CHAPTER 228: BELFOR’S PRECAUTIONS

"What did you say? The Valmire family is going to war with the Castellan family?

Belfor was stunned, staring at Rick, who stood before him in shock.

"That’s right, Leader. This news just arrived, and I only found out about it myself," Rick replied politely and respectfully.

Belfor narrowed his eyes and asked in a dissatisfied tone, "Why are we only hearing this now? What has our intelligence network been doing?"

Among the noble families in the eastern region, Belfor’s largest investment was clearly with the Castellan family. The construction of weapons factories and the marketing of their products had cost an enormous sum.

In total, the Red Obsidian Trading House had already spent around five hundred million Sharn.

At first, everything went smoothly. The Castellans earned huge profits and even managed to push out the Valmire family, who had long dominated the eastern weapons market.

Lately, however, the Castellans started running a deficit. What had once been tens of millions of Sharn in monthly profit had now turned into losses.

As an investor, Belfor knew exactly where the problem lay—the Blue Moon Trading House.

Somehow, that rival had chosen to support the Valmire family, threatening both his position and that of the Red Obsidian Trading House in the eastern region.

As for the Castellan family’s attack on the Valmire family’s factory, he had anticipated it—after all, the plan had been his own suggestion.

But now, the news of the Valmire family’s declaration of war had reached him far too late, leaving him furious and deeply dissatisfied.

"I’m sorry, Leader," Rick said helplessly. "To be honest, this matter was kept completely secret. I only discovered it after conducting an in-depth investigation. It was as if an invisible hand was covering it."

Belfor’s expression grew serious at those words. He straightened his posture and asked cautiously, "Is it the Blue Moon Trading House?"

Only the Blue Moon Trading House had a conflict with his Red Obsidian Trading House, making them the most likely culprit.

"I’m not certain either, Leader," Rick replied, narrowing his eyes. "But it seems your suspicions are correct. The Blue Moon Trading House really is aiming to dominate the eastern region by eliminating us."

The other three major regions were already under their control. Their speed of expansion was truly astonishing—something no other trading house had ever achieved since the Empire’s founding.

Belfor fell silent for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"Alright, let’s set that matter aside for now. What’s most important is saving the Castellan family. Our investment in them is huge, and if they collapse, our losses will be enormous."

"I understand, Leader." Rick nodded solemnly.

Afterward, the two discussed various issues—especially how to help the Castellan family withstand the Valmire family’s assault.

With the Valmire family’s overwhelming financial strength, the Castellans were bound to lose. Because of this, Belfor decided to provide support in the form of money, supplies, and soldiers.

He also ordered Rick to hire many high-level mages—even Sage-level ones—to aid the Castellan family. Only then could he feel assured of their safety.

Before they realized it, two hours had passed, and their discussion finally came to an end.

Rick rose to his feet and was about to excuse himself when he suddenly remembered something important.

"By the way, Leader, I forgot to mention something," he said with a faint smile. "A new batch of goods has arrived, and their quality is extremely high."

"Oh?" Belfor was slightly surprised, eyeing Rick with curiosity. "How many are there?"

Rick raised ten fingers, making Belfor frown.

"Only ten? Are you serious? Why so few?"

"Hehehe..." Rick chuckled, rubbing his palms together. "Don’t underestimate the number, Leader. Nine of them are still children, but their looks are stunning. I can’t even put an exact price on them, but a single one could sell for as much as two million Sharn."

"Two million Sharn?" Belfor’s heart skipped. "Then ten of them would be worth twenty million Sharn?"

"No, you’re mistaken, Leader," Rick said, shaking his head. "Two million Sharn is only for the lowest one. The other eight are worth much more—if auctioned, they could fetch up to fifty million Sharn."

Belfor was dumbfounded, his heartbeat quickening.

Then he realized—Rick had only mentioned nine. One was intentionally left out.

With growing curiosity, he asked, "And what about the other one? How much money would we get if we included her?"

Rick grinned broadly and raised his ten fingers once more.

"One hundred million Sharn!? Are you kidding me? No, wait... how could one person be worth fifty million Sharn? Who the hell is she?"

Belfor’s gaze hardened, filled with deep curiosity.

Rick glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby. Then he leaned in and whispered, "This one is special. She’s a beautiful girl—her looks beyond question. But more importantly... she isn’t human. She’s a High Elf!"

...

In a remote forest in the western region, five horse-drawn carriages made their way through the dense trees.

The sun shone brightly overhead, but the thick canopy left the forest silent, dim, and eerie.

The caravan pressed on until it reached a clearing about two hundred meters wide, completely devoid of trees.

At its center stood a large, dilapidated house, worn and dirty, as if abandoned by its owner years ago.

The carriages stopped, and twenty muscular men climbed down.

They were tall, covered in tattoos, and bore fierce expressions. Their sharp, cold stares alone could make anyone mistake them for bandits.

Just then, a burly man emerged from the house. He was tall and bald, with a menacing black dragon tattoo etched across the right side of his head.

The twenty men immediately bowed in respect the moment they saw him, as if he held absolute authority.

"Have the goods arrived?" The bald man asked indifferently.

One of the men stepped forward and replied, "Yes, boss. Everything’s in the rearmost carriage."

The bald man nodded in satisfaction and walked toward the rear. Pulling back the tarp that covered a large box, he revealed a giant birdcage.

But instead of animals, inside were nine unconscious young girls, each with extraordinary beauty.

"Hehehe... the goods are truly remarkable," the bald man muttered with a wide grin.

"Boss, they’re not the main goods. There’s more—and I’m sure you’ll be even more surprised," said one of the men behind him.

"Oh?" The bald man shot him a curious look. "Show me."

The man nodded and led him to the center carriage. Pulling back another tarp, he revealed yet another large cage.

Inside lay a young girl, also unconscious. Her beauty far surpassed that of the previous nine. Golden hair flowed down her back, and one feature stood out above all—her long, slender ears.

The bald man’s eyes widened in shock.

"A... High Elf!?"