Soon enough, a carriage from the Golden Hand was here to pick him up. Red was on guard once he learned the meeting was at their headquarters, but their organization wasn’t the kind to act overtly, so he didn’t think he would have any problems.
As they rode through the streets, he saw the city somewhat returning to normalcy. As Marina told him, they didn’t manage to arrest any cultists of particular importance, but this state of half-martial law was unsustainable for the city. So, activity picked up again, and the disaster from a few months ago was mostly forgotten.
Investigations were still being made in the background, however. Red noticed quite a few guards questioning people on the streets, and this made him wonder when the demonic cults would deign it appropriate to act again.
The carriage arrived at the Golden Hand Temple, where Gustav was waiting by the entrance to receive him with a team of servants.
“Master Viran!” The merchant bowed. “I’m so glad you accepted my invitation. I have been so eager to talk to you!”
Red didn’t respond, staring silently at the overweight man.
Gustav seemed a bit at a loss. He looked at the guild servants with an angry expression.
“Don’t stand there, you idiots! Go prepare the meeting room!” He looked back at Red. “If you would follow me.”
They entered the ostentatious bank, which was teeming with activity this early in the day. Curiously, Red didn’t sense the fluctuation of that Spirit Core cultivator within the building, but he couldn’t question the merchant about it without sounding suspicious.
“I couldn’t help but notice your shop hasn’t opened for a while, Master Viran,” Gustav said as they ascended a flight of stairs.
“I’ve been busy.”
“Ah, I see…”
The conversation died out as they arrived at a large meeting room. A round ornate wooden table was set there, with a dozen chairs spread around it, all the furniture being decorated by lines of gold in the Golden Hand motif. Inside the room were five people - the Arcane Scripture Master Heryd who assessed Red’s skill the first time, two merchants he didn’t recognize, a hawkish-looking man dressed like a bodyguard, and a young, bald noble man wearing brown and black colors.
Red paused at the doorway as he looked at these people. The bodyguard fluctuations put him in the Greater Ring Realm, while the young noble was in the Lesser Ring Realm. The merchants also seemed ill at ease as they stole glances at these two, and when they saw Gustav appear, they displayed expressions of relief.
But Red didn’t take a step further into the room, looking back at Gustav.
“You didn’t tell me there were going to be other people here,” he said.
The merchant struggled to respond, but a laughter interrupted him. Red looked over and saw the young noble stand up with a smile.
“I’m sorry, Master Viran. When I heard you were coming to visit, I decided to insert myself into this meeting,” he walked up to Red and extend his hand in greeting. “I am Alphonse Claiborne. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
‘Claiborne.’
This was the name of the other ducal family in the capital. They were also the prime suspects for collaborating with the demonic cultists.
Red didn’t return the handshake, which amused Alphonse.
He looked back at his bodyguard. “This one is not much for courtesy.”
The bodyguard snorted. “Doesn’t surprise me, considering who he spends his time with.”
“Gentlemen!” Master Heryd, the only one who kept his composure, stood up. “Remember that you gave the guild your word!”
The young noble sighed and returned to his seat. “Fine, fine…”
Although Alphonse backed down, he kept staring at Red with a mocking expression.
Gustav let out a sigh of relief. “Right, then we can-”
“I’m leaving,” Red cut him off and walked out of the room.
It took a few seconds for the people in the meeting room to register what had happened.
“Wait, Master Viran!”
Gustav ran in front of him and blocked his way.
“P-Please, just give me a second to-”
“There’s nothing to say. This was supposed to be a meeting between the two of us, and now not only are there three other guild personnel there, but there are also two outsiders. What is this supposed to mean?”
Gustav gritted his teeth, at a loss, looking between the room and Red. A few seconds later, Master Heryd also walked out of the room.
“Master Viran, I apologize,” Heryd said. “I was under the impression Gustav had informed you of this.”
The overweight merchant looked at the old man with a wronged expression, which quickly turned into apologetic.
“That’s right, Master Viran!” He nodded. “It’s my fault for not informing you of this!”
“And what exactly does this change?” Red asked.
“Young Master Alphonse and his family are important contributors to the guild, so-”
“So he’s here to intimidate me?”
Gustav didn’t know how to respond to this, looking over at Master Heryd for help. The old man scratched his beard in thought.
“… I apologize for our oversight, Master Viran. Please, hold on just a moment,” he returned to the room and looked over at the noble and his bodyguard. “I apologize, gentlemen, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to participate in this meeting.”
Alphonse glared at Heryd. “Is this a joke?”
“I’m afraid not. If our guest doesn’t want to participate in the meeting with you here, then we can only ask you to leave.”
The young noble didn’t respond, instead exchanging glances with his bodyguard. The hawkish man just shrugged, and Alphonse nodded, after which the two of them got up from their seats.
