Strategic Investment

Kent considered the cooperation with the Red Tiger Family more long-term.

It was more like a strategic investment.

By configuring just one standard rune on a magic armor, he could firmly bind the Red Tiger Family to the war chariot of the Spear of Hunters' territory. At the same time, by secretly supporting the power of this Tiger Tribe royal family, he could nurture a potential ally for the upcoming battles against the rebel tribes of the Forest Alliance and other tribes in the future.

In the future, this might bring Kent a continuous stream of strategic returns, such as satisfaction points.

However, the magic scroll was different.

The effect of the magic was short-lived, meaning it inherently had the attributes of a consumable item. Its enhancement could reach up to 20%, which meant it could become a hot commodity anywhere. The next issue to solve was simply the problem of standardizing production.

This was a problem that could be solved quickly.

Drawing magic scrolls required a higher affinity with magic. Those who could sense the magic fluctuations of magic liquid and maintain balance while drawing were few and far between in the Highland Alliance.

But perhaps Blood Rose could manage.

Water Stream and Blood Rose, sisters from the Prairie Alliance, naturally possessed a strong affinity for magic. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to seize the Bloodstone transport armored with magic runes. No one could have predicted that the magic rune armor ended up in Kent's possession, and Kent, in turn, secured the magic armor.

Once Blood Rose and her followers relocated to the valley, Kent could try mass-producing magic scrolls.

Before the leader of the merchant convoy, Angry Wind, lay the magic scroll. Aside from the actual rune patterns, Kent had also drawn many other symbols to confuse the senses and prevent the true secret from being leaked.

The extra symbols were inspired by medieval alchemy from Earth, though Kent had added his own creative flair, making the entire structure look like the magical formations seen in many games.

Mysticism has an interesting form in which it utilizes many symbols and elements. This was exactly what Kent was doing—drawing numerous elemental symbols on the paper and, on a whim, writing a circle of English words on the outer edge.

The Butterfly Effect…

The most important part was brand packaging.

The more complicated and mysterious the packaging, the more it would shock the other party and achieve his goal.

"Angry Wind, can you understand this?"

Inside the Giant Tavern, Kent watched Angry Wind's changing expressions and asked again.

"Ah… I wouldn't dare, sir. Just call me Angry Wind." Angry Wind lowered his voice, his face filled with wrinkles that carried both compliments and awe. "The gods of magic have never favored Angry Wind…" He carefully held the starry rune paper with both hands, his voice trembling. "The runes on this paper... their mysteries are as unreachable as the stars in the sky. I, Angry Wind, am but a small merchant; how could I understand them…"

Even Kent, with his two lifetimes of experience, nearly couldn't withstand Angry Wind's flattery. He quickly regained composure, steadied his mind, and nodded confidently. But to Angry Wind, this gesture seemed to express approval and a tacit understanding shared only between the two of them.

"Sir, you mean… you want me to find a big buyer?" Angry Wind carefully weighed his words.

"Oh, no, this is a gift for you," Kent casually said.

A rush of excitement surged into Angry Wind's head, and he felt a wave of dizziness. The immense joy, mixed with endless shock, washed over him like a tide. This unprecedented negotiation tactic completely overwhelmed him.

"Then… then what…?" He felt the starry rune paper in his hands as heavy as a thousand pounds. "What does Angry Wind need to do for you?"

The starry paper, already marked with mysterious runes, was now worth an unknown number of common gold coins. To receive it for free meant the cost would be equally considerable.

Angry Wind could almost infer that behind Kent, there must be a powerful magic practitioner from the Green Wild Continent, such as a wizard. He had encountered such magic practitioners from the Green Wild Continent before in the Red Earth Continent.

His mouth was dry, heart racing, his smile nearly frozen on his face, anxiously awaiting the next words from Kent.

"Don't worry yet," Kent said with a smile. "The magic scroll before you can provide a 20% power boost, lasting about an hour. How much do you think it could be sold for in the Highland Alliance?"

Indeed, it was a magic scroll!

Angry Wind's heart raced with excitement. It seemed this illegitimate lord had a powerful wizard behind him without a doubt.

"Sir, if I may be so bold, it's probably not a good idea for Angry Wind to sell it directly."

"Oh? Does your merchant convoy lack the courage to sell it?" Kent raised an eyebrow.

"No, that's not what I meant," Angry Wind quickly stood up and explained. "Sir, don't just say Angry Wind—no merchant convoy in the Red Earth Continent, including royal family convoys, has ever sold magic scrolls. These are treasures even the greatest tribes would fight over. If one appeared in front of the public, even for several hundred gold coins, I'm sure someone would buy it. But the way you sell it, and the type of buyer, will make a big difference in the final price."

"Mm, you're right. So how do you suggest selling it?"

"Angry Wind thinks that selling through a merchant convoy, with limited routes, would make it hard to fetch a high price. The real buyers—those with the power to buy—are likely leaders or elders of tribes, large adventurer groups, regional armies, or even certain underground forces. These people are usually unreachable by conventional merchant convoys. Instead…"

"Instead?" Kent listened carefully, intrigued by Angry Wind's suggestion.

"Instead… why not try an auction?"

"An auction?" The word seemed out of place for the Red Earth Continent, and Kent almost felt like he had crossed over again.

"Yes, sir. An auction is the best choice." Angry Wind answered. "There are two options. You could auction the scroll in a super tribe of the highlands, such as the Hammer Tribe. Alternatively, you could auction it in the Northern Border, like the nearby Mysterious Stone Camp, which is only a two-day ride away."

"What's the difference between these two auction places?" Kent asked. It sounded like there was a distinction.

"There's a clear difference, sir. If you auction it in a super tribe in the highlands, it will be safer, and the customers will mainly be humans—mostly from the Highland Tribe Alliance, although there may also be people from other continents. Of course, some external tribes might attend through human proxies." Angry Wind explained.

"So what about in the Northern Border?" Kent asked.