The Boundaries of Possession - Chapter 7
As Andreas and Hern entered the meeting hall, the dazzling glow of luxurious ornaments filled the space. Even when shifting their gaze to the floor, the polished white marble sparkled just the same. Unlike Hern, who shielded his eyes, Andreas merely wore a dissatisfied expression.
A series of massive white stone pillars stood on the platform, centered symmetrically. In the middle of it all sat a figure wearing a pristine white stone mask. The sight was undeniably unpleasant.
“Hern, am I at a church right now?”
“I don’t think so, sir…”
Andreas furrowed his brow, trying to peer beyond the mask. At first glance, the individual seemed like a dominant alpha, but the clothes, puffed up to hide their frame, looked uncomfortable even from a distance.
He could believe it if someone told him this person was the leader of a heretical cult. Expensive jewels dangled from their arms and ears, all clearly worth a fortune. Andreas raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing who this person might be.
“Are you the head of the Karmaut Guild?”
Andreas’s deep voice echoed throughout the hall. His somewhat mocking tone caused a few people to widen their eyes. His gaze remained fixed on the extravagant, arrogant mask.
The head of the merchant guild raised a hand gently, prompting a merchant dressed in expensive attire to approach. Andreas watched the scene without blinking. The raised fingers were notably slender—clearly not those of an alpha.
“You are correct, Your Grace.”
His calm face immediately twisted into a frown. The merchant had spoken in place of the guild’s head. Although he had suspected it earlier, this confirmed his worst expectations.
“The Karmaut style of etiquette is certainly peculiar. It seems I overestimated your guild.”
A bitter smile tugged at one corner of his lips. Negotiating without revealing one’s face or voice? They must have thought little of him. As Andreas turned toward the door, intending to leave, a clear voice rang out, stopping him in his tracks.
“The reason I’ve concealed my face is for the sake of fairness. I trust a wise man like yourself has already understood my intentions.”
The clear, melodious voice echoed through the hall. Andreas, his eyes widening, turned back toward the platform. Hern’s mouth fell open in shock.
A woman. And she wasn’t an alpha. Only then did Andreas’s curiosity about the merchant guild’s head spark.
“For the sake of fair negotiations, I ask that you judge me based on my words and actions rather than my face.”
Her calm and composed voice gradually quelled his anger. He sensed that even this situation was part of her plan. If this peculiar approach had been agreed upon as a term of negotiation, it made sense.
“If you fail to meet expectations, the Karmaut Guild will suffer significant losses. Are you fine with that?”
He slowly closed and reopened his eyes, letting out a scoff. The guildmaster nodded—not too quickly, nor too slowly.
Her intentions were unreadable. She wasn’t someone who revealed her hand easily. Andreas sat down at the rectangular table stretched along the side, facing her direction.
“It’s time for the exclusive trade rights to Astrite to be divided in the interest of public welfare. I propose a distribution with the imperial family for the prosperity of the empire.”
Astrite was a mineral prized for its durability and lightweight properties, essential for weapon manufacturing. There was only one domestic supply within the empire, and the Karmaut Guild held the sole trading rights both inside and outside the empire.
While the hall quickly filled with murmurs, the platform remained silent. Andreas had no intention of showing all his cards. Now that the imperial family had been mentioned, the woman would have few options for a response.
He intended to use her delayed answer as an excuse to bring up the importance of cooperation with the imperial family, her loyalty to the empire, or the consequences of Karmaut’s lack of cooperation.
“The exclusive trade rights to Astrite represent more than simple profit. They reflect the trust we’ve built, the responsibility we bear, and an essential means of maintaining the empire’s economic stability…”
As Andreas raised one corner of his lips, preparing to deliver his planned argument, the guildmaster spoke first, cutting him off.
“If the monopoly is broken, it will negatively impact the trade activities of other merchants. Any losses Karmaut incurs will inevitably affect other merchant guilds as well.”
The green eyes gazing at the platform glimmered darkly. Not even the sound of a sigh could be heard from beyond the mask. Her breathing was meticulously controlled, her posture unshaken, and her composure pressed steadily on her opponent. She was clearly a noble.
