"Then how can you be so savvy in business?" Lilith asked, disbelief etched on her face. "The apprentice-level Witch Book and the Golden Pen Technique only cost 5 mana! How can you dare to charge 50 mana?"
Lyra quickly shook her head, eager to clarify. "Senior, you're misunderstanding! The Witch Book and the Golden Pen Technique require a permanent payment of 5 mana. That means you're essentially losing that magic power for good. My offer? Just a one-time fee of 50 mana for a character card that lasts forever. Isn't that a better deal?"
Lyra paused to think. "If I had to charge permanent mana like the Witch Book, I'd have to worry about draining my own resources when I start developing more cards. It's smarter to charge just once for each card; small profits, quick turnover. This way, I can avoid magic power depletion and still leave room for more witch magic in the future."
As ideas began to form in her mind, she envisioned two exciting concepts for future magic. "One could be card-drawing magic, designed for gamblers. They'd pay permanent magic to open a card pool with specific odds and then spend a one-time fee to draw cards. The other could be card book magic, perfect for those who want guaranteed outcomes without the risk of gambling. They'd pay a permanent cost to access the book of their chosen level and then pay a one-time fee to buy the cards they want."
She grinned, satisfied. "In the end, I won't lose anything."
Lilith studied the terms again, still convinced the price was steep. "You just said it costs 10 mana to make a character card. Doubling that is reasonable, but quintuple it? That's too much! Can't you give me a better deal, for the sake of your senior sister?"
"Senior! I've already discounted it!" Lyra replied, pulling out another contract. "Look at this! This is the price I offer to everyone else!"
Lilith's eyes widened as she read further. "What? So when you upgrade the card in the future, I'll owe you 50% of the mana consumed for that upgrade?"
Lyra nodded confidently. "Exactly! This is an upgradeable card that can reach the pinnacle level! Unlike Lady Tracy and the others, who sell witch magic one level at a time, I'm just collecting some interest on the upgrades. And don't worry about these three cards of yours; I won't take a cut from your upgrades."
"But please, let's not talk about the 10 mana anymore. It'll hurt my sales!" She grinned, her confidence shining through.
"Thank you for your previous teachings, Senior Lilith," Lyra continued. "We witches should be friendly, keep clear accounts, and engage in equal transactions. It eases everyone's burdens and meets my urgent needs. It's truly fantastic!"
Lilith blinked, momentarily speechless. Was this truly the lesson she intended to impart? She felt like she'd just been outmaneuvered in a game of strategy.
She couldn't help but reminisce about the old Lyra; an innocent soul who had once wanted to give cards away freely. Now, here she was, sharper than any goblin merchant, filled with clever ideas.
Looking at Sylph and Vasida, who were both watching the exchange with amused expressions, Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you two going to negotiate? You're okay with this high price?"
"Absolutely! It's just 50 mana," Vasida said with a smile. "I can make that up by harvesting a few bunches of breadfruit. And if you need mana in the future, Lyra, come to me. We can sign a contract for a loan."
"I feel the same way," Sylph chimed in, nodding. "It's just a one-time magic cost. I'll recover my mana in a few days."
Lilith crossed her arms, looking at the three young witches. "Well, it seems you're all quite comfortable with this arrangement. Just remember, be careful when you start mixing friendship with business."
Lilith glanced at Vasida and Sylph, taking in their bright energy halos, one practically glowing enough to blind, while the other was dimmer but still far brighter than her own. No wonder they were so generous with their mana. With schoolmates like this, what else could she say?
"Fine, fine! I'll let it go this time," Lilith huffed. "But if you keep selling your cards at such high prices next time, I might just think twice before buying!"
At least now she knew Lyra wasn't as naive as she first appeared. In fact, Lyra had turned out to be craftier than any goblin when it came to making deals.
Lyra smiled, knowing Lilith would give in. Despite her dim energy halo, Lilith could easily manage the 50 mana required.
Lilith turned to Vasida and Sylph with a word of warning. "You two shouldn't just throw your mana around because you have a lot of it. No matter how much you have, it'll run dry if you squander it like this. Even in the witch market, if you don't know how to haggle, you'll end up paying more than you should."
She gave them a stern look. "And in the wilderness, if you're this extravagant, people will take advantage of you in a heartbeat."
Vasida and Sylph nodded obediently. "We understand, Senior Sister!"
With a satisfied grin, Lyra handed over the contracts, and in no time, her 30 mana investment turned into a 150 mana gain, raising her reserves from 180 to 330. She suddenly felt much richer.
"Pleasure doing business with you!" Lyra said cheerfully, beaming at her friends. "Next time I come up with a new card, you two will be the first to know!"
She turned to Lilith, a twinkle in her eye. "Oh, and Senior Lilith, could you help spread the word among the sophomores?"
Lilith tilted her chin up, unimpressed. "That'll cost you."
"How about I make a big pot of fresh bread juice for you tonight?" Lyra offered sweetly.
Lilith's eyes lit up at the mention of bread juice. She hadn't yet mastered cooking magic and still had to squeeze juice manually. Though tempted, she pretended to be indifferent. "Fine, fine! But let's go already! The other little witches are probably halfway up the mountain, and here you three are, still dawdling!"
Grumbling internally, Lilith sighed at the thought of losing 50 mana. Worse yet, she didn't have enough mana left to upgrade her own {Character Card} to the intermediate level. Breakfast would be breadfruit and juice; again.
The thought made her wince, imagining the bland taste of plain breadfruit.
"Goodbye, Senior!" Lyra called out as she dashed off, realizing how much time they had wasted. Most of the first-year witches had already left for class.
Lyra sprinted ahead, heading straight for the college castle, with Vasida and Sylph following close behind.
"Lyra, slow down!" Sylph shouted, trying to keep up. "We left early today; we won't be late even if we walk! Stop worrying!"
But Lyra turned around, a determined look on her face. "I have to catch up to the others and try to sell a few more {Character Cards} before class starts!" she shouted back. "You can take your time, I'll wait for you in front!"
Her enthusiasm was contagious, and at that moment, Lyra seemed to have boundless energy. Sylph and Vasida exchanged looks, feeling both admiration and a little guilt for not sharing her drive.
They slowed their pace, accepting their fate.
"Senior Lilith's right," Sylph said, catching her breath. "With Lyra's smarts, no outsider could ever scam her. Honestly, it's more likely she'll outsmart them!"
"Definitely," Vasida agreed with a laugh. "She's a natural at this."
"A little money-grubber though, isn't she?"
"We should all take notes. One day, we'll be making mana by selling our own witch magic too!"
"Exactly. We've got to study hard."
"Absolutely!"