My Computer Leads to an Instance Dungeon-Chapter 181 - 153: Dalia’s Wealth, ’Arms Deal’ (2)

It was still a bit heavy, but completely acceptable.

Fang Zhen suddenly remembered the anime he watched as a child, *Saint Seiya*. In it, every Saint Soldier liked to carry a heavy metal box on their back, which contained their Holy Garment.

He could totally spend money to have a piece of metal merchandise made, similar to a Saint Soldier's Holy Garment Box. It would be sturdy enough, and then he could put a Feather of the Light Spirit inside. Then he could carry the Holy Garment Box on his back and go fight in the instance worlds.

'He could suddenly picture it.'

'It was a little cringey, but it also seemed pretty cool and quite practical.'

"Alright, I'll take the Feather of the Light Spirit," Fang Zhen said with a nod. "Do you have any Extraordinary Items on you that can control an opponent during a fight?"

"If you do, for the last Extraordinary Item, I want one of that type."

Dalia thought for a moment, then said, "I do. You might need this."

Dalia turned, her back to Fang Zhen. He couldn't see what she was doing.

After a moment, Dalia turned back around and handed a ring to Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen looked at the ring. It seemed a little familiar.

The ring looked like it was made of gold, with a circle of green, lifelike thorns carved and painted on it.

He immediately recognized where he had seen it.

This ring looked too much like the Anti-Thorn Ring on Fang Zhen's wrist. They were obviously a set.

"This is the Thorn Ring. It's part of a set of Extraordinary Items with the Anti-Thorn Bracelet I gave you before," Dalia said. "This Extraordinary Item can release Magic Thorns twice a day. It will cause Magic Thorns to grow rapidly and entangle an enemy at their feet, and it can control an average opponent."

"The maximum range for casting the Magic Thorns is about forty paces. The thorns may look physical, but they are actually magic. Fire and blades have a hard time breaking them, but they can be torn apart by brute force, which at least shortens the magic's duration."

"The thorns can control an enemy for the time it takes to take one or two breaths. If both uses of Magic Thorns are expended, it takes a full day for the magic to naturally recover its power."

Fang Zhen took the Thorn Ring from Dalia's hand.

He was now almost certain that the legends about the Dalia Clan—that is, the Cristin Clan—were, in all likelihood, true.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain how Dalia, a noble from a fallen house, could be so wealthy.

But there were still some doubts.

If Dalia's family had already found the treasure, why hadn't they recovered their standing? Instead, they had lost their own territory.

Fang Zhen could think of one reasonable explanation: Dalia hadn't possessed this wealth for very long.

Otherwise, there was no logical explanation for the decline of the Cristin Family.

Fang Zhen kept his expression neutral.

"And the Gold Ropes, my lady," Fang Zhen said.

"I knew you'd say that." Dalia shook her head slightly, then had her one-eyed female guard count out three hundred and fifty Gold Ropes from a wardrobe trunk.

The Gold Ropes were taken from a hidden compartment, placed in a deerskin bag, and handed to Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen felt the bulging bag, full of Gold Ropes, grow heavy in his hand.

He knew that the gold coins from France's Napoleonic era were called Napoleon Francs. One Napoleon Franc was worth twenty francs at the time, and a twenty-franc Napoleon gold coin contained 5.81 grams of pure gold, with a total weight of about 6.45 grams.

The weight of a Gold Rope was a bit lighter than a Napoleon gold coin, with a total weight of about 6 grams.

Three hundred and fifty Gold Ropes had a total weight of 2100 grams, which was quite heavy to hold.

After receiving the Gold Ropes, Fang Zhen's expression became even more amiable.

"You are quite a trustworthy person," Fang Zhen said. "However, it's not a very wise thing to display your wealth in front of a man who possesses martial strength."

"I was very nearly overcome by greed, my lady," he said.

"Heh, if I dare to show it, I have my own ways to protect myself," Dalia said. "Besides, I'm showing you my wealth because I want to propose a new deal and prove that I have the financial means to buy what I want."

"What do you want?" Fang Zhen asked.

"I want the Extraordinary Equipment you used to burn the armies of Baron von Kleist and Montagu. You also have to teach me how to use it. And I want two of them," Dalia said.

