Chapter 50: 50: Negotiation (3)
He had looked at the spell properly. The pages were old, but the writing was not old. The ink looked fresh. One day old. Maybe less. That meant someone had written it recently. A baron family like House Vardros should not have anything like this. Their records were poor. Their mages were weak. Their family had not produced high rank magic in the last hundred years.
So where did the spell come from?
Did Lucard write it?
Did someone give it to him?
Did House Vardros hide a secret inheritance?
Or was there something else behind this young man?
Robi wanted to know. He wanted the spell, but he wanted the secret even more.
He leaned back and tapped his metal fingers against the table. The fake hand made a soft clicking sound.
"Lucard," Robi said, using his name directly for the first time. "I do not have that much cash with me right now. I only have one million gold coins available here. I can give you that immediately. For the remaining nine million, I will need one or two weeks to arrange the transfer."
Jenny felt like the world had become strange.
One million gold coins immediately.
Nine million later.
The numbers were too large for her current situation. A few days ago, she had worried about rebuilding House Vardros with almost nothing. Now she was sitting in a VIP room while a Marovain elder spoke about millions of gold coins as if they were heavy but manageable furniture.
Peter also looked shaken.
Jake whispered, "Sister, how many bags is one million gold coins?"
Jenny whispered back, "Too many."
Jake thought about it. "Can we sleep on them?"
Jenny said, "No."
Lucard looked at Robi.
"Fine. Give me one million gold coins now."
Robi smiled. "And the spell?"
"I will leave the pages with you," Lucard said. "But you must protect us until you pay the remaining nine million. If something happens to any of us before payment, then it means House Marovain has backed out from the offer."
Celia’s eyes sharpened.
Peter looked at Lucard with sudden understanding.
Jenny also understood a moment later.
Lucard was not only selling the spell. He was buying protection.
Robi looked at him silently. Then he smiled.
He had already learned that Lucard and his group had picked a fight with House Ravencroft. The rumors had spread quickly. The Vardros survivors had been seen entering Ravencroft Manor, then leaving not long after. The manor had sent guards around the city. Adrian Ravencroft was said to be injured. Robi did not know every detail, but he knew enough.
Lucard had planned this on the spot.
By making the payment unfinished, he tied House Marovain’s reputation to their safety. If the Vardros group died before receiving the remaining money, House Marovain would look like it had cheated and abandoned sellers after taking their property. For a merchant duke family, reputation was not a small thing. It was one of their weapons.
Robi became even more impressed.
"You are very interesting," Robi said.
Lucard said, "I know."
Celia looked at him with disbelief.
Robi laughed again.
"Alright. Until I pay you, I am..." He paused, then corrected himself. "No. House Marovain is in your debt."
Celia’s expression changed slightly at those words.
Robi looked at her.
"Celia, send two Rank Three guards from our shop to protect them. They must stay with them twenty four hours a day until the remaining payment is made."
Celia nodded. "Okay, Uncle."
Jenny finally released the breath she had been holding.
Peter lowered his head slightly. This changed everything. With two Rank Three guards from House Marovain, Ravencroft would not dare act openly. Even House Karswell would need to think twice. It did not make them fully safe, but it gave them a shield.
Lucard then looked at Robi.
"Give me a high rank healing potion. Cut the money from the one million gold coins."
Robi glanced at Peter’s wounded body and then at Jenny’s tired face.
"I will give that for free."
Lucard looked at him. "Generous."
Robi smiled. "Consider it an apology for the poor welcome from my branch."
Lucard did not answer.
Robi removed a storage ring from his finger and tossed it toward Lucard.
Lucard caught it.
"There are one million gold coins inside," Robi said. "The space in that ring is temporary property of House Marovain. Return it when the final payment is settled, or keep it if you want it deducted from the remaining amount."
Lucard checked the ring quickly. His senses touched the space inside. The gold coins were there. The amount looked correct.
He placed the ring into his cloak.
Robi gathered the four pages and handed them to Celia.
"Take them to the secure room. No one touches them without my permission."
Celia nodded and carefully placed the pages into a protective folder.
Then Robi looked at Lucard again.
"We will talk again soon."
Lucard said, "Pay on time."
Robi smiled. "You speak to everyone like this?"
Lucard turned toward the door. "Only people who owe me money."
Jake whispered to Jenny, "Brother is brave against rich people too."
Jenny whispered back, "That is what worries me."
They left the VIP room with Celia.
Two Rank Three guards were already called. Both were tall men in Marovain armor with silver coin marks on their chest plates. Their names were Orven and Malik. Orven had short brown hair and carried a sword and shield. Malik was bald, serious, and carried a spear. Both bowed to Celia first, then stood behind Lucard’s group as ordered.
Celia led them downstairs personally.
On the way, the shop workers looked at them with different eyes. Earlier, some had seen them as desperate sellers. Now they saw Celia Marovain walking beside them, two Rank Three guards following them, and Lucard carrying himself as if the shop belonged to him for the next few steps. Rumors would spread before noon. That was fine. Lucard wanted some rumors.
On the second floor, Celia handed a small crystal bottle to Jenny.
"This is a high rank healing potion. Give it to your knight carefully. Half now. Half after two hours. If he drinks all of it at once, his body may not handle it well."
Jenny took the bottle with both hands.
"Thank you."
Peter looked at the potion and lowered his head. "I will remember this kindness."
Celia said, "Remember the debt belongs to House Marovain’s business, not kindness."
Lucard looked at her. "At least you are honest."
Celia looked back at him. "At least you are troublesome."
Jake whispered, "I think she likes you."
Jenny immediately covered his mouth.
Lucard looked down at Jake.
Jake blinked innocently from behind Jenny’s hand.
Celia’s lips curved slightly, but she did not laugh.
They reached the first floor and then the main entrance. The doors opened, and the light of the merchant square came in.
Lucard stepped toward the exit.
Jenny walked beside him, holding the healing potion.
Jake stayed close to her.
Peter followed them, still injured but now with hope of recovery.
Behind them, Orven and Malik moved like silent shields.
Celia walked with them until they reached the doorway.
Outside the Marovain shop, the busy merchant square waited.
And somewhere beyond the crowd, danger was already watching.
