Chapter 254 - Payout (1/2)
”Here is your money.”
Compared to the previous money cards that I received back after the auction at the Bakari house, the one that Venna was passing to me now was slightly diffrent.
Instead of being made with some rare metals enhanced with runes responsible for keeping count of the number of coins stored inside, it looked like a blueish crystal cut down to look just like a credit card from the earth.
As soon as I dropped a droplet of blood on the top of it, it suddenly vibrated and its colours started to change. Like if the blue mist that shrouded its insides lost its source, turning the crystal to be completely transparent. Now, it looked just like a flat piece of a diamond!
”I'm sorry for my rashness back then. I hope you will understand my motives behind it.”
Lowering her head a bit, Venna suddenly changed the atmosphere from lighthearted celebration to a tense one. I didn't even need a second to comprehend what she was speaking about.
”It was me who was immature there. I can't expect the entire, major sect to follow my whims after all.”
So both my guess and worry were true. I found it highly unlikely for her to bring out this topic without any good reason. Either she learned about the discussion I had with the representatives of the other sects, or the room that I was living in was just as rigged as I expected.
Looking back, I couldn't help but curse my own carelessness. With the vague code that we were using when speaking about the matters related to my system, I allowed myself to relax a bit too much, speaking openly about my wish to abandon the idea of joining the sect.
The greatest problem now was to gauge which of the options was the real one.
While ultimately the reasons behind the decision were the same, depending on the source of her information, I would have to approach the matter differently. But I couldn't disrespect her capabilities anymore. Instead of trying to explain myself, it was better to take the initiative and go to the offensive!
”Speaking of which, with how the auction and that sour situation played out, I hope you don't mind that I'm already creating new opportunities to screw those fuckers over.”
If I didn't know something, the easiest way around was to make the other party tell me everything that I wanted to know. By faking sincerity and supposedly letting her on the deeper meaning of my actions, no matter which idiocy of mine gave my plans away, she would fill the blanks by herself, only adding to the overall confusion.
I long lost any hope that any of the sects was capable of being spy-free. Looking at it now, I realised that everyone was playing the game where everyone knew everything while pretending to know nothing. I could even bet that in the core regions of each sect, the spies were bumping against each other, trying to reach their quarters and make reports to their superiors!
With how everyone was used to uncover hidden matters, the best and quickest way to confuse everyone was, to be frank, and open. while letting them drown in the sea of possible intentions and schemes that were supposed to be hidden underneath!
”Stop with the damn suspense. If you wanted to pique my interest, you did it.”
If not for the fact that we were currently in the vault of the auction house, I would never allow myself to speak so freely. Sending some information into this tangled mess of corruption and espionage that those sects represented could only be done carefully. Doing this openly would only result in literally every intelligent person marking it down as misinformation!