Chapter 686.5: Buying Beats Building
"Most magical weapons have undergone destructive testing. Some data and insights have been gained."
"This batch is different from the last. It uses special sealing spells."
"Key parts and structures are protected. Spells can't analyze them."
"Still, the gear's effects are impressive. The firepower is immense."
"Several types are ready for immediate deployment into the Cole Elven army..."
Sealing spells?
Only on this batch?
Highly effective?
Ready for deployment?
Did Bay Territory expect the Cole Elves to care this much about these weapons?
A trap?
Or bait?
Lola didn't overthink it. After confirming Misha's safety, she headed straight for the Lord's estate.
This time, she directly requested to see Butler Ralph.
The increasingly formidable Ralph was calmly reading documents.
His workload was heavy, time tight. When he saw Lola, he simply gestured for her to sit:
"Welcome, envoy of the Black Tower. Are you here to discuss the transfer of our auto-crossbow turret technology?"
Noticing Ralph's slightly pointed ears and his calm demeanor—
Lola sensed something deeper in his gaze. She cautiously nodded:
"Yes. We hope to acquire the production technology for Bay Territory's auto-crossbow turrets."
"We're offering three Legendary Fire Element Crystals in exchange."
Legendary Fire Element Crystals!
Aside from technology, these were Bay Territory's most sought-after resources.
Once the Cole Elves learned of Bay Territory's "need,"—
They began stockpiling Legendary Fire Element Crystals aggressively.
Their efforts even drove the price up by 30%.
But the Cole Elves didn't care.
That small cost was worth it for valuable tech.
Of course, Bay Territory never took a loss.
After receiving the first two tech packages, the Cole Elves quickly hit research walls.
They had to pay more crystals just to ask more questions.
Following Matthew's guidance, Bay Territory carefully "regulated" their research progress.
Making sure they always felt like they were making breakthroughs.
Yes—Bay Territory's results in the Catachan demi-plane wouldn't be possible without Lola and the Cole Elves' support.
Ralph was very satisfied with this nearly 40 million gold coin trade.
He loved repeating the Lord's words:
Technology is just the beginning!
To Bay Territory, these three crystals meant three defensive core cities in the Catachan demi-plane.
The annual value from this could top hundreds of millions—and bring massive resource hauls to Bay Territory.
Seeing the other party being so cooperative, Ralph had no reason to ruin the mood. He replied calmly:
"That's a very fair price."
"However, there is one more matter to consider."
One more matter?
Is he raising the price?
Or looking for an excuse to reject?
Lola quickly calculated but kept smiling and nodded.
Whatever the condition is—just say it.
I'm listening!
Getting skinned by Bay Territory isn't new to me.
Lola had long grown used to it.
Ralph glanced at her pointed ears and felt something odd.
A Cole Elf this easygoing?
Truly, one shouldn't generalize an entire race or Kingdom.
Ralph raised his guard again toward the Cole Elves, but smiled faintly as he continued:
"We're willing to sign a production tech transfer."
"But we must clarify something with our partners first."
"These turrets are deadly. We wouldn't want their bolts flying back at our own soldiers."
Lola's heart skipped as she met Ralph's calm gaze.
She almost thought he was going to break their silent understanding.
Thankfully, he said nothing more, and Lola relaxed slightly.
Still, this condition troubled her.
Honestly, Bay Territory's concern wasn't baseless—it could very well happen.
If the Cole Elves made this weapon, of course they'd use it against Bay Territory's troops.
No doubt about it!
Even if the main army held back for any reason,
They'd hand it off to pirates, trolls, orcs—any cannon-fodder lackeys.
Knowing this, Lola understood Bay Territory's concern.
Still, representing Cole Elven interests, she argued back without hesitation:
"That possibility is valid."
"But at present, there's no magic or contract that can completely prevent it."
"If conditions allow, of course we wish to maintain friendly ties with Bay Territory."
"And if difficulties arise, we're willing to work through them."
In Lola's view, Butler Ralph's condition—
Either they were trying to make things difficult.
Or they just wanted to raise the price.
Hmm, the latter seemed more likely.
But to her surprise, Butler Ralph gave a faint smile and said something Lola found unbelievable:
"No worries. We're just giving you a friendly reminder."
"The auto-crossbow turrets, after our adjustments and design, simply won't attack Bay Territory personnel."
"That's a fixed fact. But we expect our relations to remain good, so that shouldn't be seen as a flaw."
When Lola first heard that, she almost didn't process it.
Won't attack Bay Territory people?
It can recognize that?
How is that even possible!
When the real meaning hit her, her eyes widened. After hesitating a moment, she asked urgently:
"Is that true?"
"The auto-crossbow turrets can really do that?"
No wonder Lola got so worked up. Because when everyone studied weapons and gear—
No one ever considered the idea of prohibiting them from attacking or functioning.
If the turrets really won't attack Bay Territory personnel—
Then what about the other weapons and gear they sold? Did those have the same restrictions?
Could Bay Territory really go that far?
And if so—what was the point of buying them back?
Facing Butler Ralph's confident smile, Lola suddenly realized—
Now was not the time to question Bay Territory.
Still, she couldn't calm herself. Gritting her teeth, she tentatively asked:
"If that's the case, of course we're happy to continue cooperating with Bay Territory—and to respect the rules and contracts."
"We were never going to use these weapons and gear against friends."
Even as she said that, Lola still found it hard to believe.
After all, what Ralph just described—
Was even more shocking than the ancient sealing magic of the Cole Elven Kingdom.
