Preparing to Be a Boss

The Undead girls slowly jumped down from the earthen wall, chattering all at once. "They were so rude!"

"What did they take us for?"

"It was merciful enough that we didn't kill them!"

"Exactly! Vander! These guards are outrageous. Is no one in charge? Dismiss them!"

Vander could only smile bitterly. "Ladies! They're just ordinary people. They don't know who you are!"

"Ha! Ordinary people can't dress a little more revealing?"

"Is it illegal to dress nicely here?"

Vander closed his eyes briefly. "They'll be punished. Stop blocking the gate! There are still people waiting to come in!"

The muttering Undead girls finally entered the city.

Vander smashed open the earthen wall and tossed the fools into the guardroom. "Get them some clothes! Didn't I tell you to behave yourselves lately? Stay away when you see strange people! Can't you understand? Where's your captain?"

Watching Vander curse in fury, Falan asked Hill, "What if they come to our place?"

Hill said calmly, "Why would ordinary people come to our territory? All outsiders there are professionals. No one would be that foolish. As for public security, I leave it entirely to Alchemical Golems. Grandfather does the same, doesn't he? The Tower Spirit determines right and wrong, then handles matters strictly according to the law. They are followers of Gods, after all. Fairness and justice are enough."

Falan could not stop himself from sighing, and Hill was almost stunned. It was rare to see Falan display such helplessness so openly.

Falan said to Adrian, "From now on, discuss territory matters with Diamont."

Adrian nodded helplessly. "Yes, Teacher."

Falan said, "Let's go into the city. We'll leave as soon as the ceremony is over!"

William was about to be crowned and was surely busy. As Hill walked, he thought that William's subordinates could only handle the Undead matter themselves if they wanted to avoid troubling their future king at such a time.

It seemed they still did not understand how to deal with players. They only knew to tell subordinates who had never seen Undead to stay far away from anyone who behaved strangely.

Wishful thinking. The chaos caused by their different values would be enough to make them suffer.

They would never understand why, even as Archmages, they still had to visit the outer city. High-ranking professionals rarely set foot in such a mixed and disorderly place where commoners lived together, much less female ones.

They also could not understand one thing: to save money, many players would definitely stay in the cheapest, lowest-class inns in the outer city. If William's subordinates did not hurry to seek solutions from their lord, the outer city's criminal gangs would soon welcome wave after wave of players coming to sweep through them.

They would definitely raise the banner of the God of Space-Time, purge gangs in the name of cleansing all evil, level up by killing monsters, and earn a little gold along the way.

Hill did not think only these young ladies from the inner city dressed like this. The players would not even need to start trouble themselves before someone came to offer up their heads.

Hill was more interested in one thing: where had those little dresses come from? Had the game started selling cosmetics? Hill wanted to see the men's clothing. He kind of wanted to buy some.

Adrian suddenly laughed. Hill looked up and saw that the players were visiting the various temples.

The Holy Knights guarding the entrances all wore livid expressions. After all, few people could stand seeing their sacred temple turned into a topic of discussion and compared against other temples.

Perhaps William had issued strict orders, because no Undead entered any of the temples. Even the unguarded Noble Temple was left undisturbed.

But merely seeing them gesture and speculate over which temple belonged to which God was enough to drive the Holy Knights mad.

Hill heard a passing player say disdainfully, "What kind of Noble Temple is this? It isn't even as tall as the Temple of Justice!"

The chatter and discussion never ceased.

"The Springwater Temple is still the prettiest. It suits me. Hurry, take a few more screenshots. What's wrong with the Love Temple? Why isn't it pink?"

"Exactly! Light purple would have been fine too! Who uses dark purple to represent love?"

Hill thought quietly, The temples are all the same height. The Temple of Justice only looks taller because its color is lighter.

Dark purple was a natural color dyed from an extremely expensive shell found in the ocean. This was one major reason noblewomen joined the Love Temple. Those dark-purple priest robes that shimmered faintly had tempted countless vain noble girls.

Hill heard a thunderous voice say, "That one must be really old! Otherwise, why would she like such an old-lady color?"

Even Falan could not stop himself from coughing. He hurriedly took out a Puppet Horse carriage, grabbed Adrian and Hill, and drove away.

Hill heard someone ask behind them, "Oh my God! An Alchemical Golem Horse! It's so beautiful! Where can I buy one?"

The carriage sped up again.

Adrian pointed out the window. "William's captain of the guards is here!"

Hill leaned out to look. The Sky Knight, his face livid, had left his accompanying guards far behind and was striding swiftly toward the chaotic temple district.

Falan said, "Adrian, go back and seal off the road from the square to the Mage Tower."

"Yes, Teacher! I'll leave a small gate on Apprentice Street and have Golems guard it normally."

"Two Sky Knight Golems!"

"Understood, Teacher!"

"Hill, what about your place?"

