Vol 4 Chapter 88: “Negotiation” (Vol 4: The Otherworldly Battlefield Arc)

The negotiation venue was nearby. It was likely chosen close to home, considering Squee would be accompanying them.

The building was one of the cleaner ones in town, with a room apparently reserved for meetings with important guests.

Despite the short notice of the invitation, the arrangements were smooth. Squee felt as though Abid had manipulated things to their advantage, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“By the way, brother.”

The other party had apparently arrived already.

Before opening the door, Abid leaned over and whispered to Squee.

“Traveling merchants from outside tend to be… well, let’s just say they’re big and intimidating. Basically—”

“I get it.”

In short, Squee was being warned to brace for some rude treatment.

Holo, too, prepared himself to stay composed.

“You’re late, aren’t you?”

The moment the door opened, the first thing that caught their attention was a flamboyant woman.

She was the only one sitting on the sofa, while three men stood behind her.

Her long, flowing blue hair and revealing outfit contrasted with her dour expression. Still, her loud voice carried a tone of disdain as she sized up the trio.

“We thought we’d arrived early, but I see you’re even earlier.”

Though they had arrived ahead of schedule, the other party had beaten them to it.

It was a common tactic to create a sense of guilt, giving them the upper hand in the discussion.

Not apologizing too easily was likely part of Abid’s strategy.

“I’ve looked over the product list. Here’s the estimate.”

The blue-haired woman motioned for one of the men behind her to present a list.

In Polyvity, it seemed the other party always set both the selling and buying prices first. Abid had already provided a list of the goods along with samples and a separate list of items they wanted to purchase.

While the method wasn’t particularly efficient, Squee thought it made sense in light of the limited communication tools and the inherent power imbalance.

Abid frowned as he reviewed the estimate.

Even though he should have anticipated unfavorable terms, his exaggerated reaction was noticeable. Holo briefly wondered if it was an act but quickly concluded it was likely intentional.

“The meat price hike is fine, but the eggs? That’s just way too steep. We can’t accept this.”

“Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to transport such delicate eggs?”

As expected, things weren’t starting off well.

From what Squee could see, the difficulties with the estimate didn’t appear to be an act.

The selling prices seemed fair enough, but the high purchase prices were clearly an issue.

“I get what you’re saying, but in that case, how about offering a better price for the ores? And, by the way, we’ve brought a prized magic tool this time. Surely, that deserves a better evaluation.”

Squee glanced at the list and noted a magic tool among the items.

Even comparing it to similar tools in Van, the price listed here seemed disappointingly low.

“What do you think, brother?”

Suddenly, Abid directed the conversation toward Squee.

Having recently been in the Three Nations, Squee had been brought along as a partner for negotiations, given his knowledge of the markets there. Beyond that, he hadn’t been given any specific instructions.

The jewelry Squee had handed to Abid was already included in the estimate, but the price wasn’t impressive. Not that Squee cared much about the details.

“Well,” Squee paused briefly, then smiled and bowed his head.

“Forgive my late introduction. My name is Squee Kensei, and I only recently arrived in this town.”

His words drew a flicker of surprise from the merchant and a smirk from Abid.

This was precisely Abid’s plan.

With firsthand experience of the Three Nations’ markets, Squee wouldn’t be easily fooled by any fabricated prices.

He didn’t need to spell out specifics—like how goods were cheaper there or more in demand—but his presence alone made it clear they weren’t dealing with naïve buyers.

“Since I’m somewhat familiar with the markets over there, I hope to facilitate a fair discussion. I’ve also acquainted myself with the pricing here.”

Squee said exactly what Abid had been hoping to hear. Then, glancing at him briefly, he added:

“That being said, I find this estimate to be fairly reasonable.”

Abid’s expression stiffened, but Squee continued, unbothered.

“Granted, comparing it to prices over there, it doesn’t feel entirely fair.

But the journey here isn’t just long—it’s dangerous, as we’ve experienced firsthand.”

Holo couldn’t recall any notable dangers, but he pondered Squee’s intent in praising the merchants.

“This town, too, isn’t exactly safe. Merchants like you, who visit regularly despite the risks, deserve a premium.

A slight price hike is something we should be willing to accept.”

“Hey!”

Abid finally lost his patience and raised his voice at Squee, who had been speaking so smoothly.

There was no sign of fear in his eyes as he glared at Squee.