“We will let this matter go due to our relationship, Master Heryd. But be aware that my father is not in the best of moods after what happened in the market district. One of these days… maybe he won’t speak up for your guild in the Royal Court.”
Master Heryd seemed unmoved by this threat. “Whatever he decides, Young Master Alphonse, we will respect and abide.”
Alphonse just smiled and walked out of the room, trailed by his bodyguard. He gave a quick glance at Red before walking past him. The bodyguard, however, stopped right in front of him and snorted.
Suddenly, Red felt a wave of Spiritual Energy hit his body, causing him to fall down to one knee as the man’s aura crashed down on him. Everyone was too stunned to react, and before Red could do anything, the pressure around him disappeared, and a wave of golden energy surrounded the bodyguard, forming a chain that locked him in place.
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The man’s expression twisted in pain, though he didn’t seem surprised by this result.
“You dare raise your hand at someone inside our guild?!” Master Heryd glared at the bodyguard with unconcealed anger.
The commotion had already attracted the attention of almost everyone inside the Golden Hand Temple. Red, who just now was recovering from the sudden attack, looked at the bodyguard with a frown. The golden chains that locked the man in place were clearly the work of a formation that Red failed to notice until now.
“Gregory, what have you done?!” Alphonse glared at the bodyguard. His tone and expression, however, were clearly exaggerated. “I’m so sorry, Master Heryd, I don’t know what got into his head!”
“I have no time to play your games, child! You think the rules of our guild are something you can just break with no consequences?!”
“By no means, Master Heryd! I apologize profusely for this!” The young noble looked at his bodyguard. “You moron, what do you think you have done?!”
The bodyguard gritted his teeth in pain. “… I’m sorry, young master. I wasn’t thinking properly.”
“You think a simple apology will cut it?! Apologize to Master Heryd and Mater Viran as well!”
Gregory turned his gaze to both of them. “I am sorry, Master Heryd, for breaking the guild’s rules. I am sorry, Master Viran, for letting my temper get the best of me and attacking you.”
Red didn’t respond, staring at this whole theater with a frown.
“Damn you, Gregory! Do you think that’s enough?! For some things, no matter how sincere your apology is, it just won’t cut it. Here,” Alphonse pulled out two items from his pouch - a purple slip of paper and a small vial with a pill inside. “This is a healing Spiritual Pill, and this is a voucher to exchange a hundred Spirit Stones in the bank. I hope this is enough to show my sincerity, Master Viran.”
Red stared down at the items and accepted them without responding.
Alphonse seemed to take this as acceptance for his apology and now turned to look at Master Heryd. “I-”
“Don’t bother,” the old man cut him off. “Just get out of my sight and make sure I never see this man here again.”
The golden chains surrounding Gregory disappeared, and the man fell down to his knees, breathing heavily.
“Very well,” Alphonse nodded and looked at his bodyguard. “Let’s go, you moron! You’ve done enough damage already!”
The two of them left, disappearing down the stairs. The commotion seemed to die down after this, and Master Heryd looked over at Red with an apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry, Master Viran. Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Red said. “Let’s just get this over with.”
His entire body was aching from that simple attack by a Greater Ring Realm cultivator, but he ignored it for now. He had a lot of thoughts in his mind and knew this meeting couldn’t be delayed in any case.
“Very well,” the old man nodded and reentered the meeting room.
The two other merchants left the table, and only Red, Gustav, and Master Heryd remained there.
“Why did you call me?” Red asked.
“Well, Master Viran,” Gustav spoke. “We hear you are involved with the construction of a new Spiritual Forge, is that right?”
“If you’re asking, you already know the answer. But no, I was not involved. I am just using it.”
“W-Well, whatever the case, Master Viran, we did not know you were proficient in artifact forging.”
“I saw no reason to tell you.”
There was an awkward silence as Gustav seemed to be at a loss about how to communicate with his guest. He looked over at Master Heryd, who sighed.
“You plan on working with Lehmann’s Traders?” He asked.
“I do.” Red saw no reason to deny it.
“Then I will make you an offer. Come work with us instead.”
Gustav took out a pile of papers on the old man’s prompting and slid them over the table towards Red. It seemed to be a ledger detailing transactions from artifact forging, which numbered in the tens of thousands of Spirit Stones over the last five years.
“The Golden Hand engages in various types of artifact forging, but blacksmithing remains the most profitable one by far, since most cultivators use metal weapons,” the merchant said. “Kingdoms and other factions around the eastern part of the continent all have their own Spiritual Forges, but only a handful of organizations keep it open to commissions. In that sense, our guild has managed to carve our name in this business and has not just one, but three Spiritual Forges in countries around the eastern continent!”
Red didn’t respond, reading the numbers in the ledger. Each artifact was at a minimum, worth two hundred Spirit Stones, and some of them were sold for over a thousand Spirit Stones. There were no specifics about what these artifacts could do, though, so he could only guess their powers by their rough names.
