Chapter 226: A Deal for Both Sides

Cassian burst out laughing and ruffled Nessa’s hair.

"Don’t look so solemn. I’m not used to it."

She struggled free of his hand.

"I’m here as my family’s envoy. Could you show a little respect?"

"Of course." He made an effort to stop smiling. "What can I do for you, Lady Envoy?"

The Exchange chimed.

[Nessa Fenwick has sent you 1,000,000,000 Aether.]

"I’ll take fifty Eclipse Chapterhouse Blueprints," she said grandly.

This time, he really was surprised.

"Where did you get that much money?"

He had some idea of her means. At first, even a few tens of thousands of Aether had required careful counting. Following him had made her much better off, but her wealth should still have been in the tens of millions.

Had House Fenwick funded her?

His surprise brought a brilliant smile to her face. She tried to keep up her dignified manner, failed, and hugged his arm.

"I kept telling everyone to bet on you becoming Governor. They made a fortune! And those ungrateful people called me your spy. They said we’d planned it together."

She lifted her chin.

"Fortunately, Darian finally found his conscience and gave me a billion from his winnings."

Cassian tried not to pay too much attention to her warmth against his arm.

"Are all those Blueprints for the women in your family?"

Nessa nodded, looking a little embarrassed.

"The Provincial transit links are open now. I want to visit everyone in Southreach. I can’t turn up empty-handed."

He remembered Seren, Susie, and the other Fenwick women he had seen over the video link. Nessa had done well for herself, and now she wanted to bring her family along with her.

That was thoughtful of her.

His silence made her tug at his arm.

"Please sell them to me. They don’t have to be the full version. You can leave out Grain God and Sword of Space."

She knew where to draw the line. Those two skills were too powerful to ask for lightly.

"All right, stop shaking me."

More Chapterhouses meant more benefits for him. His Muster Fortune had reached five million six hundred thousand. At the rate it was growing, he expected to have enough to bring Veyra’s Mistveil March to Lesser Perfection in less than a month.

Nessa’s proposal also gave him an idea.

The Fenwicks had little power of their own. Descended from refugees, they had lived under the Crown’s protection for centuries. Perhaps he could help them grow into a force he could keep in reserve.

Every Eclipse branch remained subject to the headquarters. There was plenty for him to gain.

"Nessa, if you’re representing your family, let’s treat this as a proper business agreement."

She immediately looked wary.

Cassian smiled.

"I can give you the full Chapterhouse Blueprints, including those skills. Each Chapterhouse can recruit an Epic Chapter Captain as well. But there will be conditions."

As he laid out his demanding terms, her worried expression eased.

"That’s all? I thought you were going to ask one of my sisters for some private favors."

His smile vanished.

In the end, they signed an agreement that satisfied him very well. Among its terms, every Fenwick Lord who built one of these Chapterhouses would have to transfer fifty-one percent of her Domain shares to him.

Cassian opened the Hall’s Blueprint production function. At ten thousand Muster Fortune apiece, the fifty full Blueprints cost five hundred thousand. He paid it and handed the completed Blueprints to Nessa.

She was just as pleased with the agreement as he was. The closer her relatives’ ties to Cassian, the more they stood to gain. She had accepted his terms on their behalf without hesitation.

Their future looked brighter already.

"Thank you, Cassian!"

She rose onto her toes, kissed his cheek, and left in high spirits.

Cassian touched the place she had kissed, a little startled.

"Dangerous woman."

He thought of the old tale about the Foxfolk’s only Mythic Nine-Tailed Fox who had captivated the Sovereign of Eldmark in the Second Realm. Even that Mythic Lord—a man bold enough to exchange dirty jokes with Saints of the First Realm—had lost his head over a beautiful woman.

——

At Rank XII, the Lord’s Hall was a luxurious seven-story Building covering several thousand square meters.

That night, Veyra, Celia, and Liora were gathered outside Cassian’s bedroom on the top floor, listening at the door.

A thud came from inside. Then a crash.

"Ow!"

Celia looked at Veyra with open curiosity.

"That sounds a little different from when you..."

The women had grown far too comfortable with one another to be shy about private jokes. Sylvara, newly arrived, had not yet become part of those conversations.

Before Veyra could answer, Liora began laughing, her silk dressing gown shaking with her.

"I think our Lord has finally met his match."

After a long while, the room grew quiet.

The door opened. Aurelia emerged in a light nightdress, looking thoroughly refreshed. Head high, she gave the women a cool glance and walked toward her own room like a warrior returning in triumph.

Veyra watched admiringly.

"She takes every battle seriously. Now that’s a true warrior."

Celia frowned.

"Are you hurt, Aurelia? You’re walking a little strangely."

Crack.

Aurelia’s next step left a deep footprint in the floor.

Early the following morning, Veyra knocked on Cassian’s door. There was no answer.

"Where’s our Lord?"

Sylvara had been up early too.

"I saw him go into the Enclosure first thing this morning. I believe he’s training."

Veyra paused, then broke into delighted laughter.

Another day passed. The Capital remained peaceful.

Galen and his allies were growing desperate. Even the Crown’s hunting teams had begun to consider an absurd possibility.

Darian finally said what everyone was thinking.

"Could Cassian have killed those three Greater Demons without telling us?"

Elara cleared her throat. When the others looked at her, she gave an embarrassed smile.

"I just remembered. I killed one this morning."

"Me too!" Nessa said at once. "I’ll kill another one in a moment. No—I mean, I already killed one."

Everyone turned to Darian, the strongest among them.

He looked outraged.

"You can’t just make up kills!"

When it became clear he would not cooperate, Tobias hesitated.

"I’m not really strong enough. But if no one wants the last one, I suppose I killed it."

Seraphine sighed.

"Leave that one to me."

Before long, word spread that Elara Vayne, Nessa Fenwick, and Seraphine Valcrest had each killed one of the Greater Demons.

The Crown Lords erupted in celebration.

The Sunspire Lords were no longer the only ones leaving. Dawn Coast and Beacon League Lords began relocating too, followed by some of the Black Banner.

The Crown’s strong Lords were terrifying. They could even kill Greater Demons with Space Will. Apparently, Cassian was far from their only threat.

Galen and Dorian could do nothing but watch, furious and increasingly anxious.

During this time, the Abyss Gate kept supplying a steady stream of middle- and high-grade monsters. Two Legendary Balors emerged as well.

Lethria was waiting for them. Both died almost as soon as they came out.

——

Cassian only chuckled at his friends’ little performance. He had something more important to attend to.

At last, he had gathered what he needed for the next Domain upgrade. He confirmed it and paid the required resources.

[Lord’s Hall advanced to Rank XIII.]

[Choose your Domain’s development direction: City or Fortress.]

[City: increased Domain area.]

[Fortress: a stronger Domain defense system.]

[This choice cannot be changed. Choose carefully.]