** THE NEXT DAY, At Noon*
A sharp knock echoed through the office door. I looked up from the ledgers I'd been reviewing.
"My lord," the butler's voice called through the doors. "Representatives from a trading guild have arrived. They're waiting in the drawing room."
Trading guild. I suppressed a smile. The secret code I'd sent through that merchant days ago had worked. In the game, this code was used to summon high-level guild members or guild master. But, I never thought I'd actually use it in real life.
"I'll be there shortly."
I took my time walking to the drawing room, letting them wait. Power dynamics started the moment someone arrived—making them wait established who controlled the meeting. I'd learned that in my previous life, running territories far more dangerous than this barony.
When I finally entered, I found two middle-aged men seated on the sofa with an air of forced patience. Two knights stood at attention behind them, hands resting on sword hilts. And at the back, partially obscured by shadow, stood a woman with silver hair and eyes that missed nothing.
She came personally. I recognized her instantly from the game—Olivia Whitmore, Guild Master of the Crimson Ravens. The secret code had worked better than I expected.
I activated the system's analysis function, and information flooded my vision. The man on the right—supposedly middle-aged—was actually eighty-seven years old. In this world, people could live to two hundred years, but most died before eighty due to war, disease, and the casual brutality of noble politics.
[Frederick Moss – Age: 87, ???]
[Marcus Venn – Age: 62, ???]
[Olivia Whitmore – Age: 34, ???]
The system couldn't fully analyse anyone. It only showed name and age. It requires certain conditions to unlock the other functions. And that useless system was not even saying what those conditions were. I thought **it's better to have something than nothing**
I settled into my chair and smiled pleasantly. "I didn't expect you to be this late, even after I sent you the secret code."
Frederick bristled immediately. His face flushed red as he leaned forward. "Late? Boy, do you have any idea what that code means? The code is only available for high level clients—not for some backwater baron's business proposals!" His tone dripped with condescension. "How did you even obtain it? Did you torture it out of some merchant? Steal it from correspondence?"
I raised an eyebrow, my smile never wavering. "If you want answers, shouldn't we trade information equally? Or does your guild operate on the principle of demanding while giving nothing?"
Frederick's jaw clenched. "You insolent little—"
"Frederick." Marcus, the calmer man, raised a hand. His voice was measured, controlled. "Perhaps we should hear what the Baron has to say before making threats."
"Thank you," I said, nodding to Marcus. "I appreciate dealing with reasonable people."
Marcus studied me carefully. "I'm curious, Baron Brown. How does a seventeen-year-old in a failing territory come to possess our highest-level security codes? That information is... extremely restricted."
I took a sip of my tea. This was the knife's edge I had to walk. "I have lots of information, actually. Information even your extensive network wouldn't be able to find." I paused, letting the moment stretch. "Perhaps I should discuss this directly with your Guild Master, Ms. Olivia Whitmore, who's standing right behind you."
The room went dead silent.
Marcus's eyes widened, his composure slipping for the first time. "That's... that's impossible. Even most regional directors don't know the Guild Master's identity."
Frederick shot to his feet, his face purple with rage. "How dare you—the Guild Master's identity is classified above most senior members! There's no way—"
Both knights drew their swords in perfect unison, steel ringing in the quiet room. They pointed their blades toward me, murder in their eyes.
I didn't even flinch. I'd had guns pointed at my head more times than I could count in my previous life. Swords were almost quaint by comparison. I took another sip of tea, letting the moment stretch.
"Lower your weapons." The woman's voice cut through the tension like a blade through silk.
The knights hesitated, clearly torn between protecting their master and obeying her command.
"Now."
They sheathed their swords reluctantly, though their hands remained near the hilts.
The woman stepped forward into the light, and I got my first clear look at Olivia Whitmore. She was beautiful in the way a sword was beautiful—elegant, dangerous, perfectly balanced. Her silver hair was pulled back in a practical braid, and her gray eyes studied me with the intensity of a predator evaluating the prey.
She moved closer, studying me with predatory focus. "Where did you get this information, Baron Edward?"
"Trade secret," I replied smoothly.
"Does anyone else know my identity?"
"No."
