286-295

Chapter 286: Accidental Trigger

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

The shield swung down.

Rhode dodged Anne's attack, which had brushed him. Like a spirit emerging from between the gap of the golden shield, Rhode stretched his hand back and grabbed Joey's arm as he leaped over. Then, Rhode turned around and threw Joey to the front.

Joey knew that he was about to collide into Anne's shield and both parties tried to avoid the collision. However, just when Anne extended her arm to grab Joey, Rhode suddenly emerged behind Joey. He jumped over Anne and dashed toward Lize, who stood behind her.

Lize was taken aback, but she was reacted swiftly. She raised her arms and two beams of light descended from the sky. However, the beams failed to shroud Rhode as he nimbly sprung off Anne's shield. As a result, the beams struck Anne instead.

"L-Lize!"

The defenseless Anne was instantly weakened and fell on her bum. Before Lize was able to make amends, her vision flashed and Rhode emerged before her. Then, a suffocating pain emerged from her neck, instantly dissipating her charged spells. She instinctively took two steps back and gasped for air. At this moment, Rhode landed a heavy punch on Lize's tummy.

"No!"

Lize knelt on the ground. On the other hand, Marlene sulked and hurriedly raised her staff. She aimed at the pitch-black figure, but hesitated after witnessing Lize's plight. This moment of hesitation cost her her best chance to strike.

Marlene didn't know when did Rhode appeared by her side. All she felt was Rhode's slim, steel-like fingers clutching her wrist. In an instant, the intense pain forced Marlene to drop her staff.

"This is the end."

Rhode released his hand and said with his usual emotionless face.

"Phew..."

Everyone stared blankly. Randolf had been knocked out from the very start. Joey laid flat beside Anne and hadn't recover from his daze yet. Anne laid weakly and could only wait for Lize to dispel the curse from her.

However, Lize was retching and wouldn't be able to recover for a while to treat Anne.

"All of you performed okay, but not great," Rhode said.

After the warm-up matches, he knew that these guys had become rather complacent and arrogant. Besides, even though they knew that they were mentally-unprepared for the atmosphere in the warm-up matches, that didn't mean that their skills and techniques were unformidable. This was why Rhode didn't mind getting their heads straight on where their exact weaknesses were.

"Anne, there are still flaws in your mastery in handling the shield. It's not necessarily better for your shield to transform into all sorts of shapes and sizes. The different forms of your shield each have their unique structures, strength and speed. Even though normal mercenaries can't take advantage of them, that doesn't mean your opponents can't either."

Rhode turned to the rest.

"Lize, your battle techniques aren't skillful enough yet. Such techniques focus on rhythm, but do remember that you should be the one in control. If your opponent doesn't follow your rhythm, you must immediately think of a way to turn the tide and not just stand there blankly getting beaten."

"Yes... Mr. Rhode."

Lize stood up forcefully and gritted her teeth. Rhode twitched his brows and looked at Joey.

"Joey, you are irascible—too irascible. Remember, your opponent won't be dumb enough to reveal their weaknesses for you to take advantage. Thieves should pay particular attention to killing in a single strike, so be too mindful on how many times you attempt to attack. Before the opponent reveals his weakness, you must be aware of whether it's a chance or trap."

"Okay... I-I understand... Leader..."

Joey said even though he was still seeing stars. Although Anne managed to change her position in time for Joey to not crash his head fully on her shield, he was still dazed from the strong collision.

"Marlene."

And at last, Rhode extended his hand and patted on Marlene's shoulder as she rubbed her wrist.

"It's necessary for Mages to prepare their stance before casting spells, so you must be mindful of your opponent, who will be taking advantage of this. We are all clear that if Mages failed to prepare their spell casting stances, they won't be able to do anything. You have to prepare yourself to react to such situations."

"Yes, I will improve, Mr. Rhode."

Marlene sulked slightly even though she didn't perform as badly as she did during her test to join Starlight. However, she had no less frustrations. After all, during the test, Rhode put in more effort and took advantage of her own hesitation; if she wasn't worried that Lize would be hurt from her magical spells, she would have possibly struck Rhode.

But it was too late for regrets now.

"I hope all of you can take note that your opponents in the Midsummer Festival may be stronger than me. With your current standards, you will need to put in all efforts in order to defeat them. Don't be hesitant about whether your moves are honorable because that doesn't matter. What's important is that you must think of winning all the time. There will only be failure without victories."

Of course, that wasn't exactly the truth. In terms of levels, the opponents in Midsummer Festival wouldn't be weaker than him. However, in terms of technique masteries, even an opponent who was 10 levels higher than him wouldn't pose much of a threat. Of course, he couldn't explain that to Marlene and the rest as they wouldn't be able to understand anyway and he was better off exaggerating for them to be mentally prepared.

They were still incapable of belittling their opponents.

At this moment, Starlight had temporarily stopped all activities. There were 40 lucky winners that managed to get into Starlight via applications. Rhode wasn't too worried about their abilities because he had designated areas for each classes to polish their techniques.

Next, it would all depend on their mentality...

Right now, Starlight couldn't afford to be busy over these matters anymore. As participants in the Midsummer Festival, Rhode had decided to bring along all members in order for them to experience the atmosphere and blend everyone into the group. Of course, this was also to impose their presence. After all, mercenaries from other guilds were also participating and if Rhode didn't bring more people along, they would be looked down upon.

As for accomodations, the association had arranged them for Starlight quite meticulously. Therefore, Rhode didn't need to fork out even a single cent. Everyone was excited after knowing they could participate in the Midsummer Festival. Most of them had already started packing their stuff and getting ready to move out.

And because of this, there were no other mercenaries other than Rhode and the rest in the underground training room.

Knock knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened and Christie peered out from behind the doorway. Upon spotting Rhode, she revealed a warm smile and scuttled over.

"... Rhode... This letter... someone from the guild sent over."

"Guild?"

Rhode knitted his brows. He gently caressed Christie's hair and took over the letter.

Then, he opened his eyes wide.

Change in address?

What's going on?

On the letter written in black ink: "The venue for the Midsummer Festival has been relocated to Golden City. There are no changes to the official date, so we hope all guilds will participate on time."

Although the tone of this news was official, Rhode felt strange because he remembered clearly that the Midsummer Festival had always been held in Clayschild in the game. As for Golden City... that was even more impossible! Not to mention, the venue would still be held at the Sacred Arena?

How was this possible?

This was the first time that Rhode realised that there were differences in his memories and reality.

Suddenly, a system prompt emerged before him.

[Triggered Prestige Mission; Building systems in a Mercenary Group — Honorable Peak]

Chapter 287: Lydia's Promise

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Just as Ron had thought, the change in venue for the Midsummer Festival immediately caused a wave of controversies. This reaction was expected, since this historical festival had strangely changed its location without logical reasons. However, not many people felt that this was too weird because they knew that this was Lydia's idea. Lydia was known for her wacky behavior, so it wasn't strange for her to meddle in the preparations of the Midsummer Festival.

And what made the mercenaries most excited was that, this time, the Midsummer Festival competition would actually be held in the Sacred Arena!

This wasn't any ordinary place! In the Munn Kingdom, the Sacred Arena was known for its prestige.

A long time ago, the Sacred Arena was designated as the grounds for the selection of the bravest, strongest, and most loyal guards, in order to form a devoted group under the Light Dragon. Not only were they the biggest pride of the Munn Kingdom, but they were also the spokespersons for the strongest personnel under the Light Dragon.

Now that time had past, along with pressure from the parliament, the Light Dragon had lost its influence and the purpose of the Sacred Arena had also transformed. About a hundred years ago, the parliament 'represented' the Light Dragon to 'reject' this honorable tradition. According to them, true warriors should offer themselves to the land under the Light Dragon and not a specific existence.

However, the Munn Kingdom would never fall into the trap of the parliament because they were clearer than anyone what the real reason was. This was because the parliament was afraid that the Light Dragon Heir would gather forces to resist them. That was why the parliament purposely found an excuse to remove this activity. However, the Munn Kingdom didn't object as they continued to preserve the responsibilities of the Sacred Arena and not remove their traditions. However, the forces had changed, and the winners in the arena would no longer need to swear an oaths to the Light Dragon. Instead, they would swear an oaths as guardians of the Light Dragon. Everyone knew that the Munn Kingdom had always devoted themselves to the Light Dragon. Even though the parliament had always despised them for such 'ignorant devotion for a single person', the Munn Kingdom continued to do so with no remorse. And not only could the conflicts from both sides be seen here, but they could also be seen everywhere. From the perspective of the Country of Light's parliament, they had been dedicated in advocating that this continent belonged to the people under the Light Dragon and not a specific person. Everyone under the Light Dragon could change this world, and they, as representatives for the people, naturally had sufficient reasons to exercise their powers.

However, to the Munn Kingdom, this continent belonged to the Light Dragon and since everyone was its people, then they should follow the Light Dragon and not violate or resist its majesty and glory.

Due to the different stance on this matter, the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light's parliament had a tense relationship. From the former's perspective, the latter was comprised of disrespectful people who attempted to seize the throne. But, to the latter, the former was stubborn in not accepting advancement in history and civilization in order to protect the nobles. They, as the spokesperson of their people, should resist the rule of the prerogative classes in order for people of Country of Light to enjoy true peace and freedom!

In terms of fame and power, Munn Kingdom had contended against over 30 alliances from the Country of Light and definitely was the underdogs. In fact, other than the Munn Kingdom and some tribes by the border, most people were brainwashed in thinking that the Munn Kingdom was filled with greedy and selfish nobles who only cared for their own well-being and squeezed every cent out of all everyone... See, what a pathetic bunch.

