Chapter 256

Li En's time was precious; after resting, he got to work.

The top priority now, naturally, was the ongoing "Hero Selection."

Only when he arrived on-site did Li En realize his side had fallen behind.

"I never expected the Princess's initiative to be this high."

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

Though when alone, he often suppressed his urge to raise his hand and lead.

"This isn't just the Princess's achievement—my father and the Church put in considerable effort too, since everyone saw profit in it. I heard part of it came from your advice?"

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

He was already seen by outsiders as "royalist," but with his current status, standing out too much would truly invite trouble. Rival factions would naturally target such "advisors" and "newcomers to the faction."

"Heh, don't worry—the Princess is truly looking out for you. She only mentioned it in small gatherings to my father and a few major nobles. I was on guard duty then, and she told us not to speak of it outside."

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

The implication was clear: the Princess was paving the way for Li En, subtly signaling to the royalist elite that he was a "trusted insider."

She was one of the Captains of the Radiant Guard, the Governor's adopted daughter, and could even be considered one of the future supreme military leaders of Huicheng.

Merely standing beside her in public drew the gaze of many outsiders.

Yet neither of them paid attention to those stares; Li En had grown accustomed to being watched.

"Is that so? The Princess truly cares."

Li En glanced down at the scene below—it was already bustling.

Near the cleared square stood four colossal "mirrors," and on either side, at least fifty smaller mirrors.

Each displayed scenes from the dungeon—figures fighting or resting.

While Li En's group had been swamped with the Lex issue, Huicheng's "Hero Selection and Dungeon Exploration" had already fully launched.

This was the commercial district of Devan District, once the city's largest marketplace.

Now fully cleared, it had become the frontline base for dungeon expeditions, with a temporary command center and intelligence support unit nearby.

The reason this area was chosen, beyond strong demands from local officials and mid-to-lower nobility, was its "middle position" in Huicheng—neither high nor low.

Even if the Mirror Spirits caused problems and triggered massive "monster counterattacks," this zone's fall would still grant other critical areas sufficient preparation time.

Yet from the surrounding shops—especially those buying supernatural materials—locals didn't feel cheated; they saw it as a great opportunity.

"Five shops are ours—especially the one selling toolkits and herbs—that's mine. Take good care of the business."

"Red-Haired Demon" Claire Frode pointed to the supporting shops below, casually promoting her own.

"You're joking."

"Heh, consider it a joke. I'll also support your family's map and intelligence business."

"Uh… what exactly are you saying?" Li En was confused—he had suspicions but dared not confirm them.

"You didn't know? The Sudar family's moves are as swift as ever."

Some things, once explained, were simple: the ancillary services for such a major project were naturally divided among the city's major families.

They weren't merely after profit; since this cake existed, as core elites, they had to take their share.

This was both an interest network and personal connections, but also what was called "reputation" and "dignity."

I can take my share and donate it all—but I must have my portion, or everyone in the circle will think I'm useless.

Behind the best shops were, almost without exception, major nobles of the city; Shaliman had clearly pre-positioned herself, securing the prime locations.

This wasn't necessarily bad: the shops' quality wouldn't be low, and causing trouble here would truly be suicide—it helped maintain order. If something happened, the city guard might show up—or even the Radiant Guard.

"There won't be monopolies or exclusive franchises, right?" Li En always assumed the worst.

But in most cases, such suspicion was correct.

If large-scale low-price purchases of materials and high-price sales of consumables occurred, the dungeon exploration progress would inevitably suffer.

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

Claire pointed to another cluster—similar shops, but all bearing Church emblems.

The endless power struggles between divine authority and royal authority (noble power) continued; at least for now, this internal conflict seemed beneficial to ordinary adventurers.

The Church's shops (publicly branded) were often more ethical—they needed the reputation that came with faith, which was the root of their good standing. Their methods of profiting and gaining influence far surpassed those of ordinary major nobles. After learning the largest shareholders of the slave market were Church bishops, Li En had become desensitized to their actions.

"That man last night… was he truly Lord Lex?"

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