Chapter 49: A Good, Good Gift

Port City of Éclair.

3 days after the deal between Wuzhi and Luna. {AN: Refer Ch 31}

"Yep, yep, put that box down here. Oh, that one? That has to go into the ship. Careful, careful! That box in your hand is worth more than the entire village that you come from. Oh, this? You can leave this one to me here. The rest can be loaded into the ship." Sporting a full smile on her exquisite face, Luna Roseland, the female merchant, enthusiastically guided her workers to load the ship with her goods.

Her skylark-like voice coupled with her fairy-like looks naturally drew a lot of attention. However, so engrossed in her happiness and duty, the raven-haired beauty paid no mind to the various gazes leveled toward her.

As she continued to give directions, a short, middle-aged man hobbled out of the ship and arrived next to her. After drawing her attention, he asked, "Madam Luna, what are these boxes?"

Seeing that it was her trusted advisor asking her the question, Luna enthusiastically replied, "Most of it is gold. A few boxes are filled with other precious treasures and gems. Oh, keep an eye on the jade boxes. Those contain a few important things that need to be handed over elsewhere."

Hearing her words, the middle-aged man seemed shocked to the point of having his eyes spill out of his skull. Looking at the stream of workers, he performed a rudimentary calculation and concluded that there were a few hundred kilograms of gold at the minimum!

"Ssss...!" He inhaled sharply. He then looked at Luna with a terrified gaze and asked, "Madam Luna, just what did you trade to receive such wealth!?" He then furtively glanced around before nearing her ears and whispering, "Don't tell you held some big shot or royalty hostage!"

At his whispers, Luna exaggeratedly rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. What do you take me for?" She then confidently tapped her abundant chest and earnestly declared, "If I was holding some big-shot hostage, I would ask for at least a dozen times this amount!"

The middle-aged advisor could only nervously laugh in response. While the way she put it sounded like she was simply jesting, he knew that she was completely serious!

Luna Roseland. Outsiders only knew her to be the young female owner of the Roseland Trading Company, a mid-sized trading company that dabbled in a little bit of everything. However, insiders and aides like him knew that the truth was far from such false perceptions!

While it was true that the Roseland Trading Company used to be a mid-sized trading company that dabbled in a little bit of everything that was only the case until a few years back; before the young lady took over the business. Since her leadership, the company had grown into a behemoth whose size and scale could hardly be fathomed!

From currency to ores, spices to livestock, arms and ammunitions, medicines and drugs, Wild Beasts to people... the Roseland Trading Company dealt in everything that earned them a profit; be it legal or illegal, moral or immoral!

What was frightening about this company wasn't the sheer scale of its enterprise but the fact that a large majority of the greater world was still unaware of such a large behemoth existing right beneath the noses of everyone.

The middle-aged advisor was even willing to bet that if the true scale of the company were to ever come to light and one was able to venture a look into its complete accounts, the Roseland Trading Company would not be too far from the Black Moon Trading Company!

How frightening! How successful!!

And the person behind all this success was precisely this stunning young woman that stood next to him. It went without saying that none of this would have been possible without her.

Closing his eyes, the old advisor spoke within his heart. 'Old Master, if only you were still around and could witness the absolute brilliance of your daughter, I'm certain that you would have a heart attack!'

What genius? She had long since surpassed such a realm and had firmly stepped into being a 'Monster!' Not to mention, this 'monster' knew no ethics at all.

A true, blue-blooded merchant to the bones!

Swallowing a mouthful of his saliva, he neared Luna and asked once again, "Madam Luna, you have yet to answer my question."

"Aiyaya, why are you so curious about it? You are worse than a middle-aged aunty with nothing to do at home," said Luna. The middle-aged advisor's nose turned red yet he held his ground. After all, as a merchant himself, he was just too damn curious!

Sensing his curiosity, a proud smile appeared on Luna's lips. She then gently shrugged her shoulders and revealed the truth. "It was nothing much. I just sold a small yet irresistible piece of information about the Empire to two very curious gentlemen."

"The Empire?" The middle-aged advisor was dumbfounded. "The South Aislan Empire? The Empire that bought three large ships' worth of arms and munitions from us?"

"Precisely," Luna nodded her head. Then, a rare expression of discontent appeared on her face as she continued, "I would've sold to more factions, however, a sly snake managed to catch onto my schemes and sealed my lips." She clicked her tongue and shook her hands; all while wearing the expression of someone who had been cheated of all their family property.

