Not only did the Ring of Permafrost have a powerful spell on it, but the runes were open for everybody to see. Reynard was sure that if he studied them for long enough, he would be able to create similar artifacts. Or at least cheap imitations—but even those were valuable!
Alia smiled.
"I only wish you to get well soon. And... Alright, I will admit it—I would like to requisit more of your explosive powder when you can make it. But I’m sure you would have sold it even without any gifts from ."
Looking into her bewitching eyes, Reynard could not disagree. But reality still could.
"The ingredients for Boom Powder are hard to find lately. But... I guess if it’s explosives you want, I have a replacent that might be just that. Assuming you plan to blow up more buildings."
Reynard rembered his failed experint, White Powder. It wasn’t fit to use in hand weapons, but he could fashion grenades or actual bombs from it.
"I have already prepared more ingredients for you to use, Mister Faust, rest assured. But I will be happy to hear about your other inventions. Right now, I have ti—and my person made sure other servants won’t disturb us in the next hour. Everything we do right now will remain a secret..."
The way Alia leaned forward and breathed out her last words made Reynard feel hot under the blanket that was covering him below the waist.
He cleared his dry throat and explained about the great explosive power of the White Powder, its great instability, and how he circumvented it with separate-chamber designs.
"Interesting, very interesting. Yes, I would like so of that. And more... I want your largest, most terrible explosive. Sothing that could have really leveled the Snow Trade Emissary building with the ground, as the rumors claid. How much would that cost? Would two thousand gold be enough? I can pay with favors, too..."
At the last words, Alia’s voice lowered to a purr. Her implication of sexual favors was clear in the way she was looking Reynard over.
’This outrageous woman just doesn’t stop. Well. We will see who can out-outrage whom! I bet she’s bluffing, anyway!’
With feigned thoughtfulness, Reynard looked away, folded his hands over his chest, and humd.
"Well, I don’t like the local magi, but I don’t condone terrorism, either. It would be wrong of to sell sothing so dangerous to random people. I already did enough, don’t you agree? Now, it would be another thing if you weren’t a random person. I would have a reason to trust that all your acts of terrorism are for a truly good cause. You understand, right?"
"Oh, but I thought we weren’t strangers by now," Alia said in exaggerated sadness. With a playful smile, she asked: "And what do you need to trust more, Johan?.."
Reynard lowered his eyes and put a hand over his heart.
"I’m afraid, nothing less than a marriage will suffice, Miss Alia!"
She didn’t make a sound, but through his eyelashes, Reynard saw her being taken aback for a mont. She recovered quickly, but Reynard still smirked.
He felt that he knew her type of woman. She would flirt outrageously all she wanted, but she had too much pride to actually sleep with soone for profit. Much less marry him.
But if Reynard just propositioned her with sex, Alia could feign offense and get the upper hand in this conversation. She could even demand reparations.
A marriage proposal was much more ta, as strange as that sounded.
But after the mont of hesitation, Alia seed to return to her known ground. She probably had to rebuke a lot of admirers.
"You are asking for so much, but you don’t even know that I don’t have a husband already, Mister Faust. Please, think about sothing else. A marriage between us... Well, I don’t bla you for such thoughts, but it’s clearly not to be. You have a lady in your heart already, anyway, and she has you. If you marry, I will gladly be a guest at your wedding. Let’s be friends instead... I have a lot of gifts for friends."
Reynard sighed.
"I expected you to say sothing like this, Miss Alia. It’s a pity. You truly take my breath away whenever you are near, and my thoughts often return to you when you are far. Of course, I have M... My Julia, but I always knew that my heart is too much for one person. If I were to focus all my love on Julia alone, I would just smother her free spirit. And I’m going to be honest with you, Miss Alia—you are also rich and an heir to the Gelum dynasty. Many people would want to marry an heiress who is also as beautiful, powerful, and smart as you, and I’m one of them. When all this is put together, it doesn’t even matter that you are a cutthroat terrorist spymaster. So if you ever change your opinion on marriage, I will be here. But, yes, let’s talk about gifts."
Alia opened her mouth and closed it. Then, she chuckled and shook her head with a wry smile.
"You... are a very interesting person, Johan. I don’t think I ever heard the word ’cutthroat’ being said with as much admiration as you have just done... I will keep your admission in mind. But yes, gifts."
After that, the conversation moved to a much more mundane business talk. Reynard requested so rare literature on magical theory that Alia could provide, and they talked more about gold for Reynard’s future work.
By the ti Alia left, Reynard’s untouched lunch grew cold. He began eating it anyway.
’I should co up with a food-warming spell. The developnt of utility magic in the region is terrible. All that the locals have are food-freezing spells and items sold by the Order of Frost. I might get a lot of cash selling food-warming cups and plates to nobles. If I ever need more gold, that is... If I get rich enough, would Alia look at with more love? Oh, I doubt it...’
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