"Honestly, Mr. Ail, I don't even know how to thank you. What happened today feels like a dream. If it weren't for you, I might not have survived more than a few days before dying in some forgotten corner of the streets.
You gave me hope to live. You helped me properly bury Winona. You freed me from my nightmares."
That evening, in a private booth on the second floor of an upscale restaurant in Tingen City, George, now dressed in an elegant gentleman's suit, raised his glass of red wine in gratitude and clinked it against Ael's.
"To be honest, I'm not much of a drinker, but this wine… it's quite good."
Swirling the deep crimson liquid in his glass and savoring the sweet, rich taste of the grapes, Ael remarked thoughtfully.
"What do you plan to do now that you have this money?"
Setting down his glass, Ael casually speared a piece of steak with his fork and took a bite.
"I'm not sure…"
George placed his knife and fork down, gazing at the crimson moon outside the window with a bitter smile.
Ael glanced at him, then wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin before speaking in an even tone:
"You should know that while 3,000 pounds is enough to let you live comfortably for the rest of your life, it's far from enough to maintain a high standard of living.
Servants, carriages, estates, fine wine, gourmet food, exquisite furniture, tailored clothing—all of these require gold.
After spending so long struggling at the bottom, don't you long for a life like the nobles? Don't you want to own an estate, farmland, and factories like they do?
Don't you want to see your name in the kingdom's newspapers, laughing and conversing with parliamentarians, basking in the envy of others?"
George fell silent. After more than ten seconds, his voice turned hoarse as he asked,
"Sir, what would it cost me to obtain these things? Or rather, what can I do for you?"
"You're a smart man, and smart men seize opportunities. I believe our meeting today was no coincidence. I look forward to our future together."
The crimson moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the red wine in Ael's raised glass. The liquid shimmered under the light, as though it had turned into blood.
As he stared at the mesmerizing, blood-like wine and the gentleman's elegant smile, George instinctively lifted his own glass and clinked it lightly against Ael's…
In Londo, a city nestled in the Pass Valley of the Southern Continent, near the raging seas,Shaman King Klarman stood atop the highest bell tower in the northern part of the city, gazing down at the metropolis bathed in crimson moonlight.
Suddenly, he sensed something. A figure emerged from the darkness behind him—a young man with a monocle, dressed in a classical long robe, exuding an air of elegance and authority.
The moment Klarman saw him, he dropped to his knees and made a gesture of reverence.
"Your Highness, you have returned. What are your orders?"
Ael looked at the kneelingShaman King and smiled.
"This time, I've returned to deal with the two troublesome individuals you mentioned. Of course, I won't kill them outright—that would make us a serious threat in the eyes of our enemies.
If that happened, the next ones they send after us might be angels or even a Grade-0 Sealed Artifact. Instead, I'll capture them and use them to pressure Intis into making concessions. After all, two demigods are worth quite a bit."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Secondly, I plan to establish a trading company. We'll sell resources from our territory to the Northern Continent in exchange for funds. I've already chosen someone to manage it. Once the situation with Intis is settled, we can begin operations."
Klarman hesitated before speaking.
"Your Highness, forgive my boldness, but I don't understand. Why would we set up a trading company to sell our goods to our enemies?
If we need funds, we could raid Ruen and Intis' colonial cities. We might even gain support from Fusac."
Ael chuckled and shook his head.
"You underestimate the sheer profitability of smuggling. The costs are negligible.
Besides, in the Northern Continent, we need a legitimate foothold. We can't always be entangled with THE Rose School of Thought.
Once the trading company is established, we can shift our power base to the Northern Continent and sever ties with THE Rose School of Thought entirely.
That will make it easier for me to accomplish the mission my mother entrusted to me."
Klarman nodded thoughtfully but asked again,
"Your Highness, should we begin distancing ourselves from THE Rose School of Thought now?"
"No, not yet. On the contrary, I want you to continue leveraging their influence to wreak havoc in the Ruen and Intis colonies—especially against the governor's offices, noble estates, and municipal infrastructure.
Once their losses mount, they'll weaken THE Rose School of Thought's influence in the Southern Continent.
This is particularly true for the Ruen colonies under the watch of the Church of Storms. Those Punishers aren't known for their subtlety—they'll lash out at THE Rose School of Thought without thinking.
When the time is right, I'll fan the flames a little more. THE Rose School of Thought won't escape unscathed."
"Understood, Your Highness."
Klarman's eyes gleamed. Causing destruction? That was his area of expertise!
Ael planned to strike hard—ideally, even eliminating a few of THE Rose School of Thought's demigods to drastically weaken their influence in the Southern Continent.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned to Klarman.
"The faction we're supporting—those are the remnants of the Highland Kingdom's tribes, correct?"
"Yes. They were originally a subordinate force of THE Rose School of Thought, led by the Temperance Faction. But after their angel was killed and THE Rose School of Thought abandoned them, we took them under our wing."
"Killed? Heh. That princess is far from dead. Her state is… unique. She's been hiding in the spirit world, evading Suah's pursuit all this time."
"She's still alive?" Klarman was surprised. He knew that when THE Rose School of Thought had tried to eliminate Reinette Tinekerr, they had sent the Curse King Palanka and Divine Offspring Suah, two angels—yet they still failed?
"A Blessed of the Chained God isn't that easy to kill. Perhaps, in the future, we can cooperate with her."
Klarman hesitated before voicing his doubts.
"Your Highness, the Temperance Faction of THE Rose School of Thought has always been hostile toward us. When they were in power, they clashed with us multiple times. I doubt she'd agree to cooperate…"
Adjusting his monocle, Ael spoke in a calm, unhurried tone.
"That's not a problem. Fundamentally, we don't have an irreconcilable conflict. Given her current situation, if we show enough sincerity, she won't refuse."