However, many people didn't know that every year, the Munn Kingdom had been contributing a sum of money to the Country of Light, which covered one-third of their entire finance. Besides, they had even announced that these were presents for the Light Dragon. However, was the money for the Country of Light's parliament or for the people of the Country of Light? No one knew.

As long as the Country of Light parliament did their part in serving the Light Dragon as ministers, then it didn't matter where they spent the money on.

According to the Country of Light's parliament, they should gracefully reject this huge sum of money because these were gold coins that were filled with blood and tears of people forced into paying up by the evil nobles in the Munn Kingdom. They couldn't accept such filthy money.

But did they dare reject it?

Every member of the Country of Light's parliament knew clearly in their hearts that as the richest in the country and also the strongest in terms of financial stability, the sum of money was the main source of income that supported Country of Light. If they had the morals to not accept the money, the Country of Light would go bankrupt in a couple years time... This was why even though they disregarded the Country of Light's parliament, the parliament could only admit such.

Now, back to the Sacred Arena.

Although, due to these various reasons and conflicts from the higher-ups that the Light Dragon could no longer influence the arena, this place was still kept in proper. Once every few years, there would be similar tests and training, but the difference was that the winner here could become an honorable guard of the Munn Kingdom, which was also a remarkable achievement.

However, those who had the rights to enter the Sacred Arena to fight were strong personnels who were already famous and held noble statuses. To the mercenaries, although they respected this arena, they knew that this was only a dream. They didn't have the ability or right to enter this most sacred stage.

But now, their dream had come true.

And what excited the mercenaries was not only their chance to step onto this sacred stage, but this also gave them a chance for unimaginable honor. When Lydia changed the location of the Midsummer Festival, she also announced that the winner of the Midsummer Festival would not only would receive the title of Honorable Guard, but also the right to fulfill one wish of his.

Any wish!

The whole kingdom exploded with excitement.

Not only was Lydia only 16 to 17 years old, but she was also a stunning beauty. For such an exceptionally beautiful lady to confess that she could fulfill 'any wish' of the winner, any normal man would let their imagination run wild. There were some mercenaries who even began to daydream that if they became the winner, he would have the chance to get close and personal to this beautiful Royal Highness. Or maybe... If his own wish was to marry her, then wouldn't that be a huge steal?!

Even ordinary mercenaries would think of this point, not to mention the four largest guilds.

Rhode was clear of this himself.

But...

"What do you think, Marlene?"

He placed the letter down and looked at Marlene, who was knitting her brows in unsettlement.

"I don't know what's going on in Her Royal Highness' head."

Marlene said helplessly.

"The only thing I can say is that... Royal Highness Lydia isn't someone who would make rash decisions... Of course, I admit that many times, her methods seem strange at first, she always seems to control of the situation. In fact, only when everything settles down will you then realise that she had actually planned every single step..."

"I know what you mean."

Rhode empathized. It was the same as in the game. Lydia would often come up with strange ideas during the fight against the Country of Dark, appointing missions that the players felt were ridiculous. However, everytime players completed the mission, they realised that they had contributed the most in turning the war to their side. And all it was due to Lydia's out-of-the-box thinking that the Munn Kingdom could resist the Country of Dark for so long...

However, in the end, she still failed.

Rhode knew Lydia well and due to this reason, he had a tingling feeling that there was a scheme lingering behind this announcement. Maybe this sentence sounded like an unintentional mistake, but Rhode was confident that she had everything planned.

You would be wrong to think that Archangels wouldn't resort to crafty plots and machinations...

Besides, there was this [Honorable Peak] mission.

There weren't many details and there was only a single line on the mission board.

"The winner of the Midsummer Festival will return to the path of honor and reproduce the lost glory."

Just a short sentence without any specific goal or reward. But Rhode didn't feel like this was a dispensable mission because the color of this mission indicated that it was an elite mission, and remunerations would be generous.

Not to mention, Lydia's promise...

Rhode folded the letter and stood up.

"Marlene, is everyone ready to move out?"

"We can move out anytime, Mr. Rhode."

Marlene said confidently.

"Good."

Rhode nodded and opened the huge door.

"Alright then, let's go."

Chapter 288: An Unpleasant Journey

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

The chariot was smooth sailing on the flat road. Rhode lifted his head and gazed out of the window. The warm, orange rays from the sunset seeped through the dense forest, bringing an indolent and cozy sensation. Christie sat beside him, let off a gentle hum, and continued her sweet dreams after adjusting her position slightly.

"We're almost there, Mr. Rhode," Marlene said.

Although the journey from Deep Stone City to Golden City wasn't too arduous, it wasn't too comfortable too either as Golden City wasn't in the path of the strong gales, which was why Rhode couldn't board the floating boats. He could only board the chariot and go through deep hill roads before reaching Silver Town. From there, he would board a ship through Emerald River and if everything went well, it would take around five days for him to reach Golden City.

Although such long distance trips were already a norm to Rhode and the rest, this experience wasn't any different from hell for those who were physically less fit like Lapis and Christie. It was especially so for Christie as she couldn't endure the harsh journey. Due to this reason, Rhode had specially spent a large amount of money to hire two grand, comfortable six-wheeled chariots, which were stable and had much space within. They could hold up to eight passengers with soft sofas for travellers to forget about their fatigue and could allow the passengers to lean back and take short naps. These chariots were most commonly used by nobles whenever they needed to go on a trip. The chariots that Rhode had boarded were given to him by the Keller Family's Chief and also the city owner, Klautz. Not only were the chariots brand new, but the logos were also imprinted with Starlight's emblem. Even though Starlight might not be comparable with the guilds, they had to uphold their honor as a representative of Paphield.

Rhode had actually decided not to bring Christie along as he knew that this journey wouldn't be as casual as most people thought. Many members of Starlight felt that this journey was only for an ordinary festival and they would just be there as the crowd. However, Rhode knew that it wasn't that simple as they might meet unforeseen obstacles and troubles.

But in the end, Rhode decided to bring her along because it was also a good opportunity for Christie. The winner could get one of his wishes granted by Lydia, and this was a good chance to cure Christie's conditions. Initially, Rhode thought that he would be able to gain Lydia's attention by performing outstandingly at the Midsummer Festival. From there on, he would work on getting Lydia's grace and request such wishes.

But since Lydia had directly laid out such alluring conditions, Rhode would surely take it.

This was why he kept Christie at his side and this time, he personally found two chariots for the purpose of letting Christie have a good rest in order to prevent any situations before they even reached Golden City.

Now it seemed that perhaps due to the peaceful journey or the long separation from Rhode, Christie was obedient and cheerful. However, this long journey had indeed fatigued her as she stopped drawing three hours ago and instantly fell into deep sleep while leaning on him.

"We're almost there."

Rhode looked out of the window and nodded. Marlene extended her hand and knocked lightly on the window. Soon enough, the sprinting chariot gradually slowed down and they searched for a suitable camping venue.

In the end, the chariot stopped at a piece of empty land beside the forest. After sitting for a whole day in the chariot, Anne quickly jumped off the vehicle and cleaned up the camping venue and set up tents. On the other chariot, Randolf, Joey, and the rest alighted and assisted Anne with the chores. They parked the chariots at opposite ends with the camp in the middle and the horses tied to the tree trunks. Marlene chanted and formed a gorge around the camp to prevent any attacks from wild beasts or other dangers. Anne, on the other hand, leaped around within the forests and vented her pent up energy while looking for prey for dinner. Lize wasn't lazing around either as she searched for firewood to start a bonfire.

On the outside, this wasn't any different from an ordinary journey.

But Rhode knew that this was the only time for them to remain carefree.

Once they stepped into Golden City, it would mean the start of their battles.

Suddenly, Gillian emerged beside Rhode.

"What's your intention, Master?"

"Intention?"

Rhode twitched his brows. Gillian let out a chuckle and glanced at everyone who was busy preparing the site. She put her finger by her lips.

"Of course, I'm referring to the intention that they don't know. Master, what do you think of their chances in the Midsummer Festival?"

"I am 100% confident." Rhode replied without even the slightest pause.

"Winning is everything. In order to attain that goal, I will not let loose... Why? Could it be that you can't wait any longer?"

"Slightly."

Gillian cheerily jumped off the chariot, stretched her hands, and spun around lithely.

"Although I'm sure Master isn't such a person, it seems like you never changed. But, it's fine since I'm most familiar with you, Master... So then, is there anything you need my help for?"

"I don't need your help this time around."

Rhode gave her a shocking answer. She stared at Rhode dubiously before sneakily turning around to gaze at everyone who was busy sweeping and setting up tents. The young lady knitted her brows.

"So... Master, you are intending to do that? Is that why you made Old Walker bring his men over to Golden City first?"

"That's right."

Rhode's eyes glinted with smiles. Although there weren't any changes in his expression, it was as though a hungry pack of wolves lurked in his eyes.

"We can never fight the four guilds up front. Especially considering Lydia's announcement, as they would never let this chance go. But that's alright because they won't be too mindful of small fries like us, which presents an opportunity. However, an opportunity won't be enough, so we have to create our own victory... Since we can't defeat them up front, we can only do it another way."

"Is there anything I can help with, Master?"

Gillian guessed his thoughts on this matter. At this moment, her eyes glinted while her tail wagged anxiously.

"Of course, by then..."

Suddenly, a burst of footsteps sounded from nearby, which forced Rhode and Gillian to exchange a look of suspicion.

What happened?

Lapis scuttled over in panic.

"L-Leader! Trouble! Trouble! Sister Lize is about to battle someone!"

"What?"

