Chapter 132: You Came Just in Time
“Not only did the Abyss accept the invitation, but the Temple of the Celestial God did too. Looks like the Pope is quite patient. Even after all this, they’re still unwilling to take direct action.”
In the study of the manor’s small building, Kailun discussed the latest intelligence with Anna and the others.
Since they were all family, everyone sat casually on the soft sofas. Anna and Ella were opposite Kailun, Winnie sat on the left, and Isabella on the right.
Carol stood behind Kailun, looking like a personal maid.
Afra wasn’t interested in these decisions. Lately, she had been focusing on adapting to her changing powers.
“The Temple of the Celestial God’s delegation to the Xiya Kingdom includes Saint Chrissy, the assassin Perle, Saint Paul, and two ninth-rank mages. These two ninth-ranks are the former Cardinal and the previous Saint, Henry,” Isabella reported, reviewing the latest information.
Logically, the Loya Ball should also send representatives to Kailun’s Chamber of Commerce, but because of her presence, this task fell on her petite shoulders.
“Besides the two ninth-ranks, almost everyone else is familiar. We’ll get to see our old friend Paul again this time. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Thinking of Paul’s return, Kailun smiled with delight. He wasn’t used to not bullying Paul for a while.
“In addition to the Temple of the Celestial God, several other well-known large organizations and empires have also sent people. They want to see what the Xiya Kingdom, which is stirring up the world, is really like. Although these forces aren’t as strong as the Temple of the Celestial God, their combined power shouldn’t be underestimated.”
Isabella put down the magic letter in her hand, her gaze fixed on Kailun, curious about how he would handle this situation.
In a sense, this was the Xiya Kingdom’s true entry onto the world stage.
On a smaller scale, it was just the opening ceremony of a Chamber of Commerce. On a larger scale, it was a gathering of the entire world, including the Abyss.
All the information about Kailun had reached the desks of various major powers. They were baffled by his rise to power, feeling that there was a mysterious and powerful force backing him.
Otherwise, how could a small country like the Xiya Kingdom have the power to confront the Temple of the Celestial God?
It was impossible, no matter how they thought about it.
Although the Pope had tried her best to block the news from the battlefield, the news of the ninth-rank self-destruction had still reached many people’s ears.
This was also the key reason why many major powers were gathering in the Xiya Kingdom. A force that dared to openly confront the Temple of the Celestial God couldn’t be underestimated.
Isabella’s parents had repeatedly emphasized that she must maintain a good relationship with Kailun and try to find out who was behind him.
But in Isabella’s view, Kailun was alone. There was no mysterious force behind him.
“Also, I found that the Temple of the Celestial God is purchasing Fate Stones. Currently, all these purchased Fate Stones are being sent to Alaye,” Anna reported.
Although her intelligence network was far inferior to Isabella’s, with Kailun’s support, it could barely function.
“Fate Stones, huh? They’re probably for predicting the future. But the Temple of the Celestial God’s divination device is very old and has many flaws. We don’t need to worry too much about that.”
Kailun lay comfortably on the sofa and waved his hand, signaling Carol to massage his shoulders.
“I’ve already leaked the fake material list to Doreen. She’ll probably take action soon. As long as we monitor where these materials end up on the market, we can determine who is behind Doreen.”
When it was Winnie’s turn to speak, she was clearly nervous. Suddenly becoming a part of the family made her feel a little uncomfortable.
It had been a day since Kailun appointed her as factory manager, and Winnie was diligently completing the tasks he had assigned.
“Just have someone keep an eye on it and raise the price a bit more.” Kailun nodded at Winnie.
There were only two days left until the scheduled date, and the preparations were almost complete.
For those who had to travel long distances, it was likely that they wouldn’t be able to catch the excitement on the first day.
The only thing Kailun was concerned about was the news Shirley had sent back yesterday. He had a deep impression of the place called Kuye Town.
Kuye Town, the town where he had met Fox. This name was what Fox had told him.
He hadn’t expected to hear this name from Shirley. Kailun didn’t think it was a coincidence.
He had warned Shirley not to act rashly and to be as careful as possible.
Placing his hand on his chest, feeling the parchment scroll in his pocket through his clothes, Kailun still hadn’t reached any useful conclusions.
He needed more knowledge of magic. Hopefully, Fox and the dragon girl would bring him ninth-rank magic books.
“If there’s nothing else, you can go and prepare. Oh, Ella, stay.”
Half an hour later, Kailun calmly kept Ella and dismissed everyone else from the study.
Ella, sitting opposite Kailun, was clearly a little scared. She shrank back on the sofa, her eyes darting around.
Due to Kailun’s occasional “guidance”, Ella’s goodwill had reached 40, a below-average level.
Kailun wasn’t worried that Ella, who had already signed a contract, would betray him. Even if she hated him, she would still work diligently.
Once everyone had left the study, Kailun leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him, and looked at Ella appraisingly. “So, should I call you Puppy Ella now? Or Chamber of Commerce Queen Ella?”