“Don’t mess around! If we accept estimates like this every time, we’re just going to get squeezed dry!”

In stark contrast to his calculated demeanor earlier, Abid now shouted with raw emotion.

“The city barely has enough food to go around! You don’t get it, but people are starving to death as we speak! The city’s recovery needs supplies! If we agree to this, neither I nor the townspeople will survive until the next negotiation!”

Ignoring Abid’s shouting, Squee glanced at Holo, who remained silent and downcast, before speaking.

“That’s not something merchants need to concern themselves with.”

She’s not a charity organization, after all.

Abid raised his fist at Squee, but—

“Now, let’s get to the real negotiation.”

He froze.

The merchant narrowed her eyes, signaling her understanding.

It was clear that Squee was ready to offer something of value.

“The most troublesome part of coming to Polyvity was dealing with bandits.”

Squee had, in fact, been attacked by bandits multiple times.

While the bandits were ultimately wiped out, that part was conveniently left out.

“Surely, it’s not free for merchants to travel here either?”

“Exactly.”

The merchant, appreciating Squee’s awareness of their struggles, nodded in agreement.

“Transportation is one thing, but dealing with bandits involves specific arrangements. Typically, half the cargo is taken as a toll, but we secure safe passage with designated supplies instead.”

Squee speculated that these “supplies” were likely weapons.

Given the infighting among the bandits, they likely valued combat tools as much as basic necessities.

“In other words, this toll gets passed on to Polyvity, leaving your side to bear the brunt.”

“And what’s your point?”

The merchant wasn’t annoyed by Squee’s preamble, rather she seemed eager to hear more.

“I’ve obtained information about the bandits along the way.”

Information.

The merchant grinned, baring her teeth like a predator.

“Using it, you could at least eliminate the toll. Depending on how you use it, it could mean even more.”

Squee’s matter-of-fact tone caused the merchant’s expression to momentarily go blank.

“Proof?”

“Is it necessary?”

Each word was concise yet sufficient.

If the information was false and disrupted the merchants’ operations, Polyvity would be the one to suffer.

If the merchants were deceived and decided to stop doing business here, Polyvity would lose its source of supplies.

Thus, the exchange of information had to be mutually beneficial.

There was no advantage in lying.

“The cost of this information is a permanent discount. You’ll save on tolls and gain more business opportunities in the future.”

It was an enticing offer.

“But what if we take the information and refuse discounts later?”

The merchant openly made her threat, more out of amusement than seriousness.

By this point, the deal was practically sealed, and she simply wanted to see how Squee would react.

“How about a deposit system?”

Squee suggested taking an upfront payment as collateral in case they reneged on the discounts.

The merchant countered by proposing splitting the information into parts.

As the main negotiation wound down, Holo glanced at Abid, who had earlier shouted so passionately at Squee.

It had been an act.

At first, even Holo thought Abid had been genuinely angry at Squee for not considering the city’s plight.

But that wasn’t the case.

Abid’s initial plan was to use Squee—a figure who understood both sides—to advocate for fairness and disrupt the merchants’ advantage.

However, when Squee appeared to side with the merchants, Abid realized there was more to it.

Rather than leaving it all to Squee, he put on a show.

He appealed emotionally to the merchants, subtly implying that too harsh a deal could jeopardize future trade altogether.

Whether the emotional appeal worked was uncertain, but the mere suggestion of no future trade made a point.

The essence of business lies in balance—neither party should be pushed to the brink.

Just as Polyvity couldn’t afford to lose its merchants, the merchants wouldn’t want to sever ties with Polyvity either.

The merchants, understanding this, couldn’t push for overly aggressive terms going forward.

Furthermore, appealing to their sense of compassion could be leveraged in the future, perhaps by showcasing the harsh realities of the city.

In essence, Squee conveyed the city’s concerns indirectly, framing them as heartfelt sentiments.

Of course, the merchants weren’t amateurs.

Things wouldn’t always go as planned, but the situation had improved significantly.

And that improvement lay in the mutual benefits.

Abid’s initial plan aimed to maximize their side’s gains, but Squee’s approach presented advantages for both sides.

The best deals make the other party feel like they’ve won, too.

Since this was a long-term relationship, such considerations couldn’t be ignored.

That’s why Squee hadn’t followed Abid’s script.

As the adults continued their negotiation, full of strategic maneuvers, Holo sighed quietly, realizing how much he still had to learn.