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However, when Hubert finally descended to the lobby, he approached Ghislain leisurely without showing any sign of haste.

Even in this situation, he wanted to maintain the last shred of his dignity.

With his head held high, the Tower Master spoke to Ghislain.

“Are you the one who came to sell the Runestone? I am Hubert, the Tower Master of the Crimson Flame Tower. A 6th-circle mage.”

In any country, a 6th-circle mage was treated as a high-ranking noble, equivalent to a count or higher.

Moreover, being the Tower Master of the Crimson Flame Tower, his prestige was not something to be taken lightly.

Ghislain accepted his condescension without resistance.

“It is an honor to meet you. My name is Ghislain Ferdium. I am here to sell the Runestone.”

“Hmm, I see. Well then…”

As Hubert continued speaking, he scanned Ghislain’s companions but stopped mid-sentence, his mouth closing involuntarily.

‘…What is this? Are they bandits? Are they here to scam us?’

Hubert was aware that there was a poor estate in the north called Ferdium.

However, no matter how impoverished the estate, Ghislain’s group didn’t resemble a noble entourage at all.

They looked more like a gang of rough, vicious thugs than anything else.

‘Is he really a noble? Who the hell are these people?’

In particular, the tall, red-haired man stood with his head tilted, staring at Hubert with an arrogant expression.

‘…Is he looking for a fight?’

Having never experienced such blatant provocation in his life, Hubert was flustered and turned his head away.

The man with graying hair, who appeared somewhat older, at least looked decent, but the rest of the group dressed and behaved in an utterly vulgar manner.

It was the first time in the history of the Crimson Flame Tower that such uncouth individuals had been allowed inside.

Hubert examined Ghislain again. At least his face was clean, and he seemed intelligent, making him the most presentable of the group.

But it was hard to believe he was the Young Lord of an estate, given his shabby attire and the fact that he associated with such crude people.

Hubert whispered discreetly to the elder next to him.

“Is there a newly formed bandit group around here?”

“Hmm… There shouldn’t be any around here.”

“Right? Didn’t we wipe them all out?”

“Yes, we took care of them all.”

The Tower Master furrowed his brow slightly.

‘Then where the hell did these people come from…? Are they really from Ferdium?’

Hubert, his expression uneasy, continued speaking.

“Hmph, you say you are the Young Lord of Ferdium? But your companions… Do soldiers in Ferdium dress like this? Is this the local fashion?”

“No. These are mercenaries who travel with me.”

“Ah… So they’re mercenaries, not bandits?”

Only then did Hubert nod in understanding.

It wasn’t uncommon for lords from impoverished estates to temporarily hire mercenaries when they traveled, especially when they lacked soldiers.

“Well, in any case, it was wise of you to come here instead of the Scarlet Tower.”

Though outwardly courteous, Hubert suppressed his irritation.

In the past, as the Tower Master, he wouldn’t have personally handled such a transaction, nor would he have even shown his face.

Since it would lower his dignity to haggle with a mere merchant as the most prominent Tower Master in the North, he thought to himself:

‘I’ll make sure I’m well compensated for stepping in personally.’

With a smug expression, the Tower Master spoke.

“First… let me check how much you’ve brought.”

He glanced over the pile of Runestones on the cart, then muttered as if it was nothing special.

“It’s not as much as I thought. I came because I heard it was a massive amount. What a waste of time.”

In reality, the quantity was enough to make his heart race.

After seeing Hubert, the elders, on the verge of celebrating, quickly masked their expressions with a serious demeanor.

“Ahem, yes, it’s really not as much as expected. The quality doesn’t look particularly impressive either…”

“Still, since they’ve come all this way, wouldn’t it be polite to buy everything?”

“Let’s do that. After all, where else would a young fellow like him sell all this? Hmm.”

“Of course. Otherwise, he’d probably get swindled somewhere else. The world is a dangerous place, hohoho.”

The mercenaries couldn’t help but smirk at the back-and-forth exchange between the elders.

Kaor turned his head and muttered quietly.

“They’re terrible actors.”

The faces of the mages, including Hubert, had turned bright red, and their nostrils flared in frustration.

One of the elders even placed a hand over his heart, breathing heavily as if he was struggling to catch his breath.

It was strange that they didn’t realize the whole act was obvious.

