Back to the usual place of their meeting, Bela is serving five people inside with tea and biscuits. She served them with professional etiquette of a maid, pouring the tea into the cups and serving biscuits on the small plates.
Liz and Ian sat on the sofa, while Luceran, Mayor Daaz, and Butler Nelez sat on the opposite side.
"Your Highness, we have considered your proposal." Ian breaks the silence while putting the cup of tea on the table after taking a sip.
"And what is the counteroffer?" Luceran asked calmly.
"We agreed to a sixty-five percent at most, and we also would like priority treatments to do business in Ironmarch. Here is a contract of the specifics of the treatments." Ian said while handing the parchment to Luceran.
Luceran has not replied yet. He took the parchment and scanned it. The room fell silent for a few minutes. Luceran, who is reading the parchment, suddenly says, "Give me a month to prepare. Stay here for the time being, take a look around Ironmarch. Mayor Daaz will tell you a few stores where you can invest or do some trades with. I will call you a month later." He finishes reading and tells the duo.
"Nelez, hand me the pen. I will sign this." Nelez, who had been standing silently behind Luceran, stepped forward and handed him a quill pen. Luceran signed the document with his elegant handwriting.
Ian and Liz let out a collective sigh of relief when they see that the prince agreed and signed the parchment. As for waiting a month before the journey? What is a month of waiting compared to the safety of the group? Ian and Liz would even say yes if Luceran said two or even three months.
A peaceful silence settled in the office after Ian and Liz had left. Luceran stared at the map on the table, his fingers tapping with rhythm on the wooden sofa handle. He was lost in thought, his mind already calculating the risks and rewards of their new venture.
"Do you know what ruins we're going to visit, Nelez?" he asked, not turning to face the butler.
Nelez, who had been standing as still as a statue behind him, seemed in deep contemplation. "If I remember correctly, tens of thousands of years ago, there was a famous city known for its alchemy and rune crafting. However, I cannot remember the name, Your Highness, as the records are somewhat vague and blurry."
The butler bowed his head. "I am sorry for the lack of information."
"Never mind. It's too far in the past. It's probably not a well-known place, so the records of it would have been left in the dust and long forgotten," Luceran replied flatly.
He took the last sip of his tea and set the cup down. "But this journey is important for us. We need a lot of money to revitalize this city and grow our army."
He turned to face the butler. "We will depart with a small group, only fifty people. A larger force would be difficult to maneuver in that mountain region and would be too easily noticed by the Solaris Empire." He paused, his gaze hardening. "Work with Commander Borrin to pick the best soldiers we have. Take three lieutenants this time. The rest will guard the city while we are gone."
Looking as if Luceran has nothing more to add, Nelez bowed and disappeared in the shadow, leaving Luceran in the office alone with his thoughts.
In the downtown of Ironmarch, only a few blocks away from the main office, a group of five people wearing bluish-purple robes with intricate runic patterns on them are walking around the stalls.
"Let's find a bigger store to sell our harvest." The leading figure said to the other four. The lead is a woman with brown hair and soft features on her face, looking quite pleasant to see.
"Yes, I heard that there is a store called Woven Goods Store at the other side of the block that has a good reputation." Someone within the group said.
"Then let's go there." The woman said to her group.
They take a few turns before arriving at the store. Before they entered the store, at the front door, three people were walking and talking to one another. Coincidentally, the trio are Ian, Liz, and Mayor Daaz. With their keen senses, they can hear what the trio is talking about.
"Ironmarch has had many changes in the past half a year." Ian said to the mayor. Marveling at the rapid progress of development.
"Indeed, under the prince urge and management, it is a certainty that Ironmarch will prosper." Mayor Daaz replied with confidence, as if it were his achievement.
"I heard that the prince is still increasing his army?" Liz asked the Mayor curiosly.
"Yes! His Highness wants to increase the number of the army by another thousand and five hundred. In fact, the prince is looking for mages to hire and incorporate into his army. Though there are no mages currently in Ironmarch." The Mayor replied and sighed.
"Well, mages usually work for nobles in a big city, or they make their own organization. It will be hard for the prince to get his mages unless the payment is high." Ian said.
"Our budget is a little tight right now, which is why the pay for mages isn't that great," the mayor said. "Hopefully, working for the prince will be a big enough draw to attract some mages who aren't tied to anyone." He then waved for Ian and Liz to come into the store.
"Did I hear it right? The prince is looking for mages to work for him?" An excited man voice sounded from the group.
"Yes, you heard it right. But you also need to remember what the fat man said, that the payment is not that high." Replied another man, pouring cold water on the man's opinion.
"That is true, but we will be working for the prince of the Kyros Divine Kingdom here. Remember that we could be his personal force in the future if we performed well." Retorted the other man, looking not willing to give up the prospect of working for the prince.
"What do you think, leader?" Another woman's voice sounded within the group, asking the woman who is the leader of the group.
"Whether it is an opportunity or not, let's meet the fat man first and ask for detail." Said the leading woman to her group.
They enter the store and find that the trio are talking with a middle-aged man who looks like the owner of the store. The robed group can somewhat hear that they are purely talking about business and investment. The robed groups then approach the store owner and say that they want to sell their harvest from their hunts. Then a person from the group walked with the store owner, while the rest followed the trio, Ian, Liz, and Mayor Daaz.
"Excuse me!" The leading woman of the robed party said to the trio.
"Is there anything that I can help with?" The Mayor turned to them and scanned them from head to toe, while Ian and Liz stopped and said nothing, waiting for the Mayor.
"I know that this sounds rude, but I overheard when you guys were talking that the prince is building an army, and he needs mages. Can we talk about the contract for this?" The woman asked politely.
Hearing her inquiry, the Mayor frowned, looking displeased that someone overheard their discussion, though he quickly thought about something more important. "So you are basically saying that you are a mage?" The Mayor asked back.
"Yes, we are mages." The woman said, and with a snap of her fingers a small flame appeared on her hands. Looking at this, the Mayor eyes sparkled, looking ecstatic.
"My lady, please forgive me for being rude. May I know your esteemed name?" The Mayor asked politely, looking completely different from his first reaction.
"Ah, that is fine. It is us who were rude. My name is Cassandra." She said apologetically.
"Verywell, lady Cassandra, please come with me to the main office." The Mayor said excitedly. "Mr. Ian, Ms. Liz, forgive me, I have to rush to the office." He said to the duo.
"That is fine. We will see you later, Mayor Daaz." Ian said with a smile.
"Please come with me, lady Cassandra." The Mayor gestured for the group to follow him.
"Verywell. Rhody, please stay here and wait for Josh. Vena and Prar will follow me." He said a robed figure. Rhody nodded and stayed, waiting for the other guy, while the rest followed the Mayor.
Along the way, the Mayor asked a few more questions of the group, asking for their origin and overall power. They explained that they are unaffiliated mages from a small village from the Heaven Piercing Mountain region. They usually operate around the border of Heaven Piercing Mountain and Northern Land to hunt wild animals for money. As for their overall power, the leader Cassandra is at the peak of Mana Core realm, while the others are at late stage of Mana Core realm.
The walk continues for a few more minutes after the talk before they reach a main office of the city.