The king conveyed his thanks for accepting his invitation. "My name is Aldric, king of Cranch, and these are my two sons, Cael and Elric." The two princes lowered their heads slightly to greet Haru. "We've heard about your extraordinary elixir, which can cure the sickness currently afflicting our kingdom. I believe you wouldn't bring such a miraculous solution without expecting something in return. We are hoping to make a deal for the rights to distribute your elixir." The king got straight to the point, his gaze fixed on Haru.

Despite the king's intense gaze, Haru remained laid back. He took out one of his elixirs and placed it on the table. "I like the way you think. I'm indeed here to cut a deal," he said. "For something as special as my cure, I deserve significant compensation. Don't you think?"

The king glanced at the elixir. "Do you mind if I verify the contents first? I hope you understand, with the current plague, we've had many charlatans claiming to have a miracle cure. Although it has been verified that many people were healed, it would put our minds at ease to see it firsthand."

Haru gestured forward. "Go ahead."

The king took the bottle and quickly knelt beside his youngest son. "Elric, drink."

The boy obeyed, and almost immediately, the sores on his body began to fade until the purple hue was barely visible. His expression brightened. "I-I… I'm cured!"

The king and his elder son, Cael, looked on in amazement. "How are you feeling?" Cael asked.

"Great!" The boy sprang up with energy not seen in many days. The king, now convinced, turned back to Haru.

"Mr. Rex, what would it take for you to impart your miraculous recipe?"

"What's your offer?" Haru asked, leaning forward with interest.

"Three million Klador, payable over three years, and a fifteen-year manufacturing lease. You'll receive twenty percent of each bottle's profit."

Haru's eyebrow shot up. "That's generous. Most contracts like this only net the creator 9-12%. I'd be a fool to refuse." He sighed, letting a brief silence hang between them. "But I'm not interested in zero percent of a failing kingdom."

The king's voice edged with agitation. "What do you mean?"

"Your people are too sick to work or afford my cure. How can I be sure I'll see any profit?" Haru replied cooly.

Cael, the eldest, stepped forward. "Mr. Rex, I'm Cael Cranch," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "Don't worry about our finances. As heir to the kingdom, I guarantee we'll honor our end of the deal. Our priority is our people's health. Once they're healthy, we'll implement a comprehensive economic recovery plan." Cael's gaze locked with Haru's, sharp and confident. "The plague has crippled Cranch, disrupting trade, agriculture, and many of our industries. But your cure represents a turning point for us to revitalize these sectors."

He placed a map on the table, tracing a route with his finger. "Once we distribute the cure, the first thing we'll do is reopen trade routes. Cranch sits at a critical junction between the northern kingdoms and the southern ports. Lifting quarantine restrictions and ensuring our trade partners' safety will stimulate commerce and attract foreign investment. We need to get our goods moving again."

"Second, we'll revitalize our major industries. The plague decimated our workforce, but with your cure, productivity will return. With regards to agriculture, we'll invest in new irrigation, distribute high-yield seeds, and offer subsidies to farmers. This will feed our people and generate export revenue."

"Finally, we'll leverage our mineral resources to revitalize mining and manufacturing. Cranch sits upon the third largest deposit of Orichalcum in the Seven Kingdoms. It's a valuable resource, and we'll use it to our advantage by slightly under cutting the competition. Once our workforce recovers, we'll increase production of Orichalcum. This will attract foreign workers seeking employment and create a boom in the local economy. It will create jobs, generate revenue, and establish Cranch as a key player in the regional market."

Cael turned back to Haru with an enthusiastic look. "The terms are on the table. I trust you will carefully consider this offer and the benefits you will gain from it."

Haru whistled sharply followed by a slow clap. "Impressive plan. Almost makes me believe you can pull it off." His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward with a smile. "But you're ignoring the elephant in the room. What happens when the plague comes back?"

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The prince's face flickered momentarily as he swallowed hard. "We've already researched the cause of the plague, and the results indicate it was likely caused by a disease brought back by several adventurers after dealing with some monsters. However, we've already dealt with the original source of the disease, and secondary infections are not as prevalent."

"Really?" Haru's voice was dry. "Considering Cranch is known primarily for its abundant agricultural goods and pristine waters, I'd expect something more significant. Both have been halted for months. What's the coincidence of Cranch's most prized exports suddenly stopping around the same time the plague began?"

Suddenly, a sharp clang was heard as the king's crown fell, and he dropped to his knees.

"Father, what are you doing?" Cael shouted, alarmed.

