Chapter 8: Setting things in motion

"WHAT'S WITH THE RACKET THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING!?" I shouted as I heard howls and scratching outside my door

I got to bed so late last night because I was too busy tallying my money. Then what little sleep I already have would be interrupted like this? A minute hadn’t passed in this day yet I already had a feeling that it was gonna be a terrible one.

"We're sorry, my lady! Lupus and Luna are too rowdy today." I heard Martha’s voice beyond the door, as she tried to calm down Lupus and Luna.

I couldn’t help but think of how they could be so active this early in the morning… Dozens of seconds after Martha apologized, the sounds were still there. Lupus and Luna were clearly still in front of her door, howling and scratching at the door, not budging in the slightest.

“Let them in” finally I relented in an attempt to just have all of this be over.

Instantly, when Martha opened the door. The two large furballs immediately headed and jumped on to me. They trashed around the bed, snuggling and trying to get as close to her as possible, like they were checking if something had happened to me. Seeing that a lot of my sour mood disappeared and I couldn’t help but talk to them: “Gosh, I’m not going anywhere okay?”

Lupus and Luna were the profound beasts that I bought and are now currently contracted to. Ever since that incident 4 years ago when a rat managed to sneak in the mansion and steal some money from me. I realized just how lacking our security was, so I didn’t buy just any kind of profound beast to serve as our guard.

Profound beasts, just like humans, had classifications based on the overall expectation of their combat prowess. These classifications were named ‘Circles’ and starts from the first and goes upwards from there on.

The ones that I bought were a very special, perhaps even forbidden, specie of profound beasts that is said to have been descended from the mythical Wolf of the North, the same demigod that had been serving as the region’s guardian deity. A young cub could supposedly make a group of ogres scurrying back to the mountains with its presence alone, and the good news is, I had two of them under my care.

They can grow to about twice the height and several times the weight of an ordinary human. And as a profound beast, it could naturally wield mana and has the capabilities to control both wind and ice. Once they fully mature, they have the potential to reach up to the 7^th Circle, at that level they had nothing to fear, except for the most powerful creatures of this world.

But despite their enormous potential, it would still take decades for them to live up to their ceilings. So right now-

“Oh~ why are you rascals playing so early in the morning, hah? Hah?” I talked to them like I would talk to a baby, all the while rubbing their heads. Of course, I received nothing but tongues lolled out and tails wagging happily behind them.

They were still pups, about as tall as a healthy adult male but they were already more than enough security for a backwater town like this one. With my life on the line, I’m sure they’re more than strong enough to maul down the governor’s legion of guards already.

After playing with them for a couple of minutes, they finally calmed down. Only then did I notice, that it wasn’t even 5 in the morning just yet. But I wasn’t in the mood to go back to sleep again so instead, I did my everyday morning rituals several hours earlier that usual.

* * *

At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, I was sitting at my study, tallying the remainder of my earnings when Old Jimmy suddenly knocked on my door, saying that I had a guest. When I asked who it was, he quietly said that: “The governor’s wife came to see you, my lady.”

I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow after hearing that. So after cleaning up on my study, I told Old Jim to have the governess meet me on the guest room and have some drinks prepared.

… … A few minutes afterwards, I came down to the guest room and saw a black-haired woman, a hair color very common to the people of Concordia, elegantly sitting across the opposite side of the table.

“Good afternoon and I hope I hadn’t kept you waiting for too long.” I greeted the beautiful woman and took my seat by the other end of the table. “I’m not known for having the freest of schedule, so I wonder what is it that Ms. Zhuyu wanted to talk to me about at this time of the day?”

The governor had fancied himself and chose to marry a foreign woman, from a hostile nation nonetheless, despite all the advice and protests against it by his advisors. And it wasn’t hard to see why, when you take a good look at the wife he chose to marry.

Her skin was like porcelain, smooth and unblemished. Her eyes were almond-shaped and slanted upwards, giving her an exotic, alluring look. Her hair was black and shiny, cascading down her back in a silky waterfall. She was wearing a red dress that hugged her slim figure, and she had a gold necklace with a jade pendant around her neck.

A beauty that so captivated the governor, he put up with the unreasonable and humiliating demand that she keep her maiden name even after marriage. Granted, he was only just a baron and wasn’t really the highest of rank when it came to nobility. But still, it should be a shame to any man regardless of status to have their wife blatantly tell them that she doesn’t want to carry his surname.

