Magic, steel, heavy industry

Chapter 71 Madeleine

No one would have expected that Klein, as the leader of the caravan, would show such a respectful attitude.

After he finished speaking, a languid female voice came from inside the carriage, "Come in and talk."

"Yes." Klein carefully entered the carriage.

This is an enclosed carriage. Although it looks simple on the outside, the interior is very luxurious.

A red leather sofa covered with a wool blanket, and a small, fixed table in the middle of the carriage with a jug of red wine on it.

Sitting on the sofa was a beautiful, mature woman with wavy red hair and a thick red fleece coat.

If McKinney were here, he would recognize her at a glance as Madeline—the businesswoman known as the "Red Scorpion."

Yes, no one expected that Madeline would come to Anvil Territory in person.

After all, to outsiders, she was the biggest merchant in Silver Flow City, and there was no need for her to come in person to discuss business.

But only a few people who know her well know that Madeline never hands over her chips to others.

She will always give the utmost respect to any business she values.

What does a barren borderland matter? She has even been to the barbaric tribes on the northern ice plains, though few people know about it.

Madeline quickly listened to the information Klein brought back, her expression remaining calm and unaffected by the small quantity of products.

"Is the magic powder weapon reliable?"

"I've tried it. Like the magic powder dagger that was sent before, it far surpasses any masterpiece I've ever seen," Klein replied confidently.

Madeline smiled with interest. "Interesting. How exactly did Lord Vilan master this technology?"

"I'm sorry, Master, I can't tell."

"Of course you can't tell. If he were to show you such confidential information, I would have to seriously reassess whether he is a reliable partner."

Madeline chuckled softly, then took out a mirror and tidied her appearance.

"Let's go, I'll go see that young man myself."

"Aren't you going to investigate further?"

"There's no need for that. This town is very different, and I'm quite interested in it. Besides, do you want me to stay cooped up in the carriage the whole time?"

"Of course not, I'll arrange it for you right away."

Klein quickly went down to instruct the servants, and soon Madeline emerged from the carriage.

"The road here is so clean; I was worried I'd get my pants dirty."

"Yes, I also find it strange; the streets of this town seem a little too clean."

Klein shrugged, not paying much attention.

Some lords have obsessive-compulsive disorder and often force their subjects to clean the streets, but as soon as it rains, everything will go back to normal, which is not surprising.

Madeline was just saying it casually, and then led a group of people toward Vilan's castle.

……

"What? Madeline is here too? Why is she only showing up now?"

Inside the castle, Vilan listened to Llorente's report with a somewhat strange expression.

Llorente said, "The lady said she had been feeling unwell and had been resting in the carriage."

"Do you think I'm a child?" Vilan shook his head speechlessly. No one would believe such an excuse that could fool a fool.

But he wasn't too angry. Since she had come in person, it meant she valued the business and had probably been observing it from the shadows.

"Since she's here, please let her in. Iglesias, go and prepare some snacks and black tea," Vilan instructed, while also straightening his collar, before heading towards the reception room.

Madeline and Klein were already inside, with McKinney accompanying them.

When Vilan walked over, he and Madeline looked at each other at the same time, and both saw a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

"What a young lord."

"What a beautiful young woman."

Both of them exclaimed inwardly, but on the surface they both smiled politely.

"Ms. Madeline, I never expected you to come to my Anvil Territory. This is quite a surprise. I should have come to greet you sooner."

"Mr. Vilan, this is not the attitude a noble lord should have towards a merchant," Madeline replied with a smile.

Vilan looked surprised. "What are you talking about, the famous Ms. Madeline? Of course I have to give you a warm welcome. After all, everyone knows that you are someone who can bring wealth to everyone."

"Oh? Mr. Vilan is also interested in business?"

"Of course, but unfortunately I don't know much about it. I'll need Ms. Madeline's guidance in this area. How about we try some local specialties first?"

Vilan pushed the pastries that Igris had brought over to him.

It was made by Igris herself, with jam and cream, and some nuts; it was terribly sweet.

As for whether it's a local specialty, Vilan didn't know.

Madeline took a bite, and without caring whether it tasted good or not, she first praised it, and then quietly put down the rest of the pastry.

"Mr. Vilan, my subordinates have inspected that shipment. I believe you are a good partner, but as you know, the quantity is too small, which means I will lose money."

Madeline got straight to the point; negotiation was her purpose for being there.

Vilan said helplessly, "I understand, but I have too few craftsmen under my command. This batch of goods is already the result of our best efforts."

Seeing Vilan's innocent expression, Madeline gently tossed her hair, revealing her scarlet nails, and stared intently at Vilan with her captivating eyes.

"Relax, I certainly know the difficulties of Anvil Collar, so I have a new idea for cooperation."

"Oh?"

Vilan avoided Madeline's gaze, feeling his heart race. This Red Scorpion truly lived up to her name; she was far too dangerous!

Madeline didn't mind and continued, "How about selling me your technology? I can pay you 1 gold coins, plus a generous annual bonus. You know I have many connections and can quickly build the largest workshop in the North. With your technology and my production capacity, magic powder weapons will definitely be all the rage in the kingdom."

"no."

Without any hesitation, Vilan refused outright, his tone as firm as steel.

"Ms. Madeline, this joke is not funny."

This time, Vilan met Madeline's captivating gaze, her expression completely unaffected.

The two stared at each other for 20 seconds before Madeline finally gave a wry smile. "Interesting. As expected of the Stone Family. Of course, that was just a joke. Let's talk about our previous collaboration."

"I'd love to."

"We'll take all the magic powder weapons, at your quoted price. You don't need to worry about how I price them. Also, this batch isn't enough, so I'll come back next month. I hope there will be more then. Of course, I know your difficulties, so I brought 20 skilled blacksmiths with me. They've all lost their livelihoods and I've been supporting them. Now I'm handing them over to you."

"I can't accept this..."

"It's not free."

"...Of course, that makes perfect sense."