That sealing art was part of the Cole Elves' ancient heritage, honed over thousands of years.
Bay Territory had only existed for a few years!
Lola didn't even realize it—but deep down, despite accepting Misha's words, her pride hadn't fully faded.
Ralph seemed to know she'd react like this, so he laughed and said:
"Then it's settled. Let's sign the contract right now!"
"In a few minutes, you can head to the Joint Research Center and register the transaction."
A bit dumbfounded, Lola stared at the documents Ralph handed her.
That fast?
That straightforward?
After a second of hesitation, she still chose to sign the slightly odd-looking contract.
Her current identity had taken a lot of work to build. She couldn't afford to lose its value now.
Besides, this was just one tech deal.
Bay Territory still had plenty more tech...
And Lola had a feeling—
If Bay Territory could really pull this off, then it was also a wake-up call for the Cole Elven Kingdom.
Who knows—maybe it would even motivate them to step up?
With that thought, Lola found a bit of comfort.
Still dazed, she looked out at the bustling street.
She couldn't even remember how she'd left Ralph's office or the Lord's estate...
Could this be a trap?
If Bay Territory could really do that—what about their other weapons?
Did they also have that function?
Could it be cracked?
Was the magic contract binding me—or the magic equipment?
All sorts of questions swirled chaotically in Lola's mind.
Her thoughts tumbled around, but she could only work through them alone.
After a while, feeling the gravity of the matter, Lola decided to check in on Misha.
Whoosh!
Flames burst into the oil pot, sizzling ingredients with a loud crackle.
The head chef skillfully flipped the wok, focused and serious.
Blue-green mushrooms, slightly charred under the flames, soaked in hot oil, gradually crisped up and turned golden.
Lin Ren carefully watched the chef's technique and steps, pondering how to handle the stir-fry himself.
Beside him, Misha widened her eyes, muttering the timing aloud while closely watching the heat level.
The two of them had been cooperating like this for a while, and the results were great.
They managed to learn all kinds of dishes and cook them pretty decently.
But today's dish was an exception.
Lola, feeling a bit of a headache, watched the assistants cleaning and prepping the mushrooms.
Their colorful appearance practically screamed "poisonous."
And she was right!
The well-paid head chef taught carefully, warning the two kids in detail:
"These mushrooms come from the Catachan demi-plane. Their original strain was highly toxic."
"Even though we've processed and studied them before cultivation, they still carry some toxicity."
"But high heat neutralizes the toxins and causes some fascinating changes."
Sizzle!
Golden oil warmly enveloped the mushroom chunks, releasing an irresistible aroma.
Watching that, Lola swallowed reflexively, a ridiculous thought popping into her head:
"That... actually looks really tasty."
Snapping back to her senses, she quickly shook her head.
That thought was terrifying!
She glanced at the completely focused Misha and helplessly smacked her lips.
Fine, whatever!
Bay Territory always put safety first with food.
"If Bay Territory's not worried, why should I be?"
"Just like the Cole Elven Kingdom..."
Lola let out a small breath and temporarily set the other thoughts aside.
Just like little Misha had said earlier—
She was just a tool for gathering intel now.
The real decisions weren't hers to make anyway.
If that's the case, then there's nothing to worry about. Might as well work more efficiently.
With that mindset, Lola left the kitchen and sped up the deal.
She soon arrived at the Joint Research Center and handed over three Legendary Fire Element Crystals.
Shortly after, she received a glowing magic crystal and a thick stack of production blueprints stamped with arcane seals.
Lola hesitated for a moment but eventually used standard methods to send them back to the Cole Elven Kingdom.
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief and turned to glance at Misha and Lin Ren cooking their "delicacy"—
She firmly dismissed the idea of calling them back, and returned to the caravan base to continue studying Bay Territory's weapons and gear.
In just one hour—
A shocking report came in from the Cole Elven Kingdom through encrypted channels:
"The auto-crossbow turrets truly won't attack Bay Territory personnel. Two activation conditions were found."
"One is the magical wristband worn by all Bay Territory citizens."
"The other is a subtle signature aura representing Bay Territory identity."
"Additionally, all key cores of these magic weapons and gear are engraved with the same sealing array."
"These ensure they can't be cracked—and ensure they never attack Bay Territory personnel."
"The difficulty of crafting these key parts is extremely high, involving intricate and unique designs."
"They cannot be bypassed with conventional methods."
"To develop new versions or reverse-engineer them would require a massive investment..."
"The core components bought from Bay Territory are extremely expensive, making up about half the weapon's total cost."
"Even with other parts added, the turret yields little meaningful value..."
"We should now focus on trading for the magic cannon production tech."
Lola carefully reviewed the intel and quickly reached a conclusion:
To manufacture these weapons, they had to buy Bay Territory's weapon core controllers.
And only Bay Territory could produce those cores.
Otherwise, the Cole Elves would have to fully develop them independently.
Considering the price, difficulty, and complexity—
These weapons, which Lola saw as highly threatening—
Were deemed replaceable by the Cole Elven Kingdom.
And purchasing them from Bay Territory remained a very solid option.
"Same old story. R&D is too expensive, so we just don't bother."
"Figuring out the risk and reasons is more important than mastering the tech..."
Lola felt helpless about it—but she had grown used to the Cole Elven Kingdom's attitude.
"Maybe... they have other plans in mind?"
That was the only way she could justify it to herself!
As for the magic cannons, Lola was sure Butler Ralph had already sharpened his knife.
She just didn't know how many times he planned to slash...