Chapter 1721: Misunderstanding Resolved, The Budding of the Law-Breaker

After confirming the specific quantity of the flexible order, Xia Duo then engaged in intense negotiations with Laruian regarding the exchange rate between Arcane Crystals and Gold Coins.

They finally settled on a price of "1 Standard Arcane Crystal = 4000 Gold Coins"; although this was lower than the market price, for Xia Duo, who possessed the 【Mythallar】 device, it was merely a matter of waiting six more minutes.

Business without cost is truly satisfying!

After signing the agreement, Xia Duo paid a portion of the Arcane Crystals, while Laruian left behind the one hundred sets of 【Defender's Armor】 as well as two sets of 【Defender's Shield】 and 【Defender's Spear】 as samples.

As for the subsequent part of the first-phase transaction, it was deferred to next month, and at Xia Duo's request, the transaction location was set to Seventon, which was a relatively acceptable place for both parties.

Any potential transactions following the first phase would also be held there.

……

"Lord Xia Duo, if there is nothing else, I will return to Seventon first. There are still some matters there that require my attention. Next time Lord Xia Duo visits Evereska, we shall have a proper exchange."

"Since the misunderstanding has been resolved, Elder Laruian, please go ahead if you have matters to attend to!"

Xia Duo escorted Laruian to the Teleportation Room and helped him activate the Teleportation Array, after which he returned to the Study, where Niya had been waiting for a long time.

"He's leaving just like that?"

"Of course! What else did you expect? Everyone has a tacit understanding; the point has been made. Do you really expect him to apologize to us in front of the commoners?"

Obviously, this was impossible. Between nations, face is the most important thing. Evereska had indeed been in the wrong previously by failing to maintain neutrality, but both sides had a tacit understanding to refer to that incident as a "misunderstanding."

Since it was a misunderstanding, it was over once it was spoken of; plus, with Elder Laruian of Evereska coming in person to explain and restarting the previous transactions, Xia Duo naturally could not be too rigid.

Niya was actually aware of this in her heart, but she subconsciously wanted to secure more benefits for Xia Duo. "By the way, you just used Arcane Crystals to trade with them; what will happen if the 【Mythallar】 device is made public in the future?"

"It's fine. I haven't been harvesting them on a massive scale. Furthermore, both sides are willing; one cannot simply refuse to acknowledge it just because the space-time environment has changed! Besides, do you think that once the 【Mythallar】 is made public, the Seven Towers will agree to export Arcane Crystals to the Elves in large quantities?"

"I see!" Niya was lost in thought.

Compared to other Energy Gems, Arcane Crystals possess an almost incomparable advantage. If it weren't for the fact that their current source is still too scarce and unstable, other Energy Gems would likely have been phased out long ago.

Even if Arcane Crystals become abundant in the future, as an important strategic resource, the export price will likely still reference current Gemstone prices, and even if it is lower, it won't be by much.

Thinking of that 【Mythallar】 device in the Blue Crystal Plane spitting out Arcane Secret Crystals every moment, Niya could not help but be shocked; this was simply a gold mine that could never be exhausted!

"Xia Duo—"

"Hmm, what is it?"

"Nothing." Niya shook her head. In truth, she felt lost regarding the future; the future she saw from her current perspective had already exceeded everything she had imagined in the past.

But looking at her confident and composed husband beside her, Niya felt settled again, and she changed the subject, asking: "Are you really going to give the equipment you just bought to the commoners in the Territory Guard?"

"Of course! Wasn't this planned beforehand?"

Xia Duo had told Niya long ago that he wanted to arm the Territory Guard with Magic Equipment, but Magic Items under the Netheril Magic System were very unfriendly to commoners; almost every new piece of equipment required a large amount of time to relearn.

Elven Magic items, however, were the exact opposite; as long as one knew the method of use, even a commoner could use them with ease.

With the completion of the 【Daxia-Saville Passage】, Xia Duo could never feel at ease without a highly mobile Patrol for such a long stretch of forest road.

Besides Magic Equipment, there were also Airships, all prepared for the opening of that new passage.

Of course, the replacement of all this new equipment could also be seen as part of the territory's military construction; it is so now, and it will continue in the future.

"By the way, give half of these one hundred sets of Flying Armor to the Savile Territory. There is a large immigrant population there, so a bit more deterrence is good."

"No need, there are two Mage Towers there; should we really worry about people harboring evil intentions?"

"Then don't forget that neither of those two Mage Towers has a Spell Pool, so they basically have no external power. Even if there is support from the Tower of Time, can it really be used for trivial matters? Keeping a flying patrol to put up a front can avoid a lot of trouble. Listen to me, I'm right!"

Seeing that Xia Duo was serious, Niya did not refuse again, but she insisted on only twenty sets for the number of Flying Armor, which was the amount for two squads.

Xia Duo did not continue to persuade her on this point; after all, it was just for show—a few dozen wouldn't be too many, and one or two wouldn't be too few. Could one really expect those common soldiers who could only fly to fight against a Mage?

It is not wartime now, and in the foreseeable future, there will not be a total war requiring commoners to take the field in the short term. Being able to maintain basic public order and clear out cross-border beasts is enough.

Once there are more transactions with the Elves in the future and equipment becomes abundant, Niya will no longer value these things.

And in Xia Duo's plan, Elven equipment was merely a transition. On one hand, he was waiting for Magic Items under the Netheril Magic System that were convenient for commoners to use, and on the other, he was waiting for the maturation of local Magic Equipment.

The former was being researched by the territory's Magic Affairs Officer, while the latter required first establishing an armed force equipped with a full set of Magic Items, then summarizing experience during training and combat to propose improvement suggestions for existing equipment.

Only by updating and iterating step by step could he finally reach the level he had always expected: the ability to contend with (at least Advanced Rank) Mages.

Xia Duo was very clear about one thing: if commoners (including low-rank Spellcasters) could not contend with Mages, then why should Mages believe that they themselves were also commoners?

Moral education from childhood and emotional bonds were simply not enough; the realistic weight possessed by true, solid power is the gathering of the masses.

One must let Mages see the potential and even the capabilities of commoners for it to be possible for them to sincerely respect commoners and identify themselves as members of the commoners.

Of course, correspondingly, one must also let commoners recognize their own potential and even their power.

In the history of Xia Duo's hometown, there were too many commoners who could not see the potential and power they possessed, repeatedly deceived by the so-called "Elite" and reduced to cannon fodder in every sense; it was truly too tragic.

Whether starting from the simple concept that "there is strength in numbers" or from various rigorous sociological arguments, the more a system can unite more groups, the stronger its vitality and the greater its development potential!

As a Quasi-Immortal, it was impossible for Xia Duo not to plan a more potential-filled development path for himself, and he had never forgotten his identity as a commoner.

How to choose was, in fact, long beyond doubt.