The mercenaries, gathered in small groups, began whispering among themselves.

“Hey, even the Tower isn’t all that. It’s pretty clear they’re just trying to lowball the price.”

“Exactly. Normally, wouldn’t places like this just handle transactions straightforwardly without all this nonsense?”

“People are the same everywhere. They try to act all dignified, but in the end, they’re just playing the part.”

To the eyes of the seasoned mercenaries, who had encountered all kinds of people, the mages’ clumsy performance was so transparent that their intentions were plain to see.

However, Hubert didn’t seem to notice the mercenaries’ chatter.

Trying to cool down his flushed face, he took a deep breath.

“Shall we discuss this in more detail? Follow me.”

Ghislain, Belinda, and Gillian followed the mages and stepped onto the magic circle.

As Kaor, who was trailing behind, stepped up to the circle, he looked back and said:

“Hey, keep your eyes peeled. If even one of those things goes missing, I’ll crack the skulls of both the thief and anyone who let it happen.”

The mages frowned at his vulgar language, but the mercenaries nodded as if it was only natural.

Once Kaor had stepped onto the circle, it flickered a few times, and Ghislain’s group was transported to the top floor of the tower.

The fact that this magic circle also used Runestones shows just how versatile Runestones are.

With a silent smile, Ghislain followed behind the mages.

‘With that amount, it’s no wonder their eyes are gleaming. Especially yours.’

Among the information Ghislain had obtained in his past life were details about the Crimson Flame Tower.

The Crimson Flame Tower had never escaped second place in the North, always trailing behind the Scarlet Tower.

Its influence had dwindled to the point where, in the end, the Tower Master would die of stress.

The mage, who was considered more rational than anyone else in the world, had died from stress.

Although the situation wasn’t as bad as it had been in his past life, it wasn’t good either. It would only get worse from here on out.

‘It would have been better if I came later.’

Had he arrived later, the Tower Master wouldn’t have just bowed before Ghislain but would have groveled at his feet.

However, Ghislain couldn’t afford to wait any longer, as the situation was urgent.

‘Still, he’ll have to be ready to strip down to his underwear. Hahaha.’

The room they arrived at was adorned with lavish chairs and tables, just like the reception room. Refreshments had already been prepared.

With a relaxed expression, Ghislain took a seat. The other three stood behind him.

Hubert and the five elders sat in a row in front of Ghislain.

“Let me introduce ourselves. These are the elders of our tower. All 5th-circle mages and the core figures who lead the Crimson Flame Tower.”

Once Hubert finished speaking, the elders, with arrogant expressions, introduced themselves individually.

Their attitude was as if to say, ‘You know who we are, don’t you?’ But unfortunately for them, Ghislain didn’t care in the slightest.

“I see. I look forward to working with you.”

His confident demeanor made the elders visibly uncomfortable.

Normally, youngsters like him would bow deeply and shower them with flattery upon meeting them, but Ghislain showed no such inclination.

One of the elders, sneering, asked, “Isn’t Ferdium a poor estate in the North? How did you manage to get Runestones from a place like that? Do you even get proper meals up there?”

Belinda scowled at the condescending remark, but Ghislain merely smiled and replied.

“We were fortunate. By the way, it’s impressive that all of you are 5th-circle mages.”

Typically, the mages who signed exclusive contracts with lords were 4th-circle mages.

Having five 5th-circle mages meant the tower was quite powerful.

Hubert and the elders wore proud expressions, but when Ghislain continued speaking, their faces immediately twisted.

“It’s no wonder you’re considered second in the North. Hahaha.”

‘This damn brat…’

Hubert gritted his teeth at the comment that pricked his pride.

But Ghislain, acting as if he was oblivious, continued to smile innocently.

Any argument would only tarnish the tower’s reputation, so Hubert took a deep breath to calm his burning anger.

“Ahem, you seem to be misinformed, being from another estate. That’s just a rumor. We’re still the number one tower in the North.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, if you say so.”

From behind, Kaor let out a snicker. Belinda quietly covered her mouth with her hand, but her eyes clearly showed her amusement.

Only Gillian remained expressionless, standing motionless as he had been from the start.

Hubert and the elders glared at the two, who were behaving rudely.

However, Kaor and Belinda simply shrugged, their expressions unapologetic, as if daring them to do something about it.

