Chapter 449: Upheaval
Meanwhile, in a far away land east of Metropolis, there was a small village located on a shore. They lived, breathed, and ate fish, with many dried fishes hanging around the thatch roofs.
Since it was a nice day outside, with no cloud near the sun to obstruct its rays, many fishermen decided to set out with their wooden boats towards the middle of the sea.
This was usually dangerous, as the large waves crashing through the seas was enough to topple even the biggest of boats. However, because the weather was so calm today, they decided to risk it in order to set out for today to find exotic fishes living deeper in the sea floor.
However, as the first boats started to paddle through the waves, the light suddenly dimmed unexpectedly.
The fishermen immediately looked to the skies to see if there were any signs of storms in the distance. Some groaned, thinking that they had to postpone their fishing trip.
But as they squinted their eyes and looked up at the skies, they realized that it was not a cloud that blocked the sun.
It was dragons!
To be more exact, they were transport wyverns from the Draconic race. With their large backs and their strong and durable wings, these dragons were used to transport items and people through extremely long distances.
These kinds of visits weren’t exactly rare, but they weren’t common either. Throughout the year, there would be quite a few visits from these Wyverns as some visitors landed on the Royal Continent.
However, the amount of Wyverns in the sky wasn’t just one. It wasn’t just two, or three, or even ten. There must have been thousands of them up in the skies, completely obscuring the sun in the heavens.
"Holy..."
"Are we...are we getting invaded?"
"Oh dear god..."
These fishermen had no idea what was happening. They just hoped that they wouldn’t be part of any conflicts that arose from their arrival.
There were, however, some people who knew what was happening. Somewhere in the fishing village, there were a few traveling merchants who came here to sell some stuff from Metropolis.
And judging from the emblem he wore on his chest, this peddler was employed by none other than the biggest business in Metropolis: the Gilderaan company, owned by none other than Alaric Goldstone.
The peddler looked up at the skies and saw the giant Wyverns crossing the seas. It was clear that their arrival was imminent.
"They’ve finally arrived," murmured the peddler, with excitement filling in his eyes.
He immediately took out a piece of paper and wrote only two words: they’re here.
Then, he immediately abandoned his own stall and ran for the tallest mountain he could find. He rolled up the message into a tiny scroll and attached it to the back of a carrier pigeon with a string.
"Return!" he commanded the pigeon as he released it into the air.
The bird quickly flew up high in the skies, with its destination headed straight for Metropolis.
And he wasn’t the only one who noticed the arrival of the Wyverns. People from other towns and villages close to the shore noticed the obvious swarm of dragons in the distance.
It wasn’t long before all kinds of pigeons were thrown up in the skies in an attempt to spread the word to their superiors as fast as possible.
...
...
...
The news eventually spread to Metropolis itself.
Even if some companies decided to keep it to themselves, there was an obvious tension within the territory that made it obvious that something was happening in the background. And with a little bit of digging, it was easy to discover the arrival of the Wyverns.
Everyone started to stir. All companies who had kept their heads down low, started to move and become active once again, acting like a volcano about to erupt.
This was a huge event that could shake the very foundation of not only Metropolis, but every other territory in the Queens region.
Why?
That was because their arrival officially commenced the beginning of a new era, one where long-distance travel was a lot safer and more affordable!
The long awaited agreement between the Ocean King and the Draconic Queen had finally started to show progress.
Those Wyverns contained the very first batch of tourists coming from all over the globe to visit the Royal Continent. These tourists didn’t just bring themselves here for the experience, but they also brought with them the opportunity for global trade!
Many companies saw this as an opportunity to rise through the ranks. If they could snatch the attention of these foreigners, then they could possibly break through their own ranks and transcend into the next level!
Heck, it wasn’t just the low companies that felt this way. Even the large companies thought this way, and most especially the conglomerates.
This was the very reason why the competition for the Golden Road started in the first place!
Their arrival set the stage for an upheaval. Those that prepared for this moment would be able to be among the first to strike. First impressions last, so they would have the advantage in the coming years once more and more foreigners came to the continent.
For Alaric and the other Legacies, the plan was simple. They had to make moves even before the foreigners arrived. And they will arrive. After all, Metropolis was a giant capital city, and would be the first among many that would gather a significant amount of tourists.
Alaric sent a message to the other Legacies.
"The game begins. Winner takes all."
Bobby and Aerith smiled as they received this message. Even if Alaric hadn’t said anything, they would have already treated this as the real competition.
Although they were all friends with each other, that didn’t mean that they weren’t competitive against each other. They still had their own ambitions.
And they knew that competition was what drove them to become better than what they were before. Alaric’s message was meant to rile them up. It was meant to say that he will not hold back, and neither should they.
If one of them was able to triumph against the others, then they would accept it as their loss. Winner takes all.
And of course, it wasn’t just the Legacies who had something to gain from the arrival of the tourists.
The Duke of Metropolis, the Knightly Court, and the Magic Tower were all in a state of preparation and movement. They were anticipating all the actions of the different factions inside Metropolis and how they would react to such a news.
And perhaps the one who was having the most headaches right now was none other than the leader of the Metropolis Association, Claudia Montgomery.
She buried her head in a heap of paperwork, seeking to have a moment of peace. Yet the constant reports she got from her employees prevented her from having any reprieve.
"Madam! The Snake Charmers have issued a formal challenge to the Pietries. They are requesting our mediation."
"I have just received word about the Ink Blotters issuing a duel against the Ink Splatters!"
More and more duels popped up by the second. Every company in Metropolis was hungry to get a head start before the tourists’ arrival.