The Grand Duke of the Enclave

Lia watched with a smile until Milta disappeared out the door.

She stood up from the corner and looked meaningfully at Ian, saying:

"The Sea of Miracles is also the Sea of Death. This place is filled with desire, slaughter, bloodshed, and betrayal. Beneath any seemingly friendly face, hypocrisy, cunning, conspiracy, and calculation may be hidden."

Ian froze for a moment, instantly understanding she was reminding him. She thought Ian had recruited Milta out of pity, fearing he was too kind and didn't understand the wickedness of people.

Ian's smile gradually widened, "You think I'm too kind?"

Lia pursed her lips without answering, clearly thinking just that.

Ian didn't explain to her, only saying softly, "Only the strong can pity, the weak only pretend to be strong!"

Living a second life, Ian didn't want to describe himself with words like "kind," "brave," or "cunning." He had only one identity: "the strong"!

Lia was slightly stunned, then broke into a radiant smile. It seemed this man understood everything.

"I'll pick you up for the auction."

Lia waved her hand and turned to leave.

The next morning, Ian told Milta, who clearly hadn't rested well, to stay home and supervise the craftsmen's work, instructing him to prohibit anyone from entering the top floor.

Paradise Port was becoming increasingly chaotic.

Sailing ships were docked at every pier in Paradise Port, lining up one after another. Large quantities of goods were constantly being brought in and out of the docks daily.

The area was densely populated, and the order was chaotic. Different factions were hiring sailors everywhere.

This directly dispelled Ian's idea of recruiting sailors. He didn't even have a ship yet, so he couldn't compete with them.

The prices in Paradise Port were also soaring.

The price of grain had increased the most dramatically. Magic potions and Magic Equipment were also skyrocketing. Fortunately, the prices of raw materials hadn't risen as drastically.

However, it wasn't all bad. The silver-blue robe and metal staff left by Haistorm had sold for a good price.

Ian spent hundreds of Divine Grace Gold Coins, taking the opportunity to buy a large amount of supplies: spiritual materials, canvas, lumber, barrels, rubber, iron nails, ropes, grain, dried fish, salt, clothing – he bought everything he could think of.

After buying these materials, there was still a considerable surplus from selling the equipment.

Indeed, the most profitable business was taking money from others' pockets and putting it into your own. Thanks to Haistorm's "gift."

These materials gradually filled the rooms on the first and second floors of the tower.

Seeing so many supplies being transported in, Milta repeatedly wanted to speak but stopped himself.

He finally mustered the courage to ask at dinner that evening:

"Mr. Trist, why aren't the supplies being put directly onto the ship? Where is our ship?"

Ian smiled mysteriously, "Our ship is still being built. You'll see it in a few days."

This wasn't a lie. Wawa was growing at an astonishing rate every day, so it might not be long.

Ian carefully groomed his beard in front of the mirror. He had to admit, handsome people look good no matter how they dress. A thin layer of an O-shaped beard made him look more mature and incredibly masculine.

With short hair, a wide-brimmed hat, a silver-gray trench coat, black leather boots, and a belt, the new look made Ian feel a little unfamiliar with himself.

He hadn't left the house for the past two days. He used his spirituality to accelerate his beard growth and took the opportunity to put together this outfit.

Tonight's auction would be crowded with attendees, many nobles and extraordinary individuals from the Eastern Continent. He didn't want to be recognized.

Ian restrained his spirituality to avoid his spiritual aura from being detected. With the brim of his hat pulled down, even Ian's family would have a hard time recognizing him at first glance.

When Lia got out of the Whaling Group's large carriage and saw Ian's attire, she didn't recognize him at first.

The drastic change in Ian's appearance caused her to momentarily lose her composure.

"How does this look?"

Ian took off his hat, turned slightly, and bowed.

Seeing Ian's beard, Lia chuckled, "Not bad, much more mature."

"Get in the carriage. The Guild Leader is also in the carriage. We can chat on the way."

The carriage, carrying Abigail, Ian, and Lia, headed straight for the auction house.

Lia handed Ian a list of auction items. The Whaling Group had obtained it days ago.

It listed some of the auction items for this event, while others were deliberately kept mysterious and not included.

Ian saw Awakening Potions, Extraordinary Sequence Potions, special elixirs, Magic Equipment, rare artifacts, Extraordinary Sequence knowledge, forbidden knowledge, slaves, rare materials, lumber, grain, and even a Level 4 sailing warship up for auction.

When everyone was busy building fleets, wanting to profit from the chaos or fish in troubled waters, someone was actually selling warships?!

Perhaps sensing Ian's confusion, Abigail explained, "This is an item put up by Emerald Duke."

Emerald Duke? Ian was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized that Emerald Duke was the Grand Duke of "Enclave."

The title "Grand Duke of Enclave" was more renowned, causing him to not react immediately.

Emerald Duke was the only Grand Duke in the Poldoria Kingdom. However, this Duke's fief was not within the kingdom's borders. It sounded a bit absurd, but it was indeed the case.

The Emerald Duke's territory lay at the junction of the Bema Duchy, the Winter Kingdom, and Taqulin. Coincidentally, none of these three powers had a good relationship with the Poldoria Kingdom.

The Bema Duchy, located north of the Poldoria Kingdom, was vast but largely arid due to an ancient magical disaster, leaving it a land of deserts and wastelands. Conflicts with Poldoria were frequent.

Taqulin was northwest of the Bema Duchy, bordering the Storm Sea to the west. An emerald bay slightly separated Taqulin from the Emerald Duke's territory.

Legend had it that Taqulin was once elven territory, but it was now occupied by a large number of orcs and half-lings. Orcs and half-lings on the Eastern Continent were nearly wiped out by humans, so it was no surprise their relations were strained.

The Winter Kingdom was northwest of the Bema Duchy and did not border Poldoria. Their relationship had been cordial.

However, after the mists receded, the Winter Kingdom's ice sea fleet began sailing south, occupying islands with more favorable living conditions. Consequently, conflicts between the two powers escalated.

The Emerald Duke's territory was an enclave, hence the title "Duke of the Enclave."

Logically, with its borders touching three other powers, the Emerald Duke's territory should have been isolated and in a precarious position.

Yet, the Emerald Duke's territory remained remarkably "peaceful." There were no wars, no tense standoffs. They coexisted peacefully with all three neighboring powers, even allowing free movement and trade for their populations.

This was utterly baffling.

Ian's father always spoke of the Duke with great admiration, but the vast distance between them meant they never had any interaction.

As they spoke, they arrived at Poldoria's Royal Auction House.

The Royal Auction House was situated in the middle of Central Avenue. It resembled a noble estate more than a commercial establishment. Upon entering, one encountered a fountain and a plaza. Beyond the hero sculptures in the plaza stood a magnificent building of ornate design.