Chapter 161: |
“Whaaaaaat?!”
When Abdul II heard the price of the Great Argonne’s treasures, he nearly fainted.
The cost was many times more than he’d imagined, making it difficult for even Abdul II to readily commit to the purchase.
“A-Are you really certain about the price?”
Otto’s quoted price was nearly 20 trillion in Korean won (not an exact match due to different currency values).
Even though the artifacts numbered in the thousands, it wasn’t the kind of money a hobbyist would spend.
“It’s not that this Elder Brother of yours doesn’t have money….”
“Of course, I know you have the means to pay 100 times that, or even 1,000 times that.”
Otto smiled and patted him on the back.
“Mmmm! To think that my brother has his brother’s best interests at heart!”
Abdul II felt even more elated by Otto’s gesture.
Historically, The Sultans of Caliphate kingdoms have had one perverse tendency and that is their pride in money.
They were prone to flaunting their wealth by spending money like it was water.
They were extremely averse to appearing weak when it came to money.
Why?
Because it diminishes the prestige of the dynasty and the Sultan himself.
Otto knew this all too well, and instead of hurting Abdul II’s ego, he’d tried to pass it off as the frugality of being a saint.
“Besides, the attack on Jalalabad has disrupted trade for the time being, and I know all too well that my brother cannot spend money easily.”
“You are my brother after all. How well you know my heart, so please give my brother a discou…..”
As the word discount was about to leave Sultan Abdul II’s mouth.
“I am as tempted as ever to give you a discount, but I cannot. Discounted prices are meaningless.”
“Well, what do you mean?”
“Elder Brother, I know that you treat me well, and giving you a discount is not a loss. On the contrary, it would be a great gain in the long run, because I know you care about me that much….”
“And yet you can’t give me a discount?”
“Elder Brother.”
Otto said with a very serious, unflinching expression.
“These items were in the Tomb of the Great Emperor Argonne.”
“Isn’t that something you know and I know.”
“If I give you a discount it may diminish the prestige and jeopardize the spiritual power.”
“Spiritual power…?”
“What kind of figure was the Great Emperor Argonne?”
“Wasn’t he the great individual who calmed the turbulent lands and unified the Continent?”
When Otto heard Abdul II’s answers, he suddenly thought.
‘Great, yes, because he was a Great son of a bitch, hehehe.’
Of course, he didn’t bring the words out of his mouth.
After all, one cannot mess up a well-prepared holy meal!
“There’s an inscription on the tomb that says, ‘To the one who possesses these items, great power shall be given…’ ”
“…..!”
“Perhaps, with the help of these artifacts, you will be empowered by the spirit of Argonne the Great to turn the Caliphate into a unified nation instead of a tribal state. A unified dynasty led by the Pamirs.”
Otto’s words were like a poison dart in Abdul II’s heart.
Currently, Abdul II had his eyes set on building a unified dynasty during his reign.
For Abdul II, the narrative and symbolism of Otto’s findings were too compelling to resist.
And so…….
“I’ll buy it.”
Abdul II said bluntly to Otto.
“Not a penny less.”
“You are my brother after all.”
“On this one condition.”
“What is it? What is that condition?”
“Well, that is.”
Abdul II blushed, as if somewhat embarrassed, and said with a hint of shyness.
“Perhaps.”
“At your leisure, feel free to say.
“Can’t we do it in installments?”
Instantly.
‘No way!!!’
Otto willed the words back down his throat after he’d almost shouted them without thinking.
‘Don’t press him any further.’
His instincts were warning him.
This was Abdul II’s threshold, his limit of personal defiance.
If he’d succeeded in bargaining this far with a seasoned fox, Otto knew when to back down.
“Of course I’ll do it, elder brother.”
Otto flashed his salesman’s smile.
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In fact, paying in installments wasn’t a loss for Otto.
After all, the price was almost five times higher than the original value, so he could afford to take only 20 percent of the total price up front.
“Fifty percent in advance. I’ll accept payment in magic stones or gold.”
“Agreed.”
“I’ll take the remaining 50 percent in five-year installments of 10 percent per year.”
“That would be great.”
“I’ll just add an additional 10% interest for five years.”
“It’s installment payment, so I suppose interest-free isn’t an option. It’s not a small amount either. My apologies.
“You’ve made a wise decision. It is an honor to do business with you.”
“It is my honor. What could be more precious in this world than a collection of items that can be imbued with the energy of the Great Emperor Argonne?”
“As expected from you, indeed. Your exceptional insight into recognizing true luxury, bold decisiveness, and on top of that, your modesty in worrying about the country’s finances. I’ve learned a lot.”
“HAHAHAHA!!”
Abdul II, in high spirits, burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, quietly observing the scene from the sidelines, Camille…
‘Five times the value?!’
Camille clicked his tongue at Otto’s outrageous price.
At this point, it was no longer a deal, it was an outright rip-off.
Based on the appraisal done by Ego Merchant Troupe, the artifacts were worth exactly one-fifth of what Otto was asking.
And they weren’t even artifacts enchanted with some sort of ancient magic.
“Now that the deal is done, I’ll give you a caveat.”
“What? A caveat?”
“For the next ten years, you must keep it a secret that you have these artifacts.”
