Chapter 573: Appearances must be maintained
Three hours after Vlad left, Marshal Maximo sat in his throne room, his expression filled with nothing but irritation and annoyance as he gazed at the golden-haired man standing before him. The air in the chamber was tense, the weight of the conversation pressing heavily upon the gathered Legends, whose faces betrayed their silent displeasure. "The price of Sage-tier weapons will rise by fifty percent, and the shipment will arrive two weeks later than anticipated. There has been an issue with some thieves attacking our supply routes. I hope the Marshal understands," Urion announced, his voice laced with insincere politeness. His golden robes, adorned with the insignia of the Zanis Association, shimmered under the dim light of the throne room.
The Legends exchanged looks of thinly veiled frustration. The Zanis Association had lost resources due to their own incompetence, yet they were shifting the burden onto the Golden Sky Fortress. Their shamelessness was astounding, though not surprising. It was common practice for the association—when things went well, they reaped enormous profits, but when misfortune struck, they ensured that others bore the loss.
Marshal Maximo did not bother to mask his displeasure, yet he remained silent. He simply nodded, signaling Urion to continue.
Urion’s smile widened, a deep sense of satisfaction filling him as he realized that even these imposing Legends could do nothing but nod in agreement despite the unreasonable nature of his demands. He was well aware that the fortress was desperate for supplies. Their reliance on the Zanis Association had made them vulnerable, and he intended to exploit that vulnerability to its fullest.
Of course, he did not stop there. He continued listing the prices of weapons and potions across all tiers, quoting values that made the Legends frown. The numbers were absurd, designed to maximize the association’s profit. Yet none of them spoke out because they all knew the real point of concern was yet to be revealed.
"Now, for the Sky Dew," Urion finally announced.
The atmosphere in the throne room immediately shifted. Marshal Maximo’s eyes narrowed, and the Legends straightened, their attention now fully on the conversation.
There were countless other associations and organizations that could supply weapons, armor, and potions of much better quality than the Zanis Association. However, none of them had the mighty and unique Sky Dew, which was the only reason Marshal Maximo tolerated the exorbitant prices of the association.