Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Preparing to Establish Connections

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The next morning.

On the seventh floor of the Mage Tower, Laurent reported respectfully to Lide, who stood by the window.

“Rom Bernard, Level 5 mage, 27 years old, son of a Marquis in the Nolan Empire. He came to Green City from the capital, Nolan City, half a year ago to work as a steward in the Alex Chamber of Commerce and holds considerable reputation among the nobles of Green City.

He has a fondness for precious antiques and gemstones, particularly elven art.

Rom is also an ardent pursuer of Winnie Alex, having come to Green City for Miss Winnie.

However, according to rumors, Miss Winnie seems to have no special feelings for Rom; their relationship in the Chamber of Commerce is merely that of a superior and subordinate.”

Laurent paused slightly, looking at Lide, who was gazing down at the street through the glass window.

“Lord Lide, Rom holds a significant part of the management authority in the Alex Chamber of Commerce. If we want to purchase large quantities of supplies, we can’t avoid this gentleman.”

The obstacles in the grain plan had profoundly changed Lide. Although he eventually resolved the issue perfectly, it prompted him to forge connections within Green City’s network.

So he instructed Laurent to secretly gather information on the nobles of Green City.

Given his status, it would be most appropriate for him to handle this personally. However, he wasn’t ready to engage with his mentor, the Great Mage Spark, so the most straightforward approach was to win over a decently influential noble.

Dawn City was now merely a framework. Apart from the city itself, everything else had to be built from scratch.

Not only did they need to purchase large quantities of supplies, but they also had to prevent information leaks… The Bloodline identity made him tread carefully.

This was much like those management games on Earth, but the distinguishing factor was that in the game, one could start over after losing. Here, one mistake would doom the entire Bloodline.

In this context, finding a breakthrough was paramount.

During this period, Rom Bernard, manager of the Alex Chamber of Commerce, came into Lide’s sight.

Not only did Rom hold an esteemed title as the son of a Marquis, but he also played a crucial role in the Alex Chamber of Commerce.

The upcoming new acquisition plan would likely be impossible without navigating this behemoth entrenched in Green City.

Actually, Laurent suggested focusing on Winnie, but Lide rejected the notion outright. That exceedingly beautiful girl had too alarming a background, and her astuteness hinted at unknown motives, making it best to avoid her.

After finishing his report, Laurent hesitated with a frown and said, “Lord Lide, recently I’ve felt the Alex Chamber of Commerce might be investigating our Golden Wheat Commerce.

Their steward even indirectly inquired about the destination of that batch of grain.”

Lide’s heart skipped a beat. Turning around, a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

“How can you be sure they are investigating us? Isn’t it normal to gather information about competitors in commercial transactions?”

Laurent’s frown slowly relaxed, and he smiled again.

“Because they’ve been inquiring too much, especially about you.

Of course, I might be overthinking. Recently, the Alex Chamber of Commerce has been looking out for our Golden Wheat Commerce. In the past, those popular commodities never came our way, but in recent days, we’ve gotten hold of several.

The Golden Wheat Commerce has earned at least thirty Gold Pucks from this. By the goddess, these are fully ours, not shared with any of those damned underground forces… Lord Lide, this is all because of you. Praise be to you~”

Laurent mentioned it casually, not dwelling on it, but Lide perceived it differently.

Even the smallest anomalies required vigilance. What was that purple-eyed, beautiful girl planning?

Though they had only met once, Lide had a profound apprehension toward Winnie, that stunning tulip. She wasn’t like the naïve little rabbit Veena.

She was the disciple of a Transcendent, the daughter of a Marquis, and a Level 11 Gale Warrior. By comparison, her beauty was less striking.

“Laurent, send an invitation to Lord Rom, inviting him to join us for a drink tonight at the finest tavern in Green City—Elvis.”

It was time to plant a nail in the enemy’s camp. Lide’s deep black eyes were as profound as the starry sky.

Laurent left respectfully.

Lide’s status among humans wasn’t low. Not only did he hold the title of Imperial Baron, but he was also a Level 10 genius mage, a disciple of the Great Mage Spark.

This status was exceedingly esteemed.

Two daylight hours later, Laurent returned with Rom’s reply.

Rom’s note expressed delight at Lide’s invitation and confirmed he would arrive punctually at 7 P.M.

It also conveyed his admiration for Lide’s genius and sent regards to his teacher, Spark. It was typical noble exchange rhetoric.

“Laurent, Rom has always been pursuing Miss Winnie, correct?”

Lide closed the ornate invitation in his hand, smiling at Laurent.

Laurent was slightly taken aback. He previously suggested Lide contact Winnie directly, considering she was the president of the Alex Chamber of Commerce. Her authority and resources far surpassed what Rom, an outsider, could match.

In his view, they had even shared a positive interaction… She had helped the Golden Wheat Commerce resolve their grain issue.

Therefore, Winnie seemed like the best person to approach, but Lide had reacted with deep aversion, which baffled him.

Now, hearing Lide ask this again, his expression turned peculiar. Could it be that Lord Lide had also been captivated by this tulip of Green City?

Seeing Laurent’s odd look, Lide shook his head helplessly.

“Everyone has weaknesses, right?”

Laurent gave a knowing smile. “Lord Lide, there’s no need to hide an affection for a beautiful girl. Someone as handsome and outstanding as you, no girl could resist your charm.

If my daughter were older, I would certainly want her to be your concubine.”

Lide was pleased, appreciating Laurent’s perceptiveness.

“You have a daughter?”

Laurent was filled with pride. “Lord Lide, my daughter is famously beautiful in Green City.”

“Really?”

“Of course, she looks exactly like me.”

“Pfft… Let’s discuss Rom instead.”

Laurent appeared sullen.

“Lord Rom is the eldest son of the Bernard family and was a disciple of a Great Mage at the Royal Academy in Nolan Empire. He met Miss Winnie at the Royal Academy and fell in love at first sight…”

It was a very old and common story—a wealthy noble youth fell for a noble girl who traveled far for her studies. The noble girl’s outstanding talent and perfect appearance captivated him.

The noble youth pursued her madly year after year until even after she returned to her own territory, he still pined for her, eventually following her far and wide just to be by her side every day.

After hearing this, Lide deeply sighed. In this age of inconvenient transportation, only bored nobles could afford to do such things.

And besides, though it sounded romantic, wasn’t this just the archetype of a suck-up?

Blinking, Lide slowly formed an idea.

He wasn’t adept at dealing with unfamiliar nobles, but tricking a suck-up might be very simple?

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