as an Arbitrator, to more quickly master — no, digest — your potion, you must act as an Arbitrator. Incorporate the Arbitrator's behaviours and habits into your daily life. If possible, summarise a set of personal Roleplay Principles tailored to yourself — and the effect will be far more efficient."
"In fact — even without knowing the Roleplay Method, you've been unknowingly acting as an Arbitrator all along. I'd wager your potion has already been fully digested, hasn't it?"
Xio thought back quickly, then gave a slow nod. "...You're right. So that's how it works."
"Clearly you understand completely — so there's no need for more explanation. When you drink the potion and become a Sequence 8 Lawman, all you'll need to do is formulate your own corresponding Roleplay Principles, and you'll digest it far faster."
"Looking back now — do you feel that two hundred pounds for this knowledge was worth it?"
Xio held his gaze and nodded emphatically. "Yes."
"So — do you still think I'm a swindler?"
Without missing a beat: "Yes."
"..."
Vincent shrugged, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair. "Fair enough. I'll see myself out."
"Miss Natasha."
Xio called out at that moment: "You've been emphasising that you're a Broker, always positioning yourself as a middleman — is that the roleplay as well?"
"What do you think?"
Vincent gave her a light wink. "From here on, though — I won't only be a middleman. I can deal directly as well."
Click.
Just as he stepped out of the booth, the door to the adjacent billiards room swung open. It was Caspar Candlins, the large-nosed regular, who spotted Vincent and hurried over. "Good morning, ma'am — please pass my regards to the lady proprietor."
"Good morning, Mr. Candlins. Something on your mind?"
"Quite." Caspar leaned in and lowered his voice. "You asked me to put the word out a while back, didn't you? Well, someone's found me. Says they need some help with a particular matter."
"What sort of matter?"
He lowered his voice further: "They want a false identity made. Wondered if you had any connections on that front."
"That sort of thing isn't beyond me — but why come to me for something like this?"
"The thing is..." He dropped his voice even lower, "The identity needs to hold up under serious scrutiny. Not just a simple paper. And moreover — that person, they seem to be the same kind of person as the proprietor."
Oh?
A Beyonder, then.
Vincent had been mildly indifferent to what had seemed like small-scale business — but the moment Beyonders were involved, her interest shifted immediately.
"I see. In that case I'll need to know more about them first."
"Of course. Tonight, if that works? Eight o'clock — in the card room next door."
"Agreed."
...
On the way back to the Zoutenberg Restaurant, Vincent spotted Vivienne in conversation with a middle-aged man. Drawing closer, he recognised him as Georgia, the ruined grain merchant.
Georgia's face was flushed with excitement the moment he saw Vincent. "Thank you so much, Miss Natasha! Truly, thank you!"
"By your expression — the Hall family meeting went well?"
"It did, it did!" Georgia nodded eagerly. "We were received by the elder young master's personal secretary. After hearing out our proposal, he gave us an answer fairly quickly. The Hall family is willing to support us as investors."
"However — he asked that we focus our efforts outside Backlund for now, starting fresh in smaller cities. And the Hall family requires fifty-one percent of the shares."
Vincent smiled. "That's perfectly reasonable. They're putting in the money and the connections — taking the majority stake is only fair. I'll wish you a successful comeback from here."
Georgia said with feeling, "We won't let you down!"
"Don't thank me yet."
Vincent raised a hand. "My reason for helping you is that I need you to work for me going forward. Simply put — the nominal head of the grain company may be the Hall family, but your true employer, all of you, is me."
"You will follow my instructions without question, and the majority of the profits you earn will come to me..."
He looked directly into Georgia's brown eyes. "You won't object to that, I trust?"
"..."
Georgia went still for just a moment — and then gave a deep, firm nod, bowing low. "Of course. It would be our honour to serve you, Miss."
"Words aren't enough. Let's put everything in a contract."
Vivienne understood immediately and brought over a pen and parchment.
A concise, clearly written contract was completed within minutes — specifying the share of interest between Vincent and the grain merchants, the merchants' obligation to follow instructions unconditionally, and various other provisions.
"No objections — sign it. And the rest of your associates will each need to sign one as well."
"Yes!"
Georgia didn't even glance at the contents before signing his name and presenting it back with both hands.
"I hope your associates are all as decisive as you."
Vincent accepted the contract with a quiet smirk and looked over the quietly modified version — altered by the Shadow Trader's power. The two most significant changes were in the clause detailing the division of interests, and the clause governing the penalties for violating the contract or disobeying Vincent's instructions.
"Vivienne — when you get a moment, please take Georgia aside and explain to him the... truth of this contract."
"Of course."
Vivienne paused, then thought to add: "My Lady — the contract with the Hall family — are you planning to sign that personally?"
"Naturally."
Vincent gave her an approving look: she's guessed something.
Modifying that one openly, of course, was a different matter. Unlike Xio and Georgia, the Hall family would not be inattentive — they would scrutinise every word. But that was precisely the point: the harder it was, the more effectively pulling it off would advance the digestion of the Shadow Trader potion.
"When is the signing?"
"Two days from now."
Good — that one could be left to Bernadette. At Sequence 3, a Saint of the Sea, something this small would be effortless for her.
Well — effortless, perhaps, but it was still asking a near-demigod to engage in what was essentially light-fingered trickery.
Actually — wait. Bernadette is a pirate. This sort of thing should be old habit for her.
Slipping a few altered clauses into a contract? Compared to plundering merchant vessels, that barely even registered.
To be continued…
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