Su Cheng: "..."
Su Cheng: "I don't want to be a couple with that kind of person!"
Sasha shot her a teasing look. "You know, the reason you can be his Chosen is because there is a part of your personalities that—"
Su Cheng raised her hands to cover her ears in protest. "I'm not listening, I'm not listening. I reject this theory."
Sasha was amused by her and even rubbed her head directly. "You really are cute."
Su Cheng looked at him expressionlessly.
"Ahem," he withdrew his hand. "Let's talk about a different god then. What about the other two?"
Su Cheng: "...No, I understand what you mean. The Chosen of the God of Wealth have some sort of complex toward Him, or a strong desire for more wealth. The deity is the embodiment of this concept, so it influences their actions. This must have something to do with divine authority. Just like how many Chosen of the God of Contracts don't actually like contracts, but use them as a means to make a profit or have fun. If we put it that way, the followers of the God of Joy must really love Him."
As she said this, her eyes shifted slightly, recalling when she was being intimate with the God of Lust, and someone else was occasionally making their presence known.
The two men beside her stared at her once again.
Su Cheng snapped back to reality, only to meet two pairs of very meaningful eyes.
Su Cheng: "Uh—"
Sasha interrupted her. "No need to explain. I know exactly what kind of trash He is. It felt great, didn't it?"
Su Cheng: "...It's not what you think. Wait, actually, it is exactly what you think. Fine, yes."
Camus turned and walked away.
"Also," Su Cheng blinked speechlessly, "about Duke Aulu. I thought he would be the cautious type. I mean, doing something like leaving the mark of the God of Wealth in the temple."
"Cautious? That kind of person would never become a Chosen of the God of Wealth," Sasha sneered. "In fact, most gods wouldn't choose someone like that."
Su Cheng wasn't sure if he was making a veiled jab.
Sasha casually mentioned some other anecdotes. "You know the Church forbids usury, right? That's why imperial law was later amended to include that clause."
"Yes," Su Cheng nodded. "Does the Aulu family also lend money?"
"No, no, no. The Aulu family never does that. But through the Imperial Bank, under seemingly legal guises like partnership investments and risk margins, they provide funds to struggling nobles and merchants, and then collect returns far exceeding the principal. There are plenty of people who have been driven to their deaths by them—"
This kind of thing didn't really hurt commoners.
Because ordinary citizens simply couldn't qualify or obtain such loans.
But to the Church, this was usury.
"The ostensible reason the Church forbids usury is to protect commoners," Su Cheng thought for a moment. "But fundamentally, it's still a conflict of interest."
The Church wants to guide people using deities and doctrines, so it provides a solution to life's difficulties—
Praying to the gods.
And then receiving the gods' blessings. But aside from healing illnesses, this is all spiritual.
The options provided by moneylenders, on the other hand, are more material, more direct, and require no faith—at least on the surface.
From then on, they would become slaves to money and wealth. Every breath they took would be to repay the interest, and their souls would be stripped away from faith in the gods.
—And then bound by worldly ledgers.
However, these debts and loans all enriched the economic network of debt and interest. If its influence grew large enough, it would shake the authority of the Church.
"The actions of the Chosen may not completely represent the will of the deity, but I feel... the things the Chosen do are basically things the deity would find interesting."
Moreover, moneylending was just one of many forms of conflict.
"From a small clue one can see the whole picture," Su Cheng mused. "So the God of Light and his allied main gods are not a monolithic block. They are still competing."
"Indeed, but as long as the God of Light can still suppress Him, they remain allies."
"So... Duke Aulu not showing favor to me in front of the Church, that action in itself is already a show of favor to me?"
"Perhaps it can be understood that way?"
The three of them took their seats by the window.
Outside was a lush, green courtyard. A short distance away, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure flashed by.
Su Cheng blinked, wondering if she had seen incorrectly.
Soon, a group of people dressed as mercenaries walked over.
Those people walked along the tree-lined path, seemingly discussing something.
One of them suddenly looked up at the guests by the window, and a radiant gleam appeared in those beautiful blue eyes.
Su Cheng: "?"
Xiao Lan?
Is he also staying at this hotel? Or was he invited here to discuss business?
The silver-haired young man stepped into the dining room and hurried over in quick strides.
He wore a set of light, form-fitting leather armor. Fine patterns were carved into the silver-white armor, and the supple leather and fabric tightly wrapped around his slender, lean body.
The muscular contours of his limbs were clearly outlined.
"Your Excellency," Xiao Lan greeted her with a smile. "Long time no see."
Su Cheng had just seen him at the Marigold Palace, so naturally she didn't feel that way. "...Um, yes, good morning!"
Xiao Lan subconsciously glanced at their table, his expression going blank for a moment. "Do none of you like eating staple foods?"
Su Cheng's mind was full of all sorts of messy business, so she had only grabbed a bunch of cold dishes.
