As for the young man beside her…
With such a beautiful girl by his side, and accompanied by several maidservants, it was clear he was no ordinary person either.
In other words, just by offering them a ride, it was likely that one trip would equal several days’ worth of income for the carriage drivers.
How could they not be enthusiastic?
“Too expensive, I can’t afford it,” Luca rolled his eyes and dragged Sophia away.
These guys were just trying to fleece him.
Even if he had the money, he wasn’t about to be the fool in this transaction.
Sophia glanced at her hand but didn’t resist.
She allowed Luca to pull her through the crowd.
Behind them, the group of carriage drivers was left standing there, dumbfounded and filled with regret.
Once they had moved away from the dock, Luca stopped at the side of the road and inquired about hiring a luxury carriage. He quickly found out that the fare to the Lord’s residence was only 3 copper coins.
That bunch of scammers had tried to charge him five times that amount!
Luca made a mental note to deal with the corruption in Seaway City once he took over the city’s affairs.
With that, Luca rented two carriages.
One for himself and Sophia.
And the other for the maidservants.
The group then headed toward the Lord’s residence in Seaway City.
Meanwhile, near the dock…
A young man with seaweed-like hair, dressed in rough gray cloth, a sack draped over his shoulder.
Stood gazing at the direction the carriages had gone.
“Isaac, what are you looking at?” A sturdy young man with short red hair slapped him on the back.
He quickly glanced over at the foreman’s location and whispered, “Get to work! If that bastard notices you’re slacking off again, he’ll cut your wages.”
Isaac remained silent, not responding.
He slowly lowered the sack from his shoulder.
Then, to the red-haired boy’s shock, he walked straight up to the foreman.
“I’m quitting,” Isaac said calmly.
Without a second glance at the stunned faces of the others.
He turned and headed straight for the center of Seaway City.
His eyes sparkled with a fiery determination.
The luxury carriage continued its journey. Along the road, shops of all kinds were scattered in an orderly fashion. There were nobles dressed in fine clothes, chatting and laughing; there were also burly men shouting and waving their fists, spewing spit as they argued.
At street corners, scantily dressed women boldly solicited customers, while scruffy beggars with shifty eyes were on the lookout for easy targets.
Luca observed the city with great interest, noticing that although Seaway City appeared prosperous and extravagant on the surface, the underlying atmosphere was clearly one of violence and darkness.
The streets were bustling with people—merchants, adventurers, orcs, bounty hunters, and countless others. There was a wide variety of individuals in the crowd.
He even spotted a few pirates swaggering down the street. Most of them exuded a faint, or sometimes strong, scent of seawater and fish.
The pedestrians, however, seemed completely accustomed to it.
This matched what he had learned previously.
Port cities, while rich and thriving, were infamous for being hotbeds of crime and corruption.
Seaway City, located at the crossroads of two great domains and close to the Western Sea, was naturally a haven for those who preferred to stay out of the public eye.
The Western Sea was the largest ocean in the Eternal World, vast and seemingly endless, scattered with islands like countless stars in the sky.
Countless countries, cities, pirate groups, and races were spread across the sea, forming a chaotic but thriving network of power.
Beneath the waters of the Western Sea, there were also countless rare treasures and priceless artifacts hidden deep in the ocean’s depths.
According to legend, the Fourth Empire, Farenbain, was swallowed by a tsunami and now lies asleep somewhere at the bottom of the sea.
Over the years, many sailors have searched for this lost kingdom, but none have ever found it.
Yet, every year, countless treasure hunters venture into the depths of the Western Sea in search of hidden riches.
In addition to the treasures lying at the ocean’s bottom, there is another reason why adventurers flock to these waters. According to the laws of the Clinton Empire.
If a sailor discovers a living island with valuable resources, they are entitled to 30% of its land and resource allocation, effectively becoming the lord of the island.
It’s a chance to rise from obscurity to unimaginable wealth in an instant.
In this vast sea, tales of sailors becoming overnight millionaires after discovering a living island are common, and so are the reckless adventurers who risk their lives in pursuit of these riches.
Seaway City, being one of the most prosperous cities near the Western Sea, naturally became a gathering place for all these gold-seekers: sailors, bounty hunters, pirates, adventurers, and more.
“Would you let go now?” A cold voice broke through Luca’s thoughts.
Sophia was glaring at him, her tone carrying a hint of frost, but there was a faint blush on her otherwise delicate face.
Since Luca had grabbed her hand to pull her away from the crowd of carriage drivers, he hadn’t let go, clearly doing it on purpose.
Luca snapped back to reality at her words. He turned his head and met Sophia’s angry and embarrassed gaze for a moment.
He blinked once, then turned back as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
His shamelessness was truly astonishing.
Seeing that her hand was still firmly held, Sophia tugged twice, but couldn’t free herself.
She pressed her lips together, finally giving up on struggling.
She turned her head to look out the window, though the redness on her face only deepened.
