Corvus told his new teacher about the agreement with Belisarius. "Sir, I understand that you want to make this deal,"the merchant said, his voice calm and thoughtful. "But do you really need this deal?"

The question echoed in Corvus' mind for a moment. He paused in mid-thought, his eyes squinting slightly, carefully weighing what the merchant had said. The merchant's implication was simple: Clearing Rhazgord's trade routes, announcing to the surrounding kingdoms that the roads were now safe, and punishing a few greedy merchants would be enough to increase trade volume and ensure fair trade. There was no need to make treaties with Belisarius or any other country.

But Corvus' aim was not just to protect the trade routes; it was to show the people of Rhazgord that a great change was possible. If trade flowed quickly and uninterruptedly, he would soon be able to show the effects of proper trade. He wanted to gain the confidence of the people, his soldiers and even his rivals. If he could do all this before Sanguinar arrived, he could convince him too. For the continuity of trade, all he had to do was to get Sanguinar's approval. After that, everything would be as the merchant said.

After some more consultation with the merchant, he began to prepare for the second round of negotiations for the trade agreement. The merchant's help in this matter was unquestionably great. Corvus would not leave this help unrewarded.

As the red light of sunset filtered in through the windows, both leaders sat down at the table with a stack of papers in front of them. Silence reigned for a short time. Belisarius watched Corvus carefully as he organised his papers, but Corvus seemed much more confident this time. After a short conversation, they began their negotiations.

Belisarius began with a serious expression. "I am sorry, Corvus," he said, his voice taking on a familiar diplomatic tone. "But I cannot change the terms of the previous meeting."

Corvus responded to Belisarius' words with a silent nod. His expression, however, was not sad at all. In fact, there was a faint light of triumph in his eyes. With a calm movement, he handed the papers in front of him to Belisarius. On these papers were written the names of various trade goods and the amounts demanded next to them. As Belisarius scrutinised the list, Corvus began to speak confidently.

"I will clear the roads," he said, his voice as strong and authoritative as ever. "And you will bring the goods on this list here within a two-month period. Of course, your convoys can buy whatever goods they want from here and sell them wherever you want. After two months, we can renegotiate tax exemptions or trade co-operation."

Belisarius paused for a moment as he skimmed the papers. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Corvus' proposal was not the kind of deal Belisarius had expected. This was not a trade agreement with complex diplomatic terms; this was a straightforward purchase agreement. He stared at Corvus' face, searching his eyes for any sign of hesitation or indecision, but Corvus' expression was resolute.

"This is not a trade agreement, Corvus," Belisarius said with mild surprise. "This is a purchase agreement spread out over time."

Belisarius reviewed the list in his hand. He knew they could obtain every item on the list; they were simple trade goods for the Kingdom of Adler. The question was how and with what Corvus would pay for them. Inwardly, he wondered if Corvus had the financial resources to trade in such quantities. Still, the surprise in his voice could not hide his curiosity.

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"We own all the goods here, of course. Pay us, and there will be no problem."

Corvus met Belisarius' questioning gaze calmly. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back. This was part of his plan; he expected Belisarius to be surprised. He was ready to make his first move to transform the Rhazgord's internal economic structure. Belisarius' scepticism as to whether he had sufficient resources at his disposal only strengthened Corvus' strategic advantage. Corvus responded confidently, lowering his voice slightly.

"Payment will not be a problem," he said. "You will bring some of the goods on this list here as soon as you have secured the roads. I will pay you in return."

Belisarius froze for several seconds upon hearing Corvus' offer. In the silence that suddenly descended on the room, his thoughts began to spin rapidly. He was trying to figure out what Corvus' plan was for the payment of the trade agreement. He had come to establish good relations with the Rhazgord, so helping Corvus might benefit the Kingdom of Adler in the long run. But there was still something he needed to find out; the crucial question was the question of payment.

"Payment..." Belisarius asked, a slight mixture of curiosity and scepticism in his voice. "How will you pay?"

Corvus answered immediately, without hesitation. The words echoed around the room.

"With the Stones of Light."

For a moment Belisarius did not realise what he was hearing. But he soon realised how logical the answer was. The Rhazgords had already collected hundreds of Demon corpses from the battlefield, and each Demon corpse brought with it a huge amount of Stones of Light. It was a priceless fortune. This rich resource of the Rhazgord was a powerful trump card that could support Corvus' commercial endeavours. The Stone of Light was not only a precious stone, it was a strategic resource. It was at the centre of everything.

Although the Kingdom of Adler was a semi-independent state, it was oppressed by the Sizat Empire. They were denied access to strategic resources, especially the Stone of Light. Therefore, for Belisarius, Corvus' offer was extremely tempting. This was the opportunity they needed to escape the tyranny of the Empire. But there was a problem: The amount of goods Corvus wanted. To fulfil such a large trade would require a large quantity of stone, no matter how valuable the Stone of Light was. Belisarius was rapidly making calculations in his head when Corvus spoke once more, interrupting his thoughts and causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

"We will give exactly one hundred kilos of Light Stones," Corvus said, his voice full of confidence and authority. "We will deliver half now and the other half in two months' time."

'A hundred kilos'. The amount that echoed in Belisarius' mind was almost surreal. So far in his life he had used less than half a kilo of Stone of Light, and now Corvus was offering him two hundred times that amount. This amount could double the physical strength of a thousand well-trained men. For a powerless state like the Kingdom of Adler, it was almost the difference between survival and extinction.

Corvus' offer swept away any doubts in Belisarius' mind. 100 kilos of the Stone of Light would not only strengthen relations with the Rhazgord, but also provide the impetus Adler needed to break free from the clutches of the Sizat Empire. This strategic treasure could be an important step in achieving Belisarius' goals.

Faced with this opportunity, Belisarius approved the offer without a second thought. There was a slightly excited expression on his face. 100 kilos of Stone of Light could change the balance of power he had imagined, could take him to his next step. Corvus' payment would be not just a trade, but a deal that shaped the future itself.

"It is an honour to work with you, Corvus," Belisarius said sincerely. His eyes suddenly lit up. "This trade agreement will bring great change, not only for Rhazgord, but for the Kingdom of Adler."

Corvus took Belisarius' excited response calmly, knowing in his heart that his plan was working perfectly. As the two leaders prepared to sign the papers in their hands, the agreement between them would be the first step in reshaping not only the economy of Rhazgord, but also the balance of power on the continent.

With the deal finalised, diplomatic relations between the two were restored. For several days Corvus had paid no attention to Belisarius, his friend and guest. They were both working on the treaty. Using the signing of the treaty as an excuse, Corvus proposed a celebration. It was a very tempting offer for Belisarius.