"We are all nobles, and we can only play by the rules of the game among nobles…"
Marquis Louis spoke slowly: "In the past, the Faolan Family was weak, without any backing—it would have been the perfect opportunity, but unfortunately…"
After finishing, he glared at Tim fiercely, making Tim lower his head even further.
The Faolan Family of old had been like duckweed in the wind. But even so, Marquis Louis hadn't dared to act against them openly—he could only secretly send pirates.
And even if those pirates had succeeded, they would certainly have been silenced afterward!
But now he couldn't play that game anymore. The Faolan Family had connected with the local faction and was no longer without allies. Their strength had also grown rapidly. Unless Marquis Louis brought every last bit of his forces to bear, he had no confidence in wiping them out completely.
But was that even possible? Even as a marquis of the kingdom, he couldn't just attack another noble's territory without cause.
Relying solely on pirate fleets—even with Black Skull and Tiger Shark combined—Marquis Louis still had no assurance in his heart. Let alone the fact that the other party's island had a temple on it.
Such a large-scale pirate raid would be very hard to keep the Church from getting involved.
Besides, everyone in the outer seas knew that Marquis Louis controlled the two largest pirate groups. The target was far too obvious.
"The timing! The best timing has already been missed…"
Marquis Louis sighed: "White sugar and dried fish—these two goods generate profits absolutely no less than the slave trade…"
"Rest assured, Father! I will definitely bring those two technologies back!"
William spoke with confidence: "The current situation is that we have a massive number of ships and trade routes in the open, while the Crimson Tiger hides in the shadows—completely free, acting as the Faolan Family's eyes and ears. Right now neither side can make a move openly; it all comes down to covert clashes. This time, I will definitely destroy the Crimson Tiger pirates and cut off the enemy's hidden eyes and claws!"
This profound insight immediately drew a nod from Marquis Louis.
"Very good. Seeing this puts my mind at ease! In addition to Black Skull, I will order the Tiger Shark pirate fleet to follow your commands as well! The family's armed fleet will also be on standby at all times. You must destroy the enemy in one stroke!!!"
At a time like this, Marquis Louis's ruthless all-or-nothing nature finally showed itself.
"Understood, Father!"
William's voice trembled slightly. Receiving so much support virtually confirmed that his position as heir was unshakable—and that the transfer of power had already begun.
"Furthermore, the other party possesses formidable wizard power! We cannot afford to neglect this!
"Marquis!" An old man in grey wizard's robes stepped out from the shadows, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. The magical aura radiating from his body gave everyone else a suffocating feeling.
As the family's chief wizard, William and Tim immediately bowed. Even Marquis Louis didn't dare treat him casually: "This matter will require your help!"
"No problem!" Polujie's voice was dry, carrying a peculiar foreign accent: "Regarding that old rival I've never met, I've long wished to test myself against them…"
"From today onward, Wizard Polujie will stay by your side until the Crimson Tiger is eradicated!"
Marquis Louis declared.
"U-Understood!" The sudden, overwhelming surprise left William practically dizzy. His voice quavered as he spoke.
"Mm. Our family's future must eventually be handed to you. Don't disappoint me…"
Tim stood off to the side, watching this harmonious father-and-son scene, feeling like nothing more than an outsider. He raged inwardly, but on his face he could only maintain a calm expression, not daring to let even a trace of resentment show.
…
A massive golden ship slowly pulled into the docks of Morning Star Port.
The ship's decorations were extravagantly luxurious—its outer hull was even clad in a layer of precious metal that radiated a golden glow. From a distance, it looked like a vessel forged entirely of gold.
At the bow, a gigantic pure-gold holy symbol gleamed with dazzling brilliance—the emblem of the Goddess of Wealth, resembling nothing so much as a colossal gold coin.
"Truly money bags. It would be a crime not to wring a fortune out of them!"
Though he thought this, Leilin didn't dare show the slightest hint of it on the surface. On the contrary, he had no choice but to put on his friendliest smile as he went forward to greet them.
Beside him stood Baron Jonas, Lady Sarah, and Butler Lane—practically every person of importance on the territory was present.
This showed just how much impact a Priest of the Goddess of Wealth had on them all.
"Welcome to Morning Star Port. I hope you'll enjoy it here, my beautiful lady!"
To Leilin's surprise, the arriving priest turned out to be a woman!
She looked to be only seventeen or eighteen, her eyes carrying a hint of playfulness along with the keen shrewdness unique to merchants. Her skin was as delicate as ivory, and a gentle, radiant smile graced the corners of her lips—she looked just like the girl next door, hardly evoking any association with a priest at all.
