"Swindler"

Terra, Europa, Commag Family Castle.

Compared to nobles in other regions, most of them lived in Hive Spire, and owning a large estate was a manifestation of Commag's power and wealth.

The heads of various noble families in Europa boarded the shuttle, landed on the tarmac, adjusted their robes, and entered Commag Castle.

The nobles gathered around Chief Commag, each eager to speak with this powerful man.

The Marquise de Delaquis from the Terra court, wearing an ivory gown and a rose gold necklace with a net pattern, walked up to Chief Commag.

"Commag, when will our guest of honor, the distinguished Graham von Eric, make his appearance?"

The surrounding Europa nobles listened intently.

Chief Commag smiled and, to demonstrate his close relationship with Eric, addressed him by his first name.

"Graham is about to appear, everyone please be patient."

"Gentlemen, have you thought it through? Are you ready to participate in this adventure?"

The blue-haired nobleman, dressed in burgundy, spoke first, "Of course, the Paradise World, only sixty-nine light-years from Terra."

"Once completed, it will undoubtedly be sought after by all the nobles of Terra."

"If Eric didn't only need the artifacts to build a museum for visitors, I would be willing to invest 20% of Sun's working capital in this golden opportunity."

The surrounding nobles echoed his sentiments.

"Yes, no one would miss such an opportunity. I've been to Salos, located between the boiling magma of Io and the artificial ocean of Europa."

"That colossal structure was a massive entertainment facility; Jupiter's elite indulged in revelry at the opera house, but compared to Eric's project, it was utterly uninteresting."

"That's right, even Venus's orbital resort can't compare to Eric's magnificent project."

"..."

The Swindler Tierney lingered outside the banquet, overhearing the whispers of the nobles.

With a smile on his face and amidst the waiters' praise, the "Swindler" walked into the banquet hall with his head held high.

"The esteemed Lord Eric has arrived!"

The waiter's voice drew the attention of all the nobles, who turned to look at "Eric".

The high-bun hairstyle was the most popular style in the Terra court, and was considered by the nobles to be an embodiment of elegance and sophistication.

With a little makeup, his face exudes a noble air and unique style.

His meticulously groomed jawline exudes an aloof and detached charm that sets a new trend in fashion.

The Marquise Delaquis was the first to spend a fortune to alter her chin, and her unique style was imitated by many noble ladies in the Terra court.

The nobles then looked at Eric's Artificer Power Armor; the Locke- style armor was a relic of the "Dark Mechanicum Era," a rare find in the entire Terra.

Various ornaments hung from the surface of the armor, including ears of wheat made of topaz and silver chains made of white silver...

The nobles were all educated in art appreciation; they could see that every piece of decoration was a work of art, highlighting his extraordinary nobility.

A velvet cloak, like a flawless first snowfall.

They all thought, "Only highly skilled technicians can maintain such a suit of armor; only the truly powerful and wealthy can afford the maintenance and upkeep costs."

The "Swindler" activated his Spirit Sight, sensing envy and jealousy in the aura of the many nobles, without a trace of doubt.

[Indeed, to convince these nobles that I am a foreign noble, lavishly decorated warships, magnificent airships, and extravagant displays of wealth are all essential.]

The "Swindler" spent a huge amount of money to pull off this grand scam.

The Vosconia artisans in the Treasure Hunting Squad used the sacred template contributed by Howard Fender to forge Artificer Power Armor at great expense.

The ornaments on the armor were looted by the "Marauder" from other areas of Terra.

The "Swindler" smiled slightly, his Beyonder Ability giving him a "charm" that even made the Marquise Delaquis, who had seen countless people, take notice.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

To complement the "Swindler's" Beyonder Ability, Tierney had a special implant inserted into her throat.

That was when he was still a "Marauder," stealing from the Achaemenid Empire family that had surrendered to the Imperium.

Tierney's voice is deep and magnetic, like a musical performance.

"The Babylon I created is a true Paradise World."

"Babylon, with its thousands of coral islands scattered in the warm, turquoise waters, soothes the stress of Terra, dispels your weariness, and frees you from worldly worries."

"Babylon has a mild, warm climate with plenty of sunshine, and each coral reef is home to billions of beautiful nautiluses."

