The Clan Leader laughed at the earnest expression on Karl's face, as well as the confirmation in Dana's grimace.

"So, you wish to get wealthy by proxy, setting up the Clan with a secret skill that will let us gain an immeasurable edge in the sale of trade goods?

What do you want in exchange?"

"I am a reasonable man. I won't ask for more than a fair tithe. Ten percent."

The Clan Leader stared at him, and Karl stared back.

"Right, Beast Master, intimidation doesn't work. Not enough functional brain cells for self-protection instincts."

"I filled that section with cupcake recipes and Runic languages." Karl agreed.

The Clan Leader gave him a genuine smile, while the Elders took a discrete step away from him.

"Alright, come inside, and we can talk. Bring your wife, but leave the badger in her separate space. I will not have her loose in my house."

Rae laughed as Cara grumbled. There was a lot of good stuff to examine in this house.

Stuff she had never seen before.

And that was precisely why the Clan Leader had banned her from the building. As a Supreme Ranked being, she didn't particularly concern herself with most things going on around the Clan.

That was for the Elders.

But this was her personal residence for many thousands of years, and she was not going to let the badger reorganize her belongings.

She wasn't worried about theft. She could easily enough retrieve anything that Cara took. But having to put everything back in its proper spot would be a nightmare.

They all sat on cushions around a low table.

"So, start from the beginning. I know that you were a branch leader for the Darklight Host. You can't be entirely incapable of leading. So, why are you willing to sell such a valuable skill?"

Well, if she wasn't going to pretend that his reason was a good enough one, Karl knew that he was going to have to go into a bit more detail.

"I could keep it with me until I've grown to near peak Immortal, then start a Sect of my own. That is true.

But it also made a huge spectacle when it appeared, so if I do nothing, everyone will know that I'm holding on to an Artifact Grade skill, but very few will know what it does.

That's not a great position to be in.

Now, I can use the skill, so I'm not actually losing out by selling it in the short term. I have it, the Clan will have it.

You are Supreme, I am a new Immortal. If the skill becomes public, and generates envy, it comes back to you, not me. You've got the power and the leadership position to keep things stable.

So, I want to sell this to you, to better the Clan."

The Clan Leader sipped tea as she stared at Karl, bemused by the fact that her intimidating aura didn't affect him at all, even when it made the Elders sweat.

"I can see your point. There is definitely more to your plan, I suspect. It would not surprise me if you can do that one more time, and you simply reserved it for later when you have the power to make better use of it.

However, I will agree with your plan.

You're right that it will be an amazing skill for the Clan. Being able to upgrade our cargo before delivery will make some of our Merchants fabulously rich.

There are obviously risks that come with making the skill a hallmark of the Clan, but I feel that I can handle what is going to come when news of the skill gets out.

I will agree to your price."

Karl smiled. That was everything that he had hoped for.

"Perfect. In that case, this is for you." Karl agreed, then handed over the Artifact Grade Skill Book.

The Clan Leader held the book for a second, and a slow smile spread across her face.

"I can see it already, this is going to be a game changer for the New Home Clan. I can't wait to see the look on that old bastard from the Almeixei Sect's face when he finds out."

[I knew she was one of us.] Cara laughed.

"Alright, we have our agreement, you will get your cut from the markup, paid in Clan Credits."

Dana gave the Clan Leader a disapproving look, but the woman just shrugged.

"What? I agreed to pay, and the Clan Credits can be used to buy anything that the Clan has access to. They're as reliable as anything for currency."

"But only usable within the Clan." Dana noted.

"An added bonus, indeed. It should help keep The Karl, as his title calls him, under control. Though I suppose the issue is mostly convincing him to keep his beast friends under control.

Would you believe that psycho from the PTA has sent me forty-three messages about the lipstick that went missing from her pocket during the duel?"

Cara dropped it out of her space into the woman's hand.

[It's an awful colour anyhow.]

"I should have known you would have it. No, the badger had it, didn't she? There is no word for property rights in badger."

"You really do know about them. That's a bit surprising, most people only know the stereotypes." Karl joked.

"The advantages of having been around for a long time, I suppose. Plus, I spent many years before I moved to the Sect hunting in the monster wilderness of the Valalan League."

"Well, that explains why you understand magical beasts so well. I have found that the magical beasts of the Immortal Worlds are a particularly unique bunch." Karl agreed.

The Sect Master laughed. "Not all are like the Chaos Badger, with a clear mind and sentient thoughts. Honestly, I'm surprised that your Phoenix was before he evolved. Most bird species are not known to be highly intelligent."

[Haha! She called you a dumbass!]

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