"Well," began the Guide after patiently waiting for Francesca, but mostly Ugo, to settle into their seats. "Please, please... I have prepared special drinks for the occasion. I assure you it will be a pleasant experience from the very first sip," he concluded with the same friendly tone, flowing slowly like the singing of an old country song.

Ugo couldn't bear direct eye contact, so he took the opportunity to take a sip from the glass prepared specifically for him. "Oh," he inadvertently exclaimed, savoring his own lips with his tongue without even realizing it. But! he thought, particularly captivated by the light taste of that amber-colored liquid. I didn't expect something so sweet, yet so gentle on the palate... Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!

The surprise was such that the poor wretch even missed the initial phases of the discussion, concerning the group of Cultivators training not far from where they were.

"Oh, don't worry about them," the Guide Daniele reassured with a smile, before adding as he pointed towards them, "I can assure you that my disciples will not do anything to disturb or harm you. On the contrary, with your consent, they might even provide you with extra assistance," pausing for a moment to ensure that Francesca recognized a particular girl among his disciples, and concluding shortly after with, "They will be delighted, I can guarantee it," pronounced with the confidence that only a man standing atop a hill could afford in battle.

Ugo quickly understood the trick but couldn't do much about it. Not only had dear Francesca already begun to show some tension on her face, but he himself didn't recognize any of the eight or nine disciples just indicated. From a distance, he could already tell that they were strong Cultivators, perhaps even beyond the Fifth or Sixth Meridian. However, his ignorance of the actual political affairs of Asparetto prevented him from forming any hypotheses about their identity.

That being said, Daniele didn't waste any time. After all, in a confrontation, advancing when one has the advantage is usually the correct move to make. "I had intended to introduce you to my disciples, but... Well, perhaps it would have been wiser to postpone their training for a few hours," he said again, slightly embarrassed, as if he had just realized a glaring mistake. "I suppose it wouldn't be the most polite thing to do, considering that our time together is already relatively short, and I'm sure you have other commitments for the rest of the day. However, would you like to meet my pupils? You know, you know; even though I have only spent a handful of years with them, I firmly believe they are my second greatest pride."

Of course, most of his words had been carefully rehearsed long before that meeting. Yet, the way he continued to weave and weave the speech, as well as his slightly awkward gestures or pronouncing certain words with a slight defect, presented a façade so convincing that it suggested the opposite.

Even Ugo momentarily lowered his guard, distracted by the approach of the disciples just called by Daniele with a wave of his arm, by his loquaciousness, and by the lingering remnants of the sweet taste that had enchanted him just a moment before. Francesca, on the other hand, remained rigid, sitting upright with a steady breath. Her expectations were already high when she entered that peculiar room, and now, purely by coincidence in her opinion, the encounter with an old acquaintance had only further heightened them.

"Come, come! We don't have time for proper introductions, so let your Auras speak for you," Daniele said again, as soon as his disciples formed an orderly line behind him. The average age of the disciples couldn't be very high. Perhaps, since the appearance of a Cultivator could easily deceive, the oldest among them might have recently reached their forties or not aged well in their thirties. That is, even by the standards of people with cultivation lower than theirs, the disciples were nothing but youngsters.

However, the moment they let their Mana flow outward, Francesca immediately sensed the difference that separated them. Her Four Meridians, a decent achievement considering the environment she had grown up in and of which she was slightly, but just slightly, proud, had no way to compete with the power of those people. Of course, since there was no aggression on their part, the pressure she endured was not enough to make her falter. It was a different story for Ugo, whose limited talent forced Daniele to interrupt his move earlier than planned.

"Impressive," Francesca sighed, energized by a sensation of warmth and tingling that permeated her skin. "I must be honest," she continued, looking straight into the Guide's eyes. "I didn't imagine that the Cult of the Crawling Angel had such incredible individuals on their side. And I am certainly speaking about you too, Mr. Daniele." She displayed a refined smile that barely remained still enough to deserve such a description.

However, Daniele didn't want to accept compliments and immediately retorted, "Oh no, no... Our resources are nothing to boast about, especially in front of a daughter of the Giardino Family. It would be a sin of pride on our part," although he didn't really mean about fifty percent of his words. But this, along with many other details, I would say, is not very important at the moment.

