The matter was settled.
Haimo stood up and smoothed the creases in his coat.
"Good."
"I'll have members of my Familia come over to coordinate the details with you."
"I have some personal business to attend to this afternoon, so I won't stay any longer."
With that said.
Haimo walked straight out of the Reception Hall without the slightest hesitation.
The doors closed behind him.
Silence returned to the hall.
Ganesha plopped back into his spacious chair, picked up the cup of water that had already gone cold on the table, and took a great gulp.
"We finally managed to keep that fellow satisfied."
Ganesha let out a long breath.
Shakti stood nearby.
On her cool, beautiful face, her brows drew tighter and tighter.
She kept replaying everything Haimo had just said and done in her mind.
First, he had put forward a condition they could never possibly accept.
Created panic.
Then naturally presented his real objective.
Making them agree without hesitation in their relief at having preserved the greater part.
"Lord Ganesha..."
Shakti suddenly spoke, a chill in her voice.
"Was Lord Haimo's target from the very beginning... just that castle?"
"Huh?"
Ganesha raised his head, the two small holes in his mask facing Shakti.
"And Lord Haimo said he needed a base for over a thousand people..."
"Doesn't that mean Lord Haimo has suddenly acquired an armed force of over a thousand people?"
"And he asked us to handle the approval process at the Guild for him."
"Which means that, nominally, our Ganesha Familia is endorsing Lord Haimo's Familia."
Shakti's words fell silent.
Ganesha froze in his chair.
After that elephant mask had remained motionless in the air for ten seconds.
Suddenly.
Ganesha sprang out of his chair.
"I, Ganesha, have been played!"
Chapter 143: Ais's Sword of