“Whatever you like,” Ella replied, fidgeting with her cheongsam, her actions betraying her nervousness.
“Everyone else had something to report just now, but you remained silent. So I understand, you must have wanted to stay behind and chat with me alone. Now I’ve given you the opportunity. Why don’t you come over here?”
Kailun patted the sofa beside him, gesturing for Ella to come closer.
After hesitating for a while, Ella finally lowered her head and sat beside Kailun.
Today, Ella was wearing a pink cheongsam and black suspender stockings. The tight-fitting clothes accentuated her alluring figure.
Kailun often used her special qualities to enhance his own attributes. Her natural charm was something he could never get tired of, and she had given him many novel experiences.
Especially when Anna was involved, the experience would undergo a magical transformation.
However, due to their limited interactions, Ella’s attitude towards Kailun wasn’t good. It was more like fear.
Fortunately, Kailun had been relatively free these past two days, and he could take the time to raise Ella’s goodwill.
“Are you sure you have nothing to report to me?”
Kailun placed his hand on Ella’s smooth thigh and pulled the suspender strap away from her leg.
“Snap!”
Kailun released his fingers, and the black suspender strap snapped back against Ella’s thigh, making a crisp and pleasant sound.
Did it sound good?
If it sounded good, it meant good legs.
The snapping strap left a faint red mark on Ella’s fair skin. Her constitution was still quite low.
Thanks to Kailun’s support, Ella had become a fourth-rank mage, but this level of strength was insignificant. Her body was correspondingly fragile.
If it weren’t for her special constitution and talent, she wouldn’t be able to withstand a single blow from Kailun.
“No…”
Ella bit her moist red lips, resentment flashing in her eyes.
She believed she had managed the Chamber of Commerce well. Once it was operational, it could leverage the Xiya Kingdom’s advantages to earn a lot of gold coins.
“It seems you haven’t realized your mistakes. This is not good. In terms of management, your subordinates are a bit lazy. Anna told me that you often start work at ten o’clock. This is a waste of time. You must start work at nine o’clock at the latest, understand? Secondly, security is a bit lax. Several important warehouses are only guarded by a small number of people. This is a hidden danger.”
Kailun pinched Ella’s thigh every time he pointed out a problem. The perfect amount of fleshiness felt incredibly satisfying.
“You didn’t give me enough people. It’s not my fault…” Ella looked at Kailun with a hint of grievance.
She knew she was short-staffed, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask Kailun for more people.
“So it’s my fault now? If you don’t ask, how would I know if I would give you more people?”
Kailun pulled the suspender strap on Ella’s thigh and snapped it again, making a crisp sound.
Ella: “…”
Ella bit her lip pitifully, looking like a bullied puppy.
“Those who make mistakes should be punished accordingly. If you perform well, I might reward you.”
As he spoke, Kailun took out the parchment scroll. He planned to take this opportunity to study it further.
“Punishment?” Confusion appeared in Ella’s eyes.
“Yes, punishment.”
Kailun pointed at the marble floor in front of him. “Kneel down and continue your work.”
“Pervert~”
Ella complained, her face flushed, but out of fear of Kailun, she didn’t refuse.
Smoothing out the wrinkles on her cheongsam, Ella endured the shame and knelt in front of Kailun.
Burying her head in his arms, Ella skillfully controlled her fiery emotions.
“I didn’t expect this magic circle to put such a huge strain on the magic circuits. If it’s not handled properly, it could easily lead to a fatal explosion.”
Kailun held the parchment scroll in one hand and stroked Ella’s pink hair with the other, marveling at the danger of the scroll in his hand.
“Although this is just the tip of the iceberg of the entire magic circle, this small part can already have a huge impact. According to my estimation, as long as it’s activated, it can have a significant amplification effect…”
Allocating most of his attributes to mental power, Kailun used a small portion of his constitution to experience the effects of Ella’s natural charm.
Perhaps sensing the power of the scroll, Kailun’s breathing gradually became heavier.
He leaned back on the sofa, focusing his attention even more, unconsciously increasing the strength and speed of his strokes on Ella’s head.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
After an unknown amount of time, someone knocked on the study door.
“Who is it?” Kailun asked in a slightly hurried voice.
“It’s me, Eve. Lady Afra asked me to report on our recent training results.”
The voice outside the door was filled with nervousness and anticipation.
After a while, seeing no response from inside the room, she added, “Did I disturb you, Master~?”
The young knight Eve, who hadn’t seen Kailun for a while, missed him very much.
The three of them were always undergoing intense training with Afra, rarely getting a chance to see Kailun.
“Oh, it’s Eve. Come in. You can help Ella share some of the work. She’s too weak.”
Kailun’s voice came from the study, filled with amusement at Ella’s expense.
Eve, the young knight, pushed open the door with delight. In her line of sight, Kailun was sitting on the sofa, his back to her.
Eve scanned the room. Besides a strange smell, she didn’t see Ella.
Where was Lady Ella?
