"Master! Master! A delegation has arrived and requests an audience!"
"Tell them to sign in and wait. I'm busy," the head of the family replied irritably.
"Yes… but… it's a Fire Nation delegation together with the Herald… and the Kyoshi Warriors!" The servant sounded even more panicked now.
Herald? What kind of beast is that? Toph wondered.
"So the rumors were true. The Fire Lord has revived that tradition and created another one of his leashed hounds. But what do the Kyoshi Warriors have to do with this?" Her father frowned. "We'll have to receive them. Invite them to the formal hall and have the table prepared."
The servant bowed and hurried off to relay the orders.
"Toph…" Her father hesitated. "Please change into your formal qipao. Given the circumstances, I ask that you remain within sight of your mother and me at all times."
"All right, Dad," the girl nodded compliantly, exactly as a model daughter should, while internally experiencing a strange mixture of irritation toward her father and curiosity.
What sort of "Herald" was this, exactly, that merely announcing his arrival had frightened the wealthiest man in the city — the very man who practically held the city in his fist?
The "business luncheon" took place in a smaller hall with a table set for six — the entire merchant family along with the "honored guest" and his two companions, presumably the very Kyoshi Warriors the servant had mentioned earlier.
Without the slightest hint of surprise, Toph immediately recognized the mysterious "Herald" as Chan the "Great Scoundrel."
Something interesting was clearly brewing. Neither Chan nor his companions gave the slightest indication that they were already acquainted with the "Blind Bandit." Instead, they engaged in the usual meaningless chatter with her father.
Mutual wishes of success, health, financial prosperity, and all sorts of similar horrors followed, along with the formal introductions of the family on one side and the companions—or rather companionesses, in this case—on the other.
By the third minute, the girl was already struggling not to fall asleep.
But eventually the endless courtesies came to an end, and the conversation finally moved on to the real point.
"So then, what brings you to my humble home, honorable Chan?"
The young earthbender straightened slightly, shaking off the creeping drowsiness.
Now the truly interesting part was beginning.
"It's a matter, Mister Lao, that could prove extremely profitable for you. You see, due to certain... force majeure circumstances, I've found myself cut off from both my own ship and the Fire Nation fleet. There were also no captains in the local harbor willing to lease me a vessel, though several people suggested I speak with you instead."
Once again, the perceptive girl sensed that something about this man was… off. No, he wasn't lying exactly, but there was still something not quite right about the way he spoke.
Toph found herself intrigued. It was the first time she'd encountered someone she couldn't definitively label as either truthful or deceitful. That alone made him fascinating.
"That's hardly surprising, Mister Chan. I assume you've already heard the latest news? These are not the best times for sea travel. The northern routes are blocked by storms, while farther south the pirates are running rampant."
"True. However, I only need to return to the Archipelago. It lies outside the storm zone, and the Navy Blockade protects it from pirates. Naturally, one must still reach it first, but my people are accustomed to sea battles, and it's unlikely that 'sea bandits'"—the Herald placed strange emphasis on the last words, as though hinting at something— "will gather enough strength to pose a real threat… provided, of course, that my presence aboard the ship is not publicly advertised, which would hardly be difficult to arrange.
"In exchange, I offer one hundred gold pieces and… the opportunity to conduct several trade operations directly within the Archipelago itself. Sell goods from Gaoling and the Earth Kingdom there, then purchase Fire Nation products in return."
The girl sighed. Ugh. More boring trade talk.
Though, judging by the way her father's pulse had quickened and his breathing briefly caught, the offer was extremely lucrative. Still, her father wouldn't be her father if he didn't immediately try to squeeze something extra out of the deal.
"That is certainly very interesting, Mister Chan. However, how exactly are we supposed to return afterward? Once you disembark on the Fire Nation Archipelago, even if we receive permission to pass back through the Blockade, we'll still have to cross pirate-infested waters with only minimal escort…" the head of the household began bargaining cautiously.
"I intend to remain on the islands for roughly a month, perhaps slightly less. Afterward, I'll need to head to Yu Dao. If your representative can settle all business within that timeframe, then I see no issue — we will either make use of your ship again or travel alongside a cruiser squadron your ship may join."
It was a total rout. Complete domination of every negotiating position. Her father was essentially being offered payment and the opportunity to trade for enormous profit on top of it. Naturally, he'd search for hidden catches, but there was no way he'd refuse an opportunity like this.
While the men discussed business, the women drifted into a conversation of their own, touching on topics that interested them. Toph decided to eavesdrop on that side of the table as well.
"Tell me, Suki, how did it happen that the Kyoshi Warriors ended up traveling together with the Fire Herald?" her mother asked as she poured tea into the girls' cups before offering one to Toph as well. Swallowing down her usual irritation that she wasn't helpless and could pour her own tea herself if she wanted to, the girl simply nodded.
"Oh, it's actually a pretty funny story, Lady Poppy."
Hmm. Why had Chan snorted at her mother's name like that?
(End of Chapter)
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