Late at night, having shed her work and inner burdens, Reki was about to enjoy a good night’s rest. Just as she lay down, Cailing barged straight through the door in a state of extreme urgency, disturbing the peace.
…That gasping, breathless state nearly made Reki think the guild had been robbed or caught fire.
But even if such a thing happened, a well-trained maid shouldn’t be panicking this much. Reki’s brows slanted slightly, about to erupt, when Cailing, still desperately panting, managed to speak first:
“La… La-La-La-Lady Reki…! Some… someone wants… to apply… for a membership card…!”
“……?”
Reki froze briefly, feeling like she was being played. Her calm gaze instantly turned cold.
Are you kidding me? No fewer than eighty to a hundred people come to apply for membership cards every day. Even applying for a High-Tier Gold Card wouldn’t require her, a dignified Branch Guild Master, to personally receive them… No, even for a Supreme Black Card, if Reki wasn’t in the mood, she’d still refuse them flatly.
Since becoming Branch Guild Master, no “major matter” had ever disturbed Lady Reki during her rest. And today, Cailing broke this precedent… and… because of merely applying for a card?
“Huff… ha……” Cailing finally caught her breath. She could feel her mistress’s displeased, fiery gaze. Hurriedly, she explained with the utmost solemnity, “…No, of course, it’s not applying for an ordinary membership card. That Big Sister wants to apply for… a Cloudstride Celestial Card!”
“Cloudstride… Celestial Card?!” Reki’s expression changed slightly.
“Yes! Not a High-Tier Gold Card, not a Supreme Black Card… that big sister wants to directly apply for a Cloudstride Celestial Card!”
“How much money did she bring?”
“That… one times one is one, one hundred thousand times one thousand is…” Cailing did some messy mental arithmetic, then abruptly looked up, “…One hundred million! She brought Pay-to-Win Ingots worth one hundred million gold coins!!”
“……”
Reki wanted to see signs of lying on Cailing’s face, but the facts proved that she absolutely dared not deceive her…
Another possibility was that Cailing had been tricked. Reki slowly furrowed her brows and said displeased, “If you disturb my rest and your words prove false, do you know the consequences?”
—Shiver!
Cailing suddenly snapped awake from her fantasy.
Right, even if the one Pay-to-Win Ingot Weilin showed her was real… she hadn’t seen the other 999 Pay-to-Win Ingots with her own eyes.
But now she was in too deep. If it was fake, she would indeed have offended Lady Reki’s rest time. With this thought, Cailing could only steel her resolve and say: “…If it’s fake, I… Cailing will pack my things and leave!”
Just then, Weilin, looking around as she went, walked into Reki’s private chamber.
Seeing the two people inside, her eyes lit up. She quickly came over, her expression cheerful. “So, you were here.”
Hearing the voice, Cailing’s body, taut to the extreme, went numb and soft. She turned and grabbed Weilin’s clothes. “Sister… Sister Weilin, please, quickly prove it to Lady Reki.”
“It’s… you?”
Reki opened her small mouth, completely astonished. The tycoon Cailing said brought 100 million gold coins to apply for a Cloudstride Celestial Card was actually that person from before—the one who had stood by and watched Elizabeth’s despair and haggardness…
“It’s me.” Weilin admitted frankly.
“So, you’re the one who wants to apply for… a Cloudstride Celestial Card…?”
But Weilin just let out a bewildered “Hah?”, her expression one of pure innocence as if she had no idea she had that much money, and weakly defended herself: “…I’m not… I just wanted to apply for a Bronze Card…”
Cailing: ????
——————————————
Ten minutes later.
“Hahahaha, I’m really so humorous…”
Reki curled her lip, her gaze profoundly fixed on the joyful girl who was trying hard to ease the awkwardness, yet unknowingly making the atmosphere more and more awkward.
“…Although Cailing is now out of danger, she’s still unconscious in bed, being constantly cared for by Black Bell. Saying things like that, doesn’t your conscience ache?”
