Emily rubbed her forehead  for the third time in the last ten minutes. Glancing forward, she found herself frowned to the ever-smiling lady in front of her. The lady herself had a striking attire that speaks confidence in volume. A biretta with a pair of gleaming white wings perched on her top and for heaven sake, a bell gown with size that indicate fourteen-layer petticoats. Not to mention the sacred, well, feared actually, distinct ochre VV sigil, embroidered in her left shoulder.

"I assure you my lady, our offer is very  beneficial to both of us, if my lady is willing to sign~." 

"Certainly, to you and your company, it'd be beneficial indeed."  remark Emily hastily.

"I'm very sorry my lady, perhaps there are certain clauses, that my lady deemed in need of.... further inquiries?" 

"Inquiries?? Inquiries??!!! Your company inquiries me to signed off  four hundred thousand golds worth of land for a mere  hundred grand!!"

"Ah, but my lady, the land is quite small, not more than three farmland wide, I suppose.."

"The land located on central market!"

"That is true my lady, but perhaps my lady haven't heard the benefit that our business brought in the developing towns? Especially, in the flourishing frontier towns like Eigel."

"Why do you think I tolerate your presence here?"

"Ah, my lady is the most informed."

"Spill it."

"Excuse me, my lady?"

"The additional perks, bonus, whatever you people called it. Tell me all what you could offer."

"Vival were ready to give my lady the needed  35% discount for all my lady and my lady's affiliate  for two hundred consecutive use of the Gates."

"And?"

"Vival also prepared to held, for limited time only, our Corporate Social Responsibility program, by giving away newbie pack in the case Vival were allowed by my lady to open our branch here."

"Is that it?"

"Vival also agree to gave my lady and fifteen chosen affiliate that my lady selected as a premium member of Vival. Premium member would be waived of any additional service fee that Vival accounted  for it's normal member. Including the famous personal, case-by-case basis, Vival Dungeoneering Consultation. "

"But of course, if my lady were chose to have all of the rewards included in Vival Contract, Vival would need a relieve of 2.5% tax that imposed on Vival for the next twenty seven month."

Emily closed her eyes. Vival were the big pharma, well the only big pharma. They popped in Royal Road about three months ago, no one know where they come from. But  with flair of negotiation they managed to open their branches in fifteen towns and counting. Their potion collection were very vast, from anti sting bites to skill cool down reducer, they have all of it. Not to mention, a month ago when they, God know how,  managed to open the Gates. The Gates were teleportation station that could transport you to any town that own Vival branch. She remember the uproar in her frequented forum when Vival did so. Usually, a gate need forty wizard on to perform the ritual with lots and lots of reagent that is so damnable expensive. And even then, they could only open it for a week top, with twenty days of cool down. How Vival managed to open a continuously operating Gate were beyond her. The teleporting fees were still expensive, thankfully, about 900 gold per person plus 1.5 gold per 10 kilo of weight. But of course, the rich merchant has no qualm about that mere pennies. Teleporting were far more cheaper than hiring mercenaries to protect their wares from bandit and it faster too. 

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Thus, merchants were hailing Vival as the centuries lifesaver, while mercenaries despise Vival grudgingly (because they still need Vival potion). The customer information also shared by every branches, guaranteeing convenience of it's customer. 

Emily realize that she did want Vival, no she need Vival to be exist in her town, there were Loiree and Penell in the east and west of Eigel, and Vival only open branches between towns that packed quite distance (thus, maximizing their Gates profit). And if she refused here, Vival would simply move to Loiree or Penell. And she couldn't have that. Merchant would chose that town and the rest of the population will follow, not to mention the new players that will also chose the other town.

"Fine. I accept your term."

****

"It is the most peculiar, Vincent, all of your store potions have a question mark effect when I Identified it." Comment Weed with his "sincere" smiles as he polished the marble statue of siren that Vincent commissioned to be perched on the top of the Geind Municipal's Vival Branch.

"Hmm? Are you sure Weed? Perhaps your eyes playing tricks on you? If I remembered correctly you have played for 24-hours long without a break. Perhaps you need a rest?"

"Possible. But my identify skill is Advanced Level 8, Vincent. Ah, do you want the siren's diadem to be emptied?"

"Yes, please put this gem etched to this diadem. You must be very keen observant to have such high identify skill, my friend."

"Blue aqua gem of the silent sea? This could fetch a whole town! Are you sure it'd not be stolen? Yes, I need to be observant, in this dog eat dog world, bad thing happens, you see."

"Do not worry, I have taken every known precaution. So, the usual payment?"

"Glad to hear that. Of course, with a little bit bonus perhaps this time?"

"Of course, dear friend." 

"Non-disclosure eh? So what is your plan, the mysterious Vincent?"

"The usual. The cliche. The most profitable. That you may or may not already knew."

"The most interesting...."

Spoiler :

Hello guys, sorry for out so long, I went through lots of Idea for this buffering chapter to keep it more interesting. The style a bit British today, or at least Holywood British. Watched Elementary marathon, seems I were carried away. Anyway, Rate and Review Please!!! And Check out my new fanfic Perchance