As soon as Kurtz Newman entered the store, the Newman family's lackey stepped back in fear.
The person who had been shouting and turning red with anger just monts ago seed to have completely disappeared, leaving behind only a calm and composed figure. I couldn't help but be impressed.
So this is what it ans to be part of the underworld.
If it weren't for my sugaki skills, I’m sure my surprise would have shown.
But the sugaki skill didn't allow any room for weakness.
I always had to be haughty, arrogant, and full of pride.
Kurtz Newman approached , his legs crossed, and with a polite bow, he said, "Lady Allen. To see through this old man's little joke, you truly are worthy of the Allen bloodline."
‘It was nothing special. Thank you for the complint.’ "Did you really think I wouldn’t see through that? You must be quite the fool to have such foolish thoughts."
As soon as the word "thank you" entered the conversation, it got twisted beyond recognition.
At this point, I hardly even noticed anymore.
I’ve been through this so many tis that now it just seems like another one of his antics.
Besides, the old man said that it’d be good if sothing ca out of his provocations, so there's nothing to worry about.
sugaki skill! Let's give it our all today!
Don't you want to see that seemingly calm man over there turn red with anger and start trembling?
...Actually, no, maybe that's a bit too much.
Let’s not overdo it.
It would be troubleso if he really decided to use all kinds of ans to ss with .
“My apologies. It seems this old man has a bit of a playful streak.”
Despite my insult, Kurtz Newman chuckled leisurely and walked over to the spot where the Newman family’s lackey had been standing, sitting down comfortably.
Then he took out a jewelry box from his coat and opened it.
Inside was undoubtedly the Burrow family’s necklace.
The problem was that I couldn’t tell whether it was the real deal or a fake.
Considering Kurtz Newman, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had prepared a counterfeit and was trying to play mind gas.
Alright, let’s see what my appraisal skill has to say!
You haven’t had much of a chance to shine, so now’s your mont!
[Unknown Necklace] [A necklace with various gemstones embedded, of unknown origin.]
Sorry, I haven't trained you enough.
I should have been honing this skill by appraising everything I could, but I was too focused on combat training and neglected you.
I'll pay more attention to you from now on.
But you did well this ti.
At first glance, it seed like the appraisal skill didn’t do anything, but it had actually done its job.
Usually, when there's a valuable necklace, the appraisal skill would attach so kind of description like “expensive-looking necklace.”
But look at this.
The appraisal skill didn’t add any such description.
Instead, it just said it’s of unknown origin.
This is proof that there's sothing hidden about this necklace.
Even if Kurtz Newman had tried to replicate it, he wouldn't have been able to figure out what was hidden inside.
That ans it’s definitely the real thing.
"Before we start negotiating, let show you the item. This is what you desire, Lady Allen."
‘Indeed it is.’ “I see you don’t resort to tricks in these matters. I had my doubts given your shady reputation.”
As I nodded, Kurtz Newman raised an eyebrow slightly.
It was a subtle change, barely noticeable, but the anxiety in soone who usually appeared so composed was all too easy to spot.
“Thank you for your trust. If it’s not too much trouble, may I see the item I desire?”
At Kurtz Newman’s request, I removed the cross I was wearing around my neck and handed it to him.
This necklace was proof that Agra’s curse had been lifted.
On the surface, it looked like an ordinary cross, but it contained the divinity and blessings of Armathi.
It’s an item issued by the church after verification, so there's no way it could be fake.
Its unique appearance might not catch the attention of ordinary people, but Kurtz Newman would recognize it imdiately.
Soone who had been desperately searching for a way to break Agra’s curse couldn’t possibly fail to recognize this.
My thoughts were soon confird.
“I’ve confird it. This is indeed a genuine item issued by the church.”
Grandpa’s advice was reassuring!
Now I just need to get what I ca for.
I have a few ideas.
Kurtz Newman is a powerful figure in the underworld.
If I make demands, I can probably get almost anything from him.
Grandpa had once told to think carefully about what to ask for, and I’ve been pondering it ever since.
It’s probably the most serious thinking I’ve done since I first reincarnated as Lucy.
But the more I thought about it, the harder it was to co up with sothing.
I don’t need to replace my equipnt.
Grandpa’s gear is sothing I’ll carry with until the day I die.
I recently upgraded my shield, so there’s no reason to change it.
And the armor was a gift from Porcell, so I’m not keen on replacing it either.
So what else?
I could demand so secret techniques from the Newman family, but they’re all useless skills for .
They only have rogue skills, after all.
As soone who has to stand in the front lines and take hits, learning those skills would be pointless.
I considered various other options, but nothing seed quite right.