Weilin didn’t dare to joke anymore. This kind of thing, building happiness on others’ suffering, was more fun to do to villains.
“Alright, I apologize…” Weilin cleared her throat twice and became serious and formal. “First, let me clarify one point. Although the clothes look very couple-ish, Elizabeth and I only met less than a day ago. We are absolutely not in the relationship you think.”
Reki nodded. “I see. That explains it then…”
“Secondly, for various reasons, I’ve decided to reluctantly help her out. Well, your guild also needs to make money. Since you bought them for one hundred thousand each, I’ll buy them for two hundred thousand each. 24 Crystal Companion White Mice, totaling 4.8 million gold coins. I’ll round it up to a nice 5 million, how about that?”
Reki’s heart was trembling slightly.
Don’t be fooled by her act of comforting Elizabeth, seemingly allowing the guild to suffer a massive one-hundred-thousand-gold-coin loss—Reki had actually deliberated for a long time and felt the pain too. It was more about lessening her guilt.
Where had she ever seen someone like Lega Weilin, casually saying “round it up” and gifting away two hundred thousand gold coins! That was two hundred thousand!!
As Reki breathed, her heart regained its calm surface. She looked at the boastful Weilin, the corner of her mouth curving into a faint, meaningful smile.
“…Ultimately, shouldn’t we see the real money before discussing business, Miss Lega?”
She still questioned whether Weilin truly possessed such financial power.
One hundred million gold coins could pile up a literal mountain of gold, could buy the entire Snow Kingdom. Even for the two colossal entities, the Empire and the Federation, one hundred million gold coins injected into their financial cycles could still stir up a financial crisis storm easily shaking the foundations of both…
Excluding real estate, not only had Reki never seen anyone who could cough up one hundred million gold coins in one breath, there might have never been anyone like that in the entire continent’s history.
This Lega Weilin was perhaps not “humorous,” but simply didn’t have that much money.
“That’s a fair point…”
But unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Weilin suddenly nodded in agreement.
This reaction caught even Reki off guard, leaving her bewildered.
“Come here.” Weilin grabbed Reki’s arm and forcibly pulled her to her side, clearing a space in the slightly small room.
“Eternal Space…”
Reki actually saw a light flicker in Weilin’s eyes as she chanted “Eternal Space” in an extremely soft voice…
She was a bit dumbfounded. For the first time, she felt her own knowledge was limited.
As the world knew, there were only two types of beings possessing [Pocket Spaces]. One was Space Magic users; the other was Imperial technology invented based on Space Magic.
What Weilin possessed absolutely belonged to neither of those types!
As the girl lightly raised her small hand, like summoning a spirit, the previously empty space ahead suddenly surged with a brilliant dark-gold light. That light flickered away instantly. What appeared before her eyes again were Pay-to-Win Ingots stacked high, horizontally and vertically…
Pay-to-Win Ingots, each worth one hundred thousand gold coins.
Pay-to-Win Ingots, as the continent’s ‘highest denomination’ hard currency, had a market circulation rate of less than one hundred-millionth.
Because Pay-to-Win Ingots were all artificially processed from Pay-to-Win ore. But as the hardest variant metal under heaven, only top-tier alchemists had the ability to do so.
Even if successfully cast into Pay-to-Win Ingots, since the Pay-to-Win ores on the market were sold by the gram, the price was naturally the same as 1000g of fragmented Pay-to-Win ore.
…The risk was considerable, but the returns were the most thankless. So much so that Pay-to-Win Ingots on the market were nearly extinct, transforming from ‘hard currency’ into ‘collector’s items for big shots.’
And what Weilin revealed were a full one thousand of these ‘collector’s items.’
Reki’s eyes were fixed on those Pay-to-Win Ingots as if possessed by a demon; her snow-white throat couldn’t help but let out a heavy “gulp.”
Weilin wasn’t impatient at all. She was going to deposit them in the Cloudstride Merchant Guild anyway, so she didn’t retract them immediately.
She wanted to give Reki ample time to be shocked.
