OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 130: Laura's Business

Chapter 130: Laura's Business

?

***

During the many months that Emir spent training, Lyra used that time to go ruin diving and gather all the relics she could find.

She re-registered as a hunter with the same face she used when meeting with Kiera's gang while also using the same name, Amanda.

The reason why she chose Amanda is simply that the original Amanda was one of the many that went missing.

After hacking their database, she pulled all the information regarding Amanda and simply took over her life... As she is quite a capable AI.

Armed with the relics she had acquired from the many undiscovered ruins she knew of, she entrusted them to Laura.

Who, with her newfound connections, initiated their sale, while Lyra discreetly assisted from behind the scenes.

But Laura couldn't continue selling them batch by batch, as the relics continued to pile up dust in their house, since it took longer and longer for each transaction.

Driven by this, and Lyra's relentless advice and Emir's reminder, she finally decided to establish a new company dedicated to the sale of relics, catering to a diverse clientele.

Her customers ranged from individual hunters to corporations, the big eight themselves, and even the UEF, they too sought any relic that could advance their understanding of the old- world's technology.

Starting a company couldn't have been easy, one obvious and major issue was money, but that was easily solved as time passed, with their profits increasing by the day.

The other issue is the already competitive environment in the relic market.

While Lyra had many hunters come after her due to the constant relics she brought home, as a celestial, those hunters didn't give her any problems, and she killed them quite easily, which further caused more rumors to spread about their company.

The rumors varied widely, spanning from tales of a newbie stumbling upon a fresh site within a well-known ruin to the outlandish, such as a renowned relic merchant, or even an Elite supposedly orchestrating a situation where Lyra was used as bait, leading to rival merchants being charged in court for alleged illegal activities.

...

The air in the room was filled with anticipation as three beautiful women sat on the couch, their eyes fixed on the holoscreen.

The three Ls, Laura, Lily, and Lyra.

They watched as the newscaster finished his briefing on the situation regarding them.

"With that history in mind, Prince Emporium has become quite a big deal now, prompting even one of the Elite to involve themselves as things got way out of control... So without further ado, and needing no introduction, welcome Lord Auric of the Gold Leaf family."

Loud applause reverberated through the studio as a well-groomed man with slick blonde hair and a tailored suit made his entrance.

Every step he took exuded grace and poise, commanding attention from all.

His striking appearance radiated grandeur and commanded respect, from the distinguished lines etched on his face to the confident gleam in his eyes.

Sitting down, Auric waved to the camera and then looked to his left, saying:

"Thanks for the grand welcome."

Barely able to control his emotions, the newscaster replied:

"No need for any thanks, Lord Auric. It's an honor to have you here at our humble studio, and thank you again for coming."

Smiling slightly, Auric spoke:

"Let us talk about what I'm here for... The Prince Emporium Company."

"Our family has been in the relics market for a long time now, and we have seen many come and go. Our first thoughts about Prince Emporium were that they would be like all others, some company that capitalized on a hunter that found an undiscovered ruin and had managed to safely extract many of its relics."

"However, this time, the company, has stayed for many months, and while it's unknown how Prince Emporium originated, we know that it was founded by Miss Laura, one of the many high-class residents..."

"Many speculate that her son Emir must have found an undiscovered ruin and is sending relics back to Amanda, in turn, reaching the company's selling routes."

"That could be a possible scenario, but for the many that think that one of the Elite is involved, that is a complete lie. My sole reason for coming here today is to dispel that rumor. Neither we, the Elite, nor many of the other companies under us in the relic market are

involved.

"While I'm impressed by Prince Emporium and their way of doing business, which propelled them so far, they have yet to become a real competitor."

With an unwavering gaze directed at the camera, his eyes shimmered with red irises, captivating the audience.

"Do not dare entangle us with mere nobodies."

Just as those words of authority rang out, Auric stood up and walked out of the studio, leaving the flustered newscaster behind.

"Turn off the Holoscreen," a feminine voice resounded in the room of three women, bringing a swift end to the holographic display.

Her intense, blood-ruby gaze fell upon her beloved family, her voice filled with a mix of resignation and determination:

"As expected, they've quashed the rumors. This will undoubtedly result in some of the companies we've dealt with buying fewer relics from us. After all, we had only gained such a high rise in popularity by them believing that they were dealing with one of the Elite."

Nodding, Laura affirmed:

"That's true... But it doesn't matter, now we need only continue with what we were doing so far, though our progress might get a massive hit... Since there is a high chance that Order will interfere anytime soon. You said that you were going to be discovered sooner or later, right?"

"Yes, the rumor about me and Emir going ruin diving for so long is losing credibility, he hasn't been seen for almost a year, and the Order most probably has already discovered the inconsistencies in my reports... I called Silent, so Emir should know of our situation by now, he'll come back soon."

Lily, finally, joining in the conversation, asked while almost jumping in her seat with

excitement:

"Lyra, did he say when he was coming back? It's been so long."

Letting out a chuckle, she answered:

"Don't worry, sweetie, I made sure the message reached him. Although I don't yet know when

he will be coming back, trust that nothing bad happened to him."

With the same enthusiasm, Lily continued as she asked another question:

"Did he say what rank he reached?"

Lyra's lips went wide as she said:

"I didn't talk to him directly, as my connection's range is only on the sol's domain, but from what I heard from Silent, Emir reached the subrank of Paladin while also discovering another

Aspect at the same time."

Lily's face showed surprise.

"Another one? That makes it three... But how come I have only one? This is so unfair!"

"I've explained this before, you really need to listen when I teach you. Look at your mother, she already knows the answer." She replied, pointing at her mother.

Laura chuckled.

"Dear, neither you nor I have gone through mutation unlocking, while I can't do it... Ever, you might've had the chance, after all, you're Oliver's daughter, as Emir is his son, but it's too late now, we can only use those Aether cores Lyra bought for us." Nodding her head, Lily smiled at her mother, not disheartened in the least.

She never wanted to be as strong as her brother, she knew that being a celestial was enough

for her.

And although she would become stronger by ranking up, that was not what she had in mind when Lyra told them about this, she only wanted to be there with her family longer.

With her brother... She simply couldn't imagine what would happen to him the day both she

and her mother withered away.

Looking back to Lyra, Lily exclaimed:

"You still didn't tell me what Emir has as his third aspect!"

"Oh, yes, I didn't mention that, did I? His Aspect is-"