“Clarify misunderstandings? Are there still misunderstandings?”
I directly asked him in return.
“Yes, it’s only a misunderstanding. Actually besides Miss Siguote, my accounts also record quite a few people I have lent money to. And my subordinates when working mistook Miss Siguote for another person who borrowed and didn’t repay, thus taking… relatively rough methods.”
Merchant Pan An explained without changing expression, but in my view this was just simply using an excuse to deceive others.
If successful there would be no problem at all.
Even if it couldn’t deceive there was no loss, after all his relationship with the other party was unequal.
And our target wasn’t merchant Pan An, at least not first priority, so I also had no need to entangle with him on this aspect.
“That’s a really interesting way of putting it. Since it can be resolved so simply, then what compensation do you have? After all your side was at fault first.”
I continued pushing the topic along his statement.
Anyway we hadn’t agreed yet, saying anything now was no problem.
“Compensation, huh. That’s true. In that case then please allow me to reduce Miss Siguote’s debt by half.”
“Oh…”
Even I was surprised at merchant Pan An’s statement.
In my impression merchants of my era were basically very greedy.
Making them provide resources for the battlefield at a slightly cheaper price was almost like taking their lives, let alone this matter of reduction.
And if Siguote’s debt could be reduced by half, for her it was also an acceptable good result.
“Hey, Siguote, what do you think…”
Just as I turned my head intending to ask Siguote her own opinion, I discovered she was only focused on stuffing snacks into her mouth, almost turning herself into the appearance of a hamster with a mouth full of food.
This stranger-fearing person was only focused on eating, completely handing the initiative to me.
This is your debt problem, you know!
And I’m not your guardian either!
“About this compensation, I’ll discuss it with Siguote later.”
“Mm, that’s great. Being able to see the misunderstanding between us explained also lets me feel much more at ease.”
Merchant Pan An showing a relieved expression clapped his hands, then the waiters who had been waiting outside for a long time began carrying dishes in.
Oh, finally the long-awaited dinner segment?
Since waking from the petrified state I hadn’t tried much of this era’s gourmet food, so I was a bit curious what it would be like.
Of course I also didn’t quite believe merchant Pan An only had this kind of matter and specially invited us over, so there must be other reasons.
But looking at the gourmet dishes, I could turn a blind eye and wait.
Before the dishes were fully served, I started observing the bodyguard standing behind merchant Pan An, discovering two very small-looking beast ears hidden on his robust-built head.
A half-beastman?
Rarely seen in the past, now it seemed to coexist with the human race.
Compared to ordinary humans, the greatest external feature of half-beastmen was having the corresponding race’s beast ears and beast tail.
Physical quality and strength were much stronger compared to humans, but correspondingly magic power aspects were less than ordinary humans, so most of the half-beastman race were strong ones originating as warriors.
By the way, here is a half-beastman bodyguard, then what about that Hod I met yesterday?
I thought he said he was a confidant and would also be present.
At this time that bodyguard also discovered I was observing him and glared back.
Of course this impolite action wasn’t intentional.
After all the bodyguard’s role was to protect his employer and display his presence to the outside.
Letting the other party feel oneself friendly and having an opportunity wasn’t what a good bodyguard should display.
“Please enjoy.”
After the waiters fully served the dishes they all withdrew, and the room was left with only us four people again.
“Then please enjoy the dishes, Miss Shihua, Miss Siguote.”
As the host of this small banquet, merchant Pan An took the lead in picking up utensils, so we also followed his pace and picked up utensils.
Though I had considered whether poison was mixed in the food, because the 500-year gap made me temporarily not know if new unknown poisons had appeared, I could only as much as possible select dishes of ingredients I was familiar with, and use magic to protect my body’s internal safety in advance.
“Mm, so delicious!”
And Siguote, she hadn’t thought of these at all, only continuously picking dishes into her own bowl.
So I could only place my hand under the table in advance, constructing protection magic at an angle they couldn’t see and applying it on Siguote.
“Then, Miss Shihua, though saying this while enjoying dishes is very impolite, I personally have a very great interest in you.”
“Is that so? Ah, this steak feels fried pretty well.”
“Oh, thank you. I’ll pass it on to the chef. Then can I ask about your background, Miss Shihua, or you introduce yourself.”
“My name is Shihua, that’s all. And this pork dish’s sauce is pretty good.”
“Haha, indeed. This is something I bought from residents of a certain region before…”
Merchant Pan An was probing my background as I thought.
But to be honest if I said I just woke from a stone statue no one would believe it.
Moreover I didn’t want to give him too much information, so I directly vaguely perfunctorily dealt with him.
And it was really delicious.
As a qualified warrior, one needs to eat large amounts of meat to supplement one’s own energy.
“Then, as expected Miss Shihua came together with Miss Siguote from her family, right? Thinking this way is also reasonable.”
“Family…”
Siguote’s family?
Why would Siguote’s family be mentioned here instead?
Could it be the other party’s target isn’t only Siguote, but the family behind her?
Just as I was thinking about the reason behind, merchant Pan An moved his position, approaching my position.
“I heard about today’s matter at the Adventurers’ Guild, and also learned from Hod about your methods of dealing with them, Miss Shihua. Not only possessing outstanding martial skills, but also possessing magic that can scatter a large number of people in an instant. Being able to have an intimate conversation with a powerful and outwardly almost nation-toppling beauty like you can be said to be my greatest honor.”
I see.
Using flattering words to hit on me, is that it?
This kind of method I often saw those kids in the army using to pick up girls, but basically no one succeeded.
But I also didn’t expect it would actually be me being hit on.
This made one not know whether to laugh or cry.
