"There's only one thing you need to know." I looked straight at Mei Mei, making sure our gazes locked without the slightest gap, as if I were driving the weight of my words directly into her mind.
"I can supply Cursed Tools like this," I continued calmly, "and plenty of other useful Cursed Tools as well."
This time, my smile widened—confident, deliberate, the kind of smile that left no room for doubt. "I want you to help me sell every Cursed Tool I provide. Seventy percent of the profits will be mine. In exchange, you'll receive thirty percent. What do you think?"
Mei Mei fell silent.
She stared at me with visible surprise, her lashes lifting slightly before her gaze drifted back down to the compass resting in her hand. A few long seconds passed in complete silence, thick and expectant.
Slowly, her expression shifted. The shock faded, replaced by unmistakable interest. Her eyes sharpened, gleaming with calculation—like a seasoned merchant who had just spotted a golden opportunity laid out on a silver platter.
"Wow," Mei Mei finally said with a sly smile. It was her signature smile—cunning, playful, and brimming with self-assurance. "It seems my decision to get involved with you was absolutely the right one."
She stepped a little closer, closing the distance between us. The faint scent of her perfume lingered in the air. Tilting her head slightly, she spoke in a deliberately coquettish tone. "But only thirty percent? Can't I get a little more than that?"
She pressed one hand to her chest as if wounded, feigning a soft sob while her shoulders trembled dramatically. "A beautiful girl like me works so hard, yet she only gets such a tiny share. Huhu… don't you feel even a little sorry for me, Kenji?"
I looked at her with mild irritation, nearly sighing aloud. When it came to money, this woman truly never changed. From my rough calculations alone, a single Cursed Tool like this could easily be worth millions of yen. And yet, she still wanted a larger cut.
"What's the price of a Cursed Tool with special abilities?" I asked at last, deciding to cut straight through her theatrics.
Mei Mei instantly stopped pretending to cry. In the blink of an eye, her flirtatious act vanished. Her face returned to its usual serious, professional composure.
"It depends," she replied evenly, "but usually… above ten million yen."
Even she paused briefly after saying that. She lowered her gaze to the compass in her hand once more, her eyes widening ever so slightly—as if she had only just fully grasped the true value of the object she was holding.
"Since this already qualifies as a Grade 2 Cursed Tool… at the very least," she added quietly, almost under her breath.
I let out a short breath. "Look, thirty percent is already generous. Don't ask for more."
My tone was firm and cold, leaving little space for negotiation. "And try not to let your identity be exposed when you sell them."
Mei Mei looked up at me, her expression turning wary.
"Otherwise," I continued, my voice lowering slightly, "you could be tracked. And if that happens, a lot of people will learn about my existence."
I narrowed my eyes. "I don't want that to happen."
Silence settled between us again—this time not from hesitation, but from the weight of what I had just implied. The air felt heavier, charged with unspoken understanding.
After a brief pause, I moved my hand toward my storage space and slowly pulled out a mask.
The mask immediately drew attention. Its surface was dark—so dark it seemed to swallow the surrounding light. Faint patterns traced across it, yet they didn't remain still. If one stared too long, the markings appeared to shift and distort, creating a subtle illusion that made the eyes ache and the mind feel slightly unsteady.
"So, take this mask."
I placed the Deceptive Phantom Mask into Mei Mei's hands. The moment her fingers brushed against its surface, the Cursed Energy in the air trembled faintly—almost imperceptible, yet unmistakably clear to me.
Without waiting for her reaction, I began explaining the mask's abilities in precise detail, making sure not a single function, limitation, or hidden effect was left out.
"This mask can conceal the wearer's identity," I said calmly. "Not only visually, but also from the traces of Cursed Energy. While it is worn, the user's Cursed Energy flow will be distorted, as if twisted and fragmented into an entirely different pattern. Even experienced sorcerers would struggle to recognize it."
I continued, glancing briefly at the mask before looking back at Mei Mei. "Aura, energy signature, height, voice, gender—even the very impression of one's presence—will change. To others, the wearer will feel like a completely different individual, as if their original identity never existed at all."
After hearing my explanation, Mei Mei fell silent once more. Her gaze settled on the mask in her hand, her fingers shifting slightly as she traced the cool, smooth surface. The faint sheen of the material caught the light, giving it an almost unsettling presence.
Her expression grew more serious—not merely intrigued, but cautious—as though she were simultaneously calculating both the value and the risk of such a Cursed Tool.
"Where exactly did you get all these Cursed Tools?" Mei Mei finally asked. Her voice was lower than usual, the playful tone she often carried now completely gone. "Cursed Tools with special abilities are extremely rare. Even Special Grade ones are usually possessed only by members of major clans."
"You don't need to know." I answered without hesitation. My gaze remained steady, revealing not the slightest opening. "The only thing you need to know is this: from now on, we are business partners."
I stated my position in a flat yet firm tone.
"I supply, you sell. I take seventy percent, you take thirty. And one more thing," I paused briefly, ensuring my words would sink in, "you are not allowed to reveal my identity to anyone."
I drew a slow breath before continuing, as if weighing every possible consequence. "If that condition is violated, our partnership ends immediately. That's why we'll use a Binding Vow."
"You're serious about using a Binding Vow?" Mei Mei looked at me with a peculiar expression—a mixture of surprise and interest. One of her eyebrows lifted slightly, signaling that this proposal carried far more weight than a simple business transaction.
"Yes." I nodded faintly. "Like I said, I don't want my identity exposed. A Binding Vow is the safest method."
Mei Mei remained silent for quite some time. She looked down at the mask in her hand again, then raised her eyes back to me. Her gaze sharpened, as though trying to pierce through the layers of intent behind my calm demeanor.
Several seconds passed in a silence heavier than before. At last, Mei Mei let out a short breath, her shoulders relaxing just a little. "Uh… fine. Let's do it."
I immediately structured the vow with careful precision, making sure each word carried a clear meaning and left no room for loopholes or misinterpretation.
"Binding Vow. I will supply you with Cursed Tools on an ongoing basis. In return, you will sell those Cursed Tools and hand over seventy percent of the profits to me, while thirty percent will be yours."
I continued in a firmer tone. "As part of this vow, you are forbidden from revealing my identity, my existence, or any information that could lead back to me, to anyone."
My gaze locked onto Mei Mei's eyes.
"The only exception applies if you are in a state of fatal injury, and that information is directly necessary to stop someone attempting to kill you. If either party deliberately violates this vow, their Cursed Energy flow will be disrupted, and the effectiveness of their Cursed Energy usage will drastically decline for a certain period of time."
Silence enveloped us once again for a brief moment before Mei Mei finally gave a small nod. Her face was now completely serious—no smile, no hint of teasing.
"I accept." Her answer came firm and without hesitation, marking the beginning of a partnership that could no longer be undone.
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