Episode 320 – 1 Gold Is Enough
That old man proposed 50% of the shares as his opening demand. So realistically, he was probably aiming for around 30–40% at minimum.
He never even considered the possibility of 10%.
“10%? Are you toying with right now?!”
As expected, he exploded.
I replied calmly.
“Why? Is 10% too little?”
“If there’s no reasonable explanation, I’ll assu your side has no intention of doing business with our family.”
“A reasonable explanation…”
I picked up the red wine in front of . It was the third bottle—I’d downed them because the flavor just kept pulling in.
“This wine—expensive, isn’t it?”
“Red Charlottre. It goes for about 200 gold per bottle, but it’s hard to co by, so people pay ten tis that. Easily.”
“Ten tis the price... So it’s quite rare. Is it because there’s a limited production quantity?”
“Why are you asking useless questions? Do you really think this has anything to do with our negotiation?”
“Yes. It’s a necessary question.”
“A question like this?”
“Absolutely.”
I set the wine down and looked Italus in the eye.
He let out a quiet sigh and finally answered.
“There are only two vineyards capable of producing Red Charlottre. Plenty of people want it, but so few sell it—of course the price goes up.”
“Ah, just as I thought. You understand the rules of the market very well.”
“Are you mocking now?”
I smiled.
“Then you should also know exactly what will happen if I start mass-producing wine just like Red Charlottre and flood the market within a month.”
“Well…”
Italus opened his mouth but trailed off, swallowing his words. He leaned back in his chair and stared at in disbelief.
“You’re saying you’ll flood Aintrier with dwarven-made equipnt?”
“Do you think I can’t? I guarantee you—in about three months, the Lenon Workshop will be just another generic shop. Because by then, dwarven gear will no longer be anything special in Aintrier.”
“We have a special dwarf. A craftsman far superior to any ordinary dwarf.”
“Ah, you an Koristman. I rember the face.”
“...Koristman?”
“That’s his na. Didn’t you know?”
Italus let out a shallow breath.
He could feel his heart racing—not from excitent, but from a very real sense of danger.
How did he earn the trust of a dwarf? He’s human, isn’t he?
The only reason he had allowed Alex to et the dwarves was because he was human.
Dwarves captured by humans were filled with unimaginable resentnt and suspicion.
He was certain Alex wouldn’t even get a word in.
It had taken Italus an enormous amount of money, endless patience, and a deep understanding of dwarves to convince them.
And even he had never learned Koristman’s na.
And yet… Alex had heard it after just one eting?
“Who do you think I am? I have the Dwarf King behind .”
I made a mistake. I never should have allowed that eting.
“Regardless of the process, the outco doesn’t change. I have enough influence to shut down the dwarves at Lenon Workshop. You know exactly what that ans, don’t you?”
In short, the thing that made the Lenon Workshop “special”—the presence of dwarves—held no value for the World Tree Union.
“Still, 10% is just too low.”
“It’s more than enough.”
“If this deal falls through, we’ll have no choice but to oppose the World Tree Union for our survival. Do you understand how strongly the other companies will stand against you if we lead them? The network we've built in Aintrier is formidable.”
“Then I’ll side with Lord Azonne. I’m sure he’d have no problem neutralizing your influence.”
“Hmph! Do you really think Azonne would want to make an enemy of us, the Lenon family?”
I smiled and rubbed my chin.
In peaceful tis, yes—Azonne would have likely backed the Lenon Workshop.
But this wasn’t peace.
This was chaos, and it was all unfolding in Azonne’s favor.
“If I were Lord Azonne, I’d be looking to seize the Lenon family for myself right about now.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Demtor.”
“The atmosphere in Demtor is anything but calm. Isn’t the Lenon family currently without a proper shield?”
“What nonsense!?”
“What’s so absurd about it? The Tower of Wind and the Ivory Tower—those are your two shields, aren’t they?”
Italus raised his glass with a calm expression.
But his hand trembled ever so slightly. Trying to hide his surprise, he took a slow sip to moisten his dry throat and lips.
He set the glass down with a neutral face.
Inside, however, a storm raged.
“How...?!”
Everyone knew about the Tower of Wind, but the Ivory Tower was a secret.
Only he and his son knew of that hidden ally within Demtor.
So how did he know?
“I saw Nagrok, the Sub-Tower Master of the Ivory Tower, here in Aintrier. Azonne may be staying quiet for now because of him, but it’s only a matter of ti before he bares his fangs. Has Master Nagrok given you a definitive promise to protect your family? If so, I’ll consider raising your share to 15%.”
I closely observed Italus’s reaction.
It was clear that in tis like this, he must have contacted Nagrok for help.
But his silence said it all.
From his expression, I had a feeling.
