Chapter 397 - 387: A Beautiful Misunderstanding

Looking at the money in her hands, Moira Lynch saw that after setting aside the funds for the original plot of land, she’d have enough left to buy all the surrounding parcels and still have a little capital for renovations.

Just like that, in the blink of an eye, Moira Lynch had planned out how to spend her newfound fortune.

First, Moira Lynch needed to make a trip to Aethelburg.

Since it was quite far, a Transmission Prop that could teleport her directly to Aethelburg cost one thousand Game Coins.

Seeing the price, Moira Lynch gritted her teeth. ’Forget it. I can make my own way there. It won’t take that long, anyway.’

There were Teleportation Arrays connecting the cities, which were much cheaper than Transmission Props. The worst-case scenario was that she’d have to make a few transfers. She could just treat it as a bit of sightseeing.

Plus, she could gather some materials along the way.

’If I happen to find more materials like Cloud Sandalwood, I’ll make a killing.’

Before setting out, Moira Lynch sent a message to Shane Rhodes, telling him she had earned enough money and was now heading his way.

On the other side, Shane Rhodes was staring at the massive deficits in his ledgers, practically tearing his hair out with worry. When Moira Lynch’s message suddenly arrived, it was like a lifeline.

"My Lord, are you alright?"

An NPC dressed as a Steward stood to one side. Just moments ago, the City Lord had been the picture of misery, but now he was giggling like an idiot. A worried expression crept onto the Steward’s face. ’It’s over, it’s over. Don’t tell me the pressure has finally broken my lord’s mind.’

’If he’s really lost his marbles, what are we going to do?!’

"My Lord, there’s still plenty of time before the year-end review. We’ll definitely think of something. Please, don’t scare me like this."

He said the words, but he knew perfectly well that the biggest problem Aethelburg faced right now was a lack of funds.

As the saying goes, you can’t make bricks without straw. Without money, they couldn’t do a thing.

"Don’t worry. We’ll have money before long."

Hearing Shane Rhodes say this, the Steward assumed the stress had gotten to him and he was talking nonsense. To avoid upsetting him further, he just played along. "Yes, yes, of course, My Lord. You’re right. We’ll have money soon."

Shane Rhodes knew the Steward wouldn’t believe anything he said right now, so he decided to drop it. ’Actions speak louder than words, anyway,’ he thought. ’Once Moira gets here, they’ll have no choice but to believe it.’

With his greatest worry resolved, Shane Rhodes breathed a huge sigh of relief. He finally had the presence of mind to deal with other matters.

An unknown amount of time later, Moira Lynch finally arrived in Aethelburg.

She had collected a fair number of materials along the way, but few were actually usable. Most of it was just ordinary wood.

Occasionally she’d find a usable piece of wood, but its quality was a far cry from the Cloud Sandalwood.

She couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

’It looks like my next priority is to find a reliable source of trees that produce Enchantment Materials.’

When she arrived at The Lord’s Keep, Shane Rhodes was already there waiting for her.

"What took you so long? I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it today."

Though his words sounded like a complaint, he couldn’t suppress the upward curl of his lips.

"Well, it’s a long way, and I had to make a few transfers between Teleportation Arrays," Moira Lynch explained.

As a City Lord, Shane Rhodes was naturally familiar with the Teleportation Arrays.

After all, Aethelburg had them too; they were one of the city’s main sources of income.

"But aren’t there Transmission Props? Why didn’t you use one of those?"

Moira Lynch waved a hand dismissively. "Transmission Props are too expensive. To get from where I was to Aethelburg would’ve cost one thousand Game Coins. Why waste that kind of money? You know?"

Shane Rhodes, who was currently desperate for money, couldn’t agree more. "Absolutely no need."

’One thousand Game Coins is enough to build dozens of thatched cottages and shelter hundreds of refugees.’

Inside The Lord’s Keep, Shane Rhodes laid out all the documents and deeds he had prepared in advance, then looked at Moira Lynch, his eyes gleaming.

His expression seemed to say, ’I’ve got the goods. Where’s the money?’

The contract signing went smoothly. Staring at the massive sum of 1.5 million Game Coins in his possession, Shane Rhodes grinned so wide it was a wonder his face didn’t split in two.

Meanwhile, the Steward at his side was completely dumbfounded. ’Someone actually showed up with money!’

He glanced from his City Lord to Moira Lynch and thought, ’Don’t tell me she’s after my lord for his good looks.’

’To save Aethelburg, the City Lord is even willing to sacrifice his own virtue!’

At this thought, the Steward’s eyes instantly welled up. He swore an oath in his heart: he would make Aethelburg strong again. Otherwise, his lord’s great sacrifice would be for nothing!

"Um, I have other things to attend to, so I won’t go with you to see the place. Oh, right, it’s a... little bit desolate. You should prepare yourself."

Moira Lynch nodded. "I know. I can go by myself."

She knew Shane Rhodes had a huge mess to clean up, and anyway, all the paperwork was signed.

When she arrived, Moira Lynch took one look at the scene and, despite her preparations, was stunned. This wasn’t "a little" desolate. It was more like... "a gazillion" desolate.

After a moment of stunned silence, Moira Lynch quickly accepted the reality of the situation.

’Oh well, desolate is desolate,’ she thought. ’It all needs to be renovated anyway. With it being this barren, I won’t feel bad about making drastic changes.’

As Moira Lynch was browsing the system for a design style she liked, she suddenly spotted something: a protective barrier ward.

With this ward active, no one could enter her territory without permission. Furthermore, anyone who did enter would have their abilities forcibly sealed. If they harbored any malicious intent toward the ward’s owner, they would be ejected immediately.

’Isn’t this the exact kind of ward I’ve been dreaming of?’

She checked the price: two hundred thousand Game Coins.

’Sold.’

Moira Lynch took out the ward and tossed it into the air.

A transparent protective dome slowly unfurled in the sky, expanding until it enveloped the entire territory. Then, it shimmered and vanished from sight.

Once that was done, Moira Lynch finally walked inside.

With the ward in place, she instantly felt a profound sense of security.

Even though her renovation budget was now completely gone, she didn’t regret it. After all, money could always be earned again.

With one success already under her belt, Moira Lynch was full of confidence.

Looking at the land beneath her feet, she decided to get a better feel for the place before making any further decisions.

The plot of land Shane Rhodes had given Moira Lynch was enormous—nearly two-thirds the size of Aethelburg itself.

However, the land was a great distance from Aethelburg. While it was technically under the city’s jurisdiction, in reality, it was a lawless, ungoverned territory.

After learning this, Moira Lynch understood why Shane Rhodes had been willing to sell such a massive piece of land for such a low price.