‘These impudent fools…’

The mages frowned, thinking that these poor, uneducated people lacked any sense of dignity.

Their anger simmered, but they knew that engaging in a verbal spat with such lowly individuals wouldn’t do them any good.

“Alright, let’s cut the pointless chatter and get to the point. How much are you thinking of selling them for? Just so you know, I really hate being overcharged. That’s disrespecting me, don’t you think? You must have heard how terrifying I am.”

Hubert spoke threateningly, trying to intimidate Ghislain right from the start.

He was determined to buy every last Runestone Ghislain had brought, no matter what.

If they failed to secure Runestones, they would never be able to surpass the Scarlet Tower.

‘I have to secure them all. There’s no way I’ll let even a single Runestone fall into the hands of the Scarlet Tower.’

With that many Runestones, they could profit by selling magic tools.

More importantly, they could elevate not only his own skills but also the skills of every mage in the tower.

‘Those Runestones are all ours.’

Hubert’s mind was consumed with the thought of acquiring the Runestones.

Seeing the greedy looks in the mages’ eyes, Ghislain smirked.

“I’ll need double the market price.”

“What?”

The Tower Master’s face twisted. He had just mentioned that he hated being overcharged, yet Ghislain boldly inflated the price.

“You’re a young noble who knows far too little about the world. Didn’t I just say that I hate being overcharged? Are you mocking me?”

As Hubert growled, the other elders grew furious as well.

“How dare you. Do you know where you are?”

“Is that wretched Ferdium estate trying to insult the Crimson Flame Tower?”

Despite the mages’ scowls, Ghislain remained unbothered, responding calmly.

“Two and a half times.”

The mages were momentarily dumbfounded, staring at Ghislain before erupting in anger.

“You scoundrel! Do you think such a cheap trick will work on us?”

“How dare you make such an outrageous demand…!”

“Do you really want to see this through to the end?”

The mages gritted their teeth, raising their hands in preparation for a spell. But Ghislain, glancing at them briefly, spoke again.

“Three times.”

“……”

At that point, the mages all fell silent. They somehow felt that Ghislain would raise the price even further if they spoke again.

The Tower Master and the elders stared at Ghislain with fierce eyes, unable to say anything for a long time.

Ghislain’s three companions were equally bewildered.

No matter how valuable Runestones were, who in their right mind would buy them for three times the market price?

If they were going to spend that much, they could simply go to a merchant guild and purchase them there.

After traveling for days to sell the goods here, it was perplexing why Ghislain acted as if he had no intention of selling.

Belinda looked at Ghislain with concern in her eyes.

‘Is this one of the Young Lord’s bad habits again? Maybe he’s annoyed because the mages are too arrogant.’

She glanced at Gillian and Kaor, standing beside her. Neither of them seemed inclined to intervene.

Gillian stood like a stoic figure, ready to follow his master’s will, while Kaor was chuckling, seemingly entertained by the whole situation.

Belinda grumbled inwardly.

‘Honestly, I’m the only one who really cares about the Young Lord!’

Whether he noticed Belinda’s concern or not, Ghislain waited for a moment before silently standing up.

Hubert’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden movement.

“Why are you getting up…?”

“It seems you have no intention of making a deal. I should head to the Scarlet Tower. I’ve heard they’ve been doing well lately and are offering good prices for Runestones.”

With that, Ghislain turned and began striding towards the door.

Hubert’s face turned pale, and he hurriedly grabbed Ghislain’s arm.

“Wait! Young man, why are you in such a rush? I said I don’t like being overcharged, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t pay a higher price!”

The Tower Master quickly stepped in front of the door, blocking Ghislain’s path.

Ghislain narrowed his eyes, observing him before nodding leisurely.

“Well, if that’s the case, shall we continue our discussion?”

With grace, Ghislain returned to his seat.

Hubert’s expression grew increasingly sullen, and the elders beside him fidgeted anxiously, unsure of what to do.

Belinda, who was unaware of the Crimson Flame Tower’s precarious situation, couldn’t understand why they were so desperate to follow Ghislain’s lead.

‘Why are they going along with everything the Young Lord says? Have all these old men gone senile?’

Ghislain’s calm and confident voice echoed through the room.

“So, will you buy everything for three times the price?”