A week quietly passed without much fanfare as the boutique continued to sell more and more shampoo. They hadn't yet reached the point where they could attract the nobility's attention, but it likely wouldn't be long before the first noblewomen came to visit. From there, it'd only be a matter of time before the royals became interested, which was where their monopoly would end.
It was completely unrealistic for Seraphina to hold onto the formulas for her products indefinitely, given that doing so would eventually deprive the people once she left. Bastion had seen firsthand the level of interest in grooming products within the kingdom and knew they would be hunted down like dogs if they tried to leave without establishing a replacement. As such, it was best to simply sell the formulas to the royals and rake in the profits.
Meanwhile, Kit's restaurant was nearing completion, with the staff already selected from among the orphans and slaves he personally knew. They were currently undergoing training to provide the best possible customer service experience while also learning how to handle persistent questions from curious customers. In practice, they knew almost nothing about the operation beyond the fact that Kit was in charge of everything.
Kit himself had reached Rank 1 after spending a week in the capital's Rank 3 Ant Dungeon, thanks largely to Ariel, who had power-leveled him along the way. For his classes, he chose the basic Apprentice Rank Warrior and the more unusual Rank 1 Screaming Warrior.
Based on Ariel's report, Kit had been absolutely terrified the entire time, screaming so loudly that she barely needed to attract the enemies' attention herself. As a result, his new class granted him abilities that both supported his allies and disrupted his opponents. His screams could provide group speed buffs, taunt enemies across a wide area, and sow chaos among hostile forces.
Bastion had to admit it was a good class combination for Kit. Warrior classes were notoriously difficult to kill, so it would take more than an assassination attempt to get rid of him. Buff classes like this also tended to rely heavily on Charm, which was important for businessmen like Kit and fit perfectly with his needs. No doubt, when the time came to power-level Daisy or manage customers and merchants, he would be more than capable, given his build.
Elyra, on the other hand, hadn't left the kitchen since entering, which meant the menu for the high-end restaurant was still unfinished. She seemed to be struggling with sourcing ingredients and developing recipes that could do the Japanese dishes Kit had provided justice. Given the effort she had been putting in, Bastion didn't doubt that the food would be beyond mind-blowing, as her standards were simply that high.
"Bastion, a noble is making his way down to us. I think it's the brat's father," Lilia called out through an intercom.
"I'll be right there," Bastion replied as he finished reshaping an absurdly large piece of metal in preparation for his new experimental armor.
The two of them might have been put in charge of the boutique, but that didn't mean they had stopped working on their own products altogether. They simply needed to split their time appropriately while giving Seraphina all the time she needed to keep the shelves fully stocked.
He cleaned himself up a bit, swapped out of his dirty forging gear and into his full plate armor, then headed down from his workshop to the boutique below, arriving just in time to see Marcus's father walk in.
He was a lynx demihuman like his son, but bigger and older, his weathered appearance reflecting a much harsher upbringing. It was clear he had struggled to reach Rank 1, which spoke to his ambition and determination.
"Are you the commoner who threatened my son?" the Baron said, a growl in his tone.
"That would be me," Bastion replied with a far more intimidating demeanor. "And I offer you the same warning. Remain civil, or I will cut your head off, noble or not."
"How dare you!" the Baron shouted in fury. "Do you think that being Rank 2 grants you the right to—"
"Do you think being a noble grants you the strength to push Rank 2 combatants around, let alone your little kitten?" Bastion interrupted as he loomed over the Baron. "I used to be a duke, and while that carries little weight in this kingdom, it does mean I understand the limits of power between nobles and adventurers quite well. If you believe your life is worth your bravado, then be my guest."
The Baron maintained eye contact as he looked up at Bastion, a snarl twisting his face, claws fully extended, tail swaying back and forth, and legs tensed as though ready to spring at a moment's notice. They held their stare-down for a full minute, never blinking, without a drop of tear between them. Then, just as the tension in the room seemed ready to snap, they both simultaneously backed off and adopted cordial expressions.
"So, you're a former duke. You should have let my son know," the Baron said with a professional smile. "You can call me Marco, by the way. Noble titles are too stuffy."
