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"Hmm... Alright then. Peng, 1st leader of Golden Peng. If this is your best disguise, then it's truly regrettable. I feel a bit of a loss of trust as we move forward as business partners."
"Loss of trust, you say! After experiencing our technical skills more than anyone else? I can't help but be disappointed, hehe."
As Peng laughed, the other three members of the Golden Snow tribe joined in.
"I'm Soony, 2nd leader of Golden Peng. Do you remember when we disguised you as a retired mercenary traveling the world?"
"I'm Dori, 3rd leader of Golden Peng. It's nice to meet you again, Jin Runcandel."
"I'm Song, 4th leader of Golden Peng. Looking closely, your face is quite unique for a human. It's certainly fitting for our Golden Peng's reputation."
Peng, Soony, Dori, Song. The four of them were the esteemed protagonists who portrayed the Golden Snow tribe as the greatest merchants in the Zhan kingdom.
"Well, how should we deal with these little ones who keep talking disrespectfully to our lord? My lord is the honored flagbearer of Runcandel."
When Jet made a humorous remark while clenching his fist, Kashmir grabbed his shoulder.
"Quiet down and step aside. Young master will take care of it in due course."
"Yes!"
"Are you the ghost blade, Sir Kashmir? Thank you for intervening. I was thinking of teaching that ill-mannered friend a lesson!"
Peng snorted as he watched Jet leave with a lonely expression.
Shush! Shush! The Golden Snow tribe members extended their fists into the air, making a whooshing sound.
Seeing those Golden Snow tribe members, Jin and Kashmir suppressed their laughter. They were indeed a cute species.
"Heh, anyway. It's thanks to you that we've succeeded by making a fortune. But the real deal starts now."
"We've been prepared, but we couldn't start the business without a protagonist."
Peng and Dori said to Jin.
-I like it. After I become Runcandel's flagbearer, we'll discuss the actual business. Well, it was nice meeting you all. I'm off.
That was the last thing Jin said when he met the Golden Snow tribe.
The business they were talking about was the "cosmetics business."
Until now, the Golden Snow tribe had accumulated wealth by investing their fortune in various top merchants and businesses.
But now, they wanted to start a direct business themselves.
A groundbreaking business that could devour the world.
Chrrr!
Dori and Song unfolded the thick paper they had prepared in advance.
The paper, almost an inch thick, contained business plans and contract details.
"Well, take a quick look. 'A' is Jin Runcandel, and 'B' is Peng, 1st leader of Golden Peng. Well, there's nothing particularly worth mentioning. Let's just summarize the key points. The profit ratio is 50:50, the management rights are entirely in our hands, and you should be dedicated to advertising. Contract termination is absolutely impossible..."
"I didn't like it from the start. The profit should be 70:30. I'll take 70. As for the management rights, you can have full control over the land of the beastmen, but in human residential areas, you should consider my opinion to some extent."
"The latter is acceptable. But isn't the former too much? 70:30? Are you trying to act like a bandit against us?"
"Instead, the Golden Snow tribe will officially receive the protection of the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel. It means that I will take full responsibility for any direct attack, to put it bluntly, such as assault, robbery, looting, that leads to property damage."
"It's tempting."
As members of the Golden Snow tribe, it was truly an interesting story.
The reason they hadn't started their own business until now was mainly due to two reasons. One was to wait for Jin, and the other was the lack of means to protect themselves.
The second problem was significant.
Even if they had a lot of money, finding a trustworthy armed group was not easy.
They had no lineage, no high reputation, and no power. The Golden Snow tribe was just rich small beastmen.
For now, they were guarding the money they had earned because of the Runcandel Guardian Knights who had partially dispatched in gratitude for recovering Bradamante.
Their money was in a precarious situation, like a candle in the wind.
The red tiger tribe was gradually demanding tribute when Runcandel's guardian knight leaves and displaying an attitude that they would kill and plunder if resisted.
"If Runcandel attacks us, will you compensate for the losses?"
"Of course."
"What about if Zipfel attacks?"
"Naturally."
"Alright, I accept."
Surprisingly, Peng readily accepted Jin's proposal. He judged that it was more advantageous to have a secure 30% rather than risking losing the 50% they currently possessed.
"I've been listening to your business plan, and it seems very detailed and innovative. Especially regarding advertising... you have put a lot of thought into it."
Peng and the members of the Golden Snow tribe began explaining the business plan.
It was quite a lengthy story, but it could be summarized in one line. They would directly use the character of Jin Runcandel in their advertisements.
"Imagine this, Jin Runcandel. Everywhere you go, there will be large paintings of your face on prominent buildings. About the size of a ship's sail. You'll be posing with our cosmetics, holding the products."
"There will be text underneath as well. 'Experience the beauty chosen by Jin Runcandel, try Golden Peng cosmetics.'"
"Or 'Discover your new beauty. Recommended by Jin Runcandel, Golden Peng cosmetics.'"
"What do you think? Innovative, isn't it? Whenever people think of Golden Peng cosmetics, they will naturally think of your face."
Indeed, no one had ever done product advertisements like this before.
