Chapter 256: War Begins

Li En's time was precious; as soon as he rested, he got to work.

And the top priority now was, of course, the "Hero Selection" that had already begun.

Only when he arrived on the scene did Li En discover with surprise that his side was even lagging behind.

"I never expected Her Royal Highness the Princess to be so proactive."

To outsiders, Li En naturally had to attribute the "honor" to the leadership.

Although most of the time when he was alone, he had to suppress his impulse to act as the high-and-mighty leader.

"This isn't just Her Highness's achievement; my father and those churches put in a lot of effort. After all, everyone thinks there's profit in it. Listening to Her Highness, part of it was your advice?"

"Uh, has it already spread?" Li En was somewhat surprised; this might not necessarily be a good thing.

He was already seen by outsiders as part of the "Wangshi Sect," but with his current status, standing out too much would truly invite disaster. Rival factions would naturally keep an eye on these "advisors" and "faction newcomers" to hunt them down.

"Hehe, don't worry; Her Highness truly cares for you. She only mentioned it to my father and a few great nobles during a small gathering. At the time, I was serving as her guard, and she even told us not to speak of this outside."

"Red-Haired Demon" Claire Floyd replied with a smile.

The implication was that the Princess was paving the way for Li En, hinting to the big shots in the Wangshi Sect that Li En was a "trustworthy insider."

She was one of the captains of the Radiant Guard and also the adopted daughter of the city lord; she could even be seen as one of the future supreme military leaders of Radiant City.

Merely standing with her in public, Li En attracted the gaze of many outsiders.

But the two of them actually paid no attention to these glances; Li En had also grown somewhat accustomed to a life constantly under scrutiny.

"Is that so? Her Highness is truly thoughtful."

Li En glanced down at the situation below; it was already a scene of bustling activity.

Near the cleared square stood four super-large "mirrors," while on both sides, there were at least fifty mirrors of various sizes.

Each one displayed the scenery of a dungeon, with figures either fighting or resting within.

While Li En's group was overwhelmed by the matter of Lex, the "Hero Selection and Dungeon Exploration" in Radiant City had fully commenced.

This was the commercial district of the Devon Quarter, originally the largest trade market.

Now completely cleared, it had become the frontline base for conquering the dungeon ruins; not far away, there was also a temporary command center and an intelligence support department.

The reason for choosing this area was not only because the administrative officials and lower nobles of the district strongly demanded it, but also because it occupied a "middle position" in Radiant City—neither too high nor too low.

Even if problems arose on the Mirror Demon's side, resulting in a massive "monster counterattack," it would still give other more critical areas enough preparation time; the complete fall of this entire area would be acceptable for the whole city.

However, judging from the various shops around the square, especially the stores purchasing supernatural supplies, the locals did not feel they had lost out; they even viewed it as a great development opportunity.

"Five of these shops belong to our family; the one selling toolkits and medicinal herbs is mine. Please do more business with us in the future."

"Red-Haired Demon" Claire Floyd pointed to the supporting shops below, casually soliciting business for her own store.

"You are joking, my lord."

"Heh, just consider me joking. I will also take care of your family's map and intelligence business."

"Uh... what exactly are you saying?" Li En was somewhat confused; he had some guesses but dared not be certain.

"Don't you know? The Sudar family's actions are as swift as ever."

Some things are simple once explained; the supporting facilities for such a "major project" were naturally divided among the various great families within the city.

They were not doing it purely for this profit; rather, since there was this cake, as one of the core high-level members, they absolutely had to take a bite.

This was a network of interests and connections, but also the so-called "reputation" and "dignity."

I could donate everything after taking my share, but I must have my portion; otherwise, everyone in the circle would think I am useless.

Behind the merchants of the best shops were mostly some great noble of the city; Miss Shaliman had obviously made arrangements in advance and secured prime locations.

This was not necessarily a bad thing; first, the standard of the shops would not be low. Causing trouble here would truly be tantamount to seeking death, and it would be easier to control the situation. If something happened, the City Guard might come directly, or even the Radiant Guard.

"Won't there be monopolies and exclusive franchises?" Li En, being the person he was, always assumed the worst about people.

But in most cases, such malicious speculation was correct.

If large-scale low-price material acquisition and high-price sales of Consumables actually occurred, it would naturally affect the progress of the entire dungeon exploration.

"No, because we couldn't reach an agreement with them; they didn't care about this profit either. They need reputation more than we do."

Claire pointed to another area; that area also had a similar cluster of shops, except they all bore the emblems of various churches.

The various struggles between divine authority and royal authority (noble power) are endless; at least for now, this internal strife seems beneficial to ordinary adventurers.

The various shops of the churches (openly displayed) are often more conscientious; they need the faith that comes with reputation, which is the root of their good standing. Their methods of making money and grabbing benefits actually far exceed those of ordinary great nobles. After learning that the largest shareholders of the slave market were the bishops of the various churches, Li En had become desensitized to their actions.

"Um, was that person last night really Lord Lex?"

Suddenly, "Red-Haired Demon" Claire Floyd whispered.