Chapter 623: Way of the Wildlands
CH623 Way of the Wildlands
***
Lady Rosa didn’t answer Eleanore’s question. However, her silence was telling enough.
Seeing that she had recovered the advantage, Eleanore gave a subtle signal to Alex, who promptly handed over a small box from within his inner jacket.
Eleanore placed the box in front of Lady Rosa and opened it.
Inside were six vials, each containing no more than three drops of precious potion liquid.
"Two mid-grade berserk stones... that’s the price," Eleanore said calmly.
"That’s a bit on the high side for a box of potions, don’t you think?" Lady Rosa raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You misunderstand me, Lady Rosa. It is two mid-grade berserk stones for each potion. However, each box can go for ten mid-grade berserk stones at wholesale price. Consider the box itself a gift," Eleanore clarified smoothly.
Lady Rosa frowned deeply.
The price was higher than she had anticipated.
She quickly calculated the disposable revenue she could allocate to this venture and the quantity of potions she would need to secure a foothold in the market.
’Not enough...’
That internal verdict caused her brows to knit even tighter.
Eleanore’s professional smile deepened ever so slightly.
"As you can see, Lady Rosa, this is not a product for which we can grant exclusivity. However, what we can offer you instead is clout."
"Clout?"
"Yes," Eleanore affirmed with a nod. "Your Jadewell Merchant Company will be the first merchant house to host these potions within its inventory. Additionally, we will refrain from selling to any other merchant company for a full month.
"You will firmly hold the reputation of being the first merchant company to introduce this product. With that clout, I am quite certain that a shrewd businesswoman such as yourself will be able to capture a significant portion of the market share."
Eleanore took a measured sip of her tea before placing the cup back onto its saucer.
She continued, "With this arrangement, you won’t need to secure exclusivity over the product—nor sacrifice the significant amount of revenue required to do so—to ride the wave of its popularity and profitability.
"Handled correctly, no matter which other company later gains the right to market the product on our behalf, they will only be expanding the market and increasing the product’s overall awareness for you. In time, this potion and your merchant company will become synonymous with one another."
She placed the cup and saucer back onto the table as she looked towards the woman opposite her, who was now deeply considering the counter-offer laid before her.
"That sounds like a good offer," Lady Rosa said at last. "But it is a volatile one—one that could easily go awry for me. We may very well end up serving as stepping stones for you without reaping any real benefits ourselves."
She shook her head slowly.
"The safest option is still to secure exclusivity," she insisted.
Eleanore shook her head in response.
"In that case, this discussion will not go anywhere. You wish to protect your company’s interests, and I likewise wish to protect my interests in the product I have developed. This negotiation exists for us to find a mutually beneficial balance between the two.
"Exclusivity does not satisfy that condition. If you continue to insist upon it, then there is no reason for us to proceed any further. I will simply have to seek out another business partner," she stated evenly.
"You don’t need to play that game with me," Lady Rosa replied with a faint smile. "Indeed, there are other merchant companies besides Jadewell operating within BloodIron—many of them may even surpass us in scale. However, there is a reason you chose to come to us first.
"We are the only ones you can trust not to outright seize the product from you... even though we very well could."
The temperature at the table seemed to drop instantly, a heavy silence descending along with it.
Eleanore and Lady Rosa locked eyes, their gazes so sharp and unyielding that one might think they were on the verge of coming to blows.
However, this was a business negotiation—not a duel.
The smile on Eleanore’s face widened, to the point that Lady Rosa found it faintly unsettling.
"Lady Rosa, you appear to be operating under a misconception," she said calmly. "While it is true that I approached your company first—because, according to my investigation, it is the largest merchant house in BloodIron that still maintains an upstanding reputation—do not misunderstand my intentions.
"It was not because I lack the means to defend myself or my product.
"It is simply because I have no desire to invite unnecessary trouble... trouble that might very well warrant the destruction of a major power in this city overnight."
