Kott opened his mouth, then said with some reluctance,
"How much do you want? How about five hundred gold pounds?"
Five hundred?
If this had been the old Mozo, he would have agreed instantly. But things were different now. Mozo was already someone who owned property in the capital.
More importantly, if his guess was correct, this guy named Kott intended to use this as his "witness" to join the Formless Courtyard.
If that assumption held true, then considering the scale and status of the Formless Courtyard, combined with the sheer wealth of Kott's family, five hundred gold pounds as an entry ticket was simply too cheap.
So Mozo said directly, "I want an estate. A complete high-end estate."
Kott immediately shook his head.
"Impossible. That's far too expensive. I won't accept it."
In truth, Kott could afford that price. But he had no intention of agreeing so quickly. Otherwise, the other party might push the price even higher.
Joining the Formless Courtyard had been his family's lifelong ambition. They were willing to pay a heavy price for it. But willingness and recklessness were two entirely different things.
If it didn't work out, then it didn't work out. Who would reveal their bottom line right at the start?
That wasn't something a smart person would do.
What Kott didn't know was that while Mozo might not fully understand his family's obsession, he understood exactly what the Formless Courtyard represented.
The Formless Courtyard had only nine official seats. At most, nine.
It was an incredibly small number, even among secret organizations. But each of those nine seats represented a path that led directly to Sequence 2.
And the Chief of each generation even held a Sequence 1.
All of this had originally been Mozo's own design. One of the trump cards he had prepared for his many dream operas.
The only pity was that throughout history, the nine seats had never been filled at once. Nor had every member reached Sequence 2.
According to the Nameless Book, the strongest lineup the Formless Courtyard had ever achieved was seven demigods and two angels.
Still, no matter how you looked at it, a seat in the Formless Courtyard meant the potential to become an angelic lineage.
So today, Mozo had him completely figured out.
"No estate? Then there's nothing to talk about."
With that, Mozo stood up as if to leave.
Kott remained calm. He believed Mozo wouldn't truly walk away. This was just a bargaining tactic.
And then he watched as Mozo actually turned and left without hesitation.
Kott froze.
Wait… he's really leaving?
Wasn't this supposed to be a negotiation? A back-and-forth to test each other's limits?
Kott was both a noble and a businessman. As a businessman, he had negotiated countless times with powerful merchants. But he had never seen anyone walk away so decisively.
If the other party wanted an estate, that meant he needed money. If he needed money, why show no attachment at all? Wasn't he afraid Kott would just go to the Inspectorate instead?
Wait.
He knows about the Formless Courtyard.
If that's the case, then he might also have guessed that Kott intended to use this opportunity to join it.
Which meant…
He knew he had Kott cornered.
Kott's expression changed several times before he finally gritted his teeth and called out,
"Wait! I agree!"
Only then did Mozo turn back with satisfaction.
Kott quickly added,
"I can give you a vineyard estate on the outskirts of the capital. It generates about sixty to eighty gold pounds per month. The estate itself is worth around six thousand gold pounds. How about it? That's my highest offer."
Drawing on his past experience, Kott pretended this was his limit. If the other party pushed further, he would either raise it slightly or walk away and hold his ground.
After a few days, the other party would believe this truly was his limit.
Of course, that only worked if the other side didn't know that joining the Formless Courtyard was his family's ambition, not just his own.
Otherwise, anyone would know that a powerful noble house could afford far more than six thousand gold pounds.
Mozo pretended to hesitate for a long time before finally sighing. He rubbed his hands, stepped forward, and smiled as he extended his hand.
"Then… happy cooperation."
Kott clasped his hand with a sincere smile.
"Happy cooperation."
Haha, stupid commoner. Six thousand gold pounds and he's satisfied. What an idiot. Young master here is about to become a future angel.
Haha, stupid noble. I'll take your six thousand for now. Work hard. When I need you, I'll call on your loyalty.
And just like that, both of them believed they had made a huge profit.
At the same moment, they couldn't help but excitedly embrace each other, enthusiastically patting one another on the back.
In the capital, the City of Fog, Count Hahn once again hurried into the Imperial Palace.
Inside the Audience Hall, the count, dressed in ceremonial robes, knelt on one knee at the far end of the chamber. Before him, beneath an intricate and magnificent mural, stood three luxurious thrones.
They were the thrones of the Empresses.
The Lorain Empire was ruled by three Empresses.
Or rather, one.
Because within the royal family's pathway, the highest sequence was Sequence 1: Eternal Monarch.
The defining trait of the Eternal Monarch was the division of one's youth, adulthood, and prime into three separate yet interconnected existences.
Each was a noble Sequence 1 angel.
They cycled endlessly to achieve eternal rule.
And to truly kill an Eternal Monarch, one had to eliminate all three within an extremely short time. Otherwise, even if one remained, the other two would rapidly resurrect.
That was why the Lorain Empire had its seemingly absurd system of three rulers.
Yet throughout history, aside from the founding emperor, only the current Empress had reached Sequence 1. She was also the third person in history to do so.
Because of this, she had been able to purge the chaos during the peak of Cromwell's power and restore order to the empire.
In the silent and resplendent hall, after a long wait, Count Hahn finally heard the crisp sound of three scepters striking the ground.
He immediately lowered his head in reverence.
Moments later, the three Empresses took their respective seats upon the thrones.
At the center sat Daylight, the primary ruler.
To her left was Eternal Night, acting as her counterpart and support.
And to her right was Dawn, the heir apparent.