Imperial Crown.

Chapter 155 President's Benefits

In Raven's opinion, the documents sent by the merchants were very much in the style of the City of Grace.

The document was made up of three pieces of parchment, with a page of honorifics at the front, two lines of text on the middle page, and the last page full of flattery.

Such words as handsome, smart, courageous, powerful, skillful, young and promising, etc., and the way and focus of each compliment are different.

To be honest, it's quite interesting to read.

Raven finally understood why so many emperors liked to read congratulatory messages, and some even read them all night long.

But three or five copies would be fine. Now, hundreds of businesses, large and small, in the entire lower city of Mon'en City have sent letters, all of which are written on parchment. When piled together, they are taller than a person. If Raven really had to read them one by one, he would vomit blood.

However, one of the advantages of being a noble is that you can mobilize a lot of people at any time, so this burden falls on Mancenee's shoulders.

Now, the former vice president of the Silver Hand Brotherhood and current vice commander of the "Legion of the Hand of Protection" is buried in a pile of papers.

She was wearing an imperial military uniform today, which was light red in color and made of woolen cloth. She wore a sail hat on her head. She looked dashing and neat, with her eyes fixed on the paper with great concentration. Her every move would reveal a black tattoo on her wrist.

Noticing Raven's gaze, Mantheni reluctantly put down her pen and turned back: "Baron, what can I do for you?"

"I'm just a little curious, what is tattooed on your arm?" Raven asked.

Mantheni forced herself to suppress the urge to roll her eyes and lowered her head again.

Raven's words immediately removed a lot of the halo belonging to the Baron, and reminded her of Raven who used to be a "little bee".

Maybe I was too happy.

But Mantheni had to admit that Raven should be happy and had every right to be happy.

For example, the gift list she was currently proofreading and transcribing made her feel a little dizzy just by looking at it once.

Those who are qualified to join the Chamber of Commerce are not small businessmen. There are more than 400 gift lists, and at least one person has sent hundreds of gold coins. People who run different industries have also sent different gifts, such as enchanted equipment, alchemical potions, magic cores, magic crystals, jewelry, etc.

Adding to that the "sincerity" shown by the Silver Hand Brotherhood and the Bloody Harpoon, as well as the legacy left after the fall of the Broken Tooth Warband, Raven received more than 80,000 gold coins on this trip alone. The value of the other various props was only more than the gold coins, not less.

These will bring in at least 200,000 gold coins!
Damn it, when the Silver Hand Brotherhood collected protection fees before, why didn't these merchants feel so happy?!
The benefits don’t end there.

From where Mantheni is sitting now, looking out the window, she can see the street where the Chamber of Commerce headquarters is located, called "Chamber of Commerce Street."

This is the most prosperous area in the entire Lower Town, where every inch of land is worth a lot of money. It is not only the commercial center of the Lower Town, but even celebrities from the Upper Town come here to linger and spend money.

It is no exaggeration to say that the value of this street is even higher than that of many baronies.

But now, it could just as well be called "Raven Street" or "Griffith Avenue."

Because there are a total of 19 pieces of land along the street, 18 of them, together with the buildings on them, all belong to Raven. The only remaining piece is where the Chamber of Commerce building is located - which originally belonged to Raven.

Thinking of this and looking at Raven's performance, Mantheni felt that it was very reasonable and even began to admire his calmness.

In a different situation, if these things were obtained by Manseni herself, she would definitely go crazy with joy!

Now she's a little crazy too.

On the one hand... she was somewhat envious and jealous. You know, just a year ago, Raven was just an inconspicuous gangster on the streets of Mon'en City, but now he has become a baron. Not only does he control far more land than a viscount, but he has also earned huge profits.

On the other hand, there was the way Raven looked at her, his eyes looking as if they wanted to get into her sleeves.

If it were a year ago, she would have dug out Raven's eyes and thrown them into the gutter, but now Raven has become her immediate superior, someone she cannot disobey!

