Dell City...

In a lot of ways, the city was a lot similar to the old Salmon city. In structure, in size, and population.

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The only real difference Hal could point out among the two was probably the air of orderliness about the city.

While Salmon city seemed to be fragmented and lacking in any true showcase of authority and law enforcement, Dell city was the exact opposite.

Even just taking a quick look around, Hal and the ladies could identify more than three law enforcement buildings already.

Salmon city had been that way because, while the mayoral power truly was in the Edgar family, the complete power in the city was in actuality being shared between all four Great families.

Dell city did not seem to have that issue. While there were sure to be influential families in the city, absolute governing power seemed to completely reside with the Mayor.

Anyway, there was a real reason Hal had even taken the time to observe the city with his ladies and that was that he had no intention of going to the teleportation circle immediately after his arrival to the city.

He had after all been given an invitation to the Mayor's estate by the vocal merchant so he decided he might as well take them up on that offer.

He was willing to bet that, unlike Dell's gate city which definitely must have only a few Blue gems in their coffees, the mayor of Dell city was sure to have more.

And in case he did not, Hal would satisfy himself with taking all he had and then some.

And so, he had Lillian and Olivia, who wished they found have participated in the fuck session that had gone on throughout their journey to Dell city, to steer the Carriage to the Mayor's estate.

You might ask for they could have known which one it was...

Well, let's just say that it was not that hard to locate and the mayor was definitely not one for subtleties.

Right at the center of the city was a large castle with towers that towered over any other building in the city.

Standing on the towers with postures of being on guard were multiple guards who looked down with eyes filled with alertness, that Hal knowing how weak they were sure to be compared to him, found a little silly.

If that was not the location of the Mayor's mansion, then whoever it belonged to was tacky as fuck.

In a couple of minutes, they were in front of the estate and looking at the castle from a distance.

The guards at the estate entrance eyed the carriage with suspicious looks and then Hal alighted, followed by Rita she Karmen, and then Lillian and Olivia came down from the steering compartment.

Once the carriage was empty, Hal grabbed at it and absorbed it into his inventory but to the guards, it seemed as though he had absorbed it into the spatial ring on his finger.

One thing was clear from that display and it was that Hal possessed some impressive resources and such was not exactly common in Dell city.

And there were the beautiful ladies with him.

However, it was not going to stop them from questioning and then preventing him from entering into the estate.

Hal inwardly rolled his eyes at their work ethic before he withdrew the wooden seal from his Inventory and showed it to them.

"I'm here to see the mayor" he said.

Once they saw the seal, the guards relaxed as that meant he was most likely invited to be here.

"What business do you have with him?" One of them asked.

"Tell him the one who killed Red Beard is here to see him" Hal said with a sigh and it was clear from the change in the visage of the guard that it had the desired impact.

...

Silva Duchy...

Dane Territory...

Melinda was upset.

It had been three days since Hal had left the duchy and six days since she had told him her plans to join the military but until this very moment, she had not yet been able to do so and it was no one's fault but her father's.

The Silva Duchy had several barracks and the majority of them were for training men to fight for the Silva Duchy and by consequence mainly fight for the Silva Family and Silva Duke.

However, because of an Imperial rule, there was a limit to the number of men and women who were not of Silva blood who could be allowed to fight for the Duchy and be under the express command of the Duke.

If they were not of Silva Blood, there was no such limit.

Anyway, that was for the Duchy barracks which had not really been Melinda's choice of enlistment.

She wished to join the Imperial army and while the barracks were of a smaller number, the authority they held was nothing to be scoffed at. Becoming a member of the Imperial army promised many benefits.

They would always win in priority against any Duchy army barrack but would only choose the best.

Being a Dane or even a Silva did not guarantee entry. Also, they hardly ever let those who were academy age join.

If there was someone of academy age who sought to join them, that person might as well join the academy and could enlist again after they were done in the Academy.

By Academy, this meant any of the sects in the continent. Those studying at the Royal Academy were still a step above.

Now Melinda was still at Academy age and that should have made them skeptical to allow her enrolment but once she showcased her impressive fighting ability as well as commendable cultivation base, they were only too happy to allow her enrolment.

She was happy about the prospect and so you can imagine her shock when she returned there the next day and was told her application had been withdrawn.

By none other than her father.

*Bam*

"You have absolutely no right to do that" Melinda said in anger and hit her palm on the desk in his study.

Devon was as calm as ever,

"Actually, I do have a right. No daughter of mine will ever slave away for the Harons" he said and there seemed to be a sure burning inside his golden eyes.

Melinda sneered,

"Oh? I thought you were loyal. Was that all an act?" She asked.

Devon frowned and was silent at first before he said slowly,

"You are young and have a bright future. So why would I let you give it all in the service of the emperor before actually getting something in return first."

It was never actually unknown to Melinda that despite how loyal they looked to the public, they were actually anything but. When it came to things actually regarding the Dane family itself, Imperial authority or Imperial claim had no hold whatsoever.

However, in this case, she knew it was her father who was clueless in the sense that he could not see Melinda was joining the Military not out of some sense of loyalty but because she had her own plans.

Her plans with the only one who mattered; Hal.