Nolani observed her reaction and asked, “You know that warehouse district?”
“A little.”
Nolani was clearly not very satisfied with this vague answer.
But since she herself had only shared half the story earlier, she really had no right to accuse Celine of not being upfront.
She simply shifted directions and said, “I've already told you what I found. Now it's your turn, isn't it?”
Celine looked up, slightly puzzled. “What?”
Nolani lightly tapped her finger in Celine's direction.
“That aura on you—where did it come from?”
The surrounding music remained soothing.
People in the dance floor spun to the slow rhythm, and low laughter drifted over occasionally.
But the corner where the two of them sat was much quieter.
Celine naturally knew she was referring to the aura of Decay.
After a brief calculation, she decided to share only what she could safely reveal.
“I encountered a contaminated monster before. It left something behind after it died.”
“And you're carrying it on you?”
“It's not that I want to,” Celine said calmly. “It's just that I can't get rid of it.”
Nolani picked up her glass again, a bright smile returning to her eyes. “I might be able to help you find out the origin of that thing. In exchange, you accompany me to find out where those plants are ultimately being sent.”
Celine didn't agree immediately. Instead, she looked at her warily. “Just that?”
“For now.”
Celine raised her eyebrows slightly. That meant more conditions could be added in the future.
“What about you?” Nolani asked back. “When you heard 'Old North Gate' just now, your expression didn't look like you were just asking out of curiosity.”
Celine didn't deny it. “That warehouse determines whether or not I can become the Northern Route agent.”
Nolani reacted quickly. “So keeping that warehouse is your test to obtain the agency qualification?”
“Pretty much. If the Green Shade Merchant Guild's cargo is indeed stored there, Castro has violated the management contract. But that's only if I can find the evidence.”
Nolani looked at her, then at herself, and muttered, “You need me to find the cargo, and I need you to get me close to the warehouse.” Her eyes gradually lit up. “We both happen to need each other. It seems I really am favored by fate.”
Nolani had originally intended to use the excuse of helping investigate the aura to drag Celine into this. But upon learning that Celine's target was also the warehouse, her confidence grew significantly.
Celine recalled her impressively long full name and said, “According to the second half of the titles you gave yourself, the accompanying misfortune probably won't be absent either.”
“Then we'll deal with misfortune when it arrives.”
Nolani naturally reached over, took Celine's untouched green fruit wine, and took a sip. “It tastes quite good. Why aren't you drinking it?”
Recalling all those bizarre foods she had encountered, Celine was equally wary of these brightly colored drinks. “I prefer tea,” she said.
Nolani shook her head regretfully. “You really don't know how to enjoy life.”
She took another sip of the fruit wine, set the glass back on the table, and looked directly at Celine. “So, shall we cooperate?”
Nolani could recognize the Green Shade Merchant Guild's seals and track the residual life force of the plants. Meanwhile, Celine could use her status as a client of the Rosalind family to approach the warehouse and present the found evidence to the Golden Scale Merchant Guild. In this matter, they were indeed a perfect match.
“Alright,” Celine finally nodded. “But let's make one thing clear: this is only a temporary cooperation.”
“I know,” Nolani agreed readily. “After all, we aren't friends yet.”
As she spoke, she deliberately raised her wrist—the one that had just been freed from the Soul Thread—and shook it. Celine chose to ignore this clearly retaliatory gesture.
Celine asked, “Can you find the cargo?”
Nolani reached into her cloak, pulled out a slender brass key from her waist, and quietly placed it between them.
Celine looked down at it for a moment. “What is this?”
Nolani replied, “A key to the Old North Gate warehouse district.”
Celine asked, “Where did you get it?”
Nolani said, “When I was following the carriage, someone happened to come out of the warehouse district and accidentally dropped it.”
Celine was clearly skeptical. “It just happened to fall right into your hands?”
Nolani coughed lightly. “That's not important.”
This phrase usually meant it was best not to ask too closely about the details.
Celine picked up the key and spun it lightly between her fingers.
A series of warehouse zone numbers was engraved on the top of the key. The teeth were not heavily worn, suggesting it was still in frequent use.
Someone from the Green Shade Merchant Guild carried a key that could open the interior of the warehouse. No matter which door it specifically corresponded to, it proved their connection to the Old North Gate warehouse district was far more than just a temporary stop for their carriages.
Of course, after Castro took over management, they might have replaced some of the locks. Whether this key would work would have to wait until they mapped out the warehouse layout.
The two of them quickly finalized their plans. To avoid raising any alarms, Celine would head to the North Gate warehouse tomorrow during the day to check on the current situation.
By evening, they would meet at the stone bridge outside the Old North Gate and decide where to infiltrate based on the information gathered during the day.
Their goal after entering the warehouse was also very clear: to find the Green Shade Merchant Guild's cargo and confirm its storage location.
As long as they could prove this batch of goods was brought in during Castro's management, Celine would have a valid reason to request the Golden Scale Merchant Guild to suspend the official transfer in three days.
As for why the Green Shade Merchant Guild needed so many plants with abundant life force, they could only judge after seeing it with their own eyes.
By the time they finished talking, the band had played their final tune. The people on the dance floor gradually dispersed, and the waiters began clearing away empty glasses and arranging the tables and chairs. The lights on the second floor went out one by one, and the once-lively tavern quickly grew quiet.
Continuing to sit here and discuss their infiltration plans would be far too conspicuous.
Nolani put away the key, not forgetting to drain Celine's glass of fruit wine before she left.
Celine stared at the empty glass, ultimately saying nothing. Forget it, she would just treat it as an advance payment for their cooperation.
They parted ways at the tavern entrance. Nolani threw on her cloak and quickly blended into the lingering crowd.
Celine returned to the Rosalind estate alone along the same streets she had come.
Night had completely fallen over the Red Kite City-States. Most of the shops in the northern district had turned off their lights, with only the inns and corner taverns still glowing with dim, warm light.
When Celine returned to the estate, only a single old lantern remained lit outside the courtyard gate. The old butler had clearly not gone to sleep yet.
She pushed open the gate and stepped into the courtyard, her gaze sweeping toward the direction of the Old North Gate out of the corner of her eye.
Tomorrow during the day, she would need to inspect that warehouse first. As for whether they could successfully slip inside tomorrow night, that would depend on whether Nolani's key that “just happened to fall into her hands” could actually unlock the door she wanted.
Rate on N.U.
