"I understand your decision," Freya replied, "but as I ntioned earlier, Sir Arcanor here is very interested in your treasure and wishes to acquire it."
Alex nodded in agreent. "I'm not sure how much you were hoping to earn from selling them at auction, but I'm prepared to et whatever price you have in mind."
Vesper stayed silent for a long mont, clearly weighing his options, before eventually shaking his head. "I appreciate what you did for my son, truly. But as I said, now that his life is no longer at risk, I don't want to part with the Tears of Knowledge anymore," he stated firmly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll be able to change my mind on this."
He turned toward Freya, his eyes searching hers. "As per the contract, as long as the tear of knowledge haven't been auctioned yet, I can reclaim them, correct?"
"That's true, though you will have to pay a withdrawal fee," Freya explained, "it's a compensation for removing the item from the auction at this stage."
"I see," Vesper acknowledged with a nod. He then faced Alex. "Tomorrow, I'll send soone to deliver the paynt owed to you for saving my son."
Vesper rose from his seat, preparing to leave, but Freya extended a hand to stop him. "Wait, Sir Vesper. I believe we can co to an arrangent that will ensure the Aldrion family doesn't feel the loss of the tear of knowledge too strongly."
Before Vesper could decline, Freya pulled out another sheet of paper and handed it to him.
Not one to be left out, Althea—who had been hovering behind Alex—quickly shifted to stand behind Vesper, effortlessly peeking over his shoulder to read the docunt. Given the difference in height, it was as easy as breathing for her.
Alex cast a questioning glance at Freya, and she responded with a confident smile that seed to say, "Trust ."
Vesper read through the docunt carefully before sitting back down in his chair, with Althea following suit.
"This information about the healing smoke is intriguing, Lady Freya, but I don't see how it helps with our current situation," Vesper remarked after a mont.
Freya's lips curled into a confident smile. "You see, Sir Vesper, the healing smoke cos from a newly established organization called Arcane, and Sir Arcanor here is the leader of this organization," she revealed, casting a brief but aningful glance at Alex.
Alex cast a sidelong glance at Freya before nodding in agreent.
With her smile still playing at her lips, Freya said, "If I recall correctly, Sir Vesper, the mortality rate on your expeditions is around 40%, isn't that right?"
"Yes," Vesper acknowledged with a nod.
"Most of those deaths are due to the lack of adequate healing potions, correct?" Freya continued, her tone both casual and probing.
"Yes," Vesper nodded again, a flicker of understanding crossing his face as he grasped Freya's direction in the conversation.
"Well, as you may have noticed, the healing smoke provided by Sir Arcanor is more effective than Grade 3 potions and is actually less expensive," Freya inford him.
"I see where you're going with this, Lady Freya, but as I understand it, those healing smoke potions will be auctioned at the upcoming event, correct?" Vesper inquired, his brow furrowing slightly.
At that question, Freya glanced at Alex, who answered, "Yes, several potions will be auctioned, but even after the auction, the healing potions will continue to be sold by the Drazen family."
As Alex's explanation sank in, a thoughtful expression settled on Vesper's face. After a full minute of contemplation, he seed to reach a conclusion.
"I'll let you have the tear of knowledge for free if you agree to sell your potions to the Aldrion family at a 50% discount for the next five years," Vesper proposed.
'Hmm, fifty percent off for the next five years, huh?' Alex mused, weighing Vesper's offer. 'If I focus, I can produce hundreds of potions in a day. Selling a few for half their original price doesn't seem so bad.'
Just as Alex was preparing to agree to Vesper's terms, Freya interjected.
"The healing potions will be sold to the Aldrion family at a 30% discount for the next three years, but you will be prohibited from reselling them, and you will need to add another B grade treasure to the Tears of Knowledge to finalize the deal," Freya countered.
Vesper's expression hardened, and he shook his head. "I can accept the other terms of the deal, but another B grade treasure? That's asking too much!"
"Just consider this," Freya pressed, her tone persuasive, "thanks to these healing potions, you could significantly reduce the mortality rate among your family mbers. Are you really willing to risk the lives of those following you just for a B grade treasure? Would you sacrifice their lives just to hold onto one more item? Are their lives so insignificant to you?"
'Damn, she is ruthless in negotiations,'Alex thought, taken aback by Freya's words.
He appeared to be the only one caught off guard though. Neither Vesper nor Althea seed fazed by Freya's sharp approach, and why would they be? Freya was known as the most ruthless negotiator in the entire empire, and she hadn't gained that title for no reason. If anything, it seed she was actually going easy on Vesper this ti.
Vesper remained silent for a long mont, his expression tense, clearly torn between his options.
It was at that mont that Freya decided to seal the deal. "Think about it," she said, her voice calm but persuasive, "these potions are far more potent than Grade 3 ones and cost less. Now, consider the weight an organization producing such potions will carry in the future—not just in Fiore but across the entire continent. Gaining the favor of the leader of such a group and securing a deal this early could be a ga-changer for your family. In light of that, asking for just one additional B-grade treasure alongside the tear of knowledge is more than reasonable. Frankly, you should be offering such a deal instead."
Leaning back in her chair, Freya crossed her arms and asked, "So, what will it be?"
Vesper, clearly taken aback by her reasoning, needed a few monts to collect himself. After so thought, he sighed and nodded. "Fine, I'll add another B grade treasure, but it will only be a B-."
"Deal, but on the condition that Sir Arcanor gets to choose the type and category of the treasure," Freya countered smoothly.
"Understood," Vesper agreed with a nod.
Through it all, Alex could only watch Freya with increasing astonishnt. He had simply asked her to set up a eting between him and Vesper, nothing more. Yet here she was, negotiating fiercely on his behalf, securing an even better deal than he could have imagined.
Not only was he getting the tear of knowledge for free, but he was also gaining another B- grade treasure—and on top of that, he would get to choose its type and category! All for potions he could easily make from the comfort of his bed.
In just a few minutes, Freya had beco even more irresistible to Alex. If there had been any doubt before, it had now vanished entirely. He was determined to make her his.
'Beautiful, intelligent and lovely...what's not to love?' Alex mused, a smirk tugging at his lips. 'Plus, I know she'll be invaluable in managing and growing my wealth.'
What Alex didn't realize was that he was probably one of the few n who would dare describe Freya as "lovely." Her cold, domineering nature typically kept n at a distance, that's why despite her incredible beauty, very few had ever even dared to fantasize about her.
"We should formalize this agreent," Freya suggested, her tone businesslike. "Once that's done, I'll retrieve the tear of knowledge and hand them over to Sir Arcanor."
Alex and Vesper exchanged glances and nodded in mutual understanding.
"Before we sign the contract though," Freya took out another piece of paper, this one containing information about the potion that could help one recover from exhaustion, and asked, "how many treasures are you willing to add for a potion that can completely rejuvenate you from fatigue?"
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