".... I really don't like these kinds of things".
Arthur supressed another wince as he felt his mother "gently" kick his shin.
She made no other visible movement above the table, but smiled and leaned close towards her third-born son, not once letting her eyes leave the rest of the party.
"This the last one you'll ever have to do as a "child". Starting from tomorrow you're a full fledged Fae Master of the Clan. Once that happens, you'll never have to do these "stupid" things ever again".
Arthur sighed but said nothing.
Attending boring meetings and lectures would by no means be a thing of the past starting from tomorrow. Despite what his mother may think, the contents of the lectures that start next week were something that Arthur himself was already extremely familiar with.
It would be like someone with a Masters degree attending a kindergarten class.
There was just no point, not even something like revision would be possible with such basic understandings being taught to him.
Arthur supressed another sigh before walking away from his mother's table, towards the table serving wine and other refreshments.
He didn't plan on getting drunk, but he definitely didn't want to do this sober, that's for sure.
Pouring himself a glass, he noticed two figures stand on the opposite side of the table, both of whom who looking at Arthur with expectant looks on their faces.
He smiled.
"Mr Robert. Miss Alina. Congratulations on becoming a Fae Master".
Alina smiled, giving Arthur a small curtsey.
"Thank you Arthur. Congratulations to you too".
Arthur nodded.
"I suspect the two of you aren't here to exchange pleasantries though?".
Robert, Alina's father nodded.
"My apologies Young Master Arthur. After seeing the Formula you gave me, I immediately sought to attempt reproducing its contents".
Arthur's smile grew.
"And?".
Robert sighed, showing his own jubilant expression.
"Using the materials I had on hand I performed the Formula ten times. Of which, I had two successes".
Arthur paused for a moment, pretending to gather himself.
"So it works? The Fae Formula for the Rank 1 Hidden Shadow Fae?".
Robert nodded vigorously.
"Yes. It was a relatively simple Fae Formula, but one that still has extreme value in the right hands. I was wondering if we could purchase the rights from you for it?".
Arthur rolled his eyes putting down his glass of wine.
"I know the value behind such a Formula. With my current capabilities, mass producing it would be out of the question. Giving it to another party, who can create it for me was the best possible choice. As such-".
Arthur took in a deep breath, appearing as steady, and as unmoveable as a mountain.
His gaze deep, unfathomable to common discernments.
"I have no intent of selling the rights to this Fae Formula. If you choose to sell this in your shop, I would like a portion of the profits".
Robert paused for a moment, raising his eyebrow carefully.
".... How much?".
Arthur placed his finger on his chin for a moment before throwing out a random number.
"Perhaps half?".
Both Robert and Alina frowned, believing Arthur wasn't taking this seriously.
"Impossible. If we do that, the profits would solely belong to you, as the cost to create them would be pretty much the same as half of what we would make".
That was definitely a lie, Arthur thought to himself.
Since this was a Rank 1 Fae Formula, it was impossible for the materials to be anything higher than Rank 1 Fae materials.
Using Rank 2 Fae materials would only increase the success rate, not influence the strength or ability of the Fae at all.
Arthur chuckled for a moment before shaking his head.
"If not a half, then perhaps a third? I know for a fact that the materials needed cost roughly twelve origin essence stones, perhaps less if buying in bulk, and that you can definitely sell the Hidden Shadow Fae for at least 20, maybe 22 origin essence stones, so for every one that you were to make, you would be making double what you paid for. That's roughly 3, maybe 4 origin stones per Hidden Shadow Fae".
Robert's expression froze for a moment before he smiled.
"I should've known you would've researched the market price of the materials before hand. The only problem is, that once it becomes known that the Hidden Shadow Fae needs these materials, the price of said materials will undoubtably go up as a result".
Arthur nodded.
"Just increase the price of the Hidden Shadow Fae then. By my estimate, it should be the only Fae within Parachenko Village which possesses concealment effects. I know my second brother possesses a Rank 1 Water Shadow Fae, but the Formula for that is not what we are talking about".
Robert's eyes shined for a moment.
"A quarter of the profits".
"30% of the profits".
Robert and Arthur locked eyes for a moment before the former sighed and shook his head.
"You really are your mother's son, Young Master Arthur".
Arthur politely nodded his head.
"I'll take that as a compliment".
Robert knew that if he didn't agree to such a thing now, Arthur would immediately go to the next store that sold Fae in Parachenko Village, and immediately offer the same deal to them.
Even if he did know the Formula, if he sold it without the permission of Arthur, who discovered it, his store might not be shut down, but would definitely face some sort of social repercussion.
Even if his own father was an Elder of the Clan, he wouldn't be able to force people to come to his shop, instead of others.
An abuse of power, was the easiest way to trap someone.
And if Robert agreed to the deal, and then refused to pay Arthur, then what would be stopping him from going to every single store in Parachenko Village and giving them the recipe for free?
His possible revenue streams would instantly dwindle in the face of such a wide spread Fae Formula.
"I'll come over with a contract tomorrow Young Master Arthur. For the time being, I'll have Alina company you for the duration of the party".
Robert turned towards his daughter, patting her head slightly.
But the girl quickly pushed the hand away, going slightly red in the face.
"I'm a kid anymore father! You don't have to pat me on the head anymore!".
She glanced towards Arthur, who smiled behind his glass of wine.
The affection of a parent, was both unconditional and undeserving, he thought to himself.
He had seen countless parents give up their lives so that their children could live on, yet, he had also seen hundreds of fathers and mothers willing give up their child, so that they could fulfil various earthly pleasures such as gambling and drinking.
Some children ended up loving their parents, while others ended up resenting them.
Alina's parents obviously loved her, and cared for her, being their only daughter.
Arthur's parents loved him, nurtured him more carefully than even the most delicate of Fae.
Yet-.
"Love is.... something I don't quite fully understand. It lies somewhere between obsession and resentment, not anywhere specifically in-between. I understand some people feel as though they have a responsibility towards their children, as I once did.... but....".
Arthur sighed, putting down the glass of wine.
He liked the taste, but not the thoughts that came with it.