Liquidation: From Big Boss to Bloody Demon Sauce Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Bow Down

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I turned to Grimora and Grimjaw, who both merely offered me stunned, absolute silence. Grimora, finally managing to pull her trembling body from the ground, had her pink eyes wide open in complete disbelief. "A dragon, Visthal. We just negotiated with an ancient dragon," she murmured, completely shell-shocked. I couldn't help but laugh at her utter confusion. "We did. And guess what? We're still alive, and we just acquired a castle out of it. Pretty impressive acquisition for a first quarter, don't you think?" I gloated, feeling the sweet, intoxicating triumph of victory. This was just the beginning. Turning back to the dragon, I humbly bowed, or rather, shifted my fluid mass into an equivalent gesture of deep respect. It seemed highly amused by my audacity, giving me a slow, sarcastic nod in return. I then walked back down the tunnel with Grimora, the echoes of my triumph ringing in my mind. If anything, this insane ordeal had permanently strengthened my resolve. I was meant to do more than just survive in Xeenar. I was meant to monopolize it. The Crystal Palace, Hall of the Dragons, was surprisingly small considering who owned it. It was still a grand, sprawling estate, but only by human standards. All of the entryways were no more than seven or eight feet tall. By all rights, this place seemed explicitly built for humanoid beings, not something the size of the massive beast we had just left. A soft, ethereal glow cascaded down from the vast cavern ceiling above, illuminating the magnificent, abandoned palace. Crystals of every size and hue adorned its outer surface and interior columns, twinkling like a sky full of stars against a dark, eternal night. Yet, despite its imposing grandeur and breathtaking beauty, a heavy sense of desolation clung tightly to its dust-covered walls. Grimora conjectured it to be the result of centuries of melancholic solitude. To me, it looked like a prime piece of unmanaged real estate waiting for a new CEO to move in. "So, as long as you can deliver the treasure, then we get to keep this entire place?" Grimora asked, her voice hushed with awe as she floated through the grand foyer, looking at the intricate architecture in each room we entered. I curled a non-existent eyebrow at the succubus the best I could. While this palace was resplendent, I had assumed that Grimora, being a progenitor of demons, had at least some kind of minor hold or an established fort in the Dark Glade. "Is this your first time being in a place like this?" Grimora froze mid-air, her wings snapping tight against her back. She suddenly looked deeply embarrassed. "No!" she defended, way too quickly, prompting a chuckle from me—a weird, vibrating ripple effect that echoed through my gelatinous sphere. "It's just... It has been a very long time since I was able to see a place as beautiful as this. I haven't always been forced to live out in that dark, dreadful, toxic wasteland! Not all of Xeenar is like the Glade, you know!" I raised two hastily formed blobs of arms in defense and apologized. "Sorry, I didn't mean to strike a nerve. I really don't know anything about you or the geopolitical landscape of this world. For the last thirty-one days, I have seen nothing but the cold inside of Luriel's castle, and then she kicked me out this morning to die." "I... see," Grimora murmured, her defensive posture softening as her gaze lowered, taking in the crystal-inlaid floors. "Apology accepted." Despite my suddenly specific, downloaded knowledge about demon biology and their basic world structures, there were still vast, glaring gaps in my understanding. It made me painfully aware of how much actionable data I didn't have, and suddenly Grimora became much more than just a cursed succubus or a tool for survival. She was an invaluable consultant. She was my key to understanding the market. She had kept her end of the bargain so far, leading us safely to the dragon's hidden lair, and allowing me the opportunity to create this overarchi