BXBX NOVEL Chapter 174: Stone Tavern
He was certain that Enzo would agree with him.
The Flamingo Merchants controlled the entire Flamingo gathering place.
While they might not be a major force in the Dark Night Forest, they were a significant entity to ordinary people.
Moreover, saving Manoj and clearing the poison from his body would provide a rare opportunity to get close to the Flamingo Merchants.
However, to Duke's surprise, Enzo immediately declined, saying, "Not interested."
Duke was stunned and, by the time he recovered, Enzo had already walked away.
What an odd person!
Duke remarked Enzo like that.
Enzo continued to stroll around.
He soon stopped in front of a stone house. This house was different from the others in the gathering place—it was made of stone, and its owner was a woman. She was extremely beautiful, though she seemed to have a very weak presence, almost like an ordinary person.
Yet, this ordinary woman was directing a group of supernatural beings.
The unusual scene piqued Enzo's interest.
The woman, in turn, was intrigued by Enzo.
She approached him with her arms crossed, her long black hair tied up in a ponytail. She asked Enzo, "Are you from out of town?"
Enzo nodded and replied, "I have just arrived right now."
"I see." the woman said, then introduced herself, "I'm Norma."
After these words , Norma then smiled and asked, "Mr. Outsider, would you like to have a drink at Stone Tavern? The drinks there are renowned far and wide."
"Is this a tavern?" Enzo asked, surprised.
Norma nodded, turning and heading into the tavern while instructing the supernatural beings working around, "Move all the materials into the warehouse."
Once inside the stone house, Enzo's expression changed right now.
He looked at Norma, questioning in disbelief, "Spatial fluctuations?"
Norma, surprised, examined Enzo and admitted, "It seems you're quite perceptive to sense spatial fluctuations. Yes, the tavern is indeed a specially created space. Although the Flamingo gathering place isn't large, land prices are still high, so this was the only way to build a sizable tavern."
Enzo was taken aback by the notion .
There was someone with spatial abilities...
Such a person could independently create a gathering place.
He realized now that it wasn't that Norma was plain, but that he had failed to gauge her true nature from the start.
There was another doubt about that Norma seemed unusually enthusiastic towards him.
Enzo asked, "Ms. Norma, do we know each other before?"
Norma chuckled, "Know each other? We have just met."
Enzo remained expressionless, not finding the response amusing.
Norma's smile faded, and she said seriously, "To be precise, I know you, but you probably don't know me. However, there is someone you should know."
"Who?" Enzo asked.
"Melissa."
Norma's response surprised Enzo.
At that moment, Norma led Enzo to a round table, retrieved some fine wine from a nearby cabinet, and poured it into a crystal glass, offering it to Enzo. "Try this."
Enzo took a sip and immediately spat it out.
He asked with a bitter expression,"What is this?"
Norma took a sip herself, clearly enjoying it.She replied, "This is the most famous wine in the Dark Night Forest, called Forest Breeze. That sip you discarded is worth at least one gold Kafen."
Enzo replied honestly, "But it really doesn't taste good."
Norma seemed surprised but then laughed, saying, "Before you arrived, Melissa wrote me a letter. She mentioned that you are a very special person, possessing not only extraordinary talent but also wisdom far beyond the ordinary. She also mentioned the Crimson Star Tribe you established, which is quite a unique tribe."
Enzo listened quietly, unsure of what Norma was getting at.
At this moment, Norma's slender fingers gently flicked, and dots of light suddenly appeared in the air, eventually evolving into a pattern with several lines of handwriting in the center. With another swipe of Norma's fingers, these patterns and writings were imprinted on the animal skin that Norma took out.
Norma said,"This is a collaboration contract. You can take a look."
Enzo was puzzled. He asked Norma, "What do you mean?"
Norma explained, "I'm not interested in the supernatural, but I am interested in making money. Melissa said you create exquisite glassware, wonderful wines, and useful writing materials like paper and quills... I would like to collaborate with you to obtain the rights to sell these items."
