The man looked at Adel for a long time, slowly drumming his fingers on the table.
"That's quite an interesting story... but don't you think it sounds a bit too fantastical?"
"You think so?" asked Adel, smiling.
"Think about it. What would we gain by keeping him, when it would be easier to sell him?"
"Interesting theory. But that would only be true if everyone knew the truth. The point is that only you know it, since you ran away from the palace as a child with the boy's mother, and your parents were their servants. You all survived and swore loyalty to the royal family."
"You..."
The man widened his eyes, but Adel waved a hand carelessly.
"Of course, it was just a theory. But judging by your face, I'd say I hit the mark."
The man narrowed his eyes. That boy was far too calm for someone in his situation... and he knew too much. The way he kept turning the conversation in his favor was unsettling.
"You're truly an unpleasant boy."
"The feeling is mutual, old man. Don't you think it's a bit much to throw your Grade 2 pressure at a poor kid like me?" Adel shifted dramatically in his seat, as if terrified. "I might even wet myself."
The man stroked his mustache, then continued coldly. "Still, there's a crucial element missing in your story. Proof."
"Wise words." Sighing, Adel stood up and headed for the door, but the guard blocked his way.
"Why the hurry to leave?" asked the man with a smile that never reached his eyes.
"Since you don't believe me, I figured the other factions might find my 'story' more interesting," Adel replied with innocent cheer.
"Don't say that, my friend. Come, have a seat."
"I don't know... I feel a bit offended by how I've been treated so far..."
"I insist."
The pressure in the room suddenly rose, so much that Adel sighed, pretending to give in.
"Alright, alright. If you insist that much, I really can't refuse."
He dropped heavily onto the armchair, grabbed one of the cookies from the tray, and bit into it shamelessly.
"Hmm, tasty. Do you have the recipe?"
The man ignored him. "You know, it's the first time I've met someone who can crawl so well under my skin."
"Come on, don't say that. I'm weak to compliments," Adel laughed, embarrassed, biting into another cookie.
"What I don't understand, Adel, is how a sixteen-year-old boy, born and raised on the island of Viltrix, knows so many things. Who's backing you?"
Seeing how much the man already knew made a cold smile appear on Adel's lips. "The speed at which you guys gather information is equal, if not greater, than how you make money."
"We can't be the best unless we have the best."
"Makes sense. So I suppose there's no problem if I call you Alfred, right?"
"...It would be a pleasure. But you still haven't answered my question." Alfred smiled in return.
"So impatient," protested Adel, getting more comfortable. "There's no one. And as for where I heard all this... I don't think we're 'friends' enough yet to share those kinds of details."
Alfred raised an eyebrow at that unexpected answer.
Adel could've lied and claimed someone was backing him, creating an invisible threat as a deterrent. But he knew Alfred's question was a trap. The Merchants had eyes and ears everywhere. If Alfred already knew the story in such detail, it was clear he also knew Adel had no allies.
If he lied, he'd look like a coward, and they wouldn't hesitate to make him disappear. But if he kept shrouded in mystery, Alfred would be more cautious in handling him.
"Hmm... and here I thought we were already friends," Alfred sighed with fake regret. "But you see, we can't let certain rumors spread uncontrollably. So I really need your source. I wouldn't want to be... forced to get the information the hard way. We're civil men, right?"
"No need to worry about the source, it's reliable. As for the second point..." Adel left the sentence hanging, as if uneasy to continue. "If something were to happen to me, I'm afraid the entire archipelago would know..."
"That would be problematic."
"I imagine so," agreed Adel.
"Then maybe we could torture your poor sister, and you might change your mind."
Slowly, Adel's smiling expression vanished, replaced by a cold, hollow stare. He remained seated, motionless, staring Alfred in the eyes without even blinking.
Seeing this change, Alfred was sure he had him under control. But the longer the silence stretched, the more it made his skin crawl. Adel looked like a lifeless doll of flesh, if not for those fixed eyes that pierced through him.
'What kind of kid is this?' Alfred thought, only then realizing his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
"Do you want to know what my best quality is?"
After that dead silence, Adel spoke in a soft, almost gentle tone.
"Being creepy?"
"I survive. Always." Adel's voice was sharp as a blade. "As you know, I have no way to stop you. But I'll always find a way to escape. And if anything happens to my sister... then you'll be forced to hide in a place even the gods don't know about, and you'll pray like never before that I don't find you."
"Because if I do," he continued with a twisted smile, "you'll experience a world of suffering you didn't even know could exist. You'll watch every person who holds even a tiny space in your heart suffer like slaughtered animals. You'll hear them scream, cry, and beg for mercy. But I won't stop. And you won't be able to do anything, Alfred."
Adel's words turned into a venomous whisper.
"You'll be forced to watch their despair. To feel their hatred. Because everything they suffer... will be your fault."
"Enough... I get it." Alfred raised a hand to stop him, covering his pale face with the other.
In his line of work, threats like that were nothing new. He had heard all kinds. But this boy was different. He was weaker, without any real power behind him... and yet the murderous intensity radiating from Adel was suffocating.
While Adel threatened him, Alfred could truly picture the bloody scene he described. Every fiber of his instinct screamed that he should never underestimate that boy again. No matter how young or alone he was, if he did, the price would be something even he couldn't calculate.
"So what exactly do you want, money?"
"As tempting as it sounds, no. I want your cooperation."
"Cooperation?"
That was a proposal Alfred did not expect.
"Exactly. You want the archipelago, I want the other factions gone. Unfortunately, doing everything alone would take too much time and too many resources, which I don't have. But with your help, you'll have it under control in less than six months."
Seeing Adel return to his carefree expression, Alfred fell into thought.
The fact that Adel said doing it alone wasn't impossible left him uneasy. And his confidence in pulling it off in under a year, no, in six months, sounded insane... but he didn't seem to be exaggerating. He truly believed it.
"Two questions. What's in it for you? And how would you contribute to the plan?"
Adel gave a small smile. "I get to clean up some trash. As for my contribution... let's say I still need to work on it, but I'll make sure you only need to act at the end."
"So you're saying we don't have to do anything until then?"
"Exactly. In a negotiation, one must show sincerity. I'll show you what I can do, and for now, you'll just need to support me. What do you say?"
Adel reached out his hand, smiling.
Alfred studied him in silence, then shook it — but with much more strength than necessary.
"I see no loss in it, but I hope you'll be discreet. I wouldn't want to ruin this new friendship of ours."
"Of course."
Adel ignored the painful grip and, once freed, let his hand fall calmly.
"For now, my first request is simple. I need a decent weapon."
"What are you looking for?"
"A halberd."
"...An unusual weapon, I must say."
Alfred's confusion was understandable. Halberds were war weapons, rarely found in the hands of anyone who wasn't a frontline soldier: their cost, weight, size, and maintenance made them inconvenient for almost everyone.
"For now, that's enough."
"Give me a couple of days and it'll be ready. Where should we deliver it?"
"I'll come to you. I'm sure you'll want to see me anyway."
With those words, he stood and walked to the door. Before leaving, he turned to the guard, laughing amused.
"I hope the show was to your liking, my prince."
"!"
The guard, or rather, the prince, widened his eyes. Even Alfred stood up, shocked.
"Don't look at me like that. You, Alfred, are not the type to trust an outsider enough to let them hear such discussions." Adel glanced at Alfred, then turned back to the prince. "Anyway, I've left a little surprise for you. Let's call it... a sign of my seriousness and a reminder. You'll find it in an abandoned building near the walls, west of the island of Viltrix. My advice is to see it in person — it'll have more impact."
With a final bow to the two, he left, leaving them both unsure of what to do.