Rhode frowned and lifted his hand to get Lapis to calm down. At this moment, Christie, who was in Rhode's arms, woke up and opened her eyes. She shook off her daze and puzzledly looked at Lapis, totally unaware of the situation. Rhode gently caressed her hair and after the little girl calmed down, he asked.

"What happened exactly?"

"I-It's like this... Just as we were tidying the site, suddenly there were a bunch of guards... They insisted of having our campsite and turned aggressive. They refused to hear Sister Lize's words and even tried to chase us away. Sister Marlene is also heading there now..."

Bam!

Before Lapis finished her sentence, an explosion erupted and dark smoke billowed.

Chapter 289: Road to the Deceased

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

When Rhode arrived at the 'crime scene', everything had ended.

A scorched circle was clearly seen on the flat ground. Sparks danced on the yellow, withered grasses as black smoke billowed. Nearby five to six fully-armored men who resembled guards laid on their stomachs and stared at the 'main culprit', who was just a few steps away from them.

"Let me hear such unreasonable words again and I guarantee that all of you won't live to see tomorrow!"

Marlene glared at the frightened men. Rhode sensed a thick murderous intent exuding from her, so thick that it almost formed a surging, massive flame ball. It was almost miraculous occurence for Marlene to be this furious.

"What happened?"

Rhode walked up to the speechless Lize and asked softly. Lize hurriedly grabbed onto his arm and stuttered.

This group of guards had arrived not long after Rhode's group began setting up camp. Similar to Rhode, the men had also stopped by this area and wanted to set up camp. However, the guards were violent perhaps after witnessing how timid and weak Lize and Lapis appeared to be, which was why they threatened them aggressively. Lapis was timid by nature, while Lize stood firmly to express her wrath. In Lize's perspective, this place was huge enough for two teams. Besides, they were the ones who arrived first, so why must they make way for the guards?

Although Lize was reasonable, the world didn't work this way, as fists overpowered reasons. The guards who failed to defeat Lize in an argument raged. Judging Lize in her Cleric robe, they thought that she was an easy target, which was why they threatened them both. Lize quickly got Lapis to report to Rhode while she continued to confront them.

Up until this moment, everything was within Rhode's expectations.

However, what happened next was totally unexpected.

Marlene instantly rushed to Lize's side. Although Lize could easily handle the guards with her current battle techniques, Marlene still went over to help since they were childhood friends.

Lize indeed didn't face any dangers.

Although the guards appeared fierce and menacing, they weren't bandits, after all. It was another matter to bring their weapons out in battle. That was why they only acted on their mouths and not fists, continuing to humiliate Lize without any intention of pulling punches.

But now, it seemed like it would have been a wiser choice had they thrown their punches.

The guards were also down on their luck. As Marlene arrived, they were hurling low-class vulgarities and even mentioned Lize's private parts. And after they saw Marlene, they dragged her into it as well.

They had messed with the hornet's nest this time.

As a noble and a prideful person, there was only one reaction from Marlene after she witnessed this bunch of men gesturing obscenely and shaking their bums simultaneously.

Before Lize could stop Marlene, it was already too late.

Fortunately, those guys weren't directly barbequed, and they should be thankful to their gods for saving their lives.

At this moment, the guards were pale and shivering in fear as they looked up at the cold-blooded young lady. They realised that they had nearly committed suicide. They humiliated a Mage! Were they sick and tired of living already?

Rhode pondered for a moment before walking up to Marlene and grabbed her shoulder.

"Okay, Marlene, I'll take over from here."

"Mr. Rhode?"

Marlene knitted her brows. She showed signs of hesitations, but eventually lowered her staff and headed off in a foul mood. It had to be said that after training in the mercenary group for so long, Marlene had shown some improvements. If this was her before joining the mercenary group, she would have immediately sent them to their graves.

But now... Although she was furious at them, she knew that most mercenaries behaved like these guards after spending so much time with them, which was why she had gradually gotten used to such behaviors. Of course, acceptance was one matter, while encountering was another.

The guards stood up frantically after Marlene walked off and anxiously gazed at Rhode. They considered running for their lives, but their feet seemed to freeze after sensing the cold stare from Rhode.

Oh my goodness, why am I so unlucky! Damn it, I should have said less just now. Now, now... what should I do!

Just as the guards were speechless, suddenly, a frantic voice sounded from behind them.

"W-What happened? Did you guys do this? What was that explosion?"

The guards calmed down instantly. This usually annoying voice had become angelic in this situation. They let out long sighs of relief simultaneously. It wasn't up to them to decide what was coming, and they could only leave it to fate.

The guards relaxed at this thought.

Rhode lifted his head and saw a few chariots filled with goods stopped by the main road. A fat figure ran over, which appeared kind of comical.

But for some unknown reasons, Rhode and Lize were stunned after hearing the voice as though it was somewhat familiar...

Soon enough, the owner of the voice appeared before them.

It was a fat merchant who wore a broad robe. His round, bubbly face was filled with oil and sweat. From the looks of it, he lacked exercise as such a short sprint left him panting for air.

"Why don't you people speak? Mute? Huh? What happened? Who are they?"

The fat merchant turned around and looked at Lapis, who was terrified. He puckered his brows dubiously and turned to Marlene, who was fiddling with her staff innocently. He sulked instantly as he guessed what exactly happened...Damn it. This bunch of idiots messed with a Mage? I knew these idiots weren't reliable at all. After this transaction, I will definitely fire them!

The fat merchant swore inwardly and took in deep breaths before turning to Rhode and Lize. As a merchant, it was important for him to discern what others were thinking based on their body language. The reason he didn't immediately turn his attention to Rhode was because he wanted to figure out what exactly happened. Now it seemed to be a troublesome matter as he was clear of the guards' etiquettes and he had even considered firing these idiots before. But now, he had been dragged into such problems again. These idiots even dare to mess with a Mage? This bunch of damn... bastards! The fat merchant whined, but it wasn't nice to delay the time anymore. In the end, he gritted his teeth and faced Rhode, praying that the man would be a reasonable person.

After taking a clear look at both of them, the fat merchant was taken aback. Then, he raised his right arm and gazed with wide-opened eyes.

"I-I-Isn't... Isn't this... Mr. Rhode?!"

"Long time no see, Mr. Matt."

Rhode nodded expressionlessly. Then, he glanced at the chariot filled with goods by the roadside.

"It seems like you've been doing well."

Chapter 290: Big Business Deal

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Rhode didn't recognize the wrong person. This fat merchant was indeed Matt, who he had met when they escaped from the wreckage of the floating boat when he first arrived in this world. To be frank, although this merchant was sort of troublesome, he was actually rather kind in nature. After they parted ways in Deep Stone City, they never met again. But, who knew they would actually reunite here.

Since they knew each other, the following matter was easier settled. Matt wasn't an unreasonable person, and besides, although he had never met with Rhode and the rest after parting, he ran business within Paphield and naturally heard the news of Rhode's Starlight. Furthermore, this incident was technically his men's fault, which was why Matt had no qualms in apologizing to Marlene on behalf of his men. Marlene, on the other hand, had decided to not pursue the matter further as she had once heard from Lize the incident when Matt, Rhode, and her escaped the Twilight Forest. Therefore, she was more or less aware of this fat merchant and since this man was sincere in his apologies, Marlene decided not to hold a grudge anymore.

This conflict had been put to an end almost immediately.

In the end, both parties decided to share the campsite. Matt naturally welcomed this invitation. Although this wasn't the first time that they met this fat merchant, Rhode and Lize finally had the chance to watch him display his strong interpersonal skills. Although, due to the previous conflict, Rhode and the rest were standoffish with the guards, Matt was not affected at all. He brought a huge warm smile to everyone and chatted about the recent good weather, shared his knowledge and experiences, and passed rare gifts to everyone at the end of their conversation. Then, everyone who was objective about the guards, finally changed their attitudes, not to mention the always carefree Anne, Lapis, and Christie who had always been afraid of strangers. They admired the exquisite art gifts they had received.

Matt wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat by the bonfire. Then, he sneezed after gulping down a mouthful of wine, which left him he feeling much better.

"I didn't expect you to be so capable," Rhode said. Matt smiled cheekily in response and tucked the wine pot back into his bag.

"I've got no choice, Mr. Rhode. People in this industry need to be amiable. If everyone feels good, it makes businesses much easier? Ah... I promise that such incidents won't happen again. I will immediately fire that bunch of useless idiots once we returned to the Trade Association! Goddamnit! They even dared to offend a Mage. They must be sick of living..."

"It seems like you're doing fine?"

"The ways of the world are never easy."

Facing Rhode's taunt, Matt let out a bitter smile and shook his head while letting out a long sigh.

"Life isn't easy nowadays. Ever since the floating boat got wrecked, I lost almost half of my assets and now the Silver Libra Trade Association is struggling. We hardly get by everyday."

"Oh?"

Rhode twitched his brows.

"I remember when the trade route was sealed off, many items increased in price. Could it be that you didn't earn a fortune from that, Mr. Matt?"

"I do want to earn a fortune from that," Matt said with a face full of hopelessness. He scratched his head as the wide smile on his face faded. This indeed was a huge trouble for Matt.

"If it went according to what you said, Mr. Rhode, the sealing of the trade route should be a good opportunity for me. Even though I lost almost half of my assets, at least I could earn back my losses with the other half. But the damned Trade Association actually used this chance to jack the price up! Do you think I dared do it? My gosh, I still have my parents and children to feed. I can't risk getting hanged like those idiots who went against the price!"

As a travelling merchant, Matt had always been sensitive to such incidents. From the jacking up of price, he had already sensed that something was off and because of that, he didn't get involved with business transactions.

Just as expected, although the rise in price was considerably small, Matt wasn't able to recoup his losses. He felt that he had earned much more than the corpses swaying on the hanging post; after all, there was no use of money if one didn't even have the life to spend it.

