Chapter 184

Chapter 184

Thankfully, I prepared in advance!

Lorant put on an innocent face, secretly relieved.

What a sly old fox! If I hadn't prepared in advance and thought through every possibility, he might have really had me cornered!

"Mr. Michael, so, do all of you agree to the two proposals I've presented?" Lorant said with complete innocence.

Edgar and the others looked at each other. Nicole was the first to speak.

"Otherwise, why don't we go with what this young shopkeeper suggested and try it for a month?" He glanced at his silent colleagues, unsure of their thoughts.

"A one-month trial is acceptable," agreed Bonnie, but she pointed out a more practical concern: "But the question is, who will foot the bill?"

This was what everyone present was truly concerned about.

While Lindbergh seemed particularly bad at holding onto money and was considered one of the poorest among the five major fortresses, the nature of the fortresses meant the other generals were also short on funds.

They might not be entirely clear about their own financial situation or how much usable funds they had left.

But they were well aware that, at the price of the Holy Light Peafowl, they couldn't sustain it for long.

Moreover, this expense shouldn't fall on them.

Bonnie, looking at Michael, continued.

While the military primarily consisted of the five major fortresses, these fortresses did not encompass the entire military.

Under normal circumstances, fortresses managed their own finances, but in the current situation, they had the right to request funds from the military.

This was the plan that the generals were secretly hatching.

Michael's expression stiffened. He had come in person precisely because he knew this matter would ultimately need to be handled by the military.

He had hoped to secure the usage rights of these beast pets for free, exploiting any oversight by the young shopkeeper. Who would have thought that this young shopkeeper was as cunning as a ghost?

How could someone his age be so thorough and thoughtful?

In the end, Michael's plan failed, and he was forced to choose between the two proposals Lorant had presented.

Anyone could see which of the two proposals was better.

However, this expenditure was truly beyond their imagination.

Watching the generals' expressions gradually become awkward and their gazes turn slightly strange, Lorant thought to himself:

No way! Seriously? You bunch of high-ranking generals, how can you all be so poor?!

If you're this broke, can you really afford to support your own subordinates?

Lindbergh met Lorant's gaze with a rather brazen and unapologetic expression. This wasn't the first time Lorant had made him realize his own poverty, so he spread his hands in a dismissive gesture. "I absolutely can't take out a single coin, so don't count on me. If the military is willing to spend the money, I'll accept the allocation. If not, we'll just have to disband!"

He wasn't in a hurry at all. For one, with Diana's help, the number of priests in his fortress was already the highest. Secondly, with Lancelot's connection, Lindbergh wasn't worried that Lorant would completely abandon him.

At worst, he could casually cry poverty to the younger generation. He would find a way no matter what.

But the others were in a different situation.

They needed this kind of beast pet; once it appeared, they had to get their hands on it.

Admittedly, even if they didn't pay any fees for this kind of beast pet, as long as people from Blue Star arrived at their fortress, the freelancers could pay for the treatment services directly through the Blue Star Trading Platform or the Animal Pet Shop as per Lorant's suggestion.

However, this would greatly compromise their internal authority as a large organization.

The organization was already quite loose to begin with, and if they couldn't provide enough convenience to their members, the freelancers would gradually lose their sense of belonging to the organization.

This was absolutely not good for them.

This was exactly why the Congress of Magic and the Church had insisted on using the organization's identity to deal with the Animal Pet Shop to obtain the Dream Weaver.

Now, the military was in the same awkward situation.

As soon as Lindbergh said this, the other five also understood his intention. He was simply pressuring them to pay, including his share!

He was shameless to the core!

But then again, his son had long ago aligned himself with the Animal Pet Shop, which gave him the leverage to be shameless.

Just looking at the numerous Devouring Frogs in the fortress made it clear that as long as Lancelot remained with the Animal Pet Shop, the relationship between the shop and Lindbergh couldn't be compared to theirs.

"Since that's the case, I can still take out a part," Newman, the most impatient one, said. "Don't overthink this, everyone. If we need to pay, let’s get it done quickly!"

He detested all these convoluted discussions. To him, the situation was crystal clear.

Everyone had already agreed to Lorant’s terms. The only issue was the cost.

He wasn’t lacking it! The military isn’t that poor!

But the others weren’t as direct. Both Nicole and Bonnie looked to Michael, deferring to him as their leader.

The amount the military could allocate still needed Michael’s decision.

After a moment of thought, Michael said, "The military isn't well-off this year..." His words cast a heavy shadow over everyone’s minds.

