Renato gradually realized that Amicali's interest in him seemed to go somewhat beyond what was appropriate for a first meeting. Whenever her gaze settled on him, it held an undisguised curiosity, and her questions always seemed to be discreetly probing for something.
He was unsure whether he was imagining it or whether this was simply how the director of the Turin Trading Company usually dealt with people.
By all rights, this level of attention was unusual. Although the name "Black Blade" was now known to everyone on White Harbor Island, Amicali was, after all, a trading company member from Marispan Main Island. She had probably encountered more dignitaries and prominent figures from the Kingdom than anyone could count.
Not to mention that she had personally taken part in quite a few adventures across the Archipelago in her youth. Her horizons and experience were far beyond those of ordinary people. Considering the modest achievements he had shown so far, and putting himself in her shoes, an outsider swordsman who had only just begun to make a name for himself on a remote island should hardly have drawn so much of her attention...
Since crossing over to Ereel, Renato, whose main occupation was adventuring, had experienced this sort of probing from all kinds of people more than once.
Behind seemingly warm exchanges, people often concealed agendas of their own...
Renato quickly weighed the possibilities, but he still could not fathom her true intentions. Since he could not work out her purpose for the moment, he had no intention of revealing the truth. Without a change in expression, he casually invented an excuse:
"It was really just personal curiosity. After all, sea elves don't exist within the Borealia Empire. As it happens, during an earlier voyage, I unexpectedly picked up a sea elf