"So then, this time around..."

"Because Her Highness Lydia decided to hold the Midsummer Festival in Golden City, I decided to try my luck and see if I could make a windfall out of it. To be honest, I came to a partnership agreement with Golden City. You see... My chariots are filled with wine and spices for Golden City. The price of these commodities are two times higher than before... And I can recoup my losses if everything goes well."

Although Matt sounded optimistic, Rhode discovered that this fat merchant wasn't that confident, after all. Besides, he was also clear that business profits relied strongly on opportune timing. And if Matt was able to hand over all his inventory in a short period of time, perhaps he could recoup his losses. However, the stir from the Trade Association would force Matt to delay his plans and his losses would be even greater that way. This was why Rhode empathized even though Matt seemed optimistic when he explained. There were no signs of happiness in his expression at all. Even if he could make up the losses with this business deal, the future losses would still be huge. The fat merchant should be thankful that he hadn't hung himself while crying to death.

"Forget it; let's not talk about these depressing issues."

Matt realised that he sounded disheartening. He shook his head and let out a long sigh. He turned to Rhode and revealed a smile which said that these were things all men know.

"And about you, Mr. Rhode, we haven't met for a short while and you already have so many beautiful girls by your side. Sigh... I'm so envious. Although I heard rumors of Starlight when I roamed around Paphield, now I know that the rumors weren't exagarating at all. Haha, they even said... Forget it; it's nothing."

Although Matt didn't continue his sentence, Rhode was certain that Matt was about to mention things like "a pretty leader leading a group of beauties, what a beautiful sight..."

This wasn't unexpected, considering Rhode had also heard such rumors from time to time.

"But... Miss Christie looks adorable. Even Miss Gillian and Miss Anne are rare beauties. Mr. Rhode, from a man's perspective, I am really envious of you."

Matt definitely came equipped with the ability to chit-chat. Before the situation turned awkward, he hurriedly started another topic as he faced the little girl opposite him, who was fiddling with a crystal ball in her hand. That was the present Matt had given to her. There was a house within the crystal ball and a figure of a little girl. The four seasons of the inside world would change as one turned the ball upside down. This was a magical item, but it just provided some mere amusement. However, Christie didn't seem to get tired of it as she excitedly observed the world within the crystal ball.

"That's life for you." Rhode sneered without any change to his expression. Matt scratched his head and displayed a bitter smile.

"To be popular with so many beauties of my age is definitely too difficult... Mr. Rhode, you have to work hard. Oh yes, there's also Lize. From what I see, her attitude towards you hasn't changed one bit."

"Huh?"

Rhode puckered his brows. He looked at Lize on the other side of the bonfire, who was currently speaking softly to Marlene.

"Mr. Matt, what plans do you have after your business in Golden City?"

"Plans?"

Matt was surprised by Rhode's question.

"Hmm... Temporarily, I have none, as I will need to see the reaps of this trip first. If I can't even make a profit, I won't be able to do what I want to do. But if I get lucky, I will start from the very beginning again... Sigh, it has been awhile since I had such emotions. Thinking back to when I was a merchant apprentice... Sigh..."

An idea came into Rhode's mind. Then, he asked, "If that's the case, Mr. Matt... Are you interested in a big business deal with Starlight?"

"Huh?"

Matt stared blankly.

Chapter 291: A Small Invitation

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Matt revealed a shocked expression upon hearing Rhode's words. He widened his eyes dubiously and stared at the black-haired young man as if trying to figure out his true intentions. However, Matt gave up because he couldn't get a read from Rhode's expressionless face.

"What business?"

Matt couldn't hold in his curiosity anymore. Although he wasn't heavily in debt, he wasn't far from being bankrupt either. Even if his business transaction went well in Golden City, it wouldn't change Silver Libra's state. If it were anyone else suggesting this, Matt might consider it as a trap. But since it came from Rhode, he felt much more assured.

"Since you have heard about Starlight, you should also know why we're heading to Golden City."

"That's for sure, Mr Rhode."

Matt showed his huge thumb.

"I have to congratulate you guys. I didn't expect Mr. Rhode to be so capable as to make a mercenary group that was about to be disbanded the hottest topic in Paphield. To be frank, I admire you a lot, Mr. Rhode. If I could be half as capable as you, our Trade Association wouldn't be in this terrible state..."

"Since you're aware, it makes things easier."

Rhode nodded slightly. He glanced at everyone and said.

"I guess Mr. Matt must be clear that if we get promoted into a guild, we won't be able to sustain our operations based on our current situation. A guild requires a certain extent of assistance, but I don't have any good candidates in Paphield. I have been troubling over this matter... Mr. Matt, are you interested in this?"

"This..."

Matt was astonished.

"Regarding this, I..."

"Of course, I won't let you do it for free because I understand the current state of your Trade Association. After all, you have already explained to me just now... So, if you wish to accept my invitation, Starlight will gift a batch of magical potions to you every month. What do you think?"

"Magical potions?!"

Matt jumped up from the ground with his shivering legs. He stared with eyes so wide that they were about to pop off.

He couldn't be blamed for being so excited. The magical potions were more precious than gold to all merchants. In the past, magical potions were common. But now, after hundred years of battles, many recipes for magical potions had vanished and most of the remaining recipes belonged to the Alchemist Association. Most people wouldn't be able to have them, whereas only Mages and rich nobles could get their hands on them through various channels. To the others, the magical potions were as good as legends, and even the cheapest magical potions could be as valuable as a high-grade gem.

However, there were still many people trying to obtain the magical potions and because of that, the prices had never fallen. Materials required to make the magical potions were rare, but the recipes themselves were also hard to obtain, not to mention low success rates using alchemist skills. Furthermore, the Alchemist Association had strong control over the recipes and not anyone could create anything out of them. Although Lapis had the techniques of an Alchemist Apprentice previously, she was not valued by the Mark White Mercenary Group. If it weren't for Rhode, who retrieved the records from his game where the potion recipes were modified by players, it would take three to five years to create a bottle of potion based on Lapis' ability.

Matt knew that Rhode had many magical potions on hand. After all, there were so many members in Starlight Mercenary Group and everyone was seen with a few bottles. Anyone who saw them were envious and jealous. Back then, Matt didn't think much of them because he was aware of Rhode's noble status, so obtaining a few bottles of magical potions wasn't impossible. It was just rather wasteful to use them on mercenaries.

But now, it seemed that things weren't as simple as what Matt had thought. Since Rhode had promised to give him a batch of magical potions every month, this meant that Rhode had enough channels to obtain them. Matt had to give a thorough consideration about this matter because, after all, the magical potions could bring him huge profits. If Rhode gave him 20 bottles of ordinary magical potions, Matt would definitely be able to recoup his losses within half a years' time!

Right now, he had no choice but to consider.

"To be honest, Mr. Rhode. This request of yours has given me a huge surprise..."

Matt carefully spoke in fear of offending the young man.

"But... Please pardon my rudeness. Why me? Mr. Rhode, I appreciate the offer but, to be honest, I almost nodded instantly after hearing your words. But... Please pardon me for being straightforward. Just as you've said, I understand the relationship between guilds and trade associations. But, although the Silver Libra Trade Association is indeed influential in Paphield, we aren't that powerful yet. In fact, I feel... We can't bear such heavy responsibility."

What Matt said was the truth. Guilds and the trade associations supporting them from behind the scenes were traceable to the same stock. No matter politics or economics, the other 4 largest guilds had deeply rooted forces and networks. Moreover, their benefits were closely entangled with the forces behind the scenes. Compared to them, Matt's Silver Libra was more like a sapling within the gigantic tree. That was why Matt felt tremendous pressure in this issue as though a local chain store was venturing internationally against the big names, where success was minimal.

Rhode wasn't surprised by Matt's response. Instead, he nodded inwardly.

Although this fat merchant didn't seem reliable, he was a person who understood his own situation. Rhode knew that if he laid the same offer to other merchants, they would've immediately accepted without hesitations. After all, no matter what, this represented a huge sum of remunerations. However, Matt was able to return to his senses from the surprise, which showed how objective and rational he was.

But it was also due to this that it further strengthened Rhode's will to collaborate with him. Only one who wasn't blinded by remunerations was worthy of being his ally. As for those who could give up their principles for the sake of remunerations, even if he could provide support for the sake of remunerations, he would also betray you for the same reason. Rhode definitely didn't need such a person by his side. Matt knew his own place and was the most ideal partner.

Matt said that he didn't have the foundation and wasn't suitable to be Rhode's partner, but he didn't know that that was why Rhode chose him.

Guilds that solely relied on behind-the-scenes forces for income and political assistance to survive would eventually lose their ability to live independently. The gigantic tree that they were from would gradually transform into vines that crawled toward other tree branches. This was the reason why trade associations supported the guilds; they hoped for powers to protect their own benefits. In short, the guilds were like their own private army.

However, Rhode didn't wish for Starlight to head down this path. Indeed, there were more powerful supporters than Matt, such as the Keller Family and Klautz, who had hinted to Rhode in this aspect. However, Rhode didn't agree as he didn't want to become the private army of Paphield. He had no interest in taking orders from others.

Because of this, being financially independent was essential.

However, it was a difficult task for guilds to survive financially on their own because they didn't have a stable income and it was rather risky. Furthermore, in order to maintain their ruling position, most would choose to take in more members, which in turn led to financially heavy situations. Due to this reason, the mercenary groups could either rely on their local political forces to maintain their ruling position and lighten the burden in this aspect or they rely on trade associations to recruit more members with their financial resources.

