What was Malinda planning?
It was not hard to guess.
Gram's diary had mentioned that South Los had only two secret gatherings: Malinda's Lady of the Long Night's Salon and Mouse Tail Alley on Rat Street. Perhaps there were others, but gatherings that small were bound to have very few worthwhile things. Even if they did, finding them would take luck.
After Malinda wiped out the two major merchant associations and absorbed more than a dozen small and medium-sized ones, her influence had expanded to an unprecedented degree.
So what would Malinda's next target be?
It could only be Mouse Tail Alley on Rat Street.
But unlike those merchant associations, Mouse Tail Alley on Rat Street, with its close ties to the mystical side, would not be so easy to deal with.
It would require not only extreme caution, but strength as well.
Even with that Count's help.
Or rather...
That Count was unwilling to wage open war against Mouse Tail Alley either.
That was why Malinda had offered Arthur such a high price.
But for Arthur, that price was not high enough.
When Arthur said, "You'll have to pay more," Malinda knew he had guessed her objective. Far from being annoyed, she answered with a broad smile.
"As long as you don't ask me to find you the complete [Swiftbird Swordsmanship] or a similar sword style, anything is negotiable."
So the nobles really did monopolize [Swiftbird Swordsmanship] and other sword styles like it!
But what was the point of restricting access like that?
What secrets did those sword styles hold?
As those thoughts ran through Arthur's mind, he spoke without betraying anything.
"I need Mystic Arts related to the Cat Faction. Of course, mystical knowledge or Mystic Arts from the Cat Cave, where the Cat Faction originated, would be