Chapter 338: One Million Gold Coins

Shengcheng, 17 King Street.

Edmond stood in front of the window of the study on the second floor, gently lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked toward the street at the gate of the yard.

I saw a rickshaw stop there, and a gentleman with neatly combed hair was getting off the car.

That gentleman didn't immediately shake the doorbell, but stood at the gate, adjusting his tie slightly nervously, and even awkwardly patted the dust on his sleeves.

Then—

He took out perfume again.

Seeing this scene, Edmond's heart was filled with mixed feelings.

He never thought that he, a small person who once had to look at the face of the bank teller to take out some money, would one day be able to make the noble Royal Bank manager nervous like this.

Although it was a branch manager.

"Remember the lines I taught you, if you really can't remember, look at the letters embroidered on the cuffs, they might help you remember something." A light but majestic voice came from not far behind him, reminding him of the next task.

That man was a genuine noble, named Tichi Kosia—now the right-hand man beside Prince Kelin, and also a rising star in the Shengcheng recently.

Lumier specially arranged for the respected Baron Kosia to serve as his "etiquette teacher," teaching him the complicated social rhetoric between nobles, as well as the etiquette that needs to be paid attention to.

Edmond was flattered, but after learning it carefully, he couldn't help but sigh—aren't those all deceptive things?

But he just thought about it, he had learned these things seriously these days.

Looking at his respected teacher, Edmond nodded respectfully, like a student, saying.

"Yes, Baron Kosia, I will definitely keep it in mind."

"Very good, remember to lift your head a little higher, your status is no lower than mine, and no lower than that bank manager."

Tichi nodded with satisfaction, straightened his collar slightly, and left the study silently.

Edmond took a deep breath, readjusted his expression, pushed the door and walked downstairs to welcome his guests.

On the other side, outside the new home of the Dantes family, Hark Alton was throwing a silver coin into the hands of the young man pulling the car.

"Take it, no need to change."

He resisted the pain of flesh and didn't look, waved his hand and sent the young man who was grateful to go.

This silver coin was his half-day salary, but he couldn't walk into Sir Dantes's house with a pocket full of copper coins clanking.

The name of the Imperial Royal Bank is very loud, but the Bai Lu District branch is not a very oily job.

Those who live there are basically farmers, or rural nobles, and both of these people have no loan needs. And if they really have one someday, it means they are going downhill, and the bank is even less likely to lend them money.

In the final analysis, the Bai Lu District, nearly 50 kilometers away from the Shengcheng, has no industry worth investing in, the land property rights structure there is complex, and smart people will not come at all.

It is precisely because of this that when Hark heard that Sir Dantes intended to open business in the local area, he didn't dare to bother the latter to run personally, and sent himself to the door.

Hark, standing at the door, kept taking deep breaths, adjusted his emotions, and then went up and shook the doorbell.

"17 King Street... it's here, that's right." He whispered the house number, covering up his awkwardness.

The door was carved with a gilded crest, shining in the afternoon sun, showing the extraordinary status of the owner.

Not long after, a butler in a tailcoat came to the door, opened the door and greeted him with a smile.

"You must be Mr. Hark Alton, my master has been waiting for you for a long time."

Hark quickly handed out his business card, squeezing a sincere smile on his face.

"It's me."

The butler took the business card respectfully, and then made a gesture of invitation.

"Please follow me."

Led by the butler, Hark entered the front yard of the villa, along the way he restrained the urge to look around, trying to focus his sight on the main gate of the main building, but the corner of his eye couldn't help but be pulled by curiosity and look around.

The garden here is broad and tidy, the green lawn is boundless, the sunlight spills between them, a neoclassical villa stands in the center, awe-inspiring like a gorgeous castle.

Although he is the manager of the Bai Lu District branch of the Imperial Royal Bank, he usually enters and exits the mansions of merchants and celebrities, but when he truly stepped in front of this mansion located in the core area of the Shengcheng, the shock in his heart was still hard to express.

