Chapter 53 Negotiation
"Two Mithril-rank adventurers?"
A hint of doubt emerged in his mind. Judging from the levels registered by his group at the Adventurer's Guild, all of them were Mithril level. Although Camisia and Iris were suspected of lying about their levels, it was not against the rules. As long as they did not deliberately falsify the originally low levels to be very high, no one would pursue it.
Of course, among adventurers, the grading of Mithril, Orichalcum, etc. is not entirely linked to level. Many of them - or rather, most of them - advance by completing high-difficulty tasks. Whether it's crushing with super-high levels or killing with various traps and tools, as long as the task is completed, the Adventurer's Guild will not investigate the process, so there is a rule that level is not an absolute standard.
As if noticing Ella's confusion, Sadler nervously clasped his hands together and placed them on his legs.
"Yes, actually, we've run into a little trouble right now and need the help of strong adventurers. If you could let your men join our expedition... I'd do my best to provide what you desire."
Sadler's final addition made Ella choke back the refusal she was about to say.
Sadler's meaning was very clear. He wanted to borrow two Mithril-level adventurers from me. Although I didn't know which two people he wanted, since they essentially lacked combat power, it didn't matter who they were. We could discuss this later.
The key lies in what comes next.
What is the crusade, how difficult is it, how high is the danger, and to what extent can the last sentence "try your best" be achieved? Judging from what is needed now, it would be best if I can take this opportunity to ask Sadler for the business rights. The business rights themselves are not a big deal, so I will do Sadler a favor. Even if I leave Semorabi later, Sadler will more or less take care of the ghost girl in life for this reason - therefore, if the danger is not too great, I can give it a try. As a Mithril-level adventurer, even I can be a mithril-level adventurer now.
To make the negotiation go more smoothly, Ella pretended to be interested, raised one eyebrow slightly, and handed the teacup in front of her to the round silver tray handed by Lotte.
"Subjugation team? Trouble? Lord Sadler, could you please give me some details?"
"Hmm, I wonder if Miss Ella has heard anything about the undead appearing in the underground tower?"
"Undead? I met a group of them in the underground tower before. What happened to them?"
Of course, I can't pretend here that I have already understood the general situation. It will not be good for me to reveal too much, so it would be better to see what extent Sadler has mastered the information.
"Has Miss Ella met him?"
Sadler showed a look of surprise.
"You didn't run into any danger, did you?"
[If there was danger, I wouldn't be talking to you here.]
Ella stuck out her tongue inwardly and continued to maintain a reserved expression.
"Well, as a level 20 magic caster, I have no problem dealing with these undead."
Although the actual level is 19, since I had already decided to upgrade the level to 20 in the evening when I left the underground tower in the morning, it doesn't matter if I report it as 1 level higher. More importantly, under the current circumstances, level 20 can obviously increase the bargaining chip more than level 19.
"Level 20... In other words, if this is your first time registering as an adventurer, Ms. Ella, you could definitely reach Orichalcum rank—I'm sorry to have mixed you up with the adventurers. Please forgive me."
"No, I'm very interested in the adventurer profession."
"Miss Ella doesn't have the usual noble habit of looking down on adventurers."
Ruthie added that under normal circumstances, this behavior would be regarded as poor parenting, but now Sadler only had gratitude towards the maid in his heart. This addition was just right and would not make people feel unhappy. Sadler even felt that this must be the best servant he had ever seen.
"Is that so... Ah, I forgot to mention the most important thing. Actually, our target this time is an undead creature in the underground tower. Preliminary estimates suggest it's at least level 30 or above. While an expedition using the garrison guarding the underground tower could achieve our goal, that would result in excessive casualties. Furthermore, adventurers who are more adaptable to complex environments and have more experience dealing with monsters would be far superior to soldiers suited to fighting on the plains. That's why I'm gathering adventurers from within the city."
After a pause, in order to make his action more convincing, Sadler decided to throw out a little more information - even though this would allow the other party to make outrageous demands later, compared to the tragic situation of not being able to recruit people, losing a few more gold coins was nothing.
Sadler had a wry smile on his face.
"To be honest, I've been searching for suitable candidates for a while now, but only three Mithril-ranked teams have accepted my invitation... Well, it's not that the rewards we're offering are insufficient, but while there are many adventurers in Semirabi, there are very few who are truly high-ranking, so..."
Without saying anything else, Sadler looked up at Ella.
"Is that why Lord Sadler came looking for us? If they're only level 30, with three Mithril-level teams and Lord Sadler being a practitioner of holy magic, it shouldn't be difficult for them to deal with them, right?"
"Haha, I didn't expect Miss Ella to already know my level. Of course, if 'that' is only level 30, we can certainly win with our current numbers, but in a real battle, we still have to consider unexpected situations. What if that guy recalls all the undead he summoned, or—"
"Or maybe his level isn't even 30 at all, but he's already in the semi-hero realm at 40, or already in the hero realm at 50—Is that the key information I'm missing?"
