"Apart from the matter regarding the temple, there is one other thing — it concerns the reason for my visit..."
Zona's eyes locked onto Raylin, sending a chill down his spine. "So it's finally come."
He had long suspected that as his two trade ventures grew more profitable, they would inevitably attract the attention of more powerful forces.
And when that time came, the alliance of interests he had built for self-preservation would be utterly useless.
In truth, Raylin had already been considering the possibility of trading away his technology.
He had long understood the rules of this world. With his current strength alone, there was no way he could maintain a monopoly for long.
Being able to enjoy a full year of extraordinary profits was already more than enough to delight him.
Moreover, even if he were to give up the technology, he needed to find a backer powerful enough — a truly formidable patron. On that front, the Church of Wealth was clearly an excellent choice.
"Fish floss and refined sugar?" Raylin cut straight to the chase.
"Yes. And you as well!" A glint of amusement appeared in Zona's eyes. "Compared to these two technologies, the person who invented them is of far greater interest to us. You possess the Midas touch!"
"Me?" Raylin pointed at his own nose, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.
But inwardly, his guard was rising, tinged with a degree of retrospective alarm. It seemed he had been far too conspicuous lately.
Right now they were merely interested in his intellect — but what if they discovered more?
At that thought, Raylin made an instant decision. Once he dealt with Marquis Louis's troubles, he would have to disappear from public view for a period.
Otherwise, if he drew the attention of even more deities, the trouble would only magnify.
"In truth, the emergence of these two technologies was merely a coincidence. I've always enjoyed reading, and by sheer chance, I found inspiration in the notebooks of predecessors. I'm also grateful to my father — he indulged my whims and even went so far as to purchase a batch of artisan slaves for me..."
Raylin explained with a sincere smile, but Zona's face clearly bore an expression of disbelief.
Not only that, Raylin could sense a pulse of mana — obviously a detection spell to verify whether he was lying.
The other party's move was subtle enough, but how could it possibly slip past him?
Raylin was inwardly furious, but on the surface he maintained an utterly composed demeanor.
This reaction, however, sowed doubt in Zona's mind. Feeling the feedback from her divine magic, her expression grew even more confused.
"Could it be... what he says is actually true?"
A flicker of disappointment crossed Zona's heart, but she pressed on with the discussion about the two trade ventures. Regardless, the profits from fish floss and refined sugar were staggeringly enormous. If she failed to secure a foothold in these two rivers of commerce that flowed with golden light, she would surely lose Goddess Waujin's favor and be replaced by another priest of gold.
With Raylin's true nature and the Chip's modulation, deceiving a high priest was well within his capabilities. Watching the disappointment settle on the other party's face, Raylin laughed to himself while maintaining a perfectly serious exterior. "Then let us discuss the matter of these two trade ventures!"
"Name your price! How many gold coins do you want for the technology?"
Zona had composed herself by now and waved her hand with the easy confidence of someone backed by deep coffers.
"The complete roasting process for fish floss, plus the canning and sealing technology, and even a crew of skilled craftsmen—all bundled together for you. One hundred thousand gold cro!"
For Raylin, fish floss was something that had to be mass-produced. The larger the sales volume, the greater the profits—but it also required substantial capital and investment. It wasn't exactly cutting-edge technology, and within a few years it would inevitably be imitated. He might as well sell it off in one clean deal.
"One hundred thousand gold cro?!" Zona bit her lip.
In her view, this price was obviously on the high side. But if it included a batch of skilled craftsmen and the sealing technology, then it suddenly seemed rather worth it.
Especially that hermetic sealing technique—Zona had recognized at a glance the advantages these sealed clay jars held for long-term food storage. Even without the fish floss business, they alone would be enough to turn a handsome profit.
As for the massive upfront investment such an industry required? Heh… For the Church of Wealth, any problem that money could solve had never really been a problem at all!
"This price is really too high. Unless you throw in the refined and purified white sugar technology as well…"
Although she had already largely agreed to the deal in her mind, Zona of course wore an expression of strained reluctance on the surface, looking as though she were one step away from throwing a tantrum on the floor.
"As for the white sugar refining technology…"
Raylin deliberated. This technology was different from fish floss. Because he had mastered several key steps, its confidentiality was very high.
Moreover, it didn't require a massive production line or heavy investment. It was the kind of business you could sustain for the long haul.
Right now, nearly half of the Faolan family's income came from the white sugar trade. It was practically a gold mine that would never run dry!
Of course, the bigger the profits, the more sharks it attracted. Raylin was well aware of that.
"Well?" Zona was clearly very aware of the distinction as well, and a flicker of anticipation flashed through her eyes.