***

The next day.

LionArk Headquarters.

The door to Ethan's office opened, and Sherly stepped inside while carrying new information. She reported that representatives from another guild had arrived to visit. Ethan nodded calmly in response.

Yesterday, he had sent a message to the Guild Leader of White Coat through a standard direct message.

Ethan had sent her a friend request, and the woman accepted it immediately. Since then, the two of them had exchanged many messages back and forth.

Florensia had clearly expressed her desire to meet him in person, and Ethan had no objections at all.

He welcomed her to visit Mavelard. He even allowed her to bring members of her guild as personal security, even though Ethan himself had already ensured how tight the security in Mavelard was.

Today, however, Ethan did not expect Florensia to arrive sooner than anticipated.

He assumed she would come tomorrow or perhaps the day after, giving herself time to prepare many things. But reality proved him wrong.

"Let them come in," Ethan said.

"Yes, Sir Ethan," Sherly replied clearly.

She left Ethan's office and returned to the front hall. There, she informed Florensia that she was permitted to meet Ethan, but only Florensia herself and her aide were allowed inside.

Florensia, a beautiful woman with long black hair, nodded in agreement with Sherly's explanation. She and her male aide followed Sherly as they entered the LionArk headquarters building.

As they walked inside, Florensia could immediately sense the high level of activity within the building.

Ever since LionArk rose to the rank of an S rank guild, their work ethic and discipline had become vastly different compared to A rank guilds.

Members moved quickly, reported efficiently, and followed strict procedures without hesitation.

Sherly continued walking up the stairs until they reached the third floor. Her steps stopped in front of Ethan's office door.

"Sir Ethan, I have brought the guild representatives," Sherly announced.

Ethan's voice responded from inside, ordering them to enter. Sherly opened the door and stepped into the room, followed by Florensia and her aide.

Not long after, the two of them found Ethan still seated behind his desk. The moment Florensia's eyes landed on him, they widened slightly.

She froze in place, clearly surprised and captivated by Ethan's presence.

In this game world, most women prioritized strength over appearance when choosing a partner.

However, when someone possessed both overwhelming power and good looks, it was only natural that they would become even more desirable.

Florensia had been extremely busy in Arkban City and rarely paid attention to matters outside her territory.

Because of that, she had never truly become familiar with Ethan. That was perfectly understandable, since she herself was one of the three players who held considerable power in Arkban City.

"Please," Sherly said politely, but her words went unheard as Florensia remained stunned.

Ethan gave a brief smile. He stood up and stepped away from his desk, stopping in front of Florensia and her male aide.

It was obvious to Ethan that Florensia had already formed a relationship with another player.

What surprised him was that the man turned out to be her aide, judging from the matching usernames the two of them shared.

"Are you alright?" Ethan asked, glancing briefly toward Sherly.

Florensia's aide, Nick, pinched her hand lightly to snap her out of her daze. Florensia jolted, wincing slightly from the pain, and turned her head reflexively.

"What are you doing?" she protested.

"That's Ethan," Nick whispered quietly.

Florensia looked forward again and smiled when she realized Ethan was standing right in front of her. She raised her hand and reached out to shake his.

"Thank you for receiving us, Sir Ethan," Florensia said politely.

Ethan extended his hand and gestured for both Florensia and Nick to take the seats in front of his desk.

Sherly stood attentively beside Ethan's chair, ready to assist if needed during the discussion.

"I was already waiting for your arrival. I did not expect you to come this soon," Ethan said.

"We did not want to keep you waiting. It is obvious that you have far more responsibilities than we do," Florensia replied.

Ethan nodded. With a casual motion, he summoned a bottle of wine and poured it into two glasses, clearly intending to talk while drinking.

"I have already received your messages. Is there something specific you wish to discuss?" Ethan asked calmly.

Florensia and Nick exchanged a brief glance before nodding at each other. After taking a deep breath, Florensia began explaining the reason for their visit.

"We have heard the news about Glorious Sword being expelled from the Eastern Alliance. That is terrible news for the entire Arkban City," Florensia said.

"Glorious Sword clearly did not attend the first meeting of the Eastern Alliance. I considered that their withdrawal," Ethan replied flatly.

"There are many rumors saying that the Guild Leader of Glorious Sword was detained, which prevented them from attending," Florensia said.

"I consider that nothing more than an excuse. The fact remains that he did not come, and he admitted it himself," Ethan answered.

"Is the purpose of your visit to persuade me to accept them back into the alliance?" Ethan asked seriously.

Florensia shook her head firmly. She clearly stated that she had no such plan. Together with Nick, she began explaining the true reason why they came all the way to Mavelard to meet Ethan.

In short, Florensia described the situation in Arkban City after Glorious Sword left the Eastern Alliance.

Trade routes became restricted, prices of items and food skyrocketed, and chaos occurred endlessly throughout the city.

Glorious Sword attempted to establish cooperation with cities in the Central Plains, but they failed.

Accommodation costs were much higher, item prices were inflated, and the variety of goods and food was completely different from what Arkban City was used to.

"Sacred Bonds, one of the major guilds there, keeps creating trouble after trouble. It has made the situation in the city extremely unstable," Nick explained.

"That is only natural," Ethan replied calmly.

"Sacred Bonds is likely trying to take control of the city from Glorious Sword, especially when the city is already in chaos," Ethan added.

Florensia clenched her hands slightly on her lap before speaking again.

"We want to ask you, as the Vice Leader of LionArk, to help all of us in Arkban," Florensia said.

Ethan fell silent. He leaned back against his chair, releasing a long breath before slowly exhaling it.

They came prepared. They know exactly how desperate the situation has become.

He felt pleased by their request, but Ethan wanted something else from them, something far greater than what they were currently asking for.

"Hm."

"That seems difficult," Ethan said at last.

Hearing those words, Florensia lowered her head weakly, feeling as though she had failed to persuade him.

She knew very well that it was nearly impossible for Ethan to help Arkban, especially considering that Glorious Sword was no longer a member of the alliance.

"I see. I understand," Florensia said quietly.

"However…"

Florensia's head lifted instantly.

"I can help you," Ethan said.

"Help us?" Florensia asked in disbelief.

"What do you mean, Sir Ethan?" Nick added.

"Glorious Sword has proven itself incapable of managing Arkban City," Ethan said calmly.

"I plan to change the ruler of the city."

Florensia froze. Her heart began pounding violently in her chest. She turned to look at Nick, who appeared just as confused and stunned as she was.

"You mean Sacred Bonds will take control of the city?" Florensia asked carefully.

"No."

Ethan pointed straight ahead.

"You."

"I will help you seize the city from Glorious Sword, on one condition."

"You, as a guild in Arkban City, must listen to and obey my words."

"Are you willing?"

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