If Greed had simply accepted Vale’s initial offer, Vale would have been a little annoyed. But if that was the price it took for safety, he’d willingly pay.
However, he knew damn well Greed would want more. Much more than her fair share.
So, he let her think she could dominate him.
All by starting with that outrageous offer.
But now, with the [Shard of Truth], Greed wouldn’t be able to hide that the value of Vale’s offer was higher than she’d initially let on.
That he could earn what he wanted with less.
Although it still wouldn’t be easy to outmaneuver Greed on the battlefield of negotiation.
The two were about to fight a battle of half-truths, omissions, and deception for the next fifteen minutes.
It wouldn’t be the better liar who won the negotiation.
Whoever spins and dilutes the truth better.
And Vale... Vale had his conman shitbag detective father, who taught him firsthand the ins and outs of false truths.
On the other hand, there was Greed. Born and raised in the City of Sin. Surrounded by false promises of wealth.
In her world, she’d borne witness to lies that could kill and truths that could crumble empires.
***
Vale set the [Shard of Truth] on the edge of his throne and activated it.
Not wasting any ti, he asked straight up:
"Was my offer an overpay?"
Greed mulled it over in her head and wiggled her hands side to side. Eventually, she began stringing together words.
"Hmm. No? Yeah? In a sense, yeah, maybe. Although the value of a favor is quite subjective, no? What if I simply asked you to take a step? Then it would constitute as imnsely cheap! Also, what was it... 1430? 1450? No! 1458 Aether! That amount? At my level, that isn’t an entirely trivial amount, but it’s not a lot. Not enough to sway this deal in your favor. As for—"
Vale sighed and cut her off.
"I’ll take that then as a yes."
Vale looked over at the dormant crystal after Greed’s verbose tangent.
She was doing her best to waste ti. But that also told Vale a lot. It told him he’d pressed the right weakness.
After all, what went unsaid spoke louder than what was said.
"I noticed just now you omitted the damage you did to the population. I’m sure in your old world, you know that a disrupted ecosystem can cause a cataclysm. And, as soone who’s been in this world longer than I, I’m sure you know that here, the beasts who co to populate a decimated region will be strong — drawn by Aether Density. Too strong for to easily handle. So, tell , if the potential damages had a price tag on them, how much Aether would my compensation be?"
Greed stared blankly for a few monts, twiddling her thumbs and letting her bracelets clash and ring. Her expression was flat, but Vale could see a hint of annoyance in her eyes.
"Stay silent much longer, and I’ll simply assu the damage is so great that compensation would amount to half the deal for you. Or more."
Greed smiled lightly, flashing her pearly white teeth.
"Oh, Valentin. Since when has ’compensation’ for damages been a part of negotiating a pact? It’s quite irrelevant, no? What’s been done is done. There was no clause for it before. So, you can’t make it a problem in retrospect to suit your ambition. Anyway, why should I care and make up for an action that benefited you? I’m sure you know that I couldn’t very well release my power in your dungeon. And I was under no obligation to put myself in harm’s way, leaving the safety of the Scar."
Vale looked over at the dormant crystal, about a minute and a half of the fifteen-minute tir absorbed.
"That answered nothing. If you want to argue that way, then the fact that you’re the reason for the 1458 Aether is also a non-negotiable point. How about this? Say only yes or no. Is the compensation for my potential damages above or below 5000 Aether?"
Greed crossed her legs.
"Potential damages? What a way to fra it—"
"Yes or no."
Greed rolled her eyes.
"...Yes."
Vale felt a small surge of satisfaction.
’Alright then...’
Greed shrugged, then added:
"It’s still an erroneous point, Valentin. Tick-tock, you’re wasting ti."
The crystal remained dormant.
Vale’s eyes narrowed.
"At least it settles the Aether amount I possess. It has been proven that the acquisition thod should hold no weight. If you want to stick to your claim, then its worth would be over 5000 Aether, no?"
Greed laughed, then said:
"Sure, sure. Whatever. But my turn to ask a question. Wars are indeed insanely profitable. But such wars, especially between powerhouses, are usually calm in the first few weeks. Feeling each other out and spying. You know the knowledge I could glean in a single week isn’t all that useful, right?"
Vale wasted no ti on lies.
"Correct. However, knowledge is knowledge. There is the potential to learn nothing, but there remains the potential to learn sothing that will shape the course of history."
Greed’s eyes narrowed as she leaned slightly forward.
"My, my."
Vale said:
"Now then. The favors from . Give them a value. Since you at least know what you intend to use them for."
Greed growled:
"You are growing quite impertinent, my petulant friend."
The mont she said the word friend, the crystal flared red and shot a beam into her chest.
Greed laughed at it, then added:
"Favors could be worth nothing or everything. But, recall that you included ’reasonable.’ Supposing I can’t ask anything unreasonable, it isn’t nearly as much as it could be."
Greed uncrossed her legs and recrossed them. Greed continued:
"Pretty much, what I an to say is it’s not possible to put a value on sothing that would be a result of two subjective minds. If it were just up to alone, the favors could be worth 100000 Aether. But, of course, your stipulation makes unable to give you even an estimate."
Vale looked at the dormant crystal and realized that the point ended there.
Arguing over subjectivity would not get him anywhere. What he needed at this point was an objective standpoint supporting his case — one built on truth.
Thankfully, there were over 10 minutes left, and Vale was pretty much done with the ’feeling around’ questions.
Greed asked:
"Tell , this fact you spoke of. Is it actually sothing I’d be interested in? Also... if it were actually included in the deal, did you intend to tell that interesting fact?"
Vale laughed. He’d been waiting for this.
"Why, I have a fact or two you’d be truly interested in."
Then his eyes narrowed, and Vale continued:
"But you caught . I wasn’t going to spill."
The bait had been cast.
User Comments
0 comments from readers