Rodrick's eyes were sharp as he stared at Jien in particular for several long seconds before giving Olivia a short glance. He could tell just by the fact that Olivia stood behind Jien, almost hiding in his shadow, that boy before him was likely to be the one he would actually be talking to. After his examination of the trio his eyes seemed to lighten up a bit as he adapted what Jien could easily identify as a 'business smile'.
"Name's Rodrick as you heard from Rebecca." he stated in a cheery but business tone. "I accept wares of all shapes and forms. If you are looking to sell in bulk I am willing to make appropriate deals but know that market prices within the academy are very competitive." With that said he gestured to his booth, which had been covered with a rather fine quality wine red cloth as compared to the uncovered wood of those around him.
Jien, seeing that he was being gestured forward walked up to the table and removed the ten wooden containers of bloodstop salve, setting them side by side without opening the containers. After he was finished he took a single step back as was etiquette. This was to ensure that he wouldn't do something malicious as the merchant looked at his products, but also close enough to step in if Rodrick did something funny himself.
Rodrick for his part was very professional about the matter, quickly taking the first container, the one that had been brewed by Julie. After seeing the fairly opaque, almost deep pink salve in the container he picked up the container and gave its content a sniff before humming lightly. "Bloodstop salve, first assignment in alchemy. Low grade due to opacity showing that it hadn't been fully refined before completion."
His words still held a friendly business tone. It didn't seem that he was looking down on the salve at all, but almost like he were reading the words of a book casually. "Are all ten of these the same?" He looked at the remaining nine containers. Unlike many merchants he wasn't trying to close the deal on the spot, instead seemingly opting for a more honest assessment.
To his question Jien seemed unfazed, nodding but clarifying that they were all the same salve but of different qualities. Rodrick had expected as such, after all this was pretty much the go to alchemy lesson to start first years on. It allowed the professor to quickly spot those that struggle or lack knowledge and work to assist them based on their work.
Rodrick's smile remained calm and his expression cheery as he said. "Alright, then I will confirm the quality of the others and we will discuss payment. Is that alright with you?" Jien just gave another nod, his lack of actual discussion causing Rodrick's smile to stiffen ever so slightly.
Being the professional he was however he seemed to loosen it back up as he sealed the first container before moving to the others. He moved one by one, listing each of their 'grades' based on the clarity of the salve. As a merchant who accepted all wares he had to have a certain level of understanding on topics. He seemed rather knowledgeable, as he went commenting about where things likely went wrong in the brewing process.
By the time he reached Jien's, Olivia's and Andrew's he actually gave a low whistle regarding the quality. They are all what he called 'superb' quality, being a gel that almost looked entirely the color of blood if not for a few small blotches of slightly lighter red. After he was done and had resealed the containers he turned to Jien calmly.
"Based on the quantity and quality I can give you seven Merits. For selling in bulk I can offer you an additional two." His words were as calm as before, his words and expression cordial. The trouble was that though Jien and the others had decided to take this route, they weren't entirely sure of the value of a Merit. This was their first time 'earning' any in the first place and prices weren't listed in the open, at least as far as they could tell.
Jien pondered the offer for a bit before deciding to test their luck a bit. The worst that happened here was that they lost out on some potential profits and would have to wait a short while before they enacted their plan regarding renting an alchemy lab. With that in mind he made eye contact with Rodrick to see if he would be able to spot an telltale signs they were being conned.
"To be honest this is our first time dealing with the acquisition of merits. Our goal is to try and rent an alchemy lab for a short while." As he continued to examine the older student he didn't see anything other than calm and confidence so he decided to continue. "If your offer is reasonable and can actually earn us enough to make that goal a reality I don't mind bringing you more of the products from that venture."
At hearing this Rodrick's ears perked up. It seemed that he may be interested in more long term ventures. "If that is an acceptable arrangement we could even discuss taking on specific requests." Jien was hoping that this offer would be enticing enough to at least earn him a contact with the older students who preferred mercantile professions.
Rodrick seemed to ponder the offer rather deeply as he stroked his chin. Jien could see it in the other's eyes, the churning of his thoughts as he was likely thinking over the pros and cons as well as percentages, costs and revenue. It took him a couple of minutes to complete his thoughts before he gave his answer.
"I can give you an extra two Merits if you sign a contract with me as your sole sales point. Those extra two Merits will be available for each new sale regardless of size or product but of course bulk sales will earn you a bonus as well. Ten Merits will get you enough to rent a lab for two day allotment." His smile was almost cheerfully casual now, as if they had moved from business to a friendly conversation despite still talking business.