“Don’t worry Ms. Vivian, the not-so-famous 3^rd child of the Rockwell Family. I’m very sure you will find our conversation worthwhile or, at the very least, interesting depending on what you answers will be on the things I have to say.” Zhuyu’s eyes curved into lovely crescents as she spoke

On the other hand, my eyes squinted hearing her bring up my family into this conversation. After all, my family isn’t exactly the ordinary kind. We weren’t quite like the nobility, but our influence still wasn’t to be trifled with.

As a prominent merchant family, when Rockwell family members move, we usually bring our businesses to the territory that we’re settling down on. That includes all the production, the jobs, the imports and exports, and most importantly the taxes that we would have to pay. We have quite the political sway when it comes to choosing which cities or towns we choose to live in, as many nobles would court us with their own deals and, more often than not, are willing to give us some sort of leverage if we choose to settle down on their territory.

“Hm… does the governor have something that he wants to tell me?” I had set up my clothing workshop in this town at a time when this place had no governor. So there were no such deals between the baron and me as of yet.

If Zhuyu came here to talk about that, then surely this was a talk worth having.

“Unfortunately, no. The matters that I’m here for does not involve my husband in any way, shape, or form.” she gave me a cutesy pout as she said so. Then she continued by saying: “Before we get into the serious topics, how about we have a light chat first? For example, about our families? I’m sure Ms. Vivian has heard of the news that your older brother had just been recognized by the Imperium as the 43^rd most powerful person on the world. He really does bring glory to the Rockwell name, don’t you agree?”

Tsk… I didn’t need to hear that.

The Imperium she was talking about is a news company backed by the Mage Association, completely independent of any nation, even the Empire of Concordia. They were very popular and extremely trusted by almost everyone, and no country were antagonistic towards them either.

Ever since 170 years ago, they would release a power ranking of the top 500 most powerful person in the entire world when it came to combat. 170 years ago, it wasn’t anything big but over the last century it has became more and more mainstream, and is now probably the number one most awaited news article in the entire world.

It was probably the number one most talked about topic in every pub or bars. Everyone had an opinion, and everyone wanted to compare. Making it to the list was one sure-fire way to get your name out to the public’s mouth. Top 500 might not seem much, but considering there are probably a billion people alive, then it becomes a lot more impressive when you think of it that way.

There is only one problem, making it to the list was extremely difficult. The Imperium couldn’t be bought or swayed by any amount of bribes. They had the ‘All-Seeing Eye of God’ within the Mage Association that was responsible for the list in the first place. The Top 500 list released by the Imperium was probably the most accurate and the closest thing we would get to an actual power ranking of the world’s fighters. That’s why it was so popular in the first place.

Every single nation in the world recognized the authenticity of the list, and the many individuals who were listed, were called ‘Rankers’, and would often use it for propaganda, politics, or for personal fame and notoriety. And in that prestigious list which contained military generals, heroes, kings, and wizards, my older brother, Allen, was in the 43^rd highest position.

“Yes, my older brother is indeed very talented.” I said, not hiding my displeasure as I spoke.

“Truly, he’s so amazing. He’s not even in his 40s and he’s already this impressive. So impressive, that him becoming the heir of the Rockwell family is almost all but guaranteed, isn’t it?” She suddenly brought up something with a knowing smile on her face. “Even your other noteworthy older sister, who is ranked 75^th, seems to pale in comparison to the oldest sibling of the Rockwell Family.”

Right now, in our family, there was an ongoing competition about who will be take our father’s mantle and inherit the majority of the family’s assets. Merits reigned supreme when it came to our family, so the inheritance was decided by ability and not birthright.

But this inheritance competition is something that’s been kept within the family only. Outsiders should not be privy to that knowledge or the fact that it’s even happening in the first place.

The frown in my face didn’t faze Zhuyu in the slightest, even seeming like she expected it, and said: “Even with a meritocratic system, it seems like the eldest child is sure to inherit it all. A prominent business magnate, a world-renowned magician, and a top 50 Ranker. Allen is easily the leading horse in this race. Even if he wasn’t, your older sister is just slightly less impressive than he is-”

“…” With every word this woman spoke, my mood got worse and worse, and I became less and less interested in what she had to say. In the end, while she was in the middle of yapping about how unlikely it was that I would win the inheritance, I couldn’t take it any longer and cut it off: “Woman, if your job was to pitch an idea or proposal to me, then I’m afraid you’re doing a very poor job because right now, I want nothing more than to get you off my sight.”

