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Chapter 277: No One Serves Drinks Like Gaston

Kat nodded, fully aware she had no idea how to actually deal with an information broker of any kind. "So, I guess I should ask what it is exactly you want?" suggested Gaston

Kat smiled "Well, you know how it goes" *Because I sure don't* "Do you really want me to just give away that kind of information straight away?" *So glad I could get that through my whole "truth" issue. Saying he knows how it goes is completely true, what he takes from my implications is his own fault.*

Gaston returned Kat's smile easily and said "Now, how can I possibly help you without knowing what you want? This might be an exchange, but if I don't know what's on the table how can we even start?"

Kat shrugged "Well, I can give you something. I can't pay you in coin. I don't have anything hidden under my kimono here. Though… I suppose I can say that I'm not terribly pleased to be here at the moment"

Gaston flicked an eyebrow up for just a moment "Here in front of me or on this world?"

"This world of course. Well, I have no particular hatred for it of course. More that I detest the lengths Xiang desires to go to, and he's an idiot" said Kat

Gaston let out a whistle "That seems like a good deal of free information there. Are you sure you aren't starting the trade already?"

Kat shrugged. *I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm not sure of anything at all Gaston* "Surely you don't mean to tell me you hadn't figured that out for yourself? Perhaps I overestimated your skill"

Gaston just sighed. "Do we really want to play that game…" Gaston left the sentence hanging and gestured towards Kat asking for her name, which she provided. "Right Kat. I'm sure we could dance around the issue for a time longer, but perhaps we should address it"

Kat sighed. *I don't know if this is the right course of action but dodging around the issue has gotten me exactly 0 pieces of useable information.* "Well, Xiang" said Kat carefully, implying she considered this only Xiang's quest "wants to attack the people who decimated his village."

"Shattered Flame Sect I assume then?" said Gaston

"Of course." said Kat

Gaston let out another whistle. He leaned further back in his chair but he seemed to have gotten tenser if anything. Kat could actually hear his muscles as they constricted in his arms as he fought to keep them at his sides. "I bet he doesn't even know which branch did it does he?"

"Nope. Doesn't even know where any branches are either" said Kat

"Of course, of course" said Gaston nodding "and he doesn't know this is a Shattered Flame trading outpost, does he?"

Kat felt her body starting to react the information but sped her cognition up to the max and let her surprise happen in an instant, faster than any human should be able to see. She made sure that her muscles didn't twitch in the slightest, instead pushing her smile to the perfect place to seem natural. Kat expected to struggle with the last part, but some instinct guided her to the perfect place.

"No clue. And I will thank you for not spreading that information where Xiang can hear. The consequences would be… disastrous perhaps. Unless you can stop him?" said Kat hoping to get some idea of how strong Gaston might be.

Gaston just smiled and said "I'll be sure not to mention it"

*I wonder if he knows what I was fishing for? I don't think I gave any tells, but I suppose even if he just wants to pretend to be a normal bartender, stopping a crazy person with a sword isn't likely an enjoyable way to spend his time.*

"So what is it that you want then? It seems your goals don't align neatly with your summoner" said Gaston, trying to unwind his taught muscles.

*I think this is where I play hard to get maybe? I can't just give him that. I mean I can… maybe, I don't really care that he knows but I need his information.* "Now, Gaston, you can't just come out and ask a lady something like that" said Kat as she scoffed internally. *You can't ask a lady that. Perhaps when I meet one she'll be able to tell me why that is. Vivian might know!*

"How forward of me. I apologise Kat. Well, of course, does Xiang seek to attack the entirety of the Sect?" asked Gaston.

"That one will cost you something, even if it's just a minor bit of information" said Kat as she continued to rave internally about having no idea what she was doing.

"I can accept that, but you first" said Gaston.

Kat stared and Gaston, and he returned it in full. It was clear he wanted this information, or at least, Kat could see that he wanted to hear her speak first for some reason. *I have long since lost track of what is going on here. Just… hmm.* Kat let a little of her aura leak out, just subtly, and let it brush against Gaston, but never actually making contact with his frame. Still, she got a reaction. Gaston froze, for just a moment.

Kat grinned, with her full mouth, making sure to bring her smile to an uncomfortable level. She herself hadn't noticed yet, but her teeth had sharpened with her rank up. Only slightly, but they had a decidedly deadly bent to them now. "I'm not sure Xiang fully understands that the Shattered Flame sect… is well, shattered" said Kat "I'm convincing him to limit himself a bit, no sense in wasting so much of my time, but… he doesn't really know the difference"

Gaston tsked lightly. "I should have seen that coming I suppose. You even gave me that one for free earlier. Right, in that case, I suppose I shall comply. The Sect, is about as broken as it can be in the area. It's the major power of course, but… it's more like someone glued a bunch of annoyed cultivators together with enough force to keep it together. Trying to go after the whole thing is a fool's errand. None other than the branch that ordered the attack would even know it happened" said Gaston.

"Good to know I can try and direct him without misleading him. It's so much easier that way" said Kat. *As if I'd know.* "Would you happen to know which branch is responsible?"

Gaston sighed long and hard. He glanced around the area as if he wasn't sure they weren't being watched. This was actually confirmed when he said. "Are we being watched?"

Kat was taken aback a bit. Focusing on her hearing she mapped out the rest of the people in town. Based on what she could remember, nobody she could hear moving about seemed to be looking their way, as best she could tell. Or at the very least they weren't only looking this way. Ducking into meditation, she checked and found that it was just the three of them in the building.

"We're clear" said Kat

Gaston nodded, and pulled at the collar on his robes. He pulled it down until half of his chest was exposed. On it was a brand, that had clearly been burnt into his flesh that glowed with power. "I can't tell you that" said Gaston, flicking his eyes to the brand.

Kat almost couldn't stop herself form asking 'why not'. She was assumed it took her a few moments to realise the seal was magical in some and stopping him. It was so clear it bothered Kat it took so long. *On the other hand. I haven't been around magic enough to know.* "Of course. And if we happened to be continuing onwards, would you wish us well?" asked Kat

Gaston smiled but shook his head "I'm afraid it doesn't quite work like that. Too close I'm afraid"

*Is he telling me that yes, I'm close to the compound? No it doesn't work like that because we're going the wrong direction, or just that the seal is good enough not to spoil that.* "I understand" said Kat

"Will you be staying the night? I suppose you have no way to pay, and I'm afraid I can't allow you to stay otherwise" said Gaston.

Kat got the memo that it was another imposed limit. "That's fine, I can manage well enough on my own" she said standing up. It was clear that Gaston would start getting in trouble if she started asking more questions, perhaps deadly trouble. *Still, I wonder how he actually brokers information if that seal limits him. Maybe I just happen to ask the right… or is it wrong? Questions.*

Kat waved as she left the tavern behind, as she considered which roof she wanted to commandeer for the night. If there weren't any trees, a roof would do just fine.