Seeing that her rebuttal was met with another smile that she found creepy, Veronica said nothing else about Marc Steel.
It was a good iron, from what they had seen and tested, but it wasn't the best, nor was it anywhere close to the strongest.
Just that, when other factors like production price and availability are taken into consideration, they all felt that Marc Steel was a good option for any noble family to go for.
"Once again, if you want to order Marc Steel in bulk, you will have to go through the Avanti Merchant House. But if you want something else, then that's negotiable."
Marcus said purposefully and looked at Eddy from the corner of his eye. This was him opening the window for them to say what they truly wanted, and also a move to set the playing field.
Marcus had noticed the young man's legs moving constantly, as if he was trying to hold himself back and was impatient.
When it came to what exactly these people wanted from him, Marcus wouldn't have been able to make an accurate guess if Eddy wasn't around.
And although he had outright rejected them and closed that door not long ago, now he was making an opening for them to exploit.
Once again, silence descended into the room, reminding them of the heavy rainfall outside.
With each second of silence that passed, it became harder for Eddy to mask his nervousness.
Marcus noticed, but he acted otherwise. He had called for one of his maids to serve tea.
While sipping the tea, he couldn't help but think.
For a man chasing rapid power, you will be a lot easier to contain. However, I will have to force him to stop taking those Dollies. Or else he might lose his mind as he did in his last life.
Marcus sighed internally.
Although he termed it manipulation, deep down, this was him making up for a mistake he made in one of his previous redos.
Killing Eddy unjustly.
However, he couldn't let this opportunity go scot-free. Eddy was an experienced fighter in his own right.
A much better candidate for battle when compared to Marcus's recently awakened subjects.
The only problem was his loyalty, but Marcus already had an idea on how to curb that.
Loyal or not, Eddy's impact on the overall battle wouldn't be much, but it would be much appreciated if he gave it his all.
Speaking of impact, this is where Veronica's involvement comes in.
What Marcus wanted from her wasn't her fighting prowess per se; rather, the entity that he sensed moving with her during his last redo.
When he had first raised Cassir's residence.
I can't say for sure if that person was a Tier 1 Being, but thinking about it now, there's a similarity in their auras.
He was referring to the similarities between that person following Veronica, and Maney.
They both gave him very powerful and oppressive pressure.
If he could get that person to participate, even for a bit, then his situation might not be as bleak as he thought.
Despite that, Marcus wasn't going to ask for her assistance directly.
That would make him indebted to her; also, it would diminish his control and overall say over the battle.
He didn't want that.
If I can use their curiosity over the Blood Bane Arts to get them to participate, then it will be worth it.
Though he wasn't going to teach them the true thing, he could use a bit of it to stoke their interest.
"Lord Marcus…" Eddy called out, unable to hold himself back anymore.
Marcus raised a brow at him and sipped his tea to hide his smirk.
"Young master Eddy?" He said.
Realizing that he had overreacted, Eddy paused and cleared his throat while pulling at his shirt's collar.
"I…" Eddy didn't know how to say what he wanted to say.
His ego didn't make it easy for him.
Eddy began wondering if he should give up on asking.
Noticing his hesitance, Marcus sighed. I guess I have to give him a push.
"You should say what you have in mind, young master Eddy."
Evidently, Eddy was struggling to speak up even after Marcus's push.
A few more seconds went by, and he still wasn't able to speak up.
Should I look for another way to entice them? Marcus began wondering. It seemed like Eddy was a lost cause.
"What would it take…" Eddy suddenly started. "What your people are doing… your technique, how far can it push a person?"
Eddy finally said after huffing and puffing internally.
He felt as though if he asked directly, it would be no different from undressing and standing naked before Marcus.
"You mean the Arts that have made Blood Force warriors out of my people? Hmmm… are you all that curious?" Marcus said as he scratched his chin, posing as if he was deep in thought.
After almost a minute had passed, he got up from his seat and called for Caleb.
When the knight came, Marcus whispered in his ear.
Caleb nodded and quickly left the room.
The three students waited silently, but not without the urge to know what Marcus was doing.
"Gentlemen…" Marcus paused; he was about to say 'and lady,' but he was quick enough to avoid that mistake.
"What I have with me isn't truly a secret, at least not to myself and my siblings. It is something my father had left for me." He began with a lie and a cautious look that made the rest nervous.
Something that Daemon Sirdi had left behind, surely, it would be powerful.
"However, before I can show you anything, the three of you will have to swear on your foundations that you will not tell another soul of what you see and hear over here."
Hearing the young lord say this, Logail couldn't help but frown. Wouldn't it still be risky for them to expose the Blood Bane Arts to outsiders?
Though swearing on one's foundations could plant a heart demon on their path if they went against their oath, it still wasn't a sure-fire way to prevent them from talking.
Subsequently, Logail's expression became neutral. If he could think of this, surely the young lord would have also thought of it.
"I can do that!" Eddy immediately said and made the oath without any hesitation.
Veronica and Sam were somewhat startled and said nothing for a while.
"I can do that too," Veronica said and made the oath, and Sam followed after.
They understood that what they were about to witness could be considered a Sirdi secret.
"Good, follow me." Marcus led the way with a mischievous smile on his face.
They were already a foot into his muddy pit. Just a little bit of push, and they'll be his to use.
…
Marcus took them out of his mansion and towards his stables.
From afar, they could already see many people lined up, with smiles on their faces even underneath the rain.
"Hahaha!!" Men and women laughed.
"Let's go catch some lightning!"
Some little children giggled as they ran around while their parents or guardians called after them, scared that they would catch a cold.
This view, this vitality displayed by Marcus's subjects, is what had left Sam and the rest confused.
Surely they were aware of the declaration of war by Maney, and yet, no one seemed to be particularly disturbed by it.
Not only that, it was as if they didn't have much to worry about in this world.
Not their futures, nor the pitter-pattering of the heavy rain on their skins.
People who saw Marcus on the way greeted him with a smile; even the children paused and said hello to the young lord, receiving a bright smile in return.
All of this alluded to how much Marcus was a liege to his people, and the trio walking behind him couldn't help but have a newfound respect for the young lord.
Upon stepping into the stables, they were first hit by the warmth of the place, followed by the strong iron smell of blood.
Everyone but Marcus scrunched their nose.
"This is where we have been making it happen." The young lord said.
He pointed at a batch of people who were already seated within a wide tub of boiling blood.
And although they had just arrived, they came right when another batch of people were about to awaken their Blood Force.
Witnessing this Blood Force awakening en masse was a completely different experience.
"The red liquid… Beast blood?" Veronica frowned as she sensed the subtle beastly aura permeating the stable.
"Correct," Marcus nodded his head.
Eddy stood where he was with a frown and scrutinized what he was seeing.
"What lord Daemon had left for you is a technique that allows you to use the blood of Beasts to cultivate?" Sam muttered; that was a question more for him to answer himself, but Marcus overheard him.
"Yes, this is all my father left for me."
One thought crossed their minds; Truly, Daemon Sirdi was a man to fear.
It made the trio aware of something.
If the Sirdis truly wanted to conquer, they would have achieved that a long time ago with this technique of theirs.
"Would you like to have a go at it? I can promise you that you will at least grow stronger even if you don't break through to the next rank." Marcus offered with a soft smile.
"But do note that you will owe me a favor if you decide to take this offer of mine." He added.
Tempted by their imagination and curiosity, all three of them quickly agreed.
Marcus clapped his hands and laughed, "Please, come forward."