Chapter 39 : Chapter 39
Chapter 39: The Sisters Reunite, the Cooperation Is Finalized
Ryan had no idea how much time had passed.
He only felt that Alfred’s questions were becoming more and more numerous.
There were many of them Ryan simply could not answer.
Which was only natural.
He was the very definition of a hands-off boss.
All the actual business operations had been left to Mark’s family.
How could he possibly know the finer details of the business?
And yet Alfred’s interest only kept growing.
At that moment,
a knock sounded from outside the council chamber.
Knock, knock, knock!
“My Lord, Nila has been brought here.”
Marcus’s voice came from outside the door.
The moment Nika heard that, she stood up at once.
Knowing that she was about to be reunited with her sister, she could no longer suppress her excitement.
“Mm, send her in.”
Alfred could only pause his conversation with Ryan and answer aloud.
Creak—
The doors of the council chamber were pushed open.
Marcus entered first.
Behind him followed a young girl dressed in a maid’s uniform.
“Nila!”
The instant Nika saw the girl, she recognized her. It was none other than her twin younger sister, Nila.
In the next moment,
Nika rushed forward and wrapped Nila tightly in her arms.
“Nila, I’ve finally found you. I thought we might never see each other again for the rest of our lives.”
“S-Sister?”
Nila stared blankly at Nika.
Earlier, when the butler Marcus had come to fetch her, he had told her that her sister had come looking for her.
And now that she had truly seen her sister, Nila’s tears could no longer be held back.
They fell at once.
The two sisters, separated for so long, had finally met again.
Ryan looked toward Nila.
Nila was about 1.6 meters tall, slightly shorter than Nika. Her figure was likewise slender, though her shoulders were a little broader, and she stood straight rather than hunching like Nika.
The fox ears on top of her head were light brown, with white tips. They were more pointed than Nika’s, and the fur on the backs of them looked softer. There were no bits of grass caught in them, and they were clean and neatly groomed.
Her ears were also more agile, swiveling quickly toward any sound.
The tail behind her was light brown with a white tip. It was slightly shorter than Nika’s, and the fur was fluffy and smooth, without stains or marks from binding.
Her hair was light brown and reached her waist. It had been neatly combed and tied behind her head with a black ribbon. The strands were not especially glossy, but they were free of tangles and debris.
Her eyes were a pale amber, even lighter than Nika’s. Their shape was rounder, without the upward tilt at the corners, and the whites of her eyes were clear.
Her nose resembled Nika’s, though the tip was sharper and paler in color.
Her lips were thin as well, pale pink in color, without cracks or scars.
The fine fur on both sides of her cheeks was lighter in color, so faint that it was almost invisible, and there was no dirt on it.
She wore a maid’s outfit. On top was a short-sleeved white linen shirt with lace trimming at the collar. The cuffs were fitted snugly, and the arms revealed beneath were slender as well, but free of binding marks or spots, with smooth skin.
On the bottom she wore a black long skirt that reached her ankles, its hem pleated. Around her waist was tied a white apron embroidered with the Jurgen Family crest.
On her feet were black cloth shoes. Their uppers were clean, and the soles showed only slight wear.
Compared with Nika, Nila’s fur was lighter in color, her ears and tail were cleaner and better cared for, and there was no timidity in her gaze. Her clothes were neat and well-fitted, and there were no signs that she had been abused. Overall, she looked much more spirited.
Ryan nodded to himself.
It seemed that Nila had indeed been living fairly well in the Jurgen Family.
“So she really is the person you were looking for?”
Alfred’s voice sounded out.
“Yes, she is my sister. Thank you very much.”
Nika released Nila and thanked Alfred.
“Heh, there’s no need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank your master.”
Alfred waved a hand.
“Yes, I understand.”
Nika nodded repeatedly. Of course she would never forget her master.
She turned her head and looked at Ryan with tender affection in her eyes. “Master, thank you.”
“As long as you’re happy.”
Ryan smiled and patted Nika on the head.
Nika took hold of Nila’s hand and introduced him. “Little sister, this is my master, Mr. Ryan. It is thanks to him that we sisters were able to reunite.”
“Mr. Ryan, thank you very much.”
Nila hurriedly bowed in thanks.
“There’s no need to be so polite. Nika is my companion. Helping her find your whereabouts was only natural.”
Ryan spoke calmly.
Nila looked at Ryan, and a glint flashed through her eyes.
So her sister’s master treated her extremely well.
He had actually come all this way to look for her for her sister’s sake.
Her sister must be deeply cherished by this man.
Nila thought this silently to herself.
“Ahem.”
Alfred gave a light cough and continued, “Butler, take the two of them to the next room and let them wait there for a while. Mr. Ryan and I still have matters to discuss.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
Marcus turned and waited for the two girls to follow him.
Nika looked toward Ryan.
Ryan smiled and nodded.
Only then did Nika leave with Nila, following Marcus out.
The council chamber was left with only Alfred and Ryan.
“Mr. Alfred, do you wish to discuss the perfume partnership?”
Ryan asked.
“The first matter is indeed the matter of perfume. What sort of cooperation does Mr. Ryan have in mind?”
Alfred asked.
Perfume was too important for him not to take seriously.
Ideally, they would sign a contract today and settle everything at once, so that no other accidents could arise.
