Chapter 308: Intertwined Benefit, Mutual Respect
CH308 Intertwined Benefit, Mutual Respect
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Eleanor had long given up on such a possibility — of being recognised for her own merits. That yearning had driven her to take on a disguise and assume a new name when she came to the DragonHold Enclave.
Why else would she go to such lengths, if not to be judged by her skills and abilities alone?
Finally being validated for her hard work hit her so deeply, so unexpectedly, that she was momentarily lost for words.
However, before the feeling could fully take hold, Alex suddenly smiled and said, seemingly out of nowhere,
"You really do deserve the title of Flower of the Empire."
She instinctively glared at him.
"You don’t have to look at me like that," Alex laughed lightly. "You know what I think? I think the reason you dislike that title so much is because it’s far too general.
"My cousin, Countess Megan Fury, is known as the Iron Rose of the Fury Family—or sometimes, the Iron Rose of the Empire. Whichever version people use, it fits her perfectly. She owns that title because it encapsulates her identity."
He leaned forward slightly. "Maybe you just need a specific flower that encapsulates yours."
Eleanor studied the man across from her for a moment. She realised she’d been letting him steer the entire conversation. Perhaps that was why she found herself unable to respond quickly—he dictated the flow, and she kept falling into rhythm with him.
She exhaled softly, feeling a strange sense of defeat—though she told herself there was no competition to begin with.
"And what flower do you think encapsulates my identity and efforts, as you put it?" she asked.
"I don’t know," Alex admitted easily. "Wouldn’t that be for you to decide?"
Eleanor shook her head gently.
"Titles are vain if they’re self-given. The best titles are those bestowed by others," she said. "Take your cousin, for instance. Her title wasn’t one she gave herself, was it?"
"You’re right. It wasn’t," Alex nodded.
"Then, since you’ve asked for a relationship of mutual respect, that implies you have some understanding of me," Eleanor continued, her tone measured. "After all, mutual respect stems from mutual understanding—and recognition."
"That sounds perfectly logical," Alex agreed with a faint smile.
"In that case," Eleanor said in a measured tone, "use that understanding and recognition you claim to have of me to come up with a fitting flower."
"Are you sure you want me to do that? I’m not exactly known for my naming sense," Alex replied with an amused grin.
"Take it as a sign of the beginning of our mutual respect," Eleanor countered. "I’m giving you that privilege, and you’ll be doing me the honour of the name. Respect on both sides."
"Win-win, then?" Alex chuckled. "Very well, I’ll gladly accept the privilege granted to me."
He added after a brief pause, "However, I’ll need some time. It would be disrespectful to you if I simply threw out a random name, wouldn’t it?"
Eleanor felt he was intentionally playing a subtle back-and-forth game—and to her surprise, she didn’t mind it in the slightest.
"That’s a reasonable request," she said, smiling faintly.
The two of them turned their attention to the cakes before them.
"Is it to your liking?" Eleanor asked.
"It’s a little too sweet," Alex admitted, "but still good."
"Are you always this honest?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Maybe...?" Alex tilted his head as though genuinely thinking it over. "Most of the time, I guess. I’ve been told I’m too honest for my own good." He took another bite.
"And that hasn’t changed you?"
"I don’t see why it should," Alex replied easily. "I’ve rarely had reason—or incentive—to lie. Especially not today, when we’re trying to build a relationship. If I lied, you’d find out eventually anyway. Might as well put everything on the table now so we can stay ahead of it."
Eleanor let out a small laugh. "I can see why people say that about you. You really are too honest for your own good."
"Really?" Alex asked, smiling playfully.
"Really," she affirmed, smiling back.
They finished the slices of cake before them, the quiet moment between them oddly comfortable.
Then, as if remembering why they were there in the first place, Eleanor spoke again.
"So, what exactly do you want from me?"
"A partner," Alex replied without hesitation. "Romantic, business, or otherwise—I just need your skills, primarily."
He leaned back in his seat. "There are two halves to it. For the first, I need your assistance to help advance my Class."
"And what Class is that?"
"A unique Class I call Rune Master," Alex replied. "As the name suggests, my Class involves all manner of Rune Mastery. I’m reaching a point where I can no longer process the materials I need on my own, with my limited knowledge of Alchemy. I’ve mostly been getting by with Forgesmithing, but—"
"You’re reaching a stage where you need Alchemical materials to progress further, so Forgesmithing alone won’t cut it," Eleanor cut in. "Let me guess—you’re already occupied with Runes and Forgesmithing, so you don’t have the extra time needed to take up Alchemy as well."
Alex smiled. "See? Our partnership’s already off to a great start. You’re finishing my thoughts for me."
"Don’t get ahead of yourself. I haven’t agreed to anything yet," Eleanor said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
Alex’s smile didn’t waver.
"You’re correct," he confirmed calmly.
"What kind of materials exactly are you looking to work with?" Eleanor asked.
"I can’t go into specifics until we’re in agreement. All I can say for now is that it will involve upper Tier III materials."
Tier III covered all applicable to Class 3 and Class 4 utility—Class 3 (Elite-grade) being lower tier, while Class 4 (Veteran-grade) was the upper tier.
"That’s not good enough. I need to know exactly what I’m getting involved in," Eleanor said firmly.
Alex shook his head. "No can do. This concerns my unique Class, so I hope you understand my caution. Even if we do reach an agreement, how much I can disclose will still depend on how... intimate we decide our partnership to be. That’s how important this is to me."
"How do you expect me to commit to something I’m not aware of?" Eleanor asked.
"Another aspect of a mutual relationship is trust," Alex said evenly. "Trust cuts both ways. I’m asking you to trust me now, just as I’ve trusted you."
"What are you—?" she began, then stopped. Her eyes widened as realisation dawned.
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