Chapter 28 28: Negotiation

I was fed up to the party that I did not notice it's about to end. We already bid farewells to some guests and provided them souvenirs.

"Thank you for letting us stay here in your abode tonight. I deeply apologize for the disturbances that caused my son this night." Uncle Steville said as he and his wife, Aunt Dorothy, bowed their head deeply.

"Please raise your heads. You don't have to worry about that."

"Claire's right. Besides, I don't mind Sophia being part of our family."

"Auntie…"

(You just wanted to have another Mom clone in our household!)

After most of the guests went home, our parents suggested that the Raeven Family will be spending their here in the mansion. We can accommodate enough guest rooms for all of them so space is not a problem.

Mothers concurred that they approved Sophia to be my partner. Though Mother wants to have more Mom's copy in our family. Since she's not a noble, she will be not my official wife. So I have to find a suitable noblewoman to be my main wife.

"It's already late. How about we wash our bodies and take a rest. Let's continue our discussion the next day."

"Indeed. My back is starting to ache and I need the warmth of the hot bath." he said holding his back.

Uncle was in his late forties and his face begun to develop wrinkles. He has slicked back black hair with few white lines. He is not muscular but not thin, just average.

We march towards the bathhouse and bathe ourselves with refreshing warm water. If my body wasn't worn out, I would not feel it in my bones. (Good thing that I exhaust myself today.)

With our bodies restored, we can now lay down to our beds. For some reason, Sister said that she want to sleep together with Sophia by her room. She said she just wanted to have a girl's talk but I doubt it. Whatever it is, it might have something to do with me.

(Let's reward myself with a good night's sleep.)

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The following day, we gathered together at the parlor. We are here to discuss the details of the negotiations that halted last night.

The ones who are here are the four members of Raeven and Raevender Family, and Mary and Lizell, ten in total. Sister and Sophia gotten closer since their sleepover. Something must have happened between them.

"Hoo, hoo. You got some interesting stuffs today."

"It's my honour to be praised by a well-known businessman."

Uncle Steville chuckled and fascinated by the things that I prepared in the parlor. I had various things that I want them to try. Culinary, magic items, and many others.

"For starters, have some of my latest food products. Lizell."

With her name as a sign, Lizell takes out four trays one at a time from the cart and place it on the table. A tray for every member of the Raeven Family.

"Please enjoy yourselves."

"Oh! There are variety of food in a set. And this white condiment."

"The meat looks like the hamburger steak last night. It placed between two breads with some vegetables."

"These yellow sticks. It's fried and it compliments with the ketchup and this white condiment."

"It's delicious. As expected of Raphael."

The Raeven Family assessed the set of food in front of them. As expected of a family of merchants.

"I'll explain each of the food while you eat."

"Hmm." they nod with their mouths full.

"The one with the hamburger steak and buns are called burger. The yellow sticks are made of potatoes and called potato fries. And the white condiment is called mayonnaise. It was made by the mixture of egg yolks, salt, vinegar and some seasonings."

"Hmm! I did not expect this sweet and sour condiment to be made from those."

They were taken aback when I told them the ingredients of the food they eat. With my accessibility to my previous world's internet, I recreated some of the fast foods.

The set that I prepared was consist of burger and French fries with ketchup and mayonnaise. I changed the name of the French fries to potato fries because the word French doesn't exist in this world.

They already gave it a thumbs up from the perspective of a merchant.

"While you are eating, how about trying my new dessert? Mary, if you may…"

"Yes, milord."

Mary nodded then approached a three-foot tall metallic box. She grasped the handle and open the box like a door then cold fog came out from the box and envelope the floor nearby the fridge. The box was a portable fridge-like magic item.

Magic items in this world were devices that produced magic or powered by it. Either you pour magic on it or powered by a magic crystal. It can be enchanted or inscribed.

Enchanted magic items usually used for combat and fighting and had a limited amount of usage or had a cooldown. Most of it were single use and weapons.

