The Rose Witch gave Argos a mocking look. Argos sensed that something was very wrong. With a glance, he signaled the Second-Ring Witch of the Enchantment School whom he had brought in under an exclusive contract to continue introducing Radiance 07 and Radiance 08.
Radiance 07 was a Star-Ring Level Wizard's Shoe priced at five million Magic Stones.
Radiance 08 was a Moon-Ring Level Wizard's Shoe priced at ten million Magic Stones.
Because there had been little time to integrate their technical resources, these two pairs were not yet the best Wizard's Shoes of their respective levels, as Radiance 02 through 06 were. Instead, they had taken the former top models from Solas Barefoot and Meraki Magicstep, made minor changes, switched their colors, and put them up for sale.
But Argos had cut production costs. The Radiant Holy War Wizard Shoes, once priced at twenty million Magic Stones a pair, now cost five million. The Magicstep 4000, once fifty million a pair, now cost ten million.
The huge price difference came from cutting out the Wizard Shoemakers Guild and the other links in the chain that had been taking their share. The original prices had been high, but marketing had also swallowed vast sums, leaving the Magicstep 4000 with a thin profit margin. Nearly all those marketing Shop Alliances had been founded by senior Meraki Magicstep employees who also held positions in the Wizard Shoemakers Guild.
They had simply been selling from one hand to the other.
With the Resource Integration Committee behind him, Argos had eliminated those middlemen. Costs had naturally fallen to a fraction of what they had been.
Argos, the Moon-Ring Wizard, opened the Lingzhi Magic Plant, found the Arthas Shop Alliance, and saw the Starlit Golden Dragon Claw · Air Pineapple listed at two million Magic