If Dame didn’t make the suggestion, then Raze was going to anyway, so he was happy to see one of them had brought it up. It was why he had gone ahead and showed his new product to the other. He had purposely not told the effects either, as the mystery of what they could do was quite compelling to a person.
“I see you think that they would sell well here then. I am quite pleased,” Raze said. “If you want my items and wish to become my business partner, then don’t you think we should agree on some terms?”
When Raze had first come to Pagna and discovered he could still get his hands on power stones, he had been wanting to do something like this from day one. Acquiring wealth in Pagna would make him a powerful figure.
If he was able to build up his own merchant company, he would have his own network of sorts, and in turn, he could gather information as well as items. With money, one could buy anything, and it would be his quickest route into growing stronger and finding a way back to Alterian.
However, his first attempt at just selling a power stone had ended in failure and the death of two people. He then later found out that Alter forbade things like this, which was why he needed a middleman.
“I’m surprised you agreed so fast, was this your intention all along?” Dame rubbed his hands. “I will pay for the costs of all the items that you need. That includes power stones. In turn for doing this, we would be the sole seller of items belonging to the Dark Magus.
“The problem I have honestly is what to give you. I was going to suggest to split the profits 30/70 on your end. I know without you, this deal doesn’t exist, but I’m also one of the few people you can trust with your secret of the fact that you are from another world, and for our work with clients and putting fees upfront, we deserve something. But won’t coins be useless to you?”
Raze shook his head.
“Payment in coins will be fine. I like to be in control, and if I have coins, I can then do what I wish with them. Whether I want to buy higher-tier power stones or not will be completely up to me. There is just one thing I would like to add.
“If people ask who made these pills, you can inform them that it was by me, the Dark Magus.”
The name Dark Magus was just an alias in the first place, but the more people chased after the name Dark Magus, the more Raze Cromwell could move about, and he was hoping to attract the right kind of attention by doing this.
“Then it’s a deal!” Dame said, putting his hand out.
Raze looked at it for a moment and just shook his head, to which Dame just laughed and placed it back.
“Words are good enough. We will continue our weekly meetups, and you bring whatever it is you wish for us to sell. At the same time, I will bring you the coin that has been earned,” Dame explained.
It was a shame that the only place the two could really meet was through the dimension owned by the Light Faction, but it was the only thing they could do right now.
“Ah, you can bring me whatever supplies you want today or tomorrow. I don’t plan on leaving so soon. I wish to learn part of the Skill Books before going back,” Raze said.
He meant it as well; he couldn’t head back to the academy and have the same thing happen again. He wanted to change the special status he had obtained, and at least learn skills to defend himself before that.
Before Dame could answer, there was a knock at the door again.
“Dame, are you there?” The voice called. 𝑜𝑽𝑙xt.𝒞𝗈𝓂
“Is that you, Fixteen?”
Hearing the response, Fixteen opened the door. It was still unlocked from when Dame had entered.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I have an important message; your father would like to meet with you,” Fixteen explained.
It was a rarity being called by his father, and if it was a summons like this, it usually meant that rather than a meeting between son and father, it was more of a meeting between disciple and Clan master.
“I’m sorry to cut our meeting short, but I’ll be back with what we need as soon as possible,” Dame said, giving a respectful bow and leaving the room.
When the door shut, Raze could only think of one thing.
“He seemed nervous; are he and his father on bad terms?”
Heading back to the Neverfall Clan base, to the Abyssal Pinnacle, Dame had descended down the large spiraling staircase, going deeper and deeper until he had reached almost the bottom floor.
There was an extreme heat that was unbearable for most, and the Pagna warriors, the disciples on the first floor, wouldn’t even be able to withstand the heat that flowed down here.
Pushing two large double doors, Dame had entered a room where the first thing one saw was a large path. It went straight ahead to a circular area, where he could see a man sitting down cross-legged with a large wide back filled with scars as he bore no shirt. This was the leader of the Neverfall Clan, Belil Narfous.
As Dame entered, the doors closed behind him, and he knelt down onto the ground.
“Reports have come in,” Belil said, his voice bouncing off the walls, coming from every direction. If a regular person stayed in the room, they would have gone mad with just a single word. One had to really focus as they listened to the words.
“That the Light Faction is invading and planning a small attack,” Belil continued. “It doesn’t appear as if it will just be a small scuffle either, as there are reports that Beatrix Highborn from the Dawnblade Clan will be leading the assault.”
Dame’s heart was starting to beat uncontrollably after hearing those words.
“She is coming with a force of fifty strong, and I would like you to deal with the matter, my fourth son. Take the first-floor disciples, fifty of them, and deal with the situation.”
“Me!” Dame shouted back. “But… Beatrix is the hope of the Light Faction, I already lost to her during the martial arts gathering. I’m sure she won’t be coming with just any members of the Light Faction either. If I head out there with those from the first floor, it will practically be a suicide mission.”
The floor on the ground started to shake after hearing Dame’s words, and he couldn’t help but gulp.
“Did you think I did not know that you are the one that caused this problem in the first place for us! It is your duty to fix it! Feel free to take those that you call your friends, but if you fail this task, then you won’t be allowed back in the clan, and I will personally rip off those useless limbs of yours.”
There was no more debating the matter; Dame knew that, so he stood up instead and bowed down again.
“As you wish, Master.”
The moment Dame turned around, he started to grind his teeth as he pushed the door open, leaving the room. When the doors closed behind him, he could finally let out a big breath.
‘Crap, is this how he wants me gone, how he wants to kick me out of the clan? I stand no chance against Beatrix with an army so weak. It will be impossible for me to win.’
At that moment, a certain name had popped up in his head.
‘The Dark Magus, could I ask him for help?’