The Cornflower Witch Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Negotiating the Contract

“I wonder, how much ‘Blazing Sun’ affinity raw material do you need?” Hylial held a folding fan, imitating Madame Faran by lightly tapping her palm, presenting an “I’m not easily fooled” look.

“Of course, the more the better.”

The other party didn’t pretend to be reserved and directly demanded a large quantity, indicating they could take it all.

The girl shook her head slightly. How could they negotiate like this? She hadn’t even mentioned the conditions and compensation.

“My teacher has indeed cultivated many ‘Blazing Sun’ affinity sunflowers, but it took a lot of effort, and some of the products have already been reserved by friends, so I cannot give them all to you,” Hylial politely declined.

“I understand, which is why I specially prepared this gift for you.” It seemed the other party had planned this long ago.

The astute merchant, as if by magic, produced a small box from his sleeve. This octagonal prism-shaped box was placed on the table, and with a press of a button, it opened layer by layer like a lotus, revealing a jade stone emitting a strange glow.

【Luminous Epidote】 (Tier 1 – Jade Nectar): A very rare jade-green gemstone, occasionally found alongside stalactites, extremely resistant to high temperatures, suitable for extending ‘Jade Nectar’ affinity abilities.

Although it was only a Tier 1 affinity, considering the rarity of this gemstone, its value was probably more than ten times that of an ordinary ‘Tier 1’ transcendent item.

At least one hundred Goldflower Coins, the girl secretly estimated.

“This is a special epidote, capable of accommodating the power of ‘Jade Nectar’ affinity and assisting related abilities.” If made into a ring, it could boost Hylial’s ‘Dew Prayer Method’ and ‘Bloom-Flowering Method’ by about 30%.

“This kind of gemstone is indeed very precious, but it’s far from matching the deal we’re discussing.” The girl opened her folding fan, half-covering her face, revealing only her bright, jewel-like blue eyes.

“No rush, Miss Anluoer, I have something else prepared for you.” This merchant had clearly done his homework, no wonder he was so confident.

He again produced a jar of amber-colored liquid from somewhere and placed it on the table. The liquid inside was thick like honey, with tiny bubbles, but it was not honey.

“Miss Anluoer, this is a rare resin I obtained from the Hod Kingdom. It can be used in the making of many rare items, and it can also be paired with the epidote I just showed you to create special weapons like the 【Jade Tree Spirit Sword】.”

【Chiffon Pine Resin】 (Tier 1 – Jade Nectar): The resin of the transcendent plant chiffon pine, scarce in production, widely used in the creation of clear viewing lenses, emerald glass, and precise instrument parts.

Another rare item, but what was this 【Jade Tree Spirit Sword】 he was talking about? Hylial had never heard of it before.

As if knowing Hylial’s lack of knowledge, Lining stepped forward at this moment and said, “Could this gentleman please describe the 【Jade Tree Spirit Sword】?”

“Of course. In fact, I have a blueprint for crafting the 【Jade Tree Spirit Sword】 here, which I can include as a gift.” The other party took out a folded sheet of paper and handed it to the maid.

【Jade Tree Spirit Sword】 (Jade Nectar): A weapon forged from 【Epidote】 and 【Resin】 with Jade Nectar affinity, created using a special secret method. When infused with the power of ‘Jade Nectar’ affinity, it can automatically repair nicks, sharpen its edge, and possess excellent toughness.

Ordinary steel weapons inevitably get nicks after striking hard objects, but a blade made from resin can instantly harden and soften under the manipulation of ‘Jade Nectar’ affinity, giving it both hardness, sharpness, and flexible resistance. Even if a nick appears, it can be repaired through its self-adhesion and flow.

A sword blade made purely of resin would inevitably lack hardness and sharpness, and wouldn’t be heat-resistant, but the properties of epidote perfectly overcome these two points, making the two a perfect match, achieving a wonderful synergy.

Such a weapon was precisely what Hylial, lacking combat means, desperately needed. She didn’t know how the other party found out, or perhaps it was just a guess, as most gardeners at lower tiers lacked means to deal with combat.

Her fingers lightly touched her chin, and Hylial tilted her head, looking at the items on the table, pondering.

“Could you tell me how much ‘Blazing Sun’ seed oil you expect from my teacher?”

Seeing the girl relax, the man stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and replied, “We hope to acquire at least 500 bottles of ‘Sunseed Oil’ this time.”

Five hundred bottles… Hylial closed her folding fan and tapped her palm.

“That’s too many. We can only give you three hundred bottles at most.”

Actually, there were about seven hundred bottles of Sunseed Oil in the underground storage, but these were Madame Faran’s years of stock, and Hylial couldn’t sell off her teacher’s belongings all at once.

“Three hundred bottles are fine. We will purchase them at a price of about 3 gold coins per bottle. I wonder if Miss Anluoer finds this acceptable.” This price could only be described as moderate.

Considering that selling to other places would cost extra time and effort, selling at this price would not result in a loss, but it wouldn’t be very profitable either.

“Three gold coins per bottle is too low for me to explain to my teacher,” Anluoer shook her head.

“At least four gold coins a bottle.” She extended four slender fingers.

“Agreed.”

The other party agreed so quickly that Hylial regretted whether she was cut out for business. They should have haggled with her a bit to let her confirm if the price was appropriate.

However, since she had already agreed, she was not one to go back on her word.

