Chapter 48: Or an Imperial Idol?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: Or an Imperial Idol?
"Holy crap, where did you get that? And how could the Sword of the Empire moonlight in something as lowbrow as a concert? Wouldn't that ruin the Empire's image?"
"Just say if you want it or not. If you don't, I'm finding someone else."
"Wait, wait! I want it, I want it! How much?"
"One hundred thousand gold coins."
"Damn, that's so expensive! Why don't you just rob a bank?"
"You don't want it?"
"I do, I do! Give me a discount, brother. I’ve never asked you for anything in my life."
"Fine. Call me 'Daddy,' and I'll sell it to you for fifty thousand."
"Daddy! Please, Daddy, I really need this!"
"Good boy. But Daddy's keeping this last one for himself."
"You mother—! You [censored], I'll [censored]!"
Atoris had just finished scanning the crowd when she noticed a commotion breaking out in a corner below the stage. After hearing the contents of the argument, her brow furrowed.
"A concert?"
"I recall that being a form of entertainment that started circulating among the Empire's youth in recent years. How did I get dragged into it?"
Thinking of this, Atoris scanned the crowd once more.
She spotted a figure in a black-and-gold cloak skulkily crouching in a corner, looking extremely suspicious. Looking closer, it appeared to be a white-haired girl.
Atoris: "?"
Before she could process this, the white-haired girl seemed to notice her. She tilted her head up, her gaze meeting Atoris's directly.
Without missing a beat, Atoris clearly saw a pair of crimson eyes.
Atoris: "!"
For a moment, Atoris was struck by immense shock. After a brief internal struggle, she called out to Roland, who was standing nearby.
"Roland, I'm going out for a bit."
With that, Atoris vanished from the Imperial Palace.
Left behind, Roland looked bewildered by the sudden departure.
"Strange. What's wrong with her? Does she not like the outfit? But the Wheel of Fate asked me to design it specifically, saying she would definitely love it. Did I mess up the design somewhere?"
Thinking of this, Roland shook his head.
"Whatever. She has protected the Empire for three hundred years; it's fine for her to have a little temper now. She used to be so silent all the time—I was worried she might have some psychological issues."
*
While Roland was lost in his thoughts, Atoris had already reached the crowd below.
Using the authority granted by the Crown of the Empire, she suppressed the perception of those around her. Thus, she arrived before the girl in an instant.
The result was exactly as she expected.
"The Master?"
The girl skulking in the corner was indeed Xie Bai.
It had taken two days for the Malice of the World to finally dissipate, giving Xie Bai the chance to wander around the physical world.
Seeing Atoris suddenly appear, Xie Bai immediately put on a look of surprise.
"Oh, if it isn't the Great Sword of the Empire? A pleasure to meet—"
Halfway through the sentence, Atoris covered Xie Bai's mouth.
"Please, Master, do not address me that way..."
Atoris lowered her eyes slightly.
"At the very least, leave out the 'Great' part."
Seeing this, Xie Bai's eyes crinkled into a smile.
"Alright, I won't tease you. By the way, Atoris, that outfit looks quite good on you. Very pretty."
As she spoke, Xie Bai’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward the other's white over-the-knee socks.
Mmm, a bit of skin peeking through... quite a treat.
"Does the Master... like this outfit?"
"Well, what do you think?"
Hearing this, Atoris pulled her hand back, fidgeting.
"Mmm... as long as the Master likes it."
【Triggered "Conquest", Aodu Empire Reputation +100】
【Aodu Empire Reputation: -900】
Xie Bai: "?"
Looking at the system prompt that suddenly popped up, Xie Bai was momentarily stunned.
This "Conquest"... what did it mean?
Was it... wholesome?
Before Xie Bai could react, Atoris spoke first.
"By the way, Master, the news about me holding some sort of concert... was that your doing?"
Hearing Atoris's question, Xie Bai gave a slight smile.
"That's right. And the response has been quite excellent. At twenty thousand gold coins a ticket, I sold fifty thousand copies in just one hour. That's a total of one billion gold coins, and that's just the debut. If we start selling merchandise later, the profits could flip dozens of times over."
