After coming up from the mine, the group left with a large number of photos.

This scene played out at many sites tied to Harmony Capital, especially gold mines—almost every gold mine they mentioned had people show up to investigate.

No one knew what these people were really there for. Soon enough, everyone stopped talking about it, just like they no longer discussed the odd actions of those who had bought up mines in the past.

The next day at noon, Lynch received a call.

“Mr. Lynch, we’ve sent people to inspect the gold mines you mentioned. Except for one that is still in operation, the other six have all ceased mining activity, with no signs of resuming.”

“We also obtained some local intel, including reports on transactions and shutdowns of those mines.”

“Everything will be delivered to Gephra by next week at the latest.”

Lynch smiled as he listened. “Thank you, Major. Keep me updated if there’s anything new. Also, enjoy your holiday.”

Major was a codename. He was the first army officer Lynch had recruited, with extensive combat experience.

Lynch had his suspicions about the Major’s true identity. Beyond his official background, it was likely the military had intentionally arranged for his discharge.

Lynch had been recruiting large numbers of veterans across Sabin City and all of York State, which couldn’t have gone unnoticed by federal authorities and security agencies.

Since the financial crisis, many veterans had joined gangs for various reasons.

If these well-trained veterans weren’t managed properly, they posed a serious threat. Lynch recruiting so many at once had definitely triggered alarm bells, making it necessary to plant people in his organization.

But even with these suspicions, Lynch wasn’t on guard against the Major. In fact, he relied on him more. It served two purposes: reassuring the security services and the federal leadership about Blackstone’s safety operations, and leveraging the military and security apparatus to get things done.

If the Major wanted a key position within Blackstone Security, he’d have to prove himself—and the people behind him would have to use their resources to help complete Lynch’s tasks.

It was a win-win.

Lynch wasn’t planning anything nefarious, so he welcomed these embedded watchers.

After hanging up, he turned to the sergeant. “Put someone on Richard.”

In the following days, Harmony Capital’s stock price kept climbing. Richard’s high-profile celebrations further boosted investor enthusiasm.

The company was performing well on the market. Turnover was a bit low, but the price was rising fast—any sell orders were quickly bought up. Some analysts predicted that once the fourth-quarter earnings report was released, the stock could surge even higher.

Some stock pundits had already begun shouting a target price of fifteen Sol, insisting the stock had to reach that number—anything less was unacceptable.

And during these very days, Lynch was ennobled.

The ennoblement ceremony took place at the Royal Hunting Grounds. It was Lynch’s first time attending such a ceremony, and he found it fascinating.

Palace guards stood on either side of the path. A red carpet had been laid down, with wheat stalks and pumpkin vines scattered along its edges. Neatly stacked harvest crops surrounded the scene, symbolizing prosperity.

As the royal band began playing, a series of elaborate rituals commenced. The Prime Minister read out the achievements of several individuals and petitioned the emperor to grant them noble titles.

Then the emperor had to discuss the matter with his ministers—it all felt like a stage play.

Eventually, the emperor agreed to the Prime Minister’s request and approved the ennoblement of those on the list.

Only three people were ennobled this year. One of them was Lynch—he was made a baron. The title was not hereditary; once he died, his son would inherit nothing.

The other two included another baron and an earl.

One inherited a downgraded family title; the other retained a hereditary title—both from old noble families.

The three, dressed in formal attire, stood at the edge of the red carpet, waiting to be called. As the ceremony progressed, the band’s music became more stirring. Guided by court staff, the trio stepped onto the red carpet.

Lynch found the experience strange. He noticed not only local Gephran TV stations filming, but also reporters from the Federation.

A Federation citizen being ennobled by the Gephran Empire was, indeed, quite a novelty.

The red carpet wasn’t long. At the end, they stopped about thirty meters from the emperor. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The hereditary Count stepped forward first. He was visibly moved. Ever since the nobility reforms, true hereditary titles had become rare.

New nobles were usually granted non-hereditary or downgraded titles, making hereditary ones fiercely contested—family heirs often fought tooth and nail over them.

After the steward read a letter written by the young Count’s grandfather, along with a declaration of the family’s honor, the emperor began the formal ennoblement.

