Chapter 183

Chapter 183

"Ah, I see." Michael nodded. "I thought Lindbergh was trying to outdo everyone else and deliberately grabbed the Devouring Frogs for himself!"

He said with a casual smile, but his words startled Lorant.

"You? Who do you think you are!"

The way he spoke about Lindbergh made it clear that he was no ordinary figure. And from the sound of his words, he didn't seem to be one of the other Generals either.

Michael narrowed his eyes and waved his hand, smiling. "Don't worry, don't be afraid, I'm not a bad guy."

After all, no villain ever admits to being a villain.

Lorant silently took a step back but bumped into someone after just a few steps.

Lancelot came up from behind, placed one arm around Lorant's shoulders, and stabilized him. He smiled at the man in front of him. "Mr. Michael, what brings you here?"

"My father and the others should be waiting for you upstairs by now."

Michael smiled, stepped forward, and patted Lancelot's shoulder like a familiar elder. "Good lad, you've grown so much in just a year and are getting handsomer by the day."

"Now that I think about it, you were the one who told me about this beast pet shop. I didn't expect it to grow to this extent in such a short time."

Lancelot smiled slightly. "Yes, who could have foreseen how much the beast pet shop would grow? Though I've never doubted Lorant's abilities, he has still exceeded my expectations."

"Lance?" Lorant looked at Lancelot in confusion, not expecting him to know this man.

Lancelot introduced them. "Lorant, this is Mr. Michael, the current head of the military department. I studied under him for a while."

It finally dawned on Lorant where he had heard that name before.

Lindbergh had complained about Michael while at the beast pet shop. At that time, Lorant had been quite curious about him.

But there were so many people with the same name in the world, making it hard to connect the dots. Lorant had met enough Peters and Mikes in his life to fill an entire platoon, so he didn't immediately make the connection.

"Mr. Michael, what brings you here?" Ed rushed over, panting heavily. Just now, General Edgar from the Central Fortress informed them that Mr. Michael had already arrived.

Lindbergh immediately ordered a search of the entire castle using the Mage's Eye and then sent Ed to guide him.

Michael nodded slightly, looking calmly at Ed. "I arrived early and decided to take a stroll. I happened to run into today's main character and had a chat."

"By the way, are the others here yet?"

Ed nodded. "Yes, Mr. Michael, all five Generals have arrived. They request your presence upstairs."

Michael turned to look at Lorant. "Little Lorant, how about you come up with me?"

At this, Ed's expression became awkward. He caught Lorant's questioning gaze and had no choice but to speak. "Mr. Michael, the Generals seem to want to discuss something with you first..."

"Oh, we should come up with a strategy first and then try to coax and pressure this young fellow as much as we can."

"Preferably in a way that allows us to bypass the beast pet shop and take direct control of the beast pets, right?" Michael's smile remained unchanged, but his words made Ed break out in cold sweat.

To be honest, that was indeed what the Generals intended.

But Lorant was standing right there! Was it really appropriate to say this?

"Alright, who isn't aware of this ploy by now?" Michael turned to look at Lorant. "Come on, young man, come with me. Let's see if those fools are really thinking this way."

Lorant glanced at Lancelot, and the knight tightened his arm around him, giving him an encouraging nod.

"Mr. Michael, can I come along too?"

Michael turned to look over the two who were standing closely together, a bemused smile appearing on his face. "Of course!"

When Lorant and Lancelot followed Michael into the conference room, all except Lindbergh had strange looks on their faces.

Seeing Lorant and Lancelot here was entirely different from their expectations.

But Michael didn't care. He went straight to the seat at the front of the conference hall and sat down with his legs spread wide, his gaze sweeping disdainfully over the generals.

Those who met his eyes instinctively bowed their heads.

Lancelot grinned and led Lorant to sit down next to Lindbergh.

The little Holy Light Peafowl that Lindbergh had been holding fluttered its wings and wriggled out of his arms to jump onto Lorant.