With this question in mind, Eve, clad in light knight armor, cautiously approached Kailun. It was only when she stood behind him that she realized Ella was lying in his arms.
Because the scroll in Kailun’s hand blocked part of her view, she couldn’t see the full picture.
“You come over too, like last time.”
Kailun glanced at the beautiful, elegant, and youthful Eve and smiled.
“Okay~”
Eve nodded obediently and knelt down in front of Kailun.
[Mental Pollution increased. Ella’s Goodwill +10, Total Goodwill 50]
“Cough, cough…”
Perhaps because of the additional burning gaze, Ella choked and coughed repeatedly.
This punishment only lasted for two hours. Afterward, Kailun assigned many people to Ella, all of whom were trusted confidants.
It was worth mentioning that Ella’s attitude still needed improvement. After finishing her work, she ran away, rubbing her reddened knees, leaving the docile Eve in the study to keep Kailun company.
Fortunately, Eve, curled up in his arms, was as well-behaved as a kitten. Besides occasionally tickling Kailun’s stomach with her fingers, she didn’t disturb him.
Allocating all his attributes to mental power, Kailun continued to decipher the information on the scroll. This was his main task for the past two days.
……
In stark contrast to Kailun’s leisure, the Rose Kingdom was in dire straits. The magic crystals stored in the treasury could only last for another two days.
Once they were depleted, the entire war would come to a standstill.
“Useless, Duke Pit is useless!”
“He kept promising me that it would be soon, but how many days has it been?”
Rose, who was usually quite composed, couldn’t help but curse loudly in her bedroom. Duke Pit had greatly disappointed her.
She had given him so much gold, but he couldn’t even get a single magic crystal. Now the price had skyrocketed.
The only thing she was grateful for was that the Madden and Kaz Kingdoms didn’t have abundant reserves either. They were facing the same problem.
Now, whoever could buy enough magic crystals first would gain an advantage in the upcoming war.
Looking at the material list on the table, the words “Balance Chamber of Commerce” appeared in Rose’s mind.
“Someone, inform the front-line troops to retreat. Switch from offense to defense to minimize magic crystal consumption. Try to hold out for a week. Also, prepare a carriage and guards for me. I’m going to the Xiya Kingdom myself.”
Rose decided to go to the Xiya Kingdom to find a way to break the deadlock.
She had heard that her grandfather had secretly gone into hiding in the Xiya Kingdom and was teaching others magic. It was outrageous.
How was this different from aiding the enemy?
The most infuriating thing was that he had also insisted that she get married, which was something Queen Rose couldn’t accept.
Rose planned to go to the Xiya Kingdom secretly. After all, even the people from the Temple of the Celestial God were on their way. Surely Kailun wouldn’t target her, a small king, would he?
With a certain amount of wishful thinking, Rose decided to sneak into the Xiya Kingdom.
She had three goals for this trip: acquire raw materials, find her grandfather, and purchase magic crystals.
The last goal wasn’t really a goal. She wanted to see how extraordinary Kailun, who had been playing against her, really was, and what kind of person dared to confront the mighty Temple of the Celestial God.
However, Rose didn’t know that the kings of Madden and Kaz, with whom she was at war, were also on their way to the Xiya Kingdom.
……
“Is this Kuye Town?”
Shirley arrived at Kuye Town with a thousand-strong exploration team. Looking at the town shrouded in mist, Shirley felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had been here before but couldn’t remember.
“Do any of you have information about this town?”
Shirley turned to ask the knights beside her.
“Lady Shirley, my family lives in a village twenty miles away from this town. I’ve heard stories about this town before. Legend has it that over a decade ago, all the people in the town died overnight. They seemed to have suddenly lost their vitality and died with their bodies stiff. I heard that people later found all the bodies, except for a girl named Fox…”
The young female knight recounted the events of that year to Shirley.
However, Shirley looked at her with a strange expression. “Why are you so familiar with this?”
The female knight was stunned for a moment, then explained, “It’s a well-known story in our village. The elders often talk about it, saying it’s a strange incident.”
“Is that so? Since you’re so familiar with it, take your people and investigate carefully. Be careful to search every corner. You have five hours.”
Shirley looked at the female knight coldly. She suddenly wondered when this knight had appeared by her side.
“Everything will be done according to your instructions, Lady Shirley.”
The female knight looked startled again.
Under Shirley’s orders, she obediently led her people into the mist-covered town.
Once the female knight disappeared from sight, Shirley turned to her trusted aides and ordered, “Go to the nearby villages and inquire about the information she just mentioned. Confirm its accuracy as soon as possible.”
Perhaps because she had become smarter recently, Shirley sensed something unusual.
She tried to recall carefully, but she couldn’t remember the female knight’s name or when she had become her deputy.
It was as if everything had been prearranged.
Taking out the small communication device Kailun had given her from her pocket, Shirley relayed her discovery to him.
She didn’t receive an immediate response from Kailun, so she put the device back in her pocket.
As time passed, Shirley’s unease grew.
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