The Tower Lord and the five elders hurriedly descended to meet Ghislain. Normally, they would have never moved an inch, insisting on their pride. But the situation was urgent. However, when Hubert finally reached the lobby, he didn’t show any signs of haste. Instead, he approached Ghislain leisurely. Even in this situation, he wanted to maintain some semblance of dignity. With his head held high, the Tower Lord addressed Ghislain. “Are you the one here to sell the runestones? I am Hubert, the Tower Lord of the Red Flame Tower, a 6th Circle mage.” A 6th Circle mage was treated as an upper noble, equivalent to a count or even higher, in any nation. Moreover, being the Tower Lord of the Red Flame Tower carried its own weight. Ghislain accepted his haughty attitude without issue. “It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Ghislain Perdiem. I’ve come to sell runestones.” “Hmm, I see. Then...” As Hubert continued, his eyes scanned Ghislain’s companions, but his words trailed off in surprise. ‘...What is this? Are these bandits? Is this some kind of scam?’ He was vaguely aware of a poor northern territory called Perdiem. But no matter how impoverished, Ghislain’s group didn’t look remotely like a noble’s retinue. They resembled a band of rough and fearsome thugs, not dignified attendants. ‘Is he really a noble? Who are these people?’ Especially the tall man with red hair, who stood with his head cocked to the side, looking at Hubert with a defiant smirk. ‘...Is he trying to pick a fight?’ Hubert, having never encountered such trivial provocations, turned his head in confusion. There was at least one older man with white hair who appeared somewhat respectable, but the rest of the group looked crude and vulgar in both appearance and demeanor. Bringing such uncouth individuals into the Magic Tower was a first in the history of the Red Flame Tower. Hubert turned his gaze back to Ghislain. At least he had a clean, handsome face and appeared intelligent, making him the most decent among the group. But for the heir of a noble territory, his clothes were shabby, and it was baffling that he traveled with such crude company. Hubert whispered to one of the elders next to him. “Is there a newly formed bandit group around here?” “I don’t think so... Not in this area.” “Right? We wiped them all out, didn’t we?” “Yes, we took care of everything.” The Tower Lord frowned slightly. ‘So, who are these people... Are they really from Perdiem?’ With a somewhat uneasy expression, Hubert resumed speaking. “Hmph, so you’re the grand duke’s heir from Perdiem? But your companions... Is this how soldiers dress in Perdiem? Is this the fashion there?” “No. These are mercenaries who travel with me.” “Ah... So, they’re mercenaries, not bandits?” Finally, Hubert nodded in understanding. In a poor territory with few soldiers, it wasn’t uncommon for a lord to hire mercenaries for protection when traveling. “Well, in any case, it was a wise decision to come here instead of going to the Crimson Tower.” Despite his polite words, Hubert inwardly suppressed his irritation. In the past, he wouldn’t have bothered to personally engage in such a deal, much less show his face. As the Tower Lord of the most prestigious Magic Tower in the North, dealing with mere merchants was beneath his dignity. ‘But now, I’ll make sure to get my full worth out of this.’ With a smug expression, Hubert spoke. “Let’s take a look at the quantity first.” He casually glanced at the pile of runestones on the cart and muttered dismissively. “It’s not as much as I expected. I came because I heard it was a massive quantity. What a waste of time.” In truth, it was an overwhelming amount that made his heart race. The elders, about to cheer in excitement, quickly restrained themselves and maintained a stoic expression, imitating Hubert’s attitude. “Hmm, yes. It’s not as much as I thought. The quality doesn’t seem that great either...” “But since you’ve made the effort to come all this way, why don’t we buy it all?” “Yes, after all, where else would a young man like him sell this much? Haha.” “Indeed. If it weren’t for us, he’d probably get scammed somewhere else. The world is a dangerous place, you know. Hohoho.” The elders exchanged words, but the mercenaries standing nearby smirked in amusement. Kaor quietly muttered as he turned his head. “They really suck at acting.” The mages, including Hubert, turned red-faced, their nostrils flaring in frustration. One elder even placed his hand over his chest, struggling to catch his breath, as if overwhelmed by the situation. It was bizarre that they didn’t realize how obvious their act was. The mercenaries gathered in small groups, whispering to each other. “Hey, the Magic Tower isn’t all that. They’re clearly putting on a show to haggle the price down.” “Right? Shouldn’t places like this just make quick deals without all this nonsense?” “People are the same everywhere. They act all refined, but they’re just pretending.” To the seasoned mercenaries, the mages’ amateurish attempt at deception was painfully transparent. However, Hubert didn’t hear the mercenaries’ chatter. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his flushed face. “Let’s discuss this further. Follow me.” Ghislain, Belinda, and Gillian followed the mages as they stepped onto a magic circle. Before stepping onto the circle, Kaor turned to the others and said in a low voice. “Keep your eyes open. If anything goes missing, I’ll break the heads of both the thief and the one who let it happen.” The mages frowned at the vulgar language, but the mercenaries simply nodded as if it was a given. Once Kaor stepped on, the magic circle blinked a few times, transporting the group to the top floor of the tower. Even maintaining such a magic circle required runestones, a testament to their versatile uses. Ghislain followed the mages with a silent smile. ‘No wonder they’re drooling over this amount. Especially these people.’ Among the information Ghislain had gathered in his previous life, there was data on the Red Flame Tower. The Red Flame Tower had always been second to the Crimson Tower in the North. Its influence had dwindled to the point where, in the future, the Tower Lord would die from stress. A mage, supposedly the most rational being, would die from stress. Although the situation wasn’t as dire yet, it was certainly heading that way. ‘If only I had come later.’ Had Ghislain come any later, the Tower Lord would have knelt before him, bowing his head in submission. But Ghislain couldn’t afford to wait any longer in his current situation. ‘Still, they should be prepared to give up everything, even down to their underwear. Heh heh.’ The room they arrived in was as lavish as the reception hall, furnished with elegant chairs and tables, with refreshments already prepared. Ghislain calmly sat down, while the other three stood behind him. Hubert and the five elders sat across from him in a row. “Let me introduce the elders of our tower. All of them are 5th Circle mages and the key figures leading the Red Flame Tower.” As Hubert finished, the elders gave arrogant expressions and introduced themselves one by one. Their attitude seemed to say, “You know who we are, right?” But unfortunately, Ghislain didn’t care in the slightest. “I see. I look forward to working with you.” Ghislain’s confident demeanor made the elders visibly uncomfortable. Young nobles usually groveled and flattered them upon meeting, but Ghislain showed no such inclination. One elder sneered and asked, “Perdiem is a poor territory in the North, isn’t it? How did you manage to get your hands on runestones from a place like that? Do you even eat properly there?” Belinda frowned at the elder’s condescending words, but Ghislain simply smiled and responded. “We were fortunate. By the way, all of you are 5th Circle mages? That’s quite impressive.” Most lords only had 4th Circle mages under contract. If all five elders were 5th Circle, it meant the tower was quite formidable. Hubert and the elders’ expressions filled with pride, but Ghislain’s next words made their faces twist. “You certainly live up to your reputation as the second-best tower in the North. Haha.” ‘This little brat.’ Hubert gritted his teeth at the subtle jab to his pride. But Ghislain just smiled innocently, as if oblivious to the insult. There was no point in arguing; it would only damage the tower’s reputation. Hubert took a deep breath to calm his burning anger. “Hmph, you must not be familiar with things around here, coming from another territory. That’s just a rumor. We’re still the best tower in the North.” “Ah, I see. Well, if you say so.” Behind Ghislain, Kaor snickered quietly. Belinda covered her mouth with her hand, but her eyes curved into obvious amusement. Only Gillian remained stoic, unmoving as he had been from the beginning. Hubert and the elders glared at the two, but Kaor and Belinda shrugged with shameless expressions, as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?” ‘These disrespectful fools.’ The mages looked down on them as uneducated and crude, typical of people from poor territories. Even though their frustration boiled, they knew there was no point in engaging with people beneath their level. “Well then, let’s get to the point. How much do you want for the runestones? Keep in mind, I really hate being overcharged. It’s like being disrespected. You’ve heard how dangerous I am, haven’t you?” Hubert tried to intimidate Ghislain, aiming to get a good deal. No matter what, he was determined to buy all the runestones. If he didn’t secure them, the Crimson Tower would forever outpace the Red Flame Tower. ‘I must secure all of them. I can’t stand the thought of even a single stone going to the Crimson Tower.’ With that many runestones, they could make magic tools for sale and raise their profits. More importantly, they could elevate the skill level of their mages. ‘All of those runestones will be ours.’ As Hubert and the elders stared greedily at the pile of runestones, Ghislain smirked. “I’ll need double the market price.” “What?” Hubert frowned. After saying he hated being overcharged, Ghislain had the audacity to demand double. “Young noble, you really don’t know how the world works, do you? I just said I hate overcharging. Are you mocking me?” Hubert growled, and the other elders bristled with anger. “Do you even know where you are?” “Are you trying to insult the Red Flame Tower?” The mages glared at Ghislain, but he remained indifferent and added calmly. “Two and a half times the market price.” The mages were momentarily speechless, staring at Ghislain in disbelief. Then they erupted in fury. “You insolent wretch! Do you think we’ll fall for your cheap tricks?” “How dare you spout such nonsense...!” “Are you trying to push us to the brink?!” The mages clenched their fists, their hands rising in anger. But Ghislain glanced at them coolly and spoke again. “Three times the price.” “...” At that, the mages fell silent. It seemed that if they spoke again, Ghislain would only raise the price further. The Tower Lord and the elders stared at Ghislain with furious, menacing glares. Even Ghislain’s companions were taken aback. No matter how valuable runestones were, who in their right mind would pay three times the market price? If they were going to pay that much, they might as well just go to a trading company. They had traveled all this way to sell their goods, but now it seemed like Ghislain wasn’t interested in selling at all. Belinda looked at Ghislain with concern. ‘Is he acting out again because the mages’ arrogance offended him?’ She glanced at Gillian and Kaor. Neither seemed inclined to stop Ghislain. Gillian stood stoically, as always, and Kaor grinned like he was enjoying the show. Belinda grumbled to herself. ‘Honestly, I’m the only one who cares about the young master!’ Whether Ghislain was aware of Belinda’s internal turmoil or not, he waited a moment, then stood up without a word. Hubert widened his eyes in surprise. “Why are you...?” “It seems you’re not interested in making a deal. I’d better hurry to the Crimson Tower then. I’ve heard they’re making a lot of money lately and are willing to pay well for runestones.” With that, Ghislain strode toward the door. Hubert, now pale, hurriedly blocked his path. “Wait! Why are you so hasty, young man? I said I hate being overcharged, but I never said I wouldn’t pay! Let’s talk more!” Hubert hastily moved to stop Ghislain. Ghislain narrowed his eyes at the Tower Lord, then slowly nodded with a satisfied smile. “Well, if that’s the case, let’s discuss further.” Ghislain gracefully sat back down. Hubert’s expression darkened, and the elders looked nervous and fidgety. Belinda, still unaware of the dire situation the Red Flame Tower was in, couldn’t understand why the mages were so desperate. ‘Why are they doing whatever the young master says? Have all these old men lost their minds?’ Ghislain’s voice echoed leisurely through the room. “Well then, shall we settle on three times the price?”