North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.24]
While Zeph and P’pfel were playing with their toys, Aisha was busy gathering information from around the city. Of course, she couldn’t show herself just yet. Kwan agreed to play the role of intermediary – that way she could hear the news firsthand.
The cooperation was good for both of them, so no trade was necessary.
Yesterday, they sent a number of messengers to acquainted individuals. Now, they sat in Kwan’s office reading the reports and replies.
The situation wasn’t looking good. At all.
“We are lucky your friend noticed something was wrong,” Kwan said. “Without scrutinizing the current political scene to this extent… We would be the first ones to be taken down.”
“Leave it to him, to be most useful in the most unexpected moments,” Aisha commented neutrally. She planned to have some alone time after arriving in the town. Instead, she was overworking herself. Again. “I am sometimes wondering if he is worth the headaches…”
Kwan smiled mischievously. “Should you speak like that about your mentee? He isn’t even connected to our current problems,” she teased while indicating the reports.
Aisha was silent for a moment, looking at the ceiling with an empty gaze. “He has a 10% Soul fragmentation, Kwan,” she finally said with a sigh.
She could hear Kwan suck the air through her teeth. “How? He had the chance to repair himself, didn’t he?”
“System Onji probably suggested rewards for finding his own way. You know how they operate. Also, he actually decreased it by a significant amount before taking a Class,” she shook her head. “I initially thought it would be alright. He had no symptoms…” she looked at Kwan thoughtfully. Then, she sighed again. “For one reason or another. But the more upgrades he receives…”
Kwan nodded in understanding. Healing a Soul wound after it buried itself under new constructs was no easy task. And the situation could only get worse. Even if she didn’t know what upgrades Zora had in mind, she understood they influenced his Soul and mentality.
“I am surprised he is even stable with something like that…” she started but didn’t finish. It was bad business to force the information out of her partner in such a way.
“Is he, now?” Aisha commented idly, thinking about their encounter with the morphing Netherling. For all reasons and purposes, Zeph’s mind should have been broken back then. The fact that he kept his marbles was… unsettling, in a way. She wasn’t sure if repairing his Soul was even possible now.
His current mental problems weren’t inducted by Intuition at all, but she didn’t have the heart to explain to him that he was slowly succumbing to madness. Especially because she wasn’t sure if he really was…
“Enough of this!” she exclaimed, slapping her knees and straightening in her fluffy chair. Kwan didn’t even bat an eye at the loud sound. She knew her friend long enough to know what she had in mind right now.
It was better to concentrate on the problems at hand. “Have you decided? I don’t think we need more information to make a decision. At this point, it’s guaranteed the shift in power will take place. For the worse.”
Kwan closed her eyes, hiding half of her face under a fan. It was a gesture meant to inform others to not disrupt her. Their culture was exotic for the locals, but Aisha was well acquainted with it.
A few minutes passed in silence before she opened her eyes again and spoke. “We cannot relocate with our current financial situation. If you want full support, we will require the knowledge on, at least, a medium Tier 1 Exchange item or the equivalent.”
Aisha clicked her tongue in irritation. Getting a new Exchange entry for her was a steep price. At least she knew Zeph could produce one, so it wouldn’t burden her directly.
The problem was, Kwan also knew that.
“I can only agree to a partnership contract,” she stated, challenging the Hannyajin.
Kwan frowned and stayed silent for a moment.
“Acceptable. Equal share then, but only including profit - no limits at usability nor license payments.”
“You have a deal,” she nodded. “I will bring Zeph in the evening. Are you prepared for eventual retaliation?”
“Who do you think we are?” Kwan asked with a predatory smile on her face. “We just need to make arrangements beforehand to minimize our losses. Speaking of which, you should ask your friend from the production district if he would like to accompany us.”
“I was thinking about propagating the news somehow – not only him, but also others would try to contact one of us if they require assistance. And I need those papers in as many reliable hands in this town as possible,” she explained, waving P’pfel’s documents, “so Oric and his henchmen won’t be able to erase them from circulation.”
