Chapter 235: Kael’s Turn After giving her the items, Elena carefully placed everything in her dimensional storage before turning to address a concern that had been weighing on her mind. "Can I come back to buy more items? Or will the dark elves have the opportunity to purchase even my allocated portions?" She paused, organising her thoughts. "You did say that we both have equal opportunity, so that means we will both have the opportunity to buy half of each product. But I don’t have enough resources with me currently to purchase my full allocation. So I want to return later to complete my transactions." Noah looked at her thoughtfully before responding. "You naturally have the ability to return, entering my shop first shouldn’t be a liability—you won the rock-paper-scissors contest fairly," he confirmed with courtesy. Elena’s expression brightened with relief at his confirmation, though Noah’s next words carried a more serious undertone. "Also, I want no fighting near my establishment within the vicinity of one kilometer. If any of you engage in combat near my shop, you can say goodbye to buying my products again. And yes, it doesn’t matter who started the fight first, because I will warn both of you." His voice carried absolute authority that made Elena recognise the non-negotiable nature of his terms. "This is my stock for the day, and I will have this stock level available daily," Noah continued with emphasis that made Elena’s eyes widen. "So you can decide whether you want our cooperation to end prematurely, or to thrive for the long term." "If you want to fight each other, fight somewhere else. I don’t want to hear constant warfare near my shop. My child sleeps frequently, and your fighting will disrupt his rest." He gestured toward Leo, who roared with obvious happiness at his father’s thoughtful consideration for his comfort. Elena stood frozen in complete shock as the full implications of Noah’s words registered in her mind. Daily stock... of these items? The revelation hit her like a thunderbolt. This wasn’t a one-time opportunity to acquire rare magical artefacts—this was access to a renewable source of enhancement items that could reshape the balance of power in their conflict permanently. She most definitely couldn’t afford to anger such a powerful being who controlled access to what might be unlimited quantities of war-changing magical items. Her green eyes glinted with strategic calculations as she processed how daily access to these products could transform the Sunward Territories’ capabilities over time. "I understand completely. The one-kilometre restriction will be communicated to all our forces immediately. Thank you for clarifying the ongoing nature of your... business operations." Elena said with respectful acknowledgement. Elena nodded formally before departing the shop, her mind already racing with the news that she was about to convey to her superiors. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦 After Elena left the establishment, Kael emerged from the eastern approach with obvious satisfaction radiating from his smirk. The shadow mage had returned from his border meeting well-equipped for serious negotiations. He carried multiple storage rings and pouches that suggested substantial financial backing from the Shadowvale Dominion’s treasury, along with several cases that likely contained powerful magical artefacts for potential trade arrangements. Kael smirked with confidence as he approached the shop entrance, clearly pleased with his preparation time and the resources now at his disposal. Elena spotted him immediately, and rather than risk any confrontation that might violate Noah’s proximity rules, she departed rapidly toward her own territorial boundaries. Several figures materialised from concealed positions near the light elf territories—archmages whose presence had been hidden through advanced magical concealment during Elena’s shopping expedition. These elite practitioners formed a protective escort around Elena as she travelled back to report her discoveries to Queen Seraphina and the royal court. "High Mage Elena," called one of the escorting archmages as they moved away from the neutral zone. "What did you discover about the mysterious establishment?" "More than we dared hope," Elena replied with barely contained excitement. "This changes everything for our kingdom. We need to convene an emergency council session immediately." The group of light elves disappeared toward their eastern territories with urgent purpose, clearly understanding that Elena’s discoveries required immediate strategic planning at the highest levels of their government. Meanwhile, Kael paused at the shop entrance to observe their departure before pushing open the door with confidence that came from superior preparation and backing. "Good afternoon, Shopkeeper Noah, I believe we have business to conduct," Kael announced as he entered, his violet eyes immediately scanning the interior with appreciation for the magical energies that permeated the space. His smirk widened as he noted the depleted inventory levels that confirmed Elena had made substantial purchases. Although he wasn’t sure how much she had bought, he hoped that the human before him had kept his end of the deal. Noah greeted him with courtesy while Lola maintained her position behind the counter, her archmage-level presence ensuring that protocols would be maintained regardless of any lingering tensions from the earlier magical duel. "Welcome to my shop," Noah said with the same neutral professionalism he’d shown Elena. "I trust your preparations went well during the waiting period." "Indeed, they did," Kael replied with satisfaction. "I believe you’ll find that the Shadowvale Dominion is prepared to conduct business on a scale that reflects the true value of what you’re offering." Kael’s confidence was evident as he surveyed the available products. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he read through the descriptions of the items, one by one. The stage was set for negotiations that would determine how the shadow elves would utilise their access to enhancement items that could reshape the balance of power in their centuries-long conflict. Leo watched from his corner with curious interest, his senses detecting the different magical signature that Kael carried compared to Elena’s light-based energies. The afternoon’s second major transaction was about to begin, with implications that would ripple through both elven kingdoms for generations to come. "Alright, let’s get a few things straight. Before you purchase anything, you need to know that you are able to currently buy all of the bread and Iced tea available." Kael’s eyes widened in excitement at the thought. Seeing that, Noah said. "Before you get too excited, you are only able to do that with these items because Elena had already purchased half of them. Both of you would be able to purchase only half the stock of each item." Noah then told him about the quantity of each item he could buy. Kael’s eyes followed as Noah explained. After hearing everything from Noah, Kael couldn’t help but feel bitter. He had thought that he would be able to take advantage of the situation by getting some financial backing to buy the items that Elena couldn’t buy. Kael tried to fight back against Noah, but Noah stayed firm on his decision, not backing an inch. Without much power to do anything about it, Kael sighed before he decided to buy half of everything available. After the purchase, Kael was satisfied that he would be able to buy everything available without having the need to use any magical item to trade for them. Kael’s total purchase resulted in a sum that made Noah so happy that he almost broke his professional attitude.