News

"If we can control such immense power, the Cavendish family will truly reach the peak!"

"Indeed. I am currently the Financial Statistician. The annual tax revenue for the entire Kingdom of the Moon is barely five million gold coins, and this year's revenue hasn't even been stored yet."

"Looking at it this way, wouldn't we be as wealthy as the nation itself?"

The other four elders fantasized, their faces filled with greed.

"Great Elder, what do you think?"

There were eight branches in the Cavendish family. The main house was in Brilliant City, while the branch houses primarily operated the slave trade in other regions.

The Great Elder represented the strongest branch outside the main house, and Fulong held his uncle in high regard.

"I still feel... it's strange."

The Great Elder's aged brow furrowed into a knot, clearly wary of the situation.

"What's strange about it?" Fulong asked, puzzled.

"If you suspect the Saintess, I don't think you need to worry about that."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" The Great Elder turned to look at Fulong.

Fulong looked relaxed, his voice teasing, a slight curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Her Highness the Saintess said she wants a five percent cut. That is no small sum; it's nearly equal to the national treasury's funds. The Saintess must have realized the Kingdom of the Moon's dire situation."

"Five percent?"

The Great Elder was stunned. He lowered his head in thought for a moment before suddenly breaking into a smile, the knot between his brows relaxing considerably.

"I see... no wonder she wants to cooperate with the Cavendish family. She's short on cash."

The other elders also shared a knowing smile.

Clearly, everyone was well aware of the Kingdom of the Moon's current predicament.

Hundreds of years of history had brought this country to a point where it was beyond saving.

The most critical factor was money.

At this thought, Fulong let out a long sigh.

"The Saintess doesn't have it easy either... think about it. The Kingdom of the Moon is so vast and its wealth is among the best on the continent, yet the annual tax revenue only accounts for about one percent of the nation's total wealth."

The Great Elder nodded in agreement, stroking his beard with a beaming smile.

"Exactly. Think back to the founding of the Kingdom of the Moon. Everything was in ruins and the population was sparse. At that time, five million gold coins in tax was the limit. But now, isn't the population more than ten times that? Isn't the wealth more than a hundred times greater? Yet these profits have been completely carved up by the various nobles, leaving not even a scrap for the Temple. It's no wonder the Saintess is so desperate that she chose our Cavendish family."

The Great Elder paused, lost in thought.

"The Cavendish family's business is indeed not fit for the public eye, but the profits involved are beyond an outsider's imagination. We never had the chance before, but now that it's right in front of us, I fear the Cavendish family is about to ascend to the pinnacle of the continent in one fell swoop."

"The Great Elder is absolutely right!"

"Exactly! If we don't seize this opportunity, we'll just be letting someone else profit."

"Indeed. The Saintess likely had no other choice but to give this chance to the Cavendish family."

"However... we must still do our best. This is an opportunity given by the Saintess. If she gives it to other families as well, we might not be able to swallow this cake whole."

The other four elders chimed in one after another.

Fulong lowered his head in deep thought for a long time before slapping his thigh.

"It's settled then. Notify the other members of the family immediately to tally the volume of slave transactions. Post the notices. From this day forward, no one will be able to oppose us!"

The Great Elder shook his head slightly.

"It will be difficult. After all, the ten major cities are controlled by their own families. Taking it from their hands won't be easy."

Fulong didn't care at all and laughed loudly.

"The Great Elder is overthinking things. Isn't it easy to take them down? Without official authorization, they are illegal. Since they are illegal, we can request cooperation from the local Temples to wipe them all out!"

"Hmm, that is one way. Let's do it that way then."

The Great Elder nodded, and the other four elders followed suit.

They weren't unaware of the dangers involved, but... which noble's rise wasn't accompanied by a storm of blood?

"Still, we must be careful. Contact the families close to us, especially the Alvin family. If we can bring the Alvin family on board, even if we have to give away a portion of the profits, success will be guaranteed!"

The Great Elder instructed again, slapping his thigh as he stood up.

"I'll put my old pride aside and talk to the Alvin's family lord. Fulong, the overall planning depends on you. I can only act as a lobbyist. Everything rests on your shoulders."

"Rest assured, Great Elder! Whether the Cavendish family prospers or withers depends on this!"

The Great Elder nodded and turned to leave for the Alvin family's residence.

Meanwhile, Fulong began systematic planning with the other four elders, including finalizing the rules and regulations.

In this era, most regulations were determined by local nobles themselves.

When a certain matter was handed over to a noble, it was essentially a full delegation of authority.

All detailed rules were decided by the individual nobles.

Now, the Cavendish family naturally followed this practice without any change.

...

"Your Highness, the Great Elder of the Cavendish family just visited the Alvin family's residence."

After a short rest, Lola had already recovered most of her energy. This workaholic showed no intention of resting further.

Instead, she returned to her post and was now standing beside Luo Li, reporting the latest news.

"Yes, I know."

Luo Li leaned against the headboard, flipping through the Demon Race Records in her hands.

According to the records, the entire demon race appeared suddenly a thousand years ago and then spread rapidly like cancer, covering every corner of the continent in an instant.

Later, a great war nine hundred years ago pushed the demon race toward the islands in the northeast, driving them completely off the continent.

But now, after centuries of stability and development, the demon race had regrouped. Their sudden raid on Brilliant City in the Kingdom of the Moon was likely one of the signs.

There would certainly be other movements later, but for now, the demon race would at least remain quiet for a while.

"The Cavendish Great Elder went to the Alvin family's residence. He must be there to discuss the slave trade. Are they planning to form an alliance and build momentum? However... if they do that, the Cavendish family will likely have to yield some profit to the Alvin family."

Luo Li put down the Demon Race Records and stretched, feeling her joints ache slightly.

"Lola, where did you get your news from?"