Across the sky-blue waters of Lake Azur, dozens of large ships cut through the calm surface, leaving long white trails of foam that slowly dissipated behind them.
They were imposing vessels, each equipped with a powerful mana engine, their hulls reinforced with fine wood and tempered steel.
White flags emblazoned with the symbol of red dragons fluttered from their masts, dancing in the wind.
This was one of the fleets of the Drakenoir Chamber of Commerce, owned by the Drakenoir family—the wealthiest merchant lineage in the Kingdom of Solene and the Kingdom of Burning Ice.
Their net worth was estimated at hundreds of billions of gold coins, perhaps even trillions, if one were to count all the wealth accumulated in the Central Empires, where the family's operations center had moved centuries ago.
