Chapter 44
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"I've stitched in some metal plates, might spare you losing your guts again…" Joanne grumbled, fitting the mended jerkin. Val could get in and out of the gear himself, but the armorer insisted on checking the fit herself.
"Thanks, wherever you hide these things, it's impressive." Val twisted and turned his torso, pleased he could move around freely.
"Hmph. I'm so glad you think so, perhaps you might remember that next time." Joanne remarked dryly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.
"Yes, yes." Val muttered under his breath as he fetched the crowns for the repairs from his pocket.
"What was that?" Joanne snapped.
"Nothing! Thanks for the repairs."
*Even if this is highway robbery…*
"Hmph, off you go then."
"Before I leave, you seen Asha anywhere?" Val asked with a curious tone.
"Ha, she'll be back in the evening, probably hiding somewhere in the city."
"Got it… Thanks again."
Sword restored and armor repaired, Val donned his dark cloak and headed back to his lodging. It was approaching five in the afternoon and he was itching to get some training in with Tyrfing before the day was over.
As he was passing through a narrow street, Val paused, a similarly dark cloaked figure was standing in the middle of the street, as if waiting for him.
*Black Dogs…?*
The man lifted his hood, revealing black wavy hair reaching his shoulders. "I am Farren, of the Black Dogs, I think you and I should talk."
The man Val knew as the handler of the Black Dogs seemed polite enough, though what business he had with him was uncertain.
"I am Val, what do the Black Dogs have to do with me?"
"If you have some time, come with me, my boss would like to meet you."
Val raised an eyebrow. "What's in it for me?"
Farren smiled. "How's dinner and drink to start?"
Val shrugged, nodding his head and proceeding to follow the handler.
Heading deeper into the city, closer to the towering, colossal building in the center that appeared to be the governmental offices, Val came upon a large, clean looking office building of sorts. It was plain enough, five stories tall judging by the windows. Each floor was very spacious, the first floor alone seemed largely dedicated to reception and business dealings. Val was not sure of the size, but each floor must have been several thousand square feet.
Looking around, there were many people of various races, some were obviously mercenaries in the employ of the Black Dogs, others looked to be merchants or clients. Many of them entered small rooms with sturdy doors to continue private discussions and business arrangements. The mercenaries were easy enough to identify— all of them bearing a tattoo depicting a black dogs head on their shoulder, hand, sometimes even their neck. It appeared to be a mastiff, but Val was not entirely sure.
"We take on hundreds of jobs in any given month, much of it within the private sector. Protection, armed delivery, private investigation, so long as it is within the protections of the local law, and the coin is right, we will take the job." Farren explained, gesturing to the ongoing transactions.
"I'm not looking to hire mercenaries though?" Val remarked curiously.
"No, but you've caught our attention. Associated with Boldir, accompanied by a Wind Dancer, a personal interest from one of the most skilled armorers in the city— you even managed to convince our resident retired runesmith to take up his craft once more."
"So you *have* been following me."
Farren shrugged. "As I was tasked to."
"Very well, let's go see this boss of yours."
To Val's surprise, instead of stairs, they stopped in front of pair of sliding double doors. Sure enough, a moment later, the doors opened to expose an elevator. There was no panel with buttons, but there was some sort of device with a mouthpiece mounted on the wall. Farren took the mouth piece and requested the fifth floor, after a small pause, the doors closed and the cage lurched upwards. It was slow, but the ride up was very smooth, coming to a stop after a minute.
"Haven't seen an elevator here before." Val remarked.
"You only find them in Dwarven construction, even then it's very expensive, I'm not sure of the specifics of their function, but the boss insisted on having one."
Exiting the elevator, the fifth floor was less open, a long hallway laid before them. It appeared the floor was sectioned into various offices. Val followed Farren straight down to the end of the hallway, ignoring a few other intersecting paths.
Farren knocked once. "Boss, Val is here as you requested."
"Please, come in." A polite voice issued from behind the door.
Entering the large office, Val was greeted by a professionally dressed blonde haired man standing, leaning over a large wooden desk. Behind him were three large, floor to ceiling windows, save for some supporting framework nearly the entire wall behind him was glass.