Holding the Holy Light Peafowl in his arms and gently stroking its feathers, Lorant smiled at the unfamiliar faces in the room without feeling tense.

Even if they were military generals on the same level as Lindbergh, so what?

He was just a shop owner, running a small shop. Wasn't it only right that those who wanted to buy his goods should pay?

If any high-ranking official expected to use his beast pets without spending a dime, Lorant thought, there would always be someone to stand up for him.

Someone like Jacqueline.

"Alright, everyone's here." Michael crossed his legs and glanced at everyone disdainfully. "Let's begin."

After that, Michael leaned back and closed his eyes, saying no more.

Lindbergh looked around and, seeing everyone's strange looks, felt that he should be the one to start the conversation.

So he coughed twice and said, "Everyone, shall we begin? Have you all seen the video I sent?"

Nicole, Lindbergh's good friend, spoke first. "Of course, we've seen it or we wouldn't be here."

"My fortress needs at least two Holy Light Peafowls!"

A purple-haired woman with a charming smile sitting next to Nicole gently ran her fingers along her lips and said with a smile, "I know this, young shop owner. There are fourteen of these beautiful creatures, right?"

Lorant nodded when she mentioned him. "That's right, Lady Bonnie. Currently, the beast pet shop has bred fourteen Holy Light Peafowls."

Just now, Lancelot had quietly filled him in on the names of these people. Among the five generals, the only woman was the enchanting Lady Bonnie.

"If that's the case, then the five of us should each get three, right? My fortress must have three." Bonnie lightly winked at Lorant, her alluring charm enough to make anyone blush.

But Lorant, as if he hadn't seen it, still smiled innocently and didn't agree to anything.

The issue of distribution was not something to be discussed at this table just yet.

The gloomy man sitting opposite Bonnie sneered, "Bonnie, put away your childish act. You’re old enough to be someone’s grandma, yet you still pretend to be a child..."

He didn’t finish his sentence because a skull much larger than his head suddenly appeared behind him and bit down on it.

Newman, still smiling across from her, wisely swallowed the rest of what he was about to say as he looked at Bonnie, whose murderous intent was evident.

It’s wise not to provoke someone when you’re at a disadvantage, especially not with a lunatic!

Newman comforted himself inwardly while silently prying the skull off his head.

Sitting next to Newman was Edgar from the Central Fortress. He appeared mentally unstable, his slightly wavy, shoulder-length hair draped over his shoulders, making him look more like a wandering poet known for his charm than a decisive general.

Thanks to Lancelot’s introduction, Lorant was finally able to put names to the faces before him.

"So, what do we need to provide to get these beast pets?" Bonnie brushed her ear-side curls and looked at Lorant with great interest.

Lorant knew it was his time to shine. He took the clingy little one from his arms and placed it into Lancelot’s arms, then stood up to adjust his clothes.

"Before we get to that, please allow me to take a moment to introduce the latest beast pets from our Blue Star Pet Shop."

"This is a type of A-grade beast pet that required many years, hundreds of millions of gold coins, and countless precious, hard-to-value items to breed."

"As you can see here, the Holy Light Peafowl is a healing-type beast pet, with its most powerful ability being group healing."

"Of course, its abilities don't stop there. It can also purify and detoxify groups of people, calm minds, and grant protective shields."

"In addition to these group abilities, the Holy Light Peafowl also has strong single-target healing abilities. We are still testing the limits of its healing capabilities, and we will update the data as we proceed."

Lorant found his stride in explaining, allowing him to speak more naturally about the Holy Light Peafowl.

He got into his flow, confidently addressing the crowd.

"The data hasn't been confirmed yet?" Newman, clearly fond of picking faults, looked at Lorant with a condescending air. "So, it's still a defective product? And you're trying to sell it?"

Lorant didn’t mind his harsh words and smiled back at him. "Mr. Newman is not wrong. We haven't had time to confirm many of the data points for the Holy Light Peafowl yet, mainly because we're in a rush. As you may not know, these little ones only hatched this morning and are still very young."

