The seats of the couch were soft. Too soft. It felt like sinking into a vat of bean paste, and the overpowering scent of incense permeating the room was nearly as foul. Every time Kagero attempted to adjust, the cushions would merely adapt to his movements and sink even further, and so he'd been restricted to keeping his body ramrod stiff so as to prevent further abduction of his body by the cushions and keeping his sheathed sword across his lap.
The exterior of the Ruby Bazaar was a rather nondescript Ul'dahn style building, but the interior was as ostentatious as it came. Lavish rugs, exotic incenses, and impeccably polished woodwork dotted the trade office as if a treasure hoard had exploded within its confines.
This is taking too long, Kagero thought to himself through slightly gritted teeth. It was supposed to be little more than a short jaunt; a brief meeting to clear up a discrepancy in the transactions. Trade with the foreigners had been profitable thus far, but the Kozakura clan's liaison with the East Aldenard Trading Company had been an infuriatingly tardy Lalafell.
"Are you uncomfortable, my lord?" Seated next to the Midlander was a fair-haired female Raen, dressed in the style of the western merchants and poring over a business ledger.
"If I find that any of the cushions in our estate are like this, I will be very upset, Sekka," Kagero muttered. "A cushion massacre may be in order." The Raen did little more than give an amused smile.
"Is he always this late?" Kagero glanced at the chronometer ticking on the wall.
"If Dadanzo appears in the next ten or so minutes, then I would say he is alarmingly early," Sekka sniffed rather disdainfully.
And so did ten minutes pass, with Kagero desperately trying to keep himself afloat atop the cushion before the double doors on the other side of the lobby opened. A squat, bearded Lalafell raised his arms in what was a worryingly facetious display of welcoming.
"I do offer my sincerest apologies for the wait! There had been certain issues from the home office I had to deal with."
"Not at all, ser," Sekka said politely. The two of them rose and entered Dadanzo's office. The Lalafell took a seat in a leather chair behind a desk, motioning for the Raen and the Midlander to take a seat. Sekka did so politely, but Kagero was more than happy to remain standing after the ordeal with the couch. Dadanzo raised an eyebrow but cleared his throat and spoke.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of the Kozakura's personal attention?" the Lalafell said cordially. It took a measured effort from Kagero to keep from frowning at the clearly disingenuous tone of the merchant.
"A dispute. Our estate sold your company twenty cases of Eastern liquors. I understand that we have only received payment for eighteen." Sekka stood briefly to place the ledger on the Lalafell's desk, pointing a finger at the appropriate entry. "My lord Kagero saw fit to accompany me in case you were not satisfied with speaking merely to a representative."
"I am only here to be window dressing, don't mind me." Kagero said, the corner of his mouth twisting somewhat. Trade disputes. Trade disputes were awfully boring, and the less time he had to waste with them, the better. "But an explanation would be appreciated."
Dadanzo sighed, adjusting his spectacles. "We've only received eighteen cases thus far. I expected that the purpose of this meeting was for you to tell me where the other two cases went."
Kagero raised a brow. "Truly? In that case, I suppose I have an inkling as to where they've gone." A gusty sighed escaped his lips, the Midlander scratching his head before turning to leave. "Sekka, send some dockhands to our warehouse in a bell or so." The Raen gave him a somewhat confused glance before nodding.
--
To call it a "cove" would be a bit too polite. It was little more than a tiny inlet just outside of Kugane. As Kagero expected, there was a small rowboat present, with two sizeable crates that he presumed contained the missing liquor. A trio of ratty-looking Midlanders were just about to shove off when one of them noticed him.
"Rasho," Kagero sighed again, rubbing his forehead. This was all such a pain. "Stealing liquor? Really? After going through the trouble of having gotten you legitimate work, too. Being a dock worker isn't all that bad."
The scruffy Hyur called Rasho scowled, pulling out a small knife from within his vest. "It'll be all we need to start somewhere else."
"You've sunk a bit low from robbing tea houses, haven't you? I don't mind that you've squandered your chance at...well, redemption is a bit too strong a word, but I do care that you're making trouble for me to the point where I was sent to the trade office." Kagero thumbed the circular guard of his sword. "Also, really? You tried to leave from here?" He jabbed a thumb at the clearly visible docks. "You know everyone can see you from there, don't you?"
"We'll just be leaving now, my lord, and then--"
Rasho's boast was cut off by a resounding thunderclap-like boom. The ruffian gurgled, blood filling his throat as a small hole made itself known in his vest, before the Hyur fell over. The smoking revolver in Kagero's hand made a small click as the cylinder cycled. "Yes, right, all of that," Kagero said with a remarkable amount of disinterest. He wagged the barrel of the revolver at the other two thieves, and then at the two crates they had loaded onto the row boat. "Bring those back to our warehouse, please. I don't like exerting myself."
