[ Appraisal ]
[ Name: Ilyana Vaeloria ]
[ Age: 21 ]
[ Level: 41 ]
[ Affiliation: Eldritch Chamber of Commerce, Princess of the Vaeloria Kingdom.]
"Whoa! An actual princess from an Elf Kingdom? Amazing!" Ethan exclaimed inwardly.
Probably, she was from another empire altogether. Most likely, the Demi-human Empire, as there were no Elf Kingdoms in the Kairos Empire.
He got more interested in knowing her goal, so he asked, "And what is your goal actually, if you don't mind me asking?"
Ilyana smiled as she said, "Yeah, sure..I find no problem sharing my goals with you. You're going to be my partner, after all." She continued, her voice calm.
"Actually, I am not from this empire, which you might have guessed from my appearance already. My goal is to earn 10 million gold coins of profit in just 3 years.
"I know you might find it unbelievable to earn this much profit in such a short time, but I have already earned 5 million gold coins in just 2 year. There are only 1 year left before my deadline come. I need to earn another 5 million gold coins within this time, that's why I am seeking more business partnerships."
"I am the real owner of this Eldritch Chamber of Commerce. This is just one of many branches of my Chamber of Commerce in this empire."
She got up from her seat and explained, "We deal on various products, such as, Weapons, Armours, Skill Books, Potions, Monster Carcasses and Monster materials." She made various hand motions as she explained all this to Ethan.
Ethan looked amazed at her professionalism, her charm was off the roof.
She looked at Ethan and continued, "I came here for a routine inspection and heard about your exploits, so I invited you here.
I can't reveal my personal circumstances, but I think we can have good cooperation in doing business. I can even supply your weapons throughout all other kingdoms in this empire, so you don't have to worry about revealing your identity if you want to stay anonymous as you're trying to be. With our cooperation, it could be really possible.
"I have 1 years left to earn 5 million gold coins, but with your help, I am hoping to progress much faster. So, what do you think?" she asked, looking directly into his eyes.
"I see!" Ethan nodded and said, "Sure, I have no problem with that. But can you tell me my profit ratio?" he asked to make everything clear from the Start.
Ilyana smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth after seeing Etham agree to her proposal.
"About that, we would be providing you with all the materials for your crafting needs, so your profit would be 70% and ours 30%. We will handle all the shipping and delivery, so you can understand."
"Mm..hm.."
Ethan found the stake of 70% not that bad. Previously, those greedy shop owners took nearly 100% in profit while making a fool out of Ethan.
In comparison, Ilyana's 30% seemed perfect to him. Moreover, she would be providing all the materials for his needs, which would be very convenient for him.
But the Elf woman surely knows how to do her business. If she bought the materials at a lower cost, she would be earning a significant sum from there as well. Ethan could do nothing about it.
Ethan added urgently, "One more thing, can you pay my money in exchange of mana orbs? I want every piece that you would be able to provide."
Mana orbs were really less in Arcadia city, most likely the nobles get them right off the bat after they are revealed. So, he asked her if she could provide them, considering she had connections to other big cities and Kingdoms.
Ilyana pondered and answered, "Deal. Although mana orbs are rare, we can provide you some as a payment. But, I would need to gather them from other locations, so it might take some time.
Don't worry, I will personally send letters to gather them. It should be no problem."
Ethan smiled and said, "Alright then, we have a deal."
Afterwards, they signed a formal contract with the Kairos Empire's official insignia on it. If any party breaks the contract, they will be dealt with Imperial judiciary.
Ilyana smiled and looked at the contract. "May we have a pleasant cooperation, Mr. Ethan." Ilyana extended her jade-like hand for a handshake.
"Happy cooperation." Ethan shook her hand, feeling it warm to the touch. He quickly let go out of politeness.
But Ilyana looked as if she lost her soul for a moment as soon as he touched her hand. It was as if a bolt of electricity jolted throughout her body, leaving her numb.
"Miss Ilyana, are you alright?" Ethan asked, noticing her statue-like posture.
Suddenly, Kai stepped out from the shadows and said, "Mistress is fine, Mr. Ethan, you don't need to worry. She needs some medication and then she will be alright. You should be on your way, Mr. Ethan. It's getting dark, as you can see."
"Oh, okay..." Ethan nodded and left the building, feeling a little puzzled.
Once Ethan had left, Kai rushed to Ilyana's side, concern etched on his face. "Princess, what happened? You looked like you saw a ghost. Did your premonition ability activated once again? "
Ilyana, still recovering from the shock, took a deep breath. "Yes, It is. Kai, what I saw was far more terrifying than any ghost."
Kai's eyes widened. "What did you see?"
Ilyana closed her eyes, recalling the vision that had overwhelmed her the moment she touched Ethan's hand.
