“You want to speak directly to the city master?” The secretary asked skeptically.

“Yes, for the kind of deal I am proposing it is best to talk directly to the one in charge,” Edward answered not losing his nerves.

“I see…” she answered, making it clear that she thought of Edward as a waste of time at best. “Let me check his agenda.” She took another notebook and leafed through the pages. “He is naturally quite busy, as you can surely understand.” She told him with scorn. “Ah, yes, I can make an appointment in two weeks, at noon sharp.”

I don’t have two weeks. The Vega family will comb through the city to find me, now that they are sure that I’m here. However, I can’t appear as if I’m in a hurry, which will put me in a position of weakness. I have to make her understand that my deal is an opportunity that they can’t afford to miss.

“I must say that I am disappointed. But it isn’t like you are the only client to whom I can sell my runes knowledge. I heard about this family, what was its name again, the Potentia family I think, I’m sure they will be more interested in what I have to say.” Edward replied while looking lazily at his nails.

I have to make this deal works now. The moment I’m out of their sight, the gossip will start to spread. If I can’t manage to obtain protection, the Vega family will fall on me in no time.

Both the secretary and the guard froze in place shocked by Edward’s revelation.

“I apologize, I didn’t realize that sir was a runemaster. May have I proof of your craft?” The secretary asked, suddenly a lot more respectful and professional.

“If I have to, I will demonstrate my talent.”, Edward sighted before adding haughtily “Give me a sheet of paper and a pen.”

Once the secretary gave him what he asked for, Edward started to draw nonsensical designs on the paper while hiding a block rune in the middle of it. Don’t expect me to give you one of my runes for free.

When the page was full of scribbles, Edward brandish it in front of the guard, holding it with two hands. “With my power, an ordinary sheet of paper can become as hard as a shield. Please try to cut through it,” he asked the guard.

A single block rune won’t be able to block an awaken for long, but it is enough to stop one blow, and they don’t need to know its limit anyway.

The guard took out his sword and swung at the paper wondering if this frail thing could actually stop his attack. He didn’t use his powers to enhance his strike and simply used an ordinary attack. The sword stopped in front of the paper not even reaching it. It had been stopped by a, now visible, barrier in front of the paper.

The guard sheathed his sword while looking at the paper with disbelief. He knew about runes, but it was the first time that he saw their power displayed in this manner from a simple paper. Of course, this was something that wasn’t making much sense. Paper wasn’t a strong material, and just activating the rune a few times would be enough to strain the paper until it tore, destroying the rune in the process. Usually, runes were graved in durable materials, so that the rune could last a long time, and also for having a more effective product. Enhancing a material that was weak from the start didn’t have much interest.

Having shown the proof that he was indeed a runemaster the secretary was satisfied. “Please wait a moment sir, I will see the city master to convey your presence and your request for a deal proposition.” She left them alone in the room right after, leaving by an adjacent door to go further into the building. Edward used the occasion to put away the rune in one of his pockets.

Convincing the secretary was the easy part. I do know basic runes after all. The tricky part is about to begin. As a city master, it won’t be the first time that he is in contact with a runemaster. I have to convince him I’m worth the effort to protect.

They only had to wait for ten minutes before the secretary came back and invited Edward to follow her to the city master’s office. The guard left to return to his post and Edward walked with the secretary through several corridors clad with carpets and decorated with paintings before reaching the office.

A man in his forties was sitting behind a desk covered in neatly ordered files and binders. He had greying hair and an already prominent belly, he stood when they entered. The secretary closed the door behind them to let them discuss in private.

“Welcome, what gives me the honor of meeting a runemaster on such a delightful day?” The city master asked with flattery while probing his intentions.

“It is I who must thank you for your welcome mayor. I hope we can become business partners.” Edward answered presenting himself as an equal.

“Oh please, you can just call me Cornelius. What kind of business do you have in mind?”

“I would like to sell you a part of my runes knowledge that I managed to gather through my travels against certain favors.”

Cornelius’ eyes flashed with an interest for an instant before he regained his façade acting as if nothing happened. “Do you want to teach about runes to apprentices? What kind of favors are you asking for exactly?”

“I was planning to directly sell you the design of some of my runes. As for the favors, I would like to have access to advanced adventurers’ techniques, priority access to monsters’ expeditions, and of course, protection against any enemy that would dare to chase me down to prevent me from exercising as a runemaster.”

