Chapter 314 "...And For That Reason, I'm In!"



Shoutout to Bruh_Vista  for beta-reading and providing extensive feedback for this chapter!

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"So what brings you to these necks of the wood?" Markus asked as he cleared up all the exercise books from his desk.

"We just had a class here today..." Shuri answered with a low mumble, to which Markus responded with a cheeky laugh.

"Anyways-" Markus continued. "I've been expecting you."

"You have?" Shuri blurted out.

"Well, not me personally. But Marie dropped by earlier this morning and told me to prepare for your arrival," Markus revealed with a wry smile. Shuri could empathise with the emotion Markus was experiencing. Through working under Marie, Shuri had learned just how frustrating it was to deal with a seer. Because they lived five or ten steps ahead, they took the present for granted. This was grating for normal people like herself and Markus who were in the process of living their present.

Markus continued, "When I asked her what it was about, she said, 'that isn't for me to reveal'... Man, she's changed. She's become so much more exhausting ever since her breakthrough. You know what?"

He then looked towards Shuri expectantly. Under his pleading gaze, Shuri acquiesced and volleyed, "What?"

"It's like talking to a teacher... not the good ones, mind you, but the really patronising ones! The ones who like to have you arrive at a conclusion by yourself by asking you leading questions," he exclaimed.

While Shuri wanted to voice her agreement, she held her tongue. Entertaining this fruitless conversation would lead her nowhere. However, she couldn't help but point out, "I believe you just described the Sect Leader."

"Yeah? Well, he doesn't make you feel like an idiot when he does it," Markus argued with an apologetic smile. "Nonetheless, Marie's prediction was correct (once again) and here you are. Which brings me back to my first question: what brings you to these necks of the wood?"

Shuri exhaled loudly and pulled out the inert mana core from her coat pockets. She placed it steadily on top of the desk and said, "I want to apply for the Innovator Track."

"Oh, you've heard of it? Did Marie tell you?" Markus' brows quirked up in surprise. "It wasn't supposed to be revealed to members until at least the first year had elapsed. You must have really left an impression on Marie for her to do this."

"I only heard it in passing," Shuri quickly waved her hand to dismiss any hidden implications in Markus' statement.

"If I know one thing about Marie, she never says ANYTHING in passing. Especially now, after her advancement," Markus said with a solemn frown. "Though it irks me to admit this, there is always a method to her madness. So she must have seen something in you that warranted this revelation."

"You are extremely trusting," Shuri commented. Though she realised that maybe her words may be misconstrued as an instigation.

"Marie IS my sister," Markus answered matter-of-factly, as though it was a perfectly reasonable answer. "If I can't trust family, who else can I trust?"

'Yourself!' Shuri answered in her thoughts. Her whole "family" was filled with murderous and venomous monsters who wouldn't think twice before shoving a bejewelled shiv into her back at the first sign of weakness. So this whole "blind trust" thing Markus was preaching came across as naive and immature from Shuri's perspective. But she wasn't going to preach caution and prudence to the boy. First off, it wasn't her place to do so and it could easily be misconstrued (once again) as her intentionally causing a rift in their relationship. Secondly, Shuri wasn't a charitable person, to begin with. It was Markus' prerogative if he wished to die a pre-emptive death by virtue of backstabbing.

Once again, Shuri took the initiative to move the conversation along and asked, "Does this mean that you approve of my request?"

"That depends on the feasibility of your proposal. Although Master has given me the authority to unanimously approve the requests, I'm trying to standardise the process so that it can keep up with scale. After all, there will be a lot more members in the Sect in the future," Markus explained.

'That's optimistic,' Shuri scoffed internally.

"So what do I need to do?" She probed.

"Umm, I wasn't expecting anyone to come up so soon," Markus confessed while scratching the back of his head. "So for the time being, I will conduct the appraisal in viva."

Markus pulled out a small book and pencil from his jacket.

"Do you already have a product prototype or service concept in practice that you wish to finance and expand with the benefits from the Innovator Track?"

"No," Shuri answered.

"So am I right to assume that what you have is an idea that warrants study and could possibly spawn into a product or service?" Markus proposed.

"Possibly," was Shuri's response.

