The Naledzar didn’t look surprised.
Irritation was the first emotion that registered on the rodent’s face. A small puff of frost puffed out of the corner of his mouth as he stood up and planted both hands on the table. He was wearing a long sleeved black jacket to hide his arms, but I knew that underneath that fabric, the stingers at his elbows weren’t any less dangerous.
“Who are you?” The other man’s voice squeaked, but it dipped low, almost like a teenager in puberty.
“Prince Sectum Malus.” I sat down across from him. I didn’t need to stand over him to prove I was more powerful and the flex that I was appearing to not be concerned about how dangerous he was felt a little satisfying.
“That’s a heavy accusation, prince.” He spat my title with another puff of frost. “Why would the Naledzar look for a corpse?” His face split into a toothy smile as he leaned forward.
“You can play stupid all you want, but that is only going to prolong this conversation.” I leaned back in my seat and raised my voice just a little. “How are your other clients going to feel knowing that a mark was sitting across the table from you and you couldn’t kill them?”
Nearly every patron on the floor turned to see what I was talking about. The irritation and rage on the face of the assassin told me that he understood exactly what he had to lose.
“Why you…” I could see the stingers creating points within the jacket sleeve, begging to be released. I’d have to move fast if he did decide to attack me here, but if he was smart, he’d wait until once I left. Unless I could convince them to call off the bounty, I was definitely going to get attacked once I walked out of the casino. While I didn’t see that happening without a fight, I was going to at least make the offer.
“I don’t see why this has to be an issue.” I held up my hand as I lowered my voice back to normal conversation volume. “You’ve taken a contract that isn’t worth what you’re being offered. I’m simply here to help you see that.”
“A thousand coins can cover a lot of injuries.” The large rodent-man tapped his fingers on the table. “You want to come into my place of business, insult me, and think that I’m going to just let you walk out of here?” He glared at me. “I’d kill you for free.”
“See? You don’t need that bounty. So let’s settle this issue between us so that we can be friends again.” I laced my fingers together and leaned in.
“Friends?!? HA!” The Naledzar threw back his head. “What possible reason do you think that we can be friends after all of this?”
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“How much did you look into us before you took the contract?” I grinned. For most of my life, I’d had to hide what I was, but now that my cousin was truly on the throne, there was a nation that was backing Sineaters. Attacking one of us, meant we could bring the full weight of Hepool down on them. Granted, until Alessa got everything under control she wasn’t going to appreciate any extra headaches, but I was hoping that it wouldn’t come to that.
“You’re a Sineater and you’ve got a proficient level ice mage hidden somewhere.”
That was basically public information and I knew he had more just based on who he represented.
“You left out that I’m a prince and Starna is the Queen’s best friend.” I shook my head. “If you try to claim that contract, you’re basically helping the Elves declare war.” Someone who killed for a living probably didn’t care much about people dying, but I wanted to paint a picture of just how poorly it could go for them.
“And…” I continued before he had a chance to speak. “If I’m killed here while on a diplomatic mission, the Dwarves will have to get involved in the investigation.” I chuckled. “Not to mention that Starna’s mom is an ambassador to the Mebope. Do you really want three nations looking for your organization?”
“You think your Queen will chase us while she’s fighting a war?” The Naledzar laughed. “We’ve been avoiding better hunters here for longer than you invaders have been on our world. We’re not afraid of a few fish and moles.”
There was plenty of slang for various races. Sometimes people got rubbed the wrong way and they felt like that was the easiest way to lash out. But calling the Dwarves moles in their own city just felt rude.
“This is all assuming that you could kill me in the first place.” I glanced over my shoulder at a very upset Ogre. “Judging by your muscle…” I turned back. “I don’t like your chances. Maybe if you were a Treca…”
“ENOUGH!” The Naledzar slammed his hands on the table drawing the attention of the patrons again. “Watch your back little human, because the first time you turn…”
“Why wait?” I stood up and waved my hands around as I raised my voice.
“WHO WANTS TO SEE A SINEATER FIGHT A NALEDZAR?” I cupped my hands as I yelled.
That got everyone’s attention. In any other restaurant, I’d have been asked to leave, but this was the Casino. Goblins never turned down the chance to make money and I’d just given them the chance to host one of the rarest fights of their lifetime.
Within a minute, one of the three foot tall, yellow men in a nice suit ran up to me. His big eyes were full of hope and he was practically gushing. “Is it true? Are the two of you going to fight right now?”
The Naledzar looked deflated, but I’d come here to make a spectacle if they didn’t want to make a deal. Hopefully, I’d have more luck with the next one.
“Unless he’s afraid that he can’t claim a mark.” I grinned as I saw all the excuses that he’d been going through vanish. The Naledzar were known for their brutal and flashy kills. If the handler backed out right now, it’d make it harder for them to secure jobs in the future. He was stuck and he knew it.
“Fine.” He spat on the table leaving frozen spittle in plain sight.
“WE HAVE A FIGHT!” The goblin motioned for us to follow him. The small man was skipping as he led us to the stairs. I was just glad that Starna wasn’t here. I had a feeling she wouldn’t approve of this way of dealing with our bounty problem.