Arcadia - Huntara
The discussion regarding the exchange of Eternal Ice and Heart of Ice with the Huntara party proceeded smoothly.
There were no issues with the materials from both sides.
Cien was delighted to see the light blue gem, beautiful and mystical. And with the presence of the Eternal Ice, he could now create a potion to heal Lilinette's Mana Nucleus.
Of course, that wasn't the only use; he could also craft other unique weapons. However, plans for creating new unique weapons would have to be postponed for a while due to the increasing workload.
Not only were ongoing projects demanding his attention, but also the growing orders from Huntara.
Yes, it wasn't just the Heart of Ice; Huntara had also placed orders for thousands of weapons from Arcadia.
Thousands of weapons intended for facing the looming large-scale war, whether against the Abyss or other kingdoms like Westya.
Currently, the two kingdoms were still discussing the borderlines of the territory that had been reclaimed from Farnodt.
The new Huntara territory in Farnodt would be under the rule of Princess Sravati, the First Prince, and another Huntara noble.
Princess Sravati could easily spare time to visit Cien due to the close proximity of her lands. Her territory now directly bordered Death Valley, stretching from Blackwinter to Marina.
Princess Sravati's territory was now the immediate neighbor of Death Valley.
Regarding the matter of determining the borders between the two kingdoms, Westya and Huntara, it was the responsibility of the First Prince of Huntara.
Geographically, the First Prince of Huntara would be the one directly bordering Westya, covering a significant portion of the former capital of Farnodt—Lumiere's territory.
That's why, essentially, Princess Sravati had a relatively open schedule to visit Cien.
Even though she was involved in various construction projects herself, most of the cities in the former Farnodt territory she now occupied had crumbled. Half of Marina... had become a lake. Heh.
Therefore, in addition to weapons, Sravati also wanted to purchase some rare materials such as Hellteak wood for construction materials, materials from monsters, and even food supplies.
As for the food, Sravati doesn't want typical agricultural produce, as those wouldn't be available for sale by Cien yet, but rather food derived from monsters.
Monster meat was a highly prized food item among the populace. The higher the rank of monster meat, the rarer and more expensive it became.
Moreover, monster meat at Rank 5 and above had significant benefits for the development of fighters.
The Huntara dignitaries who had just arrived were immediately enamored with the food served in Arcadia. It wasn't just delicious; the ingredients used were also uncommon in the market.
Realizing that monster meat was part of the daily diet for the people of Arcadia, the dignitaries promptly asked Princess Sravati to secure a supply of high-class monster meat from Arcadia.
Princess Sravati immediately instructed one of her subordinates to investigate the availability of such food. After confirming that the monster meat could be procured, she placed her order.
In Death Valley, acquiring monster meat could be considered both easy and difficult. Especially when specific high-rank monsters were sought after.
To address this issue, Balmut and Padi initiated a monster farming plan.
Something that might sound absurd but was indeed achievable. The citizens of Arcadia had seen Cien successfully raise Moon Rabbits.
Taking inspiration from Cien, Balmut and Padi established monster farms using Hellteak wood enclosures.
These monster enclosures were located on the western bank of the river in the outskirts of Arcadia.
At present, there were around eleven types of monsters being raised. Most of them were small monsters with low ranks. Only the Blackwood Stag and Rock Sheep were monsters of Rank 5 and above being raised.
So, for now, accepting orders from Huntara for meat ranging from Rank 1 to Rank 8, Cien could only inform them that the higher-ranked stock in Arcadia was limited. However, the lower-ranked meats could be arranged.
Princess Sravati eventually ordered low-ranked meat to be sent to her new territory. As for medium to high-ranked meat, it would be distributed throughout Huntara.
High-rank monster meat prices were beyond what the common people could afford; only the wealthy could enjoy them.
Seeing that the monster meat agreement had been settled, the Huntara dignitaries at the table were immediately enticed, envisioning the high-quality meat they would be able to enjoy at home.
Sravati could only shake her head at the dignitaries' behavior. They had always appeared dignified, but now they were daydreaming about a pile of meat.
Of course, weapons and food supplies weren't the only items required.
Sravati also ordered various potions offered by Arcadia, specifically from Kirana's Shop, as well as some rare materials currently held by Cien.
"Rare materials?" Cien asked, curious about the materials Sravati wanted.
The Princess nodded. "Hmm, when I visited the shop last night, I saw some interesting items."
The interesting items Sravati referred to included dragon blood and bones, Monster Cores, Mythril, a dark red flower known as the Thousand Blood Flower, and, of course, Mana Cores.
All these items, which could entice even a king, were casually displayed in the shop's showcase by Cien.
Princess Sravati didn't quite understand their significance, and the newly arrived Huntara delegates were equally baffled by the existence of these rare materials when the Princess said it.
