From the Tea Rose Chamber of Commerce building, many figures suddenly scattered out.
They quickly walked into small alleys and then disappeared.
In the dark corners unseen by others, these people were rapidly running, delivering tokens to various locations.
Where the tokens were placed, someone soon came to retrieve them.
Inside Jinyue Casino, it was extremely noisy.
Around a table, a large crowd of gamblers in various clothes gathered, not restraining their voices as they cheered and shouted wildly.
Of course, some looked calm and experienced, silently watching everything.
This scene made up the majority of the casino, until a shabbily dressed man rushed in, holding aloft a copper disk as he ran through.
More than half of the people in the casino stopped their previous unrestrained voices and smiles, each becoming silent and somber.
The shabby man quickly rushed upstairs.
After ten breaths, a tall middle-aged man walked down from upstairs, followed by many guards with sharp blades at their waists.
The man strode down to the first floor.
His fierce eyes swept over the genuine gamblers who didn’t understand what was happening, then he snorted and spoke in a loud voice.
“Stop playing, everyone. Prepare your weapons.”
“Yes!”
The people inside the casino quickly raced toward the back door, including the red-vested servants. The scene terrified the real gamblers, all of them trembling in their legs.
Such scenes were not limited to this casino alone. Any establishment backed by the Tea Rose Chamber looked much the same.
These people picked up well-crafted weapons, rushed onto the street in a hurry, and followed their leaders toward the Tea Rose Chamber.
The burly man said confidently, “Once this is done, everyone gets ten gold coins each.”
“Roar!”
The crowd instantly became bloodthirsty.
The two hundred or so people from Jinyue Casino had just reached a street corner when they saw fully armored knights on warhorses charging straight at them from the opposite street.
They retreated repeatedly.
What’s going on?
“Fall back!”
The man frowned and quickly ordered his men to retreat.
But less than ten meters back, severe crowding occurred. It turned out that another group of fully armed knights had surrounded them from behind!
The leading man was dumbfounded at the sight.
The ones blocking them were none other than the Guard Knights of Lakeside City. Shouldn’t these people be in the barracks or on the walls? Why were they suddenly out here intercepting their own people?
Clop! Clop! Clop!
The sound of hooves on the stone path was deafening. The doors and windows on both sides of the street were tightly shut. All unrelated people had already gone into hiding.
They are coming for us!
After realizing this, the burly man’s face sank darkly. Looking at the charging Knight Captain, he gritted his teeth and drew his blade, shouting to the two hundred behind him.
“There’s no retreat, fight our way out!”
Though some hesitated at the order, the enemy was murderous and gave them no chance to talk.
Under a pincer attack against heavily armored knights charging at them, fear was inevitable, but the situation left them no room to back down.
Blades were raised. The two hundred split into two groups and clashed with the mounted knights.
For a time, the sound of killing filled this Commercial Ancient Capital. The smell of blood and the stench of money intertwined.
And this scene was happening everywhere.
Far away at the Tea Rose Chamber, Penrose was leading the forces he had gathered. As soon as he stepped out of the building into the square, he saw the knights filling the entire street, with various high-tier experts standing at the front to hold the line.
Seeing this, instead of getting angry, Penrose laughed.
“Hahaha!”
His laughter was the only sound in the field besides breathing. Emotions of arrogance, recklessness, contempt, and fury were all released in that laugh.
How could Penrose not see that the Chamber of Commerce Union wanted to sacrifice the pawn to save the rook—to make him, the one who did the dirty work, take the blame, so they could appease the behind-the-scenes force they couldn’t contend with?
With a wave of his hand, the bloody slaughter at the entrance of the Tea Rose Chamber building began. Knights clashed with Penrose’s hired desperadoes, and for a time, neither side could gain the upper hand.
The knights of Lakeside City were inexperienced in battle, and being thrown into such a fierce fight—even with their excellent armor and weapons far superior to Penrose’s dogs—they fell short in combat experience.
On the high-tier front, Penrose had used a lot of money to tie down over a dozen Fifth-Tier fighters and four Sixth-Rank experts to fight for him, but they clearly couldn’t contend with the entire Lakeside City, let alone the forces from the major powers behind it.
Penrose himself also drew his long blade and charged into the battle.
“Mistress, they’re fighting.”
