"Do you want Fire Lizard slaves?" Vladimir raised an eyebrow, "Regular ones, or Fire Lizard warriors? I have a few regular ones here; if you want them, I can give them to you."
"Oh?" Richard smiled upon hearing this, "Master, are you planning to clear some space to catch those Fire Lizard warriors?"
Not everyone has a Secret Realm Fragment as a portable storage space. Most Wizards, when capturing slaves, use a Slave Pocket. This pocket is a modified Synthetic Beast Pocket that can store living beings. The purpose of clearing space is to remove low-value slaves to make room for higher-tier ones.
Vladimir sighed, "I'm not as wealthy as you, a big tycoon; I still need to make some money off these slaves."
"What do you mean by big tycoon?" Richard waved his hand, "I'm just living off the army's rewards."
Vladimir glanced at Richard and tapped his head with his pipe.
"Kid, you are the representative of the Wizard Chamber of Commerce. In this Crimson Sun World, you can easily find a mine and get a development right. Isn't Magic Essence just flowing into your pockets like water?"
Vladimir's mention reminded Richard that he wasn't just a recruited mercenary; he was a technical consultant for the Wizard Chamber of Commerce, having joined the battlefield due to a temporary summons.
"Haha, Master, I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it."
Richard smiled awkwardly and then shifted the topic to the specialties of Crimson Sun World.
With a hint of flattery on his face, Richard asked, "Master, I have no experience; which mineral from Crimson Sun World sells the best?"
Resource development is not a simple matter. Resources are categorized based on rarity, effectiveness, and application scope, which can be ranked. If any one of these three aspects is excellent enough, the resource has development value. If it excels in two aspects, it becomes something that even established merchant guilds would fight over.
As for resources that excel in all three aspects, they are rare enough, widely applicable, and have significant effects.
Such resources would certainly not be available to the Wizard Chamber of Commerce; they would be consumed entirely by a Great Wizard.
Vladimir puffed on his pipe, a playful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Kid, the answer to your question is all about those black, shiny Magic Stones."
Richard's expression remained unchanged as he pulled out a bag of Magic Essence from his pocket.
"An equivalent exchange; Master, please see if this is enough."
Vladimir smiled and waved his hand, not accepting the bag of Magic Stones Richard offered.
"Forget the money; I don't want Jolod to say I'm scamming kids. If you want to ask about resources, you need to be more detailed. If it were someone else, asking like this would be like giving away money for free.
There are many things that sell well, but just because the established Wizard Chamber of Commerce sells well doesn't mean your new guild can do the same."
Richard thought for a moment and understood the reasoning behind it.
Established guilds have been around for a long time, have a solid reputation, a fixed customer base, and sufficient distribution channels. The Wizard Academy, Tower of Truth, and various scattered Wizard gatherings in the wilderness all have shops run by established guilds.
As long as a resource isn't completely useless, the old guilds can sell it.
But new guilds cannot.
Without enough reputation, a fixed customer base, and only limited distribution channels, if the chosen resource doesn't have broad demand, then accumulation is inevitable.
If not handled well, resource development, which should be a lucrative business, could even lead to losses.
Richard smiled and asked, "Well, Master. You know our guild's situation. Are there any minerals in Crimson Sun World suitable for our new guild?"
Vladimir took a puff from his pipe and slowly replied, "There is, but you might have to bleed a bit to get it."
Hearing this, Richard's heart trembled.
Vladimir continued, "There is a mineral in Crimson Sun World called Red Sun Gold-Vein Stone. This mineral, when processed, can be used as the main material for Advanced Alchemy Ink. Its enchanting effect is excellent, not inferior to any Advanced Alchemy Ink on the market."
Alchemy ink is something every Alchemist Wizard needs. Whether for making Magic Equipment, writing Magic Scrolls, or Magic Books, or drawing more intricate Magic Arrays, alchemy ink is essential.
A good bottle of alchemy ink can even directly affect the final product's effectiveness.
"But several guilds are eyeing this mineral. Although this ore isn't very rare, compared to the appetites of these guilds, it's still too little. Moreover, your guild is too weak, and the methods you use are opportunistic, lacking any competitiveness.
In normal competition, you wouldn't even be able to grab the scraps."
Richard sighed helplessly and asked, "Master, how much blood do I need to shed? I don't have much Magic Essence on me."
"You don't need to worry about that," Vladimir smiled, "During wartime, the Wizard Chamber of Commerce's funds are quite tight; no one will ask you to pay now.
According to custom, if things can be negotiated, you will need to hire them as consultants for your guild, paying them a sum of Magic Essence every five or ten years. As for how long it lasts, it depends on the negotiated price."
Upon hearing this, Richard was slightly astonished.
"Master, it sounds like this is quite common; it's already become a norm. Doesn't the Great Wizard care?"
Vladimir squinted his eyes, and his smile became inscrutable.
