Alia smiled wider and hungrier.
"Well, I have sothing in mind, Mister Faust. But we’d better talk about these details after we dine. It’s not good to discuss business on an empty stomach."
To illustrate, she moved a bowl of soup closer.
Reynard wasn’t hungry, but he followed her example and began eating, too. However, he found much more pleasure in watching Alia eat instead. The way she licked her spoon was borderline obscene.
And the glances she threw at him while doing so.
’How can I eat, when—When she does this?!’ Reynard thought, feeling it suddenly hard to swallow.
This woman was boldly crushing all his defenses, seeing that they weren’t very strong to begin with. She knew what she was doing and what effect it had.
And sohow, she managed to look sexy even while drinking her boiled beer from a mug!
Between bites, Alia talked about the attractions of Darland, ntioning her favorite restaurants, shops, and interesting natural places outside the city. Reynard found himself listening more than talking, which Alia didn’t seem to mind.
By the ti they finished the al, Reynard barely had the strength left to haggle. But he gathered the last of it.
"So," she said, pushing aside her empty plates. "I feel that now we know each other a little better, Mister Faust. But I still don’t know all that much about your unusual magic. Do you have a spell manual for the explosions you used to defeat the attackers from the Order of Winter?"
Reynard shook his head.
"It wasn’t a spell. I craft and use artifacts. And! And I will not sell you the blueprints for them!"
"Even if I ask nicely and offer you four thousand gold?"
Reynad felt his face grow hot at the way Alia looked at him just now.
"F-Four thousand?.." He squinted. "I..."
’I can do that. I can sell her the blueprints for the revolvers, the barrel-loaded guns, and the bombs—hell, for everything I craft now or later. But as long as I keep the recipe of Boom Powder to myself, Alia will be forced to keep buying it from ,’ Reynard thought. ’This would be a perfect trickery. But she would be angry when she realized...’
He sighed.
"If I just sell you all I know, what am I going to keep for myself? Look, all these artifacts are powered by a single alchemical substance I call Boom Powder. How about—I can either sell you a recipe for his substance, or the blueprints of the artifacts. The other half I will keep for myself."
"Oh, I like you more and more, Mister Faust," Alia purred. "Such openness is rare in my circles. The deal is acceptable. I also assu that the Boom Powder is easier to craft than the artifacts, right?"
"Yes. But the ingredients cost quite a lot, and there have been fewer of them in the city lately... Partially thanks to , heh."
"Then I will take the Boom Powder recipe. With my connections, I might be able to procure ingredients more cheaply. anwhile, an experienced and masterful craftsman like you should focus on artifacts. Don’t you agree?"
’Hm. That makes sense! If she won’t charge up too much, it will be faster and easier to buy Boom Powder from Alia instead of making it myself. Making bullets already takes enough ti.’
Reynard grinned.
"Deal. Four thousand, yeah?"
Alia smiled back.
"If you add a few of your exploding artifacts into this."
"Very well." Reynard grinned. "It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Alia!"
"Likewise. I will procure the gold soon, or I can bring you materials in its equivalent. Think about what you would like as paynt, Mister Faust. Perhaps there are spells or magical items you wanted. I will send one of my n to your forge to make an exchange. Don’t try to seek yourself, here or elsewhere. Instead, use this to send ssages."
She put a small quartz pendant on the table, shaped like a bird’s head. A spark of magic was lighting its eyes blue.
Reynard picked up, trying to guess what the artifact was made for.
"This is a Repeating Bird. Fuel it with your mana, and it will pass everything you say to its paired amulet, as long as they are close enough. This one will work as long as we both stay in Darland or its surroundings. They light up if the other half of the pair is in range."
Alia stood up and smiled at Reynard one more ti.
"Naturally, I might be too busy to hear it. But you can ssage at any ti. Even keep up all night..."
Reynard suddenly felt very understanding of Marien whenever she blushed and glared at him.
’Outrageous. She’s outrageous! And she said this just to put on this innuendo, I bet!’
Alia laughed and left the booth.
***
At least after this, Reynard could study the Bound Fla without worrying about secret societies blackmailing him.
He was instead thinking too much about Alia and Marien, but Reynard was able to set these thoughts aside when he practiced his new magic.
Bound Fla was a simple spell to learn. In just a few days, Reynard—richer by four thousand gold pieces—could do it.
Standing in front of his furnace, he made magical passes and whispered the necessary words. In his hands, mana transford into a dull red sphere, which Reynard carefully placed into the furnace.
The sphere didn’t look like fire, although it technically was—a globe of air heated enough to glow.
Reynard could feel its heat even without touching the sphere. And what’s more, it was still connected to him and fueled by his circulating mana.
With a thought, he made the sphere glow brighter and change colors first to orange, then to yellow, then to white. The heat radiating from it grew stronger and stronger.
Reynard had to take a step back. Being near his Bound Fla was almost searing his skin and threatening to burn off his eyebrows.
At this power, the Bound Fla took most of his mana to sustain. Reynard pushed it even harder, getting all the heat he possibly could, hoping that it would be enough.
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