Passersby on the street caught a glimpse of the scene, and their eyes widened with awe, unable to hide their admiration. They thought to themselves that even the legendary goddesses must pale in comparison.
“God damn!” At that moment, a startled exclamation suddenly rang out from the side of the road.
Ben, dressed in leather armor, widened his eyes as he looked in the direction of the departing carriage. He turned to Ada beside him, excitedly saying, “Sister, did you see that? Did you see that?!”
“It’s Sophia and Luca! They’ve finally arrived!”
“I saw it. Why are you so excited?” Ada replied helplessly, giving him a glance.
The reason they came to Seaway City was to wait for Luca.
They hadn’t expected him to arrive so quickly.
They had only just arrived a few days ago, and here he was already.
“He’s my idol! And now he’s officially the top player in Summer Country!” Ben’s face flushed with excitement, his words practically flying out as he spoke.
The title of the top player here was voted on by the forum members. With the massive stir Luca had caused recently, it was only natural that he became the top player in Summer Country.
Now, he had a certain level of fame worldwide.
Countless people on the internet were trying to uncover his true identity, and some even offered billions to recruit Luca into their guilds. free𝑤ebnovel.com
Unfortunately, any news about him seemed to sink without a trace, and no one could reach him.
Seeing his idol, who had started out just like him in Riverfall City, rise so high and now encounter him again, Ben couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
“It’s hard to imagine that he’s a player just like us.” Ada, looking at the defenses of the Lord’s Manor, also had a complex expression.
Even she never imagined that Luca would make it to such a position…
The carriage continued on its way.
Before long, they arrived at the Lord’s Manor.
It was more fitting to call it a castle than a manor. As they stood before the magnificent, scenic, and luxurious structure, even Luca couldn’t help but stare in awe.
He had heard that Seaway City was extremely wealthy, but seeing it firsthand, he now understood just how extravagant the city really was—it could rival the Howard family’s estate.
Without stopping, Luca led Sophia and the maid toward the gates of the Lord’s Manor.
The guards at the gate immediately stepped forward to block their path.
“Sorry, but this is the Lord’s Manor of Seaway City. Outsiders are not allowed to enter at the moment,” one of the guards said apologetically.
Although they didn’t know who these young people were, it was clear from their attire that they were no ordinary individuals, so the guards’ attitude remained respectful.
Before Luca came to Riverfall City, not many people knew him, so naturally, no one had been informed to greet him.
He didn’t bother with any formalities. Instead, he pulled a golden medallion from his storage ring and handed it to the guards.
The guards, still confused, hesitated at first. But when they saw the Clinton family crest and name carved into the medallion, their expressions changed drastically.
“Y-You are…” one guard stammered, his hand trembling as he held the medallion.
Other guards, who had gathered around to take a look, were equally shocked. They stared at Luca in disbelief.
After a moment of stunned silence, they immediately dropped to one knee, bowing deeply and saying in unison, “We greet you, Lord Luca, the Count!”
This medallion was personally issued by the royal palace — the Count’s medallion!
It was engraved with Luca’s name and special enchantments, making it impossible to counterfeit.
Luca didn’t want to waste any more time there. He said, “Let’s go. Take me inside to have a look.”
“Yes… Yes, my lord. We will take you in immediately,” the guards responded respectfully, not daring to show any hesitation.
They quickly led Luca, Sophia, and the maid into the Lord’s Manor and notified the other people inside.
Even in Seaway City, rumors about this young man had circulated.
Now that they saw him in person, they were not only surprised at Luca’s youth but also couldn’t hide their excitement.
After all, he was the hero who had saved all of Dawn City!
Soon, they passed through the garden and the plaza, arriving at the main hall of the Lord’s Manor.
The hall, decorated in a classical and elegant style, greeted them. People were coming and going, handling various tasks.
Luca took a quick glance around. Despite the fact that many of the staff had been reassigned due to the influence of Phillips and other nobles, there were still many people busy working in the hall.
When they saw Luca enter, they simply looked at him with curiosity before quickly returning to their duties.
It wasn’t until the guards found a short-haired middle-aged woman wearing glasses and explained Luca’s identity that everyone realized who this young man was.
The entire hall erupted in surprise, and everyone stared at Luca in shock.
“You are… Luca the Count?” The middle-aged woman, Dacey White, walked briskly toward them. She looked at the young man before her. Though she tried to hide it, there was a hint of disbelief in her eyes.
Although she had known that Luca the Count was very young, Dacey never imagined that this hero of the Clinton Empire, who had recently made waves across the empire, would be a mere teenager!
Luca didn’t respond directly. He calmly said, “Take me to see the person in charge now.”
“Y-Yes, my lord!” Dacey quickly responded, not daring to show any sign of discontent. She immediately led Luca toward the Lord’s office. Enjoy exclusive content from freewebnovel
As they departed, the hall erupted into chaos.