Sheila's expression was full of questions. Right now, gold is still a rare item, but in a post-apocalypse era like this, gold has no value. It would be easy for her to fulfill Viktor's request, but the request still seemed strange.
"Although gold is no longer considered a luxury good, it still has a luxurious feel, sister. I have my own plans," Viktor lied with a reassuring expression..
Sheila raised her eyebrows, and she placed the teacup back. "How much do you need?"
"How much do you have?"
The question was enough to make Sheila understand how much gold Viktor needed. "Alright, I'll give you 'a lot' of gold. But on one condition."
Viktor's eyes narrowed. He couldn't help but feel suspicious about it..
"Go and help the Mayor of Perm deal with their problems over there. Each month, I will receive the Mayor's report about your work, Viktor. Next month, if I hear about any developments… I will send Romanov's stash of gold to you."
Viktor smiled with satisfaction. "Haha, take it easy. Leave it all to me." After that Viktor quickly said goodbye and ended the conversation. Viktor knew very well that his sibling was not much different from their father who didn't like small talk.
After finishing with his business, Viktor left Sheila's room, then returned to the practice room to pick up Jessie along with his two bodyguards.
"Hello, Young Master~ how was the family gathering?" Jessie asked with a teasing lilt. Her body was damp from sweat after training. Torri and Boris stopped training when they saw their master.
Viktor sighed. "We got along, laughed, talked to each other, yadda yadda just like a real family." Viktor's words clearly contrasted with the look on his face.
"We should stay the night. Tomorrow we will have a long journey."
The night passed quickly.
After a night's stay, a yacht with modified armor on the hull was parked on the harbor. The luxurious water transport was prepared for Viktor's journey to Perm City.
The old butler didn't only prepare ships, but he also prepared five Sky Realm guards that had the approval of the Head of the Romanov Family to accompany Viktor during his journey. However, Viktor refused.
He didn't want any possibility of spies from the Romanov Family getting into his crew. In addition, Viktor is also strong enough to protect himself.
If he could trade those bodyguards for artifacts or spirit stones, Viktor would definitely do so.
The Volga River stretched from the West to the East of the Eurasian plains. It is connected with several major cities that are currently serving as Russia's center of power.
From the west, Norvorgod City flows eastward to Kazan where it splits into two. To the south of where Viktor is currently, Volgograd. The last to head north—Perm, the city that Viktor and companions are currently aiming for.
This river became the choice of Imperial Rus as the main transportation route. Safer than land inhabited by many monsters.
"We're here."
After sailing for 18 hours, they finally arrived at the port city of Perm.
Perm is a city located at the tip of Eastern Europe. It stood at the foot of the Ural Mountains, right next to the border separating the two great powers in present-day Russia.
Rus Imperial and Red Faction.
To the east of the Ural Moutains was Siberia, a large plateau and the biggest area in Russia that covered almost all of Northern Asia. This area is currently controlled by the government's opposition - the Red Faction.
While in the west, the part of Russia which includes most of the continents of Europe and Asia, was the territory of the Rus Imperial.
"Let's see what the city we'll be living in is like," Jessie said.
Viktor and their companions got off the boat and headed towards the city. Along the way to the City Hall, he saw a sight that was a bit beyond his expectation.
The city did not look like a ruin, it was the last thing one would associate with a refuge. It was a city that looked alive.
Bustling activity covered almost every place Viktor passed. Most of the locals made a living by selling goods, while merchants and taverns covered the place, each trying to hawk their goods.
Along the roadside you can see traders selling various types of commodities; Food, equipment, weapons, or artifacts. But there was one thing that caught Viktor's attention.
"What? Look at that meat. Don't tell me it's mutated beast meat."
"Indeed," Jessie said.
Viktor turned to Jessie with a gaping face. "Are you serious? This tumor-shaped meat could be eaten??"
"Tch,." Jessie shook her head. "You see, Young Master~, mutated flesh is proven to help humans increase their strength. It doesn't taste as good as normal meat, but for humans who can't get spirit stones, mutated meat can be a decent alternative. The stronger the mutated beast, the more effective it is to increase one's strength.."
Jessie's explanation made Viktor feel goosebumps crawling all over his body. But at the same time, he got an idea.. If food and commodities made from mutated animal meat and packaged foods are highly valued, what about the food he stored in the storage bracelets?
Viktor saw a lot of activity in this city, a contrast from the cities he had visited before. He even saw sex workers on the roadside trying to sell their services even though it's the middle of the day. There were one or two women who had caught Viktor's eyes, but as his gaze lingered for too long, Eva let out a loud coughing sound.
However, that was not what interested him. What caught his eyes were the people carrying a plethora of weapons out in the open..
They were his target consumers - Adventurers.
Viktor often saw adventurers. According to Jessie, who has visited the place before, there were more adventurers now compared to back then>
"Hey, Djinn. What realm are these adventurers in?" Viktor mumbled.
<Most of them are Earth Realms. But there are some who have already reached the Sky Realm.>
Viktor let out a wicked smirk
After walking for around 45 minutes, he arrived at the City Hall.
A building with gray walls created a stark contrast between two green gardens. With one look, Viktor could see that the garden was poorly maintained. But what makes Viktor think was the fact that this place looked less guarded than others.
A similar situation occured when Viktor and the companions were on their way here. He had not seen the city's security forces at all.
He arrived at the entrance of the City Hall, and saw that three people were already waiting. One of them was an old man of short stature, stout body, and a dapper appearance. Although everything the old man wore looked luxurious, he still looked old-fashioned. As Viktor arrived, he greeted Viktor with a wide smile.
"Welcome, Mister Viktor. My name is Benjamin Zakharov. I'm the Mayor of Perm." Viktor thought the man who claimed to be mayor looked a bit strange. Viktor only responded with a mumble, but the man looked really happy.
Benjamin's reaction gave Viktor a brilliant idea, and he decided to take this as an opportunity to get closer. He put his arm around Benjamin then said, "From today onwards, I'll be your new best friend."
Benjamin's smile widened, it might as well have touched his ears. Meanwhile, his eyes were glass with tears. Viktor's words made him very happy. It was as if the savior he had been waiting for had finally appeared. He hugged Viktor tightly and said,
"Thank you, Mister Viktor! You truly are the greatest! You are the best of the Romanov!"
From behind, Barry looked proud. "Of course, Young Master is indeed the best in the Romanov Family." He smiled while rubbing his nose with the back of his index finger
"Oh, I'm happy for you, young master~" Jessie sneered.
While Viktor was trying to smile, he had to endure the embarrassment of being hugged by a middle-aged man. "Okay, okay. Benjamin. Can you let go?"
Only then did Benjamin let go of the bear hug.
Viktor asked that his companions be taken to his halfway house first. Then the City Hall staff went to escort them, while Viktor and Benjamin entered the mayor's office to discuss the problems of the city of Perm.
"Please have a seat, Mister Viktor," Benjamin said. He motioned Viktor to sit on the synthetic leather sofa. After that he took the bottle of vodka he had kept and poured it into Viktor's glass.
Seeing the heavenly water, Viktor smiled broadly. Viktor took a gulp of vodka and then shook his head. "Extraordinary. So… there's something I can help with."
"Certainly can." Benjamin crouched down, opening a drawer on his desk. Then a black round object is placed on the table. Within it came out details about the status of the city.
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Written by Avans, Published exclusively by W.e.b.n.o.v.e.l,
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