Melinda’s calm expression finally broke, since the start of the meeting. Her current expression was not of conventional interest though, as she narrowed her eyes downwards, deep in thought.

Aubin leaned back in his seat, not interrupting the young woman from her pondering. The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk as he saw Melinda’s slight shock, clearly proud of himself. She clearly had not been expecting him to bring out anything that would truly surprise her.

“…Where did you obtain this, warlock?” After a moment of silence, Melinda looked up towards the adventurer.

“I can’t say, Miss. Please understand, but my guild would get into great trouble with the Tower of Godcraft if word were to get out, so I can’t tell anyone, not even you.” Aubin crossed his arms, speaking reluctantly.

“I can see why you were so hesitant in bringing it out.”

“Indeed. Unless you’re willing to part with all of the other items on the table, this trade is now leaning onto my side.” The blonde-haired man sheepishly scratched his chin.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Melinda sternly looked at the adventurer.

“I apologize, Miss Melinda, but the bone can’t be worth that much to you, can it?”

“No, but it’s worth that much to you.”

The cambion heart was indeed worth more than the bone in terms of sheer value, but Melinda knew just how much the bone was worth in Aubin’s eyes and didn’t let him forget it.

“I will not part with this heart so easily, Miss, no matter what, even for the bone. My guild simply won’t take the loss.” Although his words had paused slightly in clear hesitation, Aubin made his stance on the matter clear.

It was indeed true that the bone was not worth enough to give up on the heart, but the young woman clearly did not want the short end of the stick, slipping into thought as she pondered among the choices that would benefit her the most.

A long silence ensued, and Aubin was clearly losing nerve. A single bead of sweat had condensed on his forehead, and his eyes stayed unwavering on Melinda as she pondered. Despite what he said about his guild, he was clearly greatly reluctant to let go of the bone.

“…Melinda, I would like to offer you my assistance.”

For the first time since the beginning of the meeting, Mican spoke out, attracting the gaze of both of the other people seated at the table.

“Your assistance…” Looking at Mican, a hesitant expression appeared on Melinda’s face.

Aubin merely glanced at the young man in curiosity.

“I can handle this trade myself, Mican. I have a countless number of ways to deal with this situation, do you really want to provide your assistance?”

“This is something I want, Melinda.” The young man nodded his head in reply. “Would you accept my help?”

“If this is what you wish for, then so be it.” After giving him a long look, the young woman sighed gently, turning her head away and giving a brief nod.

Upon acceptance, Mican reached into his own blue cloak, opening a specific pocket. Taking his hand out, the young man pulled out a small packet of cloth while Aubin stared curiously.

Placing the cloth on the table, Mican unwrapped it to reveal a golden string about the size of a finger. Upon being exposed to the sunlight, the hair flashed with a slight glow before dimming immediately afterwards.

“This is…” The glow immediately attracted Aubin’s attention and he narrowed his eyes as he examined the strand of hair.

“This is a strand of hair from the god of slowness. A minor god of time.” Melinda spoke the words indifferently, finishing the adventurer’s sentence for him.

“Where did you…”

Aubin’s eyes narrowed on Mican, staring at him in curiosity. The adventurer seemed quite lost in thought, and it was only until several moments later that he realized that Mican was staring at him right back, his dark eyes meeting the adventurer’s gaze indifferently.

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“Oh, I apologize! I meant no offence, forgive me for staring. I was merely reminded of some past memories.” Noticing Mican’s gaze, he bowed his head downwards slightly, unwilling to offend Melinda’s obviously close associate.

Looking back up to the young man, Aubin relaxed slightly as he saw the latter nod his head, but a mere few seconds afterwards he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he noticed a gaze turned to him from his right.

Turning his head, he came face to face with Melinda, who was silently watching him. Her face was expressionless, and there was no emotion at all in the young woman’s eyes, but her gaze still made him feel as if his blood was curdling.

“Anyway, what matters is not how you obtained it, but whether or not it’s worth the trade.” Realizing his mistake Aubin clarified himself in his motives, quickly changing the topic. “It’s completely worth it, especially as it’s a hair from a minor god of time. Although such a godcraftsman is rare, the things we could do with this medium make it entirely worth it.”

