Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 630: Divine Curse Trade II

CH630 Divine Curse Trade II

***

”Before you complain...” Alex cut in, stopping Dalton and Lady Rosa before they could respond. ”Do not forget—this is a seller’s market. We are dealing with a divine curse here... one that we may very well be the only ones capable of curing.

”Well, unless you intend to return to the deity who placed the curse upon you and somehow make amends. Perhaps then, they might choose to lift it.

”Alternatively, you could attempt to kill them.”

He paused briefly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

”But I am quite certain neither of those options is realistically within your reach... is it?”

Dalton’s expression darkened.

”Well, take your time to consider the offer. Let us know once you have reached a decision. You know where to find us,” Alex said, already turning to leave the arena.

He began to walk away with his wives—only to suddenly halt mid-step.

”Oh, and one more thing.”

He glanced back over his shoulder.

”I believe I won the duel. Therefore, according to the agreed stipulations, we will be proceeding with Eleanore’s terms for the agreement.”

With that, Alex and his wives departed from the venue without another word.

Only after they had completely disappeared from sight did Dalton and Lady Rosa finally move.

”Do you believe them?” Dalton asked quietly.

”I do,” Lady Rosa replied with a firm nod. ”They are far from ordinary. In fact... I suspect they may come from ’that’ place. They are unlikely to side with the Deities against us. If anything, they may even oppose the designs of the deities themselves.”

”I share the same suspicion,” Dalton said, nodding slowly. ”We must report this to the Master.”

”Agreed.”

Dalton turned towards the assembled BattleBanes.

”All of you will forget what transpired here. Is that understood?” he commanded.

”Yes, Captain,” the BattleBanes responded in unison.

Without further delay, Dalton and Lady Rosa departed to make their report.

Meanwhile, Alex and his wives had already returned to their waiting carriage, setting off towards their residence.

Seated by the window, Alex gazed out as he reflected on the recent events.

Things had not unfolded as neatly as he had originally planned... but their objective had been achieved nonetheless.

Truthfully, they did not truly care about the deal for the Age-Reversal Potion. It had merely been a convenient creation—something Eleanore had devised to meet Alex’s requirement for a product capable of securing them an audience with the Jadewell Merchant Company, and more importantly, the BattleBane Guild.

Now that their objective had been achieved, whether the deal for the Age-Reversal Potion proceeded or not was largely irrelevant.

”Why did you ask for divine statues? We don’t actually need them for the potion,” Eleanore asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

”Not for the potion,” Alex replied calmly. ”I need them for something else. I want to test a theory. Once that is done, I should be ready to proceed with the Rune Tattoos for each of you.”

Eleanore and Udara’s eyes lit up instantly.

They would be lying if they claimed they felt no envy towards Zora’s rune tattoos.

Beyond the power they granted, the tattoos were a subtle symbol of status amongst them—much like the OmniRune trinkets Alex had gifted them on their wedding day, though he himself remained oblivious to that fact.

Alex continued, ”Besides, it would be unwise to make things too easy for them. If they receive both the treatment and the cure without sufficient difficulty, they will not truly value what they’ve been given.

”Exchanging a handful of alchemical plants for a solution to a problem that has plagued them since forever would be far too cheap.

”Only by setting a price that feels exorbitant—yet still within their reach—will they come to properly appreciate its worth.”

”I understand the principle, Alex,” Eleanore said, rolling her eyes slightly. ”I know you want to establish a high enough benchmark before making your actual demands—but do you really need to set it that high?”

”Won’t it backfire?” Udara added, joining the discussion. ”Are you certain they will agree to it?”

”Exactly,” Eleanore nodded in agreement with the inquiry.

Alex shook his head lightly.

”A person who has never known hunger cannot truly comprehend what someone who has starved would do for a single meal,” he said quietly.

”We gave Dalton a potion that halted his rampage instantly. Judging by their reaction, that is something they have never experienced before.”

”While I do not know the full extent of the curse, from the intensity of his rampage alone, I can tell that he would have killed several of his subordinates before being subdued. That is the kind of pain that would haunt Dalton for the rest of his life.

”And I doubt that is even the worst outcome the divine curse can produce.

”He is a starving man who has just tasted relief from hunger for the first time in years. Trust me—no matter what it takes, he will do it just to experience that relief again,” Alex said.

”Not to mention, what I asked of him is not particularly difficult for a guild of their size and strength. Even we managed to secure a monster group’s divine totem statue. They should be capable of at least that much if they are worth the effort.

”This is not merely about payment—it is also a test of their capabilities.” His eyes flashed faintly.

The two women nodded in agreement.

Alex was not concerned about whether Dalton would attempt to acquire the divine totems scattered across the Wildlands. In truth, Dalton had little choice in the matter.

A means of managing their curse was not something they could afford to ignore.

What concerned Alex was something else entirely.

’We know nothing about their leader... It is difficult to profile him, let alone predict his response. If he is the patient type—one who is content with temporary treatment—then he may refuse to pay the far greater price required for a permanent cure,’ Alex mused inwardly.

He shook his head lightly.

’The bait has been cast, and the lines are in the water. There is nothing left for me to do but wait... and see.’

The carriage soon arrived at the mansion currently serving as the base of operations for the Fortuna adventurer–mercenary company.

The teams that had gone out on assignments—as well as those who had accompanied Zora—had already returned.

Yet, even before stepping down from the carriage, Alex immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Blood.

Several members of the group were visibly injured.

And these were not wounds inflicted by beasts or monsters—

—but by human weapons.

***