The town of Vollum, nestled in Setus, was renowned for producing some of the finest wine in the country. Known for its vast vineyards stretching across the town’s perimeter, Vollum became a popular destination for nobles who came to explore business ventures or simply indulge in exquisite wines.

One man was drinking such exquisite wine in a tavern. Kiren had bought a bottle of the finest wine the bartender could give, and he was enjoying it on his lonesome in a room meant for private discussions.

Although his face exuded calmness as he sipped the wine, he was grinning ear-to-ear in his heart. His pay had just been raised due to the information he had brought to Sergio, and now, he felt like nothing could pull him down, his balding head was still a major concern though.

Leaning against his cushioned seat, Kiren looked out of the ornate window. The town had lived up to its name, the vineyards stretched all over the field beyond the town walls, and it was magnificent.

Taking another sip from his wine glass, Kiren sighed satisfactorily. “Aah~ You made it, Kiren. Becoming a Right Palm won’t take long at this rate~,” he mused before taking another sip of the wine.

A sudden knock on the door nearly made him choke on the wine. He painfully cleared his throat and pressed on his chest before answering the knocks.

“W-Who is it?”

“It’s me,” a deep, gentle voice responded.

“A-Ah! Ser—Sir Sauro! Ehem! I’ll open the door!”

Kiren hurriedly opened the door, welcoming the muscular gentleman outside.

Once inside, Sergio took the first seat he could find: Kiren’s. Kiren felt his eye twitch, but Sergio was still his superior so he needed to be patient.

Kiren grabbed a clean wine glass from the cabinet next to the door. He placed it gently in front of Sergio and began pouring wine from the bottle, keeping in mind that he was the one who bought it.

With the wine glass properly filled, Kiren took a seat at the opposite end of the table.

“S-So, Sir Sauro, may I know why you told me to schedule this meeting?”

Sergio didn’t respond right away. Instead, he was staring down Kiren with an obnoxiously gentle look on his face. Kiren felt a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead.

Could it be possible that Sergio found out about the forgery?

N-No, he’s probably here to praise me, right? His face looked happy, after all!

“So…” Sergio finally spoke, his voice polite. “You’re very certain that this Carine has it?”

He knows!!!

Kiren felt his life being siphoned out of him. But, admitting his fault here would only lead him to being fired right then and there. His instincts told him he should stand his ground, and so he did.

With back straightened, he clasped his hands together to keep them from shaking. “Yes, sir. I’m certain.”

“Heh,” Sergio let out a single laugh before he took a sip of his wine. After placing the wine glass with an audible thud, he continued, “I went looking on my own. And I’m not sure what I found fits the image you painted for me.”

Kiren narrowed his eyes. There was no way this girl didn’t have any Unique Talents. He was sure of it. Besides, it wasn’t like he had any choice. If she really had no Unique Talents, then he would lose this new pay raise.

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“Are you saying my intel is faulty, Sir Sauro?” Kiren said with conviction. He was ready to stand his ground, even though he knew it was baseless.

“What else could I mean?” Sergio responded.

A tense silence stretched between them with an atmosphere so thick it could drown someone.

Then, suddenly, Sergio let out a deep, booming laugh, breaking the silence. “Relax, Kiren,” he said, the faintest smirk pulling at his mouth. “I was just testing you.” He leaned back, swirling his wine glass with a bemused grin.

Kiren exhaled slowly, loosening the grip on his fist. His relief was quickly washed away with annoyance, however.

Testing me? How dare he?

“Glad to have passed, Sir,” he replied, barely restraining the edge in his tone, wondering if Sergio had really doubted him or was simply looking for an excuse to have a power trip.

“That girl, Carine… I believe she has something quite impressive,” Sergio said, his tone a lot more relaxed. “Everything her instructors asked her to do, she would do perfectly. I have a couple of theories on what kind of Talent it could be, but I was found out by the target herself before I could find out more.”