"Good evening, Val, correct? I am Harken." The man wore a smile, extending into his blue-grey eyes. He had neatly trimmed, short blonde hair, slicked back with some sort of wax or styling cosmetic. Despite leading a mercenary group he appeared dressed more for business, black slacks, a white collared shirt, with a black tie and vest. The entire ensemble seemed only to be missing a suit jacket, but there was none in sight.
"Good evening to you too, I'm Val, you wanted to meet me?"
"Farren, thank you." Harken dismissed the handler, who promptly nodded and left, closing the door gently on his way out.
*Not going to take my weapons it seems…*
"Please, have a seat, I did wish to meet you, though I apologize for the roundabout methods of contacting you. Farren is one of my most trusted lieutenants." Harken gestured to a elegant chair across from him.
Val took a seat, eying Harken as he poured water into a couple glasses from a carafe resting on a tray. The man had a few scars, one near his eyebrow, and a couple more closer to his neck. He was in very good shape, perhaps in his late thirties, assuming he aged as normal humans do. A variety of arms adorned the walls, placed decoratively in cases or hung up, all of them looked impeccably maintained. Val assumed they were not only sharp, but Harken could probably use them proficiently. The one interesting adornment was a pair of flintlock pistols resting on a stand, on one end of Harken's desk.
Placing a glass of water in front of Val, Harken took a seat. "I have stronger drink if you are interested."
"Water's fine, thanks. What did you want to talk about?" Val replied, though he did not touch the glass.
"Ah, yes, I will not waste your time— What is your connection to the Elves and do you hold any current allegiances?" Harken was pleasant, but his demeanor grew more serious.
"I have no connection to the Elves, merely traveling companion to one in particular." Val replied flatly.
Harken furrowed his brows. "I find it hard to believe that Miss Alevriasha would take company for mere pleasure."
Val shrugged. "It's the truth, met her on the road here and we were headed the same way. As for allegiances, I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at, but I'm just a wanderer of sorts."
Harken's brows raised this time. "You are not signed by other groups? You have not been approached by the Nightingales, Red Boars, Crimson Swords?"
Val raised an eyebrow this time. "As far as I know, you are the first to reach out to me."
Harken clasped his hands, a satisfied smile returning to his face. "Ah, forgive me, rare that I find such a fortuitous occasion. Are you interested in signing with any groups? Ours can be very lucrative, and generally quite safe, I hear you fought the beast in the hills and lived, so you must be reasonably skilled."
Val sat forward, leaning on a knee. "How about we put all our cards on the table? You must have investigated more than simply my attempt on the contract, or I doubt you would personally see me. You also already know I'm not signed with anyone. I've told you the truth about my association with the Elves, not that I think you actually care about that. I'm not interested in signing onto any group, as I'm not keen on tying myself down any time soon. However I'm sure there's business we can talk about, or I would not be here."
Harken stared for a moment, before breaking into a small chuckle. "As sharp as the ravens who accompany you. Yes, whether you sign onto us or anyone else is of little consequence, in fact I would prefer dealing with you as a free agent. Tell me, you're of the Barren World, are you not?"
"I am, what of it?"
Harken leaned back in his leather armchair. "I suspect there's a lot of business opportunity, with the Barren Worlders. What I wished to discuss with you was related to this topic."
Val narrowed his eyes, speaking slowly with emphasis. "Just what kind of business are you thinking about?"
Harken raised his hands before him. "Please, relax— I mean well. From what limited information we have, things are going rather poorly for them, no? I want to build relations, expand our business and such."
"The Aurulians are at war with us, and you want to build relations?"
Scratching his head awkwardly, Harken wore a wry smile. "You don't need to worry so much about that I think. This whole 'war' is a bit of a sham, and besides, we do not operate within Aurulian borders or under their rule. They're not nearly as hospitable to mercenaries like ourselves, you either submit to the crown or the gallows, over there. I suspect your people will need allies, and protection, and I think there's a wealth of technology to be shared. We do not need to discuss this in too much detail now, simply give me some time to show my good faith."
"Alright, how do you intend to do that?"
Harken grinned. "A meal, for starters, I believe all good business relations are started over food and drink."
Harken led Val out of his office down some other hallway, coming to a room oddly reminiscent of a business conference room, though it had been dressed as a dining hall. Two maids were waiting to the side, lavish dishes were laid out across the table with a pair of table settings.
