Before they speak about business, the sisters, or more like Rain invited Rezen to a coffee shop first since it would be inconvenient to talk while standing in the middle of the mall

They even bought Rezen a coffee for free. Too bad that he isn’t the coffee type of person. He doesn’t like anything that tastes bitter and since most coffees have a bitter taste, he almost doesn’t drink any

The three chose a table on the side to avoid as many people as possible and since the talking place was a public one, Rezen feels a bit safer

No matter what, these older sisters wouldn’t do something bad to him in public, right?

“So… older sisters, what do you want to talk with me?” Rezen asks curiously and as usual, it was the more easy-going Rain that spoke and lead the negotiations

“As you already know, we are from the Rising Sage Academy. We are relatively new but I guarantee that our future prospects are very good!” Rain boasted as she raised her thumb

“Hmm, I see, how new?” Rezen asks. He might look like this but he has his common sense!

He knew that in every negotiation, a person must always do their best to gain the upper hand and one of the ways to do so is to lower the value and standing of the other party

The ‘sharp’ and ‘aspiring schemer’ Rezen decided that this is a good chance to finally walk the path of a villain!

“W-well…” Rain hesitated. She internally scolded herself

She shouldn’t have said that the academy is new! She should have tricked Rezen into entering the Academy first before telling him!

“We only opened the academy for a bit more than a month. And right now, we have ten students. As my sister said, our academy is new but you can guarantee that we will treat all our students with fairness and do our best to support everyone” Florine said

Of the two sisters, she is the more upright one and Florine has no intention of tricking a young man, unlike Rain

“Yes, right. My sister is the Academy’s Headmaster and also a powerful 6th rank mage! Since we are recruiting you personally, if you agree, we can make you my sister’s personal disciple!”

Rain decided everything on her own causing her sister to glance at her

When did Florine say that she would take Rezen as her personal disciple?

Still, in front of the person that they wanted to recruit, Florine cannot speak the opposite thing that her sister said

Words like water once spilled are already spilled

At first, Rezen doesn’t really have any plan to enter an academy since his talent both in comprehension and cultivation are too poor. Also, he likes his freedom

But being the disciple of a 6th fusion rank mage… wouldn’t Rezen finally obtain a ‘backing’

That would make many things convenient for him but… alas! Freedom is still the best and Rezen cannot leave his home or at least while he still cannot bring his farm with him

Seeing Rezen’s hesitation, Rain panicked a bit

“We would definitely spend many resources on you and you don’t even need to pay the tuition fee!” She offered but Rezen is not interested

If it is resources he has his farm. He doesn’t need to enter an academy

“This is a chance that you should not let pass by! You can be tutored by a 6th fusion rank mage! That’s not something anyone would experience!”

Even if the world itself tutored Rezen he is afraid that with his talent, he still wouldn’t learn much…

“Y-you… if you have any demand, just say so! As long as it is reasonable, we would try to comply!”

‘Wow… these girls… they look really desperate. Is the situation of their Academy that bad? But tsk, tsk, they don’t know how to negotiate. Even a newbie schemer managed to push them this much just by not speaking. Noobs!”

Rezen felt pity for these sisters. Rain is desperate to recruit him and although Florine is not as extreme as her sister, she clearly also felt the same

‘To think that they will go to such lengths to recruit a mage as untalented as me…this Academy’s prospects are bad!’

Rezen’s pity for these sisters rose and he raised his palm at them

“Wait, I am going to think for a minute” he said and the sisters nodded their heads

Even if Rezen don’t join them, there should at least be something he can do for them, right?

Of course, Rezen is not as pure as his Brother Claude. He is just thinking of what he could do to obtain the support and protection of a 6th fusion rank mage

Even if Rezen thinks that Claude likes him a bit, it wouldn’t be hurt to obtain another backing

Besides, Claude’s disposition is on the lawful side. If Rezen has some dirty work, he couldn’t ask for Claude’s help

Hmm… think… think… what could Rezen do…

Seconds and minutes passed with Rezen in deep thought. It comes to the point that Rain is already waving her hand in front of Rezen but the latter unconsciously swatted her hand and that causes her to pout

After quite a long time, Rezen’s eyes glowed as a lightbulb was lit up inside him

He thought of a plan! Seems like he has a future in being a schemer and profiteer!

“Sisters, truth be told, I like my freedom and simple life and I don’t want to enter an Academy. But I have a proposal that I hope that you would be interested” Rezen said after thinking and the sisters were curious

“What’s your proposal?” Florine asks and Rezen retrieved the current spirit plants that he owned, two pieces each

Fortunately, he still has some spirit plants left in his storage

“Before I explain, please try these spirit plants first. All of them are top-grade” Rezen generously said

The sisters know about the vismian grass and soul-tearing peas. It’s only the rainbow clementines that they have not seen before

Normally, they wouldn’t consume quality 1 spirit plants but they still did for the sake of the negotiation

Just like how other people react when they first consumed Rezen’s spirit plants, these two sisters also showed a surprised expression

Higher potency and no harmful side effects (aside from the peas that have a weird side effect). How is this possible? Why have they never encountered such spirit plants before?