Lucia hurried into the study and reported to Enya.
Though her face showed no expression and her eyes were calm, her body could not hide excitement and exhilaration.
Lucia had never imagined that Penrose, relying on public opinion manipulation, had been thriving in Lakeside City. All the previous rumors harming the Lily of the Valley Chamber were spread by him.
In the end, not only was he undone, but he had also started fighting other forces in Lakeside City! Lucia was loyal to the Lily of the Valley Chamber; it was only natural for her to be happy about this.
Enya nodded. This was entirely within her expectations.
Rather than dealing with small fries only to have their elders show up, it was better to just take a stroll around their nest and give a good beating to whoever displeased her.
Once they were scared, they would naturally keep their subordinates in check.
“So Sister Enya flew over the Northland States for that reason?”
Zeta narrowed her eyes, staring at Enya.
Enya blinked and smiled, nodding. But Zeta pouted like a little resentful wife and said, “So you weren’t taking me for a joyride.”
“Just a side trip…”
Enya chuckled awkwardly.
She reached out and rubbed the soft golden fur a little harder.
Zeta purred comfortably.
Lucia, standing across the table, pinched her small hands and bit her lip.
Wendy?
Wendy was sleeping on the side.
Before long, the study door was knocked. Lucia looked at Enya for guidance. Enya gave a slight nod, and the maid understood and opened the door.
Standing at the door was Head Maid Catherine.
Zeta poked her head out from under the table, her fox ears perking up. She narrowed her vertical pupils at the Head Maid Catherine at the door.
That woman had the scent of a familiar someone on her!
The Fox Princess smelled on Catherine the aura of another person, indicating that Catherine was very close to that person.
Catherine entered, her gaze always fixed on the table before Enya, not looking directly at her mistress.
As a maid, she would not be curious about her mistress’s non-human female friends. And as a maid, her performance was meticulous.
After a brief pause, she spoke.
“Grand Scholar Horn of the Kingdom of Kurant invites you, Lady, for a joint outing.”
“That old man?”
Enya raised an eyebrow and asked.
Catherine replied yes, but Enya changed the subject and asked, “Why would an old man invite me?”
“…”
Catherine didn’t speak again.
Enya seemed to think of something, coughed lightly, and changed the topic.
“Is there anyone else?”
“Yes, Lady Melita Polly, Branch Head of the Marigold Chamber of Commerce.”
“That’s fine.”
“…”
Catherine was silent for a moment, then curtsied and prepared to withdraw. When she reached the door, Enya called her back.
“Catherine, I know you’re a maid who doesn’t talk too much, right?”
“Yes, Lady.”
“But you call me ‘Lady’…”
“Yes, Lady.”
“Tch.”
Enya clicked her tongue. Why would Catherine only call her “Lady”?
The reason was obvious…
With a sigh, she got up from her chair, reached out to tug on the ears of the still-sleeping Wendy, and then instructed Lucia.
“I need to change into a skirt.”
“Yes, Mistress. Lucia will prepare the itinerary for you.”
Lucia worked briskly, while Wendy was still dazedly spinning around. Fortunately, Enya didn’t plan to make her do anything.
This Forest Elf maid wouldn’t trigger the plot until they reached the Elven Kingdom, so let her be dazed for now.
When Zeta heard about changing skirts, her bushy golden tail wagged so hard it nearly turned into a propeller.
But when they reached the dressing room, she was mercilessly thrown out by Enya.
Enya changed into a blue-black long dress, an elegant style that hugged her body curves, paired with high heels that exuded mature charm.
Zeta looked her up and down and asked curiously, “Sister Enya, why did you change your style?”
“…”
Enya was stunned.
She looked up at the distant sky, then sighed and smiled.
“A person matures in an instant. And I am a year apart from my former self, so naturally, it’s different.”
“Hmm…”
Zeta blinked her watery big eyes and directly hugged Enya’s thigh and waist, pressing her head against Enya’s southern hemisphere, rubbing against her soft, fresh-scented body.
“The current Sister Enya is great too, but Zeta still prefers the shy and green version of Sister Enya from when she was little.”
“Heh.”
Enya gave a dry laugh.
That shy and green me—wasn’t she ruined by you sisters?
