As the golden carriage made its grand entrance into Azure City through the western gates, it was impossible not to notice the two massive beasts pulling it. These were no ordinary lions; they were Ice Fang Lions, each standing at a towering height of almost 5 meters.
Their fur was as white as the fresh snowfall, shimmering slightly in the sunlight, making them look like majestic creatures from a winter wonderland. What truly set them apart, however, was the cold aura enveloping them, so intense that the temperature around them dropped by 20 degrees, creating a noticeable chill in the air even as they moved.
The lion's eyes were a piercing shade of ice blue. Their eyes were almost glowing with an inner light that contrasted starkly against their snowy fur. As they breathed, a visible frost exhaled from their mouths and swirled around them which added to the aura of mystique that surrounded these magnificent creatures. The ground beneath their paws seemed to frost over with each step they took, leaving a trail of ice in their wake as they pulled the carriage forward.
This carriage they were tasked with pulling was a marvel in itself. It wasn't simply decorated with gold; it was crafted entirely from gold and other precious metals.
As they made their way through the gates, the people of Azure City stopped whatever they were doing and just stared at the carriage and at the Lions. Children pointed with wide-eyed wonder and the merchants paused their haggling, and travelers halted mid-step, all to catch a glimpse of this rare spectacle.
The presence of the Ice Fang Lions and the golden carriage was a clear sign that someone of great importance had arrived in Azure City. Eloise stared at the Lions and the golden carriage for a few seconds while thinking. 'Even if I use all of my wealth, I still wouldn't have enough money just to buy this golden carriage and the two Ice Fang Lions. But in Felix's eyes, this much wealth is nothing. It's like comparing a small pond with the great Ocean.' Eloise thought in his mind. Eloise wasn't feeling inferior or anything. Rather, the respect that he had for Felix only grew when realized that a man like Felix would never need his help with doing anything in this city yet he chose to contact him. 'Felix is a very humble man.' Eloise thought in his mind. The Golden Carriage stopped in front of Eloise and his men. Eloise's subordinates took a few steps seeing the Ice Fang Lions stopping so close to them in fear. However, in reality, the Lions did not do anything. The two Lions just stood there. Eloise wasn't focusing on the Lions. He was staring at the figure who opened the door and walked out of the golden carriage. Eloise quickly walked up to him. Felix Mortem got down from the carriage. Although he had never met Eloise before, as a merchant Felix had very sharp eyes. He was easily able to guess that this man must be Eloise, the one whom he had contacted before deciding to come to Azure City. "It's nice to meet you, Eloise." Felix stretched out his hand first for a handshake. "It's nice to meet you, Sir Felix." Eloise politely said. He almost bowed his head to Felix but Felix had extended his hand for a handshake. Although this was nothing but a small gesture from Felix's side. But this showed that Felix viewed and respected Eloise as his equal. But Eloise did not think himself to be Felix's equal.
"Haha...!! There is no need to be so polite. Please feel free to call me Felix." Felix said with a smile. Felix looked like a young man in his 20s. Felix had short curly black hair. He had black pupils. Felix stood at the height of 5 feet 8 inches. He was fair-skinned. Felix was a man with handsome features. The most attractive part about his face was his sharp jawline. Felix was neither skinny nor fat. He was neither too tall nor too short. He almost looked like an average guy except for his handsome face. He wore luxurious clothes made out of silk. Felix was dressed in traditional attire. He was wearing a dark grey robe that flowed down to his feet. The robe had a cross-collar and was edged with neat white trim that gave it a distinguished look. Wrapped around his waist was a black belt that held the robe securely in place. Hanging from the belt, there was a red sash that added a touch of color to his outfit. On his head, he wore a black hat with a flat top, which was commonly worn by scholars or officials in some parts of the Dying Isle Continent. To complete his look, Felix was wearing black boots that matched the rest of his elegant ensemble.
"Let's not wait here too long." Looking around Felix could see that his presence had gathered a huge crowd and was creating traffic. Eloise also understood why Felix said these words. Regardless of how rich he was, in the Azure City, there was nothing called special treatment to the rich. Eloise still clearly remembers how a rich friend of his tried to bribe a guard. But the guard arrested his rich friend instead. And till now his rich friend is in prison. Regardless of how much wealth and money he had, he hasn't been able to get himself out of prison. There was no way of bribing anyone in any way. The guards here are tolerant but that doesn't mean they should push their boundaries. After all, at the end of the day, they were nothing but merchants. They did not have the authority of a noble. -
Scene change______
"I have mainly come to Azure City because I want to expand my business to the Istarin Empire," Felix said as he poured tea for Eloise.
Despite being so rich, Felix was pouring tea for Eloise with his own hand. This showed just how humble Felix was. Currently, they were in Felix's carriage. The carriage was heading towards the center of the City. Their location was the Castle of the Dragon Monarch. Although the Emperor no longer lived in this Castle, he still came to this castle from time to time. "I see....!!" Eloise nodded his head. Getting a chance to see the Emperor was indeed hard. People couldn't just meet the Emperor because they wanted to. Even those who were very important, like big nobles, had to ask properly if they wanted to talk to the Emperor.
For Felix to get this appointment, he first had to send a formal request. He had to write down the reasons why he wanted to meet the Emperor, which had to be very good ones. Then, this request went through many people in the government who checked if the reasons were good enough.
Felix also had to make sure he knew how to act in front of the Emperor. He learned all the rules about what to do and what not to do. He practiced how to bow the right way and what to say. He even had to find special clothes to wear, ones that were okay for meeting someone as important as the Emperor.
After he did all this, he waited for a long time. Finally, the Emperor's advisers said yes to the meeting.
However, the whole process took no less than a few days. It was mainly because of Felix's positive reputation. If it was a King of another Kingdom or Emperor of another Empire, then Felix wouldn't have to do these things. In fact, if those Kings had heard that Felix was interested in meeting them, then those rulers would have sent their men to Felix to decide the place and timing of the meeting. Some small Kings that Felix met in the past were so respectful to Felix that they even poured tea for Felix and even served food on his plate. Those Kings were respectful not because they were super humble Kings. They were respectful to Felix because they were desperate. Desperate times make a man make desperate decisions. To get Felix's help, they were willing to even serve Felix. Even though he never asked for such things. There were a few Kings who even offered Felix to their daughter's hands in marriage. Though Felix respectfully refused all of their offers.
Felix had met some Kings who were so desperate that if he had even shown the slightest bit of interest, then they wouldn't have hesitated once to give their wives and concubines to sleep with him. That's how desperate some of those Kings were. Though none of those Kings have ever lived long. They were killed by their enemies. He wasn't interested in such relationships. He wasn't interested in settling down. Not until, he reached his goals. Not until he achieved his grand dreams. But when it came to the Dragon Monarch, everything was completely different. And Felix respected that. ----------------
