It was already late at night, and most of the residents of Boneveil Village were asleep, but in one house, the lights were still on, and no one was thinking of going to bed. The discussions were not going to stop for a moment.

Crackle!

Malin slammed his hands on the table and stared at Kreyn with a fiery gaze.

"WHAT?! You want 10 gold coins per kilogram and 1,000 per ton?! Are you crazy? That's ten times more than refined iron ore!"

He looked at Judith and waved his hand.

"Judith, this is a rip-off! We can't agree to these terms. And you..." Malin narrowed his eyes and stared at Kreyn. "Stop smirking. You're annoying me!"

Kreyn shrugged. "It's not that important. These are our terms. The Worm Crystals are much more valuable than simple iron. Sure, it'll just be dirty ore, but I'm sure you'll find a use for it."

He glanced to the side.

"Look, there are things I'm good at, but I don't know shit about ore and mines." Kreyn pointed at Daren. "If you want to improve the terms of the deal, talk to my foreman."

Daren swirled his glass of whiskey, watching the amber liquid, and took a sip.

"Look, Malin, let's not pretend you can't make money off this. Because of my position at the Dark Hand Prison, since I was in charge of all the work in the mine, I know how much money the Wurhen Family sold the Worm Crystal for.

"The price we are offering you will only be valid for the first month, so that you have time to establish trade. Then, the price will go up, and you have Kreyn to thank for that. It was his idea."

Kreyn gave a smirk. "Consider it a gesture of goodwill on my part."

Malin wanted to protest again, but Grender's calm gaze stopped him.

"Tell me, with the conditions they are offering, it will still be profitable for our village, won't it?"

Gritting his teeth, Malin nodded.

"Yes, after all, these are the Worm Crystals, the energy ore, not a common one. But they know that as well as we do!"

Regardless of whether Malin was a good or bad person, he was first and foremost a merchant. It was his heart's desire to get as good a deal as possible.

"Let's do this. The price will remain the same, and in return, we will give you information about a cave where you can find explosives. You said you won with dynamite? I'm sure you'll like it!"

Judith's eyes widened for a moment, and even Grender was surprised. It showed that this was valuable information and worth it.

But Kreyn had another trump card up his sleeve.

"Come on, Liam, the moment has come."

Under confused glances, Liam nodded and placed a large white horn on the table, an item he received from the Echo.

Furthermore, he touched the horn as runes flew out, and everyone could see the following:

[White Horn of Fertility

Type: Tool

This horn, in its normal state, is good for nothing but being a pleasing-to-the-eye trophy and exuding a light, faintly perceptible scent of earth. However, grinding the horn into bone meal transforms it into an energy-filled fertilizer that will accelerate the growth of ordinary crops and give new ones a chance to appear.]

"What about that, huh?" Kreyn's eyes flashed. "In fact, I agree to your proposal, but now that this horn is on the table, I have the right to ask for more, don't I?"

Malin gripped the edges of the table, scratching the wood with his fingernails.

"Tsk, even if it's a useful thing, it's no comparison to the monthly price of the Worm Crystals!"

Strangely enough, Kreyn nodded in agreement.

"Sure, the deal on the Worm Crystals remains the same."

"Agh?" Malin raised an eyebrow. "What do you want in exchange for this horn, then?"

Kreyn glanced at Daren and Liam. They were all dressed in the black coats of the prison guards. The clothes are of good quality, but that's not enough, and the sizes are wrong.

"I want clothes and food for at least 100 people for three days to start with. Can you do that?"

Judith and Grender exchanged glances, and with a deep sigh, she nodded.

"Alright, we'll do it. Everything will be ready in a few days."

"No."

"Hmm?"

Kreyn's sharp reply upset Judith.

"What does that mean?"

"Everything must be ready by tomorrow's lunch, and you must bring it all to us yourself, and one of you must be in this group."

"WHAT?" Judith jumped up from her seat. "Do you understand what you are asking of me? Do you think I should get every villager up and make them work?!"

It was outrageous, bordering on insanity. He couldn't be serious!

"Yes." Kreyn turned to Judith with a sly look. "Every second counts for us right now. My people are currently cleaning up the prison and preparing to return to the mines, and work is also underway on defending the gates."

Malin crossed his arms over his chest.

"Pffft!" He snorted. "So what? You are criminals, you are in this situation, and I don't feel sorry for you. Our people are honest workers. Why do you think we should deprive them of sleep at your will, and how are we supposed to explain this demand, ah?"

Kreyn interlaced his fingers and leaned back in his chair.

"It's very simple. If anyone complains, just tell them that otherwise they will face death."

Before the wave of indignation could crash down on Kreyn, he continued:

"Think about it from another perspective. We are allies now, this is a joint decision, and we will work together. However, what do you think will happen if, due to a lack of food or warm clothing, the Dark Hand Prison falls? What will the Wurhen Family do after they impale my head on a stake?"

Kreyn crossed one leg over the other.

"They will come for you. You know it will happen, so until we solve the problem with the Wurhen Family, I advise you to work to the best of your ability. Explain this to your people.

"But..."

His voice dropped to a greedy whisper.

"When it's all over, we'll be on top. You'll remember my words, and you won't regret your decision!"

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