Chapter 594 - 515: The Third Member of "Dawn Embers

Chapter 594: Chapter 515: The Third Member of "Dawn Embers

He lowered his head slightly, a smile on his face that was a mixture of appraisal, calculation, and a hint of deliberate intimidation. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was perfectly clear.

"Hey, kid! Our leader fronted the money for that stone just now. It only ended up costing two Silver Eagles, but that doesn’t mean the favor comes cheap."

"Looking at how you’re dressed and the way you talk... ’I’ll be sure to pay you back.’ A fine sentiment, but when do you plan on doing that? And how?"

"Around here, empty promises of gold aren’t worth as much as a single, solid copper plate in your hand."

Holland’s words were like a fine needle, precisely piercing the pride Ellis was desperately trying to maintain.

The young Mage’s pale cheeks instantly flushed red, and a flicker of offended rage ignited in his gray-blue eyes.

"Are you questioning my credibility, sir?"

His voice trembled slightly with agitation, but he still clung to a stiff, formal manner of speech.

"Since I have promised to repay my debt, I will not go back on my word."

As he spoke, in an almost defiant gesture, his fingers trembled slightly as he reached into the heavily worn leather pouch at his waist. He fumbled for a moment before pulling out three Silver Eagle coins, their edges worn smooth.

Without a glance, he shoved them into Holland’s hand, the metal making a crisp clinking sound.

"Three Silver Eagles. Two to pay for the ore, and the last one... a small token of my appreciation for Mr. Rudolph’s timely assistance."

He straightened his spine, trying to make himself seem resolute.

Holland weighed the Silver Coins in his hand. The smile on his face deepened, and he showed no intention of wiping it away.

He wagged his finger, tsk-tsking, his brown eyes glinting like a fox’s.

"Oh, my, my, young Master Mage. That’s not how we do the accounting on this."

He drew out his words, his tone a mix of feigned difficulty and hypocritical concern, as if he were just looking out for Ellis’s best interests.

"Now, why do you think that old Dwarf was willing to drop the price to two? It was because of our leader Rudolph’s good name, and the fact that we, ’Dawn Embers,’ have a certain... influence in these parts."

"If you’d gone to buy it yourself, do you think you could’ve gotten it for seven Silver Eagles? That old swindler probably would have squeezed ten out of you!"

He leaned in closer, his voice low but every word crystal clear.

"So you see, those two Silver Eagles, that was a ’friendship price,’ a ’reputation price.’ And that reputation... is priceless. For you to repay a favor of that magnitude with the market price, doesn’t that seem... a little inappropriate?"

Ellis was left reeling from this twisted logic. He had never encountered such mercenary reasoning that turned right into wrong and muddled every concept.

At the academy, every transaction was founded on the principles of fairness and equal value. When had there ever been such an absurd notion as a "reputation price"?

He was so angry his fingers grew cold, and his voice rose in pitch.

"Then... then you tell me, what exactly would be an ’appropriate’ amount?"

That was the exact question Holland had been waiting for.

He immediately straightened up, crossed his arms, and sized Ellis up and down with an air of feigned deliberation.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Ellis’s faded shirt, frayed cuffs, and shriveled money pouch before he slowly named a number.

"Considering our leader’s reputation, our team’s influence, and the potential trouble you might bring us... Hmm, how about this. A flat price: twenty Golden Crowns. Pay that, and we’re all square."

"Twenty Golden Crowns?"

Ellis cried out, as if he’d just heard the most outlandish fairy tale.

The sum was astronomical to him. Even if he pawned everything he owned, including his pack and the decent clothes on his back, he couldn’t come up with a fraction of that amount.

The sheer absurdity of the demand washed away his anger, replacing it with a sense of powerlessness and bleak resignation.

"...I don’t have it."

he finally said, his voice hollow. He averted his gaze, the tips of his ears burning red with both anger and shame.

Having his pride crushed was not a pleasant feeling.

"You don’t?"

Holland immediately seized on his words, his tone becoming deceptively reasonable.

"Well, that is a problem... but, there are always more solutions than difficulties."

That smile, a mixture of shrewdness and warmth, reappeared on his face as he clapped Ellis on the shoulder.

The pat wasn’t light, making the young Mage stumble.

"I can see you’re a capable man. Academy-trained, a bona fide Caster, you have a limitless future ahead of you! It’s just that, for the moment... hmm, you’re in a bit of a tight spot financially. So, how about this?"

He turned to the side and spread his arm wide, as if presenting some magnificent blueprint.

"Join us, ’Dawn Embers’! Become our glorious third member! Adventure with us, complete quests, and share in the spoils."

"As for your debt, we’ll just deduct it from your future earnings, bit by bit. It’s fair, reasonable, and we don’t cheat anyone! You get to pay off your debt, gain the protection of a reliable team, and accumulate real-world combat experience... See? Doesn’t that kill three birds with one stone?"

He watched with a broad smile as Ellis’s face froze, a mask of pure shock and bewilderment.

’He knew this little fish had all but taken the hook.’