"Oh?" Fang Zhen's brow twitched.

'This is interesting.'

"This is a military procurement. The price will be quite expensive," Fang Zhen said.

"You've seen that I can afford it," Dalia said, puffing out her chest.

"Let me think." Fang Zhen stroked his chin.

'A DJI drone of the model I use costs around ten thousand dollars. Its lifespan depends on how often it's used. If not used too frequently, it could last for about five years.'

'Dalia wants to buy it as a military deterrent, a strategic weapon for spreading gasoline. That's fine, but the main question is, what's a good price to set?'

'It's not that I can't ask for an outrageous price, but Dalia will definitely haggle it down. Setting a reasonable price would make the transaction more efficient.'

Fang Zhen did a quick calculation.

A full suit of plate armor in the Middle Ages was worth between forty and one hundred Gold Coins. Forty Gold Coins would get you a low-quality suit, while a slightly better one would cost over a hundred Gold Coins. If it was made from the best materials and had engravings, it could even cost over two hundred Gold Coins.

In Montagu's legion, there were five Knights and twelve Knight's Squires. Including their horses, the equipment for these core soldiers alone was worth about fifteen hundred Gold Ropes.

And that didn't even count the common soldiers.

'A single drone could wipe out all those soldiers, so its value should theoretically be equivalent, or even higher.'

'Of course, a real transaction can't be based solely on that logic. It's common for a weapon to be cheaper than the target it destroys. If the price is too high, the buyer might think it's not worth it, or find a cheaper alternative, like just building another army.'

'Besides, the drone's lifespan is only five years, maybe seven at best. It's not like armor or Extraordinary Items that can be passed down as heirlooms.'

After thinking for a while, Fang Zhen named a price.

"That kind of Extraordinary Item is called a 'drone.' If you want the same model as mine, I'll charge you eight hundred Gold Ropes per unit. Training is included. I won't hold anything back when I teach you, but I'll only teach you for one day. How much you learn and remember will depend on your own intelligence."

"The drone also requires some accessories to operate. The substance sprayed to burn the army is called 'gasoline.' I use a high-quality gasoline, 'Number 97'—you can call it that. I can sell it to you, but it's sold separately from the drone."

"A drone at full capacity can carry thirty liters of gasoline. I'll explain exactly how much that is later. I'll sell you every thirty liters of gasoline for ten Gold Ropes. I can prepare as much as you want."

"How long can a drone be used? I mean its lifespan," Dalia asked, getting straight to the point.

"Five years. Seven, if it's well-maintained. If you can learn to replace key parts, I can bring you the parts, and it could last for ten years. The parts will cost extra," Fang Zhen said.

Dalia frowned. "Only ten years? Eight hundred Gold Ropes is too expensive. Five hundred and fifty."

"This is a military procurement. The main equipment's price is non-negotiable," Fang Zhen said, shaking his head. "I insist on eight hundred Gold Ropes per unit, but I can be flexible on the other parts."

"Five days of training. Three Gold Ropes for thirty liters of Number 97 gasoline. And the total price for key parts won't exceed fifty Gold Ropes," Dalia countered.

"My time is tight. I can't spare five days. Two days at most. I'll give you the gasoline for five Gold Ropes, and the parts for eighty," Fang Zhen said.

Dalia calculated in her head for a moment.

"Alright. But I have one more condition. You can only sell these drones to me. You can't sell them even if other nobles want to buy them," Dalia said.

Fang Zhen considered this for a moment and said, "Let's modify that condition a bit. I will consider selling weapons to other nobles in the future. I won't limit myself just because of you."

Dalia frowned.

"But I can make you the exclusive distributor for the Kingdom," Fang Zhen said.

"Exclusive distributor?" Dalia had never heard the term.

"That's right. I will sell certain rare weapons to you, and only to you. You can then decide which nobles you have good relations with to sell them to. You could even use it as political capital," Fang Zhen said.

"This way, I save the time and trust costs of transactions by only dealing with you for the resources and Gold Ropes I want. As for the benefits you'd gain... I don't need to spell those out, do I?"