A certain blood mage had only taken sweets, and a certain vampire had only taken a single glass of a beverage.
Su Cheng: "...I was too lazy to move."
The others didn't say a word either.
At this time, Xiao Lan's companions also came in. They happened to see the rude posture of the two men and could not help but frown.
When had the core members of the Silver Wing Mercenary Group ever received such treatment?
Even the nobles of the Empire wouldn't act like this upon seeing them.
However, they had a good eye and could tell that those two were definitely not to be trifled with, and knowing that the woman was a Chosen, they could only endure it for now.
Xiao Lan, on the other hand, did not mind at all, or rather, he didn't even notice.
His attention was entirely on Su Cheng. "...Your Excellency, I have been accepted into the Academy of Valor, so we can be classmates in the future."
"Congratulations," Su Cheng said with a smile. "Will you be living at the academy as well?"
"Yes, though the time I can spend attending classes might not be very much—"
"Sigh, who isn't," Su Cheng sighed. "I also have a lot of things to do. I can only say I'll learn as much as I can."
As she spoke, she stood up, posturing as if she wanted to chat with him. "...I'll go grab something hot while I'm at it."
Xiao Lan grew even happier, his azure eyes sparkling. "Your Excellency, ever since we last parted, I actually, from time to time, would—"
He was just about to say something when a slight blush tinted his snow-white cheeks. "I don't even know..."
Su Cheng: "?"
She vaguely remembered that at the banquet before, Xiao Lan had mentioned he had someone he liked.
She hadn't listened carefully at the time, but that was the gist of it, right?
But naturally, she couldn't show it now, otherwise she would give herself away. "So, I'm guessing you arrived in the imperial capital first. Is there any news?"
Xiao Lan's expression relaxed slightly, yet he seemed a bit conflicted, obviously unable to say what he originally intended to.
"...If I tell you."
He opened the silver warming cover, picked up a plate of tender, slow-stewed veal shank drenched in a rich sauce, and then another plate of roasted lamb chops marinated with herbs and rock salt.
"Could you please try not to tell anyone else?"
Xiao Lan whispered, "I know you are a favored of the Contract God, so you don't have to answer me. This is just a personal request. I'm guessing you also received an invitation to the Marigold Palace from the Aulu family? You probably didn't go, right?"
"...Did something happen?"
Xiao Lan suddenly glanced at her.
Su Cheng's heart skipped a beat, but she looked back with feigned surprise.
The young man tilted his head. "Yes, someone attacked the place. Of course, when it happened, I had already left. I was originally just going there to broaden my horizons."
"...How did you become someone who needs to broaden their horizons? You're a member of Silver Wing; you must have seen all sorts of grand scenes, right?"
"There are certain things in the human world that I have very little contact with."
He shook his head slightly. "Duke Aulu is renowned and immensely powerful, one of the most prestigious grand nobles in the imperial capital. I thought accepting his family's invitation would allow me to experience some things within this circle. Anyway, I heard that Duke Aulu suppressed the attacker, who seemed to be some maddened magician. Rumor has it that it was the side effect of studying forbidden arts. Additionally, a royal princess died in the attack, though some say it was an assassination targeted at her—"
Su Cheng put on a bewildered expression, thinking to herself that these people really knew how to let their imaginations run wild.
But the princess was just a decoy in disguise anyway; there might be even more schemes and conspiracies hidden within.
At this moment, a hotel waiter entered the banquet hall and walked straight toward them, first offering a polite bow.
"Your Excellency Su Cheng."
The waiter straightened up and respectfully handed over an invitation.
Su Cheng caught a glimpse of the gold coin and rose seal and immediately knew this was from the Aulu family.
"I received one too," Xiao Lan said softly. "It's the imperial capital's end-of-season ball. This time, it's being hosted by the Aulu family."
"Hmm," Su Cheng fell silent for a moment. "Are you going?"
"If, ahem," the silver-haired boy stuttered, the blush on his face deepening. "If I could have the honor of your company."
Su Cheng's head was full of question marks.
This kind of reaction?
She always felt she wasn't a very perceptive person, at least in these matters, but his reaction was way too obvious.
Didn't he already have someone he liked?
Su Cheng: "..."
Could it be—
If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't admit she had entered the Marigold Palace, she would have loved to ask him directly right now.
Su Cheng: "Your Excellency, are you single? I mean, as long as it won't cause any misunderstandings with your partner."
Xiao Lan immediately nodded and then shook his head. "I am indeed single. You don't need to worry at all."
Then again, going to a ball together didn't imply a specific kind of relationship. People brought friends, relatives, and colleagues all the time.
Su Cheng pinched the invitation. "...Your Excellency, when did you receive your invitation?"
"About three days ago."
Su Cheng sighed inwardly.
A ball of this nature should indeed have invitations sent out several days in advance, making her situation highly abnormal.
"Alright, let's go together."
Su Cheng informed her teammates.
