Chapter 76: Chapter 76

Figos exhaled deeply and let out a soft chuckle.

His eyes still shimmered faintly, but now they held something steadier, quiet awe, tinged with disbelief.

Now, he and Sokram sat discussing the terms of their partnership and the projected profits.

“…Since we’ll be utilizing your renowned name, and you will be the one guaranteeing the quality of our meat across all locations, we’ll share the profit at a 70 to 30 rate. You will receive thirty percent, and we will take seventy percent, but this split applies only to the other butcheries. The profit from this original location will remain entirely yours, as will the responsibilities for this specific shop.”

“Fair,” Figos nodded slowly, processing the numbers.

“Though I still believe you’re being remarkably generous. You’re providing the locations, the personnel, the administration, the products themselves, and the hunting teams.”

“Yes, I understand why it might appear that way.” Sokram acknowledged with a slight smile.

“But this also serves as payment for the additional service I will require of you. The pelts, bones, organs, and any other parts of the beasts that can be used as materials or alchemical ingredients will belong solely to me. The profit derived from these specific products will also be mine, and I will rely on you to preserve their quality meticulously during the dismantling process.”

“I see…” Figos murmured, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

Sokram wasn't simply being charitable; there was a clear business strategy behind the generosity.

“Even so, it’s still very generous of you.”

Sokram met the old cat’s gaze, his smile radiating quiet confidence.

“Haha, well, you are the finest dismantler and butcher in the entire city, Mr. Figos. You are absolutely worth this much.”

“Soon, your name will become the standard,” Sokram declared, standing up. He lifted his arms, gesturing expansively as if framing a large, imaginary signboard, painting a picture in the air.

Sharing his vision with Figos, he proclaimed, “Figos’s Butchery, The best butchery in the north!”

Figos chuckled warmly at Sokram’s playful theatrics, a genuine smile spreading across his whiskered face.

He nodded, his eyes bright with rekindled hope. “With a partner like you, yes, I truly believe it’s possible.”

Figos extended a hand for a handshake, and Sokram accepted it without hesitation.

A few moments later, after a thorough explanation of the contract’s clauses and a few logistical details were finalized, they both signed the agreement.

After carefully storing his copy of the contract, Sokram prepared to leave. He handed Figos a golden, ornate key.

“The full adaptation of the new stores will take between two and three weeks, but the house attached to the main distribution center is already ready. I think it would be best if you oversaw the installation of the slaughterhouse there yourself.”

“My wife is going to be absolutely thrilled with this news,” Figos exclaimed, his voice thick with emotion.

“She’s been dreaming of moving away from the slums for years, haha.”

He made no effort to hide his overwhelming happiness at seeing his life finally taking a dramatic turn for the better.

“You’re a good dragon, Sokram. I can see in their eyes how incredibly proud they are of you.”

Figos nodded towards the two grandmothers, who were watching in silence from a short distance, their expressions soft with affection.

Then, attempting to bow again, he added, “And I am deeply in your debt…”

Sokram gently but firmly stopped Figos from bowing again. “No, you are not. We are partners, Mr. Figos. And more than that, we are friends. There are no such things as debts between us. Now, we must be going; I still have one more stop to make before returning home.”

After Sokram and his grandmothers departed, one of Figos’s sons approached him, eager to know what had transpired.

They had heard the earlier commotion and the distinct sound of their father's overwhelming joy.

But Figos, his eyes still glistening, told them to wait.

He wanted to incredible news with their mother first.

Sokram went directly to the Purple Pavilion.

As they approached Lucille’s office, the door opened, and Luke emerged, sporting a noticeable black eye.

He quickly offered a polite greeting to Sokram and his grandmothers before hurrying away.

Sokram entered the office with a worried frown creasing his brow, but the expression was swiftly replaced by surprise.

Lucille was not alone.

