Mythology: Ragnarok

Upon hearing the news, Agred was instantly devastated, as if the world had lost its color, and became sullen. Hepburn also disappeared after that, and Agred thought she was probably busy getting to know her new fiancé.

Just as Agreed was reading in the library, lost in despair and trying to channel his grief into motivation, a gentle voice sounded beside him, softly asking, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Agreed looked up and saw Hepburn, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. She was wearing a fresh long dress and looked very carefully dressed. Agreed guessed that she had just gone on a date with someone else.

Agreed was a little lost in thought. After regaining his senses, he shook his head, then nodded and said, "Alright then... let's go for a walk."

Beside the artificial lake at the Augustus Palace, two young people walked side by side without saying a word. They simply walked quietly, both preoccupied with their own thoughts, unwilling to break the silence.

Suddenly, Hepburn stopped and said, "Senior, I'm getting married. What do you think?"

Agreed stopped and replied, "I don't care what you think, the important thing is what you think."

Hepburn protested calmly, as if it were none of her business: "I don't like it. I don't like having everything about myself controlled by others. I especially don't like not even having the right to choose before I die."

Agreed replied weakly, "But you have no choice, and neither do we."

Hepburn suddenly grabbed his hand and said, "Maybe there are other options? Senior brother... do you love me? Let's run away together, it doesn't matter where we go, as long as we get away from Augustus. With our abilities, we can live well anywhere. Okay, senior brother?" Hepburn looked at him, her eyes red, as she stared at Agreed with all the courage she had mustered, and asked earnestly.

Agreed hadn't lost his mind. He slowly took Hepburn's hand away and asked, "Are you really sure? I don't care, Hepburn. I know exactly how I feel about you. I... love you. I want to spend every moment of your life with you. I want to see the stars and the sea with you."

But…do you love me? I don't want you to just want to escape your parents' arrangements and end up desperately choosing someone who's only a friend to you. Are you ready? To fight your whole life against the Augustus Empire, the Church of Light, and your parents, never to see them again. If you just want to leave this country to find your own life, I'll help you. But you don't need to say that. I'll always help you. When you've thought everything through and mustered the courage to leave, write to me. You know where to put the letter. Until then, I'll arrange everything for you.”

After saying that, Agred left, leaving Hepburn still deep in thought. Agred knew that what she needed most now was to be alone and think things through. It took a lot of courage to go against her family.

Agreed left the palace and went to a dilapidated shop in a secluded location on the commercial street. He knocked on the door and slipped a gold-plated card with a strange pattern onto it through a small crack.

After a while, the shop door slowly opened, Agreed walked in, and the door closed automatically.

Agreed walked to an exquisitely crafted tea table inside, where a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses was sipping tea. Upon seeing Agreed, the man greeted him, "You've arrived, distinguished guest. Please have a seat. Ah Fu! Serve the guest tea!"

As he spoke, a muscular servant dressed in waiter's attire entered, served Agreed tea, and then withdrew.

Agreed picked up his teacup and said softly, "Mr. Touré has quite the refined taste, living and observing this commercial street as the head of the Augustus business community."

The man before me is named 'Touré Okandar' and is now a leading figure in the Augustus business world.

Toure took a sip of tea and said, "The key to managing a business circle well is to observe from the bottom up. The higher you are, the easier it is to be blinded by a leaf. An excellent manager never stays at the top. The most important thing for a businessman is to always pay attention to the needs of potential customers and to have the highest priority to control the ever-changing situation."

After listening, Agred nodded as if he understood and said, "I've learned something. You truly deserve to be called a leader in the business world. Who would have thought that the peddler in the horse market back then would become such a famous business tycoon?"

Ture chuckled and said, "I never expected that the down-on-his-luck boy who came here to sell horses back then would become a first-class chief mage and a disciple of a forbidden spell mage. I was also very surprised when you came here last year to sell monster materials. After all, you were very impressive, and you did make me a lot of money. But... you didn't come here today with a VIP card just to chat with me, did you? Tell me what you want to buy."

Agreed said seriously, "I want a carriage and two dragon steeds."

Turee instantly became alert and then subtly probed, "Dragon Steeds aren't cheap. You know those things have a trace of dragon blood in them, and they can travel five thousand miles a day, easily pulling a ten-ton carriage. Are you... going on a long trip?"

Agreed replied noncommittally, "Yes, it's a long trip. You don't need to worry about the price. Name your price."

Ture thought for a moment, then said, "We're old friends. Twenty top-grade magic crystals. Once the money is in place, I'll hand over the goods with both hands."

Agreed took out twenty top-grade magic crystals from his spatial ring and threw them on the coffee table, saying, "Order them, then take me to get what I bought."

Toure said without even glancing at it, "No need, I trust you. Afo! Tell your men to bring Mr. Agred's goods over. My esteemed guest, please rest here for a while; your goods will be delivered shortly."

Afterwards, Agréd and Touré chatted over tea, and then Afo brought over a carriage pulled by two dragon horses, which Agréd then took over and left the shopping street.

As the carriage drove away, Toure turned to the side and instructed, "Afu, send a message to the Augustan royal family, saying that someone bought the dragon horse here and is likely planning to kidnap Princess Hepburn."

Afu looked at Ture with confusion and asked, "Master, didn't you say that the most important thing for a merchant is reputation? Selling out our customers' information... won't that ruin our reputation?"

Toure scoffed and continued, “One is a client I’ll basically never cross paths with again, the other is the Augustan royal family, from whom you can reap long-term benefits simply by making contact. Which would you choose to help? I’ve said it before, if you want to make a fortune, you have to eat your fill all at once! This is a great opportunity to eat your fill. Two dragon steeds plus royal rewards—if you want to rise to the top in the business world, you have to trample all this so-called moral nonsense under your feet! Understand?”

Afu quickly and respectfully replied, "Understood, I'll go arrange it." With that, Afu withdrew.

As Touré watched the vanished carriage, he squinted and muttered, "Don't blame me, kid. Who told you to overestimate yourself?"