"Of course, I understand if any of you have concerns," Lorant continued in a considerate tone. "We can proceed with the cooperation after the data for the Holy Light Peafowl is fully tested."

"After all, normally, in less urgent situations, these beast pets would need to reach adulthood before they start working."

"That time should be just a few months away, and we'll prepare a detailed guide for your reference by then."

Lorant's words carried a hidden edge, making Newman feel a little embarrassed.

Lindbergh, not caring about any of that, quickly backed his junior. "Little Lorant, I don't have so many issues. Whether it's perfect or not, you have to leave a few of these little ones with me!"

"What kind of talk is that!" Nicole immediately chimed in, looking rough but actually very meticulous. "You can't hog these pets! Forget about all those nitpicky data points. Just give me three of these babies. I'll treat them like royalty and care for them personally!"

Bonnie curled the corners of her mouth and spoke in a soft voice, "Me too, little Lorant! I don't care about those details either! I can't wait any longer!"

Newman glared at the people piling on and regretted why he had to sarcastically comment in the first place.

Even Edgar seated beside him softly agreed, "Yes, with such beast pets, the data doesn't really matter."

Michael, sitting at the front controlling the situation, observed everyone's expressions.

Enjoying the spectacle, he nodded in agreement with the others.

Seeing Michael's attitude, Newman huffed and turned away, no longer speaking.

"But, kid, after all that, how do you plan to sell your Holy Light Peafowl?" Bonnie asked, her interest piqued as she rested her head on her hand, gazing at Lorant.

Lorant gave her a warm smile. "The rarity of the Holy Light Peafowl is undeniable, so currently, the Animal Pet Shop has no plans to sell them."

"To be honest, if it weren't for the current beast tide, and if I hadn't seen so many adventurers on the front lines of Pokara fail to receive timely treatment and live with regret, I wouldn't have the heart to put these newly born creatures to work so soon." Lorant said sincerely to everyone.

His demeanor was so earnest that he might as well have had a halo wrap around his head to play the saint.

"Regarding the Holy Light Peafowl, the pet shop currently offers two different package options."

After playing the sympathy card, Lorant curved his lips and placed both hands on the table, his expression resembling that of a seasoned top-tier salesperson.

"The first option is the simplest: pay-as-you-go. Each use of the Holy Light Peafowl's abilities will cost between 500 and 1,000 gold coins, depending on the skill."

"Now, don't rush to contradict me," Lorant said calmly as he noticed several people's surprised expressions. "First of all, the Holy Light Peafowl's healing ability is a group ability. Currently, the effective range is approximately 50 meters in diameter. Within this range, if people stand close enough, around 100 can fit."

This was considering that these adventurers were as strong as oxen; if they were ordinary people, the number could be significantly higher.

"If each of these 100 people were to seek out a priest for healing individually, even with military subsidies, it would cost at least 5 gold coins per person, or even dozens of gold coins for those with more severe injuries. Do you agree with this?"

Edgar thought it over seriously and, realizing that Lorant's point was valid, found himself nodding.

"Therefore, 500 gold coins is the lowest price to heal these people. Isn't this pricing not reasonable?"

Following Lorant's logic, everyone nodded, finding it somewhat reasonable. After all, the ability of this beast pet was undeniable, wasn't it?

"And if you are a premium member of the Blue Star platform, you can earn points and enjoy various discounts!" Lorant didn't forget to promote his platform even at this moment.

"One advantage of this model is that you only need to purchase when needed." Seeing everyone's attentive expressions, Lorant continued enthusiastically, "For example, like today in the fortress, all the injured have been healed, so there won't be a need for the Holy Light Peafowl's help until the night before tomorrow."

However, to completely clear out a fortress, it would require about 5 to 6 Holy Light Peafowls using all their abilities, which would amount to an astonishing fee.

"In such a case, you might not need to purchase additional healing sessions." Lorant smiled like a true salesperson.

