To maintain composure, I waited an hour before replying to the Alchemist Association:
"What's your price? My friend is a collector, and he wants it. Of course, a reasonable price is expected."
With that, I left the matter for tomorrow. No rush.
--
Morning greeted me with 197,576 mana crystals in my inventory.
It was nearing its storage cap, but with the construction projects and future consumption looming, I had no immediate plans to find substitutes.
Before the association could respond with their price for the Robe of Kitsune, Kirin messaged me.
"The minister is ready."
Finally, my Trade Advisor was here! Time to channel my overflowing wealth into expanding the kingdom's trade network.
Feeling lazy about changing mana crystals with gold coins, I proposed an alternate deal to Kirin:
"500 mana crystals instead of 400,000 gold coins. I don't have coins at hand."
Her reply came instantly:
"Deal!"
I chuckled, wondering what her plans were for the mana crystals.
With the trade done, I turned to inspect my new advisor.
The trade advisor, Hailey Bae, entered the room—and she was stunning.
I had wrongly assumed all advisors would be wrinkled old men. Sexist? Perhaps. But seeing her, I realized my misconception.
"Focus," I thought, slapping myself mentally.
"Establish as many trade routes as you can into the kingdom. Get funding from Lucia," I instructed.
Hailey flashed a dazzling smile and left to execute her duties. A woman of action.
---
As I relaxed, a knock interrupted my musings.
"Come in," I called.
This time, a girl—likely another assistant—delivered 30,000 elven potion vials before dashing off wordlessly.
"Am I really that intimidating?" I wondered.
I allocated 10,000 vials to the military, ensuring every soldier had at least one dose. For the remaining 20,000 vials, I sent them to my Candlelight Chamber of Commerce.
Within moments, 2 million gold coins were deposited into my coffers.
---
Suddenly I thought of a ridiculous excuse to send money over to Lucia.
I penned a note to Lucia and transferred the entire 2 million gold:
"Since there's a new trade advisor, she'll need monetary support to expand the routes. I can't have my capable assistant lacking funds when needed. Here's 2 million. More will come along the way!"
With 250,000 enchanted magic cores still in reserve, I let out a maniacal laugh.
The market potential for those cores was limitless. A 10% boost was game-changing, but… did I really need all this money?
---
As I contemplated my own absurd question, another knock came.
"Enter."
It was Lucia, looking healthier than before. Yet, her demeanor suggested she still saw me as some otherworldly ghost.
I motioned for her to sit, but she hesitated.
"Sit," I commanded, my tone firm.
She complied immediately. Where was the fiery Lucia who had once smacked me for proposing a fifth wall? Her rapid change baffled me.
"What brings you here? Need more funding?" I asked.
"No! No, no, no! Quite the opposite!" she exclaimed, visibly flustered.
The notion of anyone refusing money was foreign to me. Back in my world, people fought tooth and nail for even a fraction of extra fundings.
Well, most of the time, they don't get enough money and are underpaid. So it's understandable, I guess...
I leaned back, considering my next move.
"Fine. Draft a plan for expanding the kingdom to the tenth wall. Spend lavishly—territory expansion, festivals, you name it. And remember: no nobles in this kingdom. Everyone is equal. Except for me, of course."
Lucia nodded furiously,not saying a single word the entire time.
Maybe a tacit agreement to not talk too much or none at all around me? Even newcomers seemed to adopt this silent reverence quickly.
"Go," I said, dismissing her.