"Hehe..." the Guildmaster gave an awkward laugh, but his tiny change of expression made it easy to imagine the storm raging inside him.
In truth, he was naturally weighing several ways to respond, wondering how to maximize his own interests. Unfortunately for him, I remained expressionless, as though I stood at the edge of raging waves, towering against the wind with victory already in my grasp.
The Guildmaster paused slightly. Seeing that I had not wavered in the slightest, he could only continue, "We really want to make this deal, but Esteemed Friend knows that all sorts of forces are entrenched in this part of our merchant guild, and the other major merchant guilds have some spies here as well. So, before that happens, in order to preserve the possibility of further negotiations between us, I hope both sides can leave behind some tokens of good faith, to prevent Esteemed Friend from seeking out other parties to negotiate with. What do you think? In other words, we will likewise guarantee the safety of Esteemed Friend and your friends."
"When it comes to safety, I only trust myself. After all, if someone else refuses to provide it, it isn't something we can have simply because we want it. Of course, Guildmaster, your idea is quite interesting. What token of good faith do you plan to offer first to win my trust?" I asked neither servilely nor arrogantly.
The Guildmaster regarded me with newfound respect after hearing that, but he truly had nothing suitable to offer. He swept his eyes over the surrounding merchant guild members, and everyone fell silent in turn.
Before long, however, a capable female member immediately rose to her feet and said with a beaming smile, "Guildmaster, why not have Yanci accompany Esteemed Violet Sovereign? After all, the