I Need Wives For My Gacha System
Chapter 51 --51

Chapter 51: Chapter-51

As Rex sat in the back of the car, the soft hum of the engine beneath him, he glanced out the window at the scenery passing by. The golden hues of the evening sun bathed the world outside in a warm glow. Pedestrians walked by as they went on their merry way on the way to their jobs.

A baron could have three cities as his own and ten towns in the kingdom of Drakoria. He had three cities but this was the most properous one. Of the other two, one was near the sea side and the other was nearing the borders of the kingdom.

Though he was nearing the seaside and border, trees were sparse within his barony. The sea side city was a rocky area and was hard for trees to grow. The border city was nearing the mountains which marked the borders of the kingdom and was more rich in minerals than wood.

The main way of maintaining goods was through trading with this city being the main one instead of the other two as it had a small forest though small it was enough for his barony to continue it’s work.

It wasn’t good by any means, border cities were most of the time controlled by marquesses and was most dangerous cities. But the most danger was predominately in the middle east and west of the country and he was in the south.

The kingdom of Drakoria was surrounded by both the east and the west. The rest of the east kingdoms were surrounded by Drakoria from the west to the south east. The reason for that was because of one of the previous kings during the war.

Drakoria was fierce in war and all of the east kingdoms except for a few were waged war from them. During the great war that waged on for centuries for the entirety of humanity, the king of Drakoria wanted the entire east to himself and rule it as an emperor. The plan was to conqueor the border kingdoms of the east and slowly chip away the remaining kingdoms by encircling them.

The plan was working well till they came in. Being one of the kingdoms of the north, it was almost close to it’s position of claiming an empire as per the standards set by predecessors in the past. But it was still not close to becoming an empire. Helping the north eastern kingdoms was maybe not just to stop Drakoria from becoming empire but also to help itself become an empire. As for what deal they went through, no one knew but Drakoria couldn’t continue the encirclement as it was breached by a foreign force.

Not only did Drakoria had to protect itself from the east and the north, they also had to be careful of the middle kingdoms, west of Drakoria. The plan was about to be successful but it fell off due to the intervention of the northerns known as the Valtarians.

Nothing has happened in the last few centuries but often or not small scale wars would occur. Rex looking a the city Zhanbert, his main city among the three which he had, his ambitions were not small.

It was near the borders and wasn’t a good city by any means but it was his city and though the disadvantages were more so for the current moment he was ready to make it into his own force his power. Rex’s goals had changed. Before he had gained the gacha system and the taste of this power, his idea was to just live safely and peacefully.

Now, he had gained strength, his goals were now changed. The target was none other than Duke Elias Grimes. To defeat such a foe he needed to gather enough strength. not just a small amount of time will be able to do it. He would need to do it bit by bit.

"Ayana how is the list that I gave you"

"Master most of it is gathered, it’s just that a few pills that master listed seems to not exist but their variations were not impossible to find, only one thing that is left is the Phantom Lotus"

"Master told me not to disturb Mistress Isabella so I haven’t told her"

"But I have gathered information that it would appear in the auction in two days from now"

"Good"

"What do you want to do now master"

"Do it as you please, I trust you"

The car drove through the city’s industrial sector, where blacksmiths, alchemists, and textile manufacturers operated. The air was thick with the scent of molten metal, smoke, and chemicals. The sound of hammers striking metal echoed through the streets, and workers moved quickly, transporting raw materials and finished goods.

Alchemy and blacksmithing were the core of a city as weapons made by blacksmith were the weapons and the pills made by alchemists were the source for cultivation of a personal force. There was a saying that a qualified alchemist can make a city stronger and it’s opposition could make a city decline. A strong person without a good weapon is just an advantage for the enemy. Only if these two professions were present would the city prosper.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Rex took in the atmosphere. The roads were slightly damp, a sign that it had rained earlier. The sky remained overcast, and the scent of wet earth mixed with the smoke from the furnaces filled the air. Just as he began walking, the rain started again, a light drizzle at first but soon growing heavier.

Without hesitation, Ayana rushed back to the car, retrieving an umbrella and quickly opening it over him. Rex’s eyes scanned the surroundings.

"Master, the rain is pouring do you want to visit another time"

"No, it’s fine"

Blacksmiths continued working despite the rain, their hammers never ceasing. The alchemists’ workshops, enclosed within stone buildings, showed no signs of slowing down either.

"They don’t stop for anything, do they?"

"No, Master," Ayana responded.

"Work here runs around the clock"

"Weapons production/Iron&steel works as well as alchemy are the backbone of our economy"

"Most of the machines of blacksmiths mostly rely on coal, which we import from the border city, Drakenshire"

"The alchemists, on the other hand, require specialized herbs and rare minerals, which are transported from the central regions of the kingdom but now since master is the baron of the three cities, trades can be done with mistress’s county"

"We don’t have an abundance of local resources, so trade is essential for sustaining production"

"What about electricity, are there local power sources?"

"The city uses a combination of coal-powered generators and imported mana crystals"

"We don’t have natural power sources like hydroelectric plants or wind generators, but we purchase mana crystals from the capital"

"They’re expensive, but they provide stable energy for critical industries, especially alchemy labs that require precise temperature control"

Rex listened to her explanation while they walked through the place, his eyes constantly glancing around as he made some remarks and questions to her from time to time.

But as they continued to walk through the rain, Rex noticed the slight dampness on her shoulder. The rain had begun to slant, and she was holding the umbrella in a way that ensured he remained dry while exposing herself to it

He frowned slightly before wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulling her beneath the umbrella.

"Stay close"

"You’re getting wet"

His soft voice amidst the pouring rain had effects unknown to him on the fair maiden beside him. Her face was rosy as her waist was continued to be hugged by Rex while they continued their walk. But it also had an effect on himself as well.

Aside from the smell of the soil from the rain, he could smell a scent which drew his attention. It’s source being from Ayana. It was subtle yet sweet, lingering in the air despite the dampness. It was faint, yet intoxicating. He found himself unconsciously continuing to hold her waist while continuing to smell this sweet scent which somehow attracted him. He knew she always had this scent but somehow at this moment, it was somewhat intoxicating.

Ayana noticed it too. Her heart pounded slightly as she realized that his arm had yet to move away. It wasn’t forceful, but rather natural, as though he had no intention of letting go from the start. She wondered why he hadn’t pulled away, why he was still holding her like this even after ensuring she was properly shielded from the rain. Yet, she didn’t say anything because she didn’t want him to stop.

The rain continued to fall around them, tapping lightly against the umbrella’s surface. Suddenly Rex stopped his steps which made Ayana stop as well. She glanced a him and saw that his gaze was focused on something and she followed it to see an old man getting pushed down to the streets by a middle aged man.

Before she could react, Rex had already appeared at the place where she was gazing at.