Trading In The Royal Capital- Day 3 And Beyond.

The buyout price for the White-Glow Stone stands was settled easily at fifty gold coins per unit.

In determining the price, the primary consideration was the method of distribution. If supplied in unlimited quantities, it would be impossible to maintain their value. Furthermore, it would disrupt the existing market, making unnecessary enemies. Conversely, by restricting the numbers, they could maintain an aggressive price point aimed at the wealthy elite. If the value remained stable, more people would view them as assets worth purchasing.

The only issue was that Hans and his group lacked the necessary sales channels. They had to go through a merchant house with ties to the upper class, but that raised the risk of people growing suspicious about the source of the goods. Profit-savvy merchants are well aware that the fewer middlemen there are, the greater the profit. As things stood, Nino and the others did not have the power to hide the existence of a subterranean labyrinth from a truly determined businessman.

Thus, they turned to Paula’s uncle, Leocadio. Because he had connections with the royalty and nobility of this kingdom and was of foreign origin, no one could guess where he sourced his goods. Moreover, if asked, he would refrain from prying and either turn a blind eye to most things or make problems disappear. He was the ideal trading partner.

“Hmm, I understand the general situation. A request from my lovely niece… leave it to me.”

As a result, the White-Glow Stones were easily accepted at the asking price, with the monthly purchase limit set at three to five units. Furthermore, Jade Oil would become an exclusive product of Leocadio’s firm.

“Distributing some to a local inn for promotion… My staff checked, and it was a job well done. The rumors are already flying.”

The price for the oil was set at twenty silver coins per barrel. While this put it out of reach for commoners, it could be said that it served to boost the Golden Bear Inn’s popularity even further.

There was another major benefit to trading with Leocadio.

“Now, ask for whatever you need. I shall procure anything and everything for you.”

The first thing he strongly recommended was a carriage. Safety on the road and shortening travel time were apparently prerequisites for business. A fine wagon with a canopy, paired with two large horses, cost seventy gold coins. Additionally, they purchased several books, rare crop seeds, a massive quantity of glass bottles, new farming tools, weapons, carpentry gear, sewing kits, and more. This totaled about thirty gold coins.

But that wasn’t all.

“My name is Noemi. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Master Hans.”

The person bowing elegantly was one of Leocadio’s secretaries. She had the brown skin characteristic of the Mazin race and large, almond-shaped eyes with a reddish tint. Her physique was slender, with every bit of unnecessary weight perfectly trimmed away. In truth, she was the “human resource” that Paula had specifically requested.

Furthermore, Leocadio promised to find tight-lipped craftsmen as quickly as possible. After spending a full day scrutinizing the goods he would take back, Hans departed for the village the following day. Watching his back recede, Leocadio turned on his heel and returned to his room. He still had one important task remaining.

“Now, how should I report this to His Majesty? No matter how I spin it, he’s bound to want this…”

The Mazin man muttered to himself as he traced the surface of the White-Glow Stone set on his desk. Paula’s letter had been cleverly vague, but she had undoubtedly found an unregistered labyrinth. That was concerning enough, but a greater issue was the person who performed this processing. If someone possessed the technology to increase light output to this degree, the applications were endless. As an asset, the individual was incomparable to the value of a mere White-Glow Stone.

However, as an uncle, Leocadio had no desire to see his niece grieve. Letting out a long sigh, he began to draft a standard formal greeting.

“To my Great Emperor—”

“The Book of the White Law, you say?”

“Yes. They claim it is for the sake of further study.”

“How rich. That greedy, brown-skinned man wants our holy scripture… Hmph, what is his aim?”

Fluttering his white vestments, the old man sat down on a sturdy, unadorned wooden chair. He had a long white beard that nearly reached his waist, and smile lines etched at the corners of his eyes and mouth. At first glance, he gave the impression of a kindly grandfather, but his eyes were piercingly sharp. From his temples grew two horns, and he wore a large miter indicating his rank. He was the supreme leader of the Holy Light Church, which boasted many Oni followers.

The young acolyte, pinned by Archbishop Nicklaus’s measuring gaze, answered while cold sweat ran down his back.

“I do not know. Only, well…”

“What?”

“In exchange for such a magnificent item, it may not be much of a loss.”

The youth’s gaze was fixed on the large White-Glow Stone on its stand atop the table. It was a gift from a visiting merchant, but its value was easy to guess even for someone as secluded from the secular world as a trainee. In contrast, the Book of the White Law was merely a textbook for mastering mid-tier healing thaumaturgy. Furthermore, the recipient was a Mazin—a race devoid of the blessing of light.