"The second option, similar to the Devouring Frog, is a semi-buyout system." Lorant raised his second finger. "That is, a monthly package."

"The monthly rental fee for a Holy Light Peafowl is set at 145,000 gold coins. During this time, the pet shop will arrange dedicated personnel to manage the Holy Light Peafowl."

"So, if you choose this package, a staff member will bring them to your fortress daily, and they will leave once their abilities have been used for the day."

"After all, these beast pets have a daily limit on their ability usage. For example, the Devouring Frog can perform two complete and three incomplete empowerments per day. The Holy Light Peafowl is similar, so we have come up with a fixed plan to use their abilities reasonably."

"Currently, a Holy Light Peafowl can use its basic Healing Light eight to twelve times a day, so you can do the math. This price is already a significant discount."

Lorant gave everyone a moment to think.

Edgar, who seemed to handle daily logistics among the five generals, understood immediately that the monthly package was indeed cheaper than paying per use.

However, even so, 14 Holy Light Peafowls would cost nearly 2 million gold coins per month.

And given the current trend, the beast tide was unlikely to end anytime soon, with preparations needing to be made for at least six months to a year, or even longer.

The cost would be challenging for the military to sustain.

"Two million a month?" Edgar murmured. "Kid, that's a bit too much."

But Lorant, at this point, was not willing to back down, standing his ground with the confidence of a professional. "Mr. Edgar, I don't consider this an excessive price. In fact, this is already an internal military discount."

"For one thing, the Holy Light Peafowl will definitely continue to grow. As their abilities strengthen, the current prices will no longer apply."

"For another, adventurers will surely be sent to the frontlines eventually. When that time comes, they will also need treatment. Charging ten gold coins for a life-saving slot wouldn’t be unreasonable!"

"Originally, Blue Star intended to handle these tasks itself. Now, if the military chooses the monthly subscription package, the military can take over these responsibilities."

The crowd fell into thought. Lorant was not wrong, but one of the main reasons for seeking better medical aid and logistics was to enable the military to combat the beast tide more independently.

Once adventurers joined the battle, the military’s profits from the beast tide would drop significantly.

Lorant wasn’t done yet. He continued in a strong tone, "Of course, the Blue Star Pet Shop needs to reserve some internal slots. Even if you opt for the monthly subscription, this will remain true. Blue Star retains full interpretation rights over these beast pets."

A certain scoundrel who should be hung from a lamppost showed his true colors.

Hearing this, even Michael couldn't sit still anymore. "Kid, this is a bit too domineering."

He had been in charge of the military for many years and had always been the one to act domineeringly towards others. Who has ever dared to be so arrogant in front of him?

"How about we forget what was said earlier. You should understand that your Holy Light Peafowl is a big issue. I can guarantee that the Church won't cause you any trouble. The condition is that these little ones stay in the fortress during the beast tide." Michael made a decisive call.

From the moment he first saw this beast pet, Michael grasped the threat it posed to the Church.

The Church would never allow such a creature to exist outside its walls.

So, before coming, he had already planned to first scare this young man, make things sound serious, and then step in to get the old Pope to protect him.

Michael observed Lorant's expression, wondering what his reaction would be. Panic? Or pretending to be ignorant?

But Lorant looked entirely innocent.

"Mr. Michael, you might be mistaken. I'm just an ordinary individual. Although I have some talent in breeding beast pets, a beast pet born from the goddess's light is naturally not something I can independently reproduce."

The young man looked innocent, his big eyes as clear as crystal, but a sense of unease rose in Michael's heart.

Sure enough.

"This is a beast pet that I realized after hearing the voice of the goddess under the constant teachings of Chief Red Cleric, Diana."

"The light of the Goddess of Light blesses me. So why would the Church trouble me?"

He blinked, appearing completely innocent, like a little animal, but in the eyes of everyone present, he appeared exceptionally cunning.

What a sly one!

Michael cursed under his breath.