The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

"Do you want a next time?"

Paris was so angry he laughed.

"If you say you're bored at the academy and want to close the shop and go out to clear your head, I won't say anything. Even if someone complains, your old man will cover for you."

"But can this time be the same? You knew perfectly well that their main task was to send the Silver Wolf Class to Snowdrift Valley, and you even knew that their goal in going to Snowdrift Valley was related to the Demon Clan, yet you still secretly followed them."

Do I really need to tell you just how big the difference is?

Seeing that her attempts to charm her had failed, Anna decided to give up and sat down opposite Paris, laying her cards on the table: "Then let's just get straight to the point, what do those old fogies plan to do with me?"

"From the moment you arrive at the store, you are confined to the academy for three months and are disqualified from attending this year's family gathering."

The family gathering is actually the annual awards and recognition ceremony of the Valentin Chamber of Commerce.

Apart from direct descendants of the family, only the top-performing members of the chamber of commerce throughout the year are eligible to participate.

Being invited to a family gathering means you've truly entered the inner circle of the upper echelons of the business community.

If you can attend several family gatherings in a row, there is a very high chance that you will be chosen by an elder and be betrothed to a good match.

Even Paris rose to the position of president of the chamber of commerce through this method.

"Now that we've talked about the rewards, let's talk about the punishments."

Although being confined for three months was tough, the thought of not having to attend family gatherings or face the pressure from elders to get married made it all worthwhile.

Paris had already guessed that this punishment would be insignificant to Anna, who had been brought to family gatherings since birth. So he went on to announce the next item: "All employees of the Valentin Chamber of Commerce Academy branch will have one year's salary and bonus deducted."

Anna frowned slightly, clearly displeased, and said, "This is my personal decision and action, and it has nothing to do with them."

She might not care about being punished herself, but it would be unacceptable if it affected her employees.

“From the moment they stopped you, it became the action of the entire branch.” Paris didn’t accept the idea that one person should take responsibility for their own actions. “That’s the Chamber of Commerce’s rules and regulations.”

“The regulations also state that those with outstanding performance should be rewarded,” Anna argued.

“I’ve looked through the store’s books, and this year’s performance has been acceptable. But that alone cannot make up for the mistakes you’ve made.”

Anna took out two contract scrolls from her ring and pushed them across the table in front of Paris: "Then I hope you will read these two contracts before making a judgment."

Chapter 435 A Wall Slam from Lisette

Seeing Anna's confidence, Paris raised an eyebrow and unfolded the contract scroll beside him.

“This order was signed by Her Highness Princess Edel,” Anna explained.

Paris immediately looked at the signature on the scroll and, sure enough, found the princess's name.

"The Valentin Chamber of Commerce will handle the manufacturing and sales, with a 30/70 revenue split..."

Paris, with his vast experience, was able to extract the valuable information from the contract at a glance.

The most important raw material among the products involved in the order is cold iron.

As long as the supply of cold iron is sufficient, the Valentin Merchant Guild can distribute the goods to all its branches within the Empire in less than two months, given its capabilities.

Adele provided the blueprints and all the materials, but only took 30% of the profits, giving the lion's share to the Valentin Chamber of Commerce.

For the princess, this deal was a win-win situation, but it allowed the Valentin Merchant Guild to make a fortune.

Even if it were considered an early investment in Adele, the Valentin Chamber of Commerce had no reason to refuse.

"I need to see the detailed blueprints next."

Paris was not blinded by the immediate profits. After giving an order, he opened another scroll.

Unsurprisingly, the scroll was signed by Feld Laugher.

This is a letter of intent proposed by Snow Valley to establish a long-term partnership with the Valentin Chamber of Commerce.

If there's anything special about it, it's that the other party plans to settle the matter through barter.

The only thing Snow Valley can offer for trade is clearly its ores.

“I have no objection to cooperation,” Paris said, rolling up the scroll, “but are you sure Snowdrift Valley has the ability to pay?”

“If the transaction turns into one-sided aid, it would violate the principles of the Chamber of Commerce.”

Due to the difficulty of mining and transportation, the ordinary ores produced in Xuelu Valley have no price advantage compared to other mineral veins.

All the caravans that went there were heading for the Cold Iron.

Every year, without fail, ten tons of cold iron are distributed among several chambers of commerce. So what if they become partners?

Given the size of the Valentin Chamber of Commerce, it doesn't really care about a few tons of cold iron per year.

If there is a shortage of cold iron, it would be a loss to use other common ores to make up the difference.

“Of course,” Anna nodded. “The Valentine Chamber of Commerce will be the sole partner of Snow Valley from now on.”

"Oh?" Paris raised an eyebrow.

If we could secure the entire ten-ton quota, then this deal might be worthwhile.

Five tons and ten tons is not just a simple difference of double; it is a difference that can fundamentally determine the pricing power of cold iron.

How are they planning to pay?

"Prepayment".