However, Rhode was different as he held a resource other guilds didn't have, and that was the manufacturing of potions. Lapis with her MAX levelled alchemist technique could quickly create many potions. Along with Rhode's modified recipe, Lapis could make at least 30 to 50 healing potions a month. Furthermore, she had the special talent of the Behermes Family, so the effects of these healing potions would be two times better than ordinary potions on the market. One could even say that no matter how seriously wounded one's men were, as long as they were not dead, they could still be rescued.

Such healing potions would definitely have sky-high prices.

But, although Rhode held such a resource, he lacked a necessary way out. After all, selling potions required a lot of time and energy. Rhode's current focus was on running the mercenary group and he couldn't find the time to manage these matters. Because of that, he had to ask Matt for help. As a small trade association within Paphield, Matt had his own trading network. Even though the trading network might not be huge, Rhode was confident that the magical potions he supplied would definitely be sold out. After all, these were trading networks with standardized rules and regulations. If Rhode wished to meddle in it, god knows how long it would take him to start up.

This way, Matt's Silver Libra required Rhode's supply of magical potions and Rhode's guild could be maintained with the income from the trade association. Both parties would be able to maintain their ranks and balance. And because Silver Libra didn't have the influence over the whole Paphield region, Rhode didn't need to worry about others snatching the territory, which could complement each other into a win-win situation.

Of course, these were the intentions in Rhode's mind. To Matt, he naturally had other opinions.

"I can understand your feelings, Mr. Matt."

Rhode shrugged.

"And it's because of this that I feel you're the most suitable business partner for me. You mentioned that your Silver Libra isn't able to influence the whole Paphield region, but so what? My Starlight used to always be obscure and unknown too. We must pave our own ways and trust me, if we work together, we can get desirable results."

"This..."

Matt hesitated. Although he couldn't figure out what was going on in Rhode's head, he understood that if he roped in a good relationship with Rhode, it would be beneficial for his own trade association, so he didn't have to worry much within Paphield, at the very least. However, these weren't all the problems Matt was worried about from the start. What he was hesitant about was whether the forces behind the 4 largest guilds would act.

"As for the 4 largest guilds, you don't need to worry."

Rhode spoke as though he had read Matt's mind.

"If anything were to happen, leave it to Starlight to handle. I can't guarantee that Mr. Matt's trade association won't suffer any losses at all, but I can guarantee that Starlight will stand alongside your trade association no matter what. If Mr. Matt feels that this is worth the risk, then..."

Matt remained silent as he stared at the bonfire before him. His eyes were filled with complications. In the end, he let out a long sigh and struggled to stand up on his feet.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rhode. This is an important question, and I can't answer you right now... Please allow me to consider it carefully."

"Sure, Mr. Matt."

Although there wasn't a definitive answer, Rhode had already expected this. He had witnessed Matt's cautious personality when he was in Twilight forest back then. Although such personality would be troublesome during adventures, one had to admit that it was necessary to make logical and right calls for a merchant.

"I understand your worries, so I won't force you to make a decision. You can think about it and my invitation will still be effective until the end of Midsummer Festival."

"Thank you."

Matt revealed a bitter smile, turned around, and walked into his campsite with heavy steps. He shook his head and sighed. It seemed like he hadn't return to his senses yet...

Rhode gazed in silence. At this moment, a slender figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"How was it, Master? Did it work?"

Gillian twitched her ears and swayed her tail. Rhode shook his head as a response.

"No one knows what will happen next. I hope Mr. Matt can understand this... No matter what, at least until now, I can't find a partner better than him."

"You really trust that fatty?"

Gillian blinked her eyes curiously.

"Master, although both of you experienced an adventure together, people do change, you know? Even though they might display a worthy side in life and death situations, they might put up a mask when they're back to their normal lives."

"Of course, I understand what you meant, Gillian," Rhode said. Meanwhile Matt's back had disappeared into the opposite campsite.

"But I have decided to give him a chance and if he agrees to my suggestion, it would be for the best. But, if he rejects, it would just mean a slight trouble for my side, that's all. Such troubles are within my calculations."

Chapter 292: Golden City

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

For the next few days, the journey went smoothly.

Although Matt chose to go on the journey with Rhode, he seemed to have forgotten about Rhode's invitation to collaborate as he warm heartedly chatted with everyone from the mercenary group about everything. However, Rhode wasn't worried about Matt at all because he knew what he was thinking.

"Before the Midsummer Festival ends, he won't have a response."

Rhode twitched his brows and glanced at the scenery outside the window.

"It's in the nature of merchants to value money highly so if he feels like he will lose more than gain, he will surely give up. Even though I saved his life in Twilight Forest, he won't obediently give his life to me as repayment. I can guarantee that he was indeed interested, but he was still doubtful of our mercenary group's abilities. That's why he's waiting for the Midsummer Festival results and if we perform well enough, he will be assured. But, if we perform poorly, he doesn't even need to consider my offer at all."

"Humans are a troublesome bunch."

Gillian let out a chuckle as she caressed her fluffy tail with a look of disdain.

"But, these are also the merits of being humans. Efforts in thinking, troubling and deciding, hoping that their decisions were the right one."

"I hope so too."

Rhode shook his head. Suddenly, he felt a tiny hand tugging on his sleeves. He turned and saw Christie looking at him with a gentle smile, at the same time raising her drawing board with him drawn on it. It had to be said that Christie's drawing skills were great. Although she had drawn with only a charcoal pen, the results were remarkably true to life. The beautiful art pieces had become a way for Christie to make friends. In Starlight, the members closer to Christie, including Marlene, Anne, and Lize, had also received a portrait of themselves that were drawn by her.

However... Looking at this 'black-haired beauty', Rhode couldn't feel happy because he thought that Christie had a too beautiful impression of himself. Why must it be that every time this little girl drew a portrait of himself, he always looked like a beauty? Could it be that Christie had never seen any manliness in himself?

Of course, although Rhode felt helpless, he wouldn't do anything to hurt Christie. So, he smiled and nodded before extending his hand to gently fondle her smooth, long hair.

"Very well drawn. You should take a break, Christie."

"Okay."

Christie nodded happily and put down the drawing board. Meanwhile, Rhode retrieved a handkerchief and carefully rubbed the charcoal stains off her fingers. Lize and Marlene couldn't help but whisper into each others' ears.

"Mr. Rhode treats Miss Christie so well. If this were seen by outsiders, maybe they would be mistaken for sis-... siblings."

Lize immediately corrected her sentence as she sensed a chill down her spine. On the other hand, Marlene admired the portrait after taking a closer look. Then, she let out a sigh.

"Christie's drawing skills are getting better. I never expected her to have such talents..."

Marlene flipped through Christie's drawings and mumbled. Then, something caught her attention and she covered the portraits with a blush.

"What's wrong, Marlene? What did you see?"

Lize asked in astonishment. Christie's work consisted of the daily lives of mercenaries, which was almost like a photobook for Starlight. However, this photobook didn't consist of photos, but drawings.

Everyday, many of them spent their leisure time admiring Christie's work because the little girl was always able to notice details most people weren't aware about. Even though some things were always in their sight, everyone would realise that 'those things actually existed' only through her polishing and finishing touches.

"It's nothing, Lize. There's some uncompleted ones at the end..."

Marlene answered vaguely. Lize sensed that something was amiss and she gazed at Marlene curiously. At this moment, Gillian shook her head while rejoicing in Marlene's misfortune.

"Marlene, you..."

As Lize spoke, the chariot slowed down. Then, the chariot driver knocked on the window and broke the awkward atmosphere.

"Everyone, we are reaching Golden City soon."

"Eh?"

Anne, who was deeply asleep, jumped up after opening her eyes and looked out of the window in fascination.

Soon enough, the chariot came to a halt and everyone alighted in sequence. Then, they witnessed an incredibly beautiful scenery.

Under the summer skies, the city in the distance beamed with dazzling radiance. The clear rivers surrounded the tall city walls. Green, carpet-like forests spread wide and revealed the dazzling city. That was in the center of the Munn Kingdom and was also the most beautiful and resplendent jewel on this continent: Golden City.

As one of the most popular cities in the Dragon Soul Continent, Golden City covered a large tract of land and was densely populated. Also, as the heart of the Dragon Soul Continent's main commercial traffic and transportation, a total of six rivers converged and formed a huge lake that surrounded this city. The Silver River and Jade River ran through to form the northern and southern parts of the continent. On the eastern side, the Crystal River linked up to the Dragon Sea, which made transportation accessible from all sides. The lake surrounding Golden City formed a natural barrier, separating itself from the outside world.

As the most beautiful and richest city on the continent, various rumors had always spread about Golden City. One of them said that the whole ground of the city was laid in white jade. And at the side of the roads, exquisites sculptures were erected, with weapons made of cast gold. The sculpture's eyes were perfectly beautiful gems. The Angels' temple was located in the center of the city and was the most important of all. Clear spring water flowed by the sides of the road. The temple was up to ten meters tall and in the presence of Angels. Rumor has it that the temple was filled with rare treasures and even the magical crystal lamps on the wall were the most precious fire source crystals. Some even mentioned that the walls were filled with beautiful murals of golden silk and silver linings, making it a spectacular sight.

Rhode was very clear that on the south side, there was a beautiful red maple leaf forest. The trees there never withered and were pleasing to the eyes, but not many people knew about them. These were the execution grounds for Lydia to get rid of those guilty of terrible crimes. The determination in her perception of beauty was omnidirectional...

Some of these rumors were true while some were just fantasies. But, with so many rumors spreading around, only two of them mattered in the end: the Golden City was indeed both wealthy and luxurious.

Not to mention that Lydia had also stepped up and wished to revamp the entire Golden City. Even though rumors might not be true, they were very similar to the truth.