After an unknown period, Reki seemed to have finally had her fill. She turned and bowed her head to the tycoon, her eyes full of respect and remorse.
“Forgive me for being blind, doubting you just now…”
“After all, besides me, who else could produce 100 million gold coins in cash at once?” Weilin said without modesty. “So doubt was the natural reaction. You’re forgiven. That said, a full thousand Pay-to-Win Ingots is indeed suspicious; perhaps the entire world combined doesn’t have as many as I do here. To avoid any mishaps, don’t you want to check if they’re genuine or fake first?”
Reki let out a clearly self-deprecating, bitter smile.
“I won’t make the same mistake twice… Besides, I’ve never had the experience of identifying Pay-to-Win Ingots. Only the Guild Master, in the entire Cloudstride Merchant Guild, has that capability. But… I believe, I believe all of these are genuine Pay-to-Win Ingots, and I believe even more in Miss Lega’s character.”
“I also tentatively believe in you.”
“Then, Miss Lega, are you certain you want to deposit all these… Pay-to-Win Ingots worth one hundred million gold coins into our guild? According to the rules, besides meeting the sum, they must be deposited for a minimum term of three years.”
Reki confirmed once more with caution. If this deal went through, expanding the guild’s capital was secondary; it would immensely elevate the Cloudstride Merchant Guild’s prestige and status on the continent. And along with it, she herself would soar to success… despite already sitting in the position of Branch Guild Master.
“Then deposit for three years first. As for the money to buy all the Crystal Companion White Mice, you can just deduct it from there yourselves.”
Weilin’s tone suddenly shifted, her gaze long and deep, her smile light and shallow. “Right, you should be clear on the reason I chose you, correct?”
“Of course, it’s because of Elizabeth…”
The topic circled back. Reki’s eyes flowed with boundless emotion. Unable to help herself, she sighed deeply with a rueful, bitter smile.
“I, Cailing, and the entire Cloudstride Merchant Guild, all received this immense favor because of a single Little White Mouse. Who would believe it if we said it out loud…?”
“You deserve it.” Weilin paused her words. “I hope you continue to deserve it in the future. Also, I might have some matters to ask for your help with later.”
Reki understood.
Two black cards of unknown material immediately appeared in her hand. She respectfully offered them with both hands.
“Please accept these two Supreme Black Cards for now, Miss Lega. When the headquarter personnel deliver the Cloudstride Celestial Card, I will personally deliver them to Miss Lega and Elizabeth’s hands. Henceforth, presenting this card at any Cloudstride Merchant Guild establishment, even the local Branch Guild Master will be at the disposal of Miss Lega and Elizabeth.”
She actually included an extra card? She really knows how to handle things.
But thinking about it, a membership paid for with real money was leagues better than those cards (activation codes) handed out for political diplomacy.
Deals between smart people were truly pleasant.
Weilin took the black cards and instructed, “First, settle Elizabeth’s kin properly. But don’t tell Elizabeth about this matter yet.”
“…Why?”
“Tell her after I’ve left.”
With Reki’s emotional intelligence, she naturally understood Weilin’s intention easily. She nodded gently. “I understand.”
Watching Lega Weilin, who worried so much about the White Mouse Clan before and after, Reki’s glossy pink lips couldn’t help but curve into a moving arc. She suddenly sighed softly, “…Elizabeth is truly fortunate to have met you, Miss Lega.”
Weilin’s face flushed slightly. She stressed her instruction again, her tone heavier.
“Don’t tell her!”
“Alright, alright. Please rest assured, I will absolutely keep the secret until Miss Lega departs.”
Although Reki was agreeing, she couldn’t hold back her smile throughout.
Suddenly, Reki remembered something important. Afraid Weilin was about to leave, she blurted out to keep her there: “…Miss Lega!”
“Hm?”
“That—tomorrow afternoon, we will be hosting an auction here. If Miss Lega would grace us with her presence and attend, it would be the greatest honor for our Cloudstride Merchant Guild—Snow City Branch.”