Kwan hummed as she thought about the idea. “Does it unlock anything?”
Aisha nodded. “Tier 0 medicinal substance, but a specialized one, sadly.”
“Good. It’s worth something, at least. It should give more credibility to the information packet. And Oric’s opponents would have another leverage against him,” she concluded, nodding in approval.
Then, she smiled charmingly, clasping her hands. “Thank you for offering your help with setting up a new information network. It will ease the relocation efforts, too!”
Aisha just sighed at the audacity. But it was her own idea and information traders in the town would warn anyone that paid enough.
More work… What a headache!
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It was early night when Zeph finished his last optimization tests. He found the best organomercury-to-blood ratio and proved that the source of body parts and fluids was irrelevant in the Mana-L creation process.
Until he managed to find a way for people to copy the enchanted Spell outside of the cube, he had to suspend further experimentation. Nonetheless, his old passion for research flared up with renewed vigor. He had wasted some of the materials by making his prototype but to advance his Spell he would have to repeat known crafting processes anyway, so he didn’t feel as if he lost much by doing it without checking current knowledge on the topic.
On another note, he finally understood why his Primitive Enchanting was categorized as a Spell while it didn’t provide him a Matrix to use, just helping with constructing the Spells inside solid objects. It was just categorized after more advanced versions – each of the new Enchanting Spells provided him with a Spell framework to work with. The knowledge of how to use them was included in his General Skill.
As Zeph was finishing cleaning after his crafting session, Aisha entered the room. It was night already, and she looked tired like never before.
“Oh, have you finished playing around?” she asked sarcastically.
“Yep,” he answered happily. “The diverging process reached its capacity, now I have all the tools I need for the next part… Well, almost all,” he said sheepishly but with pride. She deflated somehow hearing it.
“Greeeu?” asked Gru.
“Yes, thank you, I’m fine,” she answered his abdomen then looked into his eyes, straightening up. “Come with me.”
He shrugged and followed. They walked downstairs and through the kitchens, which was another marvel as most of the furniture was made from polished marble. Soon, they arrived at the back of the building. The security here was on another level as at every corner he could see a guardian. Instead of waiter clothes, they wore an elegant black and red leather armor.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
No one stopped them as Aisha guided him through the corridors and down a spiraling staircase. They entered the first doors, almost two stories down.
The opulent décor was absent down here. Walls were made from solid rock. Only a few potted plants and benches were present. Yellow lights set on the walls somehow gave it the atmosphere of a modern waiting room.
They entered a room at the end of the corridor. It was quite spacious. On the right, a small bar was set. Shelves with documents decorated the left side, creating a cozy environment for the big, low table set between pillow chairs nearby. The right part of the back wall was decorated with purple plants and a folding screen depicting two armies clashing with each other.
Kwan was sitting behind the table, a fan in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. She was wearing loose, red-and-black robes with intricate patterns sewn in silver thread. Her gaze landed on them as they entered and she nodded slightly before going back to reading.
Aisha guided him to the bar, where an older gentleman was waiting.
“Do you need refreshments?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“No, thanks Tuen. The dinner will be here soon, either way,” she said, sitting on the stool.
“As you wish. Call me if you need anything,” he said, touching an orb on the counter and walking to the side, where a soft armchair and a book were waiting for him.
A few seconds later, Zeph could feel a Spell manifest around them. The fact that he could detect it spoke volumes about its potency.
“So,” Aisha started, “I was negotiating a faster and safer way of reaching Lurona City. Taking into account the current political struggle, in which Landlord Oric takes a big part, it would be best for all parties included if those negotiations succeeded.”
