Looking at the mage standing before them, Lohan felt curious and slightly suspicious, not expecting to have caught the interest of that strange human.
Intervar wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, surprised by the attention one of his most important clients was paying to his "little suppliers."
Intervar knew that the little Slime and the Fox were very special, on a level far above other Slimes and Foxes he had seen in the past, but he hadn’t thought it would be to this extent.
Although he dealt with alchemical items closely related to magic, Intervar had little interest in magic itself. As a member of such a long-lived race, he had obviously studied magic, but he had never invested much in that study, limiting himself to only the basics.
He made a formal gesture of introduction. "Lady Lisa, Lord Halon, allow me to introduce Archmage Joseph. He is one of the rare humans who has free access to the research towers of Thalendor due to his profound knowledge of mana flows."
Joseph bowed his head slightly, his piercing blue gaze fixed on Halon’s pulsating core. "Intervar is generous with his words, but the truth is that I rarely see anything that makes me question my books," said the mage in a voice aged yet still full of vigor. "However, this little... Halon... possesses an internal architecture that defies common magical geometry. I sense not one, but multiple mana pathways operating in a synchrony I’ve only seen in ancient artificial constructs!"
The old man was not only shocked by those multiple mana pathways within the Slime’s body, but he was also shocked by the mana and energy circulating through that small body every second!
Lisa maintained a defensive posture, her eyes narrowed to slits as she watched the human warily. Knowing human nature, she wasn’t fooled by his polite demeanor and the kind words he spoke.
"What would a scholar of your stature want with ’monsters’ from a fledgling forest, Archmage Joseph?" Lisa asked telepathically, keeping her tone cold.
Alaric let out a short, polite laugh. "It is merely a purely academic interest," he said, shifting his gaze to the small white fox without any apparent hostility, then continued. "I represent a school of magic in the city of Oakhaven, a human settlement that values balance and trade, unlike other more barbaric human cities you may have heard of."
He then pulled a small cold-iron pendant with an identification rune from his cloak.
"I don’t want to rush your journey; I imagine Thalendor still has much to teach you. But if one day you decide the forests have become too small, or if you need access to human libraries, take this seal." He handed the object to the small, gelatinous hand Halon had formed, causing the man’s eyes to shine even brighter in surprise.
"In Oakhaven, this seal isn’t as noble or important as Thalendor’s identity cards, but at least it will ensure you’re treated with respect regardless of your origins."
Halon stored the pendant in the [Astral Chest], not caring much about it, having no desire to leave Thalendor for human settlements in the near future.
With so many bad experiences dealing with humans, he was in no hurry to go to a place full of them.
But despite his distrust of humans, Lohan wouldn’t act arrogantly toward someone who was treating him so well, so he replied through the mental link. "Thank you for the gift, Archmage Joseph. Unfortunately, I have nothing of equal value to return this kindness."
Hearing that clear display of intelligence, Joseph was even more enchanted and curious about that fascinating creature, hoping the day the Slime would go to Oakhaven would come soon.
Seeing that no one intended to prolong the conversation, he paid for the purchases he’d made with Intervar and left the store.
Lisa kept her eyes on the old man’s back until he disappeared from view, but Lohan was already arguing with Intervar about their next "mission."
Determined to accumulate as much money as possible while gaining enough experience to level up twice, Lohan didn’t want to waste time having to travel back and forth to Thalendor so often, so he asked a bold question.
"Intervar, instead of recommending a monster for us to hunt, why don’t you give us a list of which monsters you need hunted, and we’ll bring you the ones we find along the way?"
Intervar paused for a moment with his quill suspended in the air as he processed the Slime’s request. Usually, hunters asked for recommendations based on what was easiest or most profitable at the moment, but Lohan was proposing something that resembled a continuous supply contract.
"A complete list?" Intervar let out a short laugh, but his eyes sparkled with the same business acumen Lohan had demonstrated earlier. "Halon, if you can guarantee the purity you brought in the snake acid, I could give you a list that would keep an army busy for months. The Silver Crucible always needs Amber Golem Hearts, Ether Butterfly Essence, among many other things.
Lohan stirred the jelly excitedly, feeling he was on the right track. As Intervar began jotting down the items on a parchment of tracing paper, Lohan sent a private thought to Lisa through the mental link.
"Lisa, if we can get this list now, it won’t just be a profit for us. When your employees and the new members of Astralis Requiem arrive in the Open World, they’ll already have a ’mission board’ ready and a stable source of income waiting for them."
He thought about his own $912 monthly debt in the real world and how stability was the most valuable resource for those starting from scratch.
Then he continued. "We don’t even need to maintain exclusivity with Intervar; using the success story we’re establishing here, securing contracts with other shops in different areas can bring a wide variety of ’quests’ for future guild members."
If the guild had contracts with elite shops like Intervar’s, they wouldn’t just be "just another group of monsters," but could develop into a mercenary pillar of Thalendor, gradually increasing their influence in the city and opening more and more doors.
Lisa, who until then had maintained an expression of aristocratic coolness, turned her fox-like head to face Lohan. Her silver eyes sparkled with genuine surprise and a hint of admiration.
She had expected Lohan to be a formidable combat partner because of his Mythical Race, but seeing him think about the logistical infrastructure and the future of the guild members was something she hadn’t even considered this Slime would do!
"You’re really taking the role of Vice-Leader seriously, aren’t you?" Her telepathic voice sounded sweeter and less icy than usual. "Establishing a supply chain even before our members spawn... you’re proving me more and more right in my choice, Halon."
Intervar handed the scroll to the small blue hand Lohan had formed. "Here you go. If you bring any of these in large quantities, I’ll pay you the listed price in silver coins, and know that this time we won’t need to haggle because I’m being completely sincere about this."
After glancing at the scroll and confirming that the price this time was indeed fair, Lohan stored the scroll in the guild’s [Astral Chest].
With that settled, the two left Thalendor ready to grind, while they waited and prepared for the group that, according to Lisa, would likely arrive in two days.