Gustav continued. “As you know, we are bordering the very edge of the Empire, so the demand for artifacts has increased exponentially. You won’t be able to find another forge open for commission until you’re three countries deeper into the east. Even the crown has commissioned us for artifacts!”
This revelation gave Red some pause.
“The crown has commissioned artifacts from your guild?” He asked.
“Yes,” Gustav nodded, happy that Red was finally showing interest. “They have their own forge and specialists, but they aren’t able to keep the demand up by themselves. This is all to say, Master Viran, that not only have we built a reputation that provides us with a steady supply of clients, but we also have the means to connect with people from all over the world. It’s not something a small trader’s group can compare.”
“How much would you profit from each commission, Master Viran?” Master Heryd asked.
Red, however, didn’t respond.
The old man didn’t seem bothered by this. “Well, I assume it’s a three-way split since you’re using the Fairclough manor, but industry standard should be about forty percent for the crafter. We are willing to offer you fifty, and beyond that, we are also certain we can sell each artifact for more than the Lehmann’s group without losing clients.”
“Considering they wouldn’t have a crafter if I left them, that wouldn’t surprise me,” Red said.
Master Heryd smiled. “It’s not just that. We have seen the blueprints of the Spiritual Forge they built. It’s outdated by a few decades, and our forges have been constantly upgraded by our researchers. Our efficiency should be almost twenty percent better, which would make us able to produce artifacts better and faster.”
This revelation made Red frown. An advantage of twenty percent efficiency was enormous in a competitive market. Not to mention that the Golden Hand could also take a loss to compete against Lehmann’s Traders, considering how big their group was.
‘This trade war is not my concern. My only task is to craft.’
“You see, Master Viran,” Gustav leaned in. “We are not enemies with Sir Lehmann. In fact, we often have business dealings, so suffice it to say we were quite blindsided when we heard their plans. A lot of us found this daring act commendable, but it doesn’t change the fact we have to protect our interests and the interests of all our contributors that rely on us… And the truth is, that even if we let you establish this business, some of our allies might not agree. They might even take… radical actions to stop you.”
Red looked over at Gustav. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s the simple truth,” Master Heryd interjected. “I’m sure you have heard of unsavory rumours about our guild, but the truth is the Golden Hand is not a unified organization. We are made up of many other merchant organizations that joined to achieve similar goals, and while there is a governing council, the factions in our guild have a great degree of independence. Where one might be willing to be diplomatic, another might rely on underhanded methods to deal with the competition.”
“Is that where the Claiborne Family comes in?”
“They are a contributor, not a part of our organization. In that sense, we have even less control over their actions.”
Red fell silent. If he didn’t know what this guild could do, he might have believed the man.
But he had heavy suspicions that the display earlier from Alphonse, his bodyguard, and Master Heryd was an act to intimidate him. They probably knew exactly how Red would react when an outsider was invited into a private meeting, and they used the excuse of his relationship with the Northvale family for Alphonse to act antagonistically against him. He had no proof of this, but he knew how smart his opponents could be when they had been given trouble to Hector for decades back in Bestrem.
Regardless, even if Red figured out the truth behind his earlier interaction, the result was the same. They were threatening him, and it was a very real threat.
“I know this is a lot to take in right now, Master Viran,” Gustav said. “But you can give us your answer lat-”
“There’s no need,” Red cut him off. “I’m not working with you.”
They fell silent at his reply. Gustav looked over at Master Heryd with a strange expression.
The old man, however, didn’t hide the frown on his face. “Are you certain, Master Viran? For all intents and purposes, this would make you our business rival.”
“That is something I can live with,” Red got up for his chair and threw the purple voucher to Gustav. “Here. The payment for that loan. You can keep the change.”
With nothing else left to say, he left the room, and no one tried to stop him. Neither did any servant escort him out of the guild, and he received quite a few gazes because of the earlier confrontation.
When Red left the temple, no carriage was there waiting for him, and he had to make his way back home on foot. Before he could be on his way, though, he sensed a familiar fluctuation on the other side of the street.He looked over and saw Pierre, the guard captain, looking over at him with a serious expression. He nodded once he saw Red stare back and walked away to continue his patrol.
Red didn’t linger on the meaning behind his presence there and went back home. He barely arrived at the manor when he was bombarded by messages from one of his communication talismans. More specifically, the one Marina gave him.
“Master Viran, I heard you went to the Golden Hand Temple,” the woman said. “Whatever they offer you, do not accept it! We can discuss improving the terms of our deal later, but whatever happens, I beg you to not accept their deal! These people are not any better than demons and…”
Similar messages kept coming his way until Red had enough and responded.
“I refused them.”
A minute of silence went by before another reply came back.
“Were their terms not good enough?”
“They were very good, but I already made a deal with you.”
Another prolonged silence before the talisman glowed again.
“Thank you, Master Viran. I will make sure your trust is not misplaced.”