I need protection from the Vega family first and foremost, but I don’t need to tell him that. Let him think that the protection demand is just anecdotal. It is best if he thinks he can get immediate benefice for a potential service that may or may not happen in the future. I doubt he would refuse such an offer with immediate benefits and distant risks. On top of that, I can get additional benefices to grow stronger.

Cornelius looked surprised. “I must say your offer is most unusual. Usually, rune masters prefer to sell their expertise rather than their runes, which they keep jealously. As for your offer to access techniques and monsters’ expeditions, it is not a problem. It is quite rare for a runemaster to risk himself on the front lines.”

“I must secure some materials, and I would prefer to do it myself. Such, it is necessary that I familiarize myself with the adventurer’s way of doing things.” Edward answered impassibly.

Cornelius squinted his eyes. “Lastly, for the protection offered. I don’t have the power to give protection worthy of your person, but I can draft an accord with the different families from this city. It should be enough for what you are seeking.”

So, he did pick that what I was mostly after was the protection offered. I guess you can’t trick a wily old fox. However, from the way he is acting, he must think that my enemies are from overseas. It is fine by me, if he contacts Gobéliard influential families, they will keep each other in check. The other families should prevent the Vega family from going after me since they can get more benefices by keeping me alive.

“This arrangement would please me greatly, yes,” Edward answered satisfied. With this accord, I should be safe for now, even though I’m still in a precarious situation. I’m safe only as long as I have value.

“Now, you must understand that to persuade Gobéliard families to join such an accord, I must have more proof than just word of mouth. Would you be so kind as to provide me with one of your runes’ designs?” Cornelius asked him.

I have to be careful of how I am trading my runes. I only have so many, and I’m not sure I should share all of the runes I learned with them. Some of them could bring trouble. He still does need a rune, otherwise, he will grow suspicious. Fine, the block rune should do. I’m pretty sure they know it already.

“Naturally, however, you must also realize that I can’t simply give it to you like that. I heard of a technique some adventurers use to monitor their surroundings while they are half asleep, allowing them to rest without endangering themselves. I’m ready to trade this rune against this technique.”

It’s the technique I asked Caspian about, but he wasn’t able to give it to me. Without such a technique I will be limited to only a one-day journey from a safe spot. If I really want to explore the wilds, I need to be able to rest without having to go back to a city. And I will also need it if I want to escape from Gobéliard’s influential families.

Cornelius didn’t seem troubled by this request as if he was expecting something like that. “Please follow me, we keep such techniques in private libraries outside of the public reach. I will let you borrow this particular one in exchange for your rune”.

He didn’t even protest at my demand. He is even trusting me more instead. It seems rune masters really do hold their knowledge close to them. They wouldn’t hand over their runes that easily unless they got deserving compensation.

They stopped in front of a reinforced locked door. The door was made of thick oak and several rods of steel were covering it on all its length. Cornelius took a key from his pocket and unlocked it. He didn’t let Edward enter, but he didn’t shut the door close either, letting Edward take a glimpse of all the tomes containing precious knowledge that were outside of his reach. It was as if Cornelius was telling him that he still had a lot to offer and that Edward only had to trade more runes to obtain it.

I know you want to make me spend all my runes, this is certainly an enticing trap. But I can’t focus everything on techniques. I need to grow stronger first and foremost and for that, I will need monsters’ blood.

Cornelius came back with the book containing the technique Edward wanted. All those tomes weren’t thick, as if their knowledge had been purposely separated into different books, each one only containing one technique.

They went back to Cornelius’ office, where he lent a blank page to Edward for him to draw the rune. Edward drew it without a word. Cornelius took back the paper while smiling, a faint shimmering shield could be seen above the paper, proof that the rune was genuine and working.

“This is the block rune, it produces a shield that can stop attacks. This is the one I used earlier in front of your secretary to block the sword strike for your guard,” Edward explained to him.

“I can sense its power. This will do perfectly, I will ask for a meeting with the Vega, Potentia, and Regalis families.” Cornelius announced.

Edward hesitated before asking. “In the meantime, could I ask for an accommodation? I don’t feel safe outside, while the protection deal is not effective yet.”

“But of course, no one would dare trouble you while you stay in the city manor,” Cornelius replied amiably, but his smile had disappeared.

He must be wondering if my enemies are already in the city. But our deal has already begun, and it will be hard for him to back away. Anyway, he has nothing to fear, the other families won’t let possible new runes get taken from them, they will prevent the Vega family from acting against me.