Chapter 131: The Rhea Kingdom

Chapter 131

The Rhea Kingdom

“Thank you for your help. Now, let’s talk about the exchange.” Ellie raised her cup for another sip. The sweet yet bitter taste of the liquor alleviated her boredom.

What would be a fair deal for the two potions? That was something Ellie needed to figure out. The old man’s intention was clear—he wanted to establish a connection with the Setter family. However, what she requested wasn’t for the Setter family but a personal favor. Therefore, Ellie wanted to handle the responsibility herself. Otherwise, it would seem as if she owed the Setter family a favor.

The old man paused at the young girl’s seemingly arrogant words. He aimed to build a relationship with the Setter family in the future. It wasn’t surprising that he didn’t mention the value of the two potion formulas from the start. He intended for the Setter family to feel indebted to him, which meant he didn’t plan to accept any form of repayment today. Especially since the low-level formulas were of low value, accepting a trade would mean missing out on future opportunities, wouldn’t it?

“There’s no need for any exchange, my lady. The Max family wants to offer this as a token of gratitude for the honor of discussing and exchanging ideas with you.”

“You don’t need to say that. I know your aim is the Setter family. However, my request is something I need to repay on my own. If you want to approach the Setter family, it’s better to make your offer directly to them.”

Ellie mimicked Aman’s mannerisms. Since he dared to speak frankly, she would do the same. Her words caused the old man to pause once again. Both parties were well aware of each other’s desires. Was it necessary to repeat things multiple times? Did she not consider preserving his dignity at all!?

“My lady, don’t be too harsh. Soon enough, you’ll be part of the Setter family. Why create such a clear distance?”

“The future is uncertain. To avoid profiteering, you should know that these two potion formulas aren’t valuable enough to use as leverage,” Ellie hammered home her point. It was indeed true.

The old man couldn’t meet the young girl’s eyes. He felt that she and the second young lord were a better match. Thus, he forced a strained smile and downed his cup of liquor in one gulp to calm himself.

“So, what gift does the young lady intend to offer us?”

“Let’s see,” Ellie pondered. What could she give him in exchange for the potion formulas...?

“I think...a Sapphire Dragon Scale should suffice. No, wait! A Sapphire Dragon Scale might be too much for such low-level potions. It seems Lord of the Max family should offer something additional as well.” Seeing Ellie ponder for a long while, Aman worried that she might offer something too valuable, like the Tezetrons herb. Ellie often didn’t realize the worth of her possessions, which was how she could give so many Tezetrons flowers to the Setter family. Normally, just one flower would have been enough to secure the position of the next leader of the Setter family.

Of course, Aman’s fear was somewhat exaggerated. Ellie had given so generously to the Setter family because she had already placed her trust in them from reading the novel. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have approached them as a Mage in the first place. But she wouldn’t give anything precious to the Max family, whom she didn’t know well.

Ellie thought along the same lines as Aman. Although she wanted to offer something of lesser value, like a handful of Sky-Catcher herbs, it seemed better not to reveal the existence of other herbs now that Aman had disclosed that she possessed Sapphire Dragon Scale herbs.

"So, does Lord of the Max family think this is a sufficient exchange? I happen to have some Sapphire Dragon Scale at hand."

While the two were conversing, the family head was already considering the Sapphire Dragon Scale herbs. Although he didn’t know much about them since their kingdom didn’t focus on concocting power-enhancing potions for combat, the reputation of the Sapphire Dragon Scale herb was well known. If the Max family wanted to trade with families specializing in hunting beasts or controlling cities, concocting potions to enhance physical strength wouldn’t be useless.

The Max family had been trying to concoct potions that could be sold to the residents of the Tower of Eternity. However, potions requiring Sapphire Dragon Scale were rumored to be made exclusively by the major families of the Ares Kingdom.

Several families in the Gaia Kingdom wanted to trade with the Fernal family in Ares Kingdom, but it was said they refused all collaborations, preferring to grow and concoct the herbs themselves, monopolizing those resources.

Because of this, the Fernal family’s greatness depended on the secrecy of their formulas and cultivation methods. If these were ever revealed and disseminated, their advantage would immediately vanish.

The old man’s eyes gleamed slightly as he glanced at the second young lord who was call the Demon of the Setter family. Initially, he hadn’t considered this, but on further thought...weren’t the Setter and Fernal families adversaries? So, suggesting that the young lady offer such a valuable herb as a return gift implied...

“Is Lord of the Max family not interested? Or do you think you cannot handle this exchange?” A cunning smile appeared on Aman’s face.

This was clearly a heaven-defying opportunity being offered. It was as if Young Lord Aman was signaling that if they could make use of the Sapphire Dragon Scale, future collaborations would be much easier. Not only would they collaborate with the Setter family, but people from all directions would flock to them.

What would happen if there was a 2nd family capable of producing body-strengthening potions besides the Fernal family!? Even though he knew this young lord never made offers that put him at a disadvantage and had the cunning to match his demonic reputation...the risk was something he could handle.

