Loren's strategy of advancing by retreating had completely changed what should have been a morning of sharp words and heated clashes. He'd pinned these seasoned merchant guild presidents to the floor, leaving them unable to so much as move.
He kept a firm grip on the pace of the negotiations, working through the terms one by one and putting them into effect as he saw fit.
Eager to reach an agreement quickly and make sure Loren wouldn't change his mind, the presidents readily agreed. They didn't even quibble over many of the minor conditions that could have been negotiated.
For instance, they would fund the lease of a manor in the city to serve as the Orchid Merchant Alliance's headquarters and hire the necessary administrators to work there. If Loren needed any supplies, they would sell them to him at cost and even arrange delivery to his territory.
The cooperation agreement covered every aspect, with thirty or forty clauses in all.
Two hours later, the terms had been put to paper. Loren and the five merchant guild presidents each signed six copies, and Loren stamped them with his family crest.
When it was all done, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Loren was in a very good mood.
He'd brought in a total of 25 million in membership fees this time, which meant his territory's development was now funded.
At least he wouldn't have to worry about money for the next three months.
The five merchant guilds were thrilled as well. With the contracts signed, they no longer had to worry about Loren changing his mind as he had that morning.
For the next year, they would enjoy the privilege of doing business at a lower tax rate.
And once the alliance was established, they would have the Orchid Family's protection and could develop their businesses without restraint.
Both sides had gained something, and both were thoroughly satisfied with the partnership.
When Fiana received the cooperation agreement Loren had asked her to put away, she looked a little dazed at the figure of 25 million Puck written on it.
Yesterday, Loren had been a failure who'd been rejected after seeking help from the Fairy Bank and from nobles on friendly terms with the Orchid Family, then sat crying alone on his room's floor.
In a mere night, he'd somehow conjured up 25 million.
The deal had been reached because he was a noble descendant of the Orchid Family, but wasn't that status part of his own strength?
Was she supposed to give up her noble standing and throw a fit like some lowborn adventurer over a few hundred Puck to prove herself?
And she could see clearly that Loren was the reason this partnership had been secured in just one night.
With someone else, even if they held a higher status than Loren, these shrewd merchants would probably have dragged things out for ten days or half a month, sending someone to Falcon Royal Capital to investigate before agreeing to pay.
But against this extraordinary young man, those shrewd merchants had barely been able to resist. He'd kept them firmly under his control.
Loren's uncanny understanding of human nature had sped the deal along, allowing him to close it in a single night.
In just one day, Loren had surprised her more than he had in the two months they'd spent together. No—those two months had held no surprises, only disappointment.
The girl's cold expression softened considerably, and a glimmer of light seemed to return to her eyes.
Perhaps there was still hope after all.
After the agreement was signed, the next step was to register it at City Hall. Once registered, the guilds would receive special documents. Whenever their taxes were inspected, they could present the documents to receive the appropriate tax reductions.
Of course, a noble had to handle the registration in person. As a direct descendant of the Orchid Family, Loren had five tax-reduction slots for merchant guilds, and he'd used them all at once this time.
Once registration was complete, the guilds' tax-exemption slots would be reported to the Noble Council. The council updated its list of noble merchant guilds every half month and distributed it to every territory in the Silver Moon Kingdom.
That completed the nationwide tax-exemption registration.
The process for canceling a guild's registration was exactly the same.
Clip-clop~
Clip-clop~
Six carriages headed for City Hall, driven by their coachmen.
Loren and Fiana sat inside the carriage in the middle, while Anor rode beside the coachman, just as he had the night before.
Only now did Loren have time to take a closer look at the thief, whose bearing had transformed and whose body was now shrouded in a bloodthirsty aura.
Eye of Truth.
Anor Level: Bronze Intermediate Bloodline: Human Bloodline (B-class, awakened) Bloodline Talent: Presence Concealment (B-class). When he stays silent, his presence is extremely faint, allowing him to evade the notice of ordinary people. Class: Shadow Thief (B-class), Class Skill: Stealth Technique (B-class). It renders him completely invisible. Once his strength reaches Platinum-grade, Stealth Technique will turn him into nothingness, allowing him to pass through walls. Loyalty: 92 Introduction: A human with decent talent as a thief. Perhaps he can steal something while others are asleep.