"Please." Harken gestured to a chair, motioning to the maids who laid healthy servings of pork, steak, and some appetizing vegetable dishes. After serving them both food and wine, they departed, giving them some privacy.
Seeing the mercenary leader begin eating, Val took a few small bites himself, before realizing how hungry he was and wolfing down the food with fewer manners. The food was delicious, it seemed business was booming for the Black Dogs to afford such lavish dining and service.
"Is the food to your taste?" Harken was sipping his wine.
"It's delicious." Val had stuffed himself full of perfectly cooked meats, steamed vegetable, a baked potato, and other various sides. He sipped the wine, but was not too interested in wine in general.
"There are other services we can offer if you are interested. You don't need to sign onto us, but consider this a token of our generosity." Harken placed a circular metal emblem before him, featuring a black dog's head.
"With this, you can freely enter and leave the city as you wish if you show this to the guards, and there are a variety of merchants, smiths, and other services that will give you preferential pricing. It denotes our sponsorship, and will give you considerable access even within our locations." He added.
Val took the emblem, studying it for a moment before pocketing it. There was a gold collar around the neck, perhaps it meant something, considering it differed from the logo he saw around the lobby.. "Thank you, this actually sounds very useful for me."
"If there's anything you need, be it equipment, information, or other services, do let me know."
"Actually there is one thing I'd like."
"Hmm?"
"Training in the tavern is a bit difficult, I assume you have facilities nearby?"
Harken grinned. "The entirety of the basement is dedicated to training grounds, you won't be disappointed. You had your sword enchanted just today, I imagine you wish to test it out?"
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"I've stitched in some metal plates, might spare you losing your guts again…" Joanne grumbled, fitting the mended jerkin. Val could get in and out of the gear himself, but the armorer insisted on checking the fit herself.
"Thanks, wherever you hide these things, it's impressive." Val twisted and turned his torso, pleased he could move around freely.
"Hmph. I'm so glad you think so, perhaps you might remember that next time." Joanne remarked dryly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.
"Yes, yes." Val muttered under his breath as he fetched the crowns for the repairs from his pocket.
"What was that?" Joanne snapped.
"Nothing! Thanks for the repairs."
*Even if this is highway robbery…*
"Hmph, off you go then."
"Before I leave, you seen Asha anywhere?" Val asked with a curious tone.
"Ha, she'll be back in the evening, probably hiding somewhere in the city."
"Got it… Thanks again."
Sword restored and armor repaired, Val donned his dark cloak and headed back to his lodging. It was approaching five in the afternoon and he was itching to get some training in with Tyrfing before the day was over.
As he was passing through a narrow street, Val paused, a similarly dark cloaked figure was standing in the middle of the street, as if waiting for him.
*Black Dogs…?*
The man lifted his hood, revealing black wavy hair reaching his shoulders. "I am Farren, of the Black Dogs, I think you and I should talk."
The man Val knew as the handler of the Black Dogs seemed polite enough, though what business he had with him was uncertain.
"I am Val, what do the Black Dogs have to do with me?"
"If you have some time, come with me, my boss would like to meet you."
Val raised an eyebrow. "What's in it for me?"
Farren smiled. "How's dinner and drink to start?"
Val shrugged, nodding his head and proceeding to follow the handler.
Heading deeper into the city, closer to the towering, colossal building in the center that appeared to be the governmental offices, Val came upon a large, clean looking office building of sorts. It was plain enough, five stories tall judging by the windows. Each floor was very spacious, the first floor alone seemed largely dedicated to reception and business dealings. Val was not sure of the size, but each floor must have been several thousand square feet.
Looking around, there were many people of various races, some were obviously mercenaries in the employ of the Black Dogs, others looked to be merchants or clients. Many of them entered small rooms with sturdy doors to continue private discussions and business arrangements. The mercenaries were easy enough to identify— all of them bearing a tattoo depicting a black dogs head on their shoulder, hand, sometimes even their neck. It appeared to be a mastiff, but Val was not entirely sure.
"We take on hundreds of jobs in any given month, much of it within the private sector. Protection, armed delivery, private investigation, so long as it is within the protections of the local law, and the coin is right, we will take the job." Farren explained, gesturing to the ongoing transactions.
"I'm not looking to hire mercenaries though?" Val remarked curiously.