Before sixteen, Enya was very innocent. That was until she met those fox spirits…
When Zeta was small, she was especially good at playing the child.
But when the Fox Princess was big, although she teased a lot, she never stuck to Enya and rubbed against her like this. Enya preferred her big form.
“Alright, let’s go.”
In the carriage, Lucia and Wendy sat on one side, Enya and Zeta on the other.
There were four races on this carriage: Human, Elf, Fox Princess, and Dragon.
The two maids sat upright. Enya leaned against the side of the carriage, her left elbow resting on the armrest, her palm supporting her cheek.
Zeta leaned entirely against Enya, occasionally glancing at the two maids opposite with a provocative little expression.
She really knew how to use her shrunken appearance to act cute.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Lord’s Castle of Lakeside City. Enya let out a breath and pushed Zeta beside her, but Zeta didn’t move.
She had to pinch Zeta’s soft little cheek and twist it lightly.
“Ah~ Sister Enya~ya~”
Zeta let out a strange cry, her voice sweet and cloying to the point of discomfort.
Enya gave her a look and applied a little more force.
Only when it actually hurt did Zeta drop her act of being a silly sweet girl, release Enya, and sit up straight—but not before glaring at the two maids holding back laughter across from her.
Getting down from the carriage, Enya saw the kind-faced, slightly hunched old man: Grand Scholar Horn of the Kingdom of Kurant.
Beside Horn was an old acquaintance: the pale-faced old noble Taylor, the slightly smiling Lord Cleveland, and the bright-smiled Melita.
One was missing—the escaped Vincent.
Enya stepped forward slowly in her small heels, while the opposite party quickly approached. Old Scholar Horn came up with a smile.
“Lady Einfir, you’ve finally arrived.”
“Are you implying I’m late?”
“No, how could that be? A young and beautiful lady like you needs more time to prepare. To be able to see such a beautiful lady, we are very happy to wait a little longer here.”
“Oh, so I came too early.”
Enya deliberately made a joke.
There was no displeasure on Horn’s face. He respectfully made way and invited Enya to come in and sit for a while, but Enya teased him.
“I’ve only just arrived. I haven’t agreed to sit with you yet.”
“…”
Horn was silent. He hadn’t expected Enya to be such a troublesome woman. It was infuriating, but he couldn’t show it.
Suppressing his anger, he forced a smile and said, “Lady Einfir, you should know that the Northland States have a pact: if any signatory country is attacked by a country outside the pact, the others must unite against the enemy.”
“I know.”
Enya lifted her chin slightly. She was much taller than the old man, and now she was practically looking down at him with her nostrils.
This pact covered all northern countries, and to the south, there was only the Zephyr Empire. The pact was clearly prepared for the Zephyr Empire.
Horn suddenly brought it up—his meaning was clear—but Enya didn’t care at all.
At this moment, Horn continued, “I think you, Lady Einfir, as someone from the Zephyr Empire, are also well aware that Lakeside City is still a member of the Northland States.”
Even though only three of the Northland States now had national structures, the rest were small enfeoffed lords.
Although Lakeside City was ancient, it was ultimately just a city and its surrounding lands—a very crude and false country.
It wasn’t even called a kingdom; it was simply named Lakeside City. But it was still included in the pact, under the protection of the Three Kings.
Enya chuckled.
The Three Kings?
They didn’t even have the courage to clash with her!
In the Three Royal Capitals, Enya had sensed the auras of those strong individuals.
But either they hid like turtles, or they sensed Enya’s aura and fled at light speed. Some seemed willing to die, but were held back by others.
In short, Enya had stepped on their heads, and they said nothing.
Enya was full of arrogance, perfectly fitting the northerners’ stereotype of imperial arrogance—pride and self-importance to the point of conceit.
“Since you all warmly invited me and waited so long, now that I’m here, it wouldn’t be good to go back empty-handed.”
Enya said half-jokingly, and the others were startled.
They hadn’t expected Enya to be so straightforward. It was hard not to suspect she had gotten her position through connections.
Horn held back the twitch at the corner of his mouth and led the way for Enya.
All the way into the castle, the surroundings were lined with fully armed knights, and many high-tier experts lurked in the shadows, hiding their auras.
Enya strolled leisurely through the place until she entered the hall of a large house.
And in the center of the hall lay a bloody figure.