As the family head's confidant, An Ran knew more or less about certain matters: this incident had exposed a major flaw in the An Family. If they were lucky enough to patch it up, it could naturally be dismissed as a minor mistake, nothing more than a laughable embarrassment.
But if they failed to patch it, not only would all the anticipated benefits be lost, it might even cause the family's fortune to drain away.
And that fortune was the foundation upon which the An Family's ancestors survived. Those ancestors who could directly contact the Heavenly Court were the very foundation of a great family's existence.
Without them, relying solely on shamans would not make them a great family. They would be like the Bo Clan, able to survive only through the strength of one person. Such a family could never endure for tens of thousands of years.
When a person died, their light went out. Even if he ascended to the Heavenly Court, he would no longer have any connection to the mortal world.
Watching the fat An Ran with lowered eyelids and subtly shifting eyes, Hill judged that he was far more nervous than he appeared.
The An Family seemed extremely concerned about trade with Faerûn and urgently needed to establish a foothold there. Did the Dragonborn Empire need something that could only be purchased from Faerûn?
Something so vital that, if its sale were prohibited, it could even affect the entire empire.
Aglaia City was right beside Waterdeep. It would be far too easy to do that. Having recognized Hill's identity, the An Family was naturally treating him with such caution.
Then their goal was probably to achieve merit and perhaps integrate even more deeply with the Dragonborn Empire's national fortune.
The carriage came to a gentle