"My shop?"
A cold light flashed through Atem's eyes.
"My business has always been clean. My products meet every standard. On what grounds would I be blacklisted?"
Merlin snorted. "If you're dissatisfied with the Authority's assessment, then improve your goods. We've received numerous complaints about your spears. The same applies to your pills. Some customers even suffered irreversible damage."
"The past few days?" Atem laughed coldly. "I've already announced that my Cold Restoration Pills and custom spears are out of stock."
"Oh?" Merlin asked casually. "And where did you make this declaration?"
A sense of unease rose in Atem's chest.
"On the shop door," he said. "Outside. Clearly displayed."
Merlin smiled.
"Shopkeeper Atem, there's nothing posted outside your shop."
Atem's expression stiffened.
He had checked it himself not long ago.
Seeing the change in his face, Merlin's smile deepened. "If you don't believe me, feel free to look."
Atem's expression suddenly returned to normal. It wasn't as if he didn't have other options.
"No need for that, Officer Merlin. I believe you... So what if I'm on a blacklist? Why do you concern yourself?"
Merlin sneered inwardly. Hmph, keep pretending, you little country bumpkin.
"Good, I like direct people. That's exactly why I came here." He pulled a document from his coat and tossed it onto the counter. "This is a court order for you. You've been summoned based on the complaints against you."
Glancing at the court order, Atem's heart filled with anger. All of these were false claims, of course. As Old Man Yi had said, it was a well-established plan to trap him—the net was already spread, and they were just waiting for him to jump in.
"Shopkeeper Atem, do you hear me?"
Atem's expression suddenly turned cold. "Hmph, do you think I'm deaf or something?"
Merlin's eyes widened. Is this boy crazy? Talking to an officer like me in that manner?
"What, are you mute? Why not reply?" Atem sneered, not giving the man a chance to counter.
"Y-you... how dare you?" Merlin's eyes flickered with anger.
Atem laughed coldly. "What else can you do? Arrest me?"
Merlin's expression darkened. Indeed, what else could he do?
"Hmph, you better attend the court in two days, or don't blame us next time." He stormed out of the shop, slamming the door hard behind him.
What a fool. Would breaking my door earn him some points?
Since the other party had finally revealed their intentions, he had no reason to be polite.
Might as well collect some scores.
"Old Man Yi was right—they won't be waiting for me." He let out a resigned sigh.
It seemed he had no other choice but to hang a flag and choose a side.
He'd already made up his mind about the Dock Masters Union, but...
"I should try the others first. If I can make a better deal with them, then great. If it doesn't work, then the Dock Masters Union it is." He thought to himself as he closed the shop and headed out.
It was time to pay the Gilded Slope a visit.
---
The car came to a stop several dozen paces from a tall iron gate reinforced with aetherline bands.
"This is as far as I can go," the driver said, glancing back. "Tide Line vehicles aren't allowed past the gate."
"That's fine," Atem replied, handing over the payment before stepping down.
Cars from the Tide Line weren't allowed inside; it was another way to keep the riffraff out, a subtle reminder of the class divide that ran deeper than the harbor's waters.
Separating the two regions was a vast, heavily guarded gate, towering like a fortress wall forged from gleaming steel.
As he approached the gate, one of the guards raised a hand slightly.
"Your permit!"
"I'm just visiting a friend. I don't have a permit," Atem replied evenly, keeping his tone neutral to avoid unnecessary hassle.
The other guard nodded. "It's one silver coin, then. Pay up or turn around."
Hearing this, Atem's mouth twitched.
Too much just for entering—that's plain robbery.
He fished out a silver coin from his pocket and handed it over, watching as the guard bit it lightly to check its authenticity before pocketing it.
"Don't forget to receive your temporary permit. It'll be valid for one week," the first guard laughed, stamping a small card with a glowing seal and shoving it toward him.
Atem waved it off dismissively and passed through the gate, officially entering the middle district.
The middle region of Azure Harbour was worlds apart from the stinky Tide Line. Clean, organized streets lined with aetherline lamps. The shops and houses followed a standardized building style—nothing like the haphazard chaos of the Tide Line.
Tsk, just looking from here, it's indeed a different world... Hmm, first I'll go to the Sea Garden.
Unlike the Tide Line, vehicles and transportation here were free—a privilege for those who could afford to live in the Gilded Slope. The authority maintained and operated everything, from the sleek trams to the hovering sky-cabs, ensuring smooth efficiency for the elite.
Atem hopped on a tram heading east, settling into a cushioned seat as it glided forward.
Sea Garden was located on the eastern side of the Gilded Slope, facing the sea. Its sprawling estate overlooked the azure waves.
Arriving was easy—the tram dropped him right at the ornate entrance gates, wrought iron twisted into swirling wave patterns and guarded by two elegant guards in sea-blue uniforms embroidered with the Jade Stream Sect's emblem: a flowing river encircling a blooming lotus.
As Atem approached, one of them—a tall woman with sharp features and hair tied in a severe bun—stepped forward.
"State your business."
"I'd like to meet the manager," Atem replied calmly, although he was momentarily stunned. "It's about affiliating a shop—urgent business."
The woman looked him up and down, her nose wrinkling slightly at his Tide Line attire: simple trousers and a ordinary plain jacket.
"Do you have an appointment?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"No, but I'm sure he'll want to hear this. Tell him it's about a unique pill formula called the Cold Restoration Pill."
"Very well. Wait here in the reception pavilion."
She gestured to a glass-domed structure nearby.
Atem paced for what felt like an eternity—three full hours by his count—watching well-dressed visitors come and go, escorted promptly by smiling guides through the gardens.
He knew the delay was deliberate, but he wasn't that concerned.
Finally, a burly guard in polished armor approached him. "You. Follow me."
The guard turned without waiting, as if not caring whether Atem would follow him or not.
He said little else until they reached a grand hall at the estate's center: the Sea Garden's administrative wing.
Inside, the manager waited in a lavish office overlooking the sea. He was a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard streaked with gray, sharp eyes, and wearing an azure silk robe. A young assistant hovered nearby, scribbling notes on a parchment tablet.
He looked at Atem with an indifferent expression, not even bothering to greet him.
"What do you want?"
Seeing this, Atem inwardly sneered and sat uninvited, ignoring the assistant's wide-eyed stare. "I've heard the Sea Garden offers backing to promising ventures. I want to join as an affiliated shop—your protection in exchange for my services."
"And what makes you think we'd be interested? You're from the Tide Line, aren't you? We don't usually deal with... that sort."