It seemed like a very wise statement, but in fact it was just a repetition of a conclusion that had already been worked out. To be able to arrange such a large number of undead in the underground tower, and they all had a high level, if it was said that the strength was only level 30, probably even the wood-level adventurers would not believe it, so it must be at least level 40 or close to level 50.
Therefore, the level 30 that Sadler mentioned before was probably just an attempt to convince me to agree first, and then use the excuse of insufficient information and "I said at the beginning that the opponent might be more than level 30" to prevaricate. By that time, Sadler will definitely have gathered stronger core adventurers, which will make people feel that "we have come this far, retreating will be more disadvantageous" and "with such strong people as the main force, it doesn't matter if the opponent is stronger than expected." This is one of the basic scams, just like the experience of being cheated in the game before.
Humans are truly despicable creatures.
After secretly complaining in her heart, Ella looked at Sadler with a smile. The previous interruption should have made Sadler's position very awkward, but she did not feel any regrets. The other party's deception did make her a little dissatisfied. As for the issue of commercial rights, judging from the current situation, since she had already demonstrated her strength of level 20 - if it was her first time to register at the Adventurer's Guild, she would be directly registered as a bronze-level adventurer - the other party had no reason to give up on her, so it was okay to be a little willful.
As expected, Sadler just gave a wry smile in response, and while Ella took the teacup from Lotte again, he quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Yes, we are indeed unsure of their true strength, so we will be recruiting Orichalcum or Crimson Gold-rank adventurers like you to help us. With enough strong men, coupled with the supply train formed by the garrison, we should be able to handle it."
"Well—if that's the case."
Without pursuing the matter any further, Ella brushed back the hair that had fallen on her neck.
In fact, when it comes down to it, the opponent's level has nothing to do with you. It would be great if you could attack them directly with a subjugation team. If the subjugation team can't handle it, you can also appear as Entalosfiel. Even if you can't use attack magic, using restrictive skills to confine the opponent in place so that he can't harass others is also a good solution.
Ella's words brought a smile to Sadler's face, and his deep dark eye sockets looked extremely scary at this moment - he looked like he was crying when he laughed.
"Does this mean you agree, Ms. Ella?"
"Yes, I agree. I will send at least two Mithril-rank soldiers, including myself, and maybe more. When does Lord Sadler plan to depart?"
"Considering the current situation, it will be at least a month later. I will send my men to inform you then."
"Hmm... a month later? My time..."
"We will take Ms. Ella's situation into consideration to the greatest extent possible. If it is truly impossible, we can advance the meeting or postpone it until Ms. Ella is free."
"That would be best."
After confirming Ella's agreement, Sadler breathed a sigh of relief, and then, as if afraid that Ella would go back on her word, he immediately increased the reward he had originally proposed.
"Regarding the question of reward, is there anything Ms. Ella would like?"
Sadler certainly wouldn't mention rewards like gold coins. Although there are some very poor nobles, they definitely wouldn't be Ella in front of him. This can be seen from the furnishings of the room and the quality of the servants. Nobles like this often like some strange and incomprehensible things.
"Something you like? Hmm... I want the commercial rights in Semorabi."
"Commercial rights? Miss Ella, are you selling something? I'll definitely take care of that little thing."
"No, it's not that I want to sell anything. Lord Sadler also saw the ghost girl in the courtyard before, right?"
"Yes, those children are very lively, more lively than the ghosts I saw."
At least the way they would run around the living without any scruples and jump happily was a dazzling color that he had never seen before.
"Those children. I want to apply for business rights for them. Later, I also want to hold an event in Semorabi to recruit high-level undead. My goal is to hire these undead as guards to protect the ghosts. Is that okay?"
"Of course. Even if Miss Ella doesn't ask for my opinion on these matters, it's fine. The Hikalite Church will not refuse to help the undead. It's also one of our responsibilities to make more people accept them."
Looking at the devout light flashing in Sadler's eyes, Ella felt relieved. These ghost girls should not encounter any trouble in the future.
"That would be great. Also, Lord Sadler, would you like to see what the cargo is?"
What I want to sell is not something as simple as fruits and vegetables, so it would be more appropriate to invite the other party to take a look first. Even if there is anything that needs improvement, it can be corrected in time.
Sadler, who had originally planned to leave, raised his eyebrows and uttered a light "eh".
"Miss Ella, is this something special? If it's a large quantity of magical weapons, I could allow it as the city lord, but the Hikalite Church has a clear ban on the sale of large-scale lethal weapons, including magic cannons and 'Devil's Whisper'. If it's those, I can only..."
"No, no, it's not a dangerous prop. It's just a tool that allows people to experience the feeling of flying."
Ella waved her hands quickly.
"Experience the feeling of flying? Is it a hawk? Well, if you want to tame an aggressive flying monster like that, you do need to go through special procedures."