Although everyone is equal in front of the Holy Light, there are always people who can enjoy more sufficient sunlight.

This is life.

Hark sighed in his heart, while silently calculating the value of this house, estimating that it would be at least 5000 gold coins.

Led by the butler, the cautious Hark came to an exquisitely decorated reception hall.

Edmond Dantes was standing by the fireplace, welcoming him with a gentle smile.

"Mr. Edmond, thank you for your warm invitation," Hark hurried forward, reached out politely, and said enthusiastically, "Your mansion is truly magnificent, I recognized it as your home at a glance!"

Edmond smiled and said modestly: "Where, where, all thanks to Prince Kelin's care."

Prince Kelin!

Edmond didn't hide it at all, but Hark's heart jumped, and a look of excitement and longing flashed in his eyes.

No one in the entire Shengcheng doesn't know that high-profile and noble Prince, and basically everyone knows that this Prince has a distant relative in the Shengcheng, but no one knows the attitude of this Prince toward this poor relative.

Currently, Prince Kelin seems to value tradition more than money!

And if this is the case, the gold content of the Dantes family will undoubtedly rise with the tide!

Thinking of this, his heart was even hotter!

The two exchanged pleasantries, but Edmond never talked about business, which made Hark feel itchy in his heart.

Looking at the impatient expression on that face, Edmond estimated that the time was almost up, glanced at the letters on his sleeves, coughed lightly, and said in the tone of Baron Kosia.

"Mr. Hark, let's not talk about pleasantries first, I invited you here this time, actually to discuss with you the commercial plan that the Dantes Group is about to land in the Bai Lu District."

Hark's spirit was instantly lifted, he sat up straight, listening attentively: "I'd like to hear the details!"

Edmond cleared his throat slightly, and said in a solemn tone.

"The situation is like this, in order to help the Kelin family open up the business of the Old Continent, we plan to build a large industrial zone in the Bai Lu District that integrates sugar refining, winemaking, and food processing, with the main business being processing syrup imported in large quantities from the Gana Continent. The Mayor specially recommended you to me, saying that the Royal Bank has considerable influence in the Bai Lu District and can give us certain support in terms of funds. I thought since we are doing business in the Bai Lu District, it is better to find a local bank."

Hark's breathing tightened at the words, his eyes were filled with fire, and he couldn't wait to say.

"Sir, you have found the right person! The Bai Lu District branch of the Royal Bank welcomes people like you who do big business the most! We... cough! I don't know what the current capital gap of Mr. Edmond is?"

He just wanted to say that the loan quota allocated by the head office of the Royal Bank to the Bai Lu District branch was more than enough, because in that poor place, any money that could be lent out eventually became bad debt.

Although losing the Emperor's money is not considered losing, this is related to his career after all, so he still has to consider it carefully.

Edmond leaned back in his chair unhurriedly, smiled and spat out a number, as if it were a copper coin thrown into the coachman's hand: "According to the financial forecast of the Dantes Group, it's about one million gold coins."

"One, one million, gold coins?"

Hark's eyes widened instantly, and for a time his voice was a bit stuttering, and one sentence was broken three times.

He calmed down and asked in a hurried tone.

"May I ask... what kind of winery would need such a huge amount of capital?!"

Edmond smiled slightly, calm and confident, folded his hands on the table, and explained softly.

"My friend, you must not have listened carefully to what I said just now, of course we are not just building a winery, but want to fill the tables of the citizens of the Shengcheng with syrup produced in the Gana Continent. You think carefully, what kind of scale of winery has the ability to undertake the processing of syrup from the entire Gana Continent? In fact, the Mayor and I have been talking about a bigger plan—"

Speaking of this, he lowered his voice, and excitement flashed in his mysterious gaze.

"In order to allow the Bai Lu District to match the logistics of this factory, we plan to carry out a comprehensive upgrade of the infrastructure of the entire urban area. If we can successfully connect with the port resources under the Castellion family, our rum products can quickly cover all markets along the Vortex Sea by sea and land—"

Before the words fell, Edmond suddenly realized that he had said too much, coughed as if regretting, and said.