“Scary~ What could a first circle magician possibly do to me, oh nooo~” Her voice filled with sarcasm only aggravated me even further. Poking at my insecurities like this, I’ve had enough of this conversation. I rang a bell on the table, which caused Old Jim to come in and promptly escort Zhuyu out of the mansion.

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However, Zhuyu actually dared to resist! With quick and precise hand movements, Old Jim had been knocked unconscious and just before he fell to the floor, Zhuyu deftly picked him and sat him on the chair she was just sitting on earlier.

“I told you right? I had something to talk about and it’s very important~” still with the playful attitude, she continued speaking.

Zhuyu’s reputation had never been great. As a foreigner, she wasn’t welcome among Soliana’s nobility, and had all sorts of rumors floating around her. She had always been unpopular with the public because of her origins from Concordia, but then her immense beauty also caused some skeptics to believe that she was a female spy or even a honey trap sent by the Empire.

I never took any of those rumors seriously, brushing them aside as nothing but hateful and slanderous rumors. But the skills she just displayed far exceeded that of a regular housewife’s or any ordinary person, in that regard. Combine that with the fact that she somehow knew information that should’ve never been made public. it’s got me thinking that perhaps there was some truth behind those after all.

“Miss Vivian, it might be pricking at your ego, but what I’m saying is nothing but the cold harsh truth. You’re simply lacking compared to your siblings. Among your siblings, your clothing business is the smallest and when it comes to magical prowess, you’re stuck at the first circle while your siblings have already reached the 5^th.” she then sat on the table, just in front of me, before extending her hand. “Which is why I have a very helpful proposition for you.”

From what I’ve seen, this woman might be a practitioner of one of those troublesome oriental martial arts or whatever they called them. Thankfully, I could sense Lupus and Luna were nearby. If I were to whistle they would be able to immediately come here and protect me if things went awry.

Now that I felt more at ease, I asked: “Let me hear it then.”

“I have a way that could help you win the inheritance competition of the Rockwell family.” she told me with a smile. I already expected this much, considering how much she emphasized the fact that I’m lacking compared to my siblings.

“Are you saying that as yourself? Or in behalf of the organization behind you?” I asked

Since she made it clear earlier that she wasn’t her in behalf of her husband, then it means someone else was behind her. But after hearing my question, she said: “Hmm… I’m willing to tell you about them, but then I would have to put some measures to ensure that our talks would remain only within the confines of this walls.”

“That… I don’t mind.” I said before whistling. A few seconds shortly, Lupus and Luna came inside the guest room and stood behind me. “I would want to know the identity of the people whose whims I’m playing under.”

Seeing the two silver wolves, even Zhuyu couldn’t hide her surprise and spoke in a daze before hurried recollecting herself: “Isn’t that a-?… Well well, what are these? A third no- maybe even fourth circle magical beasts? For you to keep them as pets, it seems that no Rockwell family member should be underestimated after all...”

After saying that, she went back to her business and continued: “Ahem, getting back to the topic. I’m afraid Ms. Vivian is mistaken about something. The Baihu family wants to collaborate with the future head of the Rockwell Family, not as subordinates but as partners of equal standing. We promise there would be just as much for you in our deal as there would be for us.”

Baihu Family? Now it was my turn to be surprised, as my mouth was inadvertently left agape for a few seconds. A dynastic family from the Empire of Concordia that holds the power of one of their Great Symbols, the White Tiger, was trying to get in touch with me.

This isn’t good... The more awe I show to the opposing side, the lower my place would be in the negotiating table. Meanwhile at the same breath, Zhuyu threw five knives in five different directions directions, all with a tag attached that had different words written on them, before speaking: “Five-pointed Diagram of Tranquility!”

Zhuyu then said: “As long as this magical array stands, no sound inside the array will make it outside. So I think it’s about time we get down to the specifics, don’t you think?”

“Right now, we suspect that one of the doors to the abyss are situated very deeply inside the Forest of Ein.” Just like that, a bombshell had been casually dropped in our conversation

Did I just hear that right? It was a massive speculation that the reason behind Concordia’s wars were because of these so called ‘Doors to the Abyss’ that she was talking about. Throughout the world, there were only a handful of them. Only seven so far had been found and all of them had a major faction controlling them. Among those seven, three of them already belonged to the Empire.