A couple questions ran through Mican’s mind as the adventurer finished his sentence. He had heard of the term “minor god” before, from Rose, but the term ‘medium’ had now been brought to his attention. Seeing as to how the scholar, Leigh, had embedded the hair into the end of his staff, and used it in his strange spell, it seemed obvious to Mican as to what the word meant.

The medium was something that the godcraftsman used to control their powers through, probably, just like a fortune teller and their phoney mediums, such a pendulum or a book of cards. What relation did it have with the divine language of power, as Rose had mentioned? As of now, there was still too little information to infer, so he decided to put it off for the time being.

Mican shifted his gaze to Melinda who nodded her head towards the adventurer, accepting the trade.

“Thank you, Miss Melinda. Really.” The blonde-haired man was visibly ecstatic, grinning ear to ear as the two exchanged items, packing them away safely.

Walking out into the large hall, Aubin bid the two farewell as he went in a location separate from them. The two continued outwards, exiting the building and walking out into the city.

The city was not yet fully awake, but there was much more activity than there was earlier in the day. Clouds still flew freely in the sky, covering the land beneath them in shade.

“Mican, why did you offer me your help in completing the deal?”

“I haven’t said it formally, but I would like you and your caravan to escort me to the city of Enbarr. Not as guards, but if you would let me stay with you until you reach your destination.

“I would have done that anyway, Mican.” Melinda gave him a slightly sad look as they walked. “But I won’t force you.”

Mican had been recruited into the caravan for reasons unknown to him, and it grew much clearer after having experienced the special treatment given to him by the red-haired young woman.

He had not been accepted for his language skills, or any of such help he could provide, of that he was clear. Therefore, he could not accept the strange generosity thrown his way by the young woman, opting instead to help Melinda in return. It was not that Mican was unwilling to accept the help, or that he was untrusting of Melinda when she said that she meant him no harm, but the young man felt that the small measure of distance was necessary considering the future.

Melinda seemingly understood this concept well, accepting his help in completing the trade. She clearly did not want to force him into her debt, and rejecting the offer would only make him push himself further away, potentially even leaving the caravan.

He wanted to live life without regrets, with debts he would feel free with, and therefore he helped Melinda finish her trade smoothly. The deal seemed entirely fair in his eyes, and even more worth it on Melinda’s end, escorting a single person for a plethora of valuable items.

“What exactly were you trying to show me, Melinda? If this is your true profession.” As the two walked, Mican brought up the most prominent question in his mind. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to show me.”

“Hmm. It’s very complicated to explain.” As if long expecting the question, the caravan leader only looked up at him from the side. “I ask you to believe in me, my dear. In the future you’ll fully understand.”

“Vague much?” The young man grumbled slightly. “Do you mean me any harm?”

“I don’t.” She smiled at him mischievously from the side.

While Mican was fairly curious, the words spoken by the young woman didn’t seem to be a lie, so he did not ask any further. While it did directly involve him, she clearly did not want to tell him just yet. Considering as to how he was not planning to stay in the caravan for long, he decided to continue to not bother with it as she meant him no harm.

“What exactly are you trying to do, Melinda? What’s your end goal in trading all of these? You don’t seem to be lacking in anything.”

Mican had pondered on this thought before, seeing Melinda control vast amounts of wealth, but the thought had only grown more prominent after seeing her trade in items that influenced even a grade A adventurer.

The items that were passed through their hands, although Mican didn’t truly understand their usage, seemed countless times more valuable than the items sold in her hosted auction.

“I strive to be… a greater person…” Her words trailed off at the end as she looked forward, becoming lost in thought.

“I see.” Mican nodded in agreement, seemingly empathizing with her.

It was also ambition, in a way, that made him take that leap of faith into the green portal that had appeared in Gerald’s room. He, too, strived to be a greater person.

In response to Mican’s nodding, Melinda only amusedly watched him from the side.

“Also, there seems to be something you are misunderstanding, my dear.” Looking at his face, Melinda gave a soft smile.

“Hm? Which is?”

“You are the same to me as that bone is to Aubin. Trying to buy me off with a mere strand of hair?” She put a finger up to her lip, her eyes curving into moons as she spoke. “You can give me a countless number of miraculous elixirs, or crystal balls, but they can never hope be able to match up with your worth.”

“…Wha-?“

Upon seeing his expression of surprise, the young woman burst out into laughter. Walking ahead, she continued towards the city square, leaving only a very perplexed Mican standing behind her.