"No, but you've caught our attention. Associated with Boldir, accompanied by a Wind Dancer, a personal interest from one of the most skilled armorers in the city— you even managed to convince our resident retired runesmith to take up his craft once more."
"So you *have* been following me."
Farren shrugged. "As I was tasked to."
"Very well, let's go see this boss of yours."
To Val's surprise, instead of stairs, they stopped in front of pair of sliding double doors. Sure enough, a moment later, the doors opened to expose an elevator. There was no panel with buttons, but there was some sort of device with a mouthpiece mounted on the wall. Farren took the mouth piece and requested the fifth floor, after a small pause, the doors closed and the cage lurched upwards. It was slow, but the ride up was very smooth, coming to a stop after a minute.
"Haven't seen an elevator here before." Val remarked.
"You only find them in Dwarven construction, even then it's very expensive, I'm not sure of the specifics of their function, but the boss insisted on having one."
Exiting the elevator, the fifth floor was less open, a long hallway laid before them. It appeared the floor was sectioned into various offices. Val followed Farren straight down to the end of the hallway, ignoring a few other intersecting paths.
Farren knocked once. "Boss, Val is here as you requested."
"Please, come in." A polite voice issued from behind the door.
Entering the large office, Val was greeted by a professionally dressed blonde haired man standing, leaning over a large wooden desk. Behind him were three large, floor to ceiling windows, save for some supporting framework nearly the entire wall behind him was glass.
"Good evening, Val, correct? I am Harken." The man wore a smile, extending into his blue-grey eyes. He had neatly trimmed, short blonde hair, slicked back with some sort of wax or styling cosmetic. Despite leading a mercenary group he appeared dressed more for business, black slacks, a white collared shirt, with a black tie and vest. The entire ensemble seemed only to be missing a suit jacket, but there was none in sight.
"Good evening to you too, I'm Val, you wanted to meet me?"
"Farren, thank you." Harken dismissed the handler, who promptly nodded and left, closing the door gently on his way out.
*Not going to take my weapons it seems…*
"Please, have a seat, I did wish to meet you, though I apologize for the roundabout methods of contacting you. Farren is one of my most trusted lieutenants." Harken gestured to a elegant chair across from him.
Val took a seat, eying Harken as he poured water into a couple glasses from a carafe resting on a tray. The man had a few scars, one near his eyebrow, and a couple more closer to his neck. He was in very good shape, perhaps in his late thirties, assuming he aged as normal humans do. A variety of arms adorned the walls, placed decoratively in cases or hung up, all of them looked impeccably maintained. Val assumed they were not only sharp, but Harken could probably use them proficiently. The one interesting adornment was a pair of flintlock pistols resting on a stand, on one end of Harken's desk.
Placing a glass of water in front of Val, Harken took a seat. "I have stronger drink if you are interested."
"Water's fine, thanks. What did you want to talk about?" Val replied, though he did not touch the glass.
"Ah, yes, I will not waste your time— What is your connection to the Elves and do you hold any current allegiances?" Harken was pleasant, but his demeanor grew more serious.
"I have no connection to the Elves, merely traveling companion to one in particular." Val replied flatly.
Harken furrowed his brows. "I find it hard to believe that Miss Alevriasha would take company for mere pleasure."
Val shrugged. "It's the truth, met her on the road here and we were headed the same way. As for allegiances, I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at, but I'm just a wanderer of sorts."
Harken's brows raised this time. "You are not signed by other groups? You have not been approached by the Nightingales, Red Boars, Crimson Swords?"
Val raised an eyebrow this time. "As far as I know, you are the first to reach out to me."
Harken clasped his hands, a satisfied smile returning to his face. "Ah, forgive me, rare that I find such a fortuitous occasion. Are you interested in signing with any groups? Ours can be very lucrative, and generally quite safe, I hear you fought the beast in the hills and lived, so you must be reasonably skilled."
Val sat forward, leaning on a knee. "How about we put all our cards on the table? You must have investigated more than simply my attempt on the contract, or I doubt you would personally see me. You also already know I'm not signed with anyone. I've told you the truth about my association with the Elves, not that I think you actually care about that. I'm not interested in signing onto any group, as I'm not keen on tying myself down any time soon. However I'm sure there's business we can talk about, or I would not be here."