Seeing her reaction, a small smile appeared on the middle-aged advisor's lips. "It seems that our Madam has suffered a rare loss."

"Loss? Who said I suffered a loss!?" Luna reacted incensed. She then wore a sly smile on her lips and retrieved something from her pocket. It was a sealed envelope. "Take a look at this." She handed it to her advisor.

The middle-aged advisor carefully received the envelope in his hands and retrieved its contents. Looking at it, his hands immediately began to tremble with excitement. "This! This! This! THIS!!"

"Hahaha," Luna let out a coy laugh. "Yep, it's precisely 'that.'" She referred to the 'Right to Trade' which she had exchanged with Wuzhi. "With this, we can finally legitimize a good portion of our company and aim for even more profits!" When she spoke the word 'profits,' a mad gleam shined within Luna's eyes.

Money was her life. Money was her everything. There was nothing that she would not do for money. There was nothing that she would not give up for money. This was Luna's mad obsession with money.

"Madam Luna, this certificate--!" Just then, the look of excitement on the middle-aged advisor's face turned into horror. The certificate in his hands suddenly caught on fire and rapidly burned away. Before anybody could react, it had turned into ashes.

"WHAT!?" Luna instantly reacted and collected the ashes. A look of absolute surprise and panic was seen on her face. With hurried actions, she quickly performed a few gestures and roused her energy.

Unfortunately, what was gone was gone. As able as she was, Luna could not turn back time to recover what was lost. For a moment, she sat there on the pier wearing a shocked and grieving look on her face.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged advisor had turned completely pale from shock and horror. Seeing his superior's reaction, he hurriedly kneeled and screamed to absolve his sins. "Madam Luna! You must believe me! I had nothing to do with this!!"

Their reactions had even drawn the attention of the workers and passersby on the pier. A few seconds later, Luna recovered her mental faculties and hurriedly rose to her feet. She then extended her hands toward her advisor and placated him. "Please get up. I know and understand that this wasn't your fault. Please, you have nothing to apologize for."

Just as she was in the process of placating him, a young man, Luna's secretary, ran out of the ship and came up to her. "Madam Luna! Madam Luna! There is bad news!"

Arriving next to her, he leveled a worried gaze towards her and rapidly informed. "We just received news that all the agents and informs that we had planted in the various factions of this continent have been found out! All the factions are furious and are demanding an explanation from us!"

"Impossible!" Luna's first reaction upon hearing that news was to deny it. After all, this information couldn't leak. "No one knows about the identities of our agents and informers except me and Darius. There's no way for it to lead--!" Luna's pupils shrunk as she suddenly recalled something.

-

Three days ago. During Luna's discussion with Wuzhi.

"Rabbit hunting? Indeed. There is much joy to be had in hunting rabbits."

"Lady Merchant understands Wuzhi. Actually, bird-watching is quite interesting too."

-

'Bird-watching! He definitely said bird-watching!' Only now did everything click in her mind. Only she and Darius, her dear pet, an Opal-Tailed Eagle, which acted as her messenger knew the identities of the various informers and agents. Recalling what Wuzhi had told her the other day, it was now evident that a third person now knew too.

'Wuzhi, you son of a b*tch! Never before have I suffered such an immense loss! Consider me to be thoroughly pissed off!' She thought with gritted teeth. At this moment, there was nothing that she wanted to do than slit that damn guy's throat.

Taking multiple breaths to calm herself, Luna then coldly ordered, "Thoroughly suspend all of our black market and under-the-table dealings in this continent for the time being. Our priority right now is to lay low. Ignore the letters from the factions. They are merely empty words and do not mean anything."

Turning around, she started to board the vessel. "I will also have to leave this continent for the time being. All operations will be henceforth overlooked by a First-Class Manager. That is all." She disappeared into the ship's hold.

While the Empire faced its enemies out in the open in a battle of fire and metal, Wuzhi and Luna fought a much more covert yet equally important battle. Not a single drop of blood was shed between them and yet the result affected the fate of a continent as a whole.

For their first battle, Luna and Wuzhi ended in a tie; both having gained and lost respective things. And in the process, both of them had found a terrible enemy in the other.

As for how their future battles would play out, it remained yet to be seen.