Sebastian had a grim look on his face.
He had to admit that he had underestimated Eren. He was looking at him from the same prism he was looking at his granddaughter. But turns out they were a class apart.
Levine's talk also made a few things clear for him. That Eren was no pawn. He was one of the masterminds behind the White Raven guild's success, if not the only one.
Eren watched Sebastian's facial expressions change as he spoke about how thoroughly he had planned House Slughorn's downfall. He really liked the look on the old man's face. He would have recorded it on the array disk if he had one in his storage space.
Eren finished drinking his ale and gave a small burp before continuing nonchalantly.
"Master Sebastian, these marketing campaigns are happening all over the kingdom. And some are taking place in other parts of Anfang today. My network is still in its growing phase, you see.
These programs will all run concurrently. And I can't deal with the spike in demand that will be brought by these presentations alone. What will I do when the first batch of customers start talking about my products and bring even more customers in?
Thus, I have signed a contract with some of the most recognized potion-manufacturing houses. They will only handle my regular potions so that my guild can concentrate on our signature products.
Of course, these manufacturing hubs will receive their own commissions from the profits. But I'm fine with a bit of loss in revenue to create a monopoly in the market. It also helps me save on taxes imposed by the kingdom in a legal way."
Bam!
Sebastian slammed his hand on the table and almost broke it. But he controlled his strength midway and only cracked the surface of the table a bit. It doesn't take much to say that the old potioner was angry.
"How… how could those idiots not see the aftereffects of manufacturing your products on contracts? Have they become crazy?"
Sebastian's sage-like voice lost its calm. He sounded shocked and angry at the same time. Eren's calm smile and his serene mana signature told him that he probably wasn't lying about the developments he had made with the top manufacturing hubs.
Sebastian was still managing his house's potion production affairs. And he was sure that no offer came from the White Raven guild regarding the contract manufacture of potions.
Sebastian was made to reconfirm that this was a personal attack on House Slughorn. And nothing else. There was no ambiguity in Eren's motives regarding his clan. This guy wanted to destroy everything his House had built over generations of doing business and earning fame for itself.
Eren could clearly understand what the old man was thinking about, thanks to his soul sense. He had come to realize that the man was close to awakening his soul sense himself. As such, he couldn't intimidate him like the way he was used to when dealing with lower-ranked entities.
Nevertheless, the moves he had made over this extended period had shaken the old man to the core. The butcher chuckled before answering his questions.
"Who told you they were not aware?
They also know what the repercussions will be for manufacturing my products. But they don't have a choice, do they? I can always abandon them and look for another hub. I can always increase my capacity in a short time by making tie-ups with loaded sponsors.
Why would they throw away a bit of profit if they are going to suffer a loss anyway? At least that's what they all thought before signing a contract with me. So they became my henchmen for me, throwing a bit of profit their way."
Levine was having a hard time trying to control Eren. She had sent him a lot of voice messages. But the guy ignored them all. She could only sigh and watch as Sebastian's face got redder and his aura became grimmer by the second.
"Bastards! What the fuck are these short-sighted hyenas doing? They slowly destroy their own businesses by doing this and end up being mere henchmen. Don't they fucking know that?"
Eren expressed a great deal of shock. It looked like he was offended in his so-called business partners' stead. The two ladies could tell he was faking it. But the butcher ignored their gazes and carried on.
"Master Sebastian, a man of your caliber shouldn't throw insults so casually. Why do you blame my friends? Just because they would rather stay in profit than open a giant front against me?
They chose money over dignity and pride. Money is power, comfort, and freedom. It corrupts and purifies, depending upon how you use it. It is both the source of all evil and the blessing from above.
They did what was most beneficial for them. You can't blame anyone for trying to survive in this cruel world we all live in."
Sebastian's B-Rank aura leaked out as his anger reached through the roof. It spread through the surroundings and created a suffocating atmosphere. The crowd below the restaurant stopped speaking and looked in Eren's direction as some of them started feeling weak on their knees.
"Old fart, Sebastian! This is the city of New Beginnings in case you forgot. I'll beat your wrinkly ass before parceling it to your estate in a nicely packaged gift box if you throw your tantrums here one more time. Hmph!"
Turns out Levine didn't have to keep the old man in check. One of the city protectors spoke in a slightly angry tone. The voice seemed to have no origin. As if the city itself had been personified and spoke for itself.
The voice seems to have belonged to a young woman. But something told Eren that the youthfulness in the voice was just a charade. The lady ranker belonged to the same generation as the old man.
Eren could see that Sebastian's expression suddenly turned even sourer. He paid heed to the warning given to him by the voice right away and contracted his aura. It was clear that the old man and even Levine knew who the voice belonged to.
An A-Ranked entity.
