The carriage finally came to a stop.
The two people stepped down, one after the other, in front of the Chris Chamber of Commerce gates.
Two copper doors, standing nearly 5 meters tall, loomed like silent giants.
Engraved on their surface was a pair of scales — the ancestral mark of the Chris family.
The gilded emblem of the chamber sparkled in the center under the sunlight, surrounded by ears of wheat inlaid with real gold.
The lintel was a single piece of flawless white marble.
Beside the entrance, two winged stone lions stood guard, their ruby eyes shimmering with a life-like gaze.
It essentially shoved a few words right in your face: “I am very rich.”
No, that wasn’t quite accurate.
“I am damn rich.”
That was the feeling it gave off.
A never-ending queue of nobles and merchants stood before the entrance, as the headquarters of the Chris Chamber of Commerce limited the number of daily visitors.
Unless one had an appointment or a high-level shareholder token to activate the barrier, they couldn’t enter.
While Lin Yue was still admiring this breathtaking display of wealth, Mapei acted as if she were returning home and used her token to activate the barrier.
The gates emitted a creaking sound.
Looking closely, Lin Yue saw two Tier 3 warriors acting as security guards.
‘Using Tier 3 warriors as doormen? They really know how to spend money.’
Just as Lin Yue was about to follow her inside, Mapei suddenly turned around and pressed a finger against his chest, cautioning him.
“I haven’t told them I brought you along yet. You might… be attacked by everyone at once.”
“How about this? Go walk around the area. I’ll call you when it’s okay to come in.”
She raised her left hand; the glowing Nightingale mark would be the signal.
“Fine.”
“Wait…”
Mapei suddenly produced a wig from behind her — the same grey wig Lin Yue was accustomed to wearing.
“You have a unique look, and the Imperial City is a melting pot of all sorts. I picked out a new style for you. The previous one was too ugly.”
Lin Yue took the wig, suddenly remembering that their interaction had started with this very suggestion.
“Be good while you’re out here. Don’t cause trouble for me, understood… Mr. Chief Secretary Lin Yue?”
Lin Yue smiled and gave a slight bow.
“Understood, Lady Mapei…”
“Hmph…”
Mapei turned and entered the hall, looking like a fox entering her own hunting grounds — bright and nimble.
The doors slowly closed, the heavy hinges emitting a low hum as a draft brought the cold scent of old parchment.
Lin Yue stretched his back; he wasn’t in a hurry.
In any case, Mapei had already told him what he wanted to know.
Exploring the surroundings wouldn’t be a bad idea.
He recalled the day he first arrived in Avelina and decided to take a proper look at the nearby architecture.
Lin Yue shook his head.
‘This truly is a glimpse into a heavenly palace. The foot of the Imperial City is indeed a place where commoners can’t hope to reach. I never saw a gate this luxurious at the Hawke household. Who is the noble here, exactly?’
“Accidentally intruding into the heavenly home… advising me to let go of the sand in my hands… Cough…”
After a long while, Lin Yue sat by the fountain in the plaza with his eyes closed.
This was a rare bustling market within the Imperial City, reportedly managed by the Chris Chamber of Commerce.
Most people knew that the Chris Chamber of Commerce was backed by the Imperial Family.
They were major contributors who helped the first emperor conquer the land, granting them many green channels in terms of policy.
They could be considered the most representative power of the Empire’s trading capabilities, often called the “Left and Right Hand of the Empire.”
However, the Empire’s attitude toward the Chris Chamber of Commerce had changed significantly in recent years.
Perhaps after several generations of recovery, the Empire now had the confidence to turn its blades against the merchants.
The first candidate for the next emperor, Vigilius — or Prince Vigilius — was attempting to modify laws to restrict the growth of the Chris Chamber of Commerce.
To put it another way, he felt the protection fee was too low.
Furthermore, Prince Vigilius’s policies were extremely aggressive; he had already tested the borders of other nations multiple times.
Alpos, located in the direction of Avelina, was his primary target.
The incident in Avelina had given him a perfect excuse to act, and it was said he had already begun secret conscription.
The military funds needed for war were no small amount.
If he could completely control the Chris Chamber of Commerce…
It would be like giving wings to a tiger.
Lin Yue felt quite a bit of disdain for the Prince’s decision to burn bridges.
His deepest impression of the man was: “A lunatic.”
In the endgame of the story, the Empire, having lost the Chris Chamber of Commerce, lacked any sustainable civilian power.
No one dared to take the initiative to cooperate with the Prince, fearing they would be devoured whole.
Instead, this caused the Empire to gradually lose its strength in the later stages.
It wasn’t until the Demon God descended and the entire continent fell into crisis that they had a chance to say, “Hey, can we settle this peacefully?”
‘Who knows what the future fate of the Empire will be. After defeating the Demon God, Allen went into seclusion in the deep forest and never returned. I don’t know if they were eventually crushed or if they succeeded in unifying the continent.’
‘Clearly, if they just stayed low and developed for another ten or twenty years, they could have taken over the Chris Chamber of Commerce without spilling blood and forced other nations to become vassals. Why the rush?’
Suddenly, the Nightingale mark on his hand lit up.
Mapei must have finished her business.
“Time to go back…”
Just as he was about to leave, he felt someone grab his left hand.
“O bearer of chaos…”
Lin Yue whipped his head around.
This person had approached him without releasing a single shred of presence.
It gave him a real fright…
He frowned slightly and saw a woman in purple robes holding a crystal ball.
She was about his height and was muttering something as if she had found a treasure.
“Who are you?”
Lin Yue sized up the person in front of him.
He could tell for certain it was a woman.
Though it seemed like a trivial observation, few would be able to tell if she didn’t speak.
She was tall, not much shorter than a tall man like Lin Yue.
She wore a purple hooded robe, and her eyes were wrapped in gauze.
Aside from a faint glimpse of the lower half of her face, nothing else could be seen.
She didn’t respond but kept leaning closer to Lin Yue’s face, trying to sense something from his amber pupils.
“Big sister! You haven’t done our fortune-telling yet!”
Just then, a 15-year-old girl pulled on the purple-robed woman’s sleeve.
She was leading a reluctant boy with a scar on his face.
“Ah, my apologies. I just got a bit excited seeing this… gentleman with such a unique appearance.”
The woman pulled back her hood, but her true face remained hidden.
Her eyes were wrapped in several layers of white cloth, acting like a blindfold to hide her identity.
A mole sat beside the corner of her slightly upturned lips.
If one could see her full face, this would definitely be the easiest way to identify her.
Lin Yue felt the woman before him was somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her.
‘Did I see this woman in the game? I don’t seem to have any memory of her…’
Judging by her attire, she should be an astrologer who studied astral divination magic.
Most members of the Astrology Association dressed this way.
“Sir, if you aren’t in a hurry, would you be willing to grant me the honor of waiting for a moment?”
“Sorry… I…”
Lin Yue was about to refuse when he noticed the Nightingale mark, which had been flashing frantically a moment ago, had stopped.
By the time he snapped back to his senses, the woman had already taken his left hand, speaking with an air of nobility.
“I am very interested in your destiny. As you can see, I am an astrologer. I am exceptionally sensitive to star charts that I cannot interpret…”
“If you are willing, I would like to give you a free reading to see what will happen in the distant future. What do you say?”
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