Lord of the Mysteries:Voice of the Stars

On a summer morning in Tingen City, the streets of the Western District bustled with activity. Vendors selling vegetables, fruits, and cooked foods shouted loudly, calling out to the hurried passersby.

Some pedestrians would stop to carefully compare prices before purchasing, while others, impatient and in a rush, waved their hands dismissively and left.

In front of the entrance to a four-story building, Ael, dressed in a formal suit with a top hat and a monocle over his left eye, halted alongside George, who was similarly attired.

As the mingling scents of stench and fragrant food wafted through the air, Ael raised an eyebrow and turned to George, asking,

"This is the company you plan to acquire today? The hygiene in this area is absolutely terrible."

Hearing his employer's inquiry, George pushed open the door and replied with a smile,

"The sanitation here isn't really their fault. If the kingdom would put some effort into managing pollution and the sewage system, these problems wouldn't exist."

Following George into the building's lobby, Ael chuckled,

"If they actually cared about that, Backlund's air pollution wouldn't be so severe either.

Alright, tell me more about this company."

"Yes," George nodded, recalling the details.

"This is a mid-sized company primarily engaged in import and export trade. Among similar businesses in Tingen, it ranks within the top ten.

The main reason I chose them is because their business covers a broad range of areas—they've conducted trade with Feneport, the Rorsted Archipelago, Fusac, and even the Southern Continent's colonies.

Most importantly, acquiring this company is quite cheap. Their initial asking price was 30,000 pounds, but I negotiated it down to 26,000 pounds."

"So cheap?" Ael was slightly surprised at the quoted price—he had expected it to be much higher.

In his mind, acquiring a company should require a substantial amount of money.

"Cheap?"

Hearing his employer's reaction, George, who was walking ahead, nearly stumbled, opening his mouth but unsure how to respond.

Inside the Meeting Room

On the third floor, Ael and George followed a curvaceous receptionist into the meeting room. As soon as they entered, they saw a bald, middle-aged man standing by the window, smoking a cigar.

After a brief introduction from George, Ael learned that this man was the owner of the import-export company and the sole shareholder.

After the usual formal handshakes and pleasantries, the middle-aged man wasted no time. He took out a standard contract from his coat and handed it to George.

"This contract was drafted by my lawyer. Look it over and see if there are any issues. If everything is fine, we can proceed with the signing.

Uh… is this gentleman your lawyer?"

The middle-aged man looked at Ael curiously.

"No, actually, he is my employer."

"Oh, pleasure to meet you, pleasure to meet you!"

Upon realizing that Ael was the true boss, the middle-aged man immediately put out his cigar and extended his hand once more, now smiling even more warmly.

"Please, let's sit down and talk. Shirley, bring out my treasured Earl Grey tea to share with these gentlemen."

Once seated, as the receptionist exited the room with a tray, Ael took a sip of the Earl Grey tea and looked at the man opposite him, asking,

"Mr. corder, why are you selling the company you built from the ground up? As far as I know, corder Trading Company isn't facing any operational crisis. Could you tell me your reasons?"

Hearing the buyer's question, the company's owner, corder, smiled and said,

"Oh, it's no secret. The reason I'm selling my business is quite simple—I need money, and a significant amount of it."

Reigniting his cigar, corder took a deep puff before continuing,

"You may not be able to tell, but I'm already 58 years old. Unlike most Ruen households, I only have one child.

I won't be modest—he's an outstanding young man. Four years ago, he joined the Royal Army and was sent to the Southern Continent.

Last month, he sent me a telegram saying that due to his military achievements in the colonial conflicts, he had been promoted to major and was now co-managing a port city in the Southern Continent alongside a colonel.

In the telegram, he asked me to leave Tingen and retire in the territory under his jurisdiction. I agreed—after all, I am at the age where I should be thinking about retirement.

So, I decided to liquidate my assets in Tingen—both the business and my properties—to prepare for my new life in the Southern Continent.

With this money, I can buy an estate and a plantation there, ensuring a comfortable retirement."

"That certainly sounds like an enviable life."

After signing the contract, George stood up, shook hands with corder, and complimented his decision.

"Mr. corder, by tomorrow at the latest, you will receive a payment from the Ruen Royal Bank."

"Oh, that's wonderful! By the Storm, you are truly a trustworthy and generous gentleman."

Hearing that he would receive 26,000 Ruen gold pounds the next day, corder's smile widened uncontrollably.

However, while his official reason for selling was his son's invitation, there was another key factor behind his urgency—an additional piece of news included in his son's telegram.

"The kingdom intends to launch a large-scale war in East Balam later this year."

As an import-export merchant, he knew very well that once war broke out, the kingdom would impose strict trade controls. That meant he would no longer be able to maintain his financial flow, putting his company at risk of bankruptcy.

This was also the main reason his son urged him to move to the Southern Continent—most of the colonial conflicts would be concentrated in the Paz Valley, with minimal impact on port cities along the coast.

But, of course, this wasn't something he planned to share with Mr. George.

Just as Ael sat back in his chair, uninterested in the finer details of George and corder's business discussion, a series of heavy knocks suddenly echoed through the room, interrupting their conversation.

corder glanced at George, gave an apologetic smile, and called out,

"Come in."

With a creak, the meeting room door swung inward, revealing a figure stepping inside.

It was a man nearing his thirties, dressed in a linen shirt with a black coat, his short black hair neatly trimmed. His features weren't particularly handsome—if anything, his face carried a somewhat aged and solemn look, giving off an impression of seriousness and rigidity.

Upon seeing the newcomer, corder stood up, walked over to him, and introduced him to George and Ael with a smile.

"This is Benson—our company's most outstanding employee. He's diligent, capable, and quick-witted—a brilliant young man.

Had it not been for that telegram, I was planning to promote him to third manager in the future.

Benson, these two gentlemen will be your new employers—Mr. George and Mr. Ael."