"Almost zero," Cornelia said expressionlessly, "I still understand Andrew. He had already left the Silver Moon Knight Order... If he were still helping the Order, there would have been no need for him to leave, right? And he's very selfish. The terms we offered him are generous enough. There's no way he would want to share with others. If we reach a deal with Jones, what would we need Andrew for?"

"But what if we don't strike a deal and Giant Snake City gets involved?" The Queen glanced back at Cornelia and said, "How confident do you think Andrew is in outmaneuvering Giant Snake City?"

Cornelia froze, thought for a moment, and said softly, "The chances aren't great, but we all know what kind of person Andrew is. He wouldn't sit back and do nothing. He'd find a way."

"Heh." The Queen laughed, a helpless, bitter laugh. Collecting herself, she said seriously, "Are we really going to place our hopes on Andrew's small tricks? We've waited many years. Every Queen has wanted to excavate the Krimasha Relics, but we have never had the chance. Now that the chance is here, are we going to bet on a betrayer of the Blood Elf?"

...

On the balcony, Belle quietly watched Jones, smiling.

Dora squinted at Belle.

"What's up?" Jones asked.

"Nothing. I'm just surprised you figured out the Queen's weakness so quickly. Just a few words." Belle sighed softly, "You weren't like this before. Before, you were straightforward and merciless."

"That's because I've gained more experience," Jones replied casually, "Sitting in this position, I deal with different people every day. They're all trying to guess what I'm thinking, so naturally, I have to guess what they're thinking."

...

"But if we cut off contact with Andrew..." Cornelia hesitated, "Andrew isn't a kind person. He definitely wouldn't let it go. The key is, he's also very interested in the Krimasha Relics. Remember, when he defected from Luo Ge Xian Ni, he took the Krimasha pendant. If we turn to cooperate with Giant Snake City, he might sabotage us. Also, he was once a member of the Silver Moon Knight Order. We have no idea what he might do."

"Then should we bet on both sides?" the Queen asked.

Cornelia looked at the Queen, hesitated, and finally said, "I can't give you a suggestion on that, Your Majesty. Andrew's asking price isn't low. Although the time hasn't been long and he hasn't shown tangible results, the relics are now in the hands of the Lunbak Empire. Andrew is controlling everything and is well-prepared. As for Giant Snake City... they have a large number of Liches. The Liches' magic, although different from what we need, is still very powerful. If we provide them with enough Modo ore, we have no idea to what extent they will arm the humans. The threat from gods and demons is great but somewhat controllable. As long as their powers are balanced and we remain neutral, we can manage them. Humans, however, are completely unpredictable. Like thousands of years ago when they captured elf slaves on a large scale. Their lords cannot fully restrain their individual actions. Once armed, many adventurers will flock to Luo Ge Xian Ni for money. We'll be overwhelmed."

For a while, the Queen quietly gazed at Cornelia, hesitating.

Cornelia also quietly looked at the Queen.

...

After a long while, the Queen finally returned to the balcony with Cornelia and appeared before Jones and his group.

"Sorry to keep you waiting so long." Gently lifting her long skirt, the Queen sat back in her seat.

Cornelia also returned to her seat.

After a brief pause, the Queen smiled and looked at Jones, "You just said you're very interested in the Krimasha Relics, is that right? Hmm?"

"Yes." Jones smiled and replied, "I'm very interested. In fact, Giant Snake City is devoted to researching new uses for magic. The Liches' magic is powerful, but the requirements for use are very high. I think Krimasha's magic might be easier to popularize."

"Yes." The Queen nodded, "That's also why we're interested in the Krimasha Relics and lack interest in Lich magic. Also, the Liches' strongest magic is necromancy, which clashes with holy arts. Other races have many issues using it, except for the Blood Clan, of course."

"So, you're still interested?"

"Yes, we're still somewhat interested."

"Then, Her Majesty agrees with my previous proposal?"

"Considering, considering." Smiling at Jones, the Queen said softly, "Actually, I have a better proposal. You can exchange the secrets of the Krimasha Relics for Modo ore."

"Isn't that what I just suggested?" Jones was slightly puzzled.

"Somewhat similar but not exactly." The Queen took a deep breath and continued, "If I heard correctly, your proposal was for us to jointly excavate the Krimasha Relics and share the results, then we provide Modo ore to Giant Snake City, correct?"

"Yes."

"My proposal, however, is for you to excavate the Krimasha Relics yourselves. We will not participate, or only minimally. We'll send some people to the site to follow you but not directly intervene. The key point is, when you discover anything, you can exchange those items with us for Modo ore. How much ore you get will depend on the value of the items discovered. If they're truly valuable, we're certainly willing to trade for them at a high cost, aren't we?" The Queen smiled faintly.

Jones stared silently at the Queen, expressionless.

Dora's gaze kept shifting between Jones and the Queen.

William was still focused on his flower, hesitantly reaching out to pick it up.

"Thank God." Belle suddenly laughed, helplessly sighing, "So, the value of the items, the amount of Modo ore they can be exchanged for, depends on the negotiation results? I foresee endless negotiations because we'll have to negotiate for each discovery."

"If I'm not mistaken, Lady Cornelia should have told you already." Facing Belle, the Queen smiled and said, "Supplying you with Modo ore is not aligned with our overall strategy. We'd have to take strategic risks for this. For such an important matter, more negotiations are not unreasonable."

"What if we urgently need Modo ore?"

"Then you can speed up the excavation and perhaps uncover something useful sooner?"

"Aren't you afraid we'll discover something extremely useful and not tell you?"

"That's why we'll send people. Even though we can't know everything, your need for Modo ore is genuine, right? Actually, in this agreement, our relationship is equal. You can discover many useful items, and if our offer is too low, you can refuse to trade. To get what we want, we must comply with your wishes and increase the Modo ore production. Likewise, if we have plenty of Modo ore but don't want to give you, you'll have to speed up the excavation and use more of Krimasha's secrets to trade for it. We are mutually constrained, satisfying each other's needs."

"What if your asking price is too high?"

"The price is mutually determined. You hold Krimasha's secrets, and we hold the Modo ore. Neither side can set the price alone. The trade must be suitable for both parties to agree, don't you think?"

After a series of questions, the Queen replied smoothly, leaving Belle struggling to continue.

"What about after we've fully excavated the Krimasha Relics?" Jones suddenly asked, "If we still need Modo ore, will there be a follow-up agreement?"

"That's not the issue for now." Smiling at Jones, the Queen replied, "If the Krimasha Relics are fully excavated quickly and their secrets can't be exchanged for a long-term supply of Modo ore for Giant Snake City, it means the Krimasha Relics are worthless. In that case, this agreement has no value. Do you think a worthless agreement needs a follow-up?"

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