Chapter Sixty-Seven: Business and Sentiment (Please recommend!)

Toru had dealt with many arcanists before and knew well how different they were from merchants. He understood that if he tried to bargain now, Lando would most likely abandon the deal altogether, so he refrained from further discussion.

In the end, Toru extended his hand and said, “The Moore family would be honored to call you a friend!”

Lando, surprised, also reached out his hand. “I didn’t expect you to agree.”

After the two shook hands amicably, Toru continued, “We truly value your potential. Since you have such confidence, I’m willing to take a chance!”

Business is about certain profit, but friendship allows for risk—Toru understood this well.

“Lord Lando, you’re asking us to pay in advance, so I presume you’re planning to build a wizard tower?”

After Lando confirmed, Toru went on, “In that case, would it be possible to pay 50% of the fee in basic materials for the wizard tower? I am willing to provide these materials at thirty percent below market price, and I guarantee they are all top quality.”

Even at such a discount, Toru would still make a profit. Besides, the price wasn’t arbitrary—the Silver Tower had a program to support outstanding arcanists, offering basic tower materials at thirty percent below market value. As Otto’s disciple, Lando naturally qualified for this benefit.

Of course, for Toru, the greater advantage was the relief on cash flow this arrangement provided.

Lando considered briefly, then readily agreed, trusting Toru’s assurance that the materials would not disappoint.

The rest was straightforward. Under the notarization of the Silver Tower, both parties signed the contract. Before that, Lando sent a copy to Otto and only signed after receiving the terse but approving reply: “Not bad.”

When it was done, Lando asked, “What are your development plans?”

He was curious, especially since he would receive half the profits from the development and naturally wanted to know more.

“For initial development in a world like this, the most cost-effective approach is to plant Voidroot. Early returns and profits all hinge on it.”

“Voidroot? What is that?”

“It’s a peculiar plant with spatial attributes, only able to grow in worlds where spatial tides fluctuate frequently—like yours, where the world’s membrane has been torn. Cultivating it not only accelerates its growth but also helps restore the world.”

“That remarkable?”

“Indeed. This material is a hard currency on the market, and rumor has it that it was specially developed by a prominent figure in the Empire.”

Lando nodded, accepting the lesson.

“Although we haven’t assessed the membrane damage yet, typically Voidroot yields substantial profit over the first twenty years. After that, we’ll focus on cultivating native bloodline species and unique products of the world. If conditions permit, tourism resources can also be developed…”

With the deal struck, Toru was in good spirits and said, “Lord Lando, you haven’t visited our Entertainment World before, have you?”

“This is my first time.”

“Then you must enjoy yourself! We have ordinary and VIP memberships. All expenses for VIP members are on us. I’ll activate your VIP privileges right now—be sure to come often!”

Toru was certainly adept at making connections!

……

The next morning, Lando, refreshed, went to see his mentor Otto, who was still absorbed in the same book he’d been reading since Lando’s first visit to the lab. The book wasn’t thick, yet Otto remained engrossed after so many days.

Seeing his disciple arrive, Otto smiled and said, “It seems you’re satisfied with the transaction.”

“Yes. Although I’m destined to lose out in the long run, since they’re willing to invest early, it’s only right to let them benefit some.”

“I’m relieved to hear you think that way. Remember, for us arcanists, knowledge is always paramount. With knowledge comes power. If you were a grand arcanist, those people wouldn’t even qualify to meet you—it would take Old Moore himself to negotiate.”

Lando understood that by “Old Moore,” Otto didn’t mean the one in the academy dining hall, but the legendary halfling arcanist of the Silver Tower.

Then, Lando noticed something odd in his mentor’s tone. On the surface, Otto was instructing him, but there was an undercurrent of pride—was he showing off, but not entirely?

Recently, Otto had been teaching Lando about runes and arrays, laying the groundwork for building his wizard tower.

When today’s lesson ended, Otto said, “The term ‘wizard tower’ actually dates back to ancient times. In essence, it’s simply a laboratory that amplifies our abilities as arcanists. Excluding the more fanciful designs, there are two practical types: mobile and stationary.”

“A mobile tower is like the one Carter built—portable, and with the right arrays, quite a useful means of transportation. The downside is that it can’t support fixed elemental link arrays, resulting in much lower energy acquisition, which weakens its defense, summoning, and binding capabilities.”

“The stationary type needs little explanation—apart from being immobile, it excels in every other aspect. But choosing a site requires careful consideration. While it’s not impossible to relocate once built, each move is extremely costly.”

Lando blinked and asked, “Is there no way to have the best of both worlds?”

“Of course there is!”

Lando’s eyes shone with anticipation. “Really? What’s the solution?”

“All your concerns were foreseen by our predecessors, who worked to resolve them. The issue with mobile towers is energy supply. The Empire has developed three types of energy cores: Starfire, Dawnmoon, and Sunflare, all of which perfectly address this.”

“Even the cheapest Starfire core allows a mobile tower to operate as if it had a fixed energy extraction array. The finest, the Sunflare core, can deliver the equivalent power and efficiency of a four-elemental-plane extraction array.”

Lando quickly spotted the catch and hesitated. “And the price?”

A single “Heh?” was Otto’s reply.

Lando’s face darkened. That “heh”—no real harm, but the insult ran deep!

“Mentor, I actually have a generous budget now!” Lando, freshly enriched, was feeling a little bold.

Otto chuckled. “You really think you’re wealthy? What you have isn’t even one percent of a Starfire core’s price.”

So, the so-called solution was just a matter of spending a fortune.

Then Otto, seemingly offhand, remarked, “You made a significant contribution by retrieving that unique artifact from the world’s heart. There’s actually another reward—a spot in a special world laboratory. If you really want, you could trade that spot for a Sunflare core and have more than enough.”

He said this evenly, but his eyes narrowed faintly.

Though this was the first Lando had heard of it, he immediately shook his head vigorously, like a rattle.

“No trade! No trade!”

Seeing this reaction, Otto was clearly pleased.

“Excellent, you’ve made the right choice. This world laboratory is special—designed for third-stage arcanists and only opens once every sixty years. The next opening is in five years. Entering within ten years after it opens yields substantial benefits, but after ten years, its value diminishes. If you believe you can reach the third stage within fifteen years, keep the spot; otherwise, you might as well sell it.”

After hearing this, Lando couldn’t help but feel his mentor was underestimating him!

P.S.: Writing during spare moments at work. If there are errors, I’ll revise tomorrow. If you could, please leave a recommendation—writing isn’t easy, and your support means a lot! SKR!!!