The two of them stepped out of Ethan's office and headed toward the guild hall. Among them, Ashley was the most excited.

At this moment, she could finally show them that LionArk was not a guild to be underestimated.

In the past, LionArk might have needed help from Trident Sea, but things were different now.

They had reclaimed Mavelard, the largest city in the east, far greater than Seacrest.

That alone restored the authority and prestige of Ashley and LionArk.

They walked down the stairs, reached the first floor, and turned to the left.

There, Ashley clearly saw several members of Trident Sea standing guard near the entrance, accompanied by the guards of LionArk.

Ethan walked right behind Ashley. The two LionArk guards quickly bowed their heads, offering her a respectful greeting.

The door opened, and everyone who had been sitting immediately stood and turned to look at Ashley. They all clearly saw Ashley entering with Ethan beside her.

Some of them did not even know who Ethan was or what his relationship was with Ashley.

Ashley continued walking toward the throne-like chair at the front of the guild hall, while Ethan stopped and glanced to the side.

"Ethan?" Noah blurted out in surprise.

"Noah."

The two of them shook hands and hugged like men who had not seen each other in a long time. Ethan smiled when he saw Noah.

The man looked like he had been doing well all this time. He had managed to develop his guild to the best point in their entire history.

"No wonder Seacrest has been flourishing under your hands. Ashley told me a lot about all of you," Noah said.

"Ethan," Ashley called out.

Ethan and Noah both turned. Ethan nodded slowly, understanding what Ashley wanted.

Finishing his brief conversation with Noah, Ethan stepped forward and took his place beside Ashley's seat.

Ashley then gestured for everyone to sit.

Noah, as the guild leader, was the first to speak on behalf of Trident Sea.

He made it clear that he felt honored to be received by Ashley and LionArk during such a difficult time for Seacrest.

Ashley looked at Noah and the other officers. When she had been in the guild building of Trident Sea, they had stared at her with cold, dismissive eyes.

But today, inside LionArk's guild hall in the center of Mavelard City, their faces and expressions were completely different.

It clearly proved how hypocritical they really were.

"Our purpose for coming here is to establish cooperation between our guilds and our cities," Noah said.

"Since we're an island city, our primary commodities are food, mainly goods from the sea."

"We also supply minerals and other items that are difficult to find in mainland cities," another officer added.

Ethan stayed silent. He had no intention of proposing anything because Ashley was the one authorized to handle cooperation agreements like this.

But Ashley's face looked serious and firm. Ethan narrowed his eyes, curious about how she would respond.

"LionArk is fortunate to work with the Trident Sea Guild. Our two guilds have maintained a good relationship for a long time," Ashley replied.

She turned to the officers of LionArk. It was obvious she accepted the idea of cooperation, but she was currently too busy with other matters.

That was why Ashley handed over the cooperation arrangements to the officers in charge.

They would assess the city's resources and determine which type of partnership was most beneficial.

Noah looked stunned when he realized Ashley was delegating this matter to her officers.

Ashley smiled at Noah's reaction and the reactions of his officers. She stood up and excused herself.

Just before she left, Noah stopped Ethan briefly to ask for an explanation about Ashley's attitude.

Ethan turned to him. Ashley had already walked away from the hall, leaving Ethan alone with the visitors.

"Maybe you should reflect on your own behavior while LionArk was taking refuge with you."

"Ashley is still upset about that. That's why she acted this way. She wants to prove to you that she holds more power than you think," Ethan said.

"W-We didn't do anything. Right?" Noah asked, glancing at his officers. They all nodded.

Behind Ethan, the LionArk officers knew Noah and his people were lying.

Forget Ashley— even they had experienced intimidation and discrimination from Trident Sea while they were refugees in Seacrest.

So what Ashley had done today was entirely justified. Sometimes, she needed to show them that she was the Guild Master of LionArk.

Ethan took his leave without saying much. He gave Noah a light pat on the shoulder before he walked out of the hall.

Unexpectedly, Ashley was still outside, as if she had been waiting for him.

When Ethan stepped out, Ashley turned and smiled.

"Thank you, Ethan."

"It's nothing. If they want to change, they'll fix their behavior," Ethan replied.

Ashley nodded. While the cooperation discussions continued inside the guild hall, Ethan and Ashley returned to the upper floor to resume their work.

Time passed from noon to evening. One by one, the staff of LionArk finished their tasks and began heading off to rest.

Ashley came to Ethan's office and saw him relaxing after completing his work.

"How did it turn out?" Ashley asked.

"They'll start trading with us next week. We'll send lumber and construction materials, and they'll send us food supplies," Ethan replied.

"What kind of supplies?" Ashley asked.

Ethan got up from the sofa and walked to his desk, retrieving the agreement document between Mavelard and Seacrest.

He needed to pick it up because there were many different commodities listed. It was a full trade agreement between the two cities.

Ethan handed the document to Ashley, allowing her to read through it carefully. She looked shocked. Seacrest was sending a much larger amount of resources.

"Why are we sending so little?" Ashley asked.

"The guarantee agreement."

"What's that?"

"If Trident Sea can guarantee the same export amount for two months, the normal trade quantity will take effect."

Ethan explained that the guarantee agreement was necessary so Mavelard could secure reliability from a small city like Seacrest.

It also served as a form of commitment from Seacrest to maintain a permanent partnership.

"Who proposed this? I have to praise whoever came up with such a brilliant idea," Ashley said.

"Thank you," Ethan replied, surprising her.

"You?"

"I thought we needed to show our authority. After all, Seacrest needs Mavelard. I know what they're like. Their land isn't suitable for agriculture."

"Seeing that opportunity, I came up with the guarantee agreement. Now, Trident Sea won't underestimate us again," Ethan added.

Ashley smiled, set the document down on the table, and stepped closer, wrapping her arms tightly around Ethan.

"Thank you so much, Ethan. You really helped me."

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