Chapter 120 Chapter 121 Investor
Jima smiled and said, “Actually, the wheat porridge is quite delicious.”
“You’re mistaken,” Kaslan said, “If word gets out, others will laugh at me for being foolish and stingy. Go ahead and eat as you please. I’ve heard that trade in White City is quite prosperous, but it can’t compare to our Marin City, the empire’s number one free city. There are plenty of delicious foods, though they might be a bit pricey.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
As soon as Jima finished speaking, she felt a gentle poke on her calf; Zhena was giving her a knowing look.
Jima’s thoughts immediately wandered off.
She stared blankly at Zhena, seeming not to understand her meaning.
Zhena said, “Xiao Qiao used her extraordinary abilities to teleport; it takes a lot of energy, and she’s probably tired now. She should take a break; otherwise, if she loses control, it could be bad.”
“Where’s the fatigue? I see Lady Xiao Qiao with a rosy complexion, bright eyes, and full of spirit!”
Seeing that Jima didn’t pick up on her hint, Zhena grew anxious and gently kicked her again.
Jima hurriedly pushed aside the fantasy of the two rolling under the table and asked Zhena seriously, “Sister Zhena, is there something you want by kicking me?”
Zhena, annoyed, pulled back her foot and turned her head away.
Kaslan felt that his overly naïve daughter was almost ruining his good intentions, so he quickly said, “My daughter has a bad habit of kicking people randomly; she’s had it since she was little.”
Jima feigned realization, saying, “Oh, so that’s how it is.”
“Jima—Xiao Qiao, listen to me—”
Kaslan’s face turned cold instantly, and he said sternly, “Zhena! When will you be able to correct this fault of yours? Just because you think others are your friends doesn’t mean you can be disrespectful to them.”
“Dad, I’m not like you, treating friendship as a bargaining chip to morally coerce others. You’re always out there deceiving people with your business tactics; is it really necessary to keep doing that at home?”
Zhena stood up and said, “I’m full!”
She put down her spoon. As she left, she instinctively pushed her high-back chair in and walked away.
“Sigh~~” Kaslan frowned, looking like he aged twenty years in an instant. “My daughter always fails to consider her old father’s feelings. The tactics I use in business are unspeakable, but it’s for this family. As long as she’s doing well, I wouldn’t bat an eye at any cost. Now, I’ve become someone she looks down upon…”
After that, he rambled on for quite a while, recalling when Zhena was only as long as his arm and used to nibble on her own big toe.
“…I’ve heard that the Holy Hall teaches that people should be honest with one another and treat each other with sincerity, right?”
Jima devoutly spread her hand over her chest and said, “Yes, we servants are determined to bring the selfless light of our Lord to the world, illuminating all darkness.”
“No wonder she despises me as her old dad,” Kaslan said. “If I may be so bold, you’re also a devout follower of the God of Light, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then can you honestly tell me, in the eyes of you faithful believers, is someone like me, a businessman who spends all day scheming in the marketplace, worthy of forgiveness?”
“Everyone’s values differ,” Jima said, “but I can assure you that Zhena isn’t truly angry with you; she just wants to encourage you to do good.”
“That puts my mind at ease. It’s funny; as a father, I’m always looked down upon by my daughter.”
Kaslan looked at Jima with a grin, as if gazing at a roasted lamb.
Jima returned the smile, secretly calculating which was more important: charm or gold coins. If she managed to swindle Kaslan, her favor with Zhena would hit rock bottom.
The two smiled at each other, each with their own thoughts.
Two maids presented a large brown cake, from which faint bird songs could be heard. The maids used a knife to slice the cake open, revealing a hole through which colorful doves burst out, flying all around.
Jima leaned back in awe, saying, “Wow! How can there be doves in the cake?”
Kaslan proudly remarked, “These are welcome doves; just stuff them into the cake, and there you have it.”
Jima widened her eyes, saying, “There are actually so many colors of doves in the world.”
“They’re just dyed one feather at a time by the master. The dye penetrates the feather root.”
“They must be expensive,” Jima said as she flicked a fallen feather from her dark hair, glancing at it; the feather was only colored at the tip.
“Treating guests, this little expense is nothing. As long as you’re happy.”
The hole in the big cake aligned perfectly with Jima, revealing the “ground” of bird droppings and feathers inside.
Jima genuinely disliked this old-fashioned and unoriginal “welcome dish,” but she continued to feign amazement. The two maids came over to take away the damaged cake.
Next came the desserts and beverages: mud-like iced coffee, egg tarts, and crunchy sweet corn kernels. Afterward came a variety of dishes, each featuring a different type of sea fish, along with a grilled octopus that was as long as Jima’s arm.
Kaslan personally cut off a tentacle of the octopus, dipped it in seasoning, and placed it on Jima’s plate, saying, “Recently, the Northerners have been raiding; they’re desparate and don’t spare even a small fishing boat. This octopus was hard to come by; I had to pull strings to get it.”
Jima took a bite and found it somewhat unfresh, but it was acceptable. After trying a bite from each dish, she lost her appetite. Looking at the table full of food, she showed a look of panic and said, “There’s so much food; how can I finish it all?”
“Don’t worry about it; the servants will eat what’s left. If it’s too much, we’ll just throw it out to feed the dogs,” Kaslan said. “You shouldn’t feel any burden at all.”
Then wine was served, and Jima “couldn’t” refuse. After being poured a glass of fruit wine, she felt no hint of alcohol, yet her face flushed and her eyes became hazy.