What? Are you suggesting that I hide away the expensive collectibles I bought at such a high price?”
Sultan Abdul II’s expression turned a bit fierce.
When one spends a lot of money, one should get a lot of satisfaction.
Expensive luxury items are often about showing off, not self-indulgence.
Not being able to show these artifacts off to others made Abdul II feel like he was not getting his money’s worth.
“Elder Brother.”
Otto soothed Abdul II.
“These artifacts are some sort of amulet that contains the spiritual energy of the Great Emperor Argonne.”
“Hmm. An amulet.”
“What if you casually display these artifacts and spread rumors about them? It’s risky. It could lead to theft. The aura of Argonne the Great might even spread to others.”
“Ah! Is that what you meant!”
“You’ve spent a lot of money on it, and if you want to see the benefits, I suggest you keep it to yourself until you’ve established a unified dynasty. That way, you’ll be the only one to receive all of its divine energy.”
“Indeed! That makes sense!”
Once again, Abdul II was swayed by Otto’s eloquence.
There was nothing he said that didn’t make sense, and he couldn’t let it go unheeded.
“I will keep my brother’s words in mind. These artifacts will be revealed only after the great work of the Unified Dynasty is accomplished.”
Otto didn’t have to worry that the sale of the artifacts would reach the ears of Argonne.
Having succeeded in his swindle, Otto retired to his quarters to rest for a while.
Perhaps because he had completed his big scam, or deal?
“Huu!”
Otto buried himself in the beanbag-shaped sit-down couch with a relaxed look on his face.
“What kind of spell did you perform?”
Camille asked Otto.
“How did you get him to buy all those antiques for that amount of money? Surely Abdul II is no fool.”
“I sold the epics, not the antiques.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, that’s the thing about luxury goods. The stories behind the objects are worth more than their intrinsic value.”
Camille, who was as frugal as Elise, didn’t quite understand what Otto was saying.
As a salaried worker, perhaps even more so as a government official.
“The important thing is the story behind the item. For instance, the brand, or how long the place that made the item has been around, what kind of evaluation it receives in the market, and how rare it is.”
“Hmm.”
“In that sense, the antiques I sold perfectly fulfill the criteria for luxury, and as I said, they fit perfectly with the ambitions of Abdul II and the life narrative of Argonne the Great.”
“And that’s why he paid that price for ornaments that do nothing, and aren’t even artifacts?”
“Because his ambitions are so great. He wants to be mentally reassured, and the person he most admires is the Great Emperor of Argonne.”
“I can understand that.”
“And Abdul II, although he’s the Sultan of the Caliphate Kingdom, seems to have a bit of a penchant for extravagance. While he’s politically savvy, he tends to be a bit careless with money
“No way.”
Camille looked like he’d been hit with a hammer.
Of all the countries in the world, he couldn’t understand why they’d traveled so far, all the way out here.
The Caliphate was the perfect place to do business.
They were the only nation that could trade without being exposed to Argonne, dispose of the items at a premium, and receive payment in the strategic resource, magic stones!
“Did you calculate all of this?”
“It was Ego’s idea when he recommended the Kingdom of Caliphate. That’s why I like Ego. He’s very resourceful. He’s got a great eye for logistics.”
Otto praised Ego and looked around.
‘This is a lie.’
Camille realized that Otto was lying.
He was sure that even though Ego had recommended it, there was no way Otto hadn’t seen all of this coming.
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That night.
Otto and his group were invited by Abdul II to attend a banquet.
On their way to the banquet hall.
“You rascal! When are we going to the Harem?”
“Ah! Come on!”
Otto scowled at Kairos.
“First we have to eat, and then we’ll go… Eat!”¹
“Are you saying we go to the first place first and then to the harem for the second?”
“…Please don’t say something stupid like that, people will misunderstand.”
Otto thought Kairos sounded like a drunken, middle-aged department head with a tie on his head.
But Otto didn’t bother to criticize Kairos further.
‘Hmmm. Okay, we’ll see. Since he is singing about harem harem, of course I’ll take him. Hehehe. You just wait.’
Otto smirked deviously at Kairos.
“What are you plotting to do again?”
Camille asked, recognizing Otto’s expression like a ghost.²
“Ugh, conspiracy, when have I ever!”
“You get that look on your face whenever you’re scheming.”
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
Otto snapped.
‘You’re too perceptive for your own good. I don’t like people who are too observant.’
Just as Otto was thinking that to himself.
“Hello.”
Otto turned at the familiar voice and saw Saladin standing with the crown princess and the still young crown prince.
But something was wrong.
The crown prince was dressed in the regalia of Caliphate, while Saladin and the crown princess were dressed in casual clothes.
In other words…….
‘Could it be that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were not invited to the banquet?’
Otto’s expression turned serious.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. This Korean expression emphasizes the importance of taking care of basic needs before proceeding with other tasks. It’s akin to saying, “Let’s handle the essentials first!”
2. The expression “reading a person like a ghost” in Korean culture conveys the idea of intuitively understanding someone’s emotions, thoughts, or intentions. It implies that the person possesses an uncanny ability to perceive hidden aspects of another individual, much like how a ghost might see beyond the physical realm.