The exterior of the Ruby Bazaar was a rather nondescript Ul'dahn style building, but the interior was as ostentatious as it came. Lavish rugs, exotic incenses, and impeccably polished woodwork dotted the trade office as if a treasure hoard had exploded within its confines.
This is taking too long, Kagero thought to himself through slightly gritted teeth. It was supposed to be little more than a short jaunt; a brief meeting to clear up a discrepancy in the transactions. Trade with the foreigners had been profitable thus far, but the Kozakura clan's liaison with the East Aldenard Trading Company had been an infuriatingly tardy Lalafell.
"Are you uncomfortable, my lord?" Seated next to the Midlander was a fair-haired female Raen, dressed in the style of the western merchants and poring over a business ledger.
"If I find that any of the cushions in our estate are like this, I will be very upset, Sekka," Kagero muttered. "A cushion massacre may be in order." The Raen did little more than give an amused smile.
"Is he always this late?" Kagero glanced at the chronometer ticking on the wall.
"If Dadanzo appears in the next ten or so minutes, then I would say he is alarmingly early," Sekka sniffed rather disdainfully.
And so did ten minutes pass, with Kagero desperately trying to keep himself afloat atop the cushion before the double doors on the other side of the lobby opened. A squat, bearded Lalafell raised his arms in what was a worryingly facetious display of welcoming.
"I do offer my sincerest apologies for the wait! There had been certain issues from the home office I had to deal with."
"Not at all, ser," Sekka said politely. The two of them rose and entered Dadanzo's office. The Lalafell took a seat in a leather chair behind a desk, motioning for the Raen and the Midlander to take a seat. Sekka did so politely, but Kagero was more than happy to remain standing after the ordeal with the couch. Dadanzo raised an eyebrow but cleared his throat and spoke.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of the Kozakura's personal attention?" the Lalafell said cordially. It took a measured effort from Kagero to keep from frowning at the clearly disingenuous tone of the merchant.
"A dispute. Our estate sold your company twenty cases of Eastern liquors. I understand that we have only received payment for eighteen." Sekka stood briefly to place the ledger on the Lalafell's desk, pointing a finger at the appropriate entry. "My lord Kagero saw fit to accompany me in case you were not satisfied with speaking merely to a representative."
"I am only here to be window dressing, don't mind me." Kagero said, the corner of his mouth twisting somewhat. Trade disputes. Trade disputes were awfully boring, and the less time he had to waste with them, the better. "But an explanation would be appreciated."
Dadanzo sighed, adjusting his spectacles. "We've only received eighteen cases thus far. I expected that the purpose of this meeting was for you to tell me where the other two cases went."
Kagero raised a brow. "Truly? In that case, I suppose I have an inkling as to where they've gone." A gusty sighed escaped his lips, the Midlander scratching his head before turning to leave. "Sekka, send some dockhands to our warehouse in a bell or so." The Raen gave him a somewhat confused glance before nodding.
--
To call it a "cove" would be a bit too polite. It was little more than a tiny inlet just outside of Kugane. As Kagero expected, there was a small rowboat present, with two sizeable crates that he presumed contained the missing liquor. A trio of ratty-looking Midlanders were just about to shove off when one of them noticed him.
"Rasho," Kagero sighed again, rubbing his forehead. This was all such a pain. "Stealing liquor? Really? After going through the trouble of having gotten you legitimate work, too. Being a dock worker isn't all that bad."
The scruffy Hyur called Rasho scowled, pulling out a small knife from within his vest. "It'll be all we need to start somewhere else."
"You've sunk a bit low from robbing tea houses, haven't you? I don't mind that you've squandered your chance at...well, redemption is a bit too strong a word, but I do care that you're making trouble for me to the point where I was sent to the trade office." Kagero thumbed the circular guard of his sword. "Also, really? You tried to leave from here?" He jabbed a thumb at the clearly visible docks. "You know everyone can see you from there, don't you?"
"We'll just be leaving now, my lord, and then--"
Rasho's boast was cut off by a resounding thunderclap-like boom. The ruffian gurgled, blood filling his throat as a small hole made itself known in his vest, before the Hyur fell over. The smoking revolver in Kagero's hand made a small click as the cylinder cycled. "Yes, right, all of that," Kagero said with a remarkable amount of disinterest. He wagged the barrel of the revolver at the other two thieves, and then at the two crates they had loaded onto the row boat. "Bring those back to our warehouse, please. I don't like exerting myself."