“Sisters, these spirit plants are my products and I guarantee that I can constantly supply your Academy with these if our negotiation succeeds!” Rezen said with a smile

He thinks that his spirit plants are normal but since Fierce Fire, Claude, and the bloodshot-eyed customers are all greedy for these spirit plants then Rezen has to reevaluate them

Seeing the reaction of these powerful mages made Rezen even more assured that his spirit plants are indeed special

“Are you saying that you have a large amount of these spirit plants?” Florine asks. If she can use these spirit plants with the students of her Academy then no doubt that they would improve fast!

Rezen nodded his head in affirmation. “I guarantee that I can but of course… it depends on this negotiation” he hinted

“What would you want in return?”

“Sister, I want to be your Honorary Disciple!”

“Honorary Disciple?”

Florine frowned at that. She had never heard it before

“Yes, by Honorary Disciple, I mean that I would have your protection and backing but I am not necessarily a disciple that would be under you. In fact, you don’t have to teach me, I just need the deterrent force behind your name!” Rezen said

The more he spoke, the more he believes that being a schemer and exploiting people is something he is born to do!

This might be a mutual exchange but Rezen has many dark plans to exploit these sisters!

If he didn’t stop himself, he might have already released an evil laugh!

“Hey! Why just an Honorary Disciple? Whether it be your talent or products, my sister would gladly take you in as her real disciple!” Rain exclaimed

What an Academy need is not only talented students but also resources! The rarer and more unique their resources were, the more students they could attract!

Rezen has both the talent and resources, Rain has to grasp him and turn him into a student of the Academy!

“As I said, sister, I like freedom and I want to continue living in my home” Rezen replied not because he is sentimental but because he can’t move his farm yet!

“These spirit plants… how much of them can you supply to us?” Florine asks, clearly, she is more interested in this never been seen variant of spirit plants

“Well… I can send a few thousand every week but in the future, the number could rise. And oh, I also have quality 2 and 3 of them with the same effects!”

Rezen still has not planted the quality 2 and 3 versions of his spirit plants but their seeds were ‘unlocked’ after he upgraded his farm

To an academy with only ten students, even just a thousand is already plentiful enough though if the academy became famous, even a few thousand a week would be far from enough

In terms of negotiation, these sisters might be ‘dumb’ but they are also not stupid. They can understand the implication of having a steady supply of these spirit plants

It’s just that Florine can’t help but hesitate. It would be like she was selling her name by making Rezen her Honorary Disciple or whatever

However, unlike her, Rain that only focuses on the results and not the means is already sold

“Agree! We would agree! Right, sister?” Rain turned to Florine that has a complex expression on her face.

“Sister, you would agree, right?” Rain asks nervously and with this, Rezen is not afraid

He still has a final blow to make!

“Aside from being the Honorary Disciple, as long as you supply me with seeds, I will sell all the quality 1 spirit plants for only one mana stone each and I guarantee that in the future, there would be more variants of my special spirit plants!” Rezen said ‘generously’ though inside him, he was praising himself for being such a great scammer

As long as he has the seeds, he wouldn’t fork out any capital! The only cost would be the cost of his labor! Also, the 1 mana stone each is for the sake of his mental health! Math is too annoying!

This is almost profiting a lot without taking out any capital!

Rezen is now turned into a scrupulous merchant but who designed the system to be this money hungry? He can only do his best to earn as many mana stones as he can in whatever means he could use!

“F-for real?” Rain questioned, her pupils and voice trembling

After all, in their eyes, even the vismian grass with its effect should be more expensive than mana pills which were 5 mana stones each!

“Sister, I’m not joking. I’m actually losing out a lot in this deal but who asks me to be this kind? I saw that you were having some troubles and I decided to help”

‘Damn, this is exhilarating! I knew it, being the villain felt better than being the Hero! Fuck the heroes, hurray to the villains!’

“This… may I ask how you could procure these spirit plants?” Florine asks doubtfully

It was weird that such spirit plants suddenly ended up in the hands of a young man

With the power of these mages, Rezen couldn’t do anything if they want to investigate and force him to spill his secrets but he already thought of a good cover!

“Sister, please don’t ask me sensitive questions or I will have to complain with my good brother Captain Claude Preston”

Yes, Rezen is using Claude as a shield! He just knows that that man is powerful and famous then might as well use him, right?