Chapter 5: Deals and Alliances

Seeing that Cohen was insistent, Mr. Mordo did not try to dissuade him further. He said, "I need half a month."

Cohen nodded. "In half a month, I will give you an address. We will complete the delivery there."

"Agreed."

Having concluded a major business deal, Mr. Mordo seemed to be in a good mood. "Since our first collaboration has gone so smoothly, let me tell you a piece of news for free."

Cohen raised an eyebrow slightly. "What news?"

Mordo replied, "The perpetrator behind the recent attack on the royal palace!"

Cohen shook his head. "The 'Black Tomb,' I presume? Besides your lot, they are the only lunatics who would dare to make a move in the Royal Court at a time like this."

Mr. Mordo’s gaze deepened. "It seems you really do know quite a bit!"

The Black Tomb was a notorious underground assassin organization composed of bandits, demons, liches, and devils. Once he had determined it wasn't the work of the "Pale Wings," the Black Tomb had been Cohen's primary suspect. Of course, the Black Tomb were merely the executioners; who had commissioned them was a matter that required careful investigation.

Cohen looked at Mordo meaningfully; the man was not necessarily offering this information out of kindness. The Pale Wings and the Black Tomb were mortal enemies, as the Black Tomb—those who dealt in illicit trades—often targeted the Pale Wings' shipments. There was a blood feud between them spanning a thousand years. Mordo was simply trying to stir up animosity against the Black Tomb.

Seemingly feeling slighted that Cohen had guessed the answer so easily, Mordo added, "Then let me give you another piece of information for free: the victim of the attack, the soon-to-be-crowned King of Efein, Cohen Corleone, has been struck by the forbidden curse 'Memory Stasis.' His current intelligence is roughly equivalent to that of a six-year-old, so his coronation has been indefinitely postponed. Tell me, this intelligence should be quite valuable to those of you who want to stir up trouble, shouldn't it?"

Cohen’s face went blank upon hearing this. Damn it, his prospective father-in-law had emphasized confidentiality at the cabinet meeting earlier that day—confidentiality, my foot! Efein must have been infiltrated until it was full of holes!

Sensing Cohen’s shock, Mr. Mordo felt he had regained the upper hand and said quite smugly, "This news will be spread by interested parties sooner or later. After all, the more chaotic the royal family is, the more opportunities they have to fish in troubled waters."

Cohen shook his head and said sternly, "Enough, let's put these matters aside. The appetizers are finished; let us now begin the formal transaction."

Mr. Mordo’s eyes flickered, thinking to himself that such a massive deal just now was merely a precursor?

However, since business had come knocking, he naturally would not refuse. He gave a slight wave, and the nearby proprietor glanced at Cohen in surprise before quietly taking his leave.

Cohen took a sip of water, composed himself for a long moment, and said leisurely, "The matter I wish to discuss next is, I fear, beyond the rank of a mere Inspector."

Mr. Mordo’s face turned slightly ashen. His position was that of Inspector for the Northwest Region of the Pale Wings, responsible for overseeing trade across over a dozen kingdoms and duchies in the continent's northwest, including the Duchy of Efein. His authority was immense, not to mention that he was a Legendary-rank transcendent; even the kings of small nations treated him with great respect.

Cohen’s remark that he was "not of sufficient rank" truly infuriated him.

However, having drifted through the merchant world for many years, Mr. Mordo maintained a smile on his face and said coldly, "If my rank is insufficient, I wonder whom you would like to speak with?"

Cohen suddenly chuckled, took a sip of tea, and looked past Mordo toward the closed door, speaking slowly: "Since the Daughter of the Golden Wing has arrived, why not come out and meet?"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if a thunderbolt had struck Mordo’s mind.

Long accustomed to high positions, he had mastered the art of remaining unmoved even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him. Yet, at this very moment, upon hearing this mysterious man’s words, all his composure vanished instantly.

Mordo stood up abruptly, his expression changing drastically. His eyes were like lightning, and a chill, like a cold wind, surged from his chest straight to his brain.

Who exactly was this person?

Why did he know the Young Lady was here?

