"That Alto guy is your paid actor, isn't he?"
A woman ranker with a blood-red hood pulled over her head seemed to be conversing with a black-haired young man. The woman's face was covered and her rank was not distinguishable.
Unbeknownst to Lien, Zeref, Tisha, and the shopkeeper, they were both being observed by this duo who stood not too far away from the outside of the shop.
One could feel subconsciously that messing with the red-hooded woman was a terrible idea. An idea that would make them realize their doom. Yet they also couldn't look away from her or her seductive curves.
The black-haired young man who was with her looked average. But if one looked deep into his green eyes, they'd see tinges of blue that had gravitational powers of their own.
"Hehehe! No, master. I mean not really. He is one of the shopkeepers in my distribution chain. I was ready to pay him to advertise my products for a bit.
But he told me he couldn't put his shop's reputation on the line for something that may or may not do well in the market. Especially in the long run."
Eren said and watched as Lien's group left the shop with a bunch of White Raven potions. Even with the shopkeeper's flawless response, the most he could do was convince the trio to buy a small portion of vials with White Raven brandings.
Still, Eren couldn't complain much. This was the very first time his products were getting sold in the city of New Beginnings. He had to stay patient with the first line of buyers to come up with better reviews for his products.
Eren was sure his sales would skyrocket as a result of word-of-mouth publicity. Patience was the key.
"White Raven is rumored to have an association with House Montmorency, huh? That was all your doing, wasn't it, you sly devil?"
Levine seemed to have smiled when she said that. Eren scratched the back of his head before coming clean.
"Well, he told me he wouldn't put his name on the line. So I just told him to spread the news. One was about Tuan joining the White Raven guild. And the other is me being under your tutelage.
Both are true news. But they don't directly assure the buyers of my product's quality. So I told Alto to add a bit of mystery by saying that they were rumors.
The real sale of White Raven products will begin when the first line of customers come back with their reviews."
Eren knew the markets in the city of New Beginnings were going to be the biggest litmus test for his projects. That's why he made use of every advantage he could count on to maximize his profits.
"Alright. You are supposed to be a potioner first and a businessman later, Eren. I'm glad that my student plans to sell potions on such a grand scale. But you need to remember the basics before trying to make money out of your skills."
Levine felt that Eren should remain on the ground while he is starting up a new business. So she held onto her praises and gave him a few uncalled-for pointers while chuckling a bit.
Levine stopped leaning against the alley wall and straightened her posture. Then she started walking in a particular direction. Eren followed her and started speaking.
"We'll leave for the city of Arangar in a while, Master. Meanwhile, I want you to check this one out."
Eren said and threw a heavy chunk of metal in Levine's direction. The latter caught that chunk effortlessly and looked it up.
"Andrium!"
Levine's eyes weren't visible through her hood. But if one could see them right now, they would observe that they were exuding a faint light of their own. Eren chuckled before continuing.
"My market presence is just the beginning. What you see in your hand is why I called you to meet with me. Of course, I'll seek help from my most talented and charming master when my stakes are this high."
Eren smiled lightly and bowed a bit again in front of Levine. The latter also made sure to register the ninja compliments he had thrown her way. She couldn't say she disliked it.
Levine was a foot taller than Eren when she had last seen him in LA. Now their roles had been reserved. And yet, Levine could tell that it was the same guy who had come to find her.
Levine smiled and received Eren's compliments by pushing him a bit away from her as they were walking side by side. She pondered for a moment, and then she gave the piece of Andrium back to her student.
Levine would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed by her student's resourcefulness. Levine was skeptical when Eren invited her over to witness his growth. But she had come to realize that everything this guy had been doing from LA was to prepare for a monumental move like this.
Levine was tempted to join him. But she couldn't find it in her to put her student at risk because of her selfishness. So she stated what she had in mind.
"You know about the power struggle between me and Ottoman within my clan, right? Pairing with me would mean the Ottoman faction will oppose you in the future.
If this thing is as big as you are making it out to be, then once Ottoman knows about it, he'll be coming for you and your guild. Of course, I and my faction will do our part to keep you and your interests unharmed. But there's only so much we can do when Ottoman starts getting serious.
Remember, Eren. The one who defends has to be right all the time. But the one who strikes only needs to be right once."
Eren chuckled when he heard Levine's warnings. Frankly, he knew about these risks even before he approached Levine to be his backer and handler. But there were risks everywhere when the stage and stakes were this high. He might as well take calculated risks and try to strive for better growth than stay at the bottom of the barrel all the time.
"Hehe! Master Levine, thanks for thinking about me. But I know what I'm getting into. To be honest, it won't just be Ottoman.
There would be other players that would come out of their woodwork when they understand how valuable Minerva's Utopia is. Adding your enemy to that list won't make that much difference.
I'd rather have you on board with my plans than trust some stranger I don't know. If Ottoman is an unwanted byproduct of that decision, so be it.
You and your expertise are worth the risks White Raven may have coming its way."
Eren said and sighed. Then he looked up at the sky that was slowly starting to get brighter before commenting.
"I don't want to create a ruckus if I can avoid it. But I'd rather strike first than be on the defensive all the time."
With a tinge of cruelty in his expression, Eren looked at Levine and spoke further.
"After all, I'll only have to be right once."