"A deposit is necessary, but the key is what follows. What materials are we planning to trade for ten tons of cold iron ore annually? And how many batches will we transact in?"

“Perhaps I didn’t explain clearly,” Anna interrupted, raising her hand. “The prepayment I’m referring to isn’t a deposit, but a full payment upfront.”

"...How much cold iron did you bring back on this trip?"

Paris had already sensed that something was wrong.

Since Xuelugu can export ten tons of cold iron every year while ensuring its daily consumption, the actual mining must be greater than that number.

Fifteen tons? Twenty tons? Or...fifty tons?

Paris made a bold guess in his mind.

Let alone fifty tons, even half of that, Anna could secure the top sales position within the Chamber of Commerce in advance.

“Not much,” Anna said, taking off the ring from her chest and twirling it in her palm. “If you calculate it at ten tons per year, it will only be enough for the next hundred years.”

Paris thought he had misheard. "Say it again, how many?"

"Why don't you just see for yourself?"

Anna, too lazy to argue any further, shoved the ring into Paris's hand.

Paris focused his mind on the ring and saw the cold iron, enough to fill an entire shop, and his vision went black instantly.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Anna quickly caught Paris to prevent him from falling. "See, I didn't lie to you."

"No."

Paris picked up the cup with trembling hands, even forgetting that it was no longer filled with tea.

"What about the previous punishment?"

“I will, in the name of the Chamber of Commerce president, revoke their membership and apply for additional rewards for them.”

“That’s more like it,” Anna said with a grin, picking up the teapot and refilling Paris’s teacup. “As for the confinement—”

"Didn't you say that was a reward?" Paris immediately realized.

Anna clicked her tongue and then splashed the tea she had just poured onto the floor.

Paris wasn't annoyed; he simply poured himself more tea to moisten his throat.

"Alright, you've caused such a huge mess. Giving you only a three-month house arrest is lenient enough. Go and fetch that guy here."

"Who are you calling?" Anna asked, looking puzzled.

"Who else could it be?" Paris glanced at Anna. "Thanks to your men, the entire guild knows that Miss Anna was saved by a nobody."

“Vina is not of dubious origin!” Anna retorted.

“Alright, then bring this Vena to me.” Paris named him specifically. “I want to meet him in person.”

-----------------

Meanwhile, Venere was sneaking into the girls' dormitory.

Using the illusion of a mirage, Venus easily bypassed the dormitory supervisor and arrived at Listy's door.

He didn't raise his hand to knock on the door, but instead made the knocking sound inside the house.

Listy's voice came from behind the door: "Who is it?"

A month later, hearing that familiar voice again filled Wiener with emotion.

He simply suppressed his impulse and did not respond immediately.

After a while, Lisette opened the dormitory door.

Who dialed the wrong number?

Lisette peeked out and looked around, but found no one in front of the door or even inside the stairwell.

While she was closing the door, Viner had already slipped into the dormitory.

"I actually thought it was Venus who came back... Looks like I've been missing her for too long and am hallucinating."

Listy sighed softly, her voice tinged with a mixture of melancholy and anticipation, which made Vina, hiding in the shadows, feel a pang of guilt.

"It's not an illusion—"

Vina hurriedly revealed herself, but to her surprise, the moment she appeared, Lisette rushed up and slammed her against the wall with a "thud".

"Um... is there something wrong with our position? Why don't you let go and let me demonstrate?"

Vina doesn't actually mind being pinned against the wall by Lisette.

It's a rare experience to see the usually gentle and lovely Lisette sometimes become tough.

But that doesn't mean he enjoys facing the wall!

“I knew it was you,” Lisette scoffed. “Want a surprise, huh? You like sneaking around, don’t you? If I hadn’t found out, were you planning to keep spying?”

She indeed failed to see through Vena's Mirror Flower Water Moon technique, but she sensed Vena's presence long before Vena used it.

Otherwise, who knows how many more embarrassing moments he would have made in front of Wiener.

"I was wrong, I promise I won't do it again next time." Venus showed a strong will to survive.

"Since the first thing I did upon returning to the academy was to report to you, Lady Lisette, could you please forgive me this time?"

"...I'll let you go this time."

Lisette's reaction wasn't entirely due to anger.

The thought that Venere could use illusions to do even more lewd things made her feel a little shy.

Making Venus face the wall was also to prevent him from seeing her blushing face.

She hadn't seen Vina for a very long time.

Thinking of this, Lisette couldn't help but soften her heart and opened her arms to hug him.

But just as she was about to touch Vina, her forehead was suddenly supported by a hand.

It was Wiener's outstretched hand.

Wiener examined it closely, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Where did you hide my Lisette?

Chapter 436 A Reunion Across Three Hundred Days

As the saying goes, "A day apart feels like three autumns."

A month apart—it's only been a month!

If it were just a matter of not having looked closely before, it wouldn't have mattered, but now that their eyes were locked, the changes in Lisette were so drastic that Venus could hardly recognize her.