Chapter 81: Negotiations
What the hell?! Andrea wanted to argue, “First, we only got 250 pounds; second, we need the 250 pounds to support our team.”
However, he couldn’t say these words, because, predictably, the other party would only need one sentence to shut him down:
None of my business.
I was only responsible for helping you find Von Kesim, so honor your promise. How much bounty you received, your costs, your profits, none of my business.
To make matters worse, the surrounding Spartans also began to murmur.
As one of the few large mercenary groups, the Iron Cross had to consider its reputation. If this were some remote wilderness, Andrea wouldn’t waste his breath with him, it would be considered merciful if he didn’t just kill Asker.
However, this was the Laconian plain, the Spartan city-state, one of the largest cities on the Siris Peninsula. If the rumor of the “Iron Cross mercenary group cheating on their payment” spread, and it was spread by the Spartans, who were known for their honesty and disdain for lying…
Andrea could almost imagine how the reputation of the Eastern division in the Siris region would plummet.
“Ahem, in that case, we, the Iron Cross mercenary group, will not renege on our payment.” As he said these words, Andrea’s heart was bleeding. It wasn’t that he was reluctant to part with these 5 pounds, but this feeling of frustration was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Except for that time in Stanimaka, when someone stole his kill, took the loot, and then left a message to provoke conflict between him and Matthews, making them wary and scheming against each other, exhausting themselves before finally completing the mission.
He counted out coins worth 5 pounds, tossed the pouch to Asker, and looked up at the sky indifferently, determined not to say another word to the leader of Azure Longsword.
The next second, the Spartan king on the throne spoke.
“For this anomaly, we intend to cooperate with Azure Longsword. We will not trouble your Iron Cross mercenary group any further.”
Andrea: !!!
He had just decided not to have anything more to do with Asker, and now this happened!
As the leader of the Iron Cross Eastern division, facing this situation of having his business snatched away, he couldn’t pretend to be deaf and dumb, he could only force a smile and say:
“I have no intention of interfering in your affairs, but shouldn’t you reconsider this matter? The Snow Monster on Mount Taygetus requires experienced Transcendents to deal with…”
“I believe we can cooperate,” Asker added.
Andrea looked at him in surprise.
“As Commander Andrea said, the Iron Cross mercenary group is powerful and an indispensable force for the Spartan city-state in dealing with this anomaly,” Asker said tactfully.
The surrounding Spartans murmured amongst themselves. Because Agesilaus had been easily defeated by the mercenary earlier, no Spartan warrior voiced any further objections, but judging from their expressions, most of them were still unhappy.
The two Spartan kings on the throne, however, understood Asker’s implication: The Iron Cross mercenary group had brought so many people here. Even if you plan to deal with the anomaly yourselves behind closed doors, if they cause trouble from the outside, it will be enough to make your lives difficult.
“Of course,” Asker changed his tone, “It’s unreasonable for Sparta to pay. Isn’t the Iron Cross mercenary group here for transcendental materials? If you want transcendental materials, you can’t also ask for money.”
“That won’t do.” Andrea also knew that his asking price was too high, but he still had to argue his case. “According to the rules of the mercenary business, mission rewards are one thing, and additional loot belongs to those who obtain it, these are two different matters.”
“If that’s the case, the Spartans have no need to hire the Iron Cross at all.” Asker countered. “Not long ago, Sparta sent people to Olympia to help them fend off the Crusader attack.”
“As a reward, Sparta can simply request Arcane Mage assistance from Olympia.”
“Heh,” Andrea sneered. “It takes at least four days to travel back and forth between Sparta and Olympia. How many casualties will you suffer during this time?”
“Three days at most,” Asker said calmly. “And Sparta can also hire the Iron Cross to defend the city.”
Hire us to defend the city? Andrea was stunned.
The two Spartan kings on the throne laughed.
Hiring them to defend the city and hiring them to go into the mountains to eliminate the threat, both seemed to involve fighting the Snow Monster, but in reality, they were completely different.
Assuming there were 100 Snow Monsters in the mountains, during the city defense, they could only kill 2 or 3 at most. What the Iron Cross mercenary group could get was only monetary compensation.
This was far from their original plan of getting both money and transcendental materials.
When the mages from Olympia arrived, the Spartans would go into the mountains with the Arcane Mages to eliminate the threat, and the Iron Cross mercenary group would get nothing in the end.
Then what if they didn’t accept the employment? That would be equivalent to a falling out. After all, the Iron Cross mercenary group had brought a large number of people here, saying they wanted to discuss business with Sparta, but after discussing, they didn’t accept the job?
If you don’t accept it, then leave. What, you’re not leaving? Then what are you doing here? Do you have ulterior motives? This is Spartan territory!
To put it bluntly, the Iron Cross mercenary group was clearly here for the Snow Monster’s transcendental materials, but Andrea tried to package it as “helping the Spartans” to extort more money from Sparta.
Asker took advantage of this and went with the flow. Since you offered to help Sparta, then let Sparta hire you to defend the city. We’ll give you the money, but don’t even think about the transcendental materials in the mountains.
This logic was a bit convoluted for the ordinary Spartan warriors, but the two kings on the throne were shrewd and naturally understood the implications. They immediately echoed:
“Indeed, although the Spartans can handle the anomaly ourselves, we also welcome the Iron Cross mercenary group coming from afar to assist us.”
With this simple sentence, the Iron Cross mercenary group’s actions were defined as “assistance.” Since it was assistance, then they couldn’t talk about business, talking about business would hurt their feelings.
The expressions of the surrounding Spartans also softened. “Assistance,” this term sounded much better and wouldn’t damage the Spartans’ dignity.
Seeing this, Andrea’s eyelids twitched. He felt that the originally advantageous situation was slipping away from him, and he couldn’t even refute it.
If he said “I’m not here to assist,” “I’m here to discuss business with you,” then the Spartans could immediately say “Okay, we’ll ask the Olympia mages to go into the mountains to eliminate the threat, and we’ll hire you to defend the city during this time,” then they wouldn’t be able to enter the mountains.
Insisting on entering the mountains would mean they had ulterior motives and intended to backstab them. The Spartans would definitely turn against them, and the Iron Cross mercenary group couldn’t do that.
Their original negotiation strategy was to insist that “It will take time to request aid from Olympia, how will you prevent the Snow Monster’s attacks during this time,” thus forcing Sparta to pay them to resolve the anomaly.
But Asker’s sentence “We’ll hire you to defend the city” solved the problem.
Andrea looked almost frantic, clenching and unclenching his fists.
Reason told him that the extortion plan was no longer feasible. What he should do now was to cut his losses and accept the “assistance” role to avoid further unnecessary complications.
But he was truly frustrated! He had only met with the Azure Longsword mercenary group twice, and nothing good had come out of either encounter! They had completely outmaneuvered him!
Being forced to yield again, Andrea was truly unwilling!
“Forget it.” Hermann placed his hand on his shoulder and said calmly, “When your trump card is seen through, negotiations are bound to fail.”
The trump card, of course, referred to the true purpose of the Iron Cross mercenary group, which was the transcendental materials from the Snow Monster in the mountains.
“This is the only way.” Andrea sighed.
“What I’m more interested in is,” Hermann stared at Asker, his eyes gradually sharpening,
“How did he see through our true purpose?”
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