NEOphyte || TCF/LCF

11 || pros and cons

alright guys forget about the banners 😭🙏 i forgot to put one last ch and i just remembered for this ch so i might as well abolish it

long chapter to treat u guys from the long absence

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Palace of Excultation. The palace where banquets were held, and the palace that was dedicated to the crown prince's birth, was the palace where Neo had arrived. He looked outside of the carriage windows at the glamorous shining gold building and did a mindless estimate of how much that would have cost.

"My Lord," Dante said, opening the carriage doors and reaching out a hand. "Please be careful as you get out."

"...You're treating me like an infant now. Is this really necessary?"

"We've had this conversation recently, haven't we? I am merely performing the duties of your butler and bodyguard. If you take any action to obstruct my work, I will take it to the extreme. Are there any objections?" Dante smiled brightly as he took Neo's hand.

"..."

"Very well."

"You're becoming scary."

"That's a compliment to hear from you, Lord Neo."

"..."

Neo ignored Dante and instead, walked towards the front gate of the palace. Coincidentally, he met a familiar redhead who was also admiring the extravagant building, all the while waiting for some people. The person in question turned his attention to him, the gaze carrying somewhat a meaningful feel from their last talk.

Rather than a talk, it was a diplomatic battle to see who could get the better end of the stick.

-

He sat in front of the infamous lout of Henituse, being served a cup of lemon tea by his butler. They had arranged this meeting through Dal Yun, who only accepted sending the letter if he had Neo to himself for a day (Neo changed the condition to half a day, but Dal Yun was still happy with that much).

"What did you want to discuss?" Cale asked, pressing his lips against the porcelain teacup. "I'm a busy man, you know."

"Then I'll forget about the pleasantries. Please help us." Neo placed down his cup, staring at Cale's beige-coloured eyes. "Not me, but the Tolls territory. I recently received a letter from my brother that also contained blackmail from Venion; one backhandedly threatening to poison my family if I do not give him what he wants." He took out a letter from his coat and slid it on the table, leaning back and sighing. 

Cale skimmed over the contents, eyebrows furrowing as he read the last few lines.

"I'm sure you know what he's talking about, right? What I want is protection; we can't compete if it is the Sten Family. If you're able to lend some people to me to keep an eye on my territory, I'll able to tell this to Prince Alberu and throw Venion into prison. After all, I already have enough evidence. If we just have the Henituse backing us..."

"I don't have a say on these matters. Furthermore, don't you remember we are a neutral faction?"

"...Then, an alliance. We'll have a friendly relationship."

"Hm. What will you do in return?"

"If you invest in us, then we can trade you with the ores we excavate from our territory. I've got a sample right here; you can check the quality."

Cale picked up the gemstone, quietly observing the polished sides. After a moment, he placed it down and hummed. "But, you know. That sounds like a losing deal. Don't you think trade is the wrong word? For instance, 'compensate'." Suddenly, it was like sparks flew between the two as Cale leaned forward, a menacing smile on his face. Neo refused to back down either.