Apocalypse Lord-Chapter 50 - 48: Merchants’ Secret Negotiations

The decadent daily life of Camelot in the royal city remained the same.

The beautiful maidservants danced on the opera stage, twisting their bodies energetically and constantly casting seductive glances at the audience below.

Yet the merchants from the Alliance were uninterested, yawning continuously as they sat beneath the stage.

The entertainment of this small island nation was truly lacking.

The opera, revered by the nobles, was not only outdated in its form but also devoid of any storytelling.

The content of the stage was merely arranging for attendants to praise the nobility of the Royal Court and the aristocracy, then mocking the ignorant commoners, so dull it made one want to vomit.

Aside from operas, the only remaining entertainment was social gatherings.

Every afternoon, the aristocrats would hold grand feasts, trying all means to win the favor of the ladies and then eagerly inviting them to spend a charming evening together.

When the merchants first arrived, they were quite willing to experience the local customs, but who could endure endless parties?

They were businessmen here for trade, not beasts who only knew how to frolic in bed!

"Honestly, my rear is about to grow calluses from the past few days."

Someone complained, looking at his companion beside him, "How’s business on your end, Old Dean?"

"What can I say, I just threw out a few cheap trinkets, and the local nobles piled their resources onto my ship, sparing only the silver coins."

The chubby Old Dean sighed weakly, "Those nobles are clutching their silver coins tightly. I haven’t even earned a single Lion Heart silver coin!"

"Why don’t you sell your cargo to me instead?"

Another merchant teased, "I have plenty of Lion Heart silver coins here; just name how much you want, and I’ll give it to you."

"No way!" Old Dean shook his head repeatedly, "Do you take me for a fool?"

The group laughed in unison.

"After this business trip, I’m planning to try my luck at the ’Red Candlelight;’ I’ve heard that an adventure fleet has salvaged some new treasures there..."

They chatted idly.

Merchants who usually were at odds even lost their desire to compete with one another. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

They were drawn by the allure of ’war potential’ and ’national interests’ but ended up as porters for the Sigma diplomat.

This land had no potential worth investing in.

The merchants had mostly reached a consensus.

The ruling class of the Lion Heart Kingdom was truly disappointing; the nobles were only interested in maximizing short-term gains with no long-term vision.

"By the way, the spies I hired have brought back the latest news: there are hardly any living people left in this kingdom’s Western Border."

At this moment, a merchant initiated a heavy topic, "You are all veterans at dealing with the sea; even if the diplomat hasn’t explicitly stated it, you must have your guesses, right?"

The atmosphere beneath the stage instantly became oppressive, and everyone wore a grave expression.

The widespread Blood Plague couldn’t be hidden from the merchants’ eyes.

—The Lion Heart Royal Court was very likely summoning the embryonic form of a Celestial Calamity!

As the Alliance diplomat supported the Second Princess, the Eldest Prince failed to openly seize power and started acting desperately. The Lionheart Knights under his command spread a scarlet curse, leaving devastation in their wake.

The Sigma diplomat anxiously bustled about because of this.

What was most absurd was that the Second Princess remained unmoved. The nobles under her command would even secretly support the Eldest Prince...

God knows what they were thinking...

It was clear to anyone with eyes that this small island nation was on the brink of collapse.

Although the Celestial Calamity on the sea wouldn’t proactively make landfall, it would be ’artificially’ diverted.

The sea had always been synonymous with mystery and madness; even a normal person dreaming of the sea had a chance of having their sanity disturbed by the shadows hidden in the Sea Waves.

This is also why every year, citizens of the Alliance must undergo mandatory mental examinations.

There are always lunatics in this world whose minds are consumed by the ’secrets of the sea,’ and now, it seems the Eldest Prince Ryan is one of them.

Most tragically, he was the real ruler of the Lion Heart Kingdom in every sense of the term.

If the Eldest Prince truly invited a Celestial Calamity, the sea would completely engulf this small island nation, turning the area into the ’Gray Realm’ outside the safe maritime routes.

Even though the Alliance is a legally clear and life-respecting country, the Lion Heart Kingdom is highly likely to be directly abandoned.

The leaders of the Alliance are not philanthropists; rashly opposing a Celestial Calamity would just let the New Empire take advantage of the situation.

"Oh~ my dear prince~ let me praise your greatness and majesty! Lion’s Heart Glory shall eternally endure under your guidance~"

On stage, a male attendant knelt on the ground with an exaggerated tone, clutching his chest and reaching out, diligently portraying a character enthralled by the prince.

It was truly ridiculous.

"At least, the poor souls living in the Lion Heart Kingdom can find release in death..." Someone shrugged.

The merchants were well aware of what the Lion Heart nobles did to the commoners.

But as foreign merchants, they had to abide by local rules, though the various barbaric acts of the nobles were indeed unpleasant.

"Speaking of Celestial Calamities... I saw the wreckage of a White Sail merchant fleet ship when passing through the ’Fog Strait.’"

At that moment, Old Dean changed the topic, looking at the others, "Do any of you have news about Charles?"

Upon hearing this, the merchants instinctively recalled.

While the White Sail fleet wasn’t large, it certainly made a name for itself in the merchant social circles.

Moments later, a merchant shook his head slightly, "I haven’t seen his flagship lately."

"Charles was probably swept into the ’Gray Realm’ by the storm."

Another added, "Based on your description, it’s also possible the White Sail fleet encountered Chaos Pirates en route..."

The group fell silent once more.

No matter what, it was clear the White Sail fleet faced grim prospects.

Old Dean’s eyes were somewhat dim. He was an old acquaintance of Charles. How could that guy fall in such a place...

"I suggest you be more optimistic, old friends."

The next moment, a voice tinged with teasing laughter suddenly sounded from behind them, "In fact, I encountered a ’Collapse Celestial Calamity,’ which delayed me a bit."

People turned their heads in astonishment.

A tall merchant with symmetrical facial hair and hair, smiling, stood at the hall’s entrance.

Old Dean’s eyes lit up with joy; this guy actually survived!

"You encountered a Celestial Calamity within the safe route?"

Someone sharply caught the emphasis in Charles’ words.

"Let’s discuss it later."

Charles sat beside Old Dean, looking at the others with a grin, "How did everyone fare in the royal city while I was absent?"

The topic opened up, and helpless complaints once again rose and fell beneath the stage.

"It was worse than I imagined the worst situation could be."

Someone gave a snicker, "All the nobles in this kingdom are fools; we didn’t need to waste time coming here from the start!"

Charles listened patiently for a while before interrupting everyone’s conversation, "I don’t think so."

Under the merchants’ puzzled gazes, he slowly reached into the inside pocket of his coat and then took out a beautiful cube.

The dazzling sapphire refracted brilliant light under the lamps.

Clang! Clang!

Almost all the merchants stood up, then gathered around.