"Fiona dear, this is not the way to speak to our highly-esteemed patron. Stay out of the talks and let me handle things from here."
Sirius placed a gag order on Fiona. His beastly blue eyes shone with intrigue as he looked at Eren. The latter smirked at Sirius when he decided to play ball.
"10 million it is then. We'll set a framework for the job soon enough. Of course, there will be a bonus involved if you do more than what is asked of you. A fair deal, right?"
Sirius chuckled before nodding at Eren. "We'll be in touch," he said before disappearing along with Fiona Fenris.
Sirius was a man of few words. Eren could tell that the man was considering getting involved himself in the mission. 10 million was just the entry price– something to establish a deal. The reward amount would most likely have to be doubled in the end.
The half-blood bastion had a network of cultists working in the dark. People knew this group of cultists as the Ancients. The Ancients also had a lot of shell cultist organizations under its banner like the Beast Bloods, for example.
These shell organizations would play a vital role in the task and the Ancients would control them from behind the scenes. Sirius would get the Ancients and its shell cultist organizations radically motivated in the kingdom of Layos for the kind of money Eren was throwing at him.
Fiona and Sirius had not planned anything before coming here because they weren't aware that Eren would ask something so terror-inducing of them. As such, her resistance was purely based on her experience as an on-field member of the Last-Blood Bastian.
Sirius also kept his mouth shut and didn't reply to any of Fiona's words addressed to him through private communication. Without any guidance, she could only do what she thought was right by opposing Eren's proposal. In doing so, she had unwittingly played her part in the negotiation just the way Sirius had wanted her to. She was made to step aside only when Sirius found the reward amount Eren provided was worth the risk.
Messing with the Midnight Moon was no big deal. But Sirius didn't want to show any favoritism to any particular kingdom. Both were his enemies in his eyes. But he could also understand the practicality of establishing firm ties with Eren.
10 million Extols was no big deal for Eren at this point. He would be able to get his money back in a month or two. However, it didn't mean that he would just throw his money up for the possibility of hiring a Grandmaster ranker. He would make sure that he was getting what he paid for.
***
"Eren, who were those people?"
Nina asked Eren wearily. The latter chuckled before answering.
"Just a bunch of people I'm working with, Aunt Nina. They are a bit rough around the edges but I'm sure they'll get the job done."
The butcher then looked at Jiana before speaking up.
"This is the least I can do if any of my products unintentionally became the reason for your loss, Madam Goldy Wings. You can expect some heartwarming news regarding my arrangement soon.
Meanwhile, you can take your time and decide the future of your guild. You can consider the targeting of Midnight Moon as my gift to you should you decide not to dissolve your guild into mine."
Eren was betting on Jiana's character when he said that. The latter remained speechless at the butcher's actions for quite some time before deciding to speak.
"You… you shouldn't have done a deal with the cultists. They are nothing but snakes that often bite the hands that feed them. I could have managed to do something about the Midnight Moon myself, given…"
Jiana assumed that Sirius and Fiona were part of a cultist organization, which was half true. She wasn't surprised by the fact that Eren was in cahoots with the cultists. She knew that kingdoms also liked to use cultists when it suited them. So she couldn't judge him on this.
Eren didn't correct Jiana's assumption. However, he found those words a bit funny nonetheless.
"Hahahaha."
Eren started laughing when he heard Jiana speak. He tapped his fingers on the desk playfully before responding to her.
"Your revenge plan is to use the system and the upcoming war to attack your enemies, right?" No offense, but that strategy sucks hairy rats' balls."
Eren then pursed his lips as if he didn't like the choice of words he had used to express his opinions. He sighed and looked at Argo. Only now did he realize where the demon beast got his signature trait from.
"Please forgive me for whatever I have said after stating "no offense", Master Jiana. Because I have come to realize that's when I have said the most offensive shit ever."
Eren sighed and shrugged his shoulders before continuing.
"Look… the kingdom of Layos will always be a step ahead of you if you use the system to fight it. It targeted your guild specifically because it knew the kind of impact your healer-specific guild would create in the upcoming war. And it would do that again if you continued acting as naive as you always have been.
It is imperative to treat venom with antivenom. No other medicine would provide better results. Same way, cultists should be handled by another bunch of cultists. After all, if you try to play by the rules when the other side has thrown the rulebook in the dustbin, then whatever happens to you afterward will completely be your fault.
I don't know about you. But the White Raven guild has a reputation to maintain. It dealt with all its enemies with a heavy-handed approach. And it won't change its ways whether you decide to join us or not.
I guess this is it. I'll host Master Amory in the White Raven city until you come to a decision. I'll start looking for other master rankers just in case.
Just let me know, alright? Take care, Master Jiana."
As Eren waved goodbye to Jiana with a graceful smile, he cut off the spectral communication. Seeing the elf's baffled expression, he smirked at the end.
'Hehehe. Someone who has been bitten by a snake will always be afraid of ropes. She'll come around. I can bet Argo's left nut on that.'
