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?!]

Then an enormous antenna attempted to rest comfortingly

[Too heavy,] she grumbled.

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 our goods. If we

[They want your

ant

artwork and besides that, we make all our own stuff already. Even if there was something they could do better, we’d

goods from you… and then onsell

have to level with you, Enid, the sum total of things I know about business and money mainly involve loans and

lent people your legs?

depend on your wisdom and expertise once again.

so much for her and her people, and asked so little

are the

they’re here already. They’ve been waiting for

[WHAT!?]

later, a bedraggled and flustered Enid shuffled into the meeting hall, her

you even keep them occupied while I was coming?] she demanded of the big ant sitting idly on one

were waiting for our

DID just keep

and

pace, and it wasn’t slow…. Rather the opposite, the ants worked

mollified at all, it was probably the confectioneries that did the trick. How the ants managed to bake so well

at least some semblance of professionalism to her side of the negotiations, Enid approached the table and sat

Anthony still slumped comfortably in the corner. Across the table sat an array

they were dressed so well! I would have tried to spruce up a

I can’t

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