Just like returning to his own home, Gant Odim entered the room with great composure and found a seat.
Lann soon sat opposite him.
"Let me be clear," the Demon Hunter pointed behind him to the little girl gobbling down food and raised an eyebrow to question Gant Odim.
"Is it okay for her to eat like that?"
"Of course, of course. I would never be rough with a noble young lady."
Sitting together with a "being" capable of altering reality, at least within a certain scope, yet nonchalantly starting by discussing his attendant.
For some reason, Lann’s behavior made the bald man, Gant Odim, even happier.
"That’s good." Lann leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees while seated.
"Let the child eat by herself first, and let’s talk about why you sought me out?"
Those cat-like eyes unabashedly locked with the deep black eyes of the other.
After a moment of silence, Gant Odim continued to smile, remaining silent.
Meanwhile, Lann seemed to confirm something during this silence.
"Alright, then I understand."
The Demon Hunter gently touched the tender new skin on his chest.
"You came for this? But why only after I installed it? I wandered the wilderness of Velen with the genetic seed for at least several months; for something like you, ’unable to find’ shouldn’t be an issue, right?"
"What’s that? Does extracting this from the slippery chest cavity of a living being give you more thrill than from a bottle?"
As if he wasn’t discussing a piece of meat inside his body, Lann asked the other with interest.
Gant Odim hurriedly denied, looking like a pedophile desperately proving his innocence.
"You can’t lump me with those tasteless, thrill-seeking guys! I’m a legitimate businessman!"
"And besides, what’s the point of a lump in a bottle unable to move? It needs to be attached to someone, it needs to be active! That’s where the fun is!"
Lann nodded understandingly.
"Business... Got it. Seems like you want to earn something from me."
"But again, with your ’talents,’ why bother with trade?"
Even modifying reality in scope, being king of the world should be easy, right?
The other understood the implied meaning effortlessly.
Gant Odim clapped his hands on the seat, bending over with laughter.
"Oh my, my friend. You think I haven’t done that before? You think I’ve done it several times?"
"Tedious! Doing such things too often is surely tedious!"
"So, even though I discovered the remarkable thing on you the first day you arrived here, even though I realize you yourself are extraordinary, I would never step in."
"I now prefer to let things take their course and wait at the ’inevitable’ end... Only then, when you see the look on those guys’ faces when they see me last, will you understand how delightful that is."
"Simply put..." Lann lifted his eyebrows, "You like to play?"
"Wouldn’t you say?" The bald man laughed and spread his hands in response.
"In this room now, there are three beings from outside the world, how interesting."
"But truthfully, are there few otherworldly beings brought about by the Conjunction of the Spheres? It’s not rare, even things like water ghosts and monsters are extraterrestrial beings."
"The truly interesting one is you, Lann."
The Demon Hunter said nothing, just watched the other.
"You know?" Gant Odim suddenly asked. "Earlier, if you had hesitated even half a second while severing your heart’s blood vessels, what would happen?"
"I’m not you, I don’t know what hasn’t happened yet."
Lann responded calmly.
"Haha, but that’s the crux of the issue!" Gant Odim repeated again.
"That’s the crux of the issue!"
He stared at Lann like a biology professor observing a talking rock.
"You’re not a being like me, yet you decisively cut where hesitation was expected!"
The other’s finger lightly tapped on the skin of Lann’s chest.
"I have to admit, it’s a very exquisite creation, but it shouldn’t have started letting you escape my sight before it even connected to you!"
"And now, the first deal we were supposed to make together went bust before it began."
At some unknown time, Gant Odim had slung a shoulder bag over his shoulder.
He regretfully pulled out a scroll of parchment from the bag, which burned spontaneously in a wave.
In the gaps through the flames, Lann could vaguely make out some details with his Demon Hunter’s eyes.
"...Endless Blood...","The grantee should fulfill..."
He couldn’t make out the rest, but Lann was quite glad he couldn’t.
For merely looking at that contract sent shivers spreading from the depths of his heart.
"Seems like the contract expired, and you don’t want to interfere in my fate with your own power. So I really don’t understand why you visit me."
"A merchant must always search for clients, building relationships, Lann."
Gant Odim casually waved his hand.
"Having people owe favors, to use when needed. That’s my trade secret, always effective."
"But today it seems ineffective, Glass Boy."
Lann retracted his body in opposition to the other.
"Compared to you, my vision is too narrow, unable to see what consequences that unactualized ’half second’ would bring. But in conclusion..."
The Demon Hunter expressionlessly nodded to his chest and pointed to the door.
"I didn’t owe you anything; I maintained my own will and determination, without any hesitation when cutting my blood vessels. And then, my surgery was successful."
"An honest merchant wouldn’t practice coercion, right?"
The intent to show him out was clear.
And Gant Odim certainly seemed as stated, preferring to bind his power for amusement.
He didn’t say much, merely spread his palms and stepped toward the door, passing by Lann.
Lann remained motionless, facing away from him, with the tip of his nose glistening with sweat from prolonged high-intensity combat mode.
Nearing the exit, the other suddenly turned with a relaxed smile and shouted to the Demon Hunter.
"Dear Lann, you should know what standard makes a first-rate merchant, right?"
Facing away, Lann’s cat eyes abruptly contracted.
The bald man seemed to have witnessed this from behind, his lips spreading into a kind yet mysterious smile.
"A ’first-rate merchant creates demand,’ tsk tsk tsk, anyone who can voice such a truth is surely a pioneer in the business!"
"The Vizima mountains are distant, my friend. But you never need to worry about that, because..."
"I—Gant Odim, shall always be at your service."
At the doorway, the bald man bowed deeply.
Then, the door automatically closed.
"Master, I’ve brought your dinner... Master?"
Alia’s voice rang in Lann’s ears, as the Demon Hunter calmly turned his head.
The once gobbled-up meal on the plate appeared fresh as new.