"In addition, our cosmetics are divided into three categories. The premium Golden-Snow, the affordable Silver-Snow, and the specialized Onyx-Snow for disguises. We will extract money from every human in the world, from ordinary commoners to the nobility of Vermont."
"The Onyx Shell cosmetics for disguises will be applied by skilled Golden Snow tribe technicians themselves, giving you a perfect transformation as if you were a retired mercenary. This is a special product mainly for those involved in covert operations. It won't be included in advertisements and can only be purchased discreetly."
"Furthermore, a portion of the profits will be donated to various organizations to foster a positive and friendly image for the Golden Snow tribe. Have you ever heard of cosmetics donations? Golden Snow technicians will travel the world and hold free makeup events every week."
Throughout the explanation, Kashmir couldn't close his gaping mouth.
Jin, too, was inwardly amazed by their business acumen.
"Young master, this is... It may sound crazy at first, but it will undoubtedly work. It seems like all the youth in the world will try to follow the Young master."
"I will have my face painted on every large building in every city...?"
"Well, you're no longer a reserve flagbearer, are you? Do you need to hide your face? If you really don't want to, we can use a different face, but there are few individuals who can surpass you in influence and appearance. Actually, it seems like there are none."
"I don't dislike it. I just said it out of ingenuity. Hmm, it's not bad. No, it's a very good idea."
The first time Jin considered doing business with Golden Snow tribe cosmetics was during his time as a reserve flagbearer.
Their cosmetics were undoubtedly surpassing the widely known products in the market. With proper distribution, they had enough technological advancements to captivate the world.
In that sense, Jin thought that Golden Snow tribe cosmetics had a similar aspect to Zipfel's "life magic products."
Most people in the world, whether they liked it or not, could only use Zipfel's products. Zipfel had dominated the world by utilizing various life magic products such as magical lights and magic-powered appliances.
Zipfel often gained an upper hand in negotiations with various powers by threatening to cut off the supply of magic life products if they didn't agree to the deal.
Of course, not many people in the world knew about Zipfel's misdeeds. Even if they did, they couldn't easily raise issues.
On the other hand, Runcandel possessed only physical strength.
While the weapons created by Runcandel's blacksmiths sold well, the demand was limited. There were far more ordinary people in the world than martial artists.
As a result, as time went on, Zipfel's influence expanded to more places in the world, while Runcandel's power inevitably diminished.
Because there were more things that could be achieved through magic than through physical strength.
The decline was not yet visible, but it was an inevitable fate that would eventually become apparent.
The Runcandel clan seems to be solely focused on defeating Zipfel and undermining their influence. However, that alone is not enough. The business with the Golden Snow tribe is the beginning of a change.
Jin smiled and extended his hand for a handshake with the Golden Snow tribe.
"When should we start?"
"As soon as you sign the contract."
"Then let's start right now."
As Jin signed the contract, the members of the Golden Snow tribe shook hands with him.
"Let's earn some money together! First, we should start with advertising in Huphester."
From that day on, whenever people thought of Jin Runcandel, they naturally associated him not only with his formidable combat skills but also with a variety of beautiful cosmetics.
***
A week passed.
Joshua, accompanied by his butler Howard and his close aides, personally visited the Kingdom of Kurano.
They had heard a bizarre story about a painting of Jin Runcandel, his younger brother, hanging in the central square of Kurano.
To their surprise, Joshua was able to confirm the existence of a gigantic portrait of Jin at the entrance of the Art District in Kurano.
(Jin Runcandel's Choice: Golden Peng Cosmetics)
The bright smile depicted in the portrait was like a sharp blade scratching Joshua's heart.
"...Howard."
Joshua, momentarily lost in thought as he read the text below the painting, opened his mouth.
"Yes."
"What on earth is this supposed to be? Our clan's flagbearer endorses such cosmetics... Hah, cosmetics? I'm at a loss for words. We cut off his money supply, and now this massive disaster happens."
Uggh!
Joshua clenched his teeth.
To think how people would mock and ridicule Runcandel after seeing those advertisements, it was beyond his imagination.
What did the name Runcandel represent?
For a thousand years, Runcandel symbolized sheer terror in the world.
Yet now, the youngest, who just became the flagbearer, dared to tarnish that name. Moreover, he dared to tarnish the name of Runcandel, which soon be his.
Not only Joshua, but many people gathered in front of Jin's portrait, laughing as if they were witnessing a curious creature.
Witnessing such a scene, Joshua felt his judgment warping and feared going mad.
"Immediately inform the Council of Elders and recommend disciplinary action against that lunatic. Get rid of that damned portrait!"
"What about the portraits outside of Huphester?"
"They exist outside of Huphester too...?"
"I've heard that portraits of all 12th flagbearer are already displayed in the cities of the Lutero Magic Federation."
"...Find out who created these things. Don't apprehend them recklessly; thoroughly investigate who they are and who is behind them."
***
Meanwhile, as Joshua vented his anger in the Kingdom of Kurano.
Jin and his comrades were gradually gathering in a forest in the Ekan Kingdom.
It was where Joshua's secret villa was located.