The "Swindler's" eloquence drew the nobles into the scenarios he painted, making them listen to his every word.

"Each island of Babylon had magnificent palaces, tidy marble squares, rich Garden of Nurgle, and majestic amphitheaters."

"The perfectly arranged scenic pavilions allow everyone to take in the full beauty of the island."

"Walk around the pavilion, and the picturesque scenery will soothe your soul."

The nobles were immersed in the illusion created by the "Swindler's" "Mental Interference," and each of them wore a satisfied, pleasant, and relaxed expression.

The "Swindler" felt his Spirituality rapidly depleting and ended with a powerful statement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Babylon is your dream Garden of Nurgle."

The nobles snapped out of the illusion created by the "Mental Interference," and each of them realized the immense value hidden within it.

The opera house on Jupiter and the orbital resort on Venus amassed enormous wealth from the Terra nobility, including themselves.

Those Sigillite rely to some extent on the support of the hundreds of noble families who control the opera house and the orbital resort.

The Sigillite also provided protection for these families, and no one dared to lay a hand on them.

Now, they see a new opportunity.

The new Paradise World — Babylon.

This is a golden opportunity that cannot be missed, and every nobleman wants a piece of the pie.

The blue-haired nobleman dressed in Burgundy red spoke first once again.

"Eric, your vision of Babylon is truly admirable."

"But it will be very costly; please allow me to provide you with support."

Other nobles also realized this and expressed their willingness to offer their support, hoping to gain a share of the benefits.

Although Eric had refused their requests countless times, he might now feel pressured by their "sincerity" and accept their "goodwill."

The "Swindler" shook his head slightly, the decorations hanging on his armor gleaming in the eyes of the nobles.

The dazzling light made the nobles gasp and feel insecure.

Each of them could produce a piece of jewelry, and several dignitaries, such as Commag and the Marquise Delaquis, could even produce several.

But no one's armor is adorned with dozens of jewels like Eric's.

They even suspected that if the armor hadn't been limited in size, Eric's armor would have been covered with even more decorations.

"I don't need the money," the Swindler said confidently.

The "Swindler" uses their Spirituality to Thought Misdirection.

My magnificent work still needs pearls to adorn it!

"But the jewel I need is a temple of art."

Chief Commag was the first to come to his senses, glancing at the nobles around him.

The historic Commag possesses a heritage far surpassing that of other families, even the Marquise Delaquis cannot compare.

He confidently stated, "A temple of art."

"Babylon needed temples of art, and artifacts from various eras that could visually represent the styles of each time, bringing artistic enjoyment to its noble guests."

As the Sigillite said, "The essence of human art can bring a spiritual enjoyment beyond natural scenery," and art will be a perfect complement to natural scenery.

The "Swindler" looked gratefully at Chief Commag: "That's right, what I need are your treasured ancient artifacts."

"Every nobleman who generously provides artworks will share in the profits of Babylon with me."

Many nobles gasped for breath, and Chief Commag smiled as he pointed to the clock above his head.

"Eric, the clock above my head was made in the eighteenth millennium to commemorate the invention of the Warp Engine, which enabled humanity to transcend the concept of time in interstellar travel. It was crafted by the renowned master craftsman Rahim."

He emphasized, "There are only fifteen in the entire Imperium. They accompanied the first ships equipped with Warp Engine, and only ten of them eventually returned to the Imperium."

"They are symbols of an era."

The Swindler felt his Spirituality become more vibrant, and the power within him dissolved. He bowed slightly. "This is exactly the artwork I've been dreaming of."

Commag was secretly pleased with himself, he thought to himself.

[This is a good start. Once Babylon is built, it will be mine sooner or later, just like I "bought" Rahim's clock from the merchant.]

Many nobles shared the same idea.

Although Eric was incredibly wealthy, they all believed that through force and intrigue, their family could exclusively possess the shining jewel of Babylon.

Two days later, the "Swindler" promised Babylon 90 percent of the profits in exchange for 250 artifacts from various families.

After boarding the luxury airship, he thought to himself.

It was worth the years I spent selecting targets and meticulously crafting the image of an incredibly wealthy foreign aristocrat.

Through this scam, I felt I had perfectly mastered the power bestowed upon me by Lord Nimrod, becoming a true "Swindler."