This is really annoying, especially when you think of Raven's nickname "Little Bee".

She pulled her sleeves to cover the tattoo, then lowered her head to continue checking the numbers.

It was not until it got dark that she finally finished checking. She looked up and said, "Baron, I...?"

She stopped talking halfway because she realized she was the only one left in the office.

When did Raven leave?
Mantheni looked at the thick stack of documents she had sorted out and felt speechless.

Raven, I was working for you and hadn't eaten all day. It would have been fine if you didn't look, but why did you leave quietly without telling me?

After putting the sorted gift list on the table, Mantheni walked towards the door, but bumped into Raven face to face.

Mansene explained: "The gift list has been completed."

"That was pretty fast." Raven smiled and stuffed a box into Mannis's hands: "Here."

Mansene took it subconsciously: "This is...?"

Raven said, "A full set of formal attire. There's going to be a dance soon and I need a female companion. Can you help me?"

"Ah?" Mantheni's face turned pale: "But, that, I..."

Lord of Light, she has never worn women's clothes in her life!

Mantheni wanted to argue: "Baron Raven, I don't look good in women's clothes."

"Don't make excuses. This is an emergency." Raven raised his voice slightly. "I said 'Quick Manson'. Are you afraid?"

Without much thought, Mansene blurted out: "Why not?"

"Hurry up, I'll give you thirty minutes, no, an hour!" Raven said, slamming the door.

Mantheni suddenly lost her temper and sat on the chair, hitting her head.

Why did you agree to it on impulse? !

Looking down at the dress in her hand, Mantheni's expression became extremely complicated and she bit her lips tightly.

She knew that Raven had no good intentions in asking her to come over.

This is revenge for her arrest warrant for Raven!
But the matter has been agreed upon and it cannot be disregarded.

Forget it, women's clothing is women's clothing. I am the fast-handed "Manson", a man who stands tall and upright. How can I be stumped by this?

Mantheni stood up, walked to the door and locked it with a click, then turned back and picked up her skirt.

Stroking the soft fabric in her hands, Mansene made up her mind: "Wear it!"

And Raven really looked down on me. Did he really think I was a woman? It wouldn't take half an hour to put on these things!

However, it turns out that it’s best not to make hasty judgments about things you’re not familiar with.

Mantheni encountered many unexpected problems.

For example, how to fasten the bra straps, and in what order to wear a multi-layered skirt.

What drove her crazy the most was the corset. After failing to put it on for the third time, she had an urge to rush to the inventor and greet his entire family.

When she finally finished getting dressed, sweat had already started to appear on her forehead and her eyes were full of disgust!
This outfit is really hindering my movement!
"Are you ready? Do you need me to find a few women to help you?" Raven's voice came from outside the door.

"No need!" Mantheni said firmly, then took a deep breath, tightened her skirt, and walked out of the room.

Raven's eyes suddenly lit up and he stared at Mantheni in a daze.

Mansene felt extremely uncomfortable being stared at, and pulled at her collar in embarrassment: "…If it's ugly, just say so!"

"No, it's great!" Raven smiled.

To be honest, it was purely a spur-of-the-moment decision for La Mantheni to be my dance partner today.

This dance was a welcome dance organized by the Chamber of Commerce members. The occasion was formal and Raven needed to bring a female companion.

After all, Lacus is a priest and is not suitable to attend such occasions; if he just finds a singer or dancer, it will damage Raven's own image.

He was born in the city of Mon'en, and his nickname "Little Bee" was well-known to everyone. It was almost impossible to get rid of it. Now, if he were to find that kind of woman, it would be like throwing mud on his reputation.

So Mantheni became the best choice. Her origin was "mysterious" and her appearance was acceptable. As for her dancing skills - Raven had no intention of actually dancing with her.

But now that Manseni had changed into women's clothes, Raven was indeed quite surprised. The long gloves covered the tattoo, which made Raven a little regretful, but Manseni had practiced martial arts for many years and had a well-proportioned and slender figure. The black silk dress fully reflected this, especially the curve between the waist and legs, which was not large in scale but very tall and perfect.

