In the world of Pagna, a successful business could be determined by the grandeur of a building and its size. The larger it was, the more customers it could cater to. A building in a place that could be filled with people would require a lot of land, but more importantly, high-value locations were targeted, meaning a lot of money needed to be spent on protection from other Clans.
In one city, there was a five-tiered restaurant. It was grand in size and luxurious on the inside, resembling a giant pagoda. It was filled with customers even on weekdays, which was a challenging feat.
On the third floor, a private room had been rented out. Alba took a large swig from a jug, slammed it back on the table, and wiped her mouth.
Her captivating, slightly red-pigmented, eyes shone brightly even as she drank. Being one of the most popular Pagna warriors, along with her buxom figure, made her attract a legion of die-hard fans.
Many had tried to join the Crimson Crane with the sole intention of meeting her, but the Crimson Crane remained a small, formidable unit focused on strength, rather than a large clan with many followers.
"If your fans saw you , I'm sure many of them would die of heartbreak," Dame commented, swiping his hand through his hair to ensure it looked neat.
The two individuals seemed not to care much about each other and were absorbed in their own activities.
"Do you think I care about that?" Alba replied. "The only thing I care about is you telling me where this Dark Magus is. I've been trying to locate him everywhere, but it's been impossible."
Internally, Dame smirked. He knew that Alba would never be able to meet the Dark Magus because he wasn't from the world of Pagna. For now, she served as a profitable extra income source.
"So, how many bottles do you need from him?" Dame asked. "I am soon to meet him again, but I can't guarantee he will be able to deliver either."
"I already told you!" Alba lifted the drink, downing it again. It wasn't the lightest beverage the restaurant had to offer, and she had already gone through three bottles during their initial conversation. "I don't just want the strange things this guy makes. I want him to join our Clan. If he were to join the Crimson Crane, then we would become an unstoppable force.
Even the empire would be afraid of us. Someone as skilled as him would surely be willing to join if I could make him the offer. Did you pass on that I wanted him to join?"
Dame contemplated his options. Should he keep the Dark Magus's talents for himself? The potions created by the Dark Magus were impressive, but there were other alchemists in the world capable of creating more potent and versatile Qi pills. The type of potions created would only benefit a subset of Pagna warriors.
Even with a hundred of these potions, an initial-tier warrior would not be able to contend with a warrior one stage above.
"How could I have done that when we haven't even met yet? Anyway, I'll put you down for ten more potions just in case. This man is a secretive person," Dame lied. He wondered whether it was possible for the Dark Magus to return to his world. Perhaps, he could learn the methods firsthand.
"You are truly useless," Alba said. "That's why I decided to take matters into my own hands."
Dame's heart started to beat louder upon hearing this. "What do you mean? What did you do?"
This was one of the reasons why Dame disliked contacting Alba so much. Although they had gone through various adventures together at the Pagna academy, he remembered the trouble they had faced because of her unruly behavior.
In the first place, she couldn't be controlled, which was why she had formed her own Clan outside of the main factions.
Shaking the bottle in her hands to gauge how much liquid remained, Alba took one last swig and grabbed another.
"I decided to put a public bounty on him," Alba announced. "Anyone who knows anything or can provide information about the Dark Magus will receive a level 5 power stone."
Dame's eyes widened at the generous reward. It was clear that Alba valued this person immensely. A crystal of this level, those that were struggling to advance to the next stage would kill for an item like so. It wouldn't just be the individual's themselves but many of the clan's would be willing to kill just to get their hands on something like that.
However, the most worrying part was Alba's extensive network of connections.
Alba had done numerous favors for almost every faction and had influential contacts. People in high places that would do well to get her favour. If an announcement went out, it wouldn't take long for everyone to know about the Dark Magus.
With the high reward, it would also pique their interest even if they weren't friends of Alba, but just because it was something that she wanted.
"Come on, you didn't have to do that. Don't you trust me?" Dame asked.
Alba responded, "Why do you think I'm doing this in the first place? It's because I don't trust you. Right now, all members of the Crimson Crane have spread out across each faction looking for him, but they have found nothing. So, it makes me wonder how someone like you was able to encounter this person when none of my people have.
Which is why, even if you do bring me information on the Dark Magus, you won't receive a reward; clearly, you're hiding something."
Finishing her last drink, Alba stood up and adjusted her clothing, especially her top where her ample breasts had almost burst out.
"Anyway, I'm sure someone will find the Dark Magus very soon," she stated. "Until then, tell the Dark Magus that I'm willing to buy anything he produces, at whatever cost."