Harken stared for a moment, before breaking into a small chuckle. "As sharp as the ravens who accompany you. Yes, whether you sign onto us or anyone else is of little consequence, in fact I would prefer dealing with you as a free agent. Tell me, you're of the Barren World, are you not?"
"I am, what of it?"
Harken leaned back in his leather armchair. "I suspect there's a lot of business opportunity, with the Barren Worlders. What I wished to discuss with you was related to this topic."
Val narrowed his eyes, speaking slowly with emphasis. "Just what kind of business are you thinking about?"
Harken raised his hands before him. "Please, relax— I mean well. From what limited information we have, things are going rather poorly for them, no? I want to build relations, expand our business and such."
"The Aurulians are at war with us, and you want to build relations?"
Scratching his head awkwardly, Harken wore a wry smile. "You don't need to worry so much about that I think. This whole 'war' is a bit of a sham, and besides, we do not operate within Aurulian borders or under their rule. They're not nearly as hospitable to mercenaries like ourselves, you either submit to the crown or the gallows, over there. I suspect your people will need allies, and protection, and I think there's a wealth of technology to be shared. We do not need to discuss this in too much detail now, simply give me some time to show my good faith."
"Alright, how do you intend to do that?"
Harken grinned. "A meal, for starters, I believe all good business relations are started over food and drink."
Harken led Val out of his office down some other hallway, coming to a room oddly reminiscent of a business conference room, though it had been dressed as a dining hall. Two maids were waiting to the side, lavish dishes were laid out across the table with a pair of table settings.
"Please." Harken gestured to a chair, motioning to the maids who laid healthy servings of pork, steak, and some appetizing vegetable dishes. After serving them both food and wine, they departed, giving them some privacy.
Seeing the mercenary leader begin eating, Val took a few small bites himself, before realizing how hungry he was and wolfing down the food with fewer manners. The food was delicious, it seemed business was booming for the Black Dogs to afford such lavish dining and service.
"Is the food to your taste?" Harken was sipping his wine.
"It's delicious." Val had stuffed himself full of perfectly cooked meats, steamed vegetable, a baked potato, and other various sides. He sipped the wine, but was not too interested in wine in general.
"There are other services we can offer if you are interested. You don't need to sign onto us, but consider this a token of our generosity." Harken placed a circular metal emblem before him, featuring a black dog's head.
"With this, you can freely enter and leave the city as you wish if you show this to the guards, and there are a variety of merchants, smiths, and other services that will give you preferential pricing. It denotes our sponsorship, and will give you considerable access even within our locations." He added.
Val took the emblem, studying it for a moment before pocketing it. There was a gold collar around the neck, perhaps it meant something, considering it differed from the logo he saw around the lobby.. "Thank you, this actually sounds very useful for me."
"If there's anything you need, be it equipment, information, or other services, do let me know."
"Actually there is one thing I'd like."
"Hmm?"
"Training in the tavern is a bit difficult, I assume you have facilities nearby?"
Harken grinned. "The entirety of the basement is dedicated to training grounds, you won't be disappointed. You had your sword enchanted just today, I imagine you wish to test it out?"
