〖 Please do not attempt anything that will make me misunderstand your intentions, mister Comet 〗sitting on the soft guest sofa, 'Negary' lightly shook the tall red wine glass in his hand while wearing a black cardigan he casually grabbed from somewhere.
Sitting on the host seat across from Negary, Comet Bourry currently looked more like a guest, moving ever so carefully. Even his well-groomed moustache was trembling out of a mix of fear and anger.
Glancing at Jimmy and Pilo who was standing behind 'Negary', then at his two collapsed bodyguards, Comet tried his best to form a smile: "How could I? Against mister Negary, I wouldn't dare to try anything shady"
Earlier today, these three managed to infiltrate one of his secret safehouses. The bodyguards he hired to keep the safehouse safe were powerless against this person who called himself 'Negary', as they collapsed with a mere flick of his finger.
This made Comet believe that he had come face-to-face with one of the people who thrived in the shadow of the Academic City – Mystics.
As an ex-gang leader, and the current owner of the White Heart mining company, he would occasionally come into contact with these Mystics, after all, he could be considered a successful businessman with a certain level of resources in his hands.
These people could easily kill normal people, so most of them didn't even regard normal people to be humans. Each time he came into contact with such people, Comet had felt constant goosebumps all over his body, and while facing 'Negary', he was feeling an even more drastic sense of danger.
It was for this same reason that Comet was in such an awkward situation. After becoming an Upper, he no longer retained his previous cruelty, now having a need to maintain the gracefulness and nonchalance of an Upper in order to protect his dignity. Because of this, he couldn't act the same as before, always ready to pull out a dagger to put up against someone's neck to threaten them.
In a way, he was like a wolf who pulled out his own fangs to disguise as a dog, trying to earn food that humans fed their pets, doing everything in his power to enter the inner circle of Upper society.
〖 I'm sure you've forgotten these two friends of mine 〗
Stating that, 'Negary' glanced at his fingernails, which contained some black powder underneath. This was a kind of powdered poison created using the black jelly mixed with certain types of herbs. Even a tiny bit could cause a human to faint, and if they didn't receive proper treatment in time, they could even suffocate to death.
〖 I'll give you a hint, the night that you killed Professor terry 〗'Negary' didn't bother to look at Comet's expression turning pale and continued talking to himself: 〖 Of course, the reason I'm mentioning this now isn't to threaten mister Comet, I'm simply here to ask for some reimbursement for my friends here 〗
You're blatantly threatening me.
Comet was fuming inside, but he managed to keep up a flattering smile and said: "It was a misunderstanding, a simple misunderstanding"
Comet turned to face Jimmy and Pilo, feeling nothing but hatred.
Why haven't these two dirty worms died yet? And not only did they survive, but they've also even brought someone with power here to see me.
Comet was originally a Sediments gang leader, the reason he was able to achieve what he had today and become an Upper was thanks to the person he killed, a professor from a certain institution.
Due to a lack of manpower, Professor Terry hired Comet's gang as security to accompany him into a dangerous forest, where his studies had led him to traces of a certain mineral mine.
Due to the pride and dignity of an Upper, Professor Terry didn't actually accompany the mine searchers into the forest, only sending a few apprentices and servants with the mine searchers to help them record data.
In a certain part of the forest, Comet's men managed to pinpoint the exact location of the mine; during the process of which Comet learnt of the mine's true value from the apprentices; and the fact that Professor Terry did not tell anyone else about the mine from his servants.
In other words, the only people who knew about the mine's whereabouts were his men and Professor Terry's men. As reality has proven, the Uppers looked down upon the Sediments, and so did Professor Terry. He believed that Comet's gang didn't even understand what they were doing, and had no courage to do anything shady even if they did.
Unfortunately, the Comet in the past was much crueler than his current self, and the past Comet chose to permanently silence everyone not on his side. Because the crime of killing a scholar was a great one, Comet personally did it due to his distrust of everyone else.
The entire matter proceeded smoothly, Professor Terry was easily killed due to his lacking sense of danger, whose death was then blamed on the servants and apprentices who went 'missing', after all, murder and robbery went hand in hand as a pair of common crimes.
Everything went as planned, except the fact that he was discovered by two Sediments while dealing with the body. As he was alone, he didn't try to do anything to them, but later sent his subordinates after the two, ensuring that they wouldn't even be able to leave the slums, let alone report him to authorities.
Taking advantage of that one mineral mine, by paying a massive price, he became the owner of the White Heart mining company. Although a majority of the company's shares lay in other people's hands, it was still enough to help him escape the status of a Sediment.
Perhaps after seven or eight generations, his descendants would become true Uppers, and not like how he currently was, unable to get into any circle despite being officially recognized as an Upper, still secretly scorned as an old Sediment.
Never did he think that a couple of Sediments who should have died in the sewers long ago would suddenly reappear in front of him.
Suppressing his turbulent inner thoughts, Comet understood very well that these two had gotten acquainted with a Mystic, and his weakness had become a huge bargaining chip in their hands. He could only hope that this Mystic wouldn't ask for too much, otherwise, he also had means of contacting other Mystics and asking them to deal with him by paying a heavy price.
〖 That's good to hear 〗by observing Comet, 'Negary' had generally grasped this ex-gang leader's thought process. As he had a grasp of Comet's bottom line and thought process, it was time for him to put out his remaining bargaining chip.
…
"A new kind of food----- dirt-infused algae"
After a while, watching as the three men left his office, Comet looked at the green dirt-infused algae in his hand with a strange expression. If he could properly handle it, this wouldn't be any less of an opportunity compared to the mineral mine.
…
A few days later, one week before the summon of the Mana Banquet, a new kind of food appeared on the market, the target demographic being the workers and a portion of Sediments, which drew a lot of attention as soon as it appeared.
In the Academic City where starvation was commonplace, one new kind of food wouldn't change the status quo, the most it would bring was another way to survive, but the benefits it brought wouldn't be inconsiderable.
Relying on this, Negary managed to obtain a certain amount of resources, among which were the acquaintance and manipulation over a few so-called Uppers.
Benefits were things that never failed to draw one's attention. The reason why Sediments found it hard to escape their status was that they hardly ever brought enough benefits, even if they accidentally happened upon a fortune, without a stable source of income, the accidental fortune would only last them for so long.
But once continuous benefit existed, it wasn't as hard to escape from the status of Sediments as one would think. Of course, this 'escape' was only superficial, as the other party might recognize your status in public, but unless they were willing to give up a part of their benefits, they would never accept an ex-Sediment into their circle. Even if one somehow managed to, they would only remain as an outer-circle member.
However, 'Negary' didn't need any of that. Honor might still occasionally prove useful, but the glory of insects had no use to Negary whatsoever.
〖 Finally, I have a bit of power that I can mobilize, certain preparations can now begin 〗
'Negary' narrowed his eyes as his finger rhythmically tapped the table.
