Harold clutched the edge of his mahogany desk, his knuckles turning white as he stared at me, completely unable to process the living, breathing reality standing right in front of him.
"Eirene... what in the world happened to you? I thought you were dead! I saw the official reports from the bureau, the death certificate... I… I even began mourning you last month! And you've... changed. Since when did you grow massive wings? And your left arm and right eye... they're fully restored!" Harold stammered, his slimy voice shaking as he adjusted his tight velvet collar
He looked down at my perfectly intact hands resting against the market basket, then up at my single jade-green eye piercing right through him. Realizing he was technically cornered in his own office by a high-tier vampire and a master-class academic healer, Harold frantically wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Um, sorry, both of you, Please, take a seat." he squeaked out, gesturing awkwardly to the two plush velvet chairs in front of his desk.
Elicia and I sat down in unison. I smoothed out the skirt of my forest-green kirtle, my crimson wings folding neatly over the back of the chair with a soft, ominous rustle. I kept my expression completely flat, though internally, a very human sense of petty satisfaction was blooming in my chest.
Harold cleared his throat, leaning forward while trying desperately to regain his composure as a guild supervisor.
"Look, I know why both of you are here. You want a commercial property lease. But not yet... Eirene, how did you survive? Better yet, why did you bring your sister here? You know damn well she and I aren't close friends! Did you bring your sister here to scold me? To extort me for what I did to your family back in Town Allure? Come on, this is not fair! I was just doing my job back then!"
Elicia leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs with a slow, terrifyingly elegant grace. Her crimson eyes narrowed into an icy, administrative glare that could have frozen a volcano solid.
"Let us get one thing entirely clear, Harold, My sister did not bring me here to scold you. If I wanted to discipline you for the disgusting, predatory tactics you used against our family finances back in the outer territories, I wouldn't waste my breath talking. I would have let Elias handle you permanently four months ago." big sister said, her voice dropping into a smooth, dangerously calm register that made the corrupt bureaucrat visibly flinch.
She leaned forward, resting her hands on the edge of his desk, her academic aura completely dominating the room.
"We are here strictly for a professional business transaction. Eirene is alive, she has been recognized by the crown, and her ledger is entirely clear. Now, you are going to show us the prime real estate listings for the 1st District, or I will personally initiate a comprehensive financial audit on this entire guild branch. Am I making myself clear?"
Harold's posture immediately slackened, a massive sigh of relief escaping his lips as he frantically nodded his head. He eagerly grabbed a heavy leather-bound property ledger from the side of his desk, flipping through the parchment pages with trembling fingers to avoid Elicia's icy glare.
"Right, right! Perfectly clear, Lady Rynd! Strictly professional! Look, I have the absolute perfect location for what you're trying to do. There is a small, vacant lot right in the heart of our minting industry sector. It used to be a small restaurant, but it's currently sitting abandoned. You will have to handle the interior renovations yourself since it's a bit run-down, but because of its current state... we will only charge you a highly discounted rate of 50 silver coins per month." Harold stammered, tapping a finger against a specific map schematic in the book.
Fifty silver coins a month for a prime commercial lot in the wealthiest industrial zone of Caria City was an absolute steal. It was a logistical dream.
I looked at the schematic, a genuine, warm smile breaking across my face as my crimson wings gave a relaxed, thoroughly human flutter against the velvet chair. The old resentment from our days in Town Allure faded into a peaceful, pragmatic understanding.
"Thanks, Harold, I knew you were more than just a standard tax collector. Your efficiency in property allocation is highly appreciated." I said, my quiet voice carrying a sincere note of gratitude as I adjusted the heavy basket of adobo ingredients on my lap.
Harold blinked, clearly caught off guard by my gentle, human response. A faint, sheepish smile touched his face, and he visibly relaxed, pulling out the official lease contract to finalize our new business venture.
Harold smoothly slid a heavy iron ring across the desk with a sharp, metallic clink.
"Here are the keys to the property. It's number 42 on the minting lane. Just show those to the sector warden if anyone questions your renovations."
I caught the keys in my right hand, the cold metal bringing a sudden, vivid rush of nostalgia to my mind. As I wrapped my fingers around them, memories of my past life and the early days of this second chance washed over me. I thought of the small, dusty streets of Town Allure, and more importantly, the loyal friends I had left behind… the ones who had stood by me when I was just a struggling, low-tier adventurer trying to keep my family afloat. To them, the official reports meant I had been long dead, buried under the desert sands after the Tata incident.
I paused just as Elicia stood up, turning my single jade-green eye back to the desk.
"Anyways, Harold, before we leave... can you do a favor for me the next time your bureau duties take you back to Town Allure?" I asked, my quiet deadpan softening with a very human touch of sentiment.
Harold blinked, looking up from his paperwork with a cautious, curious tilt of his head.
"A favor? What kind of favor, Eirene?"
"Go to our family's old meat shop, There are old friends of mine there… the ones who stepped up to manage and protect the shop after my sudden disappearance. Or rather, after they were told I died. Please, find them and tell them the truth. Tell them that I am completely alive and well."
Harold stared at me for a moment, his bureaucratic mask slipping away to reveal a brief flash of genuine, old-country respect. He nodded firmly.
"Consider it done, Eirene. Next time I'm down south for a property audit, I'll stop by the shop personally and deliver the news."
As we stepped out into the hallway, Elicia looked down at me, a beautifully soft, emotional smile gracing her elegant features.
"You really never forget the people who walked with you through the dark, do you, little Ren? You truly have a beautiful heart."
"An efficient network requires proper closure of all emotional debts, big sister," I replied in my comfortable deadpan, though a warm smile broke across my face.
With the keys tightly secured in my pocket and the basket of adobo ingredients ready on my arm, we both left the District Commerce Guild, stepping back out into the roaring, industrious streets to claim our new kitchen.