Either the discussion hadn’t gone well, or… they hadn’t even t.
‘I want to know what Nagrok is thinking.’
If he ignored a plea from an allied family like the Lenons, why?
Why did he co to Aintrier in this volatile ti while Demtor was crumbling?
‘There’s a connection. I’ll find a way to et him.’
Surely Italus had at least a way to reach out to him.
I planned to use him to arrange a eting later.
‘Well then, the old man is out of cards. Just one left, right?’
I reached for a cookie piled on the plate.
Soft and sweet.
‘Lily would love this.’
Chewing quietly, I waited.
Giving him ti to think was best.
Grinding his teeth slowly, Italus bit down in frustration.
Despite his composed exterior, he was feeling the pressure.
As the conversation dragged on, the tightening noose beca impossible to ignore.
After a while, he let out a hollow laugh.
“Heh… 10%. If word of this gets out, I might have to step down as family head.”
To Alex, the Lenon Workshop’s uniqueness ant nothing.
Threats didn’t work.
But… he had to join forces with this man.
Yet he had nothing left to offer.
In all his years of negotiating, he had never felt this cornered.
...And he’s still so young.
Alex Marcia.
Just a mont ago, he was eating like a savage, yet now he negotiated like a master rchant.
Could his son really face soone like this in the future?
Italus picked up a teacup and closed his eyes.
After a pause, he set it down and spoke.
There was only one card left.
He was called Aintrier’s second-in-command for a reason.
“I’ll buy the remaining shares—with cash.”
I smiled.
As expected, he played his last card.
The final thing the Lenon Workshop had was the massive fortune they’d accumulated from selling dwarven equipnt for generations.
It was ti to check the size of this piggy bank.
“You have money?”
“Enough that I don’t feel ashad.”
“Then shall we begin with your account balance?”
I extended my hand.
Italus smiled bitterly, stood, and handed over a ledger.
I flipped through it quickly, scanning the asset list.
I skipped the properties and land—hard to assess on the spot.
I focused on what mattered: liquid assets.
Gold.
“There’d better be no lies in this list.”
“If it’s gold, I can show it to you right now.”
Show it right now?
I gave a dry laugh and closed the ledger.
The amount of gold listed already exceeded several hundred million.
So many zeroes—I hadn’t seen this many outside of math class.
“How much of that gold are you willing to use for share purchase?”
“Half.”
“Then I’ll give you 5%.”
“What? Five percent?! For that much gold?! Are you serious?!”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Do you not see how much that total is?!”
“Oh, I see it clearly.”
Italus stood there with his mouth slightly open, stunned.
Completely speechless. It looked like his brain had short-circuited.
This was a modern negotiation style I’d picked up in the corporate world. He clearly had never dealt with soone like before.
I smacked my lips and guided him back into his seat.
“Let ask you instead: how much of Aintrier’s shares can you buy with that gold right now?”
“...None.”
“And why is that?”
“Because no one is selling.”
“Exactly. Sa goes for . I have no reason to sell more than 5%. That’s why I set the price as I did.”
“...5%, huh. How much?”
“I have no intention of giving discounts. Half your gold, as written in the ledger.”
“...Heh.”
I’d need that money later—to avoid getting killed by Fenry.
Italus looked utterly defeated.
Did I push him too hard?
Push him any more and he might just surrender entirely.
It was ti to throw in a carrot.
One he couldn’t possibly refuse.
“Is the price too much?”
“Is that even a question?”
“If this deal succeeds, the World Tree Union will assign you a shield.”
“A shield? Who?”
I tapped the table loudly.
On cue, the door opened, and a man stepped in.
Lochter Felice.
Upon seeing him, Italus fell silent and nodded.
His expression visibly brightened—clearly, the carrot had worked.
‘Lochter’s the perfect shield.’
With the Tower of Wind and the Ivory Tower unable to protect them now, this was a card the Lenon family couldn’t refuse.
“Sir Lochter would more than suffice as the family’s shield. However… I imagine the cost would be steep.”
When Demtor provided mages as guards, they charged hundreds of thousands of gold per month.
That was fair—it was equivalent to sending soone on the level of a Sub-Tower Master.
This case was no different.
For soone like Lochter Felice, the protection cost would be massive.
Italus, who I’d tornted relentlessly, now looked genuinely afraid.
I was starting to feel bad for him.
I turned to Lochter and asked,
“Lochter, do you need money?”
“Not really.”
I nodded and held up one finger toward Italus.
“1 gold will be enough.”
“...1 gold??”
Now his face twisted in shock—in a different way.
Was I serious?
Of course he’d doubt it.
But once he heard the conditions, he’d understand just how expensive that 1 gold truly was.
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