"It's fine, he already knows," the king replied, turning to Haru. "We had been periodically releasing our water reserves to fulfill prior arrangements with the other kingdoms in an effort to not raising suspicions about the plague's origin. If the true source of the plague was ever known publicly, the kingdom would cease to exist."

He suddenly slammed his head on the floor and spoke earnestly. "Please forgive me for trying to deceive you."

"No, it was my-" Cael tried to interrupt but the king cut him off. "The fault lies entirely on me. I tried to deceive you. You're right. The kingdom is failing and we don't have the money to pay you what your cure is worth. But please," he pleaded, his voice cracking, "Allow us to use your recipe. Without it, our people will suffer. More will die." Tears welled in his eyes before falling onto the floor. "Before more perish under this foolish king's rule, please, find it in your heart to release the recipe. Save our people before it's too late."

Cael and Elric stood silently. Despite their youth, they held themselves back as their mother had once taught them.

There was a brief silence before Haru turned to Cael and asked, "How much money is left within the kingdom?"

"We have around 34 million Klador left." Prince Cael said with a downtrodden look, no longer holding any intention to lie. "At our current rate of expenditure, the kingdom is looking at only 3-4 months left before we're completely out of money. We've already budgeted it several times. Taking any sizable amount of money out at this point will cause mass starvation within the kingdom and would quicken the collapse even earlier. That's why we had hoped you would take our offer quicker before you found out. The Kingdom will fall but we wanted to ease the suffering as much as we could… that's what moth-, the queen would've wanted."

There was a noticeable pang of sorrow in his voice which seemed to even affect the young Elric who was barely holding onto his tears. Haru tapped on his chin as if we was in serious thought. Finally, he gave his answer. "We'll, I understand your plight but I'm still a businessman at heart so I can't simply take a loss just because you people are suffering. I have some conditions and whether you accept them is up to you. " Haru suddenly held out Four fingers as he listed out his demands. "First: I want 50,000 Klador. Second: I want access to your kingdom's treasury to pick out any item I want. Third: This recipe must not be shared or sold to any of the other kingdoms. You can, however, sell the product to the other kingdoms as you please. Fourth: you will owe me a favor in the future that you can't say no to."

The king suddenly lifted his head, a strange expression on his face as Cael, with an equally perplexed look, questioned, "Is… could you please repeat that?"

"Huh, are you both hard of hearing?" he sighed. "Fine. But I won't repeat again. 50,000 Klador, an item from your treasury, a license to sell my product with a restriction on the recipe itself, and a favor for the future. I won't go any lower than this, otherwise I'm losing out!"

"Why?!" Cael asked, anger caught in his throat. None of them were stupid enough to believe Haru would simply give them such an amazing deal. What he was asking for wouldn't even hurt their bottom line and was more beneficial to them especially with the fact that they could sell it to others and he wasn't even asking for any residual profits.

"We're desperate but it doesn't mean you should take us as fools!" Cael shouted.

"Cael!" the king tried to reign him back but he didn't even know what to say. He shared similar sentiments after all.

"Is it really too much?" Haru suddenly looked a little worried, wondering if he had really asked for too much.

"We don't know each other and you aren't even from around here. What purpose do you have to offer such conditions that would only serve us? What are you really after?" Cael demanded.

"Oh, that... well, its because I like you guys."

"What?"

"Well, not you exactly, but more so how you're willing to do what it takes to help your people." They continued to have a look of confusion as Haru began to explain with a smile. "I can't even think of any other kingdom who would've done what you've all did. A plague of this magnitude would cripple most kingdoms, but not in the same way as yours has. Other rulers would have abandoned the impoverished, barricaded the capital, and hoarded resources to protect their own lineage. Without consistent aid, the outlying villages would be ghost towns by now."

His smile turned wry. “You’re fighting a losing battle, you know. Trying to keep the entire kingdom afloat instead of focusing on the healthiest, the most productive…it’s admirable, but unsustainable. Your treasury is depleted because you refuse to let anyone starve, willing to pay exorbitant prices for imported food while other kingdoms exploit your weakness and desperation. If I were to support such a kingdom, I wonder what they can do for me if they were given the chance, you know?”

Haru suddenly took out his final two bottles of the elixer and placed it on the table.

"You asked me why I would give you such an offer? It's easy. It's because I'd like to see the Kingdom of Cranch survive this ordeal and then in the future, I would like to partner up with you all and use that favor to fulfill my dream.

"Your dream?" they asked.

"Yea, someday, I wish to make a kingdom of my own!"