"Can you prove that?"
"Can you prove I'm lying?" I countered. "Does it matter? What matters is what I can offer you."
Frederick's face turned an impressive shade of purple. "You insolent brat! Do you have any idea who you're speaking to? The Crimson Ravens could destroy your little barony before you finished your morning tea!"
"You could try." I smiled, the same smile I'd used in my previous life when negotiating with rival families. "But I'm not stupid enough to come here without insurance. If something happens to me, certain information—guild safe houses, member identities, trade routes, client lists—gets distributed to your competitors and certain noble houses. Mutually assured destruction. Not elegant, but effective."
It was partly a bluff—I didn't have all that information. But I had enough from the game to make it credible. And more importantly, I had the confidence of someone who'd played this game before, just with higher stakes.
Olivia's eyes narrowed. "You're quite bold for someone so young."
"I prefer pragmatic". I reached into my jacket and took five small vials filled with azure liquid shot through with silver light. I set them on the table between us like a winning hand. "Besides, I'm not here to threaten you. I'm here to make us both very wealthy."
I gestured to the vials. "The cure for mana reflux."
The silence that followed was absolute. Even Frederick's rage evaporated, replaced by naked shock.
Mana reflux was considered incurable in this world. The greatest mages, the most learned scholars, the wealthiest nobles—all had thrown fortunes at finding a solution. I knew from the game that hundreds suffered from it across the continent, slowly losing their magic, their vitality, their lives. And I knew that Olivia's younger sister, Victoria, was one of them—currently in the mid-stage of the disease, with perhaps two years left to live.
That's why she'd come personally. That's why she'd responded to the emergency code. I thought ** my second message got delivered safely**
Olivia stared at the vials, her carefully maintained composure cracking. "How much do you want?"
The desperation in her voice was barely concealed. I'd played this scenario in the game, but hearing it in real life hit differently.
Seeing how the guid master was enquiring about price, they both remained silent.
"Before we discuss price, let's discuss terms," I said. "You test the cure first—verify its authenticity, its safety, its effectiveness. Take your time. While you do that, I need something from you."
"What is that?" Olivia's voice was tight.
"Information about my territory. Complete intelligence—who's corrupt, who's embezzling, who's loyal, who's a spy. I also need a new butler, new servants, and new knights. All vetted by your organization, all should be loyal."
Marcus frowned. "That's... oddly specific. And modest, considering what you're offering. Most would demand gold, estates and with that cure many magicians will beg with their knees on the ground. But, you're asking for personnel and information?"
"I'm rebuilding," I said simply. "My father left this barony in shambles, and I have enemies." **Like my uncle who poisoned this body's previous owner** "I need people I can trust, and your guild specializes in that."
"Practical," Marcus acknowledged, exchanging a glance with Olivia. "Though it suggests you're planning something long-term. Most desperate nobles would grab immediate wealth."
"I'm not most nobles." I met his gaze steadily. "And I'm not desperate—I'm strategic. Gold can be stolen. Estates can be seized. But loyal people and good intelligence? Those are the foundation of real power."
Marcus nodded slowly, a hint of respect in his expression. "You think like a merchant. Or a general."
"I think like someone who wants to survive," I corrected.
Olivia studied me for a long moment. "We'll need time to verify the cure's authenticity. If it works—"
"It will."
"—then we'll return to form a contract. You'll get everything you asked for, plus payment for the cure."
Marcus cleared his throat. "What kind of payment are we discussing? If this cure truly works, its value is incalculable. There are nobles who would bankrupt themselves—"
"We'll negotiate specifics after verification," I interrupted smoothly. "But I'm not interested in bankrupting anyone. I want a sustainable partnership, not a one-time windfall. The cure is just the beginning."
Marcus's eyebrows rose. "The beginning? You have more?"
I smiled. "Let's see how this transaction goes first."
Frederick looked like he wanted to explode, but Olivia silenced him with a glance.
"Agreed," Olivia said, her voice carefully controlled. "We'll verify the cure and return with everything you requested."
Marcus stood, adjusting his coat. "Baron Brown, I'll be honest—in thirty years with this guild, I've never met anyone quite like you. You're either brilliantly insane or you're sitting on something extraordinary."