Anor had awakened?!!
And the bloodline he'd awakened was B-class. With potential like that, he could even reach Platinum-grade someday.
But what Loren wanted to know was, what had happened last night?
Almost without thinking, he opened the system panel and brought up a few notifications he'd overlooked because he'd fallen asleep.
"Ding! Your subordinate Anor killed an enemy (Bronze) and gained 1 point of Soul Power."
"Ding! Your subordinate Anor killed an..."
"Ding!"
Along with these notifications, the Soul Power panel—whose purpose he'd never figured out—had risen to 16 points.
That gave him something to think about.
Soul Power didn't seem so simple after all.
"Anor, why did you suddenly advance to Bronze Intermediate?
The Bloodline Power in you seems to have awakened. Aren't you going to tell me what happened last night?"
Anor hadn't returned until nearly dawn last night. When he showed up this morning, he'd been radiating bloodlust.
Loren looked at his scrawny frame and rubbed his chin.
Could a few big men with some unusual tastes have cornered Anor in an alley last night? Maybe Anor had flown into a rage, awakened his Bloodline Power, and ended up taking the other men's first blood instead?
At those words, Anor turned around and looked at Loren with gratitude and adoration in his eyes.
"Lord Loren, this is all thanks to your generosity."
Anor then recounted in detail what had happened at the orphanage the night before. He finished, his voice fervent.
"Every time I kill an enemy, I feel myself grow stronger!
"If you hadn't bestowed this upon me, I'd probably have been tossed into the sewers by those damned bastards and left for the rats to eat.
"Your radiance shone upon me, allowing me to awaken my Bloodline Power at the critical moment!!
"Your gaze watched over me from afar, keeping me from losing my fighting spirit when I fell!!
"Your trust gave me boundless strength and let me face powerful enemies without fear!!
"Praise be to you, my great lord. I will be eternally loyal to you, my master."
Loren's mouth twitched as he listened. If Anor wanted to flatter him, fine, but why make it a whole series of parallel phrases? Was he the only one who'd ever written an essay?
From what Anor had said, it seemed that killing enemies had made him stronger because of the system's leveling mechanic.
"You're sure killing enemies gives you strength?"
"Yes, Lord Loren, I'm sure. This must be your magic, right? I knew you weren't an ordinary noble lord!"
Looking at the nearly delirious Anor, Loren's mouth twitched.
Once he'd collected himself a little, he couldn't help but feel that this world really was chaotic. People dared to openly snatch children from a place as sensitive as an orphanage.
"How are the children now? What are you going to do with them?"
Most of the excitement faded from Anor's face. He fell silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth.
"Lord Loren, none of them have family left in this world. I brought every one of them in from outside, so I hope I can keep looking after them.
"Of course, you don't have to worry too much. They can go out and beg for food. I'll arrange for the older ones to work as shop assistants. We'll find a way to survive."
We'll find a way to survive.
Loren turned the words over in his mind, and his gaze softened.
"Once the alliance is established, find a new place nearby for him to house those orphans. I'll find people to teach them to read and write. After that, they can stay with the merchant guild and help out."
Anor's heart shuddered, and his nose suddenly stung. This was the same thief who hadn't uttered a sound when several of his ribs were broken the night before, but now his eyes were red.
Choking back tears, he said, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Loren. You're the best person in the world."
Damn it, why's a grown man giving me a 'good person' card?
Loren shot him an exasperated look, then leaned back in the carriage without another word.
Fiana's cold expression softened a little when she heard Loren's words.
This man wasn't completely without redeeming qualities.
But then she remembered how terribly he'd treated her after she'd berated him yesterday. That little change of heart went flying a hundred thousand miles away. She turned her cold face aside and stopped looking at him.
Loren glanced at Fiana, baffled. He hadn't even said a word to her. Why was she looking at him like he was a sinner?
He couldn't be bothered to dwell on it and closed his eyes to rest.
Years of experience navigating rough waters had taught him never to wonder what a girl was thinking, because sometimes even she didn't know.
They didn't understand, yet they wanted you to.
Before you continue