That was an unexpected turn of events. “Okay…”
“To summarize it, a certain faction has been working for a long time to take over the town’s military force. Our friend, the Landlord, is in the middle of it all. But P’pfel’s testimony could easily put him in a very… unpleasant position. He is at risk of being excluded from that faction. As a result, he sped up the process to keep himself afloat and to find the Gremling… We are not sure what plans they have, but because even some people from churches are working with them, it’s safe to assume we are unable to leave the town undetected. The scale of the events is just too big.”
“And when they find out who I am…”
“Yes, we wouldn’t have just him pursuing us. And I cannot ignore what is happening in Barringstone, so leaving P’pfel behind is also out of the question,” she said and started to murmur. “Not to mention the waste…”
She kept blabbering to herself silently about an investment, but he couldn’t understand what she had in mind and just ignored it. Aisha had to be really tired to let her thoughts leak out like that.
“So, what do you need from me?” he asked, waking her up from the self-inducted daze.
She shook her head and started massaging her temples. “Right. Kwan wants a medium Tier 1 Exchange item. I believe you have enough irrelevant ones to share some.”
His eyebrows raised. “And how do I share something like that? And what does Tier 1 mean? The shop didn’t have Tiers…”
She looked at him with incredulity written on her face, but quickly reminded herself why he was asking. She sighed deeply. “And here I thought we taught you the basics properly… You need to compile a paper to describe how to make at least a prototype, they can unlock it that way. You can also teach someone. Tier is just our way of specifying the potential – Tier 1 means it’s Mana-active, medium means it’s not a specialized item.”
He tilted his head. “Mana-active? Like in ‘can interact with Mana’?”
“Precisely. The medicament you showed P’pfel is lower Tier 0 because it’s specialized to work only on a rare disorder and works physically. Well, we never confirmed it at the Exchange, but I can believe his assessment.”
“… I don’t remember what was in the shop, you know?”
She paused at that. She totally forgot he only saw it once, months ago.
“Umm, just give her something useful?” she proposed, making a whatever-works awkward smile.
“…”
“Or something in your possession? Like a zipper?” she tried again.
“…”
“Ah, I know! Show her some materials you have on yourself and know how to make?” she tried again with hope.
That… could actually work, he thought with slight disgust at her ignorance.
“Fine, but you are responsible for covering information about me. Or does she know already where I am from?”
She shook her head. “No, no. You are safe, for now. I am sure she has her own guesses, but I made it clear it’s not information for sale.”
He nodded. His secret was being exposed more and more, it seemed. The worst part was, he couldn’t do much about it. People were a curious bunch, sometimes morbidly.
“What’s the plan, then?”
“We will stay low for the next two or three days, as the information about this political struggle spreads out. I will make an appearance then, to make sure my acquaintances in churches understand the gravity of the situation. We will leave the city after that, but there is a small possibility we will be targeted.”
His eyebrow rose. “What happened to that peaceful society of yours?”
She frowned. “Don’t sass me. I am sure you understand how people in power react when their position is at risk. We wouldn’t be in this position if not for you - I would have never found that hidden doors!”
“Oh, are you blaming me? Or are you complimenting me?” he asked with a half-smile.
“Both. You’re a headache and blessing in one, mixed unevenly. Any more questions? Or can we finally get to the negotiations?” she asked, crossing her arms.
“Give me a moment to look through my things first…”
She gestured for the gentleman to enter the bubble of Mana around them, and he immediately obliged.
“Yes, signora?”
“Can you bring his black backpack? Do not examine it.”
“Certainly,” he answered, moving to the doors with elegance. Zeph was slightly jealous of the butler. His presence and mannerism were almost hypnotizing.
A minute later, he was guided into a separate room to have some privacy. Aisha sat with Kwan, waiting for him.
Firstly, he took out his broken pistol. No one should be able to recreate it, especially without an example of a bullet. He searched the parts, trying to remember how to make them. Most, of course, was just high-grade steel, but parts of the grip were made from other materials. He actually recalled how to make this foam-like material, but the process was entirely too complicated for the technological level of this world.
