Chapter 145: Chapter 145: First Sect Meeting [1]

Chapter 145 – First Sect Meeting [1]

Isolde and Sarah met Cassius at the front gate of the palace, in one hidden corner, unseen by anyone.

And that was possible only thanks to Persephone, once again.

Truly, Cassius didn’t know how he was ever going to thank her for all her quiet, consistent support. She was simply helpful, and she did things without anyone having to ask. The best thing about Persephone was that she asked no questions despite his numerous suspicious requests.

It felt as though it didn’t matter to her. As if whatever he might do, she would always take his side.

The Last Born didn’t quite know how to receive that. But in any case, he was grateful, because the last thing he wanted was for anyone to see the three of them travelling together.

Once all three had gathered, they boarded a carriage Persephone had prepared, which drove them directly to the meeting location.

Meadow understood perfectly the importance of secrecy in this matter. So this time, she had not chosen the Tycoon Château, but one of her numerous villas with this particular one being in a completely isolated area.

Isolated, to be precise, because her family had purchased the entire surrounding land. No one could set foot inside without her permission.

That was where the meeting would take place. And given that the location was not far, Cassius, Isolde and Sarah arrived relatively quickly.

They were welcomed by Meadow herself, standing in front of the gate wearing baggy black trousers and a white shirt, her calm and serene pink eyes resting on them with curiosity and quiet anticipation.

Her dark skin glimmered beautifully in the sunlight, her locks tied into two large knots on either side of her head.

She was oddly charming, particularly with the glasses on.

Sarah was quietly amazed.

"Welcome to my humble home." Meadow said at last, her eyes lingering a moment longer on Sarah. "Shall we go in? I have food and drinks. Help yourself once inside, if you wish."

No further words were needed.

The four of them passed through the large black-and-gold door bearing the ’W’ of Wealth proudly on its surface, glowing as though inlaid with actual gold.

Which was, in fact, the case as Cassius confirmed by running his fingers across it as he entered.

He cursed quietly, wondering just how it was possible for a family to be this absurdly wealthy.

It was genuinely incomprehensible. And yet he felt happy — and more than a little thrilled — because the youngest heiress of this family was a member of his Sect.

’I don’t want their money. I want their connections, their expertise. We will build our own wealth and expand our own reach.’

With that thought settled, Cassius followed Meadow in silence, taking in the interior of the villa with quiet, numb awe.

The more time he spent around Meadow, the more acutely he realised just how poor he was.

...

"Before we begin, I think introductions are in order." Cassius said, looking between Meadow and Sarah.

They were seated inside a room finished in gold, around a table made of the same material. Plates of fruit, drinks and snacks had been arranged to the side.

Cassius and Isolde sat side by side. Meadow and Sarah sat across from them, facing their leaders.

"You both already know Isolde and me." Cassius continued. "But you two don’t know each other. So here Sarah, or rather, as my Goddess has named her, Sarah of Secrecy. Her Aspect is unique and connected to memories."

He smiled at Meadow. "She is a core member of the Sect."

Then he looked at Sarah and gestured toward Meadow. "Sarah, I am certain you already know who she is. But this is Meadow Wealth. Her Aspect is also unique, connected to Truth itself. Lying in front of her is pointless. And yes, as you can clearly see, she is insufferably rich."

"You didn’t need to add that last part." Meadow complained mildly, then turned a gentle look toward Sarah. "Nice to meet you, Sarah. I hope we get along well."

"Ah, yes! Lovely to meet you!" Sarah stammered, instinctively bowing her head. She immediately regretted the awkward reflex, cursing herself silently.

She had thought that being used to Cassius and Isolde’s presence would make things easier. And it was easier, but Meadow had a uniquely unbothered yet magnetic presence that naturally put people on edge.

Those pink eyes were so clear and transparent that one became afraid to hold them for long, as though all hidden things might simply rise to the surface.

Cassius didn’t comment on Sarah’s reaction. He understood she would need time to come out of her shell.

He returned his attention to Meadow.

"So," He said, resting his chin on his left palm. "Before we officially start, is there anything we need to know first?"

"Aye." Meadow nodded, and produced a bundle of papers which she placed on the gold table. "I have all the necessary documents. Devil’s Advocate is now officially recognised by the Kingdom. All that remains is a logo and then we can begin officially."

Isolde arched an eyebrow. "A logo." She murmured. "Let’s keep it simple. The simplest things tend to land the hardest."

