30 – Negotiation
Negotiation with the third princess arranged by Siena.
It was a meeting between dru*g lords who had just begun to conquer the god market.
It wasn’t about discussing who would take over the golden market called the system. Anyway, I was satisfied with military supplies. Expanding later would only result in limited supplies to private hospitals.
My goal was solely to restrain Anais.
If she continues with this business, she planned to inform her about the future she will face and even let her know that someone is dying at this moment.
“She probably won’t listen to kind words.”
The health syrup was already selling fiercely.
If they just meet the demand, they could supply health syrup to almost every household in the system. So why give up?
That’s why Anais prepared a reward that would make her hesitate. Even though I don’t want to give her anything honestly… to stop this nonsense, I needed to open an exit for the Third Princess. I even had the intention to guarantee her safety so that she wouldn’t be trampled by Sienna later.
“Even if I give her what she wants, it’s best to make her step back on her own.”
Forcing myself to repeat these words, I headed to the Third Princess’s main base, Minster Palace.
The means of transportation was teleportation. It was possible because teleportation magic circles were installed in all the palaces, including the main palace.
I used to say that I rarely needed it. If we hadn’t been constantly shuttling between sisters, this kind of thing wouldn’t have happened.
“I will cast it, Alan Kyeong.”
The moment I properly felt the power of magic for the first time since possessing.
There was no time to savor it. It was because of the problem I encountered now.
op*ium, belladonna, mandrake, henbane. Dozens of alkaloids including tropine and ephedrine. The health syrup of Mrs. Chandler, which is still being produced in factories near the system. Even Anais’s sense of deprivation and her desire for revenge against me.
It won’t be easy, of course.
From Noble mtl dot com
As soon as I arrived at Anais’s office, the outlook became even darker.
“Alan, Maydoff…?”
It was because of the human who was presumed to have prevented her before me.
A man in his early 50s with fiery red hair and a very dignified appearance.
He was “Bobby Duncan,” the current head of the Academy of Magic and a renowned magician in the Empire, especially in fire magic, he was recognized as the Empire’s number one.
However, he was also someone more adept in skills other than fire magic.
It was the talent for burning one’s own wealth.
Professor Bobby was like a gambler who spared no expense when he saw a promising investment.
Stocks, bonds, real estate, antiques, and more. Perhaps due to extremely bad luck, he suffered brutal defeats every time he invested. In the original work, when Siena triggered a speculative frenzy, it was this person who suffered the most and wailed in despair.
The fact that Professor Bobby was here…
“Did you come to inquire about health syrup-related investments, by any chance?”
He frowned at this question, staring me down.
Judging by his expression, it seemed he didn’t just come for an inquiry. His expression was genuinely serious, but amidst that, his hands were fidgeting.
“What kind of investment do I make, you ask.”
“Because you must have judged that you can make a significant profit if you invest now. In the past, it might have been difficult to find an opportunity with so many people around Princess Third, but that’s not the case now, is it? So, you’re seizing the opportunity, aren’t you?”
Instead of answering, Professor Bobby averted his eyes.
He probably couldn’t deny it.
I didn’t bother stopping him. After all, he was the one who became captivated by the newly emerged product in the world, decided to invest, and even put the plan into action. He must be convinced that he made the right decision by investing in a promising business, so there was no point in trying to dissuade him.
“I apologize, Professor Bobby. I’ve meddled too much beyond my subject.”
“I don’t mind… But, by the way, Alan Kye, have you also come to see Princess Anais?”
“Yes. However, unlike you, Professor, I didn’t come to inquire about investing in health syrup or discuss collaboration. Please take note of that.”
“….”
After looking at me with a somewhat distant gaze, he left following the guide’s directions.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he wanted to inquire about morphine, but even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything. Medoph Pharmaceuticals didn’t need investments.
“Alan Kye, Princess Anais would like to see you.”
Finally, the moment of facing the Third Princess arrived.
Perhaps it was due to thriving in business and gaining a reliable ally. A smile graced the face of Anaïs Callaill, who welcomed me.
**
I spent an uncomfortable moment confronting the Third Princess.
The eyes reminiscent of obsidian and the fair skin remained unchanged, but upon closer inspection, it seemed like a lot had changed about the person.
One corner of her mouth lifted, hair loosely tied with a hairpin. She didn’t even bother to offer me a seat, just scanning me from top to bottom with her gaze, and so on.
‘Nevertheless, I should speak up.’
There was no need to lay out the hardships of a warrior in a fuss. It wasn’t exactly a friendly encounter.
“Your Highness, I am aware that you harbor uncomfortable feelings toward me due to Empress’s orders. Since then, you’ve faced various troubles.”
“…Troubles. You phrase it quite beautifully, don’t you? If only it wasn’t for the stunt you pulled back then.”
“Then, Your Highness would have become addicted to op*ium and alcohol.”
“What?”