"And renting the Holy Light Peafowl... The beast tide certainly won’t end in just a month or two. We will need to rent it for a relatively long period."

"You see..." He looked at Lorant, his tone softening considerably, almost as if he was lowering his stance. "Is there any room to lower the price further?"

In the past, Michael could have demanded to pay only a hundred gold coins for a year's rental, and no one would have dared to oppose him.

Those who opposed had turned into piles of beast dung outside the Lopulo mountains.

Although it was a legitimate official organization, sounding like a group of righteous allies, in reality, in this world, the strongest military was the biggest dark force.

No question about it.

Or rather, in this dog-eat-dog world, all the powerful had bloodstained hands.

What laws and regulations mean nothing more than empty talk to them.

Every organization that rises to power is draped in countless bloodstains; it’s just that as the organization grows larger, the bloody initial accumulation gradually gets hidden away, making it seem like a righteous and upright entity in many people's eyes.

In essence, all large organizations are the most terrifying demons in this world.

However, when facing Lorant, their previous methods seem somewhat inappropriate.

This is mainly due to the special nature of the beast pets, these creatures whose entire breeding process is controlled by Lorant alone, which makes them too important for everyone.

To ordinary people, they might seem no different from weapons or equipment.

Their presence or absence seems unimportant to them.

But the higher-ups can keenly sense the extraordinary nature of the beast pets.

These are beings that have evolved from beasts and stand alongside intelligent life, offering an unimaginable hope to intelligent beings who have been at war with beasts for a thousand years.

Why did the Beast Tower initially set its goal on the assimilation and breeding of beasts?

And why did it take a wrong turn, leading to centuries of artificial beasts becoming prevalent?

The main reason lies in the sheer number of beasts. To this day, no one can clearly explain where these emotionless, violent entities come from.

It seems impossible to kill them all.

People could only hope to assimilate these beasts.

Or seek some other form of assistance.

Now, although it differed from the initial idea, the marvelous creatures known as beast pets that Lorant had presented to the world allowed many to see a ray of hope.

Moreover, since they did need beast pets as allies, this was why they tolerated Lorant’s brazenness in negotiating terms right in front of them.

Hearing Michael say this, Lorant wasn’t surprised. From what happened with the Devouring Frogs, he had already understood the financial state of these military fortresses.

The cost of the Holy Light Peafowl was out of their reach.

Lorant proposed this price not expecting them to agree.

He was waiting for Michael’s current reaction.

Lorant feigned hesitation and distress. “Well, Mr. Michael, you can see that the price I’m presenting now is actually not high.”

“The cost of raising the Holy Light Peafowl is astronomical. I’m afraid it would take many years to recoup the expenses, and during this period, it would essentially be a sustained loss!”

His feigned troubled demeanor wasn’t seen as a sophisticated act in the eyes of these seasoned veterans.

No one overreacted, just watching Lorant’s performance in silence, curious to see what he was really up to.

Despite the lack of engagement, Lorant didn’t mind. He continued his performance on his own. “But since you’ve said so, I couldn’t refuse, could I?”

“Actually, um, I wonder if you’re familiar with the Blue Star Trading Platform?”

Lorant looked expectantly at the few people in front of him, pausing and waiting expectantly for their response.

Edgar glanced at the others and helplessly said, “Of course, I am also a member of Blue Star, and before long, I’ll be upgrading from a white card to a red card.”

Feigning surprise, Lorant said, “Oh? Really? Then Mr. Edgar, you should also know about the tasks that the Beast Pet Shop has posted on the Blue Star platform recently, right?”

At this point, the others present also understood.

"Are you referring to those materials you've been asking for, like dragon beast bones, the essence of millennium ore veins, mermaid tears, and the heart's blood of a tier-12 beast?" Nicole tweaked her eyebrows.

Lorant nodded, confirming that some of these were materials required for his *Breeding Codex*.

However, many of them were just 'fake materials' used to throw people off.

Mixing the genuine with the counterfeit, he had publicly posted all his requirements on the Blue Star platform for everyone to see.

Up until now, no one had delivered these items through the platform.

After all, in the eyes of most people, the points on the Blue Star platform aren't currently worth exchanging for such precious items.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie also arched her eyebrows, her red-lacquered fingernails lightly brushing her lips.

"What I mean is, if you can provide the materials I require, they can be used to offset part of the cost. I'm willing to acquire them at a 10% premium above the standard rate, either in points or coins."

"I'm sure all of you are powerful individuals, and you might have some of these materials, right?"