Kaslan smiled with satisfaction and asked, “Lady Xiao Qiao, do you think I treat you as a friend?”
Leaning back into her high-back chair, Jima comfortably patted her belly and said, “Of course, you are the best person I’ve ever met.”
At that moment, a pale-faced maid approached and said robotically, “The Venetian merchant is here to collect his debt.”
Kaslan belched slightly and said, “Tell him the money hasn’t arrived yet!”
“Yes, master.”
The pale-faced maid left, ending her clumsy performance.
“Sigh, what a miserable life,” Kaslan said, lowering his head with a lament. “My fleet sank in a storm in the vast ocean, and one group was robbed by the Northerners. Recently, I scraped together money to invest in a new fleet, and not long after setting sail, it wound up facing dark elf pirates. Now, both the goods and crew are missing. These creditors, like flies drawn to a corpse, come to demand repayment even before the due date.”
Jima said sympathetically, “No wonder Sister Zhena is in such a hurry to return.”
“Yes, she’s the cornerstone of our family,” Kaslan said. “So that those unscrupulous bad people don’t find a reason to seize my house. With Zhena here, they wouldn’t dare to act recklessly, but Zhena can only guard against robbers, not those petty thieves. Here, friends help each other; do you consider me a friend?”
“I’ve always regarded you as a friendly elder.”
“Don’t be so formal; extraordinary beings, transcending the mundane, are no longer bound by worldly morals,” Kaslan said. “There’s something I’d like to plead with you about—there’s a batch of valuable goods stuck at the port, and my competitors have been using various reasons to hold it up. Only when my daughter returned were they released, making it impossible for me to deliver on time. If you could conveniently help me transport it, I would be deeply grateful.”
“I can only teleport personal belongings.”
“How fortunate! It’s a batch of elven ornaments, not much in quantity.”
Such “good fortune.”
Jima asked, “Do I have to go through customs?”
“Once it’s teleported, there’s no need to go through customs.”
“Isn’t that smuggling?”
“How can that be smuggling? Tariffs are imposed on goods transported by ships, vehicles, and livestock.”
“Really?”
“Oh dear, you people from the Holy Hall are just too law-abiding. I’ve been a businessman for so long; how could I not know the law?” Kaslan said. “This time, I was following the law that led to the goods being held. If you could lend me a hand, it would just be a little trouble.”
Zhena wasn’t wrong; indeed, they hadn’t even discussed the issue of compensation.
“It’s not impossible,” Jima said, crossing her arms and resting her chin on them. “It’s just that I came to Marin City for more important matters; the blessings of the gods shouldn’t be misused. Magic is precious, and there must be a cost behind it.”
“What important matter? Just leave it to me; you won’t need to worry.”
“Recently, I received divine inspiration and was granted the ability to use the power of nature to relieve the ailments of the world,” Jima said earnestly, her hands clasped together. “You know, different extraordinary beings possess different extraordinary powers.”
“What is the power of nature?”
“I’ll try to explain it in simple terms,” Jima said. “Have you heard of potions? This refers to magical potions, ointments, etc. Mortals find it hard to utilize the sacred powers in herbs; they can only use them as spices to enhance flavor, just like…”
Jima glanced around; in her eyes, everything held a hint of color, symbolizing their respective properties. She happened to spot a piece of unground cinnamon on the plate that had a touch of golden color.
Pointing to the cinnamon, she asked the maid responsible for grinding it, “Could you please bring that over? Thank you.”
A piece of cinnamon was handed over, and Jima took it and said, “In your eyes, cinnamon is a culinary seasoning, but in mine, the gold it contains, combined with other herbs, can attract wealth and enhance fortune. Sorry for using such a mundane example, but it’s the only one I had on hand.”
“Not mundane at all,” Kaslan quickly said. “Doing good deeds also requires money. Can you currently concoct something that attracts wealth?”
Jima showed a troubled expression and said, “If I were to put in all my effort, the difficulty would be like a person trying to climb over a courtyard wall. But I also have to help you, which is equivalent to running around the city once, out of breath and with weak legs; it won’t be easy to climb over that wall.”
“That’s fine! How could I delay your matters?” Kaslan patted his chest, saying, “You can have as much cinnamon as you need; I happen to know a spice merchant.”
“In that case, you might have to wait a while,” Jima said. “I need to find a master to learn some knowledge. You know, even geniuses have to learn; I also need a quiet place to practice alchemy without being disturbed. Since I’m new here, it takes a while to find someone.”
“That’s fine! I know everyone in Marin City! I’ll write you some letters of introduction,” Kaslan exclaimed excitedly. “I also happen to know a few alchemy workshops for sale; I’ll buy one and give it to you as a gift. In the future, bring any finished products to let this old man see the world.”
Kaslan was thrilled, his mind buzzing with the high prices of magical potions in the market, and the raw materials were just a bit expensive spices. Compared to the expensive prices of magical potions, these were as cheap as grass.
In his eyes, Jima had become a clueless hen laying golden eggs.
Seeing that it was so easy to fool an investor, Jima, who had only developed a drowsy dish so far, nodded and said, “Of course, I can do that.”
At that moment, the mustached butler interjected, “If I may speak frankly, Miss Xiao Qiao, the blessed grass ring you sold me seems to be ineffective; just look at my head, it’s been smashed open.”
Jima could see that the excited Kaslan suddenly calmed down.
