Chrysalis

Chapter 1215

[I really don’t think this is appropriate, Anthony.]

[What do you mean? You used to be a merchant, didn’t you? You’ve negotiated for us a ton of times and been fantastic at it. What’s the problem now?]

[I was negotiating with towns and cities that you’d conquered! It’s not exactly hard to force a fair agreement down their throats when there’s a set of mandibles locked around them!]

[I’m fairly sure there weren’t ants standing around with their jaws poised to behead your negotiating partners….]

[Not literally, you oversized ant! I’m just saying I had the upper hand in those talks. And I was only talking to other merchants and petty city lords, not brathians!]

[What’s the difference?]

[Brathians are… different! They’re just different!]

[I mean, how have you even met brathians? I thought you’d never been this deep in the Dungeon?]

[I haven’t. There’s brathians at every level and also on the surface.]

The old woman sighed and pinched her brow. How could she explain this to this obstinate insect?

[The brathians are famous for being skilled negotiators, even in Liria. They cut hard deals and would sell the scales off their own back for the right price.]

[So they’re ruthless when it comes to money. So’s just about everyone who doesn’t have six or more legs. The bruan’chii excepted.]

[It’s pretty much a religion to them! They don’t even live in kingdoms or empires. They form trading blocs, caravans and conglomerates instead. Their leaders are usually the best and most successful traders. I got fleeced by the brathians I met on the surface, what do you think is going to happen to me down here?!]

felt a headache coming on. Then an enormous antenna attempted to

[Too heavy,] she grumbled.

fail to come to an agreement, we don’t really care. It seems like they want to peacefully coexist with us, so that’s great, they just want to strike some sort of deal for

[They want

ant shifted a

fine cuisine, are only interested in ant-themed artwork and besides that, we make all

they want to buy goods from you… and then onsell them to others at a

total of things I

lent people your legs? Can ants

depend on your wisdom and expertise once

the start she would eventually give in. The Colony had done so much for her and her people, and asked

are the brathian

already. They’ve been waiting

[WHAT!?]

and flustered Enid shuffled into the meeting hall, her

I was coming?] she demanded of the big ant sitting idly on

were waiting for

you DID just keep them sitting

have their own pace of doing things and that seemed to mollify them. That and the

did have its own pace, and it wasn’t slow…. Rather the opposite,

probably the confectioneries that did the trick. How the ants managed to bake so well when they couldn’t possibly have high ranks in the Baking or Cooking Skills was

to give at least some semblance of professionalism to her side of the negotiations, Enid approached the table and sat as gracefully as she could. She

members of the Council had gathered, Sloan and Advant, namely, with Anthony still slumped comfortably in the corner. Across the table sat an array

dressed so well! I would have tried to

are? I can’t really

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255