This proposal to Raffaele was non-negotiable. Firstly, he was already being very generous by offering Gilgamesh a 90/10 split of the profits. It would be foolish to lower that 10% to 5%, it wouldn't be smart at all.
Gilgamesh flashed a smile that made everyone in the room uncomfortable, took a sip from his glass, and said, "The Black Pearls Auction House only holds influence in this realm from what I've heard, so my deal will be very favorable for you if you listen to everything I want. But because what I'm about to tell you might result in something very significant, I must be alone as I don't trust all people."
Raffaele broke into a cold sweat and said in a serious tone, "Everyone, leave this room. No one is to enter without permission."
Alone in the room, Gilgamesh nodded, and then he began to speak, "Raffaele, recently, someone has been tormenting my otherwise peaceful and perfect life repeatedly. In that regard, I tend to get very angry when someone comes to me and dares to be arrogant. So far, there is only one person who has lived to boast about it, and it's because he told me who his lord was."
Seeing the nervous expression of the manager of this auction house, Gilgamesh pointed his finger towards the sky and said, "You must know that compared to my incompetent and flawed brothers, I am the most suitable to be a King, but this realm is too small for me."
"I'd rather live life peacefully and without worries, but for that, I must have my own influence, so I need money. If you are willing to give me 95% of the profits, I can ensure that most of the money generated will be spent on products that the Black Pearls Auction House can provide."
"I'm very impressed by your negotiating skills; you're convincing me, but I still don't know what you need so urgently. If I can know that, we would have a better understanding." What Raffaele had said now made sense. Within this negotiation, nobody, not even Simon, knew what Gilgamesh wanted, so they were still skeptical about this deal.
"Slaves... Every slave that enters this realm must belong to my collection, no matter which foolish noble stands in my way." Gilgamesh extended his hand and said, "What no noble, my brothers, or even the king himself has seen is that the people are the power. As long as they see you as their king, no one else matters in a kingdom."
Gilgamesh squeezed the glass in his hand so tightly that it shattered into a thousand pieces. But he didn't care about it. He looked at Raffaele and said, "If the Black Pearls Auction House is willing to follow only me, we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement and prosper."
"Slaves?" Hearing how calmly Gilgamesh said it sent a chill down his spine, and Raffaele knew then that the worst of princes, no, the most dangerous one, had always been Prince Gilgamesh.
Those eyes, that arrogance, the hidden strength within his petite frame, and the schemes he weaves in the shadows are something no one could ever imagine. If anyone continues to underestimate the prince Gilgamesh, he would end up devouring them all.
"Don't panic; all those slaves aren't for conquest or pleasures. I'm not that boring. What I want to do is create a business that moves in the direction I choose without the need to depend on anyone else to survive."
After saying that, Gilgamesh propped his feet up on the sofa and said, "The Black Pearls Auction House will be my affiliate, my sole affiliate to which we will sell our items. If they become our primary clients, I believe in the future, you'll be grateful you accepted my terms."
Like a lion ready to devour Raffaele, he himself felt he couldn't accept such a significant deal and needed to consult with the owner of the Black Pearls Auction Houses.
"This offer is very tempting, and I would like to accept it right now. However, I don't have that authority, so you would need to have the conversation with the owner of this place. Nevertheless, this time we will accept to auction anything you desire with a 95/5 split. I will sell you all the slaves you can buy with the generated money, and we will discuss afterward where you want them sent."
Having obtained what he wanted, Gilgamesh rose from his seat and extended his hand to the side, where seconds later a golden ripple appeared. This ripple surprised those present, and from that golden circle that seemed like a portal, he pulled out a very beautiful ring.
"This ring has a very simple function, improving vision without the need for magic since its function is automatic. Once placed on the user's finger, they can intuitively adjust their sight distance." The first item Gilgamesh pulled out of his Gate of Babylon was a simple one.
"The next item is a rainbow diamond. This rainbow diamond, aside from being beautiful, enhances the concentration of those nearby, and if used for magical purposes, it could create a powerful object in the hands of wise individuals who understand what they have in front of them."
"This is..." Raffaele froze upon seeing the second item that Gilgamesh pulled out from an unknown space.
This item was a magical rainbow diamond, an extraordinary jewel that glows with all the colors of the rainbow as light passes through its facets. Each angle reveals a spectrum of bright and shifting colors, creating a magical effect.
For any noble, this beautiful rainbow diamond should be in their possession, and the amount they were willing to bid would reach terrifying sums that had never been seen before in an auction house.
The following items were not simple, but Gilgamesh made sure not to touch any of his true relics. What he was willing to sell were the riches of many men he had killed.
In total, there were ten items, from which they expected to obtain a substantial amount of money. After reaching a deeper negotiation agreement with the Black Pearls Auction House, Gilgamesh and Simon left the building.
"Do you know how to prepare exquisite dishes?" Gilgamesh asked the silent Simon who was by his side.
"Eh?" Simon, lost in his thoughts, didn't understand the question Gilgamesh was referring to.
"When a predator offers more food to the weaker ones, those beneath him, he's only feeding them so that they become his food later," Gilgamesh looked at the Black Pearls Auction House and smiled, as sooner or later, all these auction houses would be his.
In just a few days, he had devised a sophisticated enough plan to obtain money easily and with little scrutiny, have one of the noble families backing his moves, and thus have a peaceful place to train his slaves.
"The useless ones will serve for simpler tasks while they lead their normal, free lives. The more useful ones will enjoy a better life. However, the traitors will die," thought Gilgamesh as he gazed out of the carriage window on their way back home.
Simon by his side didn't need instructions; he already knew he had to keep a hidden eye on the Black Pearls Auction House. From the beginning, this place had been his choice because in the previous years, this house had fallen into disrepair, and many branches that were once thriving had closed down.
This was why, by having control over everything, Gilgamesh could amass incredible power in a very short time, and then he could travel wherever he pleased without many worries about what he was seeking. Without holding the throne, he was naturally the King of Kings.