Even though there are so decent rewards I could demand, they all felt too minor considering the effort of squeezing the Newman family.
So, after much thought, I ca to this conclusion.
If it’s hard to choose one thing, why not just ask for everything?
In the ga, you could only get that item by clearing all the quests related to the Newman family.
The Raven's Crest. A token given only to the true benefactors of the Newman family.
An item that allows you to utilize the Newman family’s network whenever you want.
That’s what I want to get my hands on.
I don’t expect Kurtz to agree right away.
But so what, Kurtz Newman?
There’s no way you can bear watching your son’s life slowly tick away without doing anything to save him.
Let’s negotiate.
And if it doesn’t work out, I can always ask for sothing else.
With a smile, I put the necklace Kurtz Newman handed back to around my neck.
Kurtz Newman also smiled back.
‘Shall we begin the negotiation?’ “Very well. Let’s start our discussion, Mister Trashy Family Head.”
She’s far more exceptional than I imagined.
That was Kurtz Newman’s first thought upon eting Lucy Allen.
When dealing with a new business partner, Kurtz often sent a decoy first.
It was crucial in the underworld to gauge how perceptive the other party was.
But Lucy Allen saw through his little trick too easily.
Despite never having t Kurtz Newman before, she imdiately recognized that the decoy wasn’t him.
So far, Kurtz could accept this.
Lucy Allen seed to have so kind of intelligence network, so it was possible she’d heard about Kurtz’s tricks.
But what happened next was different.
Lucy Allen was absolutely certain that the necklace Kurtz Newman presented was genuine.
She spoke as if it were obvious, even though she’d only seen it from a distance.
It was an unbelievable feat.
It was as if she had completely ruled out the possibility of it being a replica.
Was it a bluff?
No, it wasn’t a bluff.
If it had been, she would have at least pretended to check.
Despite being far from adulthood, Lucy Allen possessed an extraordinary level of insight.
She had the intelligence to top the entrance exams at Soul Academy.
She had the strength to crush Freyr Kent in a direct confrontation.
Her skills in dungeon clearing were enough to surpass even seasoned adventurers.
And she had better insight than most people in the underworld.
It didn’t make any sense.
Is Lucy Allen favored by so kind of deity?
Well, maybe that’s not entirely wrong.
It’s impossible for soone who was once considered a disgrace to the Allen family to rise to such heights without so divine favor.
As Kurtz Newman mulled this over, he found himself both impressed and convinced.
The necklace Lucy Allen had shown was real.
She had indeed managed to lift Agra’s curse.
She had already made an enemy of the Dark God.
How could such a young, arrogant, and haughty girl have found a way to lift Agra’s curse?
Because she was surely favored by the gods.
Kurtz didn’t know what struggles or doubts she had faced.
And frankly, he didn’t care.
What mattered to him was that she likely had the thod in her possession.
“Mister Trashy Family Head, it’s obvious what you want, so I’ll tell you what I want.” “Yes.”
What do you desire, you arrogant and haughty girl?
You don’t seem like soone who would be favored by the gods, yet you clearly are.
Do you want weapons? Jewels? Magic?
I’m curious to see how well you know your own worth.
“I want the Raven’s Crest.”
But what ca out of her mouth was sothing far beyond Kurtz’s expectations.
The Raven’s Crest.
How... how do you even know about that?
It’s a secret that only mbers of the Newman family should know.
Is your intelligence network really that good?
Or is there a deity whispering in your ear?
I don’t know. But strangely enough, I find myself believing in you even more.
Your arrogance feels like it’s backed by sothing real.
I like it. I like it a lot.
You said you wanted to negotiate, didn’t you?
Fine. Let’s negotiate.
But this won’t be a negotiation to reduce your reward.
Ordinarily, it would be, but you’re different.
Lucy Allen.
A monster born with overwhelming talent in the exalted knightly Allen family.
I see the light of a precious gem in you. One day, you’ll dominate this continent.
You’ll rise as a star that shines from the heavens, influencing the world around you.
A genius as arrogant and unrestrained as you won’t be satisfied living as your family’s guardian, just like Benedict Allen.
If I’m tied to you when that day cos, I’ll surely gain great benefits.
So in this negotiation, I’ll give you the Raven’s Crest.
But in return, I’ll bind you to the Newman family.
“Ho, the Raven’s Crest?”
Let’s negotiate.
“Yes, Mister Trashy Family Head. You’re still young, but are your ears already failing you? Seeing how your forehead’s receding, I suppose you’re aging quickly. How pitiful.”
...
It’s a bit dizzying to think that I have to keep listening to this insufferable tone.
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