Backing both sides and placing bets in different camps had always been a common tactic among great families.
But a case like Quesenta's, betting on both an elephant and an ant, was rather rare.
Falan could only cast the two young Mages sympathetic looks. Some ants might be vicious, but if there were too few of them, they meant nothing at all!
Though the blow had left him looking utterly miserable, Dervis quickly handled Luka, who had started babbling nonsense.
Once he confirmed that Falan intended to take them away aboard the Otherworld Whale, he calmly requested some time to shop. They were going home—what use was it to bring their money back to Quesenta?
There were so many good things in Aglaia's shops... They certainly could not be called cheap or good value, but Quesenta did not have them, and that was enough.
Unfortunately, the Curio Shop had not opened yet.
Dervis pondered whether, when saying goodbye to Leonard, who was staying at the city administrator's residence, he could ask Mr. Lynn to sell him some jewelry-type curios.
Dervis regretted it too, but he could still endure this particular blow... After all, none of those Fragment girls belonged to his family.
Unlike Luka, no one dared openly abandon the future heir of a city-state.
He had to thank his mother for that—she had entered a marriage between two powerful families and borne only him.
Though his family had also remained silent, Dervis could understand why.
His family could refrain from acting, but they could not openly stop their neighbors... neighbors who, together, had enough power to destroy their city-state... from pursuing the chance to make a fortune.
The only thing he could not understand was why his teacher, Edna's biological father, had also chosen to remain silent. As one