Ace had already prepared the contract and gave it to him to sign, which made Ardent twitch as he used a mixture of his Etherion and a specialized pen to do it.
It was after that Ace told him what he wanted to hear: where the stew came from and what was in it.
Ardent stared at him in shock for a while, as if he could not believe that Ace would say something like that. A monster brain? Seriously?
Ace merely shrugged. "I have it with me. You can come along to see it yourself."
Ardent declined and told him to give him more drink and they would see each other the next morning.
Ace did not argue with him. He knew Ardent could not be under his control like that, if ever. He dropped a drink and then turned to go.
But Ardent stopped him. "You should wait where we first met. Some of your strays are lost."
Ace nodded and went back to the place. This time, there was nothing wrong with the forest, and he heard the sounds of birds and small animals.
