The morning began with an unusual letter. A sealed missive, addressed to me as the king, rested on my desk.
I stared at it for a moment, debating whether to prioritize my curiosity or indulge in my morning ritual. Naturally, the latter won out.
Grabbing my ledger, I tallied my wealth: 117,368 mana crystals and 332.5k gold coins, even after monthly expenses. The 300k gold I promised Barns could wait—I'd recoup it from today's shipment of elven potions.
Satisfied, I reached for the letter, its weight oddly heavier than parchment. Breaking the seal, I unfolded it.
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The Letter
"You have done well to repel my forces not once but twice. In recognition of your efforts, I offer you a single chance:
Surrender yourself to me and reveal the methods you used, or prepare to face my army of a million troops."
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Even with walls as sturdy as ours, sheer numbers could overwhelm them without a single ladder.
Still, I didn't panic. I had faced his forces before and emerged victorious, and my preparations, investments, and strategies weren't for nothing.
Besides, Barns had already sent word that 30,000 elven potions were ready for the market.
I couldn't help but laugh. "The alchemists must be three times more motivated than usual. Profits do wonders for morale."
I opened the Chamber of Commerce, my personal trading platform where barely four lords were members. Yesterday, no new members were added, but that wasn't disappointing.
I listed the 30,000 potions at 100 gold coins per vial, a price steep enough to discourage casual buyers yet affordable for those who understood their worth. Frankly, the gold didn't matter to me—I could sustain the entire economy myself. But fostering loyalty among these lords through controlled access to resources? Priceless.
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Elsewhere...
In a grand chamber lit by enchanted candles, Kirin, the first member of the Candlelight Chamber of Commerce, lounged on her ivory throne.
Her unique talent, Brave Souls, allowed her to consume lower-tier troops to create higher-grade ones. It was an unorthodox but undeniably effective strategy, albeit limited in daily use.
Title: Brave Souls
Effect: Converts every 10 grade-N troops into 1 grade-(N+1) troop, with a 0.5% chance to trigger an (N+2) upgrade. Can process up to 10 grade-3 troop equivalents daily.
Grade: B
Today, her gaze lingered on the newly listed elven potions. 30,000 vials—an audacious volume.
She shook her head, amused. "The Gambler doesn't play fair."
Yesterday, there was only 10,000 vials , she had monopolize it.
Her treasury held 1.7 million gold, but even she knew better than to drain it all at once. She quickly purchased 17,000 vials and rang up her network of allied lords.
Within minutes, the remaining 13,000 vials vanished, snapped up by her confidants.
Turning to her summoned grade-1 troops, she began distributing the potions. Her observations had revealed a pattern:
From 1,000 to 2,000 grade-1 troops, she could reliably produce at least one grade-3 magi and, if lucky, even three.
The remainder of her troops, now transformed into elves, enhanced the potency of her Brave Souls talent when mixed with human units.
"This is an investment," she murmured, running the numbers in her head. "70,000 gold for a guaranteed grade-3 magi? Plus resale profits..."
She had already begun reselling surplus potions to the Official Mart at 150 gold per vial, pocketing a tidy profit for herself.
Her five-star succubus lounged nearby, exuding an aura of dominance.
"If you didn't have your limits," Kirin said, almost wistfully, "you'd have conquered this world already."
The succubus smirked but remained silent.
Kirin closed her ledger, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. Her day had only just begun, and already, the pieces were falling into place.
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