Greed shifted in her chair and lowered her arms, an eerie grin having returned during her speech.
’Well, then...’
Vale sat back up in his chair and repositioned himself.
"So, I don’t suppose the 1000 Aether would be a fair price?"
Greed threw her hand over her mouth and lightly chuckled.
"Of course not. I’m the one who earned you all that Aether."
Vale leaned back, then said:
"Well, we’ve gone over all the reasons I need this deal and how it would benefit . I see it fair that we go over why you ought to oblige."
"Do tell."
Vale grew a stern expression.
"That 1000 Aether I got from you will definitely be helpful in the long run; however, it was garnered by the continual culling of beasts in the gorge — a mass genocide. In no ti, beasts of which the likes I’ve never seen will co and make my doorstep their ho."
Vale interlaced his fingers, then added:
"You should not only compensate for ruining the ecosystem, but if you leave and a strong Blood beast appears, I may be dood, and you will have wasted your precious ti."
Greed’s eyes narrowed.
"Valentin, your repeated showcases of wisdom confirms my judgnt in taking interest in you. Anything else?"
Vale leaned forward.
"Naturally. By staying here, you’ll get direct information about the Akkuron-Celestia war; information that will be quite hard to get with the Lost Expanse in your way... I don’t know about your world, but in my world, wars were closely associated with monetary gain."
Greed nodded.
"Seriously, Valentin, you are impressive. Using the geographical knowledge already from the map I gave you. Yes, I agree. Not to ntion that once I take over Windshire, Akkuron will be happy to accept my trade requests. What else have you discerned?"
Vale laid the last cards out on the taphorical table.
"You will get to learn the ins and outs of any Trait I earn when I beco Ergent. Sure, you could ask Mias. But if you read it directly, you’d be able to peer into its essence. I’ve concluded you can read things normally without the glasses, but with them you get much more insight, no?"
Greed’s eyes twinkled.
"Impressive..."
Vale added:
"Finally, you get to have my company for another week and spectate more imp gas. How aweso is that?"
Greed laughed at his words.
"Most of everything you said makes sense. So then, with that all out there, let’s get started in earnest. I’ll let you throw out the first ’true’ offer."
Thinking briefly, Vale offered a fleeting smile, then remarked:
"I have a fact that you may be interested in. More reasonable favors could also be owed by to you. I can actively agree to gather information about the war to feed to you.
Greed could learn about the war through Mias, but if Vale went actively searching for information, she’d get much more thorough knowledge.
Vale added:
"I can also throw in the 1232 Aether you claim is yours."
Greed interrupted:
"1458. Don’t think I don’t know of the shards you’re ’hiding’."
Sothing Vale learned was that Aether was transferable in an odd way. If Vale consciously rejected the portal to the Dungeon Core, he could physically touch it. Then, he could draw out all the shards into one grand shard worth the said amount.
Vale coughed, then continued:
"Additionally, you possess the right to draw upon the strength of two of my Champions, should the need arise. Not command, but borrow."
"That’s quite the bait, Valentin. You put this worth in a mysterious fact to pique my intrigue. Even using ’may’ to make it relevantly ambiguous. How am I to know this is not a fact about your favorite food or sothing?"
Vale’s eyes softened.
Greed crossed her legs and said:
"Other than that... you simply listed almost everything you could offer. So, was that an offer or what you’re willing to trade?"
"An offer. Adding two favors."
Greed pondered her thoughts briefly.
"Hmm."
Eventually, she uncrossed her legs, recrossed them, and added:
"I won’t deny knowing the true value of favors and borrowing. A value that will only rise as you get stronger."
Greed chuckled, then added:
"But sadly, it’s not enough. Your situation is quite perilous for that to be sufficient."
Vale bit his lip.
"And who caused such a situation?"
The one where Akkuron would soon knock on Vale’s door.
"That’s irrelevant. With their tools, your dungeon’s location being exposed was certain. Whether that happened now or later. In fact, they know, but being kept at bay by my presence is actually a boon because it gives you ti to prepare."
Vale responded:
"It also gave them ti to prepare."
Greed’s eyes widened slightly.
’How many more tis is my intelligence going to surprise her?’
But everything else she said wasn’t sothing Vale could refute. Especially knowing the device they had.
"Well, then. Do you have a counteroffer? Or is it a done deal? Because I’m not willing to part with more."
Greed chuckled.
"Nice bluff. I know a walk-away threat when I see one. Especially knowing how much you stand to lose."
Vale withheld his smile.
Greed was right...
But Vale had also predicted this. Not only that, he’d counted on it. He counted on making an offer that would actually be an overpay. An offer Greed knew would see, then lick her chops at and want more.
’I’m right where I want to be.’
Greed leaned back.
"I’ll let you decide. Remove, add, and change your deal as you see fit to entice . Fail, and I may be the one walking away."
Vale exhaled through his nose, attention sharpening.
"Exploiting concessions from refusal, is it? How am I to know you’re not bluffing by calling my bluff? What if I’ve already overpaid and you’re simply being greedy for more? Tell ?"
"That’s up to you to discern."
Vale escaped from his mind and crawled on his face.
"Oh? Is it now?"
Vale withdrew the [Shard of Truth] from the [Nexus of Beginnings].
Sadly, Greed, having the glasses and whatever ability allowed her to understand Items, knew of the fifteen-minute ti limit.
"If you waste ti once I activate it, I will simply consider my offer overpriced already."
Greed’s eyes widened slightly, but she kept her voice composed.
"Have you been hiding that this whole ti?"
Vale shrugged, not having activated it yet.
"Who knows?"
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