Chapter 280: Wendy

Wendy was an exceptionally beautiful woman, exuding an alluring charm that captivated countless talented individuals and wizards alike.

Using her beauty, she navigated the various factions, growing White Mountain Black Water’s business to unprecedented heights.

However, Wendy was not just a pretty face; she was a woman of considerable means and cunning. Many powerful and influential people had coveted her beauty.

Yet, to this day, no one had successfully won her over.

Instead, many men had been played by her, giving her resources and power, only to find they gained nothing in return.

Some had even tried to force their way with her, but those attempts ended disastrously.

White Mountain Black Water’s business was vast, and naturally, there were many conflicts of interest.

Some had tried to take Wendy down, but in the end, their people were found dead in their own homes, with no clues as to who was responsible.

Since then, few dared to trouble Wendy.

After browsing through Wendy’s background, Helag couldn’t help but feel that her situation was quite similar to Elusa’s.

It was clear to him that Wendy had likely been put in place by her wizard family to take control of White Mountain Black Water’s business.

The fact that she had managed to stand strong in the Land of Dawn for over a decade, growing the business even further, was undoubtedly due to the support of her wizard family.

Helag quickly concluded that Wendy was not someone to be trifled with.

He sighed deeply, realizing that this task might not be as simple as it seemed.

“What’s wrong?” Reese asked, noticing Helag’s sigh. She closed her book and walked over, snuggling into Helag’s arms. Her long legs stretched out onto the sofa.

Helag’s hand slipped under her, lifting her into a princess carry. He whispered, “Nothing much. I’ve got a wizard array task tomorrow. I’ll use it as an opportunity to familiarize myself with arrays and gain some experience.”

“You’re working so hard,” Reese said softly, lifting her head to meet his lips.

The next morning, Helag left the house and hailed a carriage to take him to 75 Hawthorn Street.

As he sat in the carriage, he used Deep Blue’s environmental scanning to observe the surroundings.

As they neared the southern part of Silvermoon City, where the wealthy lived, the atmosphere noticeably changed.

First, the streets became less crowded, and there were hardly any poorly dressed people in sight.

In other parts of Silvermoon City, and indeed throughout the Land of Dawn, beggars were a common sight.

These beggars might have come from slums or fallen into poverty for various reasons.

There were no institutions in the Land of Dawn to take care of them, and since they didn’t live in the slums where food was distributed, they had no choice but to beg on the streets.

For ordinary people, these beggars were a source of chaos.

Theft and robbery were common because these beggars had nothing to lose. Having already hit rock bottom, they acted without hesitation.

For many ordinary citizens, this was a huge problem. Their homes had no protective arrays.

If they were lucky, they might just lose some belongings. If they were unlucky, they could lose their lives.

For the wealthy and powerful, these beggars were also a nuisance. After all, they considered their lives far more valuable than those of the beggars.

In residential areas for commoners, beggars were a significant issue.

But in the wealthy districts, beggars couldn’t even get in. There were people specifically tasked with maintaining security in these areas.

Anyone who looked suspicious would be questioned.

As for beggars in ragged clothes, they were chased away with sticks.

Moreover, the estates in these areas were protected by arrays, so there was no worry about beggars sneaking in.

As Helag’s carriage entered Hawthorn Street, it was stopped by a man in a city hall uniform. He checked the driver’s magic stone and verified his identity.

The man then asked Helag to present his magic stone for inspection. Upon seeing that Helag was a first-level liquefied wizard with certifications as both a first-level Wizard Array Master and a first-level Potion Master, the man’s attitude became much more respectful.

He was even more impressed when he saw that Helag was a formal member of Seranthiel.

“Take care, sir. If you encounter any trouble here, feel free to come to me,” the city hall worker said respectfully.

Helag gave a slight nod and lowered the carriage curtain as they continued on.

Once they entered Hawthorn Street, the scenery changed dramatically.

The surrounding homes were large estates, each with vast grounds, and the distance between them was significant.

Some of the homes even had guards standing outside, and these guards weren’t ordinary. Two of them were knight-level, guarding the entrance.

It was clear that the owners of these estates were no ordinary people.

Although Helag could now hire knight-level retainers, he didn’t see the need.

For a wizard of his level, knight retainers were more for show than practical use, serving as a symbol of status rather than providing real protection.

Helag wasn’t about to waste his magic stones on unnecessary expenses.

“Sir, we’ve arrived,” the driver said respectfully as he brought the carriage to a stop.

“Thank you,” Helag replied, handing the driver three silver coins.

The fare was estimated based on distance, as there were no meters like in the modern world. It was all done according to customary rules.

People generally paid according to the distance, and those who could afford a carriage weren’t stingy with the fare.

If someone only gave two copper coins or even refused to pay, the drivers could only grit their teeth and bear it.

Such incidents were rare, but when they happened, the drivers had no choice but to accept their bad luck.

That’s why these drivers preferred to wait outside wealthy areas or places like King’s Street.

Anyone living in those areas either had money or status and wouldn’t quibble over the fare.

Helag glanced at the estate in front of him. It was a massive villa.

The villa had only three floors, but it covered a vast area, stretching from north to south. There were likely dozens of rooms inside.

Standing outside, Helag used Deep Blue to sense the movements of the servants inside. There were about forty to fifty of them.

According to the information he had gathered, Wendy was the only resident of the estate, with the rest being servants.

Helag took out his magic stone and opened Lorna’s chat window, sending her a message: “Ms. Lorna, I’m at the gate.”

“Alright, please wait a moment. I’ll be right there,” Lorna replied.

A short while later, footsteps could be heard from behind the gate, and it soon opened.

A middle-aged woman in her forties stood at the entrance. She looked surprised to see how young Helag was.

She had seen Helag’s certifications as a first-level Wizard Array Master and Potion Master and had expected an older wizard. She hadn’t anticipated that he would be so young.

—