In the game, this had been a hot topic among the players. To many players, Lydia's actions resembled those of people who had too much money to spare. Based on the novels they usually read, the true nobles should be more reserved, filled with inner qualities, and not rely on money to show off their own presence by revamping the surface. However, there was a group of players who retorted this idea. Even if Lydia had indeed spent too much money, at least she spent it to construct such a breathtaking city. Everyone was a common civilian and couldn't understand elegant abstract paintings, so since she had spent so much money to make something so elegant and luxurious, it meant that the money was well spent, right?

At this moment, standing by the edge of the mountain trail, Rhode couldn't help but think back on his journey in the game while looking at this beautiful city. Back then, when other players and himself arrived in this city for the first time, they excitedly cheered like country bumpkins who had never left their villages. Some even gave up their missions and ended up spending up to 10 days exploring this area. As soon as they saw the beautiful scenery, they would record and upload them to forums for discussion. In the end, this became a venue for online couples, and even for himself... Cough cough, this topic went too far.

Rhode shook his head and returned to his senses. At this moment, the others were also staring blankly. Christie looked at the beautiful city in astonishment and anticipation. Anne jumped for joy and the others were worried that she might fall down the mountain cliff.

Marlene remained calm as she grew up in Golden City. She was familiar with everything in this place. On the other hand, Lize was feeling a little nostalgic as she stared blankly. Her eyes revealed some signs of uncertainty, anticipation, pain, and hesitation, yet also determination.

Interesting.

Rhode knitted his brows as he observed her expression. He wasn't too concerned about Lize's past. However, since she had known Marlene since young, it meant that Lize must have also grown up in Golden City and her social status wasn't too low too. With Marlene's identity, how would it be possible for her to play in the mud with other, ordinary kids?

So then, what was Lize's true identity?

Rhode turned back and gazed at Marlene. He hesitated for a moment and decided not to ask. He had a premonition that not long after, Lize would explain to him everything.

After admiring the beautiful scenery of Golden City, everyone returned to the chariot and continued their journey. Soon enough, they arrived at the outer region of Golden City.

Although there were more than people arriving in Golden City than usual due to the Midsummer Festival, Golden City was experienced in managing crowds as an essential traffic hub. So even though there were many people, there was still social order and it didn't take long for them to proceed into the city.

Soon enough, they arrived at the bridgehead checkpoint for inspection.

At this moment, something happened.

Just as Christie and Anne stepped down from the chariot and intended to get checked, a group of knights dashed in the direction where both of them stood. Christie was at a loss and Anne instantly pulled her into her chest and dodged. The fluttering dust shrouded them.

Shortly after, the group of knights blocked everyone's path.

"What are you people up to?!"

Anne stormed toward the leading knight.

The leading knight looked in astonishment.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Do you know you nearly knocked us down!?"

Anne pointed at the leading knight furiously.

"Just a little bit more and Christie would have been injured by your horse. Don't you know how to watch your way?!"

"Watch my way?"

The man frowned as he extended his hand and pointed at the waving flag.

"Don't you see the Dio Family's symbol? It's already an offense for you people to not make way for the Dio Family. Hmph, a bunch of country bumpkins deserve to be knocked down! Also, aren't you two doing fine? So what do you still want?"

"What Dio Family? I've never heard of it."

Anne clenched her fists.

"Don't you intend to apologise? "Hmph, ignorant commoner."

The knight sneered and turned around. At this moment, the four Battle Angels guarding the bridgehead noticed the commotion and flew over instantly. The Battle Angels were clad in dazzling, silver armor. They held spears and their white wings flapped in midair gracefully. The leading Battle Angel sulked as soon as she spotted the knight. However, she quickly returned to her senses.

"What happened here, Mr. Geer?"

"Nothing much, just dealing with a bunch of barbarians." The man casually remarked. "Oh yes, you people came at a good timing. This bunch of barbarians disrespected me and yet they wish to enter the city. Alright, get rid of them and proceed with the checks. I have something urgent to attend to."

The Battle Angels displayed difficult expressions and at this moment, Rhode approached them.

"Mister, I think you'd better apologise. I'll give you 30 seconds."

"Who do you think you are?"

The knight revealed a curious expression. It seemed like he couldn't figure out if Rhode was a man or a woman, but even so, his arrogant attitude remained the same.

"Get lost country bumpkin, this isn't a place for such people like you."

Hoots of laughter burst out from the other knights.

"Hahaha, that's right, get lost. We are busy, so don't get in our way!"

"A bunch of country bumpkins want us to apologise? Who do they think they are?"

The knight's expression turned even more arrogant as he sneered at Rhode.

"You bunch of people have no right to enter the city. What are you standing here for? Scram! I'm in a good mood today and don't wish to argue with a bunch of ignorant commoners."

"Mr. Geer!" The leading Battle Angel raised her voice. "Please be respectful."

Suddenly, a crisp voice sounded.

"Who said that we don't have the rights to enter the city?"

"Hmm?"

Geer lifted his head and saw Lize stepping down the chariot. She wiped the dirt on Christie's face and glared at the man.

"I hope you apologise to Christie, Mister."

"You? Who are you anyway?"

Geer laughed grimly. But, before he continued his sentence, the four Battle Angels hurriedly half-knelt and bowed to the young lady respectfully.

Chapter 293: Entering the City

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

The burst of laughter came to an end.

Geer was stunned as he stared at the four half-kneeling Battle Angels. He rubbed his eyes and tried to figure out who the young lady was. She didn't appear unique from any other women he had seen. She wasn't dressed grandly and didn't leave a deep impression. No matter what, she didn't seem to be from the royal family. However, Geer was clear that these prideful Battle Angels would definitely not kneel down for any commoner. So... there was only one truth.

But... When was there another ruler in the Munn Kingdom? The previous ruler had passed on and with Lydia as the current ruler, there wasn't any possibility for an offspring since she didn't give birth. Also, this young lady and Lydia seemed to be the same age, so where did she come from?

Not only were the knights stunned, but even Anne and Christie also looked at Lize in astonishment. A stroke of blush and awkwardness emerged across Lize's face. Then, she approached the Battle Angels.

"... Did Sister arrange for this?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

The Battle Angels stood up and lowered their heads respectfully. The leading Battle Angel said, "This was Her Highness' arrangement. She informed us that if you decided to return here, it would mean that you accepted your identity... so we don't need to keep it a secret."

Rhode twitched his brows. He turned to Marlene who was displaying a complicated expression.

Lize nodded and let out a sigh.

"But now, I am a member of the Starlight mercenary group. And this will never change."

"I understand. But this is Her Highness' decision and we are just carrying out her orders."

The leading Battle Angel replied and moved to the side. Then, Lize lifted her head and approached Geer, who was looking in astonishment.

"You can apologise now."

What happened next didn't need any explanation.

Although Geer was still doubtful, he had been put down in his place. After all, with the Battle Angels by the side and even though he wasn't aware that there was another "Her Highness," the whole commotion couldn't be made up. This place was Golden City, after all, and was filled with good guys and scumbags. Maybe there was really someone whom he didn't know. Although this man always threw his weight about, the reason he was able to survive in Golden City until today was thanks to his ability to adapt to situations. Now that he was aware that Lize's identity wasn't that simple, he let off his ego and led his men to apologise to Christie sincerely. Not only that, he also apologized for his rudeness. Although Christie was terrified, she accepted with a nod.

On the contrary, Anne and Gillian were dissatisfied. Anne, as a Shield Warrior, was naturally the archenemy of the knights. On the other hand, Gillian had intended to use this opportunity to mess with them, but the knight didn't provoke her further so she couldn't find an excuse to do so. Even when the final inspections were over and everyone boarded the chariots and entered Golden City, Gillian was still grumbling over the matter. According to her, that bunch of brainless knights should have stubbornly insisted on their own attitude to find trouble with them. Then, Rhode could attack and wipe them all out. But who would have thought that they only had a lot of talk and yet no actions...

"So boring. Such people are the most boring bunch."

No one responded to Gillian because they were captivated by the picturesque scenery of Golden City.

Just like in the rumors, the entire Golden City was full of tall, exquisite sculptures. Flat, dust-free white jade paved the dazzling path. Casual, relaxed green trees and fresh flowers decorated the place. Crystals shining with magical radiance hovered above the top of the stelae on both sides of the path. The crystals also served as a defense system as it filled every street and public square. In normal days, the exquisite crystals only served as street lamps. However, when there were battles, the crystals would be activated and form an enormous defense barrier that protected the entire Golden City. This defense mechanism came from the first Light Dragon. After many generations of modification, this magical barrier had become one of the continent's most powerful defense barrier. Rhode had seen with his own eyes how difficult it was to break down, even for the Dark Dragon.

However, this was meaningless. Even though the defenses were indeed strong, Golden City wouldn't be any different from a lone city once they cut off external ties, and Lydia was clear of this. That was why, in the game, Lydia instantly gave up this city, which she had spent years building, and ordered everyone to evacuate before the Undead Army surrounded them when she discovered that the Dark Dragon had attempted to circumvent Golden City and engage in all out attack. Before she left, she had personally ignited an explosion in Golden City to deliver a huge blow to the Dark Dragon. Such a brutal method managed to buy the Munn Kingdom's civilians some time. But even so, the wounded Dark Dragon didn't give up. It continued to attack despite its injuries. In the end, Lydia and the Dark Dragon met each other in the mountainous region. In order to shield her civilians from the attack, Lydia stepped up and resisted the Dark Dragon with her Archangel's powers.

In the end, under the protection of Lydia, all the civilians safely evacuated into the Unbounded Forest in the Country of Trial while she died due to exhaustion.