Inscribed ones can be used repeatedly until the mana supply depleted or the circuit break. This kind of magic items had an engraved magic circle made from mana conducting metals like silver and mithrill that activate the spell if supplied with mana. My family's orichalcum bracelet is an example.

The fridge is an inscribed magic item that had a Level 4 Water Magic: Glaciate magic circle inside to cool its contents. The efficiency of the spell is proportion to the size of the magic circle inside. The larger the magic circle, the more powerful the spell, and the more the mana is consumed.

Mary take out a cylindrical metallic three-liter container from the fridge and place it on the table. She open the lid and a little haze came out from it. When the haze subdued, a plain white substance unfold in front of our eyes.

Mary scoop from its contents and fill it in the glasses on the table. Then Lizell serve the glasses to each of us, eight glasses in total. After I take my glass, I took a spoon of it to have a try on it.

(Delish. Just the right taste.)

After I eat a spoonful of the dessert, I observe the reactions of the others.

"What is this?! It's cold yet sweet and tasty!"

"So delicious! It's perfect for these hot summer days! I can't stop myself eating it!"

"It's sweet. I'm sure it will be a big hit among ladies."

"If it's made by Raphael, it's certainly delicious."

"Please eat it slowly if you don't want to experience brain freeze."

I give them a warning after seeing them hasty consume their dessert. I recreate this dessert to have a refreshment during the heat of summer. The dessert we are currently eating is ice cream.

Seeing the Raeven Family put a pleasured face upon eating my recreation made me happy. Not just them, my family also wears a satisfied expression.

"By the way, what was this dessert called?" Uncle asked, still eating his ice cream.

"I call this dessert ice cream. It was primarily made of cream, eggs, sugar and flavorings. This one is vanilla flavored if you ask. Though you need to freeze it to become solid."

"Fumu. I didn't expect these items to be created by a thirteen year old like you."

Now that the foods had been tested and given remarks, time to move to another topic.

"I didn't disclose these products during the party because I want to earn some profit from it. I want to build a company that only sells these kind of products. To make it happen, I want to have your company's assistance."

We can just make an establishment on our own but there are reasons why I chose to share it with the Raeven Company. One of the reasons is that I don't want to compete with a large company.

"I get the gist of it. But why build a new company?"

"Hm. Maybe I want it to have a trademark? Like, people would think of our company when they heard about a particular product."

"I know what you feel." he smiled knowing my feeling.

The Raeven Company is known for making magic items. If you think about magic items, their company come out on your mind. By the way, the fridge was a product of them.

"I also have a plan to create a new type of transportation that will be powered by magic. I have consulted it with my parents and started making a blueprint for it."

"Hm. Then what do you need?"

"Well… including the new transportation, which will be a big project… I want some manpower, materials, funds, and a person that will manage the company."

"If Raphael wanted a trustworthy person to manage his company, why not Sophia?"

"Huh? Me?"

Mark suddenly chimed in to our conversation, with mayonnaise-dipped fries between his fingers. He is not wrong with what he claimed.

Not only Sophia is beautiful and kind, she also had a good head on her shoulders. Even though she is still thirteen years old, she already knew how to do complex computations and manage a store.

She can make decisions quickly and have a strong and accurate intuition. Making her to be a perfect fit for managing business.

"Good idea, Mark. We have all the things that you want. But the problem lies between these two…" everyone including my family nodded at Uncle's words, while Sophia remains silent.

"You are fearless in front of a S-ranked monster but a wimp in expressing your feelings? What a pathetic brother I have."

"Ack! It's just too embarrassing, you know?"

"Go for it, Raphael! I know you can do it!"

"Think of this as a test of courage. If you overcome this, you would pass any problems you will encounter."

"Thanks, Mothers."

Encouraged by my family, I stood up from my sit and steel my resolve. Went over to Sophia and I hold her hands and she rose up from the couch.

"I really like you the moment I first saw you and I want you to be a part of my life. Sophia, will you be my wife?"

"Y-yes! I gladly accept, Raphael!"

Cheers resonating the parlor as we hug with red faces. Not only I secured a transaction but also a fiancée.