"Sorry, I seem to have said too much, many plans have not been officially finalized, it is really inconvenient to disclose to the outside world, I hope Mr. Hark must keep it secret for me..."

His acting skills are not high, but this reason is indeed justifiable.

Most of the highly developed areas in the Shengcheng have been divided up by the big nobles of the Shengcheng.

For example, the port of the Castellion family, where can such a large piece of land be squeezed out to complete the Prince's plan?

However—

If this plan is really profitable, they will of course not be stingy about investing in it.

Hark waved his hands again and again, the expression on his face was sincere and eager, and he said firmly.

"Mr. Edmond, please rest assured! Everything you and I talked about today, I will never disclose half a word!"

After a pause, he said solemnly again.

"As for the loan, with such a large amount, I can't give you an answer immediately with my authority, but please rest assured! I will definitely do my best to help you arrange it properly as soon as possible!"

He swore he would never disclose half a word, because he would tell everything he heard today to his immediate superior—the head of the Imperial Royal Bank!

That's a big project of 1 million gold coins!

If this matter can really be negotiated, his position as branch manager can also be adjusted upward!

In the following time, the two talked happily, and Edmond personally poured a glass of red wine for Hark, toasting to their friendship of less than an hour.

At this moment, Hark's mind had long flown out of the villa, wishing he could go to the head office immediately to report this matter to the head office before he got off work.

There is more than one bank in the Shengcheng, and he believes that it is definitely not just himself who is willing to lend money to Prince Kelin.

As for why it is Kelin, that goes without saying?

Who would take out the key to the treasury for a small surname like Dantes?

Seeing Hark's absent-mindedness, Edmond didn't keep him much, sent this gentleman to the downstairs like a gentleman, and then returned to the study on the second floor, watching this gentleman disappear at the corner of King Street.

To be honest, let alone Mr. Hark, he felt that what just happened was like a dream.

One million gold coins...

Saint Xisi above, his feeling for money is becoming more and more numb.

Just as Hark left the mansion, the door of the room next to the study opened silently, and Lumier and Baron Tichi Kosia walked in one after another.

Seeing these two faces who were both teachers and friends, Edmond breathed a sigh of relief, took out a handkerchief and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and a reluctant and proud smile squeezed out on his face.

"How did you feel about my performance just now?"

"Not bad, you have one-tenth of my ability." Tichi nodded appreciatively.

Lumier glanced at him, smiled meaningfully, and didn't make any evaluation.

Having one-tenth of the Baron's ability is not bad.

Edmond took this sentence as an affirmation, and finally relaxed his tense shoulders.

However, there was still a trace of anxiety in his heart, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally cast his gaze on Lumier who hadn't spoken.

"The bank side is settled, but the infrastructure transformation project in the Bai Lu District has not been officially negotiated, is it really okay to release the news now?"

In a while, Hark will go back, and he will definitely go to the Bai Lu District government office to inquire about the news.

Although he had met that Mayor once before, the two chatted quite well, but not to the point where the other party would take risks for him.

Looking at Edmond's timid appearance, Tichi, who was holding his arms, couldn't help laughing.

What is a Mayor?

This matter has nothing to do with him.

At this moment, Tichi clearly forgot his timid appearance in front of General Hamorton.

But people are like this, after surviving the storm, they forget the self who was curled up in the cabin praying to the gods.

Lumier didn't laugh at Edmond's knowledge, but used a very light voice to convey the Demon King's instructions to him.

"If you hide it, shrink back, and look forward and backward, then this matter is mostly not going to happen."

"But as long as your momentum is big enough, big enough that the nobles in the Bai Lu District are all leveraged and owe a debt—"

"This project will naturally succeed."

... An invisible storm is brewing silently over the Imperial Royal Bank.

And at the same time, less than five kilometers away from the headquarters of the Imperial Royal Bank, the Imperial Royal Arena, the boiling atmosphere has crossed the crowded circular stands and rushed to the sky in one go!