They exchanged glances, and Michael was the first to nod. "This could work, but we don't have many of these items, and ultimately, it likely won't be sufficient."

After all, this wasn't something that could be resolved in a month or two but would require a much longer time.

Lorant was aware of this as well. He emphasized that Holy Light Peafowls could only be rented on a month-to-month basis, as a Holy Light Peafowl in its juvenile stage and an adult one were entirely different beings.

Naturally, the prices couldn't be treated as the same.

The implication was that the rent for Holy Light Peafowls would gradually increase!

Michael and the others couldn't help but twitch their mouths, wishing they could slap Lorant right there and then.

Lorant, satisfied with their expressions, was pleased by their helpless anger. "On one hand, these materials, and on the other, I hope the military officially recognizes the existence of *beast masters*!"

His words stirred up a storm among the powerful professionals present, causing even the strongest of them to widen their eyes.

What did he mean by recognizing the existence of *beast masters*?

What even was a *beast master*?

Did he mean to classify those who used beast pets separately?

Wasn't that a bit redundant?

Lorant wasn't in a hurry. He explained, "A *beast master* is my general term for all those who use beast pets. Whether you use a Glassy Ice Flame Dog in battle or a Dream Weaver for cultivation, I believe they all fall under the category of beast masters."

Michael frowned. "Is this necessary? Does riding a Windbreaker Horse mean knights have to choose between their knight identity and beast master identity?"

If the concept of *beast masters* were to be introduced, the scope would indeed be too broad.

Especially since beast pets had already permeated every aspect of professional life and were still spreading.

If what Lorant said were to be implemented, eventually, knights and mages might no longer exist, and only *beast masters* would remain.

Lorant smiled. "I'm not asking professionals to choose. Just as a knight can be a member of the Knight Regiment or the military."

"I believe the concept of a beast master can be unrestricted. For example, a mage can be a beast master, and a knight can be a beast master. There wouldn't be any significant changes, but it would give Pet Shop customers a nice title."

Even ordinary people could be beast masters, Lorant mentally added.

He placed the most importance on this request because it pertains to something that all current professionals overlook.

Naturally, knights and mages would not abandon their enviable professional status to become 'beast tamers.' Lorant did not particularly care whether they considered themselves 'beast tamers.'

For ordinary people, 'beast tamer' would be the first and only step for those without talent to transition from the mundane to the extraordinary.

With the right execution, it won’t take long before the term 'professional' fades from the minds of ordinary people, leaving only 'beast tamer' in its place.

At first glance, 'beast tamer' seems insignificant, but Lorant knew that a peculiar kind of 'collective honor' exists in this world.

Currently, the number of beast tamers is small, so the impact is not yet noticeable. However, with proper guidance later on...

While there may not be a significant difference between calling these people 'customers of the beast pet shop' and 'beast tamers,' the future direction could be entirely different.

Despite Lorant’s explanation, Michael and the others still had some doubts.

Initially, they did not realize what benefit this would bring to Lorant, but the more they thought about it, the more they wanted to know why Lorant insisted on including this point in his conditions.

There must be something they were missing.

However, Lorant did not give them much time to think about this matter. He immediately continued, "Of course, this alone won’t be enough. What I truly hope for is that the military department can provide some conveniences for my Blue Star platform."

"First, Blue Star needs to deploy its own small nodes in the fortresses along the frontlines of Pokara and in all the Black Forest outposts where the military is stationed."

"Second, I hope the military department can officially join Blue Star and become one of its official members."

"Third, I hope the military department will use the Blue Star platform as its primary platform and officially register all its members."

Lorant laid it all out in one breath. The main point was that from this point forward, he wanted the Blue Star Trading Platform to become the platform used by the military department, and even their sole external platform.

So far, none of the major organizations have adopted such a practice.

Whether it was the Knight Regiment, the military department, or the Congress of Magic, they had always been quite 'laid-back' in this regard. The Adventurer Union and the Professional Union platforms were used quite casually.

They also had some independent task systems, but there had never been any real regulations about it.

The members under these organizations had always been free and undisciplined.

Lorant’s proposal was something none of them had thought of.

How could these powerful figures, who had dominated the world, understand the terrifying implications of platform monopoly?

Michael pondered for a moment. "How about this? We need to discuss it after we leave, and by tonight, I’ll give you a definite answer, alright?"

Lorant nodded agreeably. "Of course, I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration."

Michael and Edgar returned to the central fortress to convene the military department’s think tank for a meeting, while the other four generals began to wander around the fortress.