Chapter 1095: Chapter 264: The Price That Can Be Paid
"I’ve rarely heard of Mermaids appearing together with Naga. I wonder what the reason is?" Brand stood by the ship’s rail and asked.
"None of your business, Human!" Before Sani’er could answer, the girl beside him immediately glared and snapped coldly. Only then did Brand notice that this girl had only a pair of jade-like arms, her figure lithe and graceful, shaped like a Human woman; she was not a Naga, but an absolutely genuine Mermaid Girl. From the look of her, she was already on the verge of being both angry and embarrassed.
The Mermaid race was kind by nature and never took part in plundering merchant ships. If not for the Gray Fin clan facing a life-and-death crisis, they would never have broken their promise and appeared here. What made Jenny angry was that this young man even had the gall to ask, in all seriousness, "I’ve rarely heard of Mermaids appearing together with Naga. I wonder what the reason is?" It was stupid to death. She couldn’t help grinding her teeth, afraid that if the tales here spread, the world would take the Mermaids for bandits as well.
"Looks like you’ve run into some trouble yourselves." Brand replied keenly.
"What are you trying to say?" Sani’er frowned.
"I just wanted to ask if there’s anything we might be able to help with?" Brand probed.
Sani’er hesitated for a moment, seemingly a little moved, but when his expression shifted, Brand immediately guessed that the Grey Fin Naga must have encountered some real, serious trouble. Otherwise, with the other side’s usual resolve, how could he be so hesitant? He searched his memory for major events on the Sea of Shining around this period, and vaguely recalled the legendary "West Sea War". But the "West Sea War" began even earlier than the Black Rose War, lasting from before the game started all the way to the end of the first Chapter, and there had only been a few brief mentions of it on the forums. It was merely a war occurring on Erune’s borders, outside civilization, with almost no players involved.
Brand thought for a moment and spoke before the other could: "How about this—We’re actually merchants as well, and our ship is mostly loaded with cargo. If there’s anything you need, we can trade right here. Doing business doesn’t have to be bound by formality." He wanted to make friends with the Grey Fin Naga, and even Captain James could see that by now. This young captain, however, had his doubts: the other party were notorious pirates, and whether they kept their word was another matter, not to mention that the Grey Fin Naga weren’t even the strongest force on the Sea of Shining.
"Sounds nice," the Mermaid Girl spoke up again. Her voice was beautiful, almost like singing, but her words were sharp: "Didn’t you say we’re bandits? If we open our mouths and say we want the goods on your ship, will you agree or not?"
When she finished, she stared at Brand. If this fake merchant said he wouldn’t agree, she would definitely mock him for going back on his word. If he agreed, then judging from the excited sparkle in her eyes, she clearly intended to push things as far as they would go. But the Mermaid Girl knew that Human merchants were always stingy and greedy; most likely he would find some excuse.
Unexpectedly, Brand didn’t even think about it before he answered directly, "It’s not out of the question."
The Mermaid Girl stared in surprise, eyes wide. "Hey, Human, weren’t you talking about doing business? Who does business like you?" She was convinced Brand was just making fun of them, and couldn’t help but demand an explanation.
"I’ve heard that war between the various Naga clans has already reached a white-hot stage. On land, there’s the notion of proxy wars between countries. I put up money to invest in your war: if you emerge victorious, I might be able to take a share of the profits. Even if you lose, all I’d be out is a shipload of goods, and I’d still have bought myself a favor. With a deal that’s win–win like that, why wouldn’t I make it?" Brand countered.
As soon as he said this, the Mermaid Girl immediately grew alert, raising her brows and asking, "How do you know we’re at war?"
"He’s bluffing you." Sani’er sighed. Though he was rigid, he wasn’t stupid. "Stupid Fish" was just a nickname Brand and the others had stuck on him for being inflexible. He reached out and pulled the Mermaid Girl behind him, afraid that this single-track-minded Lord Witch would, in one breath, spill every last one of their secrets. He’d never heard of doing business like this—wouldn’t they be losing out horribly?
The Mermaid Girl also came to her senses at this point and couldn’t help glaring at Brand again, grinding her teeth. She had never seen anyone so infuriating. No wonder the elders of the clan always said Humans were crafty and treacherous—so it was true.
The people behind Brand all had the look of wanting to laugh but not daring to, especially Caglis. The young man increasingly felt that his Lord was unbelievably crafty. He’d heard that the Lord’s Fiancée was good at managing money, a first-rate merchant, but now it seemed this was simply a family trait. Only Antitina couldn’t help reminding him, "Lord..."