That noisy sound wave seemed to have shattered the clouds in the sky, the dazzling sunlight spilled on the wide and crowded venue, bringing a trace of heat that did not belong to this season to this late autumn.

Sitting in a corner of the stands, Freya Devoe watched the excitement on the venue excitedly, having fun with the people around him.

However, the follower beside him had a bitter face, muttering.

"Old man Devoe, do we have to sit here? We can't see anything at all..."

His height grew horizontally, like a flattened pumpkin in the crowd, and he could only see the back of the heads of the people in the front row.

"Don't complain, it's not bad to have something to watch, think about who bought your ticket, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be able to pay the fare!" Freya squinted his eyes, interrupting his companion's complaint impatiently.

This is the truth.

Several teenagers sat down unwillingly, and were soon attracted by the lively atmosphere in the arena, and couldn't care about complaining.

Freya took out a bronze-colored telescope, and while showing off, began to look around.

His expression was exaggerated, and he kept muttering in his mouth.

"Look at those knights, they are pretending to be majestic, I don't know how much real ability they have."

Several teenagers beside him heard the words, and immediately echoed with laughter.

"Lord Devoe, if you were to play, you would definitely be a hundred times more handsome than them!"

Freya smiled proudly.

"Nonsense, that's for sure, you have seen my equestrian skills... It's a pity that practicing martial arts is something for lower-class people, my old man insists on me learning magic."

Actually, he was too lazy to learn magic, learning that thing not only requires memorizing a lot of knowledge, but also tempering his own temperament, the boredom of which is no less than listening to priests lecturing on the Holy Word in the church.

Everyone naturally praised him again, nothing more than praising how talented little Lord Devoe is, and he will definitely be able to carry forward the Devoe family.

Several citizens nearby heard that offensive sentence and glared at Freya fiercely, but dared not speak out.

This guy looks like a noble child.

Although you can hit two nobles by picking up a brick in the Shengcheng, these high-ranking guys are still not something these ordinary citizens can afford to offend.

The warm-up performance in the center of the arena began, and the young men from the circus showed amazing skills on horseback, winning bursts of cheers from the audience.

Freya and his friends applauded and cheered while betting on which rider would fall off the horse and make a fool of himself, but unfortunately, none of them did.

Just when the atmosphere of the scene reached its peak, a long horn sounded.

Hearing that majestic sound, the atmosphere of the arena was pushed to the peak, almost everyone stood up in unison, tiptoed, stretched their necks and looked at the main gate of the arena.

"It's Marshal Lako Aiboge!"

"Look! And Prince Kelin!"

Freya was stunned, hurried to raise the telescope, like a soldier receiving an order, looking along the line of sight of the people.

I saw the main gate of the arena slowly open, and two noble figures walked into the venue from the door, passed through the wide walkway and came to the special seats above the arena.

This knight assembly is the coming-of-age ceremony Marshal Lako Aiboge prepared for his son, and one of them is naturally Marshal Lako himself.

He wore a light blue military uniform, draped in a scarlet robe, with shining medals on his chest, his expression serious and steady, and every move exuded an awe-inspiring atmosphere.

And accompanying the Marshal was Prince Kelin, who had been in the limelight these days!

He wore a deep purple robe, his temperament was gentle and elegant, his brows were handsome, and his every move showed a noble and calm demeanor, and he responded to the citizens who cast their eyes on him with a gentle smile.

Deafening applause and cheers echoed throughout the arena, half for the Marshal and half for the Prince.

Freya's eyes were wide open, and when he saw that face, his heartbeat couldn't help but speed up, and he whispered: "Look! Prince Kelin is here too!"

His friends heard the words and became excited.

These young men didn't care about status, reaching out to grab the telescope, eager to see the Prince's demeanor.

Amidst the applause and cheers of the citizens of the Shengcheng, Prince Kelin and Marshal Lako sat down slowly in the seats of the special seats.

Loyal Imperial soldiers stood behind them, their straight postures like sculptures.