Rhode couldn't help but let out a sigh of sorrow. Initially, many players were devoted to the Munn Kingdom for the sake of this beautiful land. However, they failed. The history of the game wouldn't change, but what about real life? Would this beautiful city also be destroyed like it was in the game?

While Rhode was rueful, the others were fully submerged in the beautiful, dignified sceneries. Even when they reached their destination, they still hadn't return to their senses.

As Lydia received the right to host the Midsummer Festival from the Mercenary Association, her style in spending money seemed to be much more extravagant. Normally, the association would be in charge of arranging lodging and food for participants. At the same time, they weren't concerned with the non-participants as much. On the other hand, Lydia instantly assigned every participating guild relatively huge encampments. The encampments were located in areas near the Sacred Arena, with comfortable and secluded environments. They used to belong to the law and order militaries, but as Golden City transformed, the law and order militaries shifted their encampments and left the areas empty. The encampments were equipped with training grounds and well-trained attendants as though they were a high-class hotel.

Starlight had been assigned to the encampment by the hillside of the Sacred Arena. From this encampment, they could easily view the Sacred Arena located just below them. There were Battle Angels patrolling nearby, so they didn't need to worry about social order.

Although Lydia adored festivals and crowds, she was indeed meticulous in her care. Even though there was a massive amount of people entering Golden City for this Midsummer Festival, there didn't seem to be any chaos or disorderly situations. As for Matt, he had separated from everyone and wasn't able to witness this scene after entering Golden City.

Under the lead of the Battle Angels, everyone arrived at their designated encampment. Out of Rhode's expectations, Old Walker and his men were already here and according to them, they were brought to this encampment after declaring their identities. It seemed that Lydia was diligent in the arrangements for this Midsummer Festival.

After an exchange of conventional greetings, Rhode arranged for everyone to rest and tidy up their rooms while he chose a room at the end of the hallway. After long days journeying, he felt exhausted. Now that he finally had a chance for a break, he wouldn't let it slip.

At this moment, someone knocked on his door.

"Come in."

Rhode opened his eyes and answered. Lize pushed the door open gently and entered his room. The young lady had a hesitant and uncertain expression, but there was an unprecedented determination in her eyes.

"Mr. Rhode, I think... It's about time to have a good chat with you."

Chapter 294: Unavoidable Past

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Rhode remained calm even though he had mix feelings. Although, in the game, there were several missions when ordinary NPCs would suddenly emerge and confess — "Haha, I'm actually a spy", "Haha, I'm actually a Demon Lord", and "Haha, I'm actually..." — those were only plots and players weren't too into them. At most they only felt like "Damn, this is over exaggerating!"

However, when you were in the situation yourself and the person was your companion for a long time, even if you were an experienced player who couldn't get more familiar with game plots, you would still have unexplainable feelings deep inside your heart. In other words, you couldn't differentiate if it was good or bad. Games were games and players knew that.

This was an indescribable feeling.

Rhode was dubious.

He knew that Lize was a Cleric when he first met her. After he came to this world, he got to experience some things that only mercenary groups in this world would go through. Being a mercenary involved risks, and due to this, even Marlene, who had joined the mercenary group later, was always aloof and drew a clear line between her and the mercenaries. Besides, she didn't intend to stay for long from the start. This was normal as both parties held different statuses, and while a short period of interaction might be fresh and interesting, things might get more difficult in future.

Nevertheless, because of this, Rhode found it pretty hard to accept that Lize was actually a princess. If Lize truly belonged to the royal family, she wouldn't be in a mercenary group to begin with. Even Marlene, who had joined the mercenary group temporarily—her identity was still the Senia Family's heir. For such a person, even if she wished, her family would definitely disapprove of her being a mercenary. A person of her status had wishes that money couldn't buy, such as beliefs and faiths.

However, Lize had spent so much time in a mercenary group having fun, which was unbelievable because the royal family would definitely disprove of such matters. It would be unbearable for a member of the royal family to become a mercenary.

And what made Rhode most suspicious was that, in the game, he was familiar with Munn Kingdom's history, but he had never heard of Munn Kingdom having another "Her Highness". This could explain another matter, which was that her presence wasn't influential in the game, and no missions were related to her. As a player, Rhode wouldn't know. Of course, perhaps the endless flow of information in the royal family's library might contain this information, but to Rhode, there were much more important things to check on than a NPC who had nothing to do with the game or any missions. Even though Rhode was termed the 'Walking Library', his knowledge consisted of only the games. He was here for the game, after all, and not to study history.

"I knew you would come, Lize."

Rhode poured a cup of tea and placed it before her. The young lady hesitantly lifted the cup and stared into the red liquid with a complicated glint. Lize's feelings were equally mixed, but unlike Rhode's, her feelings were not only messy but also fearful.

That's right, fearful.

Ever since the first incident on the floating boat, Lize had lost all her companions and at that moment, Rhode had supported her to stand back up on her feet. Afterward, it was also Rhode who assisted her to rebuild the mercenary group and even Lize couldn't believe everything that happened thereafter. They were a small little mercenary group of Paphield but now, they were representing the Paphield Region and were about to stand in the most sacred arena of all mercenaries — The Midsummer Festival stage.

Lize believed that if her leader was looking over them from heaven, he would be glad to see the mercenary group reaching such a step. Also, she was sure that if Rhode wasn't here, everything wouldn't be possible. In fact, deep down in Lize's heart, she had accepted Rhode's presence. But, for unknown reasons, she couldn't bring herself to address Rhode as "Leader" like Anne did... This indeed was an awkward matter which Lize had often heard many people discuss. However, Rhode wasn't mindful at all, but... what about now? Was she about to confess the secret that she had been keeping in her heart?

The young lady placed the cup on the table.

This is my apology and something that I must do.

"Sorry... Mr. Rhode, I have been keeping my identity a secret all these while. But I don't mean to lie and in fact... I thought I could give up this identity forever."

Lize paused and lifted her head.

"Just as you thought, Her Highness Lydia and I are sisters, but... we have different bloodlines."

"Oh?"

Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. Could it be that Lize was the offspring of a scandal? But wait, Munn Kingdom had always been under the rule of a queen.

Then... What's this...

Before Rhode reacted, Lize raised a question.

"Mr. Rhode, do you know how to inherit as the Archangel?"

"This... I'm not too sure."

Rhode was slightly taken aback. He quickly searched for the information in his head to no avail. He didn't know information on the reproduction cycle for angels. Lize continued.

"The inheritance of an Archangel. The angel's spirit resonates with its own bloodline to summon the unawakened spirit. From there, along with the growth in powers of the resonance all the way until maturing stage, the previous Archangel will leave the surface of this world and its powers will blend into the new Archangel's body due to their bloodline relations. In other words... the Archangel's heir does not need help from anyone. The heir is a result of powers and spirit, which has nothing to do with reproduction."

"There's still such a thing?"

Rhode was surprised. Even though Lize's description was less elaborate, he could understand the meaning behind it. In simple terms, an Archangel actually reproduced asexually? What an anecdote...

"Yes, that was how Sister Lydia was born. She inherited the pure and holy spirit from the previous Archangel, and my mother's bloodline, to become the new Archangel heir."

Lize looked down as she spoke.

"But, even though she's the Archangel, she needs love too. When my mother was ruling, she fell in love with a famous and reputable noble. As a result, they gave birth to me."

Lize's voice shook and was filled with hopelessness.

"However, at that point of time, my presence meant nothing to the royal family because the heir of Munn Kingdom only required an Archangel. With a mix of human and angel bloodline, I didn't have the ability or rights to take on that position. I was destined to become an ordinary princess, unlike Sister, who held powerful abilities, smart brains, and a bright future. But, this was the start of a tragedy for Sister..."

Rhode gazed at Lize. Then, Lize gave an explanation.

"My mother treated Sister and I with grave differences. Maybe to her, Sister's birth was just part of her 'obligation', whereas I was a result of her love. Needless to say, I, with the bloodline of human and angel wouldn't be as smart, as powerful, as noticed, nor have as wonderful a future. To my mother, this seemed too sorrowful for me, so ever since I was born, my mother never stopped loving me, and pampering me... She cared so much for me that Sister never felt such love before."

Lize revealed a bitter smile.

"For the same thing, my mother would praise me when I did well. Whereas, when Sister did well, she would be treated as expected because, as a heir of the Archangel, such matters shouldn't be any challenge for her at all. But when I failed, my mother consoled me and never reprimanded me. Whereas when Sister did something wrong, she was harshly punished. But I was clear that Sister always tried tried her best. Even though she was blessed, she also wished for mother's love and concern, but Mother only gave it to me, as she felt the need to make up to me. As I didn't have such a bright future like Sister, nor such powerful abilities, she thought I should naturally should receive compensation in these areas."

"Sister's hard work has never been repaid, but she never showed any disappointment. Every break, she would come to my room and listen to stories of mother and I. It was as if she could feel mother's love this way... Sister was the real angel, but I hope she never hates or reprimands me. That way, I would feel better. However, Sister has never done so, until... until Mother reached the end of her life and disappeared from this world."

Lize paused for a moment and bit her lips.

"Mother has always protected me because when she was in love with the noble. There were many objections within the royal family who felt that the respected Archangel shouldn't mix around with humans, which would bring down her reputation. However, for the sake of love, Mother ignored the objections and got together with the man she loved. But, even so, Mother wasn't someone who was blinded by love. She knew what it meant to Munn Kingdom, so she always protected me well and not many people were aware of my presence. However, after Mother passed on, my position within the family got awkward. While Sister didn't comment much, the nobles felt that my presence within the royal family was like a taint, and it was the same for my father. In the end, for the country, he chose to sacrifice my presence but fortunately I was young back then and not many people knew who I was. Therefore, father deported me out of Golden City and I began my life as an ordinary human being. But before I left Golden City, Sister found and told me that if I wished to return to Golden City, she would accept me no matter what. At the same time, she warned me; once I decided to return, it meant that I have accepted my identity. I didn't quite understood what she meant by those words, but I didn't think that I would have the chance to return to Golden City again."

