Chapter 23: A Future Partnership
"Ah... and as for surrendering your body, we no longer rely on such crude methods."
Zelian leaned back in his chair.
"Your alchemical skill is more than enough collateral. Should you fail to repay us, you can simply work off the debt in one of our alchemy workshops."
Elliott remained silent.
He merely stared at Zelian without allowing the slightest change to appear on his face.
'Hmm...? Is that still not enough?'
Zelian interpreted the silence as dissatisfaction with the terms, or perhaps hesitation.
As though placing his final card on the table, he leaned forward.
"Fine. Let's make this worthwhile. I can raise the amount to five thousand mana stones."
He gave a hearty laugh, acting as though he were granting Elliott a tremendous favor.
"The last time, you borrowed two hundred mana stones for two months and owed three hundred in interest. Even I admit that was somewhat excessive."
Zelian continued enthusiastically.
"This time, I'll lower the interest considerably. I can even extend the deadline to an entire year."
"That won't be necessary."
Zelian's mouth snapped shut in the middle of his speech.
"What?"
As though wondering whether he had misheard, he scratched inside one ear.
"Are the terms not satisfactory? Should five thousand be too little, I might be able to arrange six thousand."
"That isn't the problem."
"Then what is?"
"At present... I have no intention of borrowing money."
It was the obvious answer.
Now that his agreement with the Hundred Herbs Apothecary had been established, Elliott possessed a stable source of mana stones.
Even if his progress was slower, he could continue forward through his own efforts.
There was no reason to place a collar around his neck again by borrowing someone else's money.
When Elliott's voice showed not even the slightest hesitation, Zelian's eyes narrowed.
"I see."
He reached into his Spatial Pouch and withdrew a long, slender smoking pipe.
A spark appeared at his fingertip.
When he brought it to the end of the pipe, the contents caught fire and produced a thick cloud of smoke.
The bitter and faintly metallic scent Elliott had noticed upon entering the room had evidently come from this.
Zelian released a long breath of smoke.
"That is unfortunate."
All warmth vanished from his voice.
The cold nature concealed beneath his earlier hospitality, cheerful jokes, and generous proposal emerged through the haze.
Neither man spoke.
An uncomfortable silence made most people impatient.
They would become desperate to leave, or attempt to smooth over the situation.
Emotion would overcome reason, and they would eventually expose their true position.
Zelian was a man who enjoyed using such silences.
'And yet... he isn't reacting.'
By now, Elliott should have shown at least some fear.
Instead, Elliott gave a faint chuckle and spoke calmly.
"There is no reason for disappointment."
Zelian raised an eyebrow.
"I said I do not need the money now. I never said I would refuse it forever."
Elliott relaxed against the back of the chair.
"As you said, alchemy is like pouring water into a bottomless vessel. Ingredients, equipment, and countless other expenses devour mana stones without end."
"...That is true."
"The Hundred Herbs Apothecary has given me room to breathe for now. But do you believe I intend to spend my entire life producing goods beneath someone else's name?"
Elliott smiled slightly.
"Eventually, I will establish a proper alchemy workshop under my own name."
A spark appeared in Zelian's eyes.
"You mean...?"
"When that time comes, I will require far more than a few thousand mana stones. Building a proper foundation and expanding the scale of the workshop will demand a great deal of capital."
Zelian remained silent.
"And when I need that money, where do you think I will go first?"
Elliott continued before he could answer.
"Would I waste time with merchant companies that demand endless procedures and guarantees? Or would I come to the Black Serpent Syndicate, which acts decisively and supports those it chooses to trust?"
His smile widened.
"And among its branches, would I not naturally come to the Seventh Branch?"
Elliott leaned forward slightly.
"At that point, I may not ask for five thousand mana stones. I might come requesting ten thousand, or even twenty thousand."
He tapped the bundle of contracts on the table.
"Naturally, I would bring suitable collateral."
Zelian let out a disbelieving laugh.
A man who had barely managed to repay his debt was now speaking boldly about borrowing tens of thousands of mana stones.
It sounded like empty boasting.
Yet for some reason, Elliott's words carried a strange sense of credibility.
Considering the nerve and resourcefulness he had already displayed, Zelian felt that it might not be mere talk.
"Heh... You truly are an amusing man."
The murderous tension in the room softened at once.
"Very well. Even if they are only words, I appreciate them."
Zelian rose from his seat and extended his hand.
"I will personally place your name in the Seventh Branch's ledger of preferred clients."
It was an invitation to shake hands, and contained a measure of genuine acknowledgment.
"I look forward to seeing how large your ambitions become."
"I will not disappoint you."
Elliott grasped his hand.
Zelian's palm was rough and hard.
It was not a sensation Elliott particularly liked.
Still...
'This is not a bad result.'