"Why not both?" I replied with a slight smile.
He actually laughed at that. "Indeed. Why not both."
Olivia gestured to her people, and they filed out of the drawing room with military precision. The knights shot me final warning glares. Frederick looked like he wanted to say something but was forcibly restraining himself.
Just before she crossed the threshold, Olivia glanced back at me.
"Don't disappoint me, Baron."
"I never do."
At the Crimson Raven's Headquarters, That Evening:
Olivia stood in her private study, the five vials arranged on her desk like precious gems. Frederick paced behind her, his earlier arrogance replaced by nervous energy.
"That boy is dangerous," he muttered. "Too confident, too knowledgeable. We should—"
"Test the cure first," Olivia interrupted. "Have our alchemists analyze one vial completely. Full breakdown. I want to know if it's poison, curse, or miracle."
"And if it's real?"
"Then we verify it properly. I want five members with mana reflux brought here immediately—different stages of the disease. We administer the cure under controlled conditions with healers present."
Frederick nodded, moving toward the door. "What about the boy's investigation?"
"Find out everything about Edward Brown. His childhood, his education, his father's death. Something is different about him there's no way a baron, who got his title just a week got could be master negotiators." Olivia picked up a vial, studying the azure liquid. "And Frederick? Be discreet. If he really has the information he claims, we can't afford to antagonize him. Not yet."
"And if the cure works?"
"Then Edward Brown becomes our most valuable asset. Or our most dangerous enemy." She set the vial down carefully. "Let's make sure it's the former."
**Forty Hours Later**
The alchemist's report had been baffling—full ingredients couldn't be identified and only few ingredients were identified. But it was safe. No poisons, no hidden dangers were deducted.
The five guild members with mana reflux had drunk the cure thirty-six hours ago. Olivia stood in the infirmary now, watching as the healer's conducted examinations.
Three hours after administration, the pain lines around the members' eyes had begun to soften. The tremors in their hands had steadied.
Now, a day and a half later, the transformation was undeniable.
"Complete stabilization," the head healer reported, wonder in his voice. "The mana pathways have not just stopped deteriorating—they're regenerating. In a week, they'll have full magical capacity again. All five patients."
"All five," Olivia repeated, though she could see the answer in their faces. They looked reborn.
The infirmary had erupted in chaos when the results became clear—excited shouts, disbelieving laughter, demands to know how this was possible. Olivia had silenced them all with a single look.
After the healer left, Olivia stood alone in the infirmary. Victoria could be saved. Her baby sister, who'd been slowly dying for six years, could actually be cured.
Who are you really, Edward Brown?
She found Frederick in the administrative wing, surrounded by reports.
"Prepare everything he requested," she ordered. "Information, servants, knights—spare no expense. I want it ready by tomorrow morning."
"The investigation?"
Frederick grimaced. "That's the strange part. Two weeks ago, the boy was completely unremarkable—mediocre worker, no achievements, no notable skills. Then his father died suddenly—suspicious circumstances, possibly poisoned—and Edward inherited, because of his noble blood. The day he arrived at the territory he was poisoned by the count and was still alive. Since then, he's been acting completely different. More confident, more decisive. The servants say it's like he became a different person."
"Possession? Mind magic?" Olivia suggested. But laughed at her ridiculous thought and said "People do change drastically once they met breakdown in their life."
"Yes," Frederick agreed looking at Olivia. He knew Olivia past and said, "They do. Which means either he was hiding his true abilities all along, or something happened we don't understand. Either way, he's dangerous."
"And valuable." Olivia moved to the window. "Should we try to acquire the formula?"
"No," she answered her own question immediately. "We form the contract exactly as he specified. That boy either has backing we can't afford to antagonize, or he's a genius we need as an ally, not an enemy. If he can cure mana reflux, what else can he do?"
Frederick nodded slowly. "The Crimson Ravens thrive by turning assets into allies."
"Exactly. Edward Brown just became our most valuable asset." She smiled, a predatory expression. "Besides, I'm curious. What kind of man negotiates with a Guild Master like an equal at seventeen? What else is hiding in that brilliant, dangerous mind?"