Among top-tier Adventurers, it was not uncommon to have an exclusive blacksmith.
The two would sign a contract stipulating that the Adventurer could only use equipment provided by their designated blacksmith.
In essence, it was a sponsorship.
However, a blacksmith could forge these partnerships with multiple Adventurers.
For instance, Tsubaki Collbrande of the Hephaestus Familia had an exclusive contract with Gareth Landrock, the pinnacle Dwarven warrior of the Loki Familia.
Yet Tsubaki's motive was not solely for brand recognition. She simply wanted her weapons wielded by the strongest.
As a frontline Adventurer and one of the city's most formidable fighters, Gareth subjected his equipment to extreme wear and tear.
Tsubaki could not bear the thought of her weapons hindering his combat prowess.
Their bond had grown nearly as strong as that of Familia companions, making them exceptional partners.
Alise possessed immense potential, and Rayleigh believed she would eventually rival the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia is she survived in the original story.
In truth, had the Astraea Familia's tragedy not forever confined her to the peak of Level 4 before her untimely demise, her achievements would undoubtedly have matched those of a Level 6 Adventurer.
It was not just her.
Kaguya and Ryuu were the same.
They should have become the three pillars of the Astraea Familia, guiding their group to the pinnacle of Orario.
But alas... the deaths of those young women had been a tremendous loss for the city.
"Alise, I got no problem becoming your exclusive blacksmith, but my fees will be exorbitant."
"How much?"
Rayleigh's lips curled into a smirk as he held up his hand, fingers splayed.
"Five thousand...?"
"Five hundred million."
"EHHHHHHH?!"
Alise gasped, completely stunned by the astronomical sum.
Her brain worked in overdrive, trying to calculate how long it would take to save up five hundred million Valis on her current income.
"Five hundred million Valis?!" Lyra exclaimed in shock. "You idiot! Do you even comprehend how much five hundred million Valis is?!"
Five hundred million!
In Orario, almost nothing sold for such a price.
To put it bluntly, that was enough to build a medium-to-large Familia headquarters from scratch!
Ardi, standing nearby, was equally stunned.
She stared blankly at Nejibana in her hand and muttered, "Have I been treating you too casually?"
The thought that she was holding half a billion Valis made the trident—which usually felt like an extension of her own arm—suddenly feel unbearably heavy!
"F-f-f-five...?"
Even Ryuu, who had little concept of money, was so shocked that she started repeating herself like a broken record.
Rayleigh observed their shocked reactions, finding them entirely predictable.
During their Deep Floor expeditions, the Loki Familia had commissioned a batch of Durandal weapons—equipment with the "unbreakable" attribute—to combat monsters that could dissolve metal.
These custom-made weapons were issued to their elite warriors, each costing over a hundred million Valis.
That expense was funded entirely by the Familia's treasury and the weapons remained the property of the Familia, not the individual members.
Moreover, the Loki Familia had a unique knack for destroying equipment, earning them the reputation of "weapon killers."
With an average debt of over forty million Valis per first-tier member, few could even dream of saving money.
After covering basic living expenses, nearly all remaining income went toward debt repayment.
Even the top-tier Adventurers in the city barely scraped by, relying heavily on financial support from their Familia.
For exploration-focused Familias like Loki's, Magic Stones, drop items, and loot obtained from the Dungeon served as their primary source of income.
These items could not be claimed individually.
After being sold, the proceeds were distributed as activity funds based on each member's contribution.
Unless an Adventurer went solo...
Rayleigh had no intention of letting Zanpakuto become as widespread as Magic Swords.
However, the number of active Zanpakuto directly influenced the speed at which his Excellia increased, so he came up with an idea.
The inspiration came from an old video game.
Simply put, it's weapon leasing.
He would sign contracts granting usage rights to a Zanpakuto, charging annual fees until the cumulative payments equaled the full value of the weapon, at which point permanent ownership would be transferred.
Furthermore, not everyone qualified for such a contract.
It required exceptionally high moral character.
Therefore, he would subjectively decide who to lease them to.
Of course, if someone was wealthy enough to pay in full, a one-time buyout of 500 million Valis was perfectly acceptable.
He would not refuse even if someone wanted to buy two Zanpakuto at once, provided they had the means—though he would never forge two identical blades.
As for selling two Zanpakuto for a billion Valis, that was currently impossible given his current level of fame.
Orario would not tolerate such an anomaly yet.
But if he truly became a really famous blacksmith in the future, even at a billion Valis per blade, people would likely line up, scrambling to get their hands on one.
Rayleigh brought up the contract terms, and Lyra and the others fell silent again.
The contract was excessively harsh on the lessee.
This was not a standard installment plan or a loan, it was a strict lease. In essence, the lessee held no real rights, making it a heavily one-sided agreement.
'If rental weapons in a game cost over a hundred million gold per lease, the developers would be publicly crucified,' Rayleigh mused.
That was the core of his plan.
As long as a Zanpakuto achieved a Great Feat, it would grant Rayleigh Excellia.
Therefore, whether gifted, sold, lent, or leased, as long as it was in active use, it would fulfill the trigger condition for his 'Soul Blade Skill.'
After reviewing the contract, Alise bit her lip.
She was not dissatisfied.... because she was in despair!
The "Rental Fee" section of the contract boldly stated the annual rent:
One hundred million Valis!
The contract term was five years, with a breach of contract penalty of three hundred million Valis.
Rayleigh had drafted this contract based on modern car loan agreements, making it as insidious as a predatory lender's wildest dream!
"This man is a demon..." Ryuu whispered, retreating several steps, as if wanting to distance herself as much as possible from Rayleigh.
Lyra and Kaguya both frowned and shook their heads.
They thought this would finally make Alise give up since Rayleigh's terms were nothing short of extortion.
Alise remained silent.
Seeing that she neither refused nor suggested abandoning the idea, her companions—who knew her all too well—suddenly felt a deep sense of foreboding.
"One hundred million, huh..." Alise muttered with a distressed expression.
The next moment, she lifted her head. "Alright, Rayleigh. I will work hard to earn that amount. Just remember not to go back on your word."
Lyra rolled her eyes and collapsed into Kaguya's arms.
Ryuu face turn pale and her voice trembling as she began praying to her Patron God.
"Lady Astraea, what should I do? Alise has completely lost her mind...!"
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