"We small Wizards have our little tricks, and the Great Wizard is naturally aware of them. But you must understand, anyone involved in resource development reviews is a trusted confidant of the Great Wizard. As long as it doesn't violate principles, the Great Wizard turns a blind eye to such matters.
These people sit in command and can't make money on the battlefield, so earning a little extra is reasonable. Moreover, they are discreet; as long as the war is won, the Great Wizard won't let any investor lose money; that's a principle.
If this principle is violated, even if he is... to be honest, I've never seen such a fool."
After hearing this, Richard could only sigh inwardly; Wizards are also human, and human flaws exist among Wizards as well.
"Then I would trouble you, Master, to make an introduction. Once I return to the Wizard world, I will certainly reward you handsomely."
Vladimir waved his hand, "Forget about the reward; when I die in the future, just look after my foolish student."
Richard was taken aback by this and then noticed that the decaying aura around Vladimir was growing stronger.
It seemed that after this war, Vladimir's life would come to an end.
Richard solemnly said, "Master, rest assured, if my senior brother needs my help in the future, I will do my utmost to assist."
Vladimir smiled and said nothing more, turning to lead Richard back to Floating City.
...
In Floating City, people came and went. Richard followed Vladimir through the winding streets and finally arrived at a bar-like place underground in Floating City.
Inside the bar, several octopus-like alien creatures were mixing drinks, while a few white-robed Wizards were chatting idly.
"Wilf, did you see that resource application from the Nine Suns Guild? It made me laugh to death."
The questioned white-robed Wizard downed his drink and casually replied, "I saw it; they really dare to ask. They want to take the entire Red Sun Crystal Iron Mine? They must be crazy; Charack Volga and those few guilds will be in an uproar."
"Isn't that right? So I rejected them. Their person in charge really should cast a Clarity Spell on themselves before writing an application... Huh?"
The white-robed Wizard squinted at the two Wizards approaching him, uncertainly saying, "Master Vladimir? Am I drunk?"
Then a wave of magical energy emanated from the Wizard, and a strong smell of alcohol surrounded him.
"Gano, it's me; no need to rush to sober up."
"Ah, Master, you said that too late; I'm already awake."
After sobering up, the white-robed Wizard's demeanor changed instantly, going from a drunken colleague sharing work anecdotes to a serious workplace elite.
Gano looked at Richard beside Vladimir and quickly assessed him.
"Isn't this Gregory? Master, have you taken on a new student?"
Vladimir sat down beside Gano and replied, "No, this is a student of a friend of mine. He came to talk to you about 'business.'"
Upon hearing that Vladimir wanted to discuss business, Gano immediately understood.
He stood up and extended his right hand to Richard, "You look a bit unfamiliar; you must be Consultant Richard."
Richard shook his hand and nodded, "Indeed, it's me. Master is truly remarkable."
Gano smiled, "It's not remarkable; it's just that my position allows me to frequently interact with guild members. You look unfamiliar, yet you want to discuss business with me. In the entire Floating City, you're the only Consultant Richard I haven't met."
As they spoke, they released their hands.
Vladimir introduced, "This is Master Gano, the youngest student of the dean. Don't be fooled by his age of just over two thousand; his strength has already reached Third Circle Wizard."
"Eh, Master, such matters are not worth mentioning. We're not natives; advancing too early isn't necessarily a good thing."
Though he said this, anyone could see a hint of pride on Gano's face.
Advancement for Wizards requires a vast amount of resources and sufficient mental cultivation; both are not simple matters.
Although Gano is a student of Frost Grand Wizard, when it comes to resources, the Great Wizard only ensures they will have opportunities to obtain them, but whether they can actually acquire them depends on their abilities.
In the current Wizard world, no Wizard would nurture a greenhouse flower.
After a few casual exchanges, Vladimir began the main topic.
"Gano, the shares of Red Sun Gold-Vein Stone should not have been fully allocated yet."
Gano, upon hearing this, took out a Magic Book from his pocket, flipped through it a couple of times, and then looked up to say, "No, there are still some shares left. Does Consultant Richard want to get a piece of the pie?"
Richard, with a hint of helplessness on his face, replied, "Master, dealing with guilds, you must know the predicament of us new guilds. If the audience is not broad enough, developing it means losing money."
Gano nodded, agreeing, "Indeed, new guilds do face many inconveniences. However..." Gano's tone shifted, "Although there are shares of Red Sun Gold-Vein Stone, the locations of these mines are quite deep, requiring a large number of slaves and Alchemy Machines for assistance.
To be frank, this condition is a bit too difficult for a new guild."
Upon hearing this, Richard looked at Vladimir, who frowned slightly and then nodded gently.
Gano was not being difficult; the facts were indeed as such.
The remaining Red Sun Gold-Vein Stone veins are indeed very challenging for new guilds to mine.
(End of Chapter)