"Robbery? No, robbery pays much more slowly than selling information."
Across from the grim-eyed elder sat a handsome man with a high-bridged nose and a gentle voice.
"Selling information?" The elder snorted. "Selling people out, more like."
As he spoke, he removed his headscarf, revealing a scalp covered in stubble so short it was almost invisible.
In the Golden City, only those whose Fundamental Duty was "Slave" shaved their heads that way.
The elder's Fundamental Duty was Slave, yet his clothes were lavish, and rings covered his wrinkled fingers.
"Ten Perth Coins is a lot. It could buy a fine-looking young slave, make you his master, and give you complete control over the course of his life. But ten Perth Coins is also very little. It wouldn't even buy half a glass of red wine from Nuun Manor. One taste, and it's gone."
The handsome man flashed his white teeth and smiled into the elder's dark gaze.
"Besides, ten Perth Coins could also buy information on Dancer Ossis and make your master Derino happy."
"Five Perth Coins per report."
"I know Ossis is the spy you planted beside Iron Mask Putara. And now Putara dotes on her. He's madly in love, so information on Ossis doesn't come cheap. I'm taking a serious risk by sending my people to watch her."
The bald elder's voice sank. "Seven Perth Coins per report. No more. All you're doing is passing along information from inside the Slave Rebellion Organization. Stop talking as though you control everything."
The handsome man waved to the maid beside him. She brought over a plate of purple grapes coated in frost, picked one up, and fed it to him.
The handsome man narrowed his eyes in pleasure and raised an eyebrow as if the thought had just occurred to