“Sienna Highness originally intended to indulge in op*ium wine. It wasn’t out of malice, but due to her lack of knowledge in pharmacology. If not for my intervention, Empress would be consuming 2-3 grams of op*ium and more than a bottle of wine ‘daily’ by now.”
At these words, Anaïs’s eyes widened significantly.
“…Wench.”
Whether it was an insult directed at Sienna. It was pointless to defend her by saying she wasn’t a wench.
However, I doubted if Anaïs had the right to curse my sister.
“Your Highness, forgive me, but op*ium wine is less dangerous than health syrup. There are patients who endure for years by consuming 10 to 15 grams of op*ium daily. On the other hand, even a small amount of health syrup can kill a person.”
“What do you know…!”
“I speak what I know. Honestly, Your Highness, you don’t truly believe health syrup is beneficial to health, do you?”
She was about to retort something to that remark, but she closed her mouth again.
Well, she couldn’t possibly be unaware of this.
Even if one could claim ignorance about the harms of op*ium and belladonna, they couldn’t possibly be unaware of the toxicity of hemlock. Perhaps they mixed it trying to mimic the effects of morphine. Speaking without considering what might happen when mixing such substances.
“I heard it sells three to four thousand bottles a day. …Someone might have already lost their light without even understanding English. Sweating profusely in a semi-paralyzed state, struggling to regain consciousness, only to find darkness before their eyes. Blindness, in other words.”
“It’s fine if you take it in the right amount.”
“Sorry, do you know what the right amount is? In my opinion, they probably didn’t even go through separate experiments before releasing it to the world.”
“….”
“If it continues like this, people will start dying in dozens, maybe hundreds, in no time. Can Your Highness bear the aftermath of that?”
Anastasia remained silent, unable to offer any counterargument. It wasn’t just that. Faintly shaking pupils, a constant lip-biting habit caught my eye.
“Could it be that it’s effective?”
I never believed in the idea of fixing people. In the first place, except for Victoria, I had never encountered a genuinely good person in my past life or this one.
But Anastasia was a novice who had recently stepped onto this path.
She might not feel guilt, but the courage to handle a situation where people were dying or turning into zombies wasn’t something she possessed, as much as she gave off an impression of fear.
Having given enough fear, it was time to open an escape route.
Originally, Anastasia was a woman driven by revenge against me and Sienna. She wouldn’t want to step back just because of the persuasion of someone she despised.
So, I decided to provide a pretext.
“Third Princess. If you quit this business here, the damage will be significant.”
“Who said I’m quitting? You’re jumping to conclusions.”
“Just assuming. If, by any chance, you decide to give up on this healthful endeavor, I am willing to compensate. Considering that I have interfered with Your Highness’s business, I would like to offer some assistance, despite my insignificant skills.”
“…Compensation? Spit it out.”
“I am the one who created Morphin. If I were to convey, I believe you can guess what kind of reward it is.”
There was already a preconceived reward.
Allowing Anais to spoon-feed when creating other products.
It wasn’t about creating ‘that’ with mandrake; instead, he was considering non-narcotic analgesics and antipyretics for household use. Alternatively, cultivating silosibin artificially and giving it in certain quantities wouldn’t be a bad idea. It might be excessive, but without such a level of reward, it wouldn’t be persuasive.
“My words to offer end here.”
He had indicated the potential disaster that could occur if this continued, and the reward had also been promised. Doing more at this point would be unnecessary.
Now, all that remained was Anais’s choice.
‘It’s not entirely hopeless.’
Surprisingly, or rather, marvelously calm was her attitude.
Thanks to that, I, too, retained a minimal sense of expectation. Perhaps, without picking a fight, there might be a chance to remove the stumbling block healthily.
After a moment of silence,
Anais slowly spoke.
“Alan Maydoff. I despise you. … If it weren’t for Siena’s favor, you might be dead by now. Or sailing on a ship back and forth with Jin-guk.”
“I don’t mind. I recently sent one person on a trip as well.”
“Really? But apart from emotions, I acknowledge your expertise. You said that the deadly nightshade component in the health syrup could kill people, right? If such a thing happens, no matter what country, it won’t be easy to get by unscathed. … And you won’t just leave me alone.”
“That’s true. I may not know, but Siena will undoubtedly take action. I’m very pleased about that.”
“Honesty suits you.”
Is she resigned at this point? It seemed too easy, but there was nothing wrong with it. Not for me, and not for Anais herself.
“Speak. What will you do?”
At my urging, Anais looked directly at me. There was no detectable hostility. At first glance, it seemed as if she was somewhat impressed.
However.
“Okay. I’ll either reduce or exclude the hemlock in minimal amounts. Instead, we can add more op*ium. You came to meet me out of curiosity about what I might say, but surprisingly, are you seeking help?”
Her words eventually turned out to be a refusal.
“…Understood.”
“Thank you sincerely, Alan Maydof. But I have no intention of giving up the lucrative business. You know how conscious you all are of it, so why would we stop now?”
Anais said this and then smiled as if amused.
I, too, looked at her charming face while forcing a wry smile.
With this, the negotiation was a failure.