Instead, it would be better to discuss how, remaining silent, the Guide allowed Francesca to address her disciple. "I didn't expect to find you in a place like this," Francesca said, genuinely surprised by their encounter. She then added with a slight ironic tone, "The famous noblewoman Giorgia Marchetti, renowned for her beauty and her magical ability to always get what she desires from men. Your presence here is... it's so unreal, just like the cultivation you possess, it leaves me speechless," navigating a difficult artistic performance given the stakes, Giorgia's family background, and, most importantly, her intuition as a woman that suggested the danger of that 'old' situation.

After all, some time ago, Graziano had indeed mentioned that Orlando Marchetti's daughter must be a beautiful girl (or woman, depending on preferences given her age). The context of the sentence or the fact that they were practically talking about something else didn't matter. The only important thing was that Graziano had mentioned her. And now that Francesca had discovered that she might have already lost in terms of physical appearance as well as cultivation... Well, all hell could break loose. If the context of this encounter had been different, it could easily have been a foreseeable disaster.

In any case, poor Giorgia, unaware of who the hell this Graziano was, remained mostly silent. Her Master hadn't warned her, but that was secondary. Given her position as a disciple, embarrassing him or making his affairs more difficult were both things that didn't even cross her mind. That's why the girl limited herself to responding, "My talent has never matched that of my father, which is why I've never been able to achieve results without relying on others. That was before I met my Master, of course," demonstrating a calm and composure that didn't seem like her at all.

Only Ugo didn't understand much of the discussion, at least until his brain slowly connected the name Marchetti with that influential family with deep ties to the Military Academy... Well, the poor boy almost fainted all at once. Even if he had wanted to say something at that point, his throat was too dry to allow him to speak coherently.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Daniele was the next to speak, saying, "Not being well-versed in the affairs of high society in this city, I didn't even know that you, Miss Francesca, already knew my disciple. I should have been more careful, and I apologize..." Halting the conversation between the two as soon as he sensed that Francesca's attitude had changed slightly, almost as if she were irritated about something. It seemed to me that there hadn't been any incidents or problems between them in the past. Did I miss something? Did I miscalculate? In a strange twist of fate, however, Francesca's sudden bad mood created enough doubts in Daniele's mind to silence him just enough for the girl to ask an important question.

"I thought that the Cult of the Crawling Angel only had close ties with the Cult of the Benevolent Goddess and the Descendants of the Maiden of the Spear. Both are incredible entities, there's no doubt about that. However," Francesca continued, charging ahead, upright and confident despite the agitation she felt, steadily climbing that hill that had momentarily blinded her view of the sky. "However, the presence of the Marchetti family is a different matter. While they may not boast Divine ancestors like the two previous organizations, their influence is so great that they can manipulate or 'correct' the policies of Asparetto if necessary. Am I to understand that even a name like theirs is on the table in our negotiation?"

Oh... that was a fantastic surprise attack. A cannon blast that momentarily cracked Daniele's friendly smile and forced him into a brief strategic retreat. Damn. Damn. Damn. I wanted to leave it vague to gain more in the future... Damn. However, this event didn't particularly trouble him. Damn. To the point that. Damn. A small sip of his cool drink. Damn. It was enough to. Damn. Allow his mind to relax again and prepare for the next part of the negotiation.

"Well... Um..." Daniele began to respond slowly, trying to fill the brief lulls with another sip of his sweet drink. "Unfortunately, no, the Marchetti family has never publicly supported a small cult like the one I belong to. The bond I have with my disciples is purely personal and, for the most part, private. At least for now, I believe it's the best solution for both parties to continue our daily lives without stumbling over troublesome obstacles," he concluded, choosing to invest in the future rather than bet on short-term gains.

Francesca was slightly disappointed, although she expected something like that. The high spheres of Asparetto's government were a distant world even for representatives of a Great Family like hers, let alone anyone else. The only person she knew, thanks to Graziano and Ugo, who had a connection with people like Orlando, was a certain Gianpiero, an instructor at the Academy. Despite coming from humble origins, he had been chosen as Giorgia's future husband.

And, on this matter, when the girl remembered the issue of the engagement, her mood suddenly improved for some mysterious and inexplicable reason. The change was subtle on her face, but Daniele interpreted it as a positive reaction to his words. I did well not to be greedy. We need funds here, and we need them fast. But it would have been too unrealistic to make anyone believe that I could have a say in the decisions of such important people. In fact, even someone like Giorgia might have started to have doubts about me. I did well, I did well.