Marshal Lako first scanned the venue, then cast his gaze on Prince Kelin beside him, saying with satisfaction in his tone.

"... My son has been admiring your legend after hearing your deeds. I still remember when I told him that you would come to attend his coming-of-age ceremony, he was excited for a whole day, I have to thank you for your face."

Luo Yan smiled faintly and responded modestly.

"Marshal, you are polite, your child is the pillar of the Empire, and his coming-of-age ceremony is naturally a major event for the Empire. As a subject of the Emperor, I should offer my congratulations. What's more, I can take this opportunity to get to know the younger generation of the Empire."

Marshal Lako nodded approvingly, laughed heroically, and picked up the wine glass on the table.

"Your Highness is truly modest, allow me to toast you!"

Luo Yan also picked up the glass and touched it lightly with him.

"Allow me to toast you too... to the Marshal who defends the glory of the Empire, may the sword in your hand always be sharp!"

Just as the two touched glasses, the circus performance in the arena also reached its climax.

The audience sitting in the circular auditorium also erupted in warm applause and cheers at the same time, as if all the glory of the Shengcheng was focused on this huge venue at this moment, and all this glory was enjoyed exclusively by the two most noble guests in the special seats.

Freya stared straight at the special seats, his eyes full of envy and longing.

That is the noble he imagined—

It's a pity that his old man is not promising, he never walked out of that depressed and dilapidated town in his life, and he can only sit here, enviously watching other people's lives.

The applause gradually subsided, and the horn sounded again.

The east gate of the arena slowly opened, and a young knight walked slowly into the venue on horseback.

The audience in the venue held their breath, and their eyes focused on this protagonist of today's celebration in unison.

I saw Arthur Aiboge, the youngest son of Marshal Lako, riding on a tall and handsome pure white horse.

He wore specially made silver knight armor, with the iconic black iron eagle of the Aiboge family embroidered on his shoulder, and under the helmet was a delicate but firm face.

That young face was full of confidence and pride, but if you looked closer, you could still see the tension flickering behind those eyes.

This is his first step toward coming of age—showing the demeanor and bravery of the descendants of the Aiboge family in front of the citizens of the Shengcheng!

Freya looked at Arthur in the field from the stands, his eyes full of jealousy, and couldn't help but hum and say.

"Look at that kid, he doesn't have to worry about food and clothing in his life, he can have everything just by relying on his father's name... tsk tsk, I really don't know what he has to be proud of."

The friends beside him looked at each other, their faces slightly fearful, not daring to answer, and didn't know how to answer.

Freya curled his lips, moved his gaze away from that guy who was pretending to be cool, and turned to look at the girls in the audience who were so excited that they were exposed.

Special seats stands.

Marshal Lako watched his child, a rare soft smile appearing on his awe-inspiring face.

He nodded slightly and said in a low voice to Prince Kelin beside him:

"This is my youngest son Arthur... although he is still a bit immature, his equestrian skills and courage make me quite proud, and his future achievements will not be inferior to mine!"

Luo Yan watched Arthur standing in the arena with interest, the burning soul fire indeed exuded extraordinary power!

And he could also feel that those eyes were staring at his direction without blinking.

"... There is a proverb on the Gana Continent, a tiger father has no dog son, I believe Mr. Arthur will definitely not let you down."

Marshal Lako laughed heroically, waved his hand modestly, but the smile hanging on his face still exposed the joy in his heart.

He nodded slightly and whispered to Prince Kelin beside him:

"This is my youngest son, Arthur... Although he is still a bit green, his horsemanship and courage make me quite proud; his future achievements will not be inferior to mine!"

Luo Yan watched Arthur standing in the arena with interest; the raging soul fire indeed radiated extraordinary power!

And he could likewise feel that those eyes were staring unblinkingly in his direction.

"... There is a saying in the Star Fall Continent: 'Like father, like son.' I believe Mr. Arthur will certainly not disappoint you."

Marshal Lako laughed heartily and waved his hand modestly, though the smile hanging on his face still betrayed the joy in his heart.