"Do you have a proposal?" Meadow asked.

"Aye." Isolde nodded. "Since my husband called it Devil’s Advocate, the logo can be a smiling mouth, with a pair of black-and-crimson horns just above it. Nothing else, nothing more."

She looked around the table. "Do we all agree?"

Cassius shrugged. He didn’t particularly care about the logo.

Meadow and Sarah felt the same and agreed without hesitation. Devil’s Advocate had its mark.

"That was the last thing that needed confirming." Meadow continued. "Beyond that, I have already set my staff to work on advertising for the Company. I held off on releasing anything to the Net, I was waiting to know what you had for me first."

She smiled. "Depending on what you bring, I can target the most relevant buyers."

"Cristo Steel." Cassius said with a confident smile. "I have one tonne of it, but I will only bring a portion for the official launch. For the very first auction Devil’s Advocate hosts."

Meadow’s mouth dropped open. "How?" She asked, visibly surprised. "How did you obtain it? It is extraordinarily rare. Even my family only holds a small amount, and we would never sell it."

Cassius wisely chose not to ask what small amount meant in Meadow’s terms.

"I have my own methods." He winked. "So, would that be enough to make the First Auction interesting?"

"Absolutely." Meadow said immediately, knowing better than to push further. "With that, many serious buyers will come. I had originally planned for three items to auction. With this, one is enough, and we can tell them it is merely an appetiser. Make them anticipate everything that follows."

"Which brings me to ask," Isolde chimed in, "what the auction schedule will look like."

Everyone’s eyes moved to Cassius, who sat with his chin resting on his interlaced hands.

"The schedule." He whispered, thinking, accounting for the Origin Store’s unpredictability. "Every three weeks." He decided. "We auction every three weeks."

They nodded. It was reasonable.

"But do we have a venue?" Sarah finally asked a genuinely important question, smiling shyly when all those powerful eyes turned to her at once. She steadied herself and continued. "A location for the auctions, I mean."

"I have three in mind." Meadow said, producing her phone and placing it in the centre of the table, scrolling through photographs one after another. "All three are buildings my Third Brother owns, but he has never used them for anything, so I asked him to hand them over."

"And let me guess, he agreed?" Isolde asked, with familiar weariness.

"Why wouldn’t he?" Meadow asked, genuinely puzzled. "Three buildings mean very little to him. He had actually forgotten they were his, which is the only reason he hadn’t converted them into more of his endless gaming centres. Fortunately."

"I sometimes forget Clover Wealth is your brother." Cassius muttered, thinking of the Kingdom’s most celebrated gamer.

"Aye, don’t worry, so do I sometimes." Meadow said. "Right. Let’s stay on track. Three options, all right here. You choose whichever one you prefer for the Company’s headquarters in the Badur Kingdom."

The four of them chose quickly.

Afterward, a few more matters were discussed, primarily how they would recruit staff for the Company and what criteria would be required.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Meadow asked whether Omm Min Jambar could be considered for a management role.

Cassius was surprised, so he asked why.

"He is honest." Meadow said immediately. "Genuinely honest, and that in a way I have rarely seen. Or even never. Every time I observe him, regardless of what he is doing, the White Light of Truth surrounds him without fail. As if he is simply incapable of deception or dishonesty in any form."

She continued, her expression turning serious. "If it is him...I know. I feel it, deep within me, that I can trust him to manage the auctions."

"But is he capable enough for the role?" Cassius asked.

"I will have someone teach him." Meadow said simply.

The Last Born grinned.

He had not been wrong after all.

That young man was something special.

"As you wish." He shrugged. "I quite like the young man, honestly. As long as he does the job, I have no objections."

"Young man?" Meadow tilted her head. "Shepherd is the same age as you."

"Is that what you call him?" Sarah asked with quiet curiosity. "Shepherd?"

"Aye." Meadow shrugged. "Even with this new role, he will continue taking care of my sheep. Only a week in and they already look healthier. They also like him very much. So he stays as my Shepherd."

Cassius, Isolde and Sarah all nodded, content to leave that decision in Meadow’s hands.

Once everything concerning the Company had been addressed, the final and most significant subject of the meeting arrived.

"Now," Cassius said, his voice shifting into something noticeably more serious. "Let’s talk about the actual reason the Company was created."

He paused, looking at each of them in turn, then slowly...

"Let’s talk about the Sect."

—End of Chapter 145—