"I've stitched in some metal plates, might spare you losing your guts again" Joanne grumbled, fitting the mended jerkin. Val could get in and out of the gear himself, but the armorer insisted on checking the fit herself. "Thanks, wherever you hide these things, it's impressive." Val twisted and turned his torso, pleased he could move around freely. "Hmph. I'm so glad you think so, perhaps you might remember that next time." Joanne remarked dryly. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Yes, yes." Val muttered under his breath as he fetched the crowns for the repairs from his pocket. "What was that?" Joanne snapped. "Nothing! Thanks for the repairs." *Even if this is highway robbery* "Hmph, off you go then." "Before I leave, you seen Asha anywhere?" Val asked with a curious tone. "Ha, she'll be back in the evening, probably hiding somewhere in the city." "Got it Thanks again." Sword restored and armor repaired, Val donned his dark cloak and headed back to his lodging. It was approaching five in the afternoon and he was itching to get some training in with Tyrfing before the day was over. As he was passing through a narrow street, Val paused, a similarly dark cloaked figure was standing in the middle of the street, as if waiting for him. *Black Dogs?* The man lifted his hood, revealing black wavy hair reaching his shoulders. "I am Farren, of the Black Dogs, I think you and I should talk." The man Val knew as the handler of the Black Dogs seemed polite enough, though what business he had with him was uncertain. "I am Val, what do the Black Dogs have to do with me?" "If you have some time, come with me, my boss would like to meet you." Val raised an eyebrow. "What's in it for me?" Farren smiled. "How's dinner and drink to start?" Val shrugged, nodding his head and proceeding to follow the handler. Heading deeper into the city, closer to the towering, colossal building in the center that appeared to be the governmental offices, Val came upon a large, clean looking office building of sorts. It was plain enough, five stories tall judging by the windows. Each floor was very spacious, the first floor alone seemed largely dedicated to reception and business dealings. Val was not sure of the size, but each floor must have been several thousand square feet. Looking around, there were many people of various races, some were obviously mercenaries in the employ of the Black Dogs, others looked to be merchants or clients. Many of them entered small rooms with sturdy doors to continue private discussions and business arrangements. The mercenaries were easy enough to identify all of them bearing a tattoo depicting a black dogs head on their shoulder, hand, sometimes even their neck. It appeared to be a mastiff, but Val was not entirely sure. "We take on hundreds of jobs in any given month, much of it within the private sector. Protection, armed delivery, private investigation, so long as it is within the protections of the local law, and the coin is right, we will take the job." Farren explained, gesturing to the ongoing transactions. "I'm not looking to hire mercenaries though?" Val remarked curiously. "No, but you've caught our attention. Associated with Boldir, accompanied by a Wind Dancer, a personal interest from one of the most skilled armorers in the city you even managed to convince our resident retired runesmith to take up his craft once more." "So you *have* been following me." Farren shrugged. "As I was tasked to." "Very well, let's go see this boss of yours." To Val's surprise, instead of stairs, they stopped in front of pair of sliding double doors. Sure enough, a moment later, the doors opened to expose an elevator. There was no panel with buttons, but there was some sort of device with a mouthpiece mounted on the wall. Farren took the mouth piece and requested the fifth floor, after a small pause, the doors closed and the cage lurched upwards. It was slow, but the ride up was very smooth, coming to a stop after a minute. "Haven't seen an elevator here before." Val remarked. "You only find them in Dwarven construction, even then it's very expensive, I'm not sure of the specifics of their function, but the boss insisted on having one." Exiting the elevator, the fifth floor was less open, a long hallway laid before them. It appeared the floor was sectioned into various offices. Val followed Farren straight down to the end of the hallway, ignoring a few other intersecting paths. Farren knocked once. "Boss, Val is here as you requested." "Please, come in." A polite voice issued from behind the door. Entering the large office, Val was greeted by a professionally dressed blonde haired man standing, leaning over a large wooden desk. Behind him were three large, floor to ceiling windows, save for some supporting framework nearly the entire wall behind him was glass. "Good evening, Val, correct? I am Harken." The man wore a smile, extending into his blue-grey eyes. He had neatly trimmed, short blonde hair, slicked back with some sort of wax or styling cosmetic. Despite leading a mercenary group he appeared dressed more for business, black slacks, a white collared shirt, with a black tie and vest. The entire ensemble seemed only to be missing a suit jacket, but there was none in sight. "Good evening to you too, I'm Val, you wanted to meet me?" "Farren, thank you." Harken dismissed the handler, who promptly nodded and left, closing the door gently on his way out. *Not going to take my weapons it seems* "Please, have a seat, I did wish to meet you, though I apologize for the roundabout methods of contacting you. Farren is one of my most trusted lieutenants." Harken gestured to a elegant chair across from him. Val took a seat, eying Harken as he poured water into a couple glasses from a carafe resting on a tray. The man had a few scars, one near his eyebrow, and a couple more closer to his neck. He was in very good shape, perhaps in his late thirties, assuming he aged as normal humans do. A variety of