If the Governor of White Harbor really had told this knowledgeable director of the Turin Trading Company the exact locations of those unknown array patterns and hoped she would come identify them, then the gray-haired swordswoman's presence here was, at least, reasonably explicable.
As for feeling distrusted or even angry because an employer had issued the same commission twice... other adventurers who took their contracts seriously would probably have already fallen out with this "colleague" who refused to play by the rules, all to protect their long-term relationship with the client.
Renato, however, felt none of the resentment most ordinary noble mercenaries might have experienced.
After all, he was not an Ereel noble who valued his reputation above everything else, nor had he ever felt he needed other nobles' recognition to prove his strength. As far as Renato was concerned, so long as his interests were not harmed, he would be delighted to have someone complete the commission for him.
Besides, the Black-Armored Swordsman had understood from the outset that, rather than uncovering the truth behind the underwater threat, this [quest] was really more of a means for Governor De Sousa to win over powerful individuals-an excuse to give them money...
No one disliked gold, however wealthy they were. Presumably, this company director was no exception.
Recalling the Governor of White Harbor's polished, well-practiced methods of winning hearts and making "friends," Renato doubted this was his first time doing something like this.
His almost exaggerated warmth, which disregarded formal distinctions of rank and instead made him seem more approachable, paired with favors offered at just the right moment, often left newly arrived guests owing him a debt before they even understood the island's rules.
And Amicali, a young company director who managed trade across more than a dozen islands under