On Greenleaf Road in the capital of the Fenlei Kingdom of the Holy Alliance, Fenn City, numerous luxurious mansions stood gathered together. Before one such mansion, a group of over a dozen people had assembled.
"Our Debus Family is grateful for your help, Lin Lei. If it weren't for you this time, Kalan would have likely suffered greatly," a silver-haired elder, his hair neatly combed, said with a smile to Lin Lei. Beside the silver-haired elder stood Kalan. Alice, Tony, and Nia were also nearby. Behind the group were a number of Debus Family servants.
The silver-haired elder turned and nodded to a servant behind him, who then produced a small yellow pouch from his breast.
The silver-haired elder accepted the yellow pouch and handed it to Lin Lei, smiling. "This is one hundred gold coins. It isn't much, but it represents the feelings of our Debus Family. I hope you will accept it, Lin Lei."
"There's no need. It was just a small favor," Lin Lei said politely. "Well, I should be going now."
The silver-haired elder did not insist, and simply watched Lin Lei leave with a smile.
"Tony, the three of you should also go home. Your parents must be very worried," the silver-haired elder said gently. Alice, Nia, and Tony bid farewell to Kalan and each went their separate ways towards their homes.
Once Kalan and the silver-haired elder stepped into the living room, the elder's expression instantly turned cold. He spoke in a frigid tone, "Kneel!"
Kalan immediately thudded his knees to the ground and knelt straight down. "Second Grandfather, I was wrong. This time, I rashly took three good friends into the Magic Beast Mountain Range without properly investigating its dangers. I ask Second Grandfather to punish me."
"Hmph? Rashly?"
The silver-haired elder's icy gaze swept over Kalan. "Kalan, you are already an adult and the future heir of our Debus Family. How could you make such a foolish mistake? How could you possibly comprehend the dangers of the Magic Beast Mountain Range? Venturing forth on an adventure without even reporting to the family... Hmph, your punishment will be decided by your father. I merely wish to remind you: if you continue to act so thoughtlessly, even if the family is entrusted to you in the future, you will bring it to ruin."
Kalan lowered his head, listening, not daring to speak.
The Debus Family was ranked among the top three in the entire Fenlei Kingdom. The family's strength did not come from holding some high position, but from the fact that the Debus Family was the partner in the Fenlei Kingdom of the 'Dawson Trading Company,' one of the three great trading companies on the Yulan Continent.
The Dawson Trading Company was wealthy enough to rival a nation, its business spanning the entire Yulan Continent.
Of the three great trading companies on the Yulan Continent, any one of them possessed terrifying financial and military power. Even within the Fenlei Kingdom, many families wished to cooperate with the Dawson Trading Company; to do so was like boarding a giant war chariot.
The Debus Family's ability to forge a connection with the Dawson Trading Company was truly remarkable.
After all, the attitude of the two great Alliances and four great Empires towards the three great trading companies was primarily one of courting their favor.
******
After leaving Fenn City, Lin Lei set off on his journey back to Ernst Academy. Bei Bei sat on his shoulder, looking around, while Derinkoort walked alongside him.
"Grandpa Derinko," Lin Lei said via soul communication, "don't you find this world a little terrifying?"
Derinkoort nodded slightly but said nothing more, simply listening quietly.
"Before, when I went to Fenn City, I didn't feel much of anything. But this time, returning from the Magic Beast Mountain Range, I've noticed so much. The cruelty within the Magic Beast Mountain Range, that struggle for survival where only the fittest endure, it's naked and bloody, without any pretense."
"But in Fenn City, the nobles, the mages, the powerful warriors, they all dress immaculately and are impeccably polite. The whole city appears so prosperous, yet its social hierarchy is so rigid and cold."
"Even in the law, the rights of nobles far exceed those of commoners. Although Fenn City is prosperous, filled with laughter and cheer, the hidden rules within are far more complex and intricate than those of the Magic Beast Mountain Range. In the Magic Beast Mountain Range, there is no distinction between noble and commoner, only between the strong and the weak."
At this moment, Lin Lei was gradually coming to understand this world.
In this world, great nobles stood at the top, and commoners were exploited. No matter how gentlemanly the nobles appeared, how hypocritical their politeness, they could not conceal the world's rigid and unforgiving hierarchy. To gain status, one had to become a great warrior or a great mage.