Dalton Asheton and Lady Rosa Mercier’s first instinct was to laugh at Eleanore’s claim. However, to their shock, the laughter never made it past their throats.
It did not take long for them to realise why.
Eleanore’s tone and expression were utterly plain and flat. It did not sound like a boast, nor even an attempt at intimidation—it sounded like a simple statement of fact.
While the claim itself was undeniably outlandish, it was equally clear that the woman before them genuinely believed it to be true.
’Is she arrogant, or merely ignorant—unaware of the true terror behind the powers that govern this city? Or... does she truly possess the strength to back such a claim?’ they wondered.
What made the situation even more unsettling was that neither Alex nor Udara showed the slightest hint of surprise at her bold declaration.
It was as though they believed it as well.
It took a great deal of shrewdness to survive in a place like BloodIron, and as a result, both Lady Rosa and Captain Dalton were exceptionally perceptive individuals.
They knew better than to underestimate anyone without conducting a thorough investigation into their identity and background.
In fact, even when a person’s identity appeared clear on paper, they would still exercise caution.
They had spent many years in BloodIron, and knew all too well that countless coiling dragons and crouching tigers lay hidden within the city, quietly biding their time.
If one was not careful, one might unknowingly touch a dragon’s reverse scale... or reach for a tiger’s throat.
Unbeknownst to them, Udara was entirely oblivious to the tension at the table. She had long since stopped paying attention, her mind drifting elsewhere; naturally, her expression remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, Alex placed complete trust in Eleanore’s ability to handle the negotiation. In his mind, if she claimed that their group—Fortuna—could pluck the sun and moon from the sky, he would not show the slightest change in expression.
Besides—
’These pastries are exceptionally good. Quite possibly the best local delicacy I’ve tasted since arriving on this plane. Perhaps I should ask about their origin... if I’m fortunate, I might even be able to get my hands on the recipe.’
Alex’s thoughts, too, were thoroughly preoccupied.
Lady Rosa and Captain Dalton exchanged a subtle yet telling glance.
Lady Rosa’s gaze soon returned to Eleanore.
"You seem quite confident in your ability to defend your potion formula. May I assume that your confidence lies with the Fortuna Company?" she asked.
"You may think of it that way," Eleanore replied with a small nod.
"In that case," Dalton suddenly interjected, cutting cleanly into the conversation, "let us make this simple for both sides—without souring relations.
"BloodIron, and indeed the greater Wildlands, operates on a single principle: might makes right.
"Negotiations and agreements are all well and good. However, such agreements only hold value when both parties possess the strength and deterrence necessary to enforce them."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"So let us settle this in the manner of BloodIron. A duel. The victor determines the terms of the agreement—exclusivity or otherwise."
Dalton’s gaze shifted from Eleanore to Alex.
"I will represent the Jadewell Merchant Company," he stated. "And as the leader of the Fortuna Company, I trust you will represent Lady Eleanore’s honour."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do you dare duel me?" Dalton challenged.
Alex glanced at Eleanore, who gave him a calm, confirming nod.
He turned back to Dalton.
"What are the rules of engagement?" he asked.
Before Dalton could respond, Lady Rosa spoke up, her tone measured yet firm.
"Keep things contained. Do not draw unnecessary attention."
"Very well," Dalton agreed with a nod.
"We will have a weapon duel. The use of large-scale or flashy techniques is forbidden. Any attack that causes a disturbance beyond the confines of this venue will result in immediate disqualification."
His gaze remained fixed on Alex as he spoke.
"Are you certain you want that to be the stipulation? That places you at a distinct disadvantage," Alex remarked calmly.
"I am facing an opponent one rank below me. That is a sufficient handicap," Dalton replied without hesitation.
A grin slowly spread across Alex’s lips—one that, for reasons he could not quite explain, sent a faint shiver down Dalton’s spine.
"Then it seems we are having a duel, after all," Alex said.
***