"I'm merely a poor, weak Archmage! I stay home in seclusion all year round. Falan's Magus Tower is powerful and right next door. Please turn left if you need anything."

Falan snorted and said nothing.

Adrian took over, "Even a poor Magus couldn't afford to build your tower."

Hill said to him, "My wealthy patron is nearby. Why would they come after me? Clearly, I'm being supported by someone too!"

Adrian covered his forehead and smiled bitterly.

Falan looked at the groups of Undead outside the carriage. "The noble district has never been this lively since it was built."

Adrian said, "There are over a hundred thousand of them! Is William really going to let them run around the city like this?"

Hill suddenly asked, "Have Grandfather's shops all closed?"

Falan answered first, "Who could keep professionals locked up? Besides, they are God's followers." He looked at Hill. "Why? Aside from one or two storefronts, I sold the rest."

"Grandfather, take one out and put up all the little things you don't need anymore for sale."

"The merchant association people didn't come with us," Adrian said.

"I'll do it!" Hill said. "I'll also collect some materials while I'm at it."

"What good things could the Undead have?"

"They have bags that can hold an incredible amount, and they like picking up anything they don't recognize. Every little bit of money counts."

"You, an Archmage, are going to open a shop?"

"Even Magi have to pick up trash and sell it!"

Falan snorted, and Hill hurriedly shut up.

"Adrian, take him there."

"Where does Grandfather plan to stay?"

"I have a house in the Mage district. Why?"

"We'll probably stay in the capital for half a month. I should stay at the shop instead!"

Adrian said to him, "You're an Archmage now! It doesn't matter if people find out you're a Sorcerer. Haven't you seen how many Undead Sorcerers there are?"

Hill said, "I don't want the Perast family coming to Grandfather for help."

Adrian fell silent.

Falan finally said, "Their worst possible ending is being expelled from the country along with Edward. They will definitely be sent outside the Northern Frontier, so they will have nothing to do with us."

Adrian said, "They'll still have Charles as a neighbor."

Hill said, "That's why they'll definitely desperately seek help at a time like this. I really don't want to deal with them."

Adrian asked, "Then what do you plan to do? You can't ignore them entirely."

Hill said, "I'll wait until their fate is decided. If they really are kicked out of the country, I'll return the money the count originally gave me."

He turned toward the window and softly repeated, "In your father's name, I give you twenty thousand gold and leave all your mother's dowry to you."

Adrian said, "Give him fifty thousand. Consider the Pioneer Writ for the baronial territory something you bought as well."

Hill nodded silently.

Falan said, "We'll send Hill to the shop first. It's on Maple Leaf Street." He turned to Hill. "It's the largest commercial street in the baronial district. It suits you."

Hill nodded. "Thank you, Grandfather."

The carriage soon reached Maple Leaf Street and finally stopped outside a three-story building. The white building was a typical commercial structure. Its bottom two floors, facing the street, had crystal floor-to-ceiling windows. Curtains covered them, concealing the rooms inside. The third floor had two lattice windows, both tightly shut.

Adrian took out a key and handed it to Hill, then casually tossed him two rings. "They contain Mage-level alchemy items. I used them for practice, and Teacher thought they weren't worth putting in the Mage Tower warehouse. Sell them. Consider them pocket money from me."

Hill said indifferently, "Don't humor a child."

Falan smiled and handed him a ring. "Fine. You can keep accounts for what's in here. You'll get ten percent of the profits from whatever you sell."

Adrian covered his mouth with his fist and laughed.

Hill did not want to speak anymore. Once the Undead came in, they would know what it meant for even trash to sell!

The scarcity of Mages meant Alchemists were even rarer. Unless someone was exceptionally talented or extremely wealthy, few could persist when basic alchemy products were difficult to sell.

Yet high-grade alchemy items were always in short supply. Unfortunately, outsiders did not understand transactions between Mages at all, which was why the count had never known how wealthy a wife he had once had.

Falan left with Adrian. After watching the carriage depart, Hill turned and surveyed Maple Leaf Street.

It was autumn. Red maple leaves drifted through Maple Leaf Street, making it exceptionally beautiful. Hill nodded in satisfaction. Players would definitely come here to check in.

He nodded to the owners of neighboring shops who had come out to look, then opened the door and entered the store.

Falan's shop was indeed lavishly funded. Hill looked over the alchemy shelves. For high-grade goods like these, one only had to place stock into the boxes beneath the shelves. Whenever an item displayed on a tray covered by magical crystal was removed, another would automatically replace it.

Hill put elemental ores into every shelf and used his own magic power to activate the arrays on them.

Potions and miscellaneous goods were displayed separately. By channeling magic power into the magical crystals on the trays, customers could view item descriptions. Hill checked the crystals in the shop's defensive array and cleaning array, replenished them all, then went upstairs with ease. He mainly wanted to pick up bargains from the players. Opening only the first floor would be enough, while the second floor could serve perfectly as a warehouse.