Chương 19: Chapter 18

Elias looked around the room.

"Now, as I was saying..."

"I have a business proposal for you." His expression became more serious.

"This place is truly marvelous." Mr. Hemmensway looked confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Have you never considered expanding this domain?"

"Domain?" Elias gestured around them.

"Yes. Your domain." He looked toward the 'walls'."Outside, the world is filled with noise. The sea. The crowds. The endless movement of people."

"But here..." A small smile appeared on his face.

"The silence is peaceful. The outside world cannot reach this place. And your visitors, as well as your customers, can keep their identities completely hidden." Mr. Hemmensway remained silent, listening carefully. Elias continued.

"Right now, you use this place as a location to sell newspapers and exchange information. But why limit yourself?"

"This ability of yours..." He glanced around.

"It is not simply a method of hiding people. It is a method of creating a world where secrets remain secrets." Mr. Hemmensway's eyes narrowed slightly. Elias continued.

"Advertise this place as a romantic retreat. A hidden sanctuary where people can meet without the world knowing. A noble and a commoner. A man and his mistress. Secret forbidden lovers. Two people who wish to meet without being judged. A couple seeking a honeymoon away from expectations." His smile widened.

"Everyone may enter. But nobody will know who they truly are. Faces hidden. Identities protected. Only their voices, manners, and choices remain. A true masquerade." Mr. Hemmensway stared at him. Elias continued.

"Imagine it. Someone wishes to confess their feelings but cannot because of their status. They come here. They sit across from one another. They speak freely. No family. No nobles. No expectations. Only two people." He paused.

"Or perhaps someone wishes to hold an important meeting. A business negotiation. A political discussion. A private agreement. They can come here. No one will overhear. No one will know who attended. What happens at the table stays at the table." The customers hidden beneath the shadows listened quietly. Elias continued.

"If someone wishes to hide from assassins... They come here. If someone wishes to avoid the eyes of guards... They come here. If someone wishes to disappear for a few hours from the world... They come here." He smiled.

"For a small fee of your choosing. A hidden manor. A private retreat. A place isolated from society. Your customers would not simply be buying information. They would be buying privacy." Mr. Hemmensway's expression slowly changed. Elias noticed it, but without a comment, he continued.

"You could even create special events. Imagine a hidden ball. A gathering where everyone wears beautiful clothing, but no one can see the faces of those around them. A place where people are not judged by their family name. Where a noble cannot immediately recognize another noble. Where someone can discover another person through their personality rather than their status." He smiled.

"They could hear their voice. Observe their manners. See their clothing. Understand their character. But never know their identity. A true masquerade."

"And at the end... The spell disappears. They discover who they were speaking to. Perhaps it becomes a beautiful love story. Perhaps it becomes a shocking scandal. Either way... People will remember it." Mr. Hemmensway remained silent. For the first time, he was no longer looking at Elias as a strange customer. He was listening to an opportunity. Elias continued.

"Even simple things could become valuable. Perhaps someone wants to spend time with their lover, but their family refuses to leave them alone." He paused.

"Perhaps they have their mother-in-law visiting. Perhaps they cannot even hold a private conversation without someone interrupting." A faint smile appeared.

"They can come here. Or they bring you there. Either way, they can enjoy their time together. Privacy becomes the product." Mr. Hemmensway's eyes widened slightly. Because Elias was not thinking about a single use. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He was seeing hundreds, maybe even thousands of possibilities. Elias tapped the table, to get the guy's attention.

"And while people enjoy this privacy... You listen. People become comfortable when they believe they are safe. And when people become comfortable... They talk." His eyes sharpened.

"Information flows. Your shadows spread. Your ears reach everywhere. You collect information naturally." Mr. Hemmensway looked at the newspapers around him. Elias followed his gaze.

"Newspapers?" He shook his head.

"That is only one method." He pointed around the room.

"This creates something much larger. A network. A place where information gathers without you needing to search for it." He smiled.