If he seized this opportunity, successfully creating the potion would be a gateway for his family’s rise. However, they would also have to contend with the Fernal family, who wouldn’t allow the Max family to encroach on their lucrative path. Therefore, Young Lord Aman’s question about whether he could handle this was the final test. If he couldn’t, the chance of collaborating with the Setter family would revert to 0.

Of course, anyone who didn’t seize this chance would be a fool!!

“Second Young Lord, my lady! I accept, I greatly desire this herb.” The old man nearly jumped up in excitement, unsure of how to express his elation.

Ellie paused slightly at the old man’s reaction, which was akin to someone who had just consumed fresh chicken blood. Even though she understood Aman’s plan, it didn’t mean he would necessarily succeed, right? Did he have to act as if they had already succeeded in concocting the potion?

“In that case, I will give you the Sapphire Dragon Scale Herb along with some basic cultivation methods.”

“Cultivation methods? You know about that too?” The old man was a bit surprised. Finding the Sapphire Dragon Scale was already difficult because they didn’t grow everywhere. Only in the 5th-floor city of the Fernal family were the conditions right for cultivation. In ancient sites, they were found only by chance and couldn’t be cultivated again.

Just like Aman’s earlier experience, he had found only a single Sapphire Dragon Scale seed, which had almost no life force left. If not for Ellie being a user of botanic power with some tricks up her sleeve, she wouldn’t have discovered a way to cultivate it.

“Do you think my brother’s people are just ordinary woman?” Aman feigned displeasure, but in reality, he was pleased that Ellie understood his intention.

Toppling the Fernal family and becoming the sole powerful family had always been the Setter family’s ambition. They would strive to destroy any path that allowed the Fernal family to thrive!

Although they had relied on Fernal family’s potions in the past, after encountering this old man, Aman had plans to shift their sources. Even if the Gaia Kingdom benefited slightly, it wouldn’t significantly impact the Ares Kingdom. The Fernal family wouldn’t stop producing these potions; they would only lose a small market share.

“Oh no, I would never think that. For this matter, I will do my best to find a suitable gift to thank the young lady. And afterward...as long as we can cultivate the Sapphire Dragon Scale, we will surely develop important potion formulas. Young Lord Aman will not be disappointed in trusting us. When it comes to potion concocting...the Max family doesn’t consider itself inferior to anyone!”

The old man vowed earnestly. If they could obtain the cultivation method for the herb, everything else would be simple. As for the potion concocting, even though the method might be slightly distasteful, relying on their decades of expertise in potion concocting, he was confident they could create a potion to enhance strength and invulnerability for 40 seconds!

Perhaps...they could even exceed 40 seconds with the accumulated knowledge of the Max family!

“I look forward to it,” Aman laughed with satisfaction. Now, he only had to wait, with the help of the young girl and the efforts of the Max family.

Who would have thought that Aman wouldn’t have to lift a finger, and the path to the Fernal family’s downfall would be paved by others?... With such cunning and malevolence, it’s no wonder he was regarded as one of the most wicked individuals. If the Fernal family knew it was his doing, they would likely want to behead Aman a hundred times over!

After their agreement, the head of the Max family left the room. Ellie took the opportunity to return to her own room, while Aman stayed in the luxurious room initially booked by Lady Kara without any cost. Of course, this was a complimentary gesture from the Max family.

The next morning, Aman had to leave early for his final match. He reminded Ellie not to wander off and to come watch his competition, but how could Ellie be expected to comply?

The young girl left the inn wearing a brown cloak, resembling a traveler. She wore a woven hat with a sheer veil to conceal her identity. Her attire wasn’t particularly conspicuous, since there were many people from various kingdoms around, and more than half of them were trying to hide their identities just like her.

Shops selling a wide range of goods lined the streets from the exit of the inn. Most of these were selling potions and herbs, as these were the renowned products of the Gaia Kingdom. Although people from the Hestia Kingdom weren’t particularly interested, as their city also excelled in potion concocting and herb cultivation, there were still other goods that could attract their attention.

One renowned product that Ellie was eager to explore was the “beast-related items.” The Gaia Kingdom had a strong alliance with the “Rhea Kingdom,” which boasted a prestigious institute ranked 6th overall.

The Rhea Kingdom specialized in taming beasts. It was said that everyone in the kingdom, regardless of their magic element, had to capture a beast and form a contract with it before the age of 15. The chosen beast had to have the same elemental power as its owner. Therefore, those with special magic powers were often seen as weaker.

Elements like light, ice, lava, botany, and others were considered special because beasts with these elements were extremely rare. Thus, they weren’t suitable for the Rhea Kingdom’s method of enhancing strength.

The influence of the Rhea Kingdom gradually spread to Gaia after their alliance. The Rhea Kingdom sought to exchange their knowledge of beasts for Gaia’s expertise in herbs and potions. Initially, they aimed to exchange with the stronger Hestia Kingdom, but Hestia couldn’t accept their offer.

Because of this, they turned to the next in line, the Gaia Kingdom...