I became the slime toy of the evil dragon girl?

She gently placed a crystal bottle on the simple wooden table in front of Charles.

Under the dim light, the green liquid in the bottle emitted a soft and vibrant glow, making the tent seem a bit fresher.

Charles squinted.

"This is......"

"The Fountain of Life~" Mirabell lowered her voice, carrying a mysterious allure, "It has a tiny... negligible effect on delaying the demise of life, especially for plants."

The light spots within Ian's body accelerated slightly. [Analysis] The liquid emitted a rich, pure life energy.

This thing might actually be useful!

If we had this, we could solve the problem of the divided forest dying before it could be teleported.

Charles clearly realized this as well, but he was even more wary: "Where did you get this rare item? What was the price?"

"The source is a trade secret~" Mirabelle winked playfully. "As for the price... I'm just a merchant who's eager to make friends. I hope that if Dragon's Nest needs to purchase any desserts, spices, or certain special, hard-to-obtain magical materials in the future, they will give priority to the [Frosting Merchant Guild]. A small letter of intent for exclusive supply will suffice; we can discuss the details later."

Her smile was innocent and naive, but the meaning behind her words was clear.

What she wants is a long-term, monopolistic business channel. She wants to exchange this bottle of spring water, which might solve a key problem, for huge future profits.

"One bottle, is that enough?" Charles asked in a deep voice, staring at the small bottle.

The forest is so vast, this little bit of spring water is just a drop in the ocean.

"Of course not," Mirabelle said matter-of-factly, "but at least it proves I know 'where' there is more. And the way to get more... that's what we can discuss in more detail next. But before that..."

She changed the subject, her gaze returning to Ian, her smile deepening: "Would I have the honor of speaking privately with this... peculiar slime sir? I'm quite curious about Lady Vivian's newly appointed chief."

Charles looked at Ian, his eyes questioning.

The light within Ian flowed calmly for a moment, indicating his agreement.

He also wanted to see what this suddenly appearing, sweet yet shrewd businessman was up to.

"It's just a girl's whisper, there's no danger." Mirabelle smiled without a trace of suspicion.

A small space was temporarily cleared out in the corner of the tent. Mirabelle sat down on the ground without any hesitation, patted the spot next to her, and gestured to Ian.

"Well then, Your Excellency Ian," Mirabelle said, her exaggerated smile lessening, but the curiosity and inquiry in her eyes became even more apparent.

"First of all, please accept my respect. To be regarded differently by Lady Vivian and entrusted with such an important task, you are absolutely the most special slime I have ever seen, no! The most amazing creature, without exception."

Ian cut to the chase, saying there was no point in beating around the bush with such a smart person: "Just state your purpose."

"Great!" Mirabelle clapped lightly, her candy earrings swaying. "My goal is simple: to invest."

"invest?"

"That's right. We'll invest in you, Mr. Ian."

Mirabelle leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and a sweet, cloying fragrance wafted over.

"Butler Charles is an excellent manager, but he's bound by tradition. Now that you're the chief of Dragon Territory, it proves you hold a high place in Vivian's heart."

Her emerald eyes gleamed with shrewdness: "I have high hopes for you. A friend who will have a voice in the future Dragon Nest and possesses special abilities is of immeasurable value to my business."

Fortunately, Mirabelle was unaware that Ian's so-called chief was currently just a toy for the chief.

But Ian understood. "So, you want to place your bets early."

"No matter how unpleasant the betting sounds, it's a friendship that's built."

Mirabelle's smile remained unchanged as she pulled a smaller, sealed metal box from another pocket and pushed it in front of Ian.

"This is a symbol of my sincerity. Inside are a few [Life-Sensing Candies]. Holding them in your mouth will help you find the source of the spring in that forest."

Ian used his tentacles to lift the metal box. [Analysis] The information transmitted indicated that the box itself had a powerful insulating seal, but its interior did indeed contain peculiar magical fluctuations related to life perception.

"What's the price?" Ian asked, not believing in free lunches.

"The price is that once we find the Fountain of Life and successfully obtain it," Mirabelle's smile turned somewhat sly, "I want thirty percent of it. In addition, I hope you won't refuse if I need your help with certain matters in the future. Of course, it will never harm your interests; I guarantee it with my goodwill."

As for how much goodwill she has, only God knows.

Ian pondered. This woman was dangerous and shrewd, but the candy she offered might indeed be the key she desperately needed. A 30% share was outrageous, but only if it could be found and acquired. The future convenience, on the other hand, was a vague term, fraught with traps, but also offered room for maneuver.

"I need to know more about the Fountain of Life. What do you know?"

Mirabelle's smile grew even sweeter: "Besides the Elf Forest, there are actually some Fountains of Life in other forests, protected by powerful nature guardians or ancient magic. However, without the protection of elves, most of the Fountains of Life that have been scattered outside are more or less polluted. As for their location... my candy bean is the best guide."

She stood up and patted off non-existent dust from her tutu.

"Well then, I won't bother you any longer. I look forward to your good news. If you encounter any tricky obstacles, feel free to contact me; my prices are fair." She smiled meaningfully and bowed to Charles again. "Mr. Butler, I look forward to working with you again."

After saying that, she left the tent with a sweet, lingering fragrance, just as she had come, and disappeared into the night of the campsite.

Silence fell over the tent. Charles looked at Ian and said slowly, "A calculating woman."

"But what she gave me was real," Ian said. He placed the metal box on the table and carefully opened a crack with his tentacles.

Instantly, an extremely fresh and vibrant life force emanated from the tent, and although faint, it invigorated everyone inside.

"It seems our next goal is clear." Ian put away the box. "Find the Fountain of Life in the forest. Miss Kiki, please continue to refine the cutting and teleportation plan, prioritizing stability. Butler Charles, please continue to maintain minimal communication with the half-elves, at least to keep them calm and buy us time."

Kiki muttered somewhat disappointedly, "Okay, okay, stability comes first~"

Charles looked at Ian, who was issuing instructions methodically, and then at the alluring little box on the table, feeling a sense of absurdity.

But... this slime might actually bring something different?