Clearly, this was something he loved to hear.

In the center of the arena, young Arthur stopped his horse, slowly took off his helmet, and revealed a head of short golden hair.

He looked up and gave an imperial military salute in his father's direction, then solemnly drew his longsword and held it high above his head.

"For Saint Xisi! For the Emperor!"

That resonant voice echoed through the arena, for a moment even drowning out the cheers of the citizens.

That was the slogan of the Imperial Knights when they charged.

Although he possessed extraordinary power and had not yet been to the front lines, he had longed for this moment countless times.

And this was not just his longing—

The imperial subjects sitting in the circular arena erupted at this moment with thunderous applause and cheers. People shouted Arthur's name one after another, shouted long live Marshal Aiboer, and the atmosphere reached its peak once again!

Frei looked at Arthur in the arena, feeling sour in his heart, only feeling that this world was full of injustice.

And Lako, sitting in the premium seats, was observing Prince Kelin sitting next to him with a smile on his face.

He believed that the other party must have already felt the goodwill he had displayed.

In this competition destined to be won by the officer faction, he did not need the Kelin family to stand on his side with great fanfare; he only needed the scales in the Kelin family's hands to tilt slightly toward his side, and that would be enough.

"Prince Kelin, I have a request."

Luo Yan said with a smile.

"Please, go ahead."

Lako narrowed his eyes, cast his gaze toward the arena, and said in a bold tone.

"I would like to add some stakes to today's knight tournament—the top ten riders in this duel will become the first batch of knights to be enfeoffed by the Temple Knights. I wonder what you think of this?"

Luo Yan looked at him in surprise, then said with a smile.

"Then if Arthur takes the top spot, are you willing to let him go to the New Continent?"

Lako smiled faintly.

"Opening up new territory for the Empire is the long-cherished wish of the Aiboer family... Moreover, this is also his ideal."

When he said this, Lako suddenly took off the sword at his waist and placed it on the table.

Looking at the surprised Prince Kelin, he said in a solemn tone.

"If he wins, I would like to entrust him and this sword in my hand to you, and I hope you will accept them."

This was an entrustment from a demigod-level powerhouse—

Luo Yan was surprised by his decisiveness, nodded happily a moment later, and said solemnly.

"This is my honor."

The development of events was somewhat beyond his expectations; he never thought the Marshal would entrust his youngest son to him.

But since the atmosphere had reached this point, he couldn't very well say no, could he?

Anyway, it was just a knight title.

He could wholesale a bunch of them.

Lako nodded with a smile, then rose from his seat, walked forward, and announced in a resonant voice the agreement he had just reached with Prince Kelin.

Hearing the stakes added to this knight tournament, the audience in the arena and the eager contestants instantly boiled over.

Not just them—

Even the few young men sitting next to Frei showed a trace of irrepressible desire on their faces.

Becoming an imperial knight did not necessarily mean having one's own land, but it certainly counted as breaking free from the shackles of the land.

For the ordinary people of the Empire, this was almost their only chance to change their destiny!

After all, not everyone could receive a good education and get a recommendation letter to pursue advanced studies at a "worth reading" university.

Only Frei, the son of a baron who didn't care for knight titles, curled his lips in disdain.

Although Baron Dewoer was just a small fry in the Shengcheng, he wasn't so envious of a mere knight title, nor did he feel that getting a knight title could change any destiny.

It was the knight order going to the New Continent, not the Royal Knight Order; he really couldn't understand what these poor wretches had to be excited about...

Looking at his father and Prince Kelin in the stands, Arthur was flushed with excitement.

Amidst the sound of horns, he withdrew his gaze, put his helmet back on, straightened his back, and spurred his horse into the competition ranks, his eyes firm and confident, waiting for the start of the tournament.

The citizens of the Shengcheng would review the martial prowess of the Aiboer family in the sacred arena!

However, at this very moment, he did not know that watching him were not only the children of Saint Xisi and the Emperor, but also the unfathomable Demon King...

(End of chapter)