"Eh? Those kids aren't monster users, are they? And this tool isn't the hawk Lord Sadler mentioned. As for the specific thing—does Lord Sadler know of any open space nearby?"
"An open space? Please follow me, Miss Ella."
Sadler stood up and gestured for Ella to follow him.
"If I'm not mistaken, there should be an undeveloped piece of land nearby."
It didn't take much effort for Sadler to arrive at the open space with his guards, Ella, and Lotte. It's worth mentioning that the open space was right behind the mansion. It was an idle area at least as large as two throne rooms. It was surrounded by endless woods and no residential houses. Ella couldn't help but think that this place could be used as a take-off and landing point for the magic airship.
"Is this okay?"
"Well, then, could Lord Sadler and the guards please close their eyes for a moment?"
"Bold!"
The guards behind Sadler scolded him. There was nothing they could do about it. In such a dark environment, if they asked Sadler and the guards to close their eyes, they would be considered to have malicious intentions.
Sadler simply waved it off.
"It's okay, just close your eyes."
"But Sir William—"
Sadler turned his head. Although the guards could not see Sadler's expression because it was dark, the fact that Sadler turned his head silently proved that he was indeed not satisfied. Therefore, the guards immediately shut up and turned around honestly.
After confirming that the guard had closed his eyes, Sadler turned back with satisfaction, closed his eyes as well, and waited for what Ella said.
Looking up at Sadler and the guards, Ella nodded and took out a shuttle-shaped magic airship from the warehouse. Because it had already been filled with a large amount of gas that was lighter than air, the moment it was taken out, the airship slowly rose into the air with unstoppable momentum.
Without getting flustered by this, Ella took out the Fire Arrow.
"[Wind Pestle]."
As if hitting a wall made of air, the approximately twenty-meter-long magic airship was gradually pushed down.
"Hmm... If we want to allow ghosts of lower levels to use it, we need to make some improvements. There must be a better way in that world, but right now, the only thing we can think of is just the air intake and exhaust..."
Unable to suppress a wry smile, Ella turned her gaze towards Sadler.
"Lord Sadler, this is what I was talking about before, the prop that allows people to experience the feeling of flying. Since we have no plans to sell it for the time being, we are only charging a small fee for the experience of riding an airship."
"How did something this big suddenly appear here..."
With his mouth wide open, the thin Sadler showed an incredible expression.
"Well... I can't tell Lord Sadler about this due to some personal matters, but I can assure you that this isn't some kind of item that could threaten anyone."
"Can I go up and try?"
"Of course. Or rather, if Lord Sadler is willing to try it himself, I can save myself a lot of explanations."
After all, no amount of explanation could compare to personal experience. I should be thankful that Sadler was not intimidated by the sheer size of the airship. You know, when we were first in the dwarf village, the dwarves even treated the airship as a living monster. Many people were very cautious when approaching the airship, fearing that it would "anger" it.
Seeing Sadler follow Ella into the airship, the guards behind Sadler shouted again.
"Lord William!"
"Don't worry, you guys come up and take a look too."
For some reason, Sadler looked extremely excited, like a child who had discovered a new toy.
"But--"
"Forget it, Miss Ella, don't worry about them. How do I make this fly?"
"Please wait a moment, 'Release'."
With a light snap of her fingers, Ella released the suppression of the "Wind Pestle" on the airship, and the airship left the ground. At the same time, Sadler, who felt his whole body filled with a floating feeling, also excitedly grabbed the hanging basket tightly and shouted.
"Ohhhh!!! This is amazing! Miss Ella, I just saw you dispel the spell of the Wind Pestle. Does that mean this item itself doesn't require magic? It's even more convenient than the Vulture!"
Sadler's reaction gave Ella a sense of accomplishment.
"Yes, that's right. Magic power is only used when adjusting direction or landing. When ascending, just wait like this. As for how to adjust the direction, Lotte."
"Yes, Miss Ella."
Understanding Ella's meaning, Lotte, who was standing behind the basket, injected magic power into the magic board. At the back of the airship, the wooden paddle engraved with a rotating magic circuit suddenly turned, and the rising airship began to fly slowly forward.
"Oh! This is so fun, Ms. Ella, please let me try it once!"
"No problem, but after today, Lord Sadler will have to pay those children the copper coins properly, okay?"
"Just copper coins? I thought they should accept gold coins!"
Sadler turned his head to look at Ella, his whole body seemed to be dancing and he kept muttering.
"...Well, we should probably set up special patrol routes and have the guards pass by here more often. Ah, by the way, Miss Ella, you said earlier that you had no plans to sell it for now. Does that mean you might in the future?"
"That will depend on what happens in the future."
"Okay, if you're interested, please contact me first, please!"
Sadler bowed to Ella as an individual, then ran excitedly to the magic board where Lotte was and began to learn how to control the magic airship. As for the fact that Sadler even dreamed of controlling the magic airship after returning home, it was something only he knew.
Chapter 54: Preparation for Entarosphiel
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