The group of cloaked figures led Caesar into the grandiose mansion, full of chandeliers, butlers, maids, and sconces. The immaculate floors gleamed with sparkling light, and the fluttering flames illuminated the halls, further accentuating its beauty. The rows of maids and butlers stood at the side, covering their hearts with their right hand, bowing respectfully.
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
An extensive fleet of stairs was directly in front of Caesar, which led to the second floor. From what he could sense, most of the stronger figures resided on the upper levels. Even now, there were a few guards on the balcony above, scrutinizing their new "guest."
Caesar didn"t mind their gaze and responded with a simple nod of his head, proceeding to follow the group of cloaked guards up the stairs after. They formed a diamond-like formation around him, and treated him like a very important patron, fitting for someone of Caesar"s caliber.
They continued along their path until they reached the highest floor, where a wide hallway was laid out in front of them. Flickering candles lined the well-painted walls, and a few guards stared at Caesar threateningly as he pa.s.sed by them. The floors seemed to creak with every step that Caesar"s tall figure made.
As they reached the gateway at the end of the corridor, Caesar straightened his collars and let the cloaked figures open the door for him. He simply stood there as the doors creaked open, releasing a dim light from inside the room. It wasn"t until the entire chamber was revealed that Caesar reacted with a squint of his eyes.
A large round table with around twelve or so men sitting around it was present. All sorts of doc.u.ments, maps, and even chess boards were lying on top of the table. The people who were seated looked vastly different from each other, some varying in age by quite a bit. Some were relatively young, while others were frail and old. Likewise, the chairs they sat in contrast with each other.
Various signs and symbols were painted on the back of each chair, representing a different faction, color, and influence. At the end of the table, a middle-aged man sat with folded arms. He possessed short black hair that was elegantly slicked back, a well-groomed goatee, and piercing yellow eyes.
His finger rhythmically tapped the desk as he observed Caesar, "it is rude not to show your face when you have seen all of ours," the man commented, "In my manor, it is considered common courtesy to always show your true colors, whether they are ugly or beautiful."
Caesar contemplated for a few moments, measuring the pros and cons of showing his face. He had already been at the party, garnering quite a bit of unwanted attention. However, his kingdom was so small that it was doubtful that his enemies could pinpoint his location. The main issue was regarding the future when they expanded and waged war on the smaller forces.
Alas, there wasn"t much of an option. Caesar was very interested in the dealings of underground business. It would be impossible to be taxed, and their ident.i.ty could still stay somewhat under wraps. Thus, he didn"t mind removing the mask, letting his white hair cascade down below his shoulders.
It reached the bottom of his back, and the seated men couldn"t help but open their eyes wide in surprise. Caesar looked young, miraculously so. He was very tall and beautiful, but that didn"t change the fact that he didn"t exactly look entirely human. He was quite pale, and taller than most normal humans could even hope for—An imposing six feet and four inches.
Most of the roundtable were aware of Caesar"s accomplishments; the one who had invented the trebuchet and crossbow. Though there were some variations of similar weapons recorded in history, it was long lost after the great war. Only the dwarves and the gnomes who were thought to be extinct were capable of such craftsmanship. So it was only reasonable that they expected Caesar to be older. At the very least, a middle-aged man, much like themselves.
Their surprise, however, only lasted for a few moments. Plenty of geniuses riddled the world, and most of them were in possession of grand tutors. None of the men present thought that Caesar was the only one who crafted the trebuchet. They felt as though he was undoubtedly a.s.sisted by others, which wasn"t exactly false, but it was far from the truth as well.
The silence was soon broken by a cough, followed by the man with black hair welcoming Caesar to sit down. There was an open chair at the other end of the table; it was colored red with two swords crossing etched onto the back. A small cushion rested on the throne-like chair, and Caesar sauntered toward the chair, sitting down in a sophisticated manner.
He crossed his legs and observed the twelve men, "I"m a.s.suming most of you go by code-names, as to not reveal too much about yourselves," Caesar said with a calm tone, reaching out for a nearby cup of tea once his words ended.
Of course, the others solemnly nodded their heads, also sipping their beverages. The atmosphere was rather awkward and much lighter than Caesar had expected. Initially, he figured that the entire room would be filled with criminals, but it was just a group of middle-aged businessmen.
"I"m referred to as black, he"s white, and then he"s blue," the man with slicked-back hair started, ending on Caesar, who was referred to as "red." Each person represented a different color, and the names could be considered quite simple in comparison to other corporations.
He identified each man with their respective color and then sat back down on his chair, fixing a few loose strands of hair. He smelled of tulips, and a sharp glint was reflected in his eyes, "My friend, Red, now that you are finally here, we can finally talk about money."
He paused, "Every person on this council is a man who treasures and worships money, it is our goal, and considered one of the finer things in life. The reason why you are here today is due to your potential… the possibility of becoming the top weapons-dealer in the entire world!"
Caesar nodded.
It was only natural that weapons were in high demand, especially in a world where war was happening at every single corner.
"You speak quite highly of me, do you really think it is possible for such a grand feat?" Caesar asked, "there are plenty of intelligent mechanics, engineers, and blacksmiths competing for such a t.i.tle."
"Naturally, those other fools don"t have us to support them," Black replied, "using us as a funnel, we can inadvertently hire a much stronger work-force, and sell the weapons through our little council. Of course, we will take a small portion of the funds garnered, but it will surely be a higher amount then you make now."
As black spoke to here, he withdrew a contract from his pocket, causing Caesar to smile wryly. He had just signed one contract, and now he had to look over another one. A deep sigh escaped from his lips as he looked over it, expecting the worst.