'How will this go…?'
Elom tightened his fingers that were wrapped around one another as he made a resolute stare at the man before him. Despite his outward confidence, he was quite nervous.
'He hasn't shown up to sell in a few days, so the expansion plan has been compromised because of it…'
There was a chance that the man before might have broken their exclusive contract and sold to another party, but Elom didn't want to think that, he just didn't seem like that kind of guy. But, even if he did break their agreement, what was Elom supposed to do?
'He's a Transcendent Tier 2. Father warned me, under no circumstances can we make an enemy of him…'
That meant he couldn't even be penalized for breaking the contract. All that he and this Corporation could do was try to renegotiate and strengthen their bond.
'We've given him no reason to doubt our sincerity. And while it isn't much by disciplining that lowlife, I hoped we could show just how useful and committed we are to him.'
But the man's indifferent response with an unimpressed tone told Elom that this move wasn't as effective as he had hoped, but he couldn't afford to give up.
'For expansion into other markets… we need a substantial supply of goods.'
If possible, the same amount as what he brought last time.
No, even double.
It actually didn't matter the amount he could provide, as the more Mana Stones they had, the bigger their profit would be.
Elom just hoped their esteemed seller would agree to cooperate with them.
'In all my years, I've never been pushed to this point…'
Elom had learned everything he knew from his father, and he had spent his entire life immersed in the operations of the Exrump Corporation.
He was well-versed in the inner workings of business and he had long mastered the art of negotiation.
Bargaining Power, Equivalent Exchange, Demand and Supply, and various other concepts of business had been ingrained in his brain since childhood.
The only reason he was currently operating under his monika of "Elom Tusk", a mere broker, was simply because this was a final test his father concocted to see if he was truly ready to take on the larger business world.
Elom knew he couldn't afford to fail here.
"Are you sure… you can handle what I possess?" The moment he was asked this question, Elom froze in place.
He instantly realized the error he had made.
'What did I just say? How could I have been so careless?'
By saying they would buy all the Mana Stones in their seller's possession, Elom had implied that the Exrump Corporation could afford all of it.
For a Transcendent Tier-2 being, one who had long exceeded the limits of almost every inhabitant in the Third Civilization Zone, that would be nothing short of an insult.
Elom knew he had to correct himself immediately.
"I… I apologize. What I meant was that we'd buy as much as you're willing to sell. We only hope you can sell as much as possible."
It was impossible to decipher the seller's reaction to this since his face was hidden behind a mask, leaving Elom to nervously hope his correction was effective.
"I see. Very well, then…"
Elom couldn't help but smile as he noticed the man straighten his posture.
'Thank goodness!' He sighed in relief. 'Looks like we've almost got ourselves a deal.'
————————————————————
'This… this is crazy!'
Riley couldn't believe his luck. He had expected to be the one desperate to sell his stuff, but it seemed like he possessed all the bargaining power.
'It will be foolish of me to keep hoarding my stock now.'
It was clear that the Exrump Corporation was in dire need of Mana Stones of good quality. It was inevitable that word of this got out, and soon enough, it would only be a matter of time before the influx of Mana Stones would come their way. From what Riley could gather, these people had a lot of influence.
The fact that they were able to track down the same scammer who had duped Mason just to please him, and their readiness to buy so many Mana Stones proved they were very wealthy and powerful people.
'I can't miss out on this opportunity now.'
If he hesitated, there was a chance he would suffer a loss unlike any other.
'Since I've been given this chance, I'll sell everything I have.'
Riley reaches into his Spatial Ring and brings out a couple of sacks from each box within. Without Polites to act as his walking storage unit, he had to do it himself.
And of course, each sack was filled to the brim with Mana Stones.
However…
'One of these sacks is different.'
Riley smiled as he opened the small sack, more like a pouch, really, in front of Elom, and within it were several Spatial Rings.
'Thankfully, I was able to acquire a good amount of Spatial Rings and implemented a prototype of my grand plan before everything went south.'
"Each of these rings contains three sacks of Mana Stones," Riley explained. "There are fifty rings in this pouch, totaling 150 sacks. Adding that to the forty-five other sacks here makes a total of 195 sacks. This is what I'm willing to sell to you, Mr. Tusk."
Riley watched as the man's eyes widened in disbelief, and could see him salivate as his eyes nearly popped out of his eyes. The broker certainly wasn't expecting such an absurd influx of Mana Stones from Riley.
"The question is… can you afford it?"
As Riley's voice echoed through the room, he studied Elom's overwhelmed expression.
'He seems surprised, but not to the point of being unable to pay…'
Riley couldn't be certain, so he kept his fingers crossed and waited for an answer.
Fortunately for him… luck was on his side.
"YES! WE WILL BUY EVERYTHING!"
And like that, the deal was sealed.
Elom Tusk used a Magic Artifact to calculate the exact number of Mana Stones that existed in each sack. By multiplying the total with the agreed-upon price, they arrived at the final selling price.
A whooping 4,650 Platinum Coin!
'I still can't believe this…'
Riley was trying his best to remain composed after hearing such an absurd number, but his heart pounded with excitement. Adding this sum to his existing balance of 1,051 Platinum Coins, he now had a total of 5,701 Platinum Coins.
'I never imagined I'd make this much in a single transaction… talkless of now.'
Riley couldn't help but feel like a scammer, though he felt no guilt whatsoever. Why would he?
'Once the influx of Mana Stones arrives, these guys will be at a loss. I should probably avoid coming here in this place for a while…'
He smiled internally, satisfied that he had made enough money for now.
The mission for the Empire was what came next, so distractions like this were unnecessary.
"As always, it's a pleasure doing business with you," Elon's voice broke into his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.
The deal was done, but they were both still in the lounge. Staff had come to collect the Mana Stones and deliver his payment. At this point, Riley felt like he was overstaying his welcome, so he rose to his feet in a slow dignified manner, feeling Elom's gaze was on him the entire time.
"Likewise. I'm leaving now," he said in a monotone voice.
At this point, Elom jumped to his feet, almost as if he hadn't expected their dear seller to leave so soon.
"Please, why not stay a bit longer? I would like us to discuss further on—"
"There are other places I must be…"
Riley had pressing matters to discuss with his team regarding more of the mission. Besides, it would really suck if the influx of Mana Stones happened while he was still in the building. For his own safety, he needed to leave quickly.
"Okay, I understand! But before you leave, why not take a look at our newest products? As our valued seller, it would be our greatest pleasure to show you some of what we have to offer."
Riley could already tell that they were trying to bait him into becoming a customer of theirs, hoping to establish a mutually beneficial relationship, and that way, it could go both ways
'Well… there's no harm in seeing what they have, I guess.'
Frankly speaking, Riley was on the lookout for good equipment, as he'd often heard how Magic Artifacts were lifesavers for Knights and Adventurers, and that even a weakling could be unbelievably strong with the right gear.
'After all, I'm just a regular human among these superhuman freaks like those superheroes from comic books.'
Having Magic Artifacts to aid his survival in this dangerous world seemed like a wise investment.
"Fine. Let me see."
Elom seemed extremely pleased to hear that Riley was interested, and he didn't hesitate to show his obvious satisfaction.
At that moment, Riley couldn't help but notice how different Elom seemed from the man he was first introduced to, as though he was seeing two different people.
'I guess this is what happens when you're around people who are stronger and wealthier than you…'