In short, the two of them, albeit for different reasons, reached that point in their discussion with a renewed energy. They were charged with strength like a wind-up toy. Ugo, on the other hand, was still lost in action. He had grasped that something was amiss, but his spirit wasn't strong enough to withstand such blows.

From that point on, Daniele began to share some personal secrets, carefully weaving a web of trust, blending fantasy and reality, just like a skilled chef would do.

"I don't possess great abilities, neither as a common Cultivator nor as an Alchemist or Formation Master. Let alone my skills as an Artisan or Blacksmith, I completely lack talent in those areas. However, I had the great fortune of meeting a remarkable Master in my youth. I learned everything I know from him. He was like a second father to me. And that's why I wish to do the same with my disciples. But since I can't place myself on the same level as my Master, I prefer to avoid revealing my name too much. Moreover, many of my disciples, due to their personal choices, prefer to keep their achievements hidden from their families for the time being. Let's say this is a solution that satisfies all parties for now."

Francesca listened attentively, showing particular interest in the Guide's past. She even tried to ask some questions about it, but unfortunately for her, she only received vague and unhelpful answers. On the contrary, when it came to the nature of the room they were in, Daniele was happy to share its secret. "Ah, Miss Francesca. This room is a personal Artifact of mine. It was given to me by my Master a while ago. It doesn't possess extraordinary abilities to manipulate time or space, but it can isolate itself from the rest of the world in a closed space, making Mana fluctuations very difficult to detect. Even the things inside it, like this table or the grass carpet, were generated by the power of the Artifact. However, its concealment abilities are not perfect, which is why we are underground, further weakening the Mana fluctuations." Speaking leisurely, waiting for the conversation to naturally return to the essential point of the matter.

Also, because, even though it wasn't true, it had to be Daniele, the person with nothing to lose and plenty of time on his hands, to make his choice.

And indeed, after a few more exchanges, Francesca asked again, "I had already described the details of our situation in writing. What I want to know is whether the Cult of the Crawling Angel is able to support Graziano Mitteri in his bid for the position of family head. Obviously, what we're asking for is political support, not military, or at least that's what I hope. The same goes for the request to extend the petition to the Cult of the Benevolent Goddess and the Descendants of the Maiden of the Lance on our behalf," stumbling a couple of times in her haste during her speech, especially when she arrived at the crucial question.

Daniele pretended to reflect on the matter, waiting for the opportune moment to speak. Until, without any real warning, he said, "Certainly, certainly... You see, when it comes to internal affairs of the Valley, we both know that the custom is not to interfere. However, providing simple political support is a straightforward matter from our part. After all, we are not a major Cult." Pausing at that point to separate himself and his Cult, as well as what would be his subsequent requests.

"As for the Cult of the Benevolent Goddess and the Descendants of the Maiden of the Lance... The matter is slightly more complex. Since our prayers and expressions of gratitude are directed to closely related deities, our relationship has always been friendly. I would dare say it's almost a matter of trust. We often receive assistance from the Descendants of the Maiden of the Lance when we provide care to the sick, especially when it concerns children. The Benevolent Goddess, on the other hand, is more distant, even for us, harder to reach. However, I will do my best to make them aware of your request."

Francesca felt the urge to let out a sigh of relief. Things were going well. Particularly well. Since she didn't have permission to directly use the Giardino family's name for minor matters like this, as strictly instructed by her parents, having the Divine on her side remained her best option. Just having a representative of the Benevolent Goddess could overturn most decisions within a small Clan in the Valley due to their prestige and derived authority from their connection to the Divine.

Of course, for some people, the ‘di-wine’ would have stirred more spirits than the divine, but that's another story.

Then, having reached a sort of initial agreement, the girl asked what the price would be, taking the initiative to put herself at a disadvantage instead of offering something first. Allowing such a free rein was something Ugo would have tried to avoid, but she was too invested in the situation to risk jeopardizing everything with a disappointing offer.

Daniele pretended to think silently again and then slowly raised two fingers, saying afterwards, "This is what the Cult would require at this time," explaining what he meant with a brief series of statements.

Francesca was almost taken aback. The Guide was asking for a price that was too low, too simple to pay, and Ugo agreed, even though he hadn't uttered a word to express it aloud.