arms adorned the walls, placed decoratively in cases or hung up, all of them looked impeccably maintained. Val assumed they were not only sharp, but Harken could probably use them proficiently. The one interesting adornment was a pair of flintlock pistols resting on a stand, on one end of Harken's desk. Placing a glass of water in front of Val, Harken took a seat. "I have stronger drink if you are interested." "Water's fine, thanks. What did you want to talk about?" Val replied, though he did not touch the glass. "Ah, yes, I will not waste your time What is your connection to the Elves and do you hold any current allegiances?" Harken was pleasant, but his demeanor grew more serious. "I have no connection to the Elves, merely traveling companion to one in particular." Val replied flatly. Harken furrowed his brows. "I find it hard to believe that Miss Alevriasha would take company for mere pleasure." Val shrugged. "It's the truth, met her on the road here and we were headed the same way. As for allegiances, I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at, but I'm just a wanderer of sorts." Harken's brows raised this time. "You are not signed by other groups? You have not been approached by the Nightingales, Red Boars, Crimson Swords?" Val raised an eyebrow this time. "As far as I know, you are the first to reach out to me." Harken clasped his hands, a satisfied smile returning to his face. "Ah, forgive me, rare that I find such a fortuitous occasion. Are you interested in signing with any groups? Ours can be very lucrative, and generally quite safe, I hear you fought the beast in the hills and lived, so you must be reasonably skilled." Val sat forward, leaning on a knee. "How about we put all our cards on the table? You must have investigated more than simply my attempt on the contract, or I doubt you would personally see me. You also already know I'm not signed with anyone. I've told you the truth about my association with the Elves, not that I think you actually care about that. I'm not interested in signing onto any group, as I'm not keen on tying myself down any time soon. However I'm sure there's business we can talk about, or I would not be here." Harken stared for a moment, before breaking into a small chuckle. "As sharp as the ravens who accompany you. Yes, whether you sign onto us or anyone else is of little consequence, in fact I would prefer dealing with you as a free agent. Tell me, you're of the Barren World, are you not?" "I am, what of it?" Harken leaned back in his leather armchair. "I suspect there's a lot of business opportunity, with the Barren Worlders. What I wished to discuss with you was related to this topic." Val narrowed his eyes, speaking slowly with emphasis. "Just what kind of business are you thinking about?" Harken raised his hands before him. "Please, relax I mean well. From what limited information we have, things are going rather poorly for them, no? I want to build relations, expand our business and such." "The Aurulians are at war with us, and you want to build relations?" Scratching his head awkwardly, Harken wore a wry smile. "You don't need to worry so much about that I think. This whole 'war' is a bit of a sham, and besides, we do not operate within Aurulian borders or under their rule. They're not nearly as hospitable to mercenaries like ourselves, you either submit to the crown or the gallows, over there. I suspect your people will need allies, and protection, and I think there's a wealth of technology to be shared. We do not need to discuss this in too much detail now, simply give me some time to show my good faith." "Alright, how do you intend to do that?" Harken grinned. "A meal, for starters, I believe all good business relations are started over food and drink." Harken led Val out of his office down some other hallway, coming to a room oddly reminiscent of a business conference room, though it had been dressed as a dining hall. Two maids were waiting to the side, lavish dishes were laid out across the table with a pair of table settings. "Please." Harken gestured to a chair, motioning to the maids who laid healthy servings of pork, steak, and some appetizing vegetable dishes. After serving them both food and wine, they departed, giving them some privacy. Seeing the mercenary leader begin eating, Val took a few small bites himself, before realizing how hungry he was and wolfing down the food with fewer manners. The food was delicious, it seemed business was booming for the Black Dogs to afford such lavish dining and service. "Is the food to your taste?" Harken was sipping his wine. "It's delicious." Val had stuffed himself full of perfectly cooked meats, steamed vegetable, a baked potato, and other various sides. He sipped the wine, but was not too interested in wine in general. "There are other services we can offer if you are interested. You don't need to sign onto us, but consider this a token of our generosity." Harken placed a circular metal emblem before him, featuring a black dog's head. "With this, you can freely enter and leave the city as you wish if you show this to the guards, and there are a variety of merchants, smiths, and other services that will give you preferential pricing. It denotes our sponsorship, and will give you considerable access even within our locations." He added. Val took the emblem, studying it for a moment before pocketing it. There was a gold collar around the neck, perhaps it meant something, considering it differed from the logo he saw around the lobby.. "Thank you, this actually sounds very useful for me." "If there's anything you need, be it equipment, information, or other services, do let me know." "Actually there is one thing I'd like." "Hmm?" "Training in the tavern is a bit difficult, I assume you have facilities nearby?" Harken grinned. "The entirety of the basement is dedicated to training grounds, you won't be disappointed. You had your sword enchanted just today, I imagine you wish to test it out?"