Surprisingly, there were people with such special hobbies. Enzo was taken aback by such a unique interest...
Enzo thought about Jessica, who shared a similar passion.
Jessica shared a similar passion for making money after the Crimson Star Tribe established its market.
However, Enzo did not agree and shook his head, saying, "This doesn't seem realistic. Since you are Melissa's friend, you should also know where I come from. If you want to transport the goods here, the road wear and tear, as well as the necessary expenses, are too huge and the risks are extremely high."
Norma suddenly laughed loudly, though the other patrons in the tavern seemed unaware.
She asked, "Enzo, do you know what my greatest ability is?"
Enzo shook his head, unsure.
Norma stopped keeping them in suspense and waved her finger gently.
Suddenly, the world before Enzo changed completely.
The entire world seemed to shatter, transforming into fragmented mirrors. Within these broken mirrors were even smaller shattered mirrors, creating an endless, recursive loop that seemed to go on forever.
In an instant, everything returned to normal.
Enzo understood immediately. "Spatial power!"
Norma nodded and began to recount the story between her and Melissa. "Melissa and I had the same teacher. After reaching the limits of the supernatural, she chose to continue seeking ways to break those limits. I, however, was less interested in supernatural power, so I came to the Flamingo gathering place and opened a tavern here."
"Hmm, I was surprised to receive her letter last time."
"It was the first letter from Melissa in over a decade."
"In the letter, she spoke highly of you and mentioned that you would be coming to the Dark Night Forest soon. She also referred to the new inventions you have created."
After explaining, Norma said, "I am very skilled with spatial power. If I have enough Spatial Stones, I can establish a fixed spatial channel connecting the Crimson Star Tribe directly to the Dark Night Forest."
"So, you don't need to worry about transportation costs."
"Do you have any of those items with you? Let me see."
Enzo didn't refuse.
If Norma could indeed make this possible, it would be a significant benefit for the Crimson Star Tribe.
The resources in the Dark Night Forest were far richer compared to the barren mountain regions.
Even Enzo had to admit that compared to the Dark Night Forest, the barren mountain area was indeed desolate.
As Enzo presented the glassware, Norma's eyes lit up.
When she saw the snow-white paper and the quill pen leaving clear marks on it, her excitement grew even more.
Until the end, Enzo produced the various wines.
The types of fine wines varied. A large portion were fruit wines, while a smaller portion consisted of spirits made from grains.
Upon smelling the rich aroma of the wine, Norma became even more ecstatic.
After tasting a sip, the flavor lingered in her mouth, and Norma sighed, "I wish I had met you sooner! No, these things must be sold for a high price…"
"How much more do you have? I want it all!"
Enzo softly reminded, "Ms. Norma?"
Norma quickly regained her composure, smiling apologetically, "Sorry, I got too excited."
Norma continued planning aloud, "Given the distance to the Barren Peninsula, establishing a spatial channel that can span such a vast distance would require at least 5,000 Spatial Stones. With the current price of Spatial Stones at 10,000 gold Kafens each, the initial investment would be at least 50 million gold Kafens…"
Her expression darkened as she came to this conclusion.
She then muttered to herself, "Since the funds aren't enough, I'll have to find other sources. I might not be able to defeat the Grand Commander of the Solar Dynasty, but he can't capture me either. With my spatial power, escaping from him is a sure thing. The plan is feasible!"
Enzo was alarmed.
He realized Norma was more of a bandit than a businesswoman.
Her "borrowing" sounded more like outright robbery.
Enzo suggested, "Ms. Norma, maybe there are other ways?"
Seeing Enzo's anxious reaction, Norma laughed and said, "Melissa said you were quite bold. Are you scared now? Don't worry, I was just joking about those plans. Tribal royals are not to be trifled with. I'm not foolish enough to provoke them."
Enzo didn't believe her.
Despite the brief encounter, he was certain Norma was capable of carrying out such schemes.