Shaking his head slightly, Nicklaus reached out and touched the stone. Instantly, a dazzling light overflowed, illuminating every corner of the barred basement room.

“Eternal thanks for the peace of the light,” the acolyte blurted out instinctively.

Nicklaus glanced at him and spat out his words.

“Fool. Why can you not see that this is their gambit?”

“F-forgive me, Your Eminence.”

“First they make you swallow a modest request, which gradually grows larger until it chokes you. Hmph, arrogant brown-skinned curs!”

“Then, for this time…”

“No, give it to them. I find myself very interested in the person capable of transmuting this stone. We cannot afford to sever the connection.”

Wearing a smile unbefitting a clergyman, Nicklaus stood up quietly.

“Now, my mana has returned. Shall we continue?”

As the old man approached the stone wall, a man appeared, his hands and feet bound by chains. Judging by the wings on his back, he was of the Winged race, but his eyes and mouth were covered with black cloth, making his features indiscernible.

At Nicklaus’s nod, the young acolyte lifted a red-hot iron rod. Without a hint of hesitation, he pressed it against the man’s chest. The smell of burning flesh instantly filled the air. The Winged man shook his head frantically from side to side, letting out muffled screams. Paying him no mind, the youth proceeded to burn the man’s shoulders and stomach thoroughly. The chains rattled harshly as they were yanked repeatedly, but no freedom came to the struggling man.

“Good, that should suffice. Six instances of severe skin burns.”

The old man jotted down the man’s symptoms on a piece of paper as if they were someone else’s business, then raised his hands, gathering an immense amount of mana. He released it with effortless ease.

“Let the light guide you: .”

In the next moment, the numerous severe burns covering the man’s body vanished as if they had never been. Witnessing this unbelievable sight, the acolyte wore an expression of ecstasy.

The Archbishop, however, did not. Closing his eyes for a moment as if in meditation, Nicklaus shook his head in disappointment.

“He was heralded as the ‘Victor of Ten Thousand Wings,’ but he has betrayed my expectations. The Secret Arts… still remain beyond reach.”

“My, this is delicious.”

The woman with three horns growing from her head gave a bright exclamation at the unfamiliar dish served in a small bowl. At her light-hearted tone, the man with two horns sitting with her let out a quiet smile.

“It is called Jade Oil, Your Majesty,” he said.

“Yes, yes, the flavor is perfect for these oysters. It’s wonderful.”

“Apparently, it is extracted from a rare plant.”

“You are remarkably well-informed, Sieg.”

“Yes, I received a bottle from Lord Leocadio myself.”

“Is that so?”

As she spoke, the woman’s eyes drifted to the large White-Glow Stone on the table. It had been presented as an extremely rare stone found in a labyrinth within the Empire.

“First that, and now this… I wonder what is happening.”

“…………I do not know.”

At the man’s suddenly somber tone, the woman lowered her eyes and poked at the food on her plate with a fork.

“I’m sure she would love this flavor. …Anything since then?”

“No. Other than the wreckage of the damaged ship, we still have no new clues.”

“…I see. I wonder where that girl could be.”

“Lady Alma is surely safe. We are currently searching for her whereabouts with all our might—”

The woman looked up again, her face shifting instantly from a worried mother to that of a ruler.

“Speaking of searches, what happened to the man—or woman—who was spreading those rumors?”

“Regrettably, we have no leads there either.”

“Was it not a child from the Alchemists’ Guild?”

“He fled before we could verify the facts. The workshop claims he was dispatched to a village on the eastern border, but the subordinates I sent reported that he never arrived.”

The Commander of the Dragon-Spear Holy Knights let out a protest at his superior’s affected sigh.

“I do not believe he is an opponent important enough to warrant Your Majesty’s concern.”

“No, he undoubtedly knows or has noticed something. Or perhaps…”

Among the many reports delivered to the Royal Palace, those that had surged over the past month were all warnings of anomalies occurring at water sources. It was exactly as the rumors spread by the individual in question had predicted.

“Something is about to happen. No, it is certainly happening already.”

“Understood. I shall increase the personnel assigned to that matter as well.”

“I’m sorry to burden you when you are already so busy.”

In addition to the anomalies across the lands, there were suspicious movements among the Border Lords and the Holy Light Church. With the Founding Festival approaching, the Holy Kingdom of Vilnia was beginning to tremble. Now was the time for all subjects to exert their full strength.

“No, all is as you will it. Queen Waltrude.”

The White-Glow Stones created by the All-Purpose Alchemist were carried to all corners of the Great Dragon-Bone Island, triggering various ripples. Eventually, those ripples would turn into a great wave, but the man himself had no way of knowing that yet.