It was almost a pipe dream to approach Eldest Princess Diana, who resided deep within the palace, through normal means.
He was a High Rank mage of unknown origin.
In the strictly hierarchical Royal Capital, even his eligibility to set foot in the noble district was a problem.
Let alone having an audience with a powerful princess who was very likely to participate in the struggle for the throne.
The only shortcut seemed to be asking Elvia for help.
With her status as the Seventh Princess, it might not be difficult for her to introduce him to the Eldest Princess.
But Lin Gui subconsciously rejected this option.
Once he spoke to Elvia, it would mean he owed her a favor.
He did not want to touch the poison planted in Elvia yet.
At least, it could not be undone until he broke through to the Transcendent rank.
Elvia knew too many of his secrets.
Helplessly, he could only settle for the next best thing.
He had Fal, whose injuries had slightly subsided, lead the way to the place where Roger once lived.
To see if he could find any overlooked clues.
As for Erwin, the slave merchant who was stabbed several times...
Lin Gui did not go back on his word and kill him.
Instead, he handed him over to Thusa, Ralph, and their party.
Caesar, the rebel leader, surely...
Would be very “happy” to “entertain” this “old friend” who kidnapped his daughter and tortured his subordinates for a long time.
Following Fal, Lin Gui arrived at Roger’s former residence.
Unsurprisingly, Erwin had long since sold this place to another wealthy merchant.
Sneaking inside under the cover of night, the two searched thoroughly but came up with nothing.
Every trace regarding Roger seemed to have been completely erased.
Along with the secrets that might point to Avalon, it was all buried in the past.
The clues ended there.
Lin Gui let out a sigh.
He could only temporarily postpone the search for clues regarding Roger and Avalon.
The priority was to complete two things before leaving the Royal Capital.
Deliver the more than five thousand letters brought from Caran City.
And find Queen Catriona’s tomb to obtain the Eyes of the Netherworld rewarded by the system.
Returning to the commoner district base on the Sixth Ring.
Lin Gui began to seriously plan for the opening of the post office.
According to Elvia’s previous reminder, the status of post offices in the Royal Capital was very special.
Unlike the post offices he had previously opened in Caran City and New Covenant, which were open to everyone.
The existing post office network in the Royal Capital served almost only the wealthy and the nobles of the upper districts.
The postage for each letter was absurdly high, something that commoners and refugees simply could not afford.
If Lin Gui wanted to open a post office here that was accessible to the public with low fees.
It would inevitably be seen as a challenge to the existing rules.
It would infringe upon the interests of the powerful who relied on their monopoly on information transfer to make a profit.
Consider this: a noble spends a huge amount to send a letter to other city-states.
Yet a commoner or even a refugee only needs to spend a mere seven copper coins to enjoy the same service.
In the eyes of those high and mighty big shots...
Doesn’t that mean their status is a notch lower than a commoner’s in the matter of mailing letters?
So, just as Elvia said.
If he insisted on opening this post office.
He would certainly suffer the joint obstruction of the various great nobles and might even invite a fatal disaster.
As early as the journey from Caran City to the Royal Capital, Lin Gui had already thought of the best way to solve this problem.
Find a sufficiently sturdy backer.
This backer was not Elvia, nor any other great noble.
He needed to find a force more deterrent than these Royal Capital local tyrants.
One that had no involvement with the existing post office profit network.
His target was a transport team.
Early the next morning.
Lin Gui arrived at the Transport Guild building, located in the core area of the commercial district on the Fifth Ring.
The building itself was like a small fortress, grand and imposing.
It was constructed entirely of massive white stones.
The archway was high, carved with reliefs depicting caravans crossing deserts and canyons and resisting demons.
Two massive gargoyle statues stood at the entrance.
Magic gems were embedded in their eyes, glowing faintly.
They emitted subtle energy fluctuations, scrutinizing everyone who entered or exited.
The interior of the hall was even more luxurious.
The floor was covered with obsidian floor tiles that were polished enough to see one's reflection.
The dome hung high, made of stained glass mosaics that projected dappled shadows of light.
Transcendent individuals with powerful presences were everywhere in the bustling crowd.
One could even occasionally feel the pressure unintentionally revealed by Legendary experts.
It could be said that the Transport Guild’s own military strength was enough to crush the entire Carter royal family.
Currently, among the fourteen transport teams still in the Carter Royal Capital, there were as many as seven Legendaries.
The most extreme was Black Star, the transport team heading to humanity’s number-one city-state.
Its four escort members were each a Legendary.
In the hall.
On the massive magic screen.
Information on supplies from all over the continent, transport missions, and caravan dynamics scrolled in real time...
Creating a busy and powerful scene.
Lin Gui controlled his oak staff and flew into the hall at a low altitude.
This unique way of moving immediately drew many watching gazes.
He ignored the surrounding whispers and flew straight to the reception counter.
The staff member behind the counter was a young woman wearing a proper uniform.
When she saw Lin Gui flying toward her, a professional and respectful smile appeared on her face.
She did not show the slightest bit of contempt because the other party was only a High Rank mage:
“Mage Lord, good day. Is there anything I can help you with?”
In the transport industry, there were different values than elsewhere.
Here, two special cases would receive respect far exceeding their own power rank.
One was a mage proficient in concealment magic.
The other was a mage who could skillfully cast and maintain Levitation.
Didn't you see when Lin Gui floated in?
How the eyes of those transport team members—who had been leaning against the walls, drinking ale and talking loudly—instantly became burning hot?
A mage who could carry a large amount of cargo and fly steadily for a long time...
In complex terrain and on dangerous routes.
His strategic value was not in the least inferior to a Legendary warrior!
“Hello,” Lin Gui got straight to the point.
“Please help me check which transport teams are heading to Shield City recently. Preferably ones that are larger and have a good reputation.”
The staff member expertly operated the magic crystal behind her.
She quickly brought up the information:
“Mage Lord, there are currently two teams that meet your requirements.”
“One is the Black Rock Transport Group.”
“It is led by the Legendary dwarf warrior, Lord Barna.”
“They are expected to depart in one month, mainly transporting a batch of military runic armor and magic crystal cannon components.”
“The other is the North Wind Chamber of Commerce Caravan.”
“The leader is the Mid-tier Legendary ice mage, Lady Freya.”
“They set off in ten days, carrying food, medicine, and a batch of special metals ordered by the dwarves.”
The lineups of these two teams could be described as luxurious.
After all, to get to Shield City, one had to pass through a Forbidden Zone.
Transcendent rank alone was far from enough.
Lin Gui nodded and asked the key question:
“Could you please ask if they are willing to let me hitch a ride?”
“I can pay a fee, or... use my Levitation to provide whatever assistance I can.”
“I can. Which caravan do you want to hitch a ride with?”
“North Wind.”
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