"You are not merely someone who sells information. You become the person who controls where information goes." The room remained silent. Mr. Hemmensway stared at Elias. Elias continued.

"You can still maintain your current business. If someone wants information directly, they can request it. They can pay with money. Or, if the information they possess is interesting enough... They can exchange information. Knowledge for knowledge. Value for value." Mr. Hemmensway looked thoughtful.

"But trust is important." Elias nodded.

"Exactly. You cannot simply reveal everything you know. Your customers must believe you protect them. You become a broker. Someone who holds information but does not carelessly spread it." He smiled.

"That is where loyalty begins. Let me give you an example." Elias leaned forward slightly.

"Imagine you learn that an area of land will soon be demolished because of dangerous conditions. The price of the surrounding land will collapse. Someone comes to you and asks whether they should purchase land nearby. You cannot reveal your source. You cannot explain everything. But you can say..." Elias lowered his voice.

'I would suggest waiting.'

"Perhaps they ignore you. Perhaps they purchase the land anyway. A year later, the demolition happens. The prices collapse. Then they remember. They remember that you warned them. The next time they need information…They come back." Mr. Hemmensway's eyes widened.

"Because I protected their interests." Elias smiled.

"Exactly, you maintain confidentiality. You build trust. You create customers. And eventually..."

"You create loyalty." Mr. Hemmensway stared at him. At the beginning, he had only wondered what this strange young man possessed that made him willing to place his own life on the line. What information could possibly be worth such a risk? But now... He understood. This was not information. This was a transformation. A completely different way of seeing his ability. His entire life, his shadow ability had been considered worthless. A strange power. A useless skill.

Something that could not compete with stronger abilities. Even among commoners, it had been mocked. But this young man... This young man had looked at the same ability everyone dismissed. And he saw something else. A business. A future. A possibility. Mr. Hemmensway's heartbeat quickened. His hands trembled slightly. Not from fear. From excitement. Because this could actually work. This was possible. However... Another thought quickly entered his mind. If this was the information Elias was willing to exchange...

Then what information could Elias possibly want? And did he truly possess something equal? The magical contract remained between them. A dangerous agreement. A hot blade waiting to fall. One mistake. One failure. And his life would end. Mr. Hemmensway swallowed.

"What is it that you want?" Elias smiled.

"Well, Mr. Hemmensway..." He leaned forward.

"I want information about the empire. General information. Politics. Important families. Organizations. Anything that allows me to understand this world." He paused.

"And if possible..."

"Information regarding other nation as well." Mr. Hemmensway listened carefully. Elias's smile became slightly more interested.

"And lastly… I want information regarding the Saintess." Mr. Hemmensway's expression shifted.

"The Saintess?"

"Yes." Elias nodded.

"I would like updates regarding her current situation whenever I return. Whether she has selected her attendants. Whether rumors about such a thing have begun spreading. Her movements. Her changes in status. Any important events surrounding her." Mr. Hemmensway stared at him. The request itself was not unusual. The Saintess was a figure of great importance. Many people desired information about her. But the way Elias asked... It was different. It was not admiration, nor worship, or simple curiosity.

It sounded like preparation. Like he was waiting for something. Mr. Hemmensway narrowed his eyes.

"And what exactly do you plan to do with this information?" Elias smiled.

"Information is only valuable because of what someone chooses to do with it." He turned toward the hidden customers.

"That is the beauty of information… A sword can protect someone. The same sword can kill someone. The value is not in the object. It is in the person holding it." Mr. Hemmensway remained silent. Then he looked toward the contract. A dangerous person. That was his conclusion. Not because Elias possessed overwhelming power nor was he physically threatening. But because he saw opportunities where others saw nothing. When he entered a forgotten place, he was able to find value in it, immediately discovered its value.

He had taken an ability everyone ignored… And created an empire from it. Mr. Hemmensway finally understood. This young man was not searching for information. He was searching for possibilities.

"Very well." He extended his hand.

"I will provide the information you requested." Elias smiled.

"Excellent." The contract glowed faintly. The agreement had begun.