Chapter 1326 A Private Meeting
"Sir Ning, I wish to speak with you alone for some time," Truven said once it started getting late. "Would you be free right now? Or should I prepare for some other time?"
"Is it going to be a long talk?" Ning asked. "I can spare 10 minutes, no 15."
"Oh, then we'll have plenty of time, but I wish to hold the meeting privately if you won't mind," the man said.
Ning looked around the party hall and saw a significantly low number of people there. "We can talk," he said.
Truven nodded and took him to a private room.
When Ning arrived inside the room, he stopped and looked at the people that were there. He saw 3 people other than Truven.
One was a short woman wearing a high-collar blue dress. Another was a taller woman wearing a red dress that hugged around her curves, making her look quite alluring.
Finally, the last one was a slightly overweight man wearing a black suit with a top hat on his face. His round head held a thick bushy mustache, making him look quite easily recognizable.
Ning did recognize him at just a glance, despite only having seen him in the party hall a few times.
"Mayor Brassel. It's a pleasure to meet you here," Ning said, walking in. "Ladies." He gave a small bow in greeting, which the women returned.
"Sir Ning," the Mayor stood up. "I've heard a lot about you. Please sit." The man gestured to a seat in front of him.
Ning sat and Truven went to sit by the blue-dressed woman. She was the lady of the Briggs family, mother to Betty.
Seeing as how the other woman sat beside the Mayor, Ning could guess that she was his wife too. But he wouldn't presume as such unless he was forced to.
"I've heard a lot about you," the Mayor said, starting the conversation.
"Hopefully only the good bits," Ning said with a laugh.
The mayor chuckled a little. "Honestly, not all I've heard is good, but I can tell most of what I heard is rumor."
"Oh," Ning was a little surprised. "May I ask what sort of rumors they are?"
Before the words could completely come out of the Mayor's mouth, Ning poured the contents of his storage, immediately creating an avalanche of glowing light and intense Essence.
All four of the men and women backed off in surprise, the men even pulling out weapons to be ready to fight.
"Peace," Ning said. "I am sorry for the suddenness. I'm not trying to attack you."
The people were still on edge but slightly calmer. And now that their sudden fear had vanished, they could see what Ning had brought out.
Essence Crystals.
Many upon Many of them. The woman in the blue dress gasped. "So many Magma crystals," she said.
"There's lightning," Truven pointed at one, and then another one, and then another one.
"I can't even recognize what that one is," the Mayor pointed to a dark crystal on the side.
"That's a Crystal Essence crystal," the lady in red said. "So many of them too."
Each and every crystal they saw was a rare one, one that could make a person instantly rich were they to sell it.
"Why... why do you have so many?" the Mayor asked.
"Let's just say I came across them during my journey," Ning said, saying nothing. He then took back all the Essence Crystals and made the room lack the pressure that had appeared suddenly.
"So, does that answer your last question?" Ning asked. "I don't buy any, because I don't need any. I own everything I could need for a long time."
The mayor nodded without giving much thought.
"So, what were we going to talk about here?" Ning asked the Mayor.
"Ahem," the Mayor coughed, trying to let go of the shock and fear to bring confidence into his voice again.
"So, this is what we wanted to talk about," he said. "We wish to commission some very specific weapons from you. Would that be possible?"