Harwick took the contract with trembling hands. His eyes — small and sharp — scanned the text with the speed of a man who had been reading contracts since before I was born.
The document was clean, precise, and generous on its face. The terms, as written:
|| Contract of Land Lease and Mutual Agreement||
|| Party A: Lord Caelum Veyne, Lord of House Veyne||
|| Party B: Master Harwick, Landholder of the Eastern Acres||
1. Party B hereby leases the eastern three hundred acres of agricultural land to Party A for a period of ten (10) years, effective immediately upon signing.
2. Party A shall assume all costs associated with the annual purification of said land, including but not limited to Church fees, ritual materials, and administrative costs, for the duration of the lease.