He tried to push some Mana into it, but it didn’t do anything. Mana-L was the same. He shrugged.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, he counted his bullets. 15 normal, one magazine of incendiary, and one full of the hollow-point bullets. 55 total… It really became my emergency weapon.
He started looking through the rest of his possessions one by one. His crossbow didn’t want to channel Mana at all. The idea of steel rope entered his mind, he could make it conductive by using some mercury in the alloy. Probably.
He shook his head. Too many unknowns, and someone probably already did something like that.
He checked his hatchet/hammer, knives, waterproof fabric, almost empty Prana batteries… Nothing reacted to Mana, and he had no idea how to make them a Tier 1.
Diodes from his flashlight wouldn’t count as a Tier 1, he was sure. And there was no electricity in this world. The plastic it was made from, though…
The Mana-L flowed through it with only minor resistance.
Bingo! he thought happily. It was made from a cheap PET polymer. He could easily produce it from DMT extracted from plants and ethylene glycol.
Happy with this finding, he repacked the items, leaving only the flashlight, and walked back to the main room.
At the entrance, he was met with a gaze full of hope, and a gaze full of scrutiny. He didn’t like either of them.
The Spell surrounding the table was palpable for his senses. The hole he made by moving through it was slowly closing behind him.
After placing his backpack on the floor, he sat on the soft pillow and relaxed. The flashlight was in his hand.
Both women were silent, so he started the discussion. It was an opportunity.
“What are the terms?”
“Half of the profits from trade. No restriction for usability for our faction and no license,” Kwan answered immediately.
He frowned. It wasn’t the worst, but half of the profits was quite high.
“If you want to keep the percentage of the profit the same, you need to fulfill additional conditions,” he said with a neutral face. His poker face wasn’t the best, but he was used to negotiations.
Kwan looked at Aisha, who just shrugged. It seemed he was adding to the already existing agreement, but he was holding all the cards. There was no way he wouldn’t use that fact.
The Hannyajin looked back at him, narrowing her eyes and hiding her mouth behind the fan. “It all depends on what you have in mind. We already agreed to the partnership, so don’t cross that line.”
Like I even know what that means, he exclaimed internally, suppressing the urge to massage his temples.
“You already set additional conditions, it’s just to balance things. First, you will guarantee that I and P’pfel have a place to sleep and live in. For free, standard meals included. Second, you will guarantee both of us have space to set up our workshops. In exchange, you can sell less important inventions within the partnership contract. That itself should be more than enough to pay for both, but I also want you to keep us anonymous. And I mean actively. Third, every three months you will try to sell one of my chosen gadgets. Even if the venture doesn’t seem profitable. And it will not be included in the partnership contract – you will get either 5% of profits if you want to just sell things, or 10% if you take it on yourself to produce the required number of them. I will have all rights to them, but obviously, you will have access to the System version. Aisha will be the inheritor in case I die.”
His long explanation was met with surprised looks. It seemed people here weren’t operating like that normally. Good thing he didn’t mention money management. Either banks existed here, or he would create one himself – it would be too much of an opportunity not to try it. Even if it would cost him a lot of time.
Kwan hid her face with a fan, deep in thought. Aisha gave him a disappointed look, but he ignored her. Who would just agree to a pre-prepared agreement just like that?
Finally, their host spoke. “It’s acceptable. Although, some details had to be hammered down before we write the contract. But before that, you need to show me if we can even start negotiating.”
He nodded and handed her the flashlight. “Try to use a Stabilizing Spell’s Mana on it. Also, your first commission for gadgets would be to recreate the power source and light source of the item. I know those are two different things, but it’s impossible to have one without the other and the power source can be used for future items. Besides, the material is more valuable than it should.”
As she followed his instructions, her eyes widened. She checked the weight and roughly the durability. She was in seventh heaven. “Now, that is something worth my attention,” she said, smiling.
The LED light will dominate this realm in no time, he thought giddily. Electro mages, or whatever you are called here, prepare for the industrial revolution!
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Interface: (without change)