Page 2438

~~((The July 4th Special -- page 3 of 12))~~
When they arrived, they found three men and three reapers waiting for them just as Orric had said.

They were all casually dressed, but Raul still detected wealth in their clothing. He might not have normally noticed such things, but having spent so much time in Ridgemark over the past few weeks, he'd gained a bit of an eye for expensive brands.

Well, okay, in truth, it wasn't just his time in Ridgemark. It was his time with a particularly nice fashionista named Karina Labeau. They'd made a game out of trying to determine personality types of passersby based on their choice of attire.

Raul didn't know if he believed in it quite as thoroughly as she did, but it had still been quite the informative exercise. Karina had taught him a lot about fashion in Ridgemark and how people used it to distinguish themselves from the crowd in all sorts of ways.

And these three here definitely had money. They may have each been wearing simple black slacks and gray t-shirts, but Raul recognized the silvery collars and subtle, patterned texture in the fabrics. Those clothes were of the Domingo brand, named after a famous Steccati designer. Karina would've been able to name the line they belonged to as well, no doubt, but Raul wasn't quite that advanced.

"Thank you for coming," said the foremost gentleman with a slight Valgan accent. "We understand that this may not be the most convenient timing for you."

"Who are you?" said Cousin Melchor.

"I'm afraid that I may not be able to answer that question in such a way as to fully satisfy your curiosity," the man said. "But you may call me Renart. We represent someone from Ridgemark who is interested in your operation here."

'Why the need for secrecy?' said Orric.

"Ridgemark has its own power structure," said Renart. "And the competition can, at times, cause difficulty that might otherwise have been avoided with a pinch of forethought or discretion."