Chapter 586: Chapter 586 - That Which Shall Not Be Named, Unless You Have No Fear

"You’ve chosen to be far more open with your impressive strengths. Or so I hear. So everyone hears... well, the Yecine were never that good of customers for us, anyway."

"That’s because you were never once a good collaboration option to them. Not considering you were a relatively new face in this city, versus their old establishment. Also because you were allied with the daughter of the Goltbred family."

There was a very mild, but very obvious emphasis in his ears along one part of her response. One that made cold sweat prickle on the back of his neck, even as a reddish-blonde child licked the inside of the wrapper... before looking suddenly as despondent as he felt. On realizing things had clearly run out.

"...*Were* allied?"

"Quite."

The Dame Goltbred had always insisted that if you were going to feint in a political matter then you should do so with the most destructive wind-up possible. Especially when you were clearly the stronger opponent in the social situation. It was not as though it was something Elua, the reincarnator, never knew or employed in her last life - there was a definite value to the boot overhead of the intelligent, noisy insect that was being dealt with here and there... *knowing* they could be crushed and developing some thankfulness for it not happening.

’Besides, business negotiations should never be about playing fair. Especially in talking with the insect trying to play their own set of ill-thought cards against the always fully stacked deck. All that matters is that everything turns out *fair* in the overall reality of our little rigged game.’

"I’m afraid I have a number of conditions that are not covered by our prior contract."

"Prior... so you at least mean you intend to negotiate a new one?"

Giggling toward the hopefulness, in a way that made that cold feeling shiver ever further down his back... but somehow made the child in her lap smile and look up at her *very happy* sister, Elua made a show of leaning back. With two fingers under her jaw and head tilted in just the most *insufferable* way, as the copper pauldron of her new white dress scrubbed quite audibly against the chair’s upholstery.

At least it appeared to in the illusory form of it, placed there for everyone else’s benefit on this morning outing. Over top of her always favorite Silver wedding memento - that she was fine not wearing when around Qatrand, but never any time else.

"I’m afraid that’s still not how this works. You are surrendering. Again. My terms are non-negotiable. Again. You will hate every moment of it and its perceived limitations on your revenue, I’m sure. However, you are still going to be commensurably rich... and the money you move on my behalf is going to help the people it needs to help."

Visual Projections of every payment she ordered him arrange since meeting him, particularly for the good of the people on the continent rather than directly enriching herself, began to blink in a wide and tall arc above her. A trick quite similar to Navuill’s pivot of displaying even the ’dark’ history to the onlookers. Proof of what a philanthropic effect that she had with the income derived out of his business, which in turn at least made it partially his own achievement.

She had even spent less time working here than she had been secluded away in a distant bubble of space. But even though it was less than a decade, she had still grown attached to the noisome people here. Caravan workers and other on the ground people that had adroitly *enough* accomplished her goals. As well as a boss who did exactly what she told him to, far more than half the time. That’s why her next words contained more possessive ownership than usual.

"Your Silversky... *my* Silversky is to be well known. For the right reasons. As I always intended it to."

’The way Qat would always praise me for!’

Her simple inner motivation was, as usual, extremely hyperfocused. Toward the only thing that ’innocently’ mattered to her; at least compared to the scheming, morally gray aura she often released on the ’poor’, *used* so much that they all but bled gold coins back out when she squeezed them merchants... that she kept around in her life.

While taking over theirs for the greater good..

"I have many qualities, Miss Goltbred. But almsgiving isn’t really-"

"Many qualities? Outside of the sort every living person holds, you only have two in my eyes."

She laughed, not quite at him... but at merchants like him in general with too strong a focus on profit. The small reddish-blonde haired girl tilted back against her collarbone as her set of brown eyes looked up at Elua’s chin. As far as resemblances went, the man had to remind himself, every now and then, that the hair color was the only real Yatrel-like thing about her second child.

When it came to being *imposing*, the first one still had the most similarity, on top of the same striking mint eyes. Or so he thought a moment before a child’s voice spoke.

"You mean really greedy but weak when pushed?"

"Did I tell you that?"

The brunette asked Onya back, knowing she had not. On the way here she only mentioned who they would be meeting and that it was someone she had worked for before her Guild training. But for the sake of the meeting, El simply sought to clarify that she hadn’t been talking ill of him to a family member. Especially considering she didn’t actually *hate* either of those pair of qualities the girl just mentioned... even if they were, technically, the exact two she had meant during her own assessment.

