Tricks

"Croak!?"

Muji's eyes widened, and he instinctively denied it:

"Croak, you... what are you talking about? What recording... no, there's no such thing."

"I brought you here today to make one thing clear to you all: I'm fairly open-minded. You're welcome to keep what I've said today, too. After all, nothing I said was particularly disrespectful. It wouldn't matter even if it got out," Xia Xiu said, narrowing his eyes at the restless Muji.

"...Croak..." Muji felt as though needles were digging into his back.

Watching the Traveling Frog suddenly fall silent, Xia Xiu curled his lips and smiled at Muji with amusement in his eyes.

"Want to know how I knew you were recording?"

"Croak! How did you know? I wasn't using a lineage ability or any supernatural power, just an ordinary piece of technology from the mundane world..." Muji's voice grew quieter and quieter.

The blond boy's curled lips and utterly mocking gaze had already given him the answer.

Sure enough, the boy's next words pierced his defenses as easily as an arrow.

"I was just saying that offhand. You're the one who brought up the recording. Oh, Muji, we're friends, aren't we? Why aren't you being honest with me? Why don't you trust me?" Xia Xiu looked deeply disappointed as he gazed at Muji, who had turned to stone.

Croak!

Fuck, I don't want to stay with this bastard anymore. He's fucking terrifying! His species is actually the kind with horns on their heads and bat wings on their backs, isn't it!?

"Why so silent, my dear friend?"

"Croak... ahaha, this is a little gadget developed by a mundane-world company that [Dimension Express] invested in. What do you think?" Muji took a rectangular voice recorder out of his suit pocket.

"Oh-ho, a Dimensional Shrinking Pocket. That formal suit you're wearing must be the work of a master, too," Xia Xiu continued with a smile, watching the recorder grow from small to large.

"..."

Croak! Fuck me...

"Croak, you like it? I'll have a set custom-made for you," Muji ventured.

"Oh, sorry for the trouble, then. But I can't let you spend too much. Just buy me a [Constantine-Style Exorcist Trench Coat]. A custom-made set of [Dimensional Formalwear] would be far too expensive. I couldn't make you splurge like that." Xia Xiu picked up the recorder from the table and spoke with every appearance of consideration for his friend.

Croak!!!

Xiu Abraham, fuck your... you fucking...

"...Croak, no problem. I'll place the order for you right away. The company should still have some in stock. Hahaha, people from Heaven really do love that trench coat," Muji said with a forced laugh.

Inside, his heart already felt as though it were being sliced apart.

Croak, my money!

"Now, let's talk business. About that 'Heavenly Lock Wheel' breathing method I wanted." Xia Xiu lowered his head and fiddled with the recorder, deleting the recording as he asked Muji offhandedly.

"Croak, the higher-ups have found it. This breathing method is kept at the Cavalry Guard Governor's Residence in Farlan. We've already sent people over to discuss purchasing it," Muji said with a stiff smile. He really couldn't manage anything more sincere right now.

"How long do you expect it to take to reach Three Portlands?" Xia Xiu asked.

"Croak. Within this week, probably. Very soon," Muji answered.

"Within a week? That really is fast."

Xia Xiu nodded in satisfaction. As he spoke, he slipped the recorder into his own pocket with perfect ease, making the Traveling Frog's eyelids twitch uncontrollably as he watched from across the table.

"Oh, right. The trench coat you're giving me should arrive this week too, shouldn't it?"

"...Croak, yes." Muji nodded numbly.

"Good. Then this one's on me."

"Quinn, the bill." Xia Xiu raised a hand and called over Quinn the Velociraptor.

When Quinn the Velociraptor came over, Xia Xiu took his wallet from his pocket, pulled out three 100-denomination Youyang Currency notes, and placed them in Quinn's hand.

"Give the extra to that lizard band from earlier as a tip. Their music was fantastic."

"Oh-ho, buddy, you look like you're in a great mood today."

"Yeah, just wrapped up a big deal."

"..." Watching Xia Xiu's radiant smile, Muji withdrew into himself.

Mommy, the tricks out here run too deep. I want to go back to my people.

After settling the bill, Xia Xiu spoke earnestly to Muji.

"Buddy, tell your higher-ups I'm a man of my word. Once I get the breathing method, I'll absolutely keep my mouth shut. And I'm not a greedy man. Tell them they don't need to worry about me using this matter again to threa... to negotiate with them in the future. I take my reputation very seriously!"

Of course, I can't guarantee that one hundred percent. Xia Xiu silently added that to himself.

"I'm heading out. Take your time with your drink."

As Xia Xiu left, whistling cheerfully and twirling the recorder he had just swiped, our poor Traveling Frog remained frozen in place.

This was his second meeting with Xiu Abraham. During their first meeting, the other man had swindled him and the lineage behind him out of a breathing method.

During their second meeting, he had been swindled out of his own savings.

The atmosphere around the Traveling Frog was so oppressive that no one went anywhere near him.

"What's wrong with that frog?"

"No idea. Judging by his face, he probably got cheated on."

"Poor guy."

Terra Calendar 1589.3.7

Deer College, C Wing (second basement level): Mundane Studies Group classroom

Classroom 13.

"[Dimensional Formalwear] is a special type of clothing that became popular throughout Terra's supernatural world starting in the Middle Ages. The Dimensional Shrinking Pockets attached to these garments can shrink large objects and store them inside. The weight of anything placed inside also drops to one-twentieth of its original weight." Classics professor Tom Humphrey was introducing the students to the history of formalwear on Terra.

Professor Tom swiped across the holographic screen before him and pointed to an understated black trench coat.

"This trench coat is called [Constantine]. Its name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, to the most famous [Hell Detective] among the Exorcists, one of the twenty-six classes of the Heaven Lineage."

"The designer of this garment came from the Aedisi Federation in the far west. It is also a favorite of the Heaven Lineage, which places large orders for it every year."

"The Heaven Lineage loves formalwear more than anyone else on Terra, and most of the formalwear they buy comes from Aedisi in the far west. That's why, in Terra's slang, terms like 'suits,' 'men in black,' and 'formalwear freaks' all refer to the Heaven Lineage."

"I've heard that the gangs in Blag and Moldo admire the Heaven Lineage's absolute violence, which is why most of their members are thugs dressed in black formalwear," Professor Tom continued telling the students.

Ding-dong-

The bell rang just as the professor finished speaking.

"Well, my dear students, that will be all for today's lesson. Class dismissed."