The late-night negotiations went exceptionally smoothly, prompting Veylin to convene a meeting of his senior staff the very next day.
He had not visited the meeting room for some time, and things had changed.
The rough table pieced together from swamp hardwood was gone.
In its place stood a long blackwood table, its polished surface reflecting the white clouds drifting past the window.
Two new tapestries depicting harvest scenes hung on the walls, their colors vivid and their stitches fine.
Even the candlesticks had been replaced with pure silver ones adorned with elaborate curling patterns.
Veylin raised an eyebrow slightly.
Another pointless expense.
That money could have bought at least two sets of precision distillation equipment, or paid for a quarter's worth of laboratory supplies.
His gaze swept across the long table.
Caroline was calmly sipping her tea.
She wore a lake-green dress that day, its soft skirts spreading beside her chair and tracing the pleasing curves of her hips.
Noticing Veylin's gaze, the vice president kept her expression perfectly composed.
Beneath the table, however, her pale calves swung noticeably faster-she had clearly misunderstood his scrutiny.
Veylin took his seat at the head of the table and glanced over those present.
To his left sat Caroline, Valerius, Leo, and Ola, who still sat ramrod straight despite the bandages wrapped around him.
To his right were Barrett, captain of the guards; Old Walker, the agricultural officer; and Kale, the ranger who seemed to blend into the room's shadows even while sitting upright in his chair.
These were the two groups that currently existed within Newborn Town.
"Let's begin."
His voice was quiet, yet it drew everyone's attention.
"The repercussions of our hunt for the Gray Swamp Crocodiles have come sooner than expected."
Veylin tapped his fingers lightly against the polished tabletop.