"I saw Ethan... in the future. His power had grown exponentially. He was wielding a weapon of immense strength, and the ground around him was littered with the bodies of demons. There were billions of them, all slain by his hand. His rage was terrifying, consuming everything in its path."
Kai's jaw dropped. "He slew billions of demons? That's... that's impossible."
Ilyana shook her head. "It seemed impossible, but it was real. My premonition can never be wrong. His power, his fury... they were beyond anything I've ever seen. If he ever loses control, the world could be in grave danger."
Kai clenched his fists. "We need to be careful, then. Make sure he never turns that power against us. Should we tell this to his majesty?"
Ilyana shook her head. "No need. But, we must keep a close eye on him, to ensure that his anger is never directed at us Elfs. He is not an enemy of the human's nor the Demi-humans. His anger was directed solely to the demons? Moreover, whatever we do, the future is not going to change."
Kai looked at her, determination in his eyes. "Then, does that means he is going to be one of those Heroes of Humanity? Or, something different else?"
"I don't know. But I do know he had become much more to us than just a partner. So, we can't slip a word about this in the presence of others. Do you understand?"
Kai nodded solemnly realizing Ethan was no ordinary man..
Kai resolved to be extra cautious around Ethan from now on. He would have to ensure his Princess Ilyana's safety at all cost. That's his sole mission.
Whether Ethan was a friend or foe, Only time will tell.
***
Ethan arrived at the bustling city gate in the early afternoon, where the summer sun cast long shadows over the cobblestones. Today was the day he planned to join Lenora and her friends for a dungeon raid. He missed the previous one, but this time it won't happen.
He spotted Lenora and her party, waiting near a large carriage.
Lenora, with her fiery red hair and confident demeanor, was hard to miss. "Ethan! Over here!" Lenora waved, her voice carrying over the crowd.
Ethan made his way through the throng of people and greeted the party. Lenora was accompanied by four others: Cedric, the leader of the party with a spear in his hand, Iris, the healer with a magical staff, Yona, the archer with a sturdy bow, and lastly Marcus, a warrior with a greatsword slung over his back.
All of them looked at Ethan with an expression of displeasure. They were reminded of the day where Ethan had missed on their previous dungeon raid.
Marcus, the dark skinned boy, was even more so. From the beginning he wasn't in favor of the idea of adding a stranger to their party. But Lenora's persistence pushed them along. And, just as he expected, the new member was a total disappointment—a guy without motivation and responsibility.
He couldn't help but feel doubtful about Lenora's claims. "What did Lenora see in this guy? Genius? Tsk..Genius my ass!" he scoffed.
The other members also seemed displeased, recalling the frustration of waiting for hours due to a single person. In the end, they had to enter the dungeon one member short.
The maximum number of members allowed in a dungeon party was six. Being down a member made it difficult for them to grind effectively, adding to their frustration.
Their previous party member had left to join another group, which was why they were now searching for a new member to fill the gap.
Then, Lenora suggested Ethan, who was oddly persistent on adding Ethan to the party, so they have no but to add him with welcoming smile. That's the story so far.
Ethan, sensing the tension in the room, decided to address it head-on. "Hello, everyone," he began, his voice steady but tinged with sincerity. "I know I messed up last time, and I'm really sorry for missing the raid. It was unprofessional, and I completely understand if you're upset. I promise it won't happen again."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "You all know I was going through some tough times that day, but I'm here now to make it up to you," Ethan added, bowing slightly in a gesture of apology.
He chose not to delve into the grim details of having killed someone and his subsequent imprisonment, but the weight of his words hinted at the gravity of his situation.
Cedric looked at the others, gauging their reactions. Iris and Yona exchanged glances, their expressions softening a bit. Lenora gave a small nod, encouraging the others to follow suit. Marcus, however, remained grumpy, his arms crossed and his face set in a scowl. He was a little hot headed.
"Alright, Ethan," Cedric said with a sigh. "Apology accepted. Let's just focus on the task ahead. We need to be at our best for this raid."
Iris and Yona followed along not finding any other choice. They would have to watch each others back at the dungeon after all. Moreover, earlier Lenora had personally pleaded on his behalf to forgive him. They couldn't dwell on it forever, could they?
Cedric and the others were all commoners, with Lenora being the sole noble in their group. Though she never shared her background, they were no fools. They easily deduced it from her refined appearance, behavior, and commanding presence. Moreover, she had extremely formidable fire related skills—bloodline skills to be exact.
From all this, they guessed she must be from a noble background or something. But, they didn't mind as their apprehension faded over time growing as close friends. Lenora neither mentioned anything about her clan, nor about her father's identity.
If she did so, she knew her friends would be distancing away from herself. She knew it very well as it happened with herself many times in the past.