“Before discussing cooperation, could Mr. Alfred first tell me a little more about the Jurgen Family? For example, how many shops do you have across the Kingdom of Candel?”
Ryan asked evenly.
Although Nila was currently with the Jurgen Family,
Ryan was no longer some naïve boy fresh out of the gate.
In this cooperation, he was definitely going to hold the dominant position.
When Alfred heard Ryan’s question, he did not hesitate in the slightest and began introducing the Jurgen Family’s commercial holdings.
The Jurgen Family’s shops were spread throughout every town in the Kingdom of Candel, from the capital to the small border towns, with the total number exceeding two hundred.
In the kingdom’s capital, the Jurgen Family owned three large general shops located on the central commercial street, each covering more than five hundred square meters.
The first floor sold all kinds of everyday goods, including cloth, pottery, ironware, and food, all arranged neatly and clearly categorized.
The second floor was the luxury section, where magic accessories, silk clothing, and gemstones were sold, with dedicated clerks responsible for receiving customers.
Forest Creek Town in the eastern part of the kingdom was famous for its timber trade. The Jurgen Family had five timber shops there, purchasing locally felled oak, pine, and maple, then processing them into boards and shipping them elsewhere.
Beside the shops stood large warehouses capable of storing thousands of logs. The warehouses were guarded by the family’s guard squad to prevent fire and theft.
In the southern port city of Tidewater Town, the family had two ship-supply shops that sold ropes, sailcloth, and repair materials, while also operating a ship-rental business. They owned ten medium-sized merchant ships used to transport the family’s goods and to rent out to merchants.
The shops also included a repair workshop staffed by five experienced craftsmen capable of repairing damage to small boats.
In the western mining town, the family controlled three ore-purchasing stations, buying the local iron ore, copper ore, and tin ore, sorting them by grade, and then selling them to the kingdom’s smelting works.
The purchasing stations had specialized weighing equipment and inspection personnel to ensure ore quality. Their prices were slightly higher than those of other buyers, which allowed them to dominate more than seventy percent of the local ore trade.
Frostsoil Town in the north had a frigid climate. The family operated four fur shops there, purchasing the pelts of Snow Foxes, Brown Bears, and other animals, then giving them basic treatment before shipping them south for sale.
The shops had insulated storage rooms that maintained a low-temperature environment to prevent the furs from spoiling. Winter was the peak sales season, and during that time ten temporary clerks would be added.
Besides their physical shops, the family also operated long-distance trade routes, with fixed merchant caravans traveling regularly between different cities.
As Ryan listened to Alfred’s introduction, he nodded in satisfaction.
The partner in the Kingdom of Mia had been Mark’s family.
Mark’s family was not considered a top-tier family in the Kingdom of Mia—at most, it could be called a first-rate family.
But the Jurgen Family was different.
Judging from Alfred’s description, the Jurgen Family was unquestionably one of the top families in the Kingdom of Candel.
They actually had shops in every single town in the kingdom.
Of course, the larger towns had more shops, while the smaller ones had fewer.
Even so, the Jurgen Family’s strength was formidable.
If he cooperated with the Jurgen Family, the profit from perfume might even exceed five million Gold Coins per year.
After hearing Alfred’s introduction,
Ryan briefly shared his own estimate.
Based on the scale of the Jurgen Family, the yearly profit would exceed five million Gold Coins.
As for the exact amount, the Jurgen Family would have to calculate it themselves.
The moment Alfred heard Ryan’s estimate, his breathing quickened.
A yearly profit of five million Gold Coins had already been enough to thrill him beyond measure.
But now things had changed.
Five million Gold Coins was not even the limit?
That left Alfred momentarily dazed.
Then, in the very next instant,
only one thought remained in Alfred’s heart!
A contract!
They had to sign the contract immediately!
This cooperation had to be secured!
“M-Mr. Ryan, we...”
Ryan could sense Alfred’s excitement.
“Mr. Alfred, I know you’re in a hurry, but there’s no need to rush just yet. Let’s first discuss the terms of our cooperation.”
“That’s right, that’s right. We should discuss it first. I lost my composure.”
Alfred wiped at his forehead, though there was no sweat there at all.
This lapse in composure could hardly be blamed on him.
When Alfred had first heard about the yearly profit of five million Gold Coins, the fact that he had managed to keep his expression under control had already been remarkable.
Now that he knew the actual profit might be even more astonishing, even a man like Alfred could no longer fully control his expression.
Ryan, on the other hand, did not think much of it.
They were only Gold Coins.
In the Black-Gold Card, that sort of thing was nothing more than a string of cold numbers.
By now, he had no idea how many Gold Coins he had in that card.
He had long since ceased to lack money.
If not for Nila’s matter this time,
he would never have taken the initiative to propose a perfume partnership with the Jurgen Family.
“Mm. In the Kingdom of Mia, my method of cooperation was a profit-sharing arrangement. Production, transportation, and sales would all be handled by the Jurgen Family. I would only be responsible for providing the Production Process and suggestions. I would take thirty percent of the profits, and the Jurgen Family would take seventy percent, with the profit share distributed once every three months.”
Ryan calmly stated his terms.
He had not raised the conditions at all.
It was exactly the same arrangement he had with Mark’s family.
Alfred thought for a brief moment, then raised his head and looked at Ryan.
“No problem. It’s a deal!”