Leaving a sulking Ratford behind, Ihan stood before the mirror.
A new master, huh?
“Hmm.”
Ihan summoned up what he’d learned from Diret.
How should one speak when talking with an anonymous senior from Einroguard?
—Of course they’d be a new master.
Would anyone keep it for years then only remember to open it now? Why even ask something like that? Sheesh.
If this were a guild and not the school, I’d have shoved them right back in.
Belonging to the Black Tortoise Tower, perhaps.
“Oh. Does it take?”
Ihan pushed forward, keeping up the disguise as soon as the lie seemed to hold.
From a distance Ratford, who’d been glancing at the characters Ihan wrote across the surface of the mirror, made a disgusted face.
“Is that guy just a madman?” He didn’t think even thieves’ guild members had been that reckless…
—How dare you try to test me so boldly.
I’ll send my men and lock you up in the punishment cell.
All right.
Let the deal proceed.
They were trading only by letters on glass, but the impression of the other party came through surprisingly well.
Ihan thought the one beyond the mirror gave the feeling of being calm and collected.
Even when an unknown opponent ran wild and reckless, they remained unconcerned and said only what needed saying.