They knew that Princess Sravati had recently acquired a hundred grams of dragon blood, but they didn't know its original source.
Now... they knew the true origin. It wasn't just dragon blood; there was Mythril and Mana Cores too.
The Huntara dignitaries couldn't help but salivate. To be honest, if they could, they would have loved to purchase these items for themselves, not on behalf of Huntara. They wanted these materials for their personal use.
Princess Sravati had anticipated the petty thoughts of these dignitaries.
That's why she hadn't uttered a word about these rare materials before this meeting.
She knew that if she did so before the meeting, the dignitaries would have flocked to the shop, grabbing the materials for themselves without a second thought for Huntara.
"Sigh~" Princess Sravati sighed deeply as she observed the greedy gazes of her kingdom's elders.
"I want those materials for alchemical development in Huntara. Our researchers would greatly benefit from these materials."
"Hmm, feel free to buy them. Those items are displayed for sale, not just for show. You can go to the shop directly if you want to purchase them, but the quantity is extremely limited."
Sravati shook her head. "No. Let's make this an official transaction."
The Princess then glanced to her side, indicating the greedy individuals.
"So that they don't fall into the wrong hands."
"Ah~" Cien understood instantly.
He then instructed Sienna to record all the materials Sravati wanted. After learning about the available quantities, Sravati bought them all, leaving none for the dignitaries.
Cien still had many rare materials in his storage, but they were not for sale.
He would supply Mana Cores and Mythril once a month because they could be duplicated using the Spawn Storage. However, other materials were limited.
This included the Thousand Blood Flower he had recently acquired from Marina. Currently, he only had three of them, and one had already been purchased by Sravati.
Cien had two left. He was keeping one for duplication, and he would only supply more when he had a larger quantity.
As for the Thousand Blood Flower's function, it was one of the most valuable materials in the world. One of its uses was as a component for creating immortality elixirs.
For now, only Cien knew how to make the immortality elixir, but he had no intention of making it anytime soon.
Why? It was simple; he lacked a crucial material, one that was closely guarded by Divinia: the Sacred Flame.
That's why Cien had no plans to create the immortality elixir at the moment. He might use the Thousand Blood Flower as a component for his next unique weapon instead.
Now, the reason Cien sold one of these incredibly valuable flowers was his curiosity about what alchemists outside could do with it.
What if they could identify the flower? What if they could create intriguing potions from it? Cien was genuinely curious.
After Huntara had expressed all their desires, it was Arcadia's turn. However, for this matter, Cien remained silent and let Ethel and Sienna take over.
Honestly, for the logistics problems needed for his people, Cien hadn't been very thorough in that aspect. Ethel and Sienna were more experienced in dealing with these matters.
The business transactions between the two kingdoms took quite a while. It went on until the evening, and the meeting was momentarily paused to fill their stomachs.
After dinner, the meeting resumed, and eventually, the business contract was formalized with the seal and signatures of both kingdoms.
Cien let out a long sigh, feeling tired from all the interactions and negotiations.
He hadn't done this for a very long time. He had only engaged in negotiations when he was a Baron, and even then, they were not on the same scale as this.
Unfortunately, the meeting wasn't over yet. Princess Sravati proposed something new, causing Cien to rub his temples.
She was suggesting an alliance, with the goal of both kingdoms assisting each other in the event of an Abyss threat.
"Are you serious about this?"
Cien asked, representing the thoughts of the Arcadia Division Heads.
For Arcadia, this proposal was somewhat disadvantageous to Cien.
Essentially, Abyss couldn't attack Arcadia, as it was shielded by Huntara and Westya.
Only when Abyss had taken over Huntara or Westya would Arcadia consider it a threat. Besides, Arcadia was a new and small kingdom. Why would Abyss bother with such a small kingdom?
"Ugh, I'm sorry, Sravati, but not only do we not feel threatened by Abyss, but our military strength is also still weak. I don't think we can provide much assistance if we were to help you in a war."
Princess Sravati grinned, "Don't underestimate yourself, Your Majesty Millard. Arcadia may have a small army, but your troops are elite! Trained in Death Valley, with weapons you've crafted yourselves!
"I'll be honest here. After your actions in Marina, Cien Millard and Arcadia have been considered one of the major threats to the Huntara government! Your Majesty Millard, I hope you will consider my proposal. For the sake of our neighboring coexistence."
The tone of the Princess carried authority, leaving everyone in awe, including the Huntara officials who didn't want Cien's status as a threat to be openly discussed. Especially not in front of him!
What was the Princess thinking?!
The Huntara officials were in a panic!
"Hahahahahaha!"
However, Cien, upon hearing this, burst into laughter with sheer delight.