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"It seems Sir misunderstood my intentions"

"I dare not seek treatment beyond my means. Instead, I wish to do the Empire a favor"

Bolton nodded, but he didn\'t get where this conversation was going.

"Grant us the ability to purchase the Slums"

Bolton confusion increased.

"For what purpose?"

Nathan tilted his head.

"To help those below us"

Without permitting interruptions, he continued.

"Mr. Cabrera comes from the lowest rung of society. Knowing the plight of the poor firsthand, he began a movement to help the poor. Purchasing the slums would go a long way in that aspect"

Nathan turned to Cabrera.

"Isn\'t that so, Sir?"

Cabrera, having got the cue, took a tone of conviction.

"While it is absurd to many, helping the poor is my goal. I believe everyone deserves a chance"

Inwardly, Cabrera was surprised.

\'Come to think of it, where did I learn to speak like this?\'

Bolton would\'ve immediately rejected them, but their proposal got him thinking.

Bolton had thought up the same idea years ago, but the Emperor was unwilling to implement it, deeming it a waste of money, for the poor were useless and undeserving.

Unlike him, they wanted to use their own money, not that of the Treasury.

Permitting these two would set a precedent, a trial test for Bolton to gauge the feasibility of the plan.

There weren\'t many things that could go wrong.

Black Jaws was now part of the Royalist faction, officially tying them down.

Then, the leader was only at the Advance-rank, so he could be easily subdued if it came to it.

The buffer zone would last for ten years. After that, they would be destroyed, and to save themselves, Bolton would be able to make good use of them.

He didn\'t believe their nonsense about \'accidentally\' creating an alchemy recipe. There was definitely something else, and he wanted to know what.

The situation didn\'t allow for force, so he resorted to schemes.

Taking extra care, Bolton thought up various scenarios.

The odds of them being spies for other factions…was very low - he didn\'t know of any power stupid enough to give out an alchemy recipe - but not impossible.

Bolton mentally noted to do a background check.

What if they had other intentions for wanting the slums? Not a problem, he\'d just kill them after the buffer zone elapsed.

The buffer zone disallowed any interference, either by harming or helping.

This included the royal faction.

But the odds of someone going from Advance to Master rank in a decade was nill, nigh impossible.

Bolton had nothing to fear.

The Emperor\'s reaction? The man didn\'t care about anything concerning those he deemed weak.

"A grand goal indeed, I am impressed"

Nathan chipped in.

"Does that mean..?"

Bolton nodded.

"Yes, I\'ve decided to grant your request"

Cabrera and Nathan gave smiles.

\'What a bunch of fools\' Bolton scorned.

Since they were commoners, Fire Scar\'s reserves must have been the largest they\'d ever seen.

\'The reserves of Fire Scar would be substantial, but even then, they\'ll barely be able to afford the land prices. If I tinge their greed a bit by lowering the prices and adding more options…they might just die of starvation!\'

If that happens, they\'ll beg him to remove the buffer zone. Then, with their pride shattered, he\'ll pick them up to use.

Finally, he\'ll seize the certificate and any land they had \'bought\'.

Bolton nodded in acknowledgement to his own cunningness, before speaking…

"In light of such noble intentions, I grant you the ability to purchase any slum within the borders of the Empire, and the costs are waived by half"

All three starred.

They didn\'t know what to make of the offer.

\'This...!\' Nathan\'s gaze became alert. When were things ever so easy?!

They had barely convinced him just moments prior, yet now, they were being given an offer out of their wildest dreams.

"Sir. Your gift is too much for Cabrera to accept"

Immediately rejected.

Bolton was having none of that.

"Gift? This is merely a test of your usefulness. The development of the slums will determine your result, or did you expect acceptance into the royal faction just like that?"

Nathan\'s words got stuck in his throat. Bolton\'s reason was perfectly logical, but he couldn\'t shake off the bad feeling he was having.

Things were never so simple.

Bolton snickered inwardly. Their reactions said it all.

The cheap prices would throw them into a frenzy.

Before long, their money would run out and they\'d have no one to help them.

With a buffer zone active, they won\'t be able to join the war or kill beats to gain a substantial sum, so, in the end, they\'ll turn to him.

Now he was sure.

\'You\'ll be back soon\'

If it happened that they bought the little within their means, it was still good. He\'d use them as originally planned, as a trial test.

His dark thoughts swirled but his smile never faltered.

These men wouldn\'t know what hit them.

Nathan didn\'t miss it though, Bolton\'s mocking gaze said it all.

Since he couldn\'t reject the gift, he had to be careful to avoid whatever trap Bolton planned.

Little did Bolton know that he was stepping on his own foot.

Of course, he needed proof.

"Show us a sample of this new potion"

Cabrera removed one from his space ring.

"Here. I call it the blood boiling potion"

"Blood boiling…" muttered the old man.

"I suggest you find a suitable beast to test it on. Simply pour it on a weapon and stab or directly pour it in to the beast to glimpse it\'s effects"

"What rank is it?"

"Dark Gold, it effects lasts for two minutes and works on lower C-rank beasts and below"

"Ingredients?"

"Barely worth a pinch"

The old man\'s smile deepened upon each answer.

Bolton gave a patch with handwritten instructions to one of the guards, then whispered to another-

"Deliver it to the Missionary"

-before turning to Nathan.

"Compiling a price list of slums will take some time. Expect it tomorrow"

"Likewise, it will take a few hours to compile the alchemy recipe"

Nathan and Cabrera got up to leave, when Bolton called them back.

"It would do no good for my guests to leave empty handed"

He snapped his fingers and a guard came in with a brown wooden box in hand. It was medium sized and had the crest of Niton on it.

Opening it, bright yellow light shined to reveal neat rows of coins, gold coins.

Bolton didn\'t miss the moment.

"Here are sixty thousand gold coins as a token of appreciation"

"It is a honor"

Cabrera collected it before Nathan could speak and stored it in his space ring.

Why would he refuse free money?

Such swift action had Bolton\'s eyes glinting.

\'He must be thinking he has so much money now. I wonder how you\'ll feel when you see the land prices\'

He was startled to see Cabrera holding a blank face like the amount was insignificant.

Bolton shook off such thoughts. Cabrera must\'ve been too surprised to speak.

With that, Cabrera and Nathan returned to their new abode.

Cabrera struck up a conversation.

"So, we\'re giving the slums to the person on the other side of the contract?"

"Yeah"

Cabrera had told Nathan of how Firescars last three Advanced-ranks were split into two.

But Cabrera wasn\'t that worried. If they wanted him dead, he\'d already be dead.

And judging by the last message he left for himself, there was no reason for fear.

At that moment, a voice rang out.

"Don\'t look behind"

They flinched, the voice was from outside.

"Tell me everything that happened in there"

Cabrera didn\'t know why, but he was sure.

\'He\'s the man on the other side\'