"You can call me Bastion," Bastion replied with an equally professional smile. "And I would have informed your son of my upbringing, but as you can imagine, he wasn't in a listening mood, too focused on chasing another man's tail."
"I'll be sure to reeducate him on his manners," Marco's brow twitched ever so slightly, conceding a point. "Now, I seem to recall you are wandering merchants. I don't suppose you could entertain me with a surprise inspection?"
"Of course, of course," Bastion replied as he led the way. "Our operations are above board. We've even recently paid all our taxes. We come from Rank 2 kingdoms, so you can imagine the expense."
"Absolutely dreadful."
"Dad?" Marcus asked with a truly puzzled expression as he watched his father acting cowed in front of a commoner.
"Get used to it, kid," Lilia said from behind the counter. "That is what you should have been doing when you got here a week ago. Now you've lost all your leverage and even embarrassed your father. You'd better be ready for a spanking later."
Bastion showed Marco their entire operation, including their inventory, workshops, raw materials, accounting, and overall layout, leaving no stone unturned. By the end of it, Marco was sweating, realizing he had no leverage until Bastion offered him a deal on a silver platter.
"Now, Daisy has been sharing some rather interesting secrets about you and her father," Bastion said, moving in for the kill.
"Oh? Do tell. As you know, Viscount Fennwhisker and I have certain overlaps in our duties at court. No doubt whatever you have heard shines a positive light on us."
"Not exactly," Bastion said. "It sheds a muted light that allows for perfect vision during twilight."
"I see. I suppose you would like to see well during twilight?"
"I certainly do. You have to understand, there are quite a lot of ingredients that dried up when our alchemist started mass production, limiting our supplies. Perhaps if we had a guide during twilight, we might be able to improve our sales."
"How well do you project?"
"See for yourself," Bastion said as he took a bottle from the shelf. "This is a shampoo that promises healthier, silkier fur at Rank 1, able to match the Charm of those at Rank 2."
"You jest!"
"Try it for yourself and let me know how it goes. Just prepare an excuse for your wife if your coat surpasses hers."
"I will certainly give this a try and return with good news."
"Just be ready to receive no more than 20% for your share."
"Even if this product performs as promised, 20% is far too little," Marco exclaimed.
"Eventually, the royals will no doubt be interested. We could either try to make more money before they come along, or I could just visit them right now and get it over with," Bastion replied. "Trust me when I say 20% is plenty given our current standing."
"We shall see," Marco said with a hint of irritation as he made his way to the door, ignoring his son as he left.
"Hiss!" Bastion spat at Marcus, scaring him away as he ran after his father.
"That was brutal," Lilia commented with a blush. "I haven't seen you thrash a noble so thoroughly in a negotiation in a long time."
"He had it coming," Bastion said with a shrug. "First, his son had no manners. Second, he couldn't find anything wrong with our operation. Third, we have dirt on him. And fourth, when he comes back tomorrow after seeing how amazing Seraphina's shampoo is, he'll be begging for even a sliver of the profits."
"I know, but seeing you manhandle him so easily is kind of turning me on."
"I'll be sure to satisfy you later," Bastion said with a wink. "For now, you're still on duty until evening."
"Ugh, don't remind me."
The next day, as Bastion had predicted, Marco returned with a beautiful, lustrous coat but noticeably less vitality, dark bags under his eyes, a heavy wallet, and a mind that had already been made up.
They immediately struck a deal that would have Marco look away from certain untaxed goods while directing them toward Bastion's operation in exchange for 20% of the savings he stood to gain.
Of course, he also bought up quite a bit of stock in the store for his wife, who refused to let him leave home without securing a decade's worth of supply. Given how insatiable she had been the night before as she buried herself in his coat and pleasured him, he also added a little extra for himself.
As for his son Marcus, he was properly educated to avoid humiliating his father or placing him in a disadvantageous position during negotiations. He was unlikely to bother Daisy or Kit ever again.
All that was left now was to open Kit's restaurant and begin the introduction of Japanese cuisine to the Kingdom of Paws, a venture that would send the entire kingdom into a frenzy.
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