"Why should I patch things up with House Remus now?"
Eren asked while gently leading Dianna. Step-touch, Grapevine, Jazz-square, pivot turn, and Chasse were performed seamlessly by the couple one move after the other as they discussed.
No movement was wasted. No move was unpolished.
Dianna knew Eren would not do everything she asked because they were together. He needed assurance of tangible profits first before he could even think about patching things up with House Remus.
Of course, Dianna also knew that Eren wouldn't step out of his way to seek revenge at the cost of self-harm either. She just needed him to offer leverage in the deal.
"Eren, you should consider talking with House Remus because it can help you deal with House Slughorn. Because it can offer you precious resources at the right prices before they are released on the open market."
House Remus was famous for procuring rare resources and selling them through various means. It also organized auctions to sell them at crazy prices.
Dianna told Eren that House Remus was willing to offer Eren early access to these precious resources. Earlier, he had robbed the auction participants to get the herb required for the Lazarus Project. This was the same auction house Dianna's clan organized and secured.
Eren did not understand what Dianna meant by "help you deal with House Slughorn." But that was not relevant right now.
Eren's eyes shone with brilliance when he realized he could get early access to House Remus' procurement. He did not have to risk himself anymore. He had the money to buy the things he wanted. But money wasn't everything when it came to rare resource procurement. So a deal with House Remus could help him in the long run.
Dianna could tell Eren's interest was piqued when she mentioned potential benefits. She smiled before speaking further.
"War forces enemies to become friends and friends to become enemies," Dianna said while matching Eren's pace. She spun around herself gracefully and found his warmth again before continuing.
"And I know you can use House Remus to your advantage. With your title bestowment and king's protection, no sane force would attack you openly.
Even doing things in the shadows is a huge risk. So many forces who stood against you would want to negotiate with you. House Remus just wants to stay ahead of the game."
Eren started understanding Dianna's statement. He narrowed his eyes before raising a doubt.
'You mentioned House Slughorn. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends, you say. Do you mean to say that House Slughorn wants to go against the king's wishes? And that it wants to continue to remain enemies with my guild?'
Eren used voice communication to confirm his doubts. He knew saying things like that out in the open would be taken as blaming House Slughorn for treason. He needed substantial evidence to back his claim before stirring the hornet's nest like that.
This was the reason why Dianna was vague when she said she could help Eren deal with House Slughorn. Apparently, House Remus was ready to choose Eren over House Slughorn because the latter was doing something very diabolical. House Remus considered House Slughorn's deteriorating condition as well as Eren's current situation and decided it was time to leave the sinking ship.
Dianna nodded before speaking further.
"Birmond is one of the key decision-makers in House Remus. I just want you to talk to him, Eren. He will answer all of your questions if you agree to meet with him," Dianna explained.
Eren smiled wickedly when he realized that House Slughorn still wanted to oppose him. In a way, it was ready to commit treason to destroy him and everything he had built so far.
This was good news for Eren as well. As he could legally destroy House Slughorn without a negative impact on his city or guild. In war, it was very easy to prosecute and destroy someone as long as they could be labeled as traitors.
Eren could also understand House Slughorn's frustration with him. After all, he had established himself as a top player in the potion manufacturing market with Edinburgh with his guild's wide range of products.
Eren had well-established distribution chains and comprehensive products for every rank, class, and need. The potions he offered were top-notch for their price range.
In short, it was impossible to compete with White Raven potions on Edinburgh's market. Eren had established a monopoly at this point, kicking House Slughorn off its throne. So it came as no surprise to him when he was informed of House Slughorn's decision.
Eren was about to open his mouth to speak. But Dianna shushed him by pressing her index finger against his lips. She smiled and danced with him as she continued.
"If Birmond and you can come to an agreement, it could open up a lot of opportunities for you and your guild. As a result, my clan could also save its reputation. Plus, it's always better to have allies than enemies, especially in these times."
'But I want your clan's summoners too. How could I devour them if I shook hands with them? And will it really get over the fact that I have "monuments" of their dead members in Grim Pillar Town?'
Eren thought to himself and sighed. He also felt House Remus was only interested in maintaining peace with him until the war ended. It would try to mess with him again if and when the war was over. Of course, Dianna didn't understand such complexities because she had a blind spot for her clan and him.
In short, there were several disadvantages to signing a co-op agreement with House Remus. However, Grimdawn listened to Dianna's request anyway.
Eren couldn't help but think about how he could use House Remus in the upcoming war. He knew he couldn't trust them completely, but he also knew he could use all the help he could get. And it was especially important to keep House Remus' prominent summoners in check. He could do that easier if he was seen as an ally rather than an enemy.
There was no harm in talking at least. He knew he needed to compromise now that he had taken several contracts from Edinburgh. The sooner he primed his guild for war, the better.
Eren considered his words carefully before agreeing to Diana's request. "Fine. I'll meet Birmond. But I'm not promising anything."
Dianna smiled and squeezed his hand. "That's all I ask, Eren."
They continued dancing to the song, lost in their discussions. As the song ended, Eren looked down at Dianna and smiled. "Thanks for the dance, Dianna. And for the peace proposal. I hope everything turns out the way you thought it would be.
For your clan's sake. Keke."
Dianna smiled back at him. "It's my pleasure, Eren. And don't worry, I have a feeling it will go well."