They never interfered with each other's actions anyway, so the two of them had no objections.
Sasha gloated, "I'm curious to see which god you'll bump into this time."
"...No jinxing it!"
At sunset, Su Cheng boarded a magnificent carriage and set off with Xiao Lan, arriving at Duke Aulu's mansion in the Upper District.
The mountain-like architecture stood tall in the night, its heavy bronze doors slowly opening to reveal a front courtyard walkway paved with polished jade.
The courtyard was brilliantly illuminated, with hundreds of arched stained-glass windows embedded among the pavilions. Guards in crisp uniforms lined up on both sides.
They stood solemnly with their swords, their postures uniform, each with long, steady breaths and bodies brimming with battle aura.
"...I'm not very good at sensing the specific ranks of warriors," Su Cheng said softly. "I just know they are quite formidable. What level would you say they are?"
Xiao Lan answered without hesitation, "Most are fourth-tier, and the leader is a Grand Battlemaster."
A sixth-tier warrior.
Being a bodyguard was one thing, but being stationed outside was another.
Generally speaking, the personal guards stationed directly beside grand nobles were even stronger.
The main banquet hall was bustling with excitement, filled with brocade garments and precious jewelry swaying in the light.
The conversing nobles all spoke in unaccented, orthodox Common tongue, their tones cadenced and rhythmic.
Su Cheng caught the scent of a pleasant, faint, cool fragrance. The smell wasn't overpowering, yet it seemed to subtly permeate every corner of the hall.
"Fire-rock Orchid," Xiao Lan said softly. "I heard this is a rare magical plant from another plane. Spices made from it are worth hundreds of gold coins per gram."
Su Cheng caught sight of the red orchids blooming in the corners of the hall.
They were enclosed in completely transparent crystal covers, their vibrant, deep red petals fully unfurled, the filaments looking like burning candle wicks.
A little further away stood a pale middle-aged woman with black hair and green eyes. She wore a magnificent dress but looked somewhat frail as she conversed with a few others.
Su Cheng only glanced at her for a second, but the woman keenly turned her head.
They locked eyes for a moment.
Perhaps realizing that Su Cheng was not an acquaintance, she didn't stare for long, merely offering a cold nod.
"...That is Marquis Melina Varius."
A voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Su Cheng turned her head and suddenly spotted a familiar face.
Among the young couple she had encountered outside the Imperial Court before, the girl was a wyvern knight and had even brought along an adorable baby wyvern.
Right now, they were standing directly behind her.
"It really is you," the blonde girl smiled. "This lord from the Church—wait, you said you weren't from the Church, right?"
Su Cheng sighed and gave a brief self-introduction.
"A pleasure to meet you," the blonde girl extended a hand. "I am Persis Altherian, Vice President of the Royal Society of Geography and Landscapes."
Su Cheng shook her hand. "The honor is mine, Your Royal Highness."
She was glad she had crammed some knowledge about the empire's upper circles.
Now she could put a name to the face.
Persis was the youngest among the Emperor's many children, and it was said she was a rather outstanding painter.
However, because she was too young, she had essentially lost the qualifications to compete for the throne. But she herself didn't seem to have that intention anyway.
"This is my fiancé, who is also my cousin."
Persis casually introduced the blonde boy beside her.
Su Cheng also introduced Xiao Lan to them.
Persis raised an eyebrow slightly. "So you two are—"
"Friends and classmates," Su Cheng said. "Your Highness, may I ask you for a dance?"
Persis was just about to speak when her gaze suddenly paused, revealing a hint of disgust, as if she had seen something unlucky.
However, no one was approaching nearby.
Su Cheng even deliberately looked around, but the people in the vicinity were all the same faces as before.
Perhaps because they were well aware of the Princess's temper, anyone who had wanted to come over and strike up a conversation was quickly deterred by her impatient glare.
...I would love to, the Princess said with a hint of regret, but right now, I have things to do.
Su Cheng nodded blankly. Alright, then I won't keep you any longer?
Anyway, the Princess curled her lip, if anyone asks, just tell them I had to go back and take care of my dragon. She seems to be suffering from a bit of postpartum depression.
With that, she grabbed her fiancé and ran off.
Su Cheng: ?
A few seconds later, a chorus of respectful greetings began to rise all around, echoing continuously from the front of the hall.
Su Cheng turned around.
A blond man stood beneath the lights. He slowly walked over with a wine glass in hand, the dazzling yellow diamonds at his ears gleaming like two brilliant stars.
My lady.
He smiled, bowing gracefully as he offered his hand, the magnificent jewels on his fingers sparkling brightly. I do not believe we have been formally introduced.
A collective gasp and a low buzz of whispers instantly rippled through the surrounding crowd.
I am Galen VII, Duke of Aulu, and Chief Advisor to the Royal Economic Council—
The blond man's voice was deep and melodious. I wonder if I might have the honor of taking Her Highness's place and sharing a dance with you?