She had no makeup on her face, and had taken off her signature earrings. Apart from the curled wig on her head, she only wore the elf-style headdress that Raven had prepared for her. Her eyes were quite cold, and with her short hair, her overall temperament was not weak like an ordinary woman, nor was it deliberately fake coldness. To Raven, it felt like...

Knight thief!

Raven propped himself up on his elbows and said with a smile, "Please, Miss Mantheni."

Seeing this posture, Mantheni wanted to grab Raven's shoulders and throw him over her shoulder, but she held back and walked forward to hug Raven's arms.

As for taking further steps, she couldn't do it anyway, so she straightened her back and kept a firm distance from Raven.

The ball was held in a nearby opera house called "Elf Song", which is now Raven's own property.

As the protagonist of the ball, Raven was the last to arrive. As soon as he walked into the hall, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The attendees' eyes first fell on Raven, then were attracted to Mantheni, and finally fell back to Raven.

Nowadays, heavy makeup is popular in Mon'en City. Manseni's bare-faced makeup and unique wild temperament overshadowed all the women present.

But even so, she was completely unable to suppress Raven's aura.

If she is a female leopard, then Raven is a male lion.

The guest of honor arrived, melodious music sounded, and the dance party officially began.

However, neither Raven nor Mantheni had the heart to dance, and many businessmen were not focused on the dance steps, but were looking for opportunities to start a conversation with Raven.

Although the contents are rather obscure, the core is one point: I hope Baron Raven will take care of me.

To this end, they hinted to Raven openly and secretly that they had also sent gifts, and they were expensive gifts!
As for Mantheni, she found a corner and sat down.

At first she was a little worried, wondering if someone would come up to her and ask about her identity.

But no, in fact, except for a few bold guys who dared to secretly look at her, most men ignored her. Instead, the women cast curious or jealous glances at her.

This made her feel quite relieved - fortunately, no one recognized her.

Her worries were unnecessary.

The fact that Raven brought a female companion here was already enough to give face to these businessmen. How could they dare to do anything else?

Mantheni's attention fell on Raven again.

Mantheni had seen most of the businessmen surrounding Raven. They were all well-known big businessmen in the downtown area, and they had more or less conflicts of interest with the gangs.

For example, the old guy with a goatee is named Hu En. His "Hu En Chamber of Commerce" mainly deals in jewelry and was once an important "partner" of the Silver Hand Brotherhood.

In their usual communications, even when facing Mantheni's father, although his attitude was calm, Mantheni could still detect the disdain and contempt in his every move.

But now, facing Raven, his attitude could be described as flattering. He would follow Raven wherever he went, and would nod hurriedly whenever Raven said something. Even when someone told a joke, he would first look at Raven's reaction before deciding whether to laugh or not.

They seemed to be discussing something, and Raven nodded as if he had no choice but to refuse.

The music stopped, and Raven stood in the center of the stage: "It was originally just a dance party, but since everyone is so enthusiastic, I will say a few words."

"First of all, there are the personnel issues that everyone is worried about. Generally speaking, I will not make any changes, but some subsequent adjustments are inevitable, especially in the port area."

The port is the place with the largest cargo throughput in the entire Lower Town District and is also the source of economic vitality for the Lower Town District.

A basic example: The city of Mon'en has a population of nearly 500,000, and 90% of its food comes from water.

Any Chamber of Commerce president with any sense would not give up control of the port.

"Secondly, it's about the specific business operations. I also grew up in Mon'en City, and I know more about the twists and turns there than you do. Now that the Silver Hand Brotherhood and Bloody Harpoon have been reorganized, you have to stop many of the shady businesses you used to run."

"We are all businessmen, and we make money by being harmonious. I don't want to use the same methods I used against thugs to deal with you."

The words were spoken calmly, but the hall, which had been slightly noisy, fell silent.