Kiren leaned forward in his seat. “You got found out?! But I thought you’re the king of—”

“Shh,” Sergio placed a finger on his lips. “I’m not done speaking.”

“R-Right, sorry…” Kiren slowly reclined back.

“As I was saying,” Sergio continued. “I shall investigate her further myself. The reason I am saying this to you is so you won’t meddle in any way.”

Kiren’s smile tightened. It was clear Sergio was looking down on him.

“Sir Sauro, if I may. I was the one who brought the intel. Surely, I have some responsibility to—”

“No, you don’t,” Sergio interrupted with his usual smile. “You already did your job well. I believe it’s fair that you have some time off and enjoy your pay raise.”

Sergio’s praise eased Kiren’s heart a bit. At least he wasn’t trying to shove him out of the operation. He was just rewarding him.

Sensing a good mood, Kiren decided it was a good time to request something from Sergio. If Sergio truly felt indebted to him, there wasn’t any reason to refuse, right?

“Sir Sauro… if I may, would you be willing to show me your Talent? Just once?”

Sergio’s smile remained polite, but he shook his head gently. “A good Talent should remain a mystery, Kiren. Let’s leave it at that.” He paused as if the question had never been asked, which irritated Kiren.

“Sir Sauro, forgive me but I can’t just ‘leave it at that.’ I… I really want to see the power of a Right Palm member! You all are my inspiration!”

“Hmm,” Sergio pondered it for a moment, but then he nodded his head. “Very well, since you’re so insistent about it, I believe you deserve it.”

“Really?!”

Finally! A chance to see what it would take to be a Right Palm!

Sergio chuckled softly, leaning back in his seat. “Actually, Kiren, I have just the thing that might interest you. Something I picked up during my travels.” Sergio reached into his suit and pulled out a small, elegant, and slender bottle filled with crystal-clear liquid.

“What… is this?” In Kiren’s eyes, it just looked like a bottle filled with water. “I thought you were going to show me your Talent…”

“Hmm, patience, Kiren. Let me tell you more about this bottle.” Sergio picked up the bottle, swirling it as he explained. “This, this is a rare concoction I got from Ortensia. A single bottle could work wonders on your mind, allowing your mind to think as crystal as the water—I mean, concoction, inside…”

For a brief moment, Kiren raised an eyebrow. From his eyes, it really looked just like a bottle of water… But then, it clicked. No longer was he skeptical, he was astounded by the bottle.

“It’s amazing!” Kiren exclaimed. “To think such a concoction could exist! Can I really have this, Sir Sauro?”

Sergio let out a satisfied smile. He pulled the bottle closer to his side. “Not yet. I’m afraid it comes at a small price, of course, considering its rarity. But for someone in your position, I think it’s a worthwhile investment. This little bottle here,” he continued, his voice smooth, “could be yours for… say, fifty gold.”

“Deal!”

It wasn’t even a question for Kiren. As someone who was climbing up the ranks, something that could boost his thinking power would really help.

Sure, fifty gold was a hefty sum, but as Sergio said, it was an investment.

Perhaps I judged him too harshly.

Kiren handed over the coins and received the bottle with shaky fingers. He took a closer look at it, and it still looked like a bottle of water. That must mean this bottle was a powerful drug that had to be disguised to be transported.

“Well then, I have some business to attend to.” Sergio stood up from his seat.

“Ah! Wait a second!” Kiren reached out, but was not brave enough to actually grab Sergio’s sleeve. “I thought you were going to show me your Talent?”

Sergio flashed a gentle smile. “I already did. See you soon.”

Sergio left the room as fast as he had arrived. Kiren was left dumbfounded. He didn’t show anything!

To think Sergio Sauro himself would lie to his subordinates… Well, at least Kiren got a good deal out of it. He stared at the bottle in his hand.

I’ll use it when the time comes.

Right Palm… here I come!

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image [https://i.imgur.com/RdC5Gde.png]