“Is that so? Then that’s really my honor, but…”
Just as I was preparing to perfunctorily deal with it with some random words, my body suddenly received pulling force from the other side.
Only then I discovered Siguote who was just gobbling dishes even didn’t care to wipe the sauce at her mouth, pulling me back to her side, my entire back lying in her embrace.
“Siguote?”
I raised my head to look at Siguote, discovering her expression rarely became serious.
“No, Lady Shihua. Can’t approach that side.”
“Approach that side?”
Ah, this person.
Is she jealous?
Because someone wanted to make a move on me, she immediately changed.
After all before I woke, “Shihua” was carved by her for her own desire.
And now someone was making a move on her work, so she became firm.
But her current appearance was more like a child whose toy was snatched then snatched back and hugged in arms.
“Haha, sorry, Miss Siguote, Miss Shihua. I didn’t know you had this kind of relationship. If I offended please let me apologize.”
After apologizing merchant Pan An actively withdrew, pulling distance from me.
But Siguote didn’t let go of me, so I reached out to stroke her head, letting her calm down.
“Eh, Lady Shihua…”
It seemed at this time she only noticed how strange her action was, and finally released her restraint on me.
“Alright alright, continue enjoying the dishes. Don’t mind.”
Now wasn’t the time for lecturing.
But Siguote’s performance also made me feel a bit worried.
After returning I’ll slowly communicate with her.
The most important now was still continuing to extract information from merchant Pan An’s mouth.
“Cough cough. Though I also want to say sorry for letting you see this appearance, but mutually apologizing is also useless to say more. Then please continue our conversation, Mr. Pan An.”
“You’re right. Where were we just now… right, the topic about Miss Siguote’s family. Should say as expected of a famous magic tool family. Unexpectedly talents emerge in large numbers, able to have such beautiful moving and powerful talent appear in the world. And the lord being able to invite Miss Siguote and Miss Shihua to come to this small place is truly a great honor.”
“Magic tool family…”
Indeed I heard from Siguote that her family previously made a living making magic tools, and because magic tools are currently too popularized they declined.
But in outsiders’ eyes it seemed not like this, instead still maintaining considerable fame, a bit different from what Siguote said.
This belonged to that kind of situation of living inside and unable to clearly know how much one’s own family’s fame is.
I looked at Siguote, discovering she had returned to the rhythm of gobbling dishes again.
But after sensing my gaze she slightly reddened her face and used her own bangs to block her face.
No, straighten the train of thought.
Since merchant Pan An’s topic focus was on Siguote’s family, in other words his and the lord’s purpose wasn’t Siguote herself, but her family.
As long as the commission is issued the family side sending anyone is fine.
Then what does the lord want?
It shouldn’t be only that huge knight statue on the surface.
Or speculating in a darker direction, wanting someone from her family as a hostage, then coercing her family to do something for him?
All the above still lack information, so still continue focusing on the current conversation…
…Or directly strike the yellow dragon.
“Alright, Mr. Pan An. Let’s skip the mutual probing words. Obviously our skylight isn’t open big enough yet. Now let’s talk. What purpose do you and the lord have?”
It seemed he didn’t expect I would directly ask this core topic.
Merchant Pan An’s business smile on his face froze for a moment, then quickly recovered to his originally proper attitude, as if the previous smile didn’t exist.
“Really direct, Miss Shihua. But you should know even a merchant like me who possesses large amounts of money and resources is only a person submitting under the powerful. There’s no need to do those things that go against them.”
“In other words, you know the lord’s purpose? Since the lord already found Siguote to work for him, then what other purpose would make him use so many means to keep Siguote?”
The matter that both merchant Pan An and Guild Master Lamba work for the lord can easily be grown.
But the key is what the lord’s secret purpose actually is.
“I know, but I also can’t tell you, Miss Shihua. I can’t speak the lord’s secret, otherwise it will cause very big trouble…”
Merchant Pan An made a subtle difficult expression and continued speaking.
“…And saying these to you is only out of respect for you. Undoubtedly if I possessed power like yours, in this occasion I definitely couldn’t endure and would rely on power to interrogate information.”
“Thank you for the praise. And incidentally, I am indeed thinking this now, and pondering if I make a move how many methods can cover up the truth here.”
I leaned back relying on the chair back, trying to threaten merchant Pan An.
And that strong bodyguard behind him stepped forward one step, preparing to face possible danger.
But compared to the bodyguard’s tension, merchant Pan An appeared calm and composed.
“Hahaha. That’s a really terrifying thought, Miss Shihua. But looking down on merchants like this really gives one a headache. In our line if one can easily betray one’s partner, then the entire line’s business is ruined.”
“…That’s true.”
At this point, I finally understood what this person wanted to say.
He wanted to obtain a chip worth him taking the risk to betray the lord and speak the purpose.
Of course he didn’t really plan to betray, only leak its purpose.
After all the lord was still the manager of this region.
Excessive greed would only cause one’s own destruction.
Then what thing can serve as a chip?
I who just woke have no money.
And I don’t think merchant Pan An lacks money.
In other words he has other requests.
“…How about this?”
At this time Siguote suddenly took out a strange thing from her own shoulder bag and placed it on the table.
That was a strange stone-made bracelet, decorated very beautifully on it.
But in my view compared to an accessory, this thing felt more like a magic tool.
“Oh, great. Miss Siguote, I didn’t expect you to finish it so quickly!”
Merchant Pan An instead looked very happy after seeing it, seeming surprised it was earlier than expected.
“N-not really. I just happened to finish it today…”
Finished it today?
Before I told Siguote we were going to merchant Pan An’s place she didn’t know about this trip.
And I hadn’t seen this thing either.
Meaning in the period I notified her and briefly left waiting for her to change clothes, she made this?