Chapter 784: Chapter 252: A Fool Claims I’m Invincible Among My Peers


    While Vera Williams and Leonard Churchill were strolling around the estate, the elders of the Song Family had also gathered for an internal meeting.


    “Has anyone asked that guy called ‘Sunny’ or ‘Leonard Churchill’ about his origins?”


    “I have inquired with people who have had contact with him, and no one knows how he came to be here. He just suddenly appeared in Bolton Town. Later, Vera was even ‘missing’ for many days with that guy... I had someone investigate before, among the more than four hundred families of the Federation’s legislators, none bear that surname, and neither do those ancient nobles of the Orlan Dynasty...”


    “So, you’re saying he has no significant background?”


    “Yes. According to Sam, the man is a very powerful card master, a Fighter in the Sequence. His strength is probably around the Third Tier.”


    “What use is a good fighter? Does my Song Family lack guards? A Third Tier card master is just that, they can be found anywhere. What our Vera needs is a husband who can give her a happy life and future.”


    “But...”


    “There are no buts. The fact that no background can be found on him is very suspicious. Vera is still young, she doesn’t understand. She’ll see that the life we’ve arranged for her is the best. We must make this decision on her behalf. This time, no matter what, things must be settled. I think the family of Duke Ross is a good choice...”


    “...”


    Upon Vera Williams’ return to Black Gold City, for the old folks of the family, she was just one of the many younger members; it was nothing significant.


    However, the financial report of the Rose Chamber of Commerce laid out before these Song Family elders was a different matter.


    The Song Family had made their fortune in the Mining Industry, but they had always wanted to make their mark in commerce as well.@@pared with the established Commerce Guilds, their advantage was not significant.


    However, the emergence of the Rose Chamber of Commerce opened up a new direction for these individuals.


    Anyone with a slight sense of business could see that this still young chamber had huge potential.


    With the massive financial resources of the Song Family as support, it was bound to become a money-absorbing behemoth in the future.


    Therefore, their chairwoman Vera Williams was increasingly important in their eyes.


    And there’s yet another important piece of intelligence.


    The estate was indeed beautiful.


    Turning past a grove of trees, they could see from afar a small chapel with a white roof and stained glass windows.


    On the chapel’s exterior walls, roses in full bloom hung everywhere.


    Amid the lush green leaves, roses of pink, light purple, and white blossomed in an intertwined display.


    The gentle breeze brushed past, causing the roses to sway lightly and gracefully, while a delicate fragrance permeated the air.


    The wall of roses gave an impression of a sudden brightness in color.


    Like an exquisite oil painting.


    Leonard Churchill couldn’t help but take another look.


    “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Vera Williams asked by his side, and then continued, “This estate used to belong to a Duke of the Orlan Dynasty. It has a lovely name, ‘Safflower Manor.’ Safflower is the meaning of ‘rose.''”


    As she spoke, her tone became somewhat melancholic, “There used to be so many more roses in the estate. During the flowering seasons, it was incredibly beautiful, with the air always carrying a faint scent... But, the adults said that roses weren’t prestigious enough. Over the years, many have been dug up to make room for other more esteemed varieties...”


    Leonard Churchill felt pity upon hearing this.


    As they arrived at the front of the small chapel, they saw the exterior walls were covered in roses that cascaded like a waterfall, a dazzling array of colors.


    Coming closer, Vera Williams suddenly noticed something and excitedly said, “Wow, someone is taking pictures~”


    Leonard Churchill had noticed much earlier.


    A couple dressed in wedding attire were taking photos in front of the small chapel.


    The camera was one of those bulky antiques, slightly more ancient than those from a hundred years later, but only in size.


    The cumbersome photography apparatus required an assistant to manually burn magnesium powder for exposure.


    Vera Williams said, “This small chapel in the estate is considered the most beautiful in Black Gold City. Many well-connected families in the city occasionally borrow the chapel for weddings.”


    At that moment, with a “click,” a flash of white light filled their vision.