Chapter - 61

Ryana stared at the stalk of the purple herb on her desk.

She reached out, and picked up the Moon Shade Herb. She brought it close to her face, inhaling the fragrance deeply to confirm if what she saw was right? And she was right, the smell from the stalk tickled her senses.

"You know what this is?" she said, her voice dropping low.

Leo leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head, looking completely at ease despite the two assassins gawking him like a hawk.

"I have a rough idea," he said, a lazy smirk playing on his lips, "But I am curious if the Red Queen tries to scam me like a street peddler, or if she does business with integrity."

Ryana placed the herb down gently on the velvet blotter, smoothing a leaf with a fingernail.

"I am a merchant, Mr Leo," She said, a smile replacing the previous frown, "We don't scam. We deal a win-win hand for everyone."

"Then show me your hand," Leo gestured.

"It's pristine," she admitted without lying, "It looks freshly harvested. The root structure is intact. This single stalk could stabilize an entire batch of High Grade Mana potions. You would have made quite a few friends if you were not in this ghost town."

"You say it is a ghost town, but here you are, fighting over territory." Leo smirked, pointing out the hypocrisy.

Ryana obviously ignored his remark. She leaned forward, her elbows resting on the desk. The movement pushed her breasts together against the fabric of her robe, offering Leo a spectacular view down the front. He didn't pretend to look away. He appreciated the view openly.

'If only there was some skin,' He thought.

"Is this all you have?" Ryana asked, not wanting to guess what was going in that pervy little brain of his, "A single stalk is valuable, certainly. But a steady supply... That might change this conversation entirely."

Leo chuckled, "You have a big appetite, Red queen. Can you even afford more? Or is the Silver Route just talk?"

Ryana's eyes flashed with challenge, "Test me. I can buy everything you have, right now, and I won't even need to check the vault."

"That's good to hear," Leo appreciated, "But don't have more of the Moon Shade herb right now," Leo admitted, shrugging.

Disappointment flickered across Ryana's face, but before she could speak, Leo leaned forward. The playful smile never leaving his face..

"But," he whispered, "I do have something... bigger."

He reached into his coat pocket, accessing his inventory. And the air in the room shifted instantly. The clean, cool scent of the Moon herb got mixed with something heavy and musky. The scent made their head go light and made their chest feel tingly.

Leo pulled his hand out, and like magic, placed the big Iron Hide Rhino Tusk

THUD!

It was massive.

A dark, curved horn, at least 1 and a half feet long and thick as a man's thigh at the base. It was a deep, grey colour, the surface rough and hollow from the inside.

From behind Ryana, a sharp gasp echoed. The two female bodyguards, who had been like a hawk with a stone face until now, were staring at the massive object on the desk. Even beneath their veils, Leo could see the flush rising on their necks. Their eyes were wide, fixated on the girth of the horn. They stared at the horn for a good few breaths before looking away embarrassed, but their eyes still stole glances at it.

Ryana's reaction was a bit more composed. Leo couldn't really see behind her veil, but she looked more interested than charmed.

She reached out. Her hand looked tiny, delicate, as she ran her palm along the length of the shaft. She felt the heat radiating from it. She traced the ridges, her touch almost reverent.

"This is really…?" she looked up at Leo through her long lashes.

"An Iron Hide Rhino's tusk," Leo grinned, leaning in until his face was inches from hers across the desk, "In one single piece."

"I am told it's quite potent," he spoke, winking at her, "Hard to find one of this size, and girth."

The air in the room grew thick and heavy. Ryana bit her lower lip, her eyes flicking from the horn to Leo's lap, then back to his face.

"It certainly is," she breathed.

'Aiva,' Leo thought, enjoying the show. 'Give me a detailed evaluation.'

[Item: Iron-Hide Rhino Tusk]

[Weight: 2.97 Kilograms]

[Properties: Potent Aphrodisiac and Stamina Enhancer. Primary ingredient for 'Unending Vigor' pills and 'Royal Hardness' tonics.]

[Market Analysis: Highly sought after by aging nobles, exhausted warriors, and... wealthy widows.]

Leo watched Ryana's hand move up and down the horn. It was as if she was imagining something else.

"So," Leo asked, breaking the trance, "Can you handle it this big, Red Queen?"

Ryana snapped back to reality. She pulled her hand away from the horn as if it had burned her, clearing her throat.

She shook her head, forcing the merchant mask back into place. She reached into a drawer and pulled out a brass scale, a scalpel, a pair of tongs and a magnifying glass.

"Iron-Hide Rhino Tusk," she scratched a bit of powder from the horn and examined it thoroughly, "And a prime specimen. The density is incredible."

She placed it on the scale. The brass arms dipped low.

