While Nami and the others were engrossed in racing...
In an elegantly furnished VIP reception room on the middle floors of the King of Gold Hotel...
Galette sat on a sofa, her long hair arranged in an immaculate bun. Several documents lay on the coffee table before her, with a cup of black tea beside them.
"Sshurururu~ Ms. Galette, rest assured. Mr. Tesoro naturally places unconditional trust in Lord Shining's allies."
The speaker sat on the sofa opposite her.
He stood over two meters tall, but his appearance was bizarre, like a chibi "Big-Head Doll."
His head was almost larger than his body. Dressed in a black guard uniform, he looked like a little demon straight out of a fairy tale.
As he spoke, he wore a habitual, inscrutable smile.
"Mr. Tanaka, I have no doubts about Mr. Tesoro's sincerity..."
Galette offered a few pleasantries of her own.
She had learned about Mr. Tanaka beforehand, too.
As one of Tesoro's most trusted subordinates, he was both captain of the Guard Unit and its external spokesman.
Simply put, Tanaka handled all of Gold City's unsavory affairs.
Yet now, sitting before her, he was deferential and mild-spoken, like an honest businessman.
"Ms. Galette, regarding the gold market, we agree in principle to cooperate..."
Tanaka had little room to negotiate.
In terms of strength, Tesoro had no way of resisting Shining, and under the current arrangement, he had almost no autonomy either.
There was just one thing...
Gold City plus the Golden Country-merely imagining the economic upheaval that combination could cause made the corners of Tanaka's mouth go numb.
Would this really not cause problems?
"You needn't worry about that, Mr. Tanaka. We have our own countermeasures. Besides, Lord Sephi doesn't want upheaval in the world either. This is merely... preparing for a