However, the shimmering high-tier priest's robe she wore and the terrifying divine aura surrounding her were more than enough to prove her identity.
"Hello! Lord Leilin! My name is Zuona. This is a port brimming with hope—I can sense the flow of abundant sources of wealth within it…"
True to her role as a priest of the Goddess of Wealth, the very first thing she said touched upon that subject.
"Haha… If the priestess can find this place to her liking, then that's wonderful!" As the heir to the Faolan Family and the designated representative for this reception, Leilin elegantly extended his right hand and helped the priestess down from the ship.
"Frightening! Is this the power of a high-tier priest?"
Through just a brief moment of skin contact, Leilin felt as though he were looking at a body suffused with divine radiance. The various divine powers converged like a high-voltage barrier, enveloping her completely, radiating an overwhelming sense of danger. This was the priest's path—high-tier priests continuously borrowed divine power through fervent prayer to purify their own souls, achieving communion with their deity, and eventually even forming a Holy Spirit!
Even the Chip couldn't scan her precise data, only able to offer an assessment of extreme danger.
"Level fifteen! She's definitely a high-tier priest above level fifteen!"
Vigilance surged within Leilin. At that moment, the priestess seemed to have noticed his probing, and she cast a meaningful glance at him.
"Oh! My apologies!"
Only then did Leilin realize he was still holding her hand—an obvious breach of etiquette.
But having lived through multiple lives, he adapted quickly and smoothly covered up the awkwardness.
After the banquet, Baron Jonas returned to the manor, leaving only Leilin behind to entertain the priestess.
"In the rumors, Baron Jonas greatly favors this legitimate son and has been steadily delegating authority to him recently. It seems to be true!"
Zuona, bearing the Church's mission, studied Leilin across the table, a glint of interest flashing in her eyes.
He seemed to possess an unusual quality about him, along with tremendous self-confidence.
Such bearing appearing in a mere sixteen-year-old boy was genuinely startling to her.
Of course, he also appeared to be a rather capable wizard—but that point didn't carry much weight in Zuona's eyes.
For a Church flush with wealth, cultivating a few spellcasters was hardly a problem. In the Church of the Goddess of Wealth, even legendary-tier wizards were not in short supply.
After all, for wizards who routinely burned through staggering amounts of gold coins, there was nothing more comfortable than latching onto the golden thigh of the Wealth Church.
"Quite the fine porcelain!"
Zuona examined the cup in her hands, its intricate and delicate floral patterns fully showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship of the elves.
"Then why not try some cocoa from the Eastern Archipelago? It's said this remarkable plant has the wondrous effect of invigorating the spirit without harming the body…"
Leilin smiled as he poured Zuona a cup of steaming cocoa.
Zuona had certainly seen this beverage before. Cocoa beans were produced in such limited quantities that on the mainland their price had been driven to astronomical levels. But what truly astonished her was Leilin's capability.
"Could it be… that he's also established connections with those Eastern pirates?"
Zuona's eyes sparkled. Then she set down the beautiful porcelain cup.
"Mr. Leilin, I'm sure you already know the purpose of my visit. What are your thoughts on constructing a temple at the port?"
"Your Church's involvement is most welcome, of course. It's simply that Morning Star Port has long had its plans drawn up, and every parcel of land is allocated for specific uses… Naturally, setting aside a plot wouldn't be impossible, but…"
A standard smile graced Leilin's face.
"The Goddess of Wealth never lets down any of her faithful followers!"
Zuona pressed a golden card directly onto the table: "This is a withdrawal voucher. You can redeem it for ten thousand Crowna gold coins at any temple of the Goddess of Wealth! Consider it payment for the land!"
True wealth, true extravagance—this was Leilin's first time witnessing what real financial power looked like! The Church of the Goddess of Wealth was indeed wealthy beyond measure, unlike that stingy Tabris, who wouldn't even pay a token amount of rent.
Of course, that had been a problem left over from Baron Jonas's era. Under Leilin, such a thing would never happen again.
"Then there's no issue at all. The town hall can approve the land as early as tomorrow!"
Leilin said with a smile, while one hand discreetly slipped the gold card from the table into his pocket.
The Goddess of Wealth had generously donated part of her divine realm and offered currency storage services, with her divine power serving as an anti-fraud seal. Attempting to counterfeit would be nothing short of suicide.
However, there was one caveat—depositing gold coins with her came with a proportional fee. Truly worthy of a goddess more avaricious than dragons.