"Nearly three kilograms," she muttered.

'Aiva, run the numbers,' Leo commanded, 'I want the real value. Not the friend discount.'

[Calculating...]

[Standard Market Rate for Rhino Tusk: 2 Gold Coins per gram.]

[However, for a specimen of this size and intact condition, the Auction Rate applies.]

[Auction / Black Market Rate: 7 to 8 Gold Coins per gram.]

[Total Estimated Value: 5,000 to 23,000 Gold Coins.]

Leo kept his face impassive, but internally he whistled. Over twenty thousand gold. That was more than Lord Caelum's entire liquid treasury. He was sitting on a kingdom-buying fortune.

Ryana finished her inspection. She sat back in her chair, steepling her fingers. She looked at Leo, her eyes calculating.

She looked at his clothes. Expensive? Maybe. But he looked like an adventurer. He probably stumbled upon a lucky kill in the forest and had no idea what he was holding. He was young, handsome, perverted, and clearly inexperienced. Did he know the market?

It was possible she could take advantage of him. She had to try.

"It's a good piece," she admitted, her tone nonchalant. She waved a hand dismissively, "But the market for aphrodisiacs is... volatile. Not everyone can afford it.

"Plus processing a horn this size is expensive. It requires specialized alchemists, dangerous reagents... it's a risk."

She looked him dead in the eye.

"But I will take it off your hands. I will give you a fair price, Leo. Better than what Gamon would have offered you."

She held up four fingers.

"400 Gold Coins for the Moon-shade Herb."

Leo didn't blink. The market rate was 500 to 800. She was playing it lowball, he can negotiate.

"And for the horn..." Ryana tapped the massive tusk, "I will give you 1.5 Gold Coins per gram. Given the weight, that comes to roughly 4,450 Gold Coins."

She smiled, it was a generous smile, "The total comes to 4,850 Gold Coins. I will round it off to 5,000. I will give you 5,000 Gold Coins, right now."

The room went silent.

The flatboards behind Ryana gasped when they heard Ryana. To a normal person, five thousand gold was a fortune that could last a lifetime.

It was enough to buy a small estate, retire, and have a comfortable and fulfilling life for the rest of one's life. It was a staggering amount of money.

But Leo wasn't a normal person. And he wasn't stupid.

He stared at her. He didn't show anger. He didn't shout. He didn't start haggling.

He just looked at her. He looked at the gold rings on her fingers. He looked at the map of the trade routes on the wall behind her. He looked at the powerful bodyguards behind her.

Then, he shook his head slowly. A look of profound, genuine disappointment washed over his face.

"I see," Leo said softly.

The silence stretched. Ryana's smile faltered. She shifted in her seat, "It's a generous offer, Mr Leo. You won't find anyone with enough gold coins in the town."

"I thought you were different, Ryana," Leo just ignored whatever she spoke.

He stood up, and with a casual swipe of his hand, he touched the Moon-shade Herb and the Rhino Tusk and both of them disappeared in thin air, leaving the desk completely empty.

"I thought the Golden Scales were the greedy pigs," Leo said, "I thought Gamon was the only one who tried to rob people blind while smiling in their faces."

He looked down at her, "But it seems the Silver Route is just as hungry. You just hide the greed behind a prettier face and a nicer rack."

Ryana stood up, alarmed, "Wait. Mr Leo, sit down. It's a negotiation. That was an opening offer. Counter-offer. Tell me what you want."

"No," Leo said coldly.

He turned his back on her. He didn't even consider her worth arguing with.

"Negotiation implies respect," Leo threw over his shoulder, "Negotiation is between equals. You tried to rob me because you looked at me and saw a stupid adventurer. You looked down on me."

He walked towards the heavy oak door. But the two bodyguards moved like a flash, blocking his path.

"Move," Leo snarled. His Predator's Instincts flared, flooding the room with a wave of killing intent, and the temperature dropped by like ten degrees.

The guards flinched. They looked at Ryana, unsure.

"Mr Leo! Just relax and listen to me!" Ryana said, sounding restless.

"You can't just walk out with that! You need to tell me a number at least."

Leo stopped. His hand was on the brass latch.

He looked over his shoulder. His eyes were ice. There was no lust in them now, no playful banter from before.

"I came here in good faith," Leo said, his voice cutting deep, "I brought you a chance to push back the Golden Scales and Iron Caravan and secure your guild's future."

"I gave you a chance to plant your feet in Auravale and make connections that would make you the Queen of this city."

He opened the door.

"But you tried to cheat me for a few coins," He stepped out into the hallway.

"You disappoint me, Red Queen."

** ** ** ** **

[Author's Note: Do Check out the Character Art in the Auxiliary Chapters.]

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