"Calm down," Theo said in an authoritative tone.

The mantis immediately stopped its repeated screeching, sounds that had been unsettling the old man, and instead moved toward Theo.

He placed a hand on the beast’s head, prompting it to let out a few softer noises.

Vaelmont’s gaze never left the mantis. For several seconds, he just kept looking at the mantis, studying it from top to bottom.

"This is a horrible creature to look at," he remarked.

Theo frowned at the comment this time.

"Please don’t say that," he said with visible displeasure on his face.

Vaelmont glanced at Theo’s expression, then gave a small cough. The butler at the side remained composed, though his eyes also lingered on the mantis.

"So this is the insect I have heard so much about... It doesn’t look like an insect," the old man continued, offering no apology, making Theo feel a headache coming on.

Noble life was troublesome. No matter how strong someone was, even if the other person held a higher rank despite being weaker in strength, you still had to listen and respond with proper formalities.

"Where did you get it?" Vaelmont asked, his eyes locking onto Theo’s.

Lucien glanced between Theo and the mantis, unease settling in his chest. He didn’t know what his brother was going to say, but it didn’t feel like this would go well. Before he could intervene to help Theo—

Theo had already started speaking.

"That is a trade secret, my lord. Surely you understand, being such a distinguished merchant," Theo replied.

His tone was a little graver than before, something the old man noticed right away.

A heavy silence followed, tension filling the air for a while, until the old man finally sighed.

"I see we have started on the wrong foot," he said, still sighing before he met Theo’s gaze again.

"My apologies for describing your beast as ’horrible’."

Theo didn’t know why, but for some reason he felt like the man had deliberately emphasized on the word again to get on his nerves.

Still, an apology from a former count wasn’t something that could be dismissed lightly.

"Please don’t worry about that. I don’t hold anything against a single remark, my lord," Theo spoke and then continued.

"However, be that as it may, I still cannot share how I procured this beast. It remains a trade secret."

The count stared at Theo, his expression unreadable.

Their determined gazes clashed for a few moments before the man spoke again.

"Very well. Name your price."

"Pardon?" Theo had heard him clearly, yet he couldn’t help asking again.

"I said, ’Name your price for the information.’"

Another long moment of silence followed. Theo leaned back against the sofa.

"...There is no price for this information, my lord. I have no intention of selling it," Theo replied, making the old man click his tongue this time.

"But—"

Before the man could continue, Theo decided to steer the conversation according to the plan he had come up with.

The old man’s ears perked up when he heard the ’but’ and nodded slightly to show his interest.

"Have you ever seen a beetle? A type of insect, perhaps in a forest or some other place?" Theo asked with a smile.

The old man closed his eyes and thought for a while.

The room fell quiet as the conversation stilled as Theo allowed him the time.

"...I think I may have seen some back in the day... small insects that stay at trees where sap leaks... Is that what you are talking about?" he asked.

Theo couldn’t help but be surprised. There was no way the man had been so precise about something he said he had a distant memory of. Suspicion flickered briefly in his mind, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that the man knew.

"That is indeed a beetle." Theo nodded. "A beetle is said to have very tough skin, which I like to call an ’exoskeleton’. It’s incredibly hard, and sometimes you can’t break it even if the insect dies in the process. Though, of course, that only applies to certain types."

"But... they are too small for us to ever care about something like that. Despite being hard, their shells are of no use to humans, nor do they have enough protein to be considered a good food for our beasts," Theo said.

The old man listened intently. And while Theo had expected him to grow bored, the man remained fully engaged, almost as if he were soaking all the information like a greedy man.

"But... imagine this..." Theo continued, tapping the mantis lightly on the head a few times to keep it calm. "What if that beetle were to grow to the size of this one..."

The old man’s eyes widened in realization.

"A tough hide... as large as this hor—beast," he quickly corrected himself. "That could make for a powerful defensive creature."

Theo felt a flicker of awe. Yes, he had led the conversation to where it currently was, but for the old man to follow this keenly with him this whole time and even grasp the outcome he was going for so quickly, it was truly impressive.

’He is easily by far the second or third person who has ever listened this intently about beasts,’ Theo thought, and he wasn’t joking.

He remembered how he had once tried to explain the same idea to his father, and all the man said was that they would still be insects no matter what happened. But that was the baron he was speaking to, so everything was like an insect to him.

"You’re correct, my lord. Such a creature would indeed be invaluable as a defensive beast, whether in a group of adventurers or an army."

Theo spoke a daring word, making even Lucien glance at him for a moment.

"Army, you say..." the old man murmured, narrowing his eyes. "Do you know what the two types of armies are, boy?"

"Yes," Theo replied with a confident smile.

"One is the army we use to fight off other humans—kingdoms, nobles, and territories."

The old man gave a quiet ’hm’ of acknowledgment.

"And the other is the great army we need against the outer devils." Theo’s smile widened, and the man just stared at him in silence.

"So... which army are you talking about?" he finally asked, making everyone in the room, including Clara and Elias, await for the answer with intense curiosity.