"Making money? If it's a matter of money, you only need to tell me. I should be able to resolve that for you..."
"Now, now, let's forget about abusing public office for private gain. I much prefer this method."
In reality, the gold coins Xie Bai had earned totaled ten billion.
Under the judgment of Greed's Blessing, these were considered legitimate transactions, triggering a ten-fold gold coin multiplier. With the almost illogical boost of Greed's Blessing, even if Xie Bai had zero business talent, she could use massive capital accumulation to snowball profits, giving the Aodu Empire's economic circle a "little shock."
However, Xie Bai was aware of the effects of inflation. Although she didn't yet fully understand the actual economic model of this world, she decided to store the extra multiplied gold in her Inventory to increase her damage cap for safety's sake.
The original profits would be used for economic operations.
For instance, developing the Imperial Idol economy.
Based on Xie Bai's observations, the economy of Carlos Lilanka was prosperous and open, even giving rise to idol-like entertainment like concerts. However, it was still in its infancy; concerts in Carlos Lilanka were small-scale private affairs that hadn't reached a national level.
A major reason for this, aside from the short development time, was that the citizens of the Empire collectively worshipped Atoris. This super-warrior, who had guarded the Empire for three hundred years, had long since become the spiritual pillar for every citizen.
But things were different now.
Because Orion had announced Atoris's death, the citizens, having lost their spiritual pillar, had fallen into a state of immense grief and emptiness.
Then, Orion announced the appointment of a new Sword of the Empire immediately after the death announcement, and decreed she would inherit the name "Atoris." This allowed the citizens, who had just lost their pillar, to immediately find a new figure to support.
Furthermore, Atoris's current appearance was indeed very cute, making her perfect for an idol debut.
Suddenly, the citizens' support surged even higher than before.
Thus, the current Atoris had the right timing, the right place, and the right people. She was the perfect candidate to spearhead the idol industry.
And the facts proved it.
After Xie Bai's maneuvering, the reaction to Atoris's concert was incredibly intense. It wouldn't be long before citizens from other cities flooded into Carlos Lilanka just to catch a glimpse of the Sword of the Empire's beauty.
One could say that if it weren't for the limited venue space, Xie Bai could have sold even more tickets. However, considering the real money lay in the upcoming merchandise, Xie Bai didn't care much about the ticket revenue.
Besides making money, there was another important reason Xie Bai released these tickets.
It was to attract the attention of a certain perverted lolicon, thereby slowing down their search for her.
At this moment, Atoris looked somewhat lost.
"But... Master, even if you wish for me to do this, I am not skilled in such things..."
Facing Atoris's concerns, Xie Bai patted her shoulder.
"Don't worry about that. I'll teach you, of course. Besides, your soul power is very strong now; I believe you'll learn very quickly."
"I... alright, Master."
Though Atoris looked embarrassed, it was Xie Bai's request, so she chose to try and understand.
"By the way, Atoris, is the threat you're facing recently that Grand Marshal who is about to return?"
"Yes, Master... wait... were you lurking near me and eavesdropping at some point?"
Xie Bai's mouth twitched slightly.
Wait, what does that mean?
Do I look like the kind of pervert who would just slip into someone's shadow and use invisibility to peep on them?
Seeing Atoris tilt her head in confusion, Xie Bai coughed a few times.
"Ahem, don't worry about that for now. I mentioned this because I have good news for you."
"Wh... what news?"
For a split second, Atoris felt like this wasn't going to be good news at all.
"The news is that I've already had people infiltrate the Grand Marshal's army to spread word of your concert. And the response there was even more enthusiastic than here!"
Atoris: "?"
"To put it simply, over ninety percent of the enemy's army has started supporting you in secret. They're lurking within the Grand Marshal's ranks, shouting slogans about fighting for the Emperor. When the time comes, you won't even have to worry about two factions of your own people killing each other and wasting the Empire's strength."
Xie Bai paused for a moment.
"If I remember correctly, this is called... subduing the enemy without a fight?"