"Okhema's business is good, but you know how treacherous the waters run here. My family has only just gained a foothold. But don't forget, my family's foundation in Janusopolis is deep-rooted and solid!"
Elliott's eyes gleamed with shrewd light. "The delivery service within Okhema city, and the long-distance delivery operations to Janusopolis! This huge piece of the pie—hand it over to my family to manage, what do you say?"
He spread his hands, adopting a who else but me posture. "Look across the whole of Okhema, can you find another partner like the Elliott family, one with both roots in Okhema and an extensive network and prestige in Janusopolis? No!"
Phaethon didn't answer immediately. He leisurely put down his teacup, his fingers lightly tapping the table with a regular, soft sound.
His gaze, sharp as an eagle's, scrutinized Elliott as he slowly spoke. "Sounds good. But, Elliott… although we are friends, even brothers must keep clear accounts. Why wouldn't I split these two operations? I can give the Okhema deliveries to a local power in Okhema, and find an established family in Janusopolis for the Janusopolis business? Wouldn't that be more secure, and better for squeezing… ahem, I mean, 'motivating' the partners?"
Elliott seemed to have anticipated this question. He smiled confidently, raising one finger.
"First, management costs! If you split the operations, just the coordination and communication alone will drive you insane!"
"Second, he raised a second finger, his tone dripping with temptation, to secure this exclusive partnership opportunity, my family is willing to take only thirty percent of the total profit from the delivery business! A very reasonable price!"
He leaned forward again, his burning gaze fixed on Phaethon. "What my family truly wants is to use this cooperation to truly make a name for ourselves in Okhema, to gain a stable springboard for development! Phaethon, my good brother, this is a win-win! You save worry and effort, sitting atop two major markets with riches rolling in; my family gets a development opportunity. Tell me, what reason do you have to refuse?"
The office fell quiet for a moment, only the faint noise from outside the window audible. Phaethon looked at Elliott's face, etched with 'certain victory'.
Suddenly, a sly and thoroughly pleased smile bloomed at the corner of his mouth. He stood up, walked around the desk, and extended his hand to Elliott.
"Hah," Phaethon's laugh held approval and the pleasure of finding a worthy opponent. "Elliott, Elliott, that mouth of yours could talk the dead back to life. But… these terms are truly tempting. So then… partnership accepted?"
Elliott's eyes erupted with immense surprise. He sprang to his feet, gripping Phaethon's hand tightly and shaking it vigorously. Partnership accepted! Phaethon! Believe me, this is absolutely one of the wisest decisions you've ever made! The 'Golden Delivery' of The Golden Eatery will surely rock the nations!"
…
The Golden Eatery was earning a fortune daily. The alluring clink of gold coins, like the sweetest honey, quietly attracted some "special attention" lurking in the shadows.
"Meow~? So many shiny little coins, piled up like a small mountain…" A young woman's light laugh, tinged with laziness and cunning, sounded in the darkness. "As a Demi god being who has silently guarded the dawn of the Holy City for a millennium, occasionally collecting a tiny little 'guardian fee' isn't too much to ask, right? Mhm… just a tiny bit!"
The next day, the restaurant's accounts office.
Cyrene frowned, pushing the thick ledger towards Phaethon. "Phaethon, take a look at this. The accounts… feel a bit off? There were so many people yesterday, the turnover should have been staggering. How come the Balance Coins counted and stored… feel like they're a huge chunk short?"
Phaethon took the ledger, his fingers quickly running over the numbers, his brow furrowing tighter. "You're right… the discrepancy is outrageous. Even accounting for loss and change, it shouldn't be this much." He closed the ledger, his eyes sharpening. "Come on, let's check the vault."
The room storing the Balance Coins was heavily guarded, but the mountain of coins piled inside seemed… to have lost its topmost "peak."
Phaethon's gaze was like a torch, carefully scanning every corner of the room. Suddenly, in an inconspicuous, dimly lit crack in the corner, he spotted an unusual glint.
He crouched down, reached out a finger, and picked up a… peculiarly shaped coin.
The coin wasn't large, made of a material neither gold nor silver, warm to the touch. One side was engraved with a cunning cat's paw print, the other with an abstract outline of a cat's face, seemingly grinning.
Phaethon held the "kitty coin" up to his eye, examining it carefully against the light, a knowing, cold smile curling his lips:
"Heh… So that's it. It's that thieving little cat…"
…
That night, the moon was dark and the wind high (Okhema's "night" was merely a habit of its residents; it was actually just as bright as always).
Inside the room storing the Balance Coins, all was silent. Suddenly, a slender figure, almost merging with the shadows, soundlessly "seeped" in like weightless mist.
"Hehehe, my little gold coins, this kitty is back~!" A young woman's voice, full of pride and anticipation, whispered low, unusually clear in the empty vault.
Just as she crept towards the pile of coins—
"HUMMMM—!"
A pure, blazing pillar of light, seemingly capable of purifying all darkness, erupted without warning! Instantly illuminating the entire room as bright as day! At the center of the light source was Phaethon, actively using "Oath of Radiance"!
The light dispelled all shadows and clearly illuminated the intruder's figure:
It was a young woman who looked about eighteen or nineteen, with a light and agile physique.
She wore extremely peculiar attire, as if woven from the deepest night sky and scattered starlight. A large hood covered most of her face, revealing only a beautifully shaped chin and a cunning curve of lips.
However, most striking were the few strands of silvery hair visible under her hood, and between them, a pair of furry, silvery cat ears with noticeable white tips at the ends, twitching alertly!
Behind her, a white tail with a black tip, incredibly flexible, was slightly puffed up in shock, held high.
The young woman (Cipher) was forced to squint by the intense light.
(=^*ｪ*^=) Meow!?
Phaethon didn't hesitate in the slightest, nor did he have any intention of going easy on her based on her appearance.
He had already adjusted his angle; most of this strike would arc high into the air, avoiding too much damage to the building.
"EX—— Cali…!"
"MEEOOOWWW——!!!!" Cipher let out a piercing shriek, the sound filled with disbelief and the terror of "I've gone too far!"