Rare Species were a different matter entirely. To be granted the name "rare" meant, by definition, that they were uncommon and hard to come by.
For that reason, the materials dropped by Rare Species were often priceless on the market, with no supply to meet the demand. Take the famously coveted Unicorn Horn, Mermaid's Blood, Tree Dragon Crystal, and so on...
"So it requires Rare Species drops as ingredients..." Hedin muttered under his breath, his expression slowly darkening.
Finn and Riveria exchanged a glance and let out a soft sigh of their own.
"That is... rather troublesome."
By comparison, Alise didn't seem all that bothered by the matter of output. Astraea Familia followed the elite route, and the entire group, all told, numbered no more than eleven.
With a roster that size, how many vials of the potion could they really go through in a month?
After all, a "Wild Mixture" that announced its astonishing effects the moment you heard the name naturally carried the qualities of a "decisive-battle weapon." There was no need to break it out during ordinary exploration or routine Expeditions.
Only when facing a powerful enemy, in a true crisis, would its value reveal itself completely.
And it was precisely this that Leon had pegged, which was why he made such a point of stressing the constraints: the scarce output, the low yield rate.
Otherwise, if he churned the stuff out in bulk and couldn't sell it, or couldn't get a good price, then what?
Potions were luxury goods to begin with. Without at least a tenfold profit, he was supposed to let go? In his dreams.
Not a chance.
...
The reception hall sank once more into a delicate silence.
Up on the second-floor gallery, Margaret, Lydia, and Laurier, who had at some point dragged Aura quietly up the stairs with her, were crouched low, peering down through the gaps in the railing. Several heads clustered together, like a nest of little animals secretly watching the movements of a big cat.
Laurier pressed her voice down to a whisper and started gossiping at the three beside her:
"This Leon guy, he really is turning more and more into a sly old fox!"
"With Iri's help, the brewing process was optimized ages ago, and the yield's gotten a lot more stable too... and yet there he is, still putting on a show, going on about 'the process is so complicated,' 'the output's so low'..."
"Blegh!"
She stuck out her tongue and made a little face at Leon's back, then turned to her companions with curiosity:
"What price do you think Leon's going to name this time?"
Aura, Margaret, and Lydia silently traded a look and wisely chose to keep quiet.
Because they couldn't read Leon's mind either. At last, Lydia spoke up softly:
"Something like this... maybe Jeanne or Miss Rose would know a bit?"
Laurier: "..."
...
"1.3 million per vial?"
Hearing Leon's quote, the intensely price-sensitive Riveria nearly failed to maintain a royal elf's composure and decorum. Her voice spiked for an instant, and she fixed Leon with an incredulous look.
Finn, beside her, broke into an outright wry smile:
"Come on now, little brother Leon. This..."
Faced with the customer's probing, Leon kept his easy smile, raised a single index finger, and gave it a gentle wag:
"To be precise... that's 1.299 million Valis. Per vial."
At that price, Riveria's and Alise's faces darkened on the spot.
Even Kaguya, who had kept her head down in silence the whole time, stuck in her emo state and entirely above the fray, gave a barely perceptible twitch of the shoulders...
Clearly, this absurd price had startled even the seasoned Riveria!
Alise pressed her knees together, leaned slightly forward, and blinked up at Leon with both eyes, where a few precariously trembling "little pearls" had welled up at some point. Her voice was soft as honey:
"Leon~ make it a little cheaper, won't you..."
"1.3 million a vial, who could afford to drink that?"
"For Kaguya's sake, please~?"
Hedin & Heith Velvet: "..."
Finn & Riveria: "..."
Off to the side, Jeanne, Rose, and the others fought desperately to hold their expressions, turning their faces away one after another, shoulders trembling all the while.
This whole performance of Alise's left Leon staring, utterly floored, scalp prickling.
Good god, I really am... good god...
Lady Astraea, isn't your scheme just a little too good at reading people!
To pinpoint my weakness so precisely, and then use this kind of straight-to-the-soft-spot "honey trap" to test me!?
"1.299 million a vial, not a copper less!"
A certain young man righteously refused Alise's request for a discount, and the firmness of his stance left even Persephone, who knew exactly what kind of person he was, a little dazed. She instinctively pushed up her glasses, a flicker of surprise and confusion crossing her eyes.
"Hmph, fine, no discount then."
Flatly rejected by Leon, Alise gave up the act entirely. She straightened up, pursed her lips, and muttered under her breath:
"Honestly... Lady Astraea clearly said this trick should be 'super effective' against you. How come it didn't work at all..."
"And I really am a pretty girl, you know..."
Everyone: "..."
A few dark lines slid down the corner of Leon's forehead. Then he spoke with a smile that didn't reach his eyes:
"Alise, playing this kind of part isn't your character. The whole putting-on-airs thing..."
"It doesn't really suit you. Better just drop it."
Alise: "..."
Beside her, Kaguya gave a small shudder, raised a hand to cover her lips, and lowered her head to let her black hair hide her cheeks, but her shoulders wouldn't stop quivering...
Clearly, she'd just about laughed herself out at Alise's terrible acting.
"All right, let's put an end to the joking."
Hedin's voice cut into the interlude. He pushed up his glasses, his expression returning to its usual seriousness:
"At 1.299 million Valis per vial, Freya Familia accepts."
"But as I said before, the stability of supply... I trust Mr. Hart won't disappoint us on that count?"
Leon shrugged and spread his hands openly:
"Rest assured. The Wild Mixture's supply will be just as steady as the Monster Hunter Special's."
Hedin gave a slight nod:
"Good."
"Now then, let's discuss the matter of allocating shares."
His gaze shifted to the Loki Familia representatives nearby, growing steadily sharper:
"Sir Finn, Lady Riveria, what are your thoughts?"
Seeing the negotiations had already come this far, Finn naturally had no reason to keep stalling.
What was more, even the "crying poverty" tactic had already been used by Alise, and despite the friendship between Astraea and Demeter, she still hadn't managed to secure a share below market price. So whatever tricks he might pull now would likely come to nothing.
Finn exchanged a brief glance with Riveria and finally gave a small nod as well.
"Very well."
...
...
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