The red color of the Mon River had not yet faded, but the chimney of the crematorium in the southwest of Mon City had never stopped smoking, not to mention the body of Honduras hanging at the city gate.

Everything that was happening, coupled with these words, made the businessmen represented by Hu En clearly realize that Raven was definitely not joking.

At this point, Raven smiled: "Of course, I am not unreasonable. I will set rules for you, but I will not let you work in vain."

"I have applied to Earl Tyrone and Archbishop Thomas. Since the Death Hand Cult has caused huge damage to the Lower City, the Lower City Chamber of Commerce will not have to pay either regular taxes or tithes for the next three years!"

There was a burst of warm applause from the audience, and everyone looked at Raven with passionate eyes!
What merchants value most is profit. The tax rate in Mon'en City is high. For every ten gold coins earned, three gold coins must be paid, and one gold coin is also a tithe.

Now, with a tax exemption, their profits have increased by more than 80%!

Although it is only three years of tax exemption, since Raven can fight for three years, the next three years is not impossible!

After the speech, Raven walked off the stage. A businessman named Perry moved his fat body to the front and said, "Baron, your speech was really wonderful. With you in charge, our business will definitely get better and better!"

Raven remembered him. Not only did this guy give him two thousand gold coins, he also gave him an enchanted cloak as an extra gift: "As long as Mr. Perry is an honest businessman."

"Of course, of course!" Perry nodded repeatedly: "My Lord Baron, an outstanding young man like you is the best in our city of Mon'en. My little son admires you very much and hopes to learn from you. What do you think..."

With him as the lead, businessmen including Hu En came forward and began to make similar demands, even at the cost of belittling each other.

It is an unwritten custom on the Middles continent to send one's own children to work as clerks or servants for nobles. On the one hand, it can strengthen the connection between merchants and lords, and on the other hand, it can also make lords feel more at ease with the merchants under their rule.

The city of Mon'en is ruled by the Slater family, but all channels of contact with the Slater family are controlled by the wealthy businessmen in the upper city. Now that Raven is a genuine noble and the president of the Chamber of Commerce in the lower city, of course they have to be more enthusiastic.

There is another factor.

If they had only guessed it before, now these businessmen were completely certain that Raven could have a say with Earl Tyrone and Archbishop Thomas, and that it would be useful!

This means that Raven is at the same level as the Earl, and the gap is not too big.

Moreover, Raven is only in his early twenties and has a promising future. Perhaps one day he will be on equal footing with Earl Tyrone.

Raven did not agree to this immediately, but he did not reject it all either. Instead, he maintained an ambiguous attitude.

After all, the depth of the water in Mon'en City is known to Raven better than anyone else. It requires a clear plan as to who to accept and who not to accept.

All the business was done, and Raven didn't stay at the ball for too long, so he left with Mantheni.

Returning to the office at the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, Mantheni sat back in her chair and breathed a long sigh of relief: "...Huh, it's finally over."

"Not used to it?" Raven asked.

"I'll never get used to it!" Mansene kicked off her high heels. "These shoes are too hard to wear. Who designed them?"

Raven couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry, there is only one time and countless times to wear women's clothes. You will get used to it in the future."

Mantheni was about to retort, but she was afraid of provoking Raven's "rebellious psychology", so she turned her head away and said nothing.

Raven didn't dwell on this point. He took the documents that Mantheni had sorted out and turned to leave.

Staring at the closed door, Mantheni stepped on the ground barefoot, threw away her gloves, unbuttoned the buttons on her back, let her skirt fall to the ground, let the air blow on her sweaty skin, and stretched lazily.

Just then, the door opened: "I still have..."

Raven was already stunned before he finished speaking. He quickly scanned Mantheni's body and said, "It turned out to be a snake!"

Then, before Mantheni could get angry, he slammed the door.

“Raven——!”

Mantheni's voice echoed in the night sky.

……

(End of this chapter)