Chapter 327 - 321: Find It

Chapter 327: Chapter 321: Find It

The emergence of certain phenomena would go on to have a lasting and profound impact on the course of history.

For a long time after, a continuous stream of Akenis came in search of Kekyiru’s tomb. Among the Akenis, any word even remotely similar to "Kekyiru" became detestable, to the point that no one dared use a similar-sounding name.

The third issue of the *Business Opportunities Information Guide* could be considered the first major stir the periodical created after a period of gestation.

Its direct result was to make the periodical a household name, while also prompting the Akenis to deeply reflect on the concepts of trust and morality.

...

In Lobelica World, on the first day of the Month of Resurgence, the Commerce Capital was bustling with extraordinary excitement. Or, to be more precise, the area *outside* the Commerce Capital was.

Unlike in previous years, this year’s Commercial Achievement Conference was not held in the main hall of the Chamber of Commerce Center.

The conference representative, Pipi, bought out all the "tickets" in one go, securing exclusive viewing rights for the event. He then paid out of his own pocket to construct a massive open-air venue on the plains outside the Commerce Capital.

Any Akenis could attend by paying just one Crystal Shield, a price that was only a small fraction of the original ticket cost.

This spared the many young Akenis who were eager to attend the conference the frustration of having to travel to the Commerce Capital just to listen to a Magic Energy audio feed.

In the eyes of many veteran merchants, the tycoon Pipi was just trying to put on a huge spectacle, flaunting his wealth and showing off to the broader Akenis population.

But only Pipi understood. ’My Mentor wants me to create a "concert" with a low barrier to entry.’

At only one Crystal Shield, the price was affordable for nearly every Akenis. Even among the vast population of non-magic users, who had no rights to speak of, many could grit their teeth and scrounge up a single Crystal Shield.

As a magical race, the Akenis had one of the highest awakening rates in all of Lobelica. What they lacked in individual power, they more than made up for in sheer numbers.

The number of Magic Awakeners was estimated to be at least several hundred thousand. The majority of them resided in the Lobelica World, while a smaller portion were active in various known worlds that adhered to the Law of Order, having reached them through Lobelica’s many passages or by other means.

The number of non-magic Akenis was even greater, numbering well into the tens of millions.

’But Pipi knew that in the eyes of the Akenis Chamber of Commerce, the non-magic Akenis were no different from livestock. They have an appallingly high mortality rate; their population is basically replaced wholesale every twenty to thirty years.’

This warped situation was already beginning to show dire consequences. The population of ordinary Akenis was already in steady decline, but the Chamber of Commerce couldn’t care less if they lived or died. After all, those guys bred like rabbits and were all over Lobelica.

News of this year’s conference had been spread in advance through the *Business Opportunities Information Guide*, drawing a massive number of Akenis to the Commerce Capital—at least three times more than in previous years. And this time, most of them would be able to attend in person.

The Commercial Achievement Conference—an event every young merchant dreamed of attending, yet one that seasoned merchants considered optional—unfolded against this backdrop.

The conference platform, or "stage," had already been constructed. Late at night, while everyone else was asleep, Pipi brought his loyal Beast Slaves to the site.

He stood there, gazing toward the sunrise, waiting until the very moment dawn broke.

In that moment, Pipi felt he could faintly grasp the true meaning of "Dawn."

...

"Stop pushing, stop pushing! Let me through! Here’s one Crystal Shield!"

"Me too! Xixi House, quick, pull me up! I can’t get in!"

"Hey, kid! Don’t you have to pay?"

"I paid, now move!"

...

The Beast Slaves and Crystal Collectors at the perimeter were swamped. In previous years, the Chamber’s main hall could only hold a few hundred Akenis, with the rest having to listen to an audio broadcast from within the city.

This time, however, the crowd stretched as far as the eye could see, and everyone was ready to pay for entry. When space ran short, the staff managing the perimeter simply expanded the boundary further out. After all, it was an open-air venue.

Some opportunistic small-time merchants seized the chance to sell food, water, and other wares to the waiting crowd—another business opportunity hinted at in the periodical.

In the end, it was impossible to get an accurate count of how many Akenis had shown up. It was also clear that not everyone had paid, as there simply wasn’t enough staff. They collected what they could.

Even so, the collection bags, heavy and clinking with Crystal Shields, were proof enough that Pipi’s decision to buy out the conference tickets had certainly not lost him money.

Fortunately, the hallowed stage was guarded by towering Beast Slaves and protected by a Magic Pattern Array, so no one dared to charge it.

A female Akenis used the stage’s Technique Array to project her voice, bellowing out to all the "attendees."

She had never witnessed a spectacle of this magnitude, and it made her exceptionally thrilled.

"To all the great merchants of the Akenis, and to all our future great merchants! Endless wealth beckons to us! At this year’s annual Commercial Achievement Conference, the awards to be presented include..."

These were mostly symbolic honors, and few of the winners were actually present. Most would simply have their medals stored at the Chamber of Commerce to be picked up later at their convenience.

But to the many "attendees" in the crowd, especially those Akenis who had never struck out to do business on their own, it was thrilling just to be a part of such a grand spectacle, even if it was just for show.

"And now, let us welcome the Chamber of Commerce’s representative for this conference! Honorary Member of the Chamber, Chamber Councilor, Outstanding Merchant of the Century, the youngest Adjudicator of the Arbitration Council—the great tycoon, Lord Pipi, who will now speak on behalf of the Chamber!"

Because the sound of clapping closely matched the rhythm of a merchant’s sales pitch, the Akenis had, over time, developed their own custom of applause, a ritual quite similar to that of humans.