Lize slowly lifted her head and let out a long sigh.

"Afterward, due to some accidents, I joined my leader's mercenary group and serviced them with my powers. Just like Marlene, I didn't intend to stay for long, but after so many incidents, I decided to live on as a mercenary. To me, this signified the abandoning of my identity..."

Lize looked at Rhode with complicated eyes and regrets.

"But, I wasn't able to abandon this identity, after all... Since I'm still back here."

Chapter 295: Overt Plot & Conspiracy

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

The room was oddly quiet.

After Lize completed her sentence, she seemed to have relaxed a little as she leaned back into the chair and looked at Rhode. Rhode went into deep thought and after a while, he responded.

"I understand, Lize. So what are your plans?"

"To me... I don't think I have any special plans."

Lize smiled bitterly and shook her head.

"Indeed. Even though it means that I accepted my identity when I returned to Golden City, I don't feel anything different. I don't have talents like Marlene. And to me, just dressing up grandly in the palace as a decoration would be too boring. I think... Like now, I will remain in the mercenary group. But..."

"I understand."

Rhode nodded and interrupted.

"Since your mindset on this didn't change, I need not say much then. You can continue your life here as per usual and get ready for the next battle. As for your identity, I will explain to those people in our mercenary group for them to not be too mindful... This isn't difficult, so don't worry."

Rhode said the truth; indeed, with a princess' identity, it would be normal to have deputes within the mercenary group. But luckily, Lize was easy to get along with, and as a Cleric, everyone respected her. That was why Rhode believed that if he controlled the situation well, there wouldn't be any unhappiness within the mercenary group. Of course, this mainly depended on Lize's good relations with others. If she was an and proud person, her identity wouldn't do her any good, but rather bring her more trouble instead.

"Thank you, Mr. Rhode."

Lize let out a sigh of relief. Then, she revealed a smile and stood up.

"I shall return to my room now."

After Lize disappeared into the corner of the hallway, Rhode frowned and rubbed his forehead.

給与計算ミスを防ぐ60のチェックリスト - 給与計算ミスの発生を防ぐため,雇入れ直後・異動直後などのシーン別に確認すべきポイントをチェックリストとしてまとめました.

He had finally connected all his suspicions. He could see that Lize didn't have any political experience, which was why she couldn't understand some matters.

Lize wasn't in the wrong. It was her birth that was wrong.

The Munn Kingdom was an odd country. Although its ruler inheritance was passed down from generation to generation from a common point of origin, it was unlike the historical royal family, where they gave birth to offspring and fought for authority. They also weren't required to go through several recognitions of the royal family in order to become a ruler. Their ruler's identity was decided since birth. In other words, only the Archangel could take over the throne. This was a 'historical problem' because the Munn Kingdom was originally under the control of the Light Dragon's Archangel. That was why generations of rulers had always been Archangels. In other words, Munn Kingdom was originally a territorial land under the name of 'army'. But, thereafter, as the Light Dragon's rights got crippled and deprived from the parliament, in order to resist the parliament, the Munn Kingdom stood for its own independence and formed an independent country. However, such ruling conditions were also passed on, which was why the Munn Kingdom was different from other countries. Their civilians worshipped the Archangel and Light Dragon. And as the Munn Kingdom's ruler, the Archangel vowed loyalty to the Light Dragon.

It was due to this reason that every Munn Kingdom's ruler was 'inherent'. They didn't need to pass through political achievements or gain prestige and respect from the civilians. They didn't even require the support of various lords. As long as one was an Archangel, one would definitely be the ruler of the Munn Kingdom and no one else had the right to fight for this position.

The parliament felt that this method would only breed tyrants who would be arrogant, proud, and cause harm to the country and civilians. Furthermore, there wouldn't be any equality and fairness. However, this was totally untrue. Just as Lize explained, the Archangel had the pure, holy spirit and also powerful abilities. The Angels were kind and protective by nature, which predetermined that it was impossible for them to become demons or humans who would hurt their own kind. Indeed, from a human's standpoint, such regulations would possibly cultivate a scary tyrant. That was because when humans were born, they were like a blank sheet of paper. If anyone misguided them, they would go down the wrong path. However, Angels were different; unless one was a depraved Angel, that would definitely not happen.

Different races had different standpoints. However, the parliament obviously didn't understand this. Perhaps they understood it, but didn't accept it. Therefore, after they witnessed that attacking the royalty wasn't effective, they turned their attention to the Munn Kingdom's civilians and encouraged them to rebel against this 'hetero-dictatorship ruler'. According to them, this country didn't belong to an Angel, but belonged to the Dwarfs, Humans, and Elves instead. Therefore, since every race was equal, they had the rights to participate and take over the throne in the Munn Kingdom.

It was only fair, holy, equal, and justifiable this way. So, let's stand up, civilians! For the sake of freedom, resist the dictatorship of the angel, for the sake of a better life!

Rhode had completed many missions regarding this, which was why he was clear that the parliament's 'continuous efforts' in selling 'freedom' had been on for a long time. Although most civilians didn't want to follow them, there were some who were willing to believe the parliament's arguments. This caused anxiety within the Munn Kingdom.

With such backgrounds, the reason why the Reformist Party from the South wanted to capture Lize had become clear to Rhode.

Indeed, just as Lize had explained, she was born in the royal family, but she couldn't receive any glory or a position like Lydia, which seemed pitiful to the public. Her mother was the same. As she couldn't give Lize a rightful ruling position, she pampered and doted on her to the extreme.

Whereas to the Reformist Party, Lize's presence was undoubtedly like a lamp. She was born in the royal family with human bloodline, but was unreasonably stripped off her authority and rights by the Munn Kingdom's regulations, forced to wander in the wild on her own. Even if Lize rejected their suggestion and did not support the Reformist Party, they could still use her as a teaching material to their civilians.

Look, a person who was cruelly rejected and brainwashed by the terrifying ruler that she had lost all her independence and resistance. What a horrible thing to happen... do you wish to become like her?

That was why, no matter what thoughts Lize held, as long as she landed in their hands, the Reformist Party would have other methods to use her to their benefit.

Lize didn't realise this, but Rhode could confirm that Lydia was 100% aware of it, which was why she made such a move. Rhode was sure that news of Lize's true identity would spread across Golden City in one day. Also, with the impact of Midsummer Festival, the whole Munn Kingdom would probably come to know that they had another princess.

After knowing this, everyone would definitely raise the same question. And that was 'how is this princess like? Why didn't I know about her before? And what does she do now?'

Rhode had no idea how Lydia would manage this problem, but these questions could be used by the Reformist Party as an excuse to attack the royal family. But he felt that with Lydia's attitude, it was almost for sure that she would answer to everyone's doubt in a convincing fashion without fail.

This was totally an overt plot, because Lydia had become the ruler of Munn Kingdom for a long time. If she had only taken over the throne and the Reformist Party threw her this question, perhaps it would affect her ruling position. Initially, the royal family noticed this possibility, so they sent Lize far away and kept this a secret from the Reformist Party. But now, it was different. Lydia had been the ruler for years and the Munn Kingdom had been prosperous. The civilians were living peacefully and after understanding what this ruler could do for them, their ideas of replacing her weren't as extreme anymore. That was why even if Lydia decided to generously accept Lize's identity, it wouldn't affect her ruling position at all. And this way, as long as Lize didn't attract too much attention, the people's attention on her would gradually drop. It wouldn't work even if the Reformist Party wanted to use this as an example.

Rhode couldn't help but feel a little startled. It was because he had experienced this era before that he could link everything together. In other words, Rhode observed everything from a high level perspective due to his own personal experience. And because of that, he could furthermore understand how ingenious Lydia was to make such a move. Even on the surface, Lydia had no losses and could easily dissolve this huge crisis. Of course, credits had to be given to Lydia's formidable strength, as it wouldn't be possible if she didn't make the Munn Kingdom prosperous all these years.

But... are things really so simple?

Although this had nothing to do with Rhode, for some unknown reasons, he had a premonition that Lydia had a plan which held a huge connection to Starlight. After all, Lize belonged to the mercenary group and didn't seem interested in leaving. So then...

Rhode shut his eyes.

"Gillian, get Old Walker here."

Gillian immediately left, and shortly after, Old Walker pushed the room door open. He displayed a complicated expression. "Kid, what do you want? Is it regarding Lize?"

"We'll talk about this later."

Rhode gestured and said.

"The matter that I told you to do. How was it?"

"Everything's good, kid."

Old Walker nodded with confidence as he withdrew a map from his pocket and opened it in front of Rhode. Several red circles were drawn on the map.

"This wasn't any absolute secret, so I got hold of the information quickly. During the Midsummer Festival, foreign travellers will be placed by the regions beside the Sacred Arena. The pubs and hotels would be there too and got to say, Golden City is indeed a huge city..."

"That's good."

Rhode scanned the circles in silence. Then, he took out a coin pouch filled with coins and gems and placed it before Old Walker.

"Take this money. I want you to bring your men to those areas and disguise as ordinary travellers. As for the next move... you only need to follow my instructions."

"This..."

Old Walker gazed with widened eyes as he couldn't figure out what this young man was up to.

"What exactly do you want us to do, kid?"

"Very simple."

Rhode gestured.

"I need you guys to defeat our enemies."