“Ah, there you are, handsome.” Lucille sprang from her chair, her movements quick and excited as she practically rushed towards him, only to be intercepted and blocked by Hannah, whose stern gaze immediately locked onto Lucille.

Lucille paused, taking a quick step back.

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She then turned to Hannah, offering a polite bow and a sheepish tone. “Oh, Duchess, greetings. Please allow me to introduce you to Lady Sayuri…”

But before Lucille could complete the introduction, Hannah spoke, her voice calm and knowing. “Your Matron, I believe.”

A woman with six fluffy tails swaying gently behind her rose from a nearby seat.

This was Sayuri, a fox-kin with rosy skin and striking ruby eyes.

Her curvaceous figure was gracefully covered by the martial robes she wore.

Beneath the robes, a skin-tight turtle neck shirt revealed nothing, yet did little to conceal the generous volume of her ample bosom.

Her dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and her face showed no signs of age, despite appearing to be of a similar age to Hannah.

Her six fluffy tails and gray-tipped ears mirrored each other with graceful symmetry.

An imposing yet refined aura surrounded her, just by how she stood there, Sokram could tell she was a true martial master.

“And you must be Hannah, the runaway Grand Duchess of Dracony, and now the celebrated Grand Duchess of Norwinter.”

Sayuri’s voice was smooth, carrying an undercurrent of quiet authority.

“I didn’t run away,” Hannah stated, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m a free dragon; my nephew is simply being overly dramatic.”

She stepped aside from Lucille’s path and moved towards the sofas, Margiory following closely behind.

Margiory’s gaze on the Matron of the Pavilion was filled with eager curiosity.

Seeing her path clear, Lucille’s night lilies perfume enveloped Sokram as she pressed close, her nails lightly scraping his nape in possessive affection as she planted a kiss on his neck. “Hi, handsome.”

“You think that just because your Matron is present, you can behave however you please?”

Hannah’s expression was sharp, leaving no doubt that she was entirely serious.

“Sorry,” Lucille said to Hannah, feigning embarrassment with a slight pout.

Despite the apology, she promptly linked her arm through Sokram’s, gently pulling him down to sit beside her on the sofa.

“Don’t worry, Nana,” Sokram said easily as he sat, placing a comforting hand over Lucille’s exposed knee.

“Besides, I’ve already told you, she will be one of my women in the future as well. So it’s probably best if you start seeing each other as family.”

He finished with a shameless wink directed at his two grandmothers.

“Hmph!” Hannah snorted, a frown deepening on her face.

She clearly believed her grandson deserved better than a woman known for her more… enthusiastic affections.

“You are not adding anyone to your harem until you come of age. Now come sit here.” She patted the seat beside her, her tone leaving absolutely no room for argument.

Sokram sighed dramatically, though his mischievous grin never faded.

But instead of Sokram moving, Lucille stood up and moved to sit beside Margiory, linking arms with her instead.

She cast a teasing glance towards Hannah.

Hannah saw the gesture and shot Lucille a pointed glare.

Margiory grimaced slightly, caught in the middle of their playful tension. However, Sayuri’s voice drew their attention, bringing their lighthearted teasing to an end.

Sayuri then moved and settled herself smoothly onto the sofa beside Sokram.

“Well, it is good to see that we are among friends here,” Sayuri's voice was calm, but her eyes studied them tentatively.

“Especially when you all act so close. It’s quite refreshing, even…”

Her gaze then shifted to Sokram, her ruby eyes holding a searching quality.

“My granddaughter, Lucy, tells me you are a remarkably talented teacher.”

“Lucy is exceptionally talented herself, Lady Sayuri, which makes teaching her a pleasure,” Sokram replied.

His voice carried an undeniable note of pride, evident whenever he spoke of Lucy, his first Nymph.

“But my concern lies in whether you can teach someone at my level,” Sayuri continued, her tone casual despite the flicker of hope in her eyes.

“Or indeed, if it is even possible for me to learn it.” She paused, her gaze unwavering.