It was more or less what Lynch had expected. The young man knelt on one knee before the emperor and was knighted with the sword of the emperor. Then the emperor bestowed three gifts: a bag of seeds, a bag of gold coins, and a ceremonial sword.

These represented harvest,wealth, and military power. After that, the emperor returned to his seat. The young Count stood, fastened the sword to his belt, and, with the butler’s help, completed the ceremony with medals and symbols of nobility.

Next was the viscount ahead of Lynch. His process was nearly identical, though his medal was plain—no decorations or honors to show off his or his family’s achievements.

Finally, it was Lynch’s turn.

He knelt as the others had. The emperor tapped both his shoulders with a sword, reciting phrases of praise and hope—urging loyalty, bravery, and adherence to noble conduct.

Then came the gifts.

“I grant you the joy of harvest, that you and your people may be well fed…” said the emperor, offering a bag of seeds.

“I grant you gleaming gold coins, that you and your people may be free from poverty…” as he presented the money.

Finally, he held out Lynch’s sword. “I grant you a sharp blade, to slay the empire’s enemies and defend its honor…”

As he said this final line, the emperor’s expression twisted slightly. From his perspective, Lynch was, in many ways, one of those enemies—at the very least, a minor one.

“Thank you, Your Majesty…” Lynch rose and stepped aside.

According to ancient ennoblement traditions, there should have been a land-mapping ceremony where Lynch drew the boundaries of his fief. But since the empire’s reforms, land was no longer actually granted.

Even previously granted fiefs had been fully reclaimed, so that part of the ceremony was simply omitted.

The steward placed an elegant sash on Lynch, though it was disappointingly bare.

All three of the new nobles had been officially granted their titles, and the ceremony concluded smoothly. It wasn’t long, but the whole event felt oddly contradictory.

You could tell that, in this modern and developed age, such a ritual was incredibly outdated—yet somehow still grand and dignified. It was a strange contradiction.

After the ceremony came the noble ball, held to celebrate the birth of new nobles in the empire.

Old noble families used such occasions to attract newly ennobled individuals through marriage, and the new nobles, in turn, could show themselves off in hopes of securing protection and alliances.

The noble class was the core of Gephra’s aristocratic culture. Whether during the chaotic era of warring lords or now, noble factions had always existed—and always would.

“You look very handsome.” As soon as Lynch entered the ballroom in his freshly changed attire, Jania came over on her own.

She took his arm and whispered playfully into his ear, “I’ve heard a few girls have their eyes on you—that puts a lot of pressure on me.”

Lynch chuckled. “The looks I’m getting from the men feel like they’re going to burn me alive. I think I’m under more pressure.”

He paused, released her arm, stepped in front of her, and extended his hand. “Would I be lucky enough to invite you for the first dance?”

Jania lifted her chin like a proud swan. “Of course.”

As the soft music played, the two began to dance. Lynch asked quietly, “Did you buy any shares of Harmony?”

Jania nodded. “My financial advisor suggested I buy some. I invested a little over three million. Why?”

Lynch was surprised, though it made sense.

Financial advisors in the empire had it much easier than those in the Federation. They had their own networks, often overlapping with other nobles’ advisors, creating an information advantage.

Whenever good news appeared, it quickly spread through the aristocratic circles. Richard seemed to have taken the aristocratic route this time.

“It’s nothing. The stock just seems… strange.”

They swayed slowly across the dance floor. Lynch’s hand rested on Jania’s waist, the sheer silk letting him feel the smooth skin beneath.

It was hard to believe she was in her thirties and still maintained herself so well—one of the perks of wealth and power.

“You’re not wearing underwear?”

Jania giggled softly. “A surprise for you.”

At first, getting close to Lynch had been an assignment from the emperor. But faced with someone so exceptional, even a mission like this became sweet—and falling for him was easy.

She sighed inwardly—Lynch was too young, she was too old.

Lynch was a citizen of the Federation. She wasn’t just a Gephran—she was the emperor’s sister.

They were never meant to be. That made her a little sad.

All she could do now was indulge in happiness while she still had the chance.