"No, mom told me. But I see it, too. How he is kind of like a cockroach."

Before she could stop herself, half a snort escaped the nose of the heiress. Her jaw quivered, temple pulsed, and abdomen tightened down as she tried not to laugh out loud further. Her spirit still pulsed the same stifled emotion out for everyone nearby to feel. She knew she had gotten quite lax in the Exclave, but the spiritualist was really having a hard time adjusting to her happiness at being back around the people she loved.

"...She said that?"

"Ah? No, she just said he runs right at you, even though you seem like you will crush him. But isn’t that what they do? It’s what I pictured when she said it."

Shaking while hugging the girl tight, Elua could all but feel the change as the older man *realized* it. That Onya might still be young - more genuine smiles and friendly like Ondua er Goltbred than El ever was with her facade - but she was also quite capable of stepping on people just like his object of infatuation. Because she was also strong-willed and just a little merciless, with the truth.

After all, even a six year old surely knew that comparing someone to an insect that creeped most people out was an insult!

’At least, she should. But maybe she also inherited dad’s lack of social subtlety... and truly isn’t thinking of it as a cruel statement. It’s hard to tell! Especially when her spirit is-’

"So I kind of, you know, thought when you said we were coming here that I would have to be prepared to stomp on him. But he’s sort of nice."

"Little one, please do not grow sweet on new people, just because they gave you their pastry. I will get mad. So will mother and father. Also do not ever accept food from anyone without myself or mother around. Don’t rely on father for that."

"No? But it was something he *really* wanted himself..."

The girl had always been exceptionally attuned to the feelings of others, even as a toddler. While the reborn cultivator always took it as a sign that she would be an exceptional spiritualist, the fact that she still had not *quite* yet made it to Enchanter in any of the three energies - even with the assistance of the illusory training tool these years - had made her think that Onya was a bit of a lazy riverbend. Of course, it was with an exasperated sort of affection toward the happy-go-lucky girl and not a strong criticism.

"Don’t fall for people that so easily give you what they want for themselves, either. Especially when they are acting on survival-instinct ulterior motives. What you should seek is people that give you what you need, consistently. Even when they aren’t afraid of you."

"But I wanted the treat?"

"I said need."

"I’m confused. Don’t I need what I want?"

Especially in this peaceful era, with her ancient mindset already going overkill back when designing and carving the protection ritual layers placed *into* the first ever blood related sister, Elua er Goltbred felt no pressing need to try and convince the youngest daughter of their family to work any harder than she genuinely wanted to. Pressure and effort were surefire ways to grow quickly, but the importance of *rapid* strength accumulation to a cultivator was generally to acclimate to the point of numerically guaranteed survival rates.

"You deserve what you want, little otter. But you have to seek what you need first. Okay?"

"Um, okay."

At least that ’protecting oneself before protecting others’ outlook tied to the philosophy of surplus instilled in the five-millennia old illusionist... existed in her now strongest on the continent eighteen-year-old body, wearing its still untested by battle wedding dress. Besides, from her perspective, she would always be willing to treat the sibling sitting on her to the few things she didn’t bother to ask for as a child in her first life.

Local sweets that cost too much money or time to make for poor mortals compared to quick foraging, for instance. Or even special meals on a city outing - even if it was just stopping at little carts of food vendors that Yatrel might have otherwise walked past in disinterest and respect to their wonderful cook on staff at home. Elua already had a mind to visit at least one in particular this afternoon that she wanted a skewer from herself, which meant she was sure the little fan of her would try and pretend was ’good’ despite it containing vegetables she disliked.

"Are we still talking business here or...?"

"See! He rushes right in, even though he is scared!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

When the Silversky merchant tried to break into this family-oriented teaching moment shift in matters, the mini-Yatrel pointed her finger and exclaimed with a doubled-down emotional stomp. He wasn’t too proud to admit to himself that he was terrorized by the Goltbred heiress’s presence, but it was a different matter entirely when one of them was talking about it out loud. It turned caving in into being trapped in the cave-in!

"Now, now. Did I point at you and say ’Look, Onya is eating her vegetables even though she hates them!’...?"

"I... I don’t *hate* them."

"It’s not good to lie. To your sister."

"I just don’t like them... it’s fine if other people do..."

"Business..."

Whispering his wish in a strained voice, seeing that the young woman and little girl were prone to just bantering with each other if you didn’t stop them, the cockroach dodged once again right toward the incoming attempt to crush him... under a pile of work and pile of gold.