“As you can imagine, the location of this particular door is very far from the Empire’s reach. Even for us it is difficult to directly exert our influence and maintain control of a territory that is so far away. Just the diplomatic nightmare that would happen if we were to march a group of experts through the borders of several nations isn’t something we would want to deal with.” All the previous mischievousness on her voice was gone, Zhuyu was very serious as she spoke.

“So what is my role in this?” As I realized just how big this scheme really was, I realized I wasn’t gonna get off unscathed now that I knew all of this. If these information were ever to get leaked, it would surely make international headlines the day after.

“Since my husband is a noble, albeit very low-ranked. So while it would take a lot of time, we would still be able to gather up a force, under the guise of mercenaries, in his territory without any trouble. But since we also don’t want the door to fall under the hands of the Kingdom of Soliana, my husband and I won’t be taking control of it. Instead-” she then looked at me knowingly.

“You want it to fall under the hands of my family instead?” Suddenly I had a rough idea of what this plan was

“No, not under this Rockwell Family, but under your Rockwell family. Not every Door to the Abyss has belong to a country, for example the Mage Association has one of their own as well. But never has a Door fallen to the hands of a single family.” Zhuyu said, still with a smile on her face.

That was only natural. The existence of these doors were of significant international importance.

Although I don’t know the full extent of its purpose, I do know two things about it. One, they were the only known pathways towards the mysterious realm, known as the Abyss; Secondly, each door had a profound beast that served as its guardian which, although difficult, could still be contracted with.

Certainly, it would bring me extreme prestige and glory if that were to happen. The Kingdom of Soliana, didn’t even possess a single Door to the Abyss. It was a right reserved, for only the truly powerful. If I can make the Rockwell family possess one, then…

“By taking hold of that door, your place in the inheritance race can go from dead last to all of sudden being the clear favorite.” Zhuyu said, but I couldn’t help but think of what the catch was to all of this.

“I assume you want me to possess the door as your proxy, am I right? In exchange, you’ll help me control and fend off those who would want to take it from me. Doing all of that from the shadows, I suppose?” I asked.

Hearing that, Zhuyu only smiled. As I suspected, although they said that we were partners of equal footing, there is a very clear power balance between the two of us. So if I were to agree, by extension, it would secretly bump the number of doors that the Empire possessed from three to four.

“What if I were to refuse?” I said and with a snap of my fingers, Lupus and Luna bared their fangs towards Zhuyu and started growling menacingly.

“I know what you’re thinking, but taking control of an abyssal isn’t as simple as you think. I know for certain that you can’t do it on your own. If you borrow strength from the kingdom or your family, they’ll take it from you despite the fact that you’re the one who told them about it.” as if she had expected this, she already a reply ready

“Better that, than to have another door fall into the lap of you Concordians, don’t you think?”

“Oh my... I told you that we’re partners here right? Surely, you didn’t think us to be tyrannical overlords and that we’re giving you the short end of the stick? Us Concordians aren’t so stingy. You know, your clothing and bags were well received by the members of the Baihu family. They’re even willing to give a lot of leeway for you and your business should you want to start selling them to the people of the Empire.”

“…” That alone was enough to get me to reconsider.

The Empire of Concordia is the largest, most prosperous, and most populous nation in the continent. On the surface, it is the biggest and wealthiest market in the world. But the problem came in their draconian rules and regulation, that makes it extremely difficult to even enter the market in the first place.

“I… agree.” In the end, what they had laid out for me was an opportunity to great not to take,

If one of the four great families of the Empire, said they were willing to give me a lot of leeway, then it can only be described as being heaven-sent in the eyes of a businessman.

“A wise choice, Ms. Rockwell. May you prosper greatly in the times to come.” Zhuyu smiled beautifully before shaking my hands. I returned her blessings as well, and courteously saw her out of the door.

As Zhuyu finally left, she carried with her a small bag in one hand and a parasol in the other. Even as a woman, I had to say that she walked with a grace and elegance that was captivating to watch. The governor’s wife clearly wasn’t the beautiful simple commoner the governor thought he had married. From the looks of it, he had found himself quite the woman, or maybe it was her who had deliberately let herself be found instead.

The day that started out so terribly, might just be the one that would change my life the most.

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