Sacred Star City is one of the key inner cities in the western part of the Holy Empire.
Situated on a plain with a pleasant climate and convenient transportation, it has become a favored stopover for merchants to restock supplies, engage in trade, or acquire new goods. It’s a place where favorable conditions converge.
Over time, this city, built just over a hundred years ago, has grown into a vital trade hub connecting the western powerhouse, the Human United Kingdom. Its permanent population is nearly a million, with transient populations swelling it to twice that number.
Today, Mr. Xavier, the president of the Xavier Merchant Guild, arrived in Sacred Star City as usual after a long journey. He brought with him a scarce batch of goods from the capital, Courage City, of the Human United Kingdom.
Speaking of Mr. Xavier, his journey in business can be described as legendary, with the word “adventure” truly applying.
A little over a year ago, the Xavier Merchant Guild was just a small consortium with around a hundred members operating in the western Human United Kingdom.
Their business had not yet expanded globally as it has now, reaching beyond the Human United Kingdom and extending into the inner regions of the Holy Empire.
The turning point came from a mysterious event.
Back then, Mr. Xavier led his team from the western Human United Kingdom’s Chelan City after completing their purchases, intending to resell in Courage City. They chose a well-traveled safe route they had traversed more than a dozen times, passing through a small town named Bavo. It was there that things took a sudden turn.
First, several advance scouts sent out to explore disappeared without a trace. Shortly after, over a hundred members of the guild temporarily stationed near the campsite not far from the town of Bavo also inexplicably vanished!
Although President Xavier and a few of his guards were temporarily spared, they were filled with fear and despair.
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Such a monumental disaster, even if they managed to escape, would lead to the ruin of the guild. Just the liability and compensation claims from the families of the missing members would bankrupt the already modest guild, undoing over a decade of Xavier’s hard work.
But then, two mysterious girls who had coincidentally hitched a ride on the guild’s carriage came forward.
Even though over a year had passed, Xavier still vividly remembered the figure in the white robe, petite yet exuding an aura of noble sanctity, and the equally beautiful but intimidating, aloof, and powerful blonde girl by her side.
Xavier didn’t know what exactly these two girls did, but after they departed towards the Bavo Town, within less than a day, the Forbidden Zone of the living, a forgotten place imprisoning countless undead, witnessed a cataclysmic scene akin to the end of the world.
A towering white light rose to the heavens, completely demolishing the ancient, dilapidated city into a deep abyss. Countless undead beings that had haunted the place for over a hundred years were obliterated in a single night.
Although Xavier was several dozen kilometers away at the time, the terrifying spectacle of destruction shook him to the core, leaving his legs trembling uncontrollably as he fell to the ground, unable to stand for a long time.
Later, Xavier learned from people in surrounding cities what had happened in the Forgotten Zone. Although he couldn’t be certain, Xavier strongly felt that it was likely connected to the two girls who called themselves Violet and Xiao Guang.
Of course, being a prudent businessman, he kept this to himself and didn’t mention it to many people, even instructing his accompanying guards at the time to keep it confidential. After all, such immense and unimaginable power could easily crush even those tangentially involved, and it was wise to protect oneself.
Even more astonishingly, shortly thereafter, just as Xavier was considering closing down and selling off the guild to gather compensation for the many families who had come seeking answers, a Holy Knight girl named Edwina arrived. She brought with her the guild members who had supposedly vanished in Bavo Town, completely turning Xavier’s dismay into joy.
Overwhelmed with surprise and relief, Xavier immediately sought answers from Edwina about what had transpired.
However, Miss Edwina insisted he not pry too deeply, emphasizing repeatedly that this was confidential information far beyond the reach of an ordinary person like Xavier.
With Edwina remaining tight-lipped, Xavier wisely refrained from further inquiry. After assisting the guild’s president in verifying the members’ identities post-crisis, the Holy Knight soon departed.
Perhaps serendipitously, during their brief encounter, Edwina noticed the surplus goods temporarily stockpiled due to the recent upheaval. She left Xavier a letter of introduction, suggesting he could sell the goods at cost to a certain merchant guild in the city, ensuring at least a break-even scenario.
Miss Edwina’s gesture was undoubtedly a godsend for Xavier. After all, while most guild members were lucky to escape with their lives, many were unwilling to continue their mercantile travels after facing terrifying encounters with the undead and witnessing the catastrophic scene of the blinding white light.
This fear and trauma led to a mass exodus of guild members, including their captain of the guard, the former Obsidian Steel level adventurer, Onett, who resigned in disillusionment.
With a dire need for funds to reorganize and recruit new members, Xavier was left with no choice but to try his luck. Armed with Edwina’s letter of introduction, he sought out the address she had described.
To his surprise, Edwina turned out to be the daughter of the Cecilia family, one of the three major divine lineage families of the Holy Empire!
The guild she introduced Xavier to was none other than the Cecilia Guild, a world-renowned conglomerate with nearly a millennium of history under its belt, and naturally affiliated with the Cecilia family.
Of course, what Xavier found in that city was merely a branch of the Cecilia Guild. Thanks to Edwina’s introduction, the Cecilia Guild generously bought out all of Xavier’s guild’s surplus goods at a very generous price, finally alleviating his pressing financial concerns.
Afterward, Xavier quickly rallied to reorganize the guild and, through this transaction, established a cooperative relationship with the venerable Cecilia family. With their assistance, he rapidly expanded operations, even securing imports and exports into the Holy Empire.
Naturally, the Cecilia family became Xavier’s primary partner in the Holy Empire. Relying heavily on this prosperous alliance, Xavier took great care with these dealings, personally overseeing each shipment to ensure flawless execution.
This time was no exception.
“Ah... Mr. President, what’s wrong with having a little more to drink occasionally? We’re already in Sacred Star City, not out in the wild. A little relaxation is essential for maintaining work efficiency,” teased Sasha, a cute girl with chestnut short hair tied in a tidy ponytail, clad in a black-gray windbreaker over a lightweight leather bodysuit. She slammed her wooden mug on the table with a thud, hiccuping from the alcohol, smiling mischievously across at Xavier.
Xavier, sitting quietly in front of several partially eaten dishes, sighed helplessly and shook his head.
“I’ve told you many times, Sasha. It’s not about safety, unlike you warriors, a merchant’s most important weapon is their mind. I have to maintain clear thinking at all times to seize fleeting business opportunities. Business... is not just about moving goods back and forth.”
“So, alcoholic beverages that numb the brain should be enjoyed in moderation.”