Profiting less means losing money

To be honest, Catherine knew exactly what the Evernight Territory needed most right now.

Tents, food, medicine—even key components and devices required to re-establish magical communication.

All of these were undeniably precious supplies for the current Evernight Territory.

And in exchange, the other party asked for something very simple: Evernight Crystals.

Or rather, Dark Mana Crystals.

A black mineral crystal as deep and mysterious as the night, brimming with wild, volatile mana—perfect for fueling dark magic or embedding into a staff as a magic core.

It was the most valuable specialty product of the Evernight Territory, and served as hard currency within the Demon Clan, especially among those skilled in the dark arts.

However, mines that produced Evernight Crystals were often flooded with chaotic dark mana currents, making it nearly impossible for anyone without a close affinity to darkness to approach, let alone extract the mineral.

Naturally, the Winter Territory’s main output was Ice Mana Crystals and related products—a classic game-world design where resource attributes tie directly to each territory’s nature.

While Dark Mana Crystals could be found in other demon lands, only the ones produced in the Evernight Territory were known for their superior quality, hence their reputation as “Evernight Crystals.”

Back then, mining and selling Evernight Crystals had been the core of the territory’s economy.

One could say the region had once feasted off this industry alone.

But now…

Restarting the mines was no easy task.

The reconnaissance team led by As had already reported back: the mining town was now a ghost town.

The demons once working there had long since fled, and no one knew how much usable equipment or manpower remained.

Still… the supplies Catherine, the Winter Demon Lord, had sent were exactly what Vivian needed.

With this batch of resources, Evernight City would no longer starve.

There would be more breathing room in both provisions and stockpiles.

After all, Lucia had made a good point—Vivian’s incentive policies had indeed boosted productivity among the civilians and slaves, but the rewards she gave out were rapidly draining her inventory.

Before the supplies arrived, Vivian’s resource management had been running dangerously tight.

Any misstep in the chain could trigger a domino effect of problems.

But now, there was finally some leeway.

That said, the profit from a single year of Evernight Crystal mining was astronomical—there was no way Vivian would just hand it over for free.

So she offered them at cost, in exchange for the much-needed supplies.

As for that standard-issue military gear in the warehouse?

That was no big deal.

The remaining weapons and armor could be handed over to the Winter folks.

Vivian had already fully equipped her elite troops.

Handing over the leftovers was no loss.

With a bit of digging through the ruins of collapsed warehouses, they might even find more gear.

Then there was that one-time favor she owed—that was the real debt.

It could be something small—like aiding in a skirmish with a crusade force—or something massive, like intervening when the Winter Territory was being targeted by multiple Heroes in a full-scale raid.

Either way, Vivian had no choice but to grit her teeth and offer terms she could stomach.

She just never expected Lucia to agree so quickly and cleanly!

‘Wait a minute… does that mean I asked too little?’

‘A smaller profit is still a loss! Round it up and I basically just lost a million!’

Vivian’s expression instantly collapsed, as if the crates of supplies in front of her had suddenly turned to ash.

“Ah, ah—please, Demon Lord, don’t make that face!”

Lucia immediately noticed Vivian’s thundercloud expression and hurried forward, plastering on a bright “sincere” smile while talking at top speed.

“You have to understand, our Winter Territory isn’t exactly overflowing with resources either—we’re tightening our belts just to get by! This price is absolutely fair and honest, not a single coin of deceit! Lady Catherine came with nothing but goodwill and friendship! So this kind of exchange is only natural, right?”

Faced with Vivian’s sour look, Lucia scrambled to explain, as if afraid she might take it all back.

“…Fine. But I’m definitely going to have a long talk with Catherine sometime.”

Vivian grumbled under her breath.

“But of course. Lady Demon Lord is always welcome to visit the Winter Territory for guidance and exchange.”

Lucia curtsied elegantly, replying with a diplomatic smile.

“As part of the exchange, our squad will remain to assist with the reconstruction efforts.

We’ll serve as an information bridge between Evernight and Winter, maintaining the flow of intelligence and offering support where needed.

However, due to our own defensive pressures back home, the rest of the escort team will return to the Winter Territory immediately after the supply handover.

They won’t be able to stay and help with the rebuilding.

We hope the Demon Lord can understand.”

Lucia said all this with great deference—and only then did Vivian’s expression soften noticeably.

“No problem.”

Vivian waved a hand in response—honestly, she didn’t want the whole crew sticking around anyway.

Feeding over a thousand extra mouths?

No thanks.

“Still, I have to say… whether it’s Vivian, or these frost banshees of yours, Lucia, their bodies are just so…”

…She caught herself.

“…I mean, their abilities.”

Their power to freeze and then melt massive ice blocks into usable water was absolutely invaluable.

It drastically reduced the current demand for water during reconstruction—both for daily use and farmland irrigation.

Following the philosophy of “if it’s useful, use it to the bone,” Lucia’s frost banshees had been effectively tied to the camp once combat duties were over.

Just let them freeze some ice on-site—bam—job done.

Their efficiency had brought tears to the eyes of the demons managing water distribution.

All in all, the cooperation between both sides had been going smoothly.

Vivian was rather pleased.

Lucia, as a frost banshee, had adapted well to her pace and prioritized practicality above all.

Though that first line of hers always came wrapped in diplomatic fluff—typical of formal exchanges—she’d really need to work on that.

The supply transfer was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

While the goods brought by the Winter side were being unloaded, Vivian’s people were also delivering the remaining weapons and equipment stored in the underground warehouse of the Demon Lord’s Castle to the Winter soldiers.

But what most people were truly focused on… was the food.

The sight of crates upon crates of supplies immediately reignited hope and morale among many.

Still, as she watched the handover of weapons and gear, Vivian turned to Lucia.

“Is the Winter Territory under a lot of pressure right now?”

At her question, Lucia’s professional smile faded, replaced by a grim expression.

“…Before I left for the Evernight Territory, the human kingdoms had already sent an additional army and two Heroes to the frontlines.

As for the current situation—I fear they’ve sent even more reinforcements since.

But their true goal remains unclear.”

“I see.”

Hearing this, Vivian fell silent, lost in thought.