“Royal straight flush!”

Felix exclaimed in victory as he gathered up the money on the board.

When the game was over, the reactions of the people sitting around the same round table were varied. Some held their heads with a sigh; some folded their arms with a deep sigh; some counted the money they had left in a panic.

Only one person looked down at his watch with a relaxed expression.

“What do you think? It’s the weekend, after all.”

Felix smiled and looked around at his companions as he lifted a wine glass off the silver tray of one of the busy waiters.

“How about another round?”

“I’m done. Are you trying to turn me into a beggar”

After an hour, one of his companions, who had lost the price of a carriage, rose from his seat. Felix, shrugging his shoulders, made a subtle suggestion.

“You can pay me in installments.”

“At this rate, I might end up losing my mansion next.”

“Me too… I’ll stop.”

“Me too.”

His friend, who shook his head, took the lead, and the others, who had been left penniless with equally good hands, also stood up one by one.

As the heated poker game came to a close, the large members’ only club room fell silent. All that remained were a few gentlemen scattered about on the variety of buffalo leather couches and wide chairs; they read newspapers, drank coffee, and spoke calmly to each other.

Felix, stretching and yawning, looked at Killian, who was sitting opposite him, smoking a cigarette.

“By the way, what’s wrong with you, your excellency? Just sitting there with a serious look.”

“Just because.”

Killian responded dryly and signaled with his left hand for the waiter to approach.

“A newspaper and an ashtray.”

“At once.”

The waiter went to fetch this morning’s paper, along with a crystal ashtray.

Crushing the cigarette he hadn’t finished into the ashtray, Killian sat comfortably with his legs crossed, unfolded the newspaper, and began to read. A large headline on the front page caught his eye immediately.

[Glitters Trading Company Experiences Remarkable Growth This Year].

Felix, who took a peek at the article, spoke up quickly.

“This guy knows what he is doing. Must be really nice, you know, swimming in piles of cash.”

Glitters’ growth rate was so astonishing that anyone with a bit of money wanted to buy some shares.

At first, the unnamed company settled down in a shabby port in the South. Not only was the sea road steep, but there were also many people working in the aquaculture industry, so it was considered small and secluded compared to the West.

However, the power structure has changed in recent years, as a shortcut from the South to foreign countries was revealed. 

Trading companies began to move to the South one after another, but it was already too late. It was no exaggeration to say that Glitters Trading Company, which had expanded its influence in the South faster than any other company based on its substantial financial power and strength, is now dominating the sea routes across Ethelwood.

A company whose influence extended to the rest of the world. This was as far as the public knew.