Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 505 Unequal Negotiations

"The supermagic techniques and rituals claimed by the authors of the paper to maximize the effects of medical touch and false life force are simply impossible to implement. I cannot imagine that a novice wizard who can barely cast these basic spells could use supermagic techniques so skillfully in this experiment."

The doubts raised by this guy were not fatal at first. Although they were suspicious, there are always people with extraordinary talent who can surpass their own limitations and show their brilliance. They are not necessarily incapable of doing extraordinary things. As long as the person in question comes forward and demonstrates for himself, the doubts will be dispelled.

The result was that the author pretended not to hear and made various excuses to refuse, and could not or dared not reproduce the operation.

What's even more intriguing is that the person in question was also exposed by those gossipy fortune tellers as the only son of a high-ranking mage.

This is going to be interesting. A lowly mage dared to do such an astonishing thing. Even if his father has some influence, it won't help. He can forget about getting rid of the big label of academic fraud. It's only natural that his reputation will spread to the various colleges and mage societies in Sword Coast.

Although it's a bad reputation.

Incidentally, that paper was also renamed by those acerbic mages:
"On the Profound Significance of a High-Ranking Necromancer Father in the Reuse of Hard-Boiled Eggs"

Given this precedent, it's understandable that Elonia has some reservations. However, the technical requirements in the paper aren't entirely unrealistic, and the high-ranking mage, who is listed as the second author, has clearly stated that he provided support in the annotations.

Besides, the half-elf mage wasn't some bookworm who didn't understand human relationships, so why would she question her face to face?

After exchanging a few pleasantries and words of encouragement, Elonia left her contact badge and took her leave, while the receptionist efficiently completed Zhang Yuan's check-in procedures.

However, Mr. Zhang was not in a hurry to move in. During this period, all sorts of things had come one after another, and he had few opportunities to steal a moment of leisure. Now that he was revisiting this place, the most prosperous city in the north, it was only natural to take a tour.

There's no need for any teleportation or speed-up spells; the train station, or more accurately, the horse train station, is right outside the school gate.

However, unlike ordinary carriages, the public transportation system in Deepwater City uses rail carriages. Large double-decker carriages are placed on wooden tracks, making for a smooth and stable ride. The carriages are spacious and bright, and there are even VIP seats with tea seats. The level of comfort is far superior to that of ordinary carriages that are cramped and narrow, and can even make you shake your leftover food out of your seat.

The monk, of course, wouldn't treat himself poorly. He sipped his coffee and sat in the VIP section on the second floor, admiring the bustling scene outside the window, composed of the flow of people and the shops along the street, and enjoying the leisurely afternoon sunshine.

The vehicle, pulled by eight horses, traversed the major districts of Waterdeep, from the castle area to the bay, and the entire afternoon was spent on this parade.

Golden Clover reacted faster than expected. In less than two days, the mage, who was in the library the following afternoon, sensed the other party's intention to contact him through arcane runes.

Using the torn scroll as a coordinate, a flash of light appeared, and when he opened his eyes again, the people surrounding the mage were no longer the mountains and seas of books, but a group of merchants whose faces, though feigning composure, could not hide their anxiety and anticipation, forming a complex expression.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen of Golden Alfalfa. It seems I don't need to say more; you can all see the business opportunities hidden beneath this little thing. Now, please tell me your answers."

Without the slightest pretense, the monk spoke frankly and forcefully, as if he were the master of the place.

The echoes reverberated in the Dussel family's drawing room, the dappled light streaming through the skylight reflecting the flickering emotions on everyone's faces.

It wasn't that they were intimidated by the other party's attitude; they had seen plenty of strange ways of wizarding before. As long as it brought them benefits, what did it matter if the temperament was a little odd? They could just consider it an offering to their own father.

"Your Excellency Wizard, it is a wise choice for both of us to choose our Chamber of Commerce and cooperate in promoting this promising new product. As for sales in Waterdeep and other city-states in the Northlands, please have faith in the strength and distribution channels of Golden Alfalfa..."

The Chamber of Commerce president, an old man who looked even older than a year ago, responded respectfully.

"How much strength do you have left? And what about your distribution channels?" The mage interrupted the other party's formulaic remarks without hesitation.

"Are your channels more accessible than the Moonstone Masks of Neverwinter or the Guardian Order here?"

"Your words are rather biased. While our chamber of commerce may not be as large as theirs, you might want to listen to our terms and sincerity. I dare say that no other chamber of commerce in Sword Bay values ​​its business partners as much as Golden Clover does..."

Even after being questioned, the old chairman remained composed and dignified, engaging with the visitor and explaining the promised conditions in detail.

Unfortunately, his eloquent rhetoric couldn't compensate for his weak foundation. No matter how eloquently he spoke, the monk simply stood by and watched coldly.

"Sir, what do you think?"

"Finished?"

"Uh~"

"That's well said. If I were one of those academic mages who spend all their time in the lab, I might actually agree."

A slight, cold smile curled at the corner of Mr. Zhang's lips.

"What do you mean by 'full agency,' 'sales subcontracting,' and 'profit sharing'? To put it bluntly, you just want to control the distribution channels and grab the knife to cut the pie, don't you? What sincerity are you talking about!"

"Your Excellency has misunderstood. We are merely proposing a feasible solution, not infringing upon your interests. If you are not satisfied, there is still room for negotiation on the allocation ratio."

Bellera quickly stepped in to smooth things over, and the other members of the chamber of commerce echoed her sentiments, creating quite a lively scene.

I think it's unnecessary.

The monk's eyes shone with a faint, clear light that captivated everyone. After surveying the surroundings, no one dared to utter a sound.

“I am a mage and a lord, but I am not a merchant. I don’t have the time to play word games with you.”

"Cooperation? In your current weakened state, where you can't even cobble together a caravan, what capital do you have to negotiate cooperation with a mage lord? With the few shops you have left? Or with the families you have left to support?"

The monk's words were sharp as needles, each one piercing to the heart. Everyone present turned pale. Even the old chairman, who had maintained his composure, couldn't help but twitch, his voice hoarse as if burning with rage:
"Does Your Excellency truly intend to annex our Chamber of Commerce?"

"I'm not a chamber of commerce, why would I want to annex you?"

"That?"

"This is called resource reintegration!"

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(End of this chapter)