“Then let’s continue to discuss the issues of transportation and delivery,” Hylial knew that relying on herself alone wouldn’t be enough this time. She raised her hand and gestured for Lining to come closer.

“Go and invite Madame Kalay of the Gardeners’ Guild. Tell her I have a business matter I don’t understand and need her help.”

“Understood, Miss.” Lining confirmed and then left the living room.

Not long after, the maid returned, making Hylial think she hadn’t left at all.

“I’ve already informed Madame Kalay. She should be here shortly.” Lining didn’t explain how she had delivered the message, and Hylial, at this point, couldn’t very well ask in front of the guest. She merely nodded, pretending to be unconcerned.

The merchant didn’t get angry at Hylial’s impromptu call for help. He simply drank his tea calmly, as if it was all within his expectations.

About ten minutes later, a carriage arrived in front of the mansion. Soon after, Madame Kalay, dressed in a dark green dress, entered with two attendants.

“Long time no see, Anluoer~” She first went to Hylial to greet her, then sat down, her gaze assessing the man opposite her.

“Hello, Madame Kalay,” the man seemed to have heard of her name.

“Hello, but I don’t think we’ve met before,” Kalay confirmed that this was their first meeting.

“Yes, my name is Al Bayu. I am from Fengqiao City and represent the local ‘Bronze Halberd Merchant Association’. I’ve been entrusted by the local guild and the city lord to procure crucial raw materials.”

“Bronze Halberd Merchant Association, and from Fengqiao City… it seems you’re procuring for the military,” Kalay recalled something.

The Bronze Halberd Merchant Association specializes in producing military equipment. They have many blacksmiths and armorers, and many high-ranking nobles seek them out to purchase weapons and equipment for their guards. By centrally procuring raw materials and crafting, the Bronze Halberd Merchant Association can keep costs down, and their quality is consistent, earning them much praise from customers.

“It’s surprising that you’re involved in the medicinal potion business this time. It seems you’ve partnered with the local Apothecaries’ Guild.”

Currently, most apothecaries in Regas are affiliated with the Apothecaries’ Guild Alliance. Their qualifications and training methods are controlled by the Guild, making it difficult for other merchant associations to interfere.

“I am Madame Faran’s friend. She’s not home today, and Anluoer is handling many things. However, as an elder, it’s my duty to help look after her. I hope Mr. Al Bayu doesn’t mind.” It was too late to mind, Kalay’s words were merely a polite formality.

Kalay then inquired about the previously negotiated price, quantity, and other conditions. She tapped her fingers, pondered, and then spoke.

“Four gold coins is still too little. It should be five gold coins per bottle at least.”

“No, no, Madame Kalay. This price is already quite fair and sincere. In fact, I’m only offering such a generous price out of consideration for Miss Anluoer,” Al Bayu shook his head.

“A basic healing potion typically costs about 20 silver in the market, and its effects include stopping bleeding and initial wound healing.”

“One bottle of ‘Sunseed Oil’ as raw material, when added to the refining process with other herbs, can produce 24 bottles of basic healing potions, which is 480 silver coins, or about 4.8 gold coins.”

“We hardly make any profit at this price, and you also have to consider preservation costs and the apothecary’s share.” Not only was there no profit, there might even be a loss.

“That’s not right,” Kalay also shook her head in disagreement.

“You only mentioned basic healing potions.”

“If one bottle of ‘Sunseed Oil’ is used as a raw material in the production of intermediate healing potions, 8 bottles can be made, and each intermediate healing potion sells for 1 gold coin, which totals 8 gold coins.” From this perspective, it definitely would be profitable.

“You also know that 1 gold coin per bottle is the retail price. Our orders for the military won’t be that high; otherwise, we wouldn’t secure the contract,” Al Bayu argued.

The two continued to haggle, but Al Bayu seemed to have changed his mind, stubbornly insisting on a price of 4 gold coins per bottle, which annoyed Kalay.

Seeing the negotiations come to a standstill, Hylial had to interrupt for a moment.

“Let’s not discuss the price for now. Let’s talk about delivery and transportation.”

“Due to the lack of staff at the residence, it’s impossible for us to transport it to Fengqiao City for you. So, you’ll need to send your own people to pick up the goods,” Hylial mentioned.

“That’s fine.” Al Bayu also wouldn’t trust others to transport such valuable items.

“And then there’s the inspection issue upon delivery. Please inspect the goods in person before taking them from the residence. We will no longer be responsible for any damage after they leave.”

“That’s acceptable, but we also need to consider the issue of wear and tear during transit. So, please agree, Miss Anluoer, that for every 100 bottles purchased, two additional bottles will be given to compensate for losses.”

Hylial thought about this point. If she didn’t agree, selling them all by herself and Madame Faran would also be troublesome. Such losses were indeed unavoidable.

“Agreed.” She tapped her palm with her fan, consenting.

Seeing Hylial agree, Kalay said no more. In fact, as Al Bayu said, this price was indeed good. If it were raw materials of other affinities, one bottle might only be worth 1 gold coin, and for the rare ‘Blazing Sun’ affinity, a price four times higher was already exceptional.

“Then let’s sign the contract.” After speaking, the merchant produced a special contract paper. This paper was made by the “Candlefort School” and came with a “Secret Word” affinity, which could prevent forgery. Once signed, it would separate into two identical copies, and the writing on the paper would be covered by newly generated patterns to prevent alteration.

The price of this contract paper alone was worth several gold coins; ordinary contracts wouldn’t even require it.

(End of chapter)