"Now that's a bit difficult, you see," Markus mumbled with a low hum. "If you have a prototype or concept in practice, the decision is straightforward after a financial evaluation. It is even easier if you have a patent registered in our Library. But this- Alright, can you explain the idea you will explore?"

Shuri revealed a worried scowl before pointing at the mana core which was now in Markus' visual blind spot.

"Before that, though. I wish to share some information that the Sect may find lucrative," Shuri started. She knew that the negotiation to get funding would be tough, especially since her proposal would be founded on a weak hypothesis. She couldn't just say that she had a "suspicion" that the inert mana core held "immense potential" that warranted study. That was an unscientific proposal to begin and no one in their right mind would consider investing in such an unsupported claim.

However, there was a way around this problem. Instead of approaching empty-handed, if she could dangle a tasty cut of meat, it could persuade the investor to consider her idea. It would especially be helpful if this metaphorical slice of meat could also potentially finance her endeavours. Luck was on her side this time.

"That is an inert mana core. You should be aware of the demand for these in the market?" Shuri hinted. After the fall of the Yoruz Clan, many new sects, sub-sects and other mercenary groups managed to deconstruct the remnant automatons and golems that were hidden away during the Empire's scorched earth tactics to wipe the Clan from the face of Gaea. Although none could reach the Yoruz Clan in their proficiency to create artificial mechanical life, some level of automation was still achievable albeit with an extremely high cost of production. The primary factor that added to such a high cost was the inert mana core which could only be obtained from wisps and slimes which only proliferated in highly selective mana climates. In fact, many minor wars had been fought over "arable" territory suitable to farm slimes and wisps. How coincidental that the Sect she was currently a part of was built on a treasure trove of a mountain? Luck truly was on her side this time.

Markus' face showed some visible confusion. "I'm not too informed about the market demand for mana cores. Marie should be more knowledgeable in this regard. But I am aware of the most recent conflict between Dacian Naturals and Crowe Alchemical Resources that nearly destroyed a small township down south. Based on that, I could hazard a guess that it's highly sought after."

"More than you know," Shuri emphasised. "What if I told you that Mount Tai houses a humongous den of wisps and slimes?"

"I'd believe you," Markus answered with an affirmative nod.

"Just like that?"

"I mean, you never left the village, nor did you have any contact with travelling merchants who drop by. You've been walking around and exploring the region a lot, recently. You leave one day and return with an inert mana core which I know is quite rare and wasn't with you when you came to the Sect. Logic dictates you got it from somewhere close. And if you claim that there is more of where this came from, I am inclined to believe you," Markus listed.

"That's... well put," Shuri mumbled. It seemed that the surveillance in the Sect was far stricter than it seemed.

"So is your pitch something to do with these cores?" Markus redirected.

"Somewhat. Actually, my pitch is twofold. Through a... family inheritance, I know how to properly farm slimes and wisps and harvest their cores." This was the story Shuri opted for. It was innocuous and fit the circumstances and the assumed backstory she built for herself when she met Markus.

"First, I want to create a company to sell mana cores," Shuri stated.

"Before that, we will need to write up a patent on this inheritance so that it is accredited to you," Markus interjected. "The company will ultimately use your methodology to harvest these cores, so you need to make sure that you are being appropriately compensated throughout the process."

"I'd rather not reveal this technique," Shuri denied immediately.

"Figures," Markus hummed. "If this technique is deeply tied to your family or clan and you don't want them finding out, it's best not to leave a paper trail. However, this will severely limit the possible profits you could make as you will have to personally manage the entire process."

"That's okay. It's not optimal to flood the market with these cores anyways as it would destabilise the market and ultimately attract a lot of unwanted attention our way," Shuri added.

"In that case, you may not need to start a new company. We already have an alchemical and herbal supply company called Verto Supplies," Markus said as he jotted down some information on an extra sheet of paper. "You can look them up at this address at the Library."

Shuri nodded while pocketing the slip. "In the same vein, I wish to utilise the harvested cores to finance my research into core automation."

This was the coup de grâce. Shuri had set up the situation in her favour. Markus would lose nothing in accepting her request. As she observed Markus' light nods as he pondered on her declaration, Shuri revealed a faint smile of victory.

Luck truly was on her side this time!

'It feels good to win for once!'