This... how could this be?

The Young Lady had only arrived in Emerald City today, and he was the only one who knew about it!

After a deathly silence, Mordo spoke. Though his voice was not loud, it carried a terrifying weight: "Young man, whose side are you on?"

Cohen’s expression remained relaxed, and he said in a light tone: "I don't know how Isabella manages her subordinates; are they all brute-force fools like you? Use your brain—if I had any ill intentions, your surroundings would already be swarming with people from the 'Black Tomb'!"

Mordo’s momentum faltered. Concern makes one irrational; indeed, if the other party were truly an enemy, there would likely be Saint-rank experts blocking the door by now.

But even so, to be able to call out the Young Lady’s name so casually and to be so well-informed of her whereabouts—even if he were not an enemy, he certainly harbored no good intentions!

Mordo continued to stare coldly at Cohen, his piercing gaze attempting to look through the mask to see his true face.

Cohen slowly stood up and left behind a single, indifferent sentence: "It seems I have no fate for deeper cooperation with the 'Pale Wings'!"

He turned to leave.

Just then, an ethereal, soft voice echoed in the basement: "It is not that Mr. Mordo is being oversensitive, but your refusal to show your true face makes it difficult to earn one's trust."

As the voice faded, a golden mist bloomed in the basement, and a slender figure slowly emerged.

Cohen turned his gaze. Although he had seen her in the game's CG in his previous life and was mentally prepared, he was still slightly shaken by the woman's beauty upon seeing her in person—

A black gauze dress clung tightly to the curves of her body, the low-cut neckline revealing snow-white skin, quite seductive. She wore a golden robe that could not hide her proud figure. Her features were exquisite, her beauty unparalleled.

However, Cohen had grown up with Adelle and had developed an immunity to beauty of this level. He quickly steadied his mind and withdrew his gaze.

At the same time, memories from his past life surfaced—Isabella Windsor, Daughter of the Golden Wing, first in line to inherit the Golden Wing family. The "Pale Wings" were jointly managed by the five great families: Golden Wing, Silver Wing, Blood Wing, Purple Wing, and Dark Wing. Isabella’s status was no lower than that of the princes and princesses of those empires.

Isabella parted her red lips and said, "It has been a long time since I met someone so interesting. Then, sir, I wonder if I might have the honor of knowing your name?"

Cohen smiled faintly. "Ms. Windsor, a woman’s curiosity about a man is often the beginning of her fall. Given that I do not wish to be held in contempt by the heirs of the other four Wing families or the princes of the major empires, I am afraid I must decline your request."

Isabella’s expression froze, clearly at a loss for how to react to Cohen’s shamelessness.

Mordo chimed in coldly from the side, "Being narcissistic to your level is truly a masterpiece. Say what you have to say, and do not test our patience!"

Isabella waved her delicate hand to stop Mordo and said, "Since you do not wish to reveal your identity, then go straight to the point. What major business are you calling me out to discuss?"

The woman emphasized the word "major," clearly not believing that Cohen could have any business that required her personal approval.

At her level, she only participated in transactions between the five great empires or powerful organizations of the continent.

Cohen’s gaze was flat as he said, "I want to know the true identities of the clients who have conducted trade involving grain, weapons, magic crystals, and the like with your 'Pale Wings' in Efein over the past few months, as well as those in the near future! To put it bluntly, I want detailed intelligence on all the rebels preparing to 'make a big splash' in Efein!"

One must know oneself and the enemy to be invincible. This was something Cohen had considered for a long time; he had to identify the true identities of those rebels within the country before he could slowly clean them up.

Upon hearing this, a coldness appeared on Isabella’s beautiful face. She said, "Are you mocking us, sir?"

Mordo, standing to the side, also spoke up: "You are breaking the rules, sir. The reputation and loyalty we hold for our clients are the most precious treasures of the 'Pale Wings'!"

Cohen scoffed. "Most precious... so they still have a price, don't they?"

Isabella was no longer interested in speaking, and Mordo sneered, "Are you sure you can afford the price?"

Cohen replied calmly, "Is your Young Lady’s life worth it?"