The Roman Merchant Group—a name that carried immense weight across the entire continent.
As the leader of the world's largest conglomerate, the Roman family's industries spanned commerce, healthcare, magic conduit research and development, and disaster relief.
From bustling metropolises to remote villages, the footprint of the Roman Merchant Group could be found in almost every inhabited corner of the world.
They opened shops, invested in workshops, funded medical institutions, and even organized large-scale relief efforts during years of famine.
On the surface, they appeared to be a benevolent, socially conscious business giant.
In reality, however, their true purpose was not merely to do business and make money. Through capital infiltration, they aimed to gradually bring a nation's economic lifeline under their control.
Whenever a disaster struck a region, they would quickly intervene under the guise of relief work, providing supplies, funds, and manpower to help restore order.
In the process, they would acquire land, buy controlling stakes in enterprises, build connections in both politics and business, and slowly extend their tentacles into the core systems of the nation.
By the time the locals realized what was happening, the Roman Merchant Group had already become an indispensable part of their daily lives.
It was an imperceptible invasion. It required no soldiers or weapons—only gold coins and contracts were needed to quietly turn a country into their economic vassal.
And now, the disaster in the Imperial Capital undoubtedly provided the Roman Merchant Group with the perfect opportunity to intervene.
A massive airship was slowly gliding into the outer airspace of the Imperial Capital.
This airship was entirely silver-white, its streamlined hull gleaming softly in the sunlight. Printed on its tail was the emblem of the Roman Merchant Group—a gold coin encircled by gears and ears of wheat.
Inside, the airship's decor was luxurious yet elegant. Crystal chandeliers refracted warm light, the carpets were hand-woven in a Persian style, and famous paintings hung on the walls, displaying the immense wealth of the Roman family at every turn.
Catherine Roman stood by the window of her private room, looking out at the approaching scenery of the Imperial Capital as she let out a soft sigh.
She had exceptionally beautiful long blonde hair that fell smoothly over her shoulders, shimmering like silk under the lights.
Dressed in a well-tailored, light blue gown with a thin silver chain wrapped around her waist, she looked like a delicate flower meticulously cultivated in a greenhouse.
But at this moment, the heart of this delicate flower was filled with irritation.
Because she hated riding in airships. She absolutely detested it.
Although the safety and comfort of these vehicles, constructed entirely from mechanical parts, were constantly improving, the feeling of being encased by metal and magic engines always left her with an unspeakable sense of oppression.
She preferred having her feet firmly on the ground, enjoying the feeling of being able to touch the earth and breathe the open air at any time.
But as one of the heirs to the Roman Merchant Group, she had no choice but to frequently travel between various cities in these vessels.
“I should go get some fresh air...”
Leaving her room, she made her way toward the airship's main lounge.
There were quite a few people in the lounge, mostly members of the Roman family and their retinues, gathered in small groups and chatting.
The moment Catherine stepped into the lounge, she felt several unfriendly gazes land on her.
Pretending not to notice, she walked straight toward the window, wanting to open it for some fresh air.
“Oh, if it isn't our dear little sister, Catherine?” a slightly sarcastic voice called out from the side.
Catherine turned her head to see her second brother and third sister sitting on a nearby sofa. They held wine glasses in their hands, wearing smiles that dripped with superiority.
Her second brother swirled the wine in his glass, his tone laced with clear contempt.
“I heard the performance of that little merchant group of yours has taken another dip recently? Tsk, tsk. Well, it can't be helped. After all, not everyone is born with a talent for business.”
Her third sister chimed in, covering her mouth as she giggled.
“Exactly, Catherine. Just look at the Eastern Merchant Group under my management. Our profits grew by another fifteen percent last quarter. Father even praised me specifically during the family meeting.”
As she spoke, she deliberately flipped her hair.
“If you ask me, why don't you just merge your little merchant group into mine? It'll save you all that hard work, and I'll make sure to throw a little dividend your way every month.”
Catherine's face maintained its gentle, harmless smile.
“Thank you for your concern, Second Brother, Third Sister. But even if my merchant group is quite ordinary right now, I still want to put in a little more effort.”
With that, she turned and walked to the other side of the lounge, reaching out to push open a crack in one of the windows.
A cool, high-altitude breeze swept in, brushing against her cheeks and dispersing some of the irritation in her heart.
What her siblings didn't know was that her Screech-type magic conduit had already been successfully developed and was secretly leaking into the market through hidden channels.
Once the sales and market influence of this magic conduit accumulated to a certain level in a short while, her siblings would naturally find out who the truly foolish one was.
“Tsk, what a boring girl. No wonder her bloodline is so lowly.”
Seeing Catherine's indifferent attitude, her second brother and third sister clicked their tongues in annoyance.
They exchanged a glance, finding her reaction dull. They stopped bothering her and turned to discuss other matters.
“Speaking of which, the commotion in the Imperial Capital the other night was really something else.”
Her second brother set down his wine glass, his tone carrying a hint of excitement.
“I heard that there were phantom enemies everywhere throughout the Imperial Capital, all shrouded in a black mana. A black sun even appeared in the sky.”
Her third sister nodded, her eyes flashing with a shrewd light.
“I heard about that too. Apparently, the guy who summoned the black sun calls himself the Messenger of the Goddess of Night. His strength is said to be on par with the headmasters of the Five Great Academies. If only I could find a way to recruit a powerhouse like that.”
But she was only daydreaming. She knew that simply making contact with such a mysterious powerhouse was already an incredibly difficult task, let alone recruiting him.
However, her second brother spoke up. “Actually, we might just have a chance.”
He continued:
“I heard that the Dark Night Order led by that powerhouse has seemingly received permission from the Emperor, and they've even established a stronghold in the Imperial Capital. If we can get in touch and invest in them, we might actually be able to establish some sort of cooperative relationship!”
Catherine stood by the window, silently listening to their conversation as she cast her gaze toward the approaching city of the Imperial Capital.
She had heard the same reports before arriving and had harbored similar thoughts.
But she didn't hold much hope for it.
After all, the other party was an organization led by a Great Archmage. With her current financial resources, establishing a cooperative relationship with them was virtually impossible.
Even so, she still planned to give it a try when the time came, treating it as an advance scouting mission. If it didn't work out, it wouldn't be too late to propose cooperation once her Screech magic conduits fully took off in the market.
“By the way, because of the exchange, that guy should still be in the Imperial Capital right now, shouldn't he?”
A slight curve appeared at the corner of Catherine's lips.
Because she had thought of a certain interesting man.
Rate on N.U.