“Because, unlike the Dragons of Dracony, who have always possessed the technique for Vital Magic Cultivation, or the Southern Feral who have always had Spirit Magic, I reached the Semi-Perfect level largely by sheer luck, and have been frustratingly stuck at Tier 2 for over two hundred years.”

“There is no such thing as advancing through sheer luck, Lady Sayuri. Only genuine competence and effort can push someone forward down the Path,” Sokram's tone was calm.

Yet, his gaze held honest admiration and respect as he met her eyes directly.

“You must be nothing short of a genius to have pushed your cultivation this far on your own. But to answer your question with complete certainty, I would need to examine your cultivation firsthand.”

Sayuri nodded, and without a moment’s hesitation, she turned her back to Sokram.

Before he began, however, she spoke again, her voice lower this time. “I trust you will not abuse the friendship we are extending to you, young Dracnakrid.”

“I wouldn't dare, Lady Sayuri. I would not be able to bear looking Lucy in the eye if I did,” Sokram replied firmly, his tone resolute and filled with sincerity.

“The weight of Devotion is not one-sided. You know that.”

Hearing the genuine conviction in his voice, Sayuri’s six tails gracefully moved out of the way, and she pulled her low ponytail over her shoulder, exposing her back.

Sokram carefully placed his hands over her upper back and began to probe her energy core and mana heart with his mana.

Sokram’s fingers lingered over Sayuri’s back, tracing the jagged pathways of her conflicted energy.

"To reach this Tier and Level of Existence with dual-energy cultivation…" He exhaled, awed.

"You carved your own path through the dark beautifully."

Under Sokram's hands, the subtle flow of Sayuri's conflicting energies felt like two turbulent streams attempting to merge.

Yet the lack of balance made it impossible.

Sokram gave a shy nod, “I see… Yes, I understand now why you cannot advance. But, unexpectedly, this will work in your favor.”

He withdrew his mana and then his hands.

Sayuri turned back to face him, her excitement shimmering just beneath her composed expression.

“What has happened is that your Spirit Essence Core and your Mana Heart are conflicting,” Sokram explained.

“This conflict became a dense blockage because you primarily use Aura despite being a six-tailed Nymph. By your very nature, you should be capable of using magic.”

Sayuri frowned, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Sokram nodded and began to elaborate. Orıginal content can be found at novel(ꜰ)ire.net

“The seven Nymphic Races, as recorded in the ancient Tales of Creation, are all descendants of the Magnus. This means they carry the purest form of draconic genes within their genome.”

Sokram looked at Sayuri, posing a rhetorical question, “Why do you think a dragon born by a nymph always possesses a stronger bloodline than their father? It’s clearly not the father’s genes conferring that strength, so it logically must originate from the mother, correct?”

Sayuri’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of insight lighting her gaze. “I see… That makes a great deal of sense.”

Sokram continued, “Anyway, your mana and spirit essence are directly colliding, and the energy you use most frequently, your Aura, is currently overpowering the other. But, as I mentioned, this conflict will actually work in your favor. It will likely cost you only a single Tier of cultivation at most to convert your current dual cultivation conflict into pure Spirit Magic. The entire process, however, might take anywhere from one to six months, depending on your individual comprehension ability.”

Sokram then glanced around the spacious office, his Dragon Sight empowered eyes saw through the illusion created by the Foxes' shadow walking.

He saw the other ten foxes, who were watching them tentatively from the shadows.

He gestured towards them, his voice firm. "Do they all use the same technique as you do?"

Sayuri’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise that he had detected her hidden disciples, but she nodded nonetheless.

“Yes, they are my direct disciples, all of whom have been stuck at Tier 10 as Exalted Existences. I am the only one who managed to surpass that boundary.”

“I see,” Sokram nodded again, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He then looked at his grandmothers, a hint of playful hesitation in his voice as he commented, “I guess the house will be quite packed with guests this month, haha.”