Building A Business Empire From Scratch In Another World

"Exactly! When their so-called 'loyal' merchants refuse to break contracts with us, they'll be seen as defiant heroes," Clair said, her lips curling into a sly smile. "We're turning the nobles' own greed against them."

Felix tapped his desk thoughtfully. "They want to tarnish our restaurants? Let them try. We've already got agents embedded among their ranks."

He pulled out a second document,a list of names.

"These are their hired saboteurs. Half of them? Our people. The moment they try to plant 'evidence,' we'll expose them right in front of everyone!"

Nixie gasped, her eyes lighting up. "Wow, that's going to be amazing to watch!"

Felix nodded confidently. "Every Morningstar restaurant has our eyes and ears in place.

The instant a rat or rotten steak 'mysteriously' shows up, we'll catch them red-handed and force them to spill the truthalong with the name of their noble paymaster, in front of the entire dining room."

Clair's breath caught in her throat. "Public humiliation at its finest."

"Worse than that," Felix corrected her, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "The Crown might tolerate noble scheming, but blatant fraud that endangers commoners? That's a different story. They'll face hefty fines, revoked licenses,maybe even exile."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper filled with intensity. "But the real prize isn't just the nobles; it's whoever is pulling their strings."

With dramatic flair, he unfolded a map of Astheria dotted with red pins marking key locations.

"Zephyr's spies have noticed something strange: every noble attacking us has met with the same mysterious 'merchant' over the past month."

He placed a black pin at the center of the map.."Here: The Obsidian Veil tavern."

Nixie frowned in confusion. "A middleman?"

"More than just that," Felix replied, his eyes shimmering faintly as his lightning magic stirred within him.

"This person moves like a ghost,no name, no face, but they're orchestrating these nobles like pieces on a chessboard."

His gaze burned with determination as he continued, "So here's our plan: we let the nobles attack us; we let them fall into their own traps. And when their master steps in to save them…"

Felix clenched his fist tightly.

"We crush them all."

----------

Nestled in the heart of Silverpeak, one of Astheria's most affluent commercial districts, the 3 Star Morningstar Restaurant is nothing short of a hidden gem.

The streets, paved with shimmering marble dust and air filled with the delicate fragrance of enchanted blossoms.

The restaurant itself is a breathtaking masterpiece, its facade intricately carved from white jade and laced with veins of gold that sparkle under the soft glow of floating mana lanterns.

Step inside, and you'll find an atmosphere that feels downright regal.

The ceiling arches high above, adorned with a stunning mural depicting celestial phoenixes soaring through a starlit sky.

Their wings glisten with embedded luminescent gems that cast a warm, golden light throughout the room.

Each table is crafted from duskwood, polished to perfection and set with Verdant Empire porcelain so fine it's nearly translucent, truly fit for royalty!

Chandeliers made from frost crystal hang gracefully overhead, their light refracting through cut gemstones to scatter rainbows across every corner.

A gentle melody plays in the background, an enchanting harp that strums itself, infused with calming mana to soothe every patron's spirit.

And at the center of this luxurious setting?

A magnificent three-tiered fountain flowing not with water but with liquid moonlight wine,its surface twinkling like captured starlight.

This is where Silverpeak's elite come to see and be seen; where merchants seal fortunes over glasses of Elven Starlight and nobles whisper secrets behind privacy wards.

Tonight, however, the restaurant buzzes more than usual, it's packed!

----------------

Lyle a wiry man whose face resembles that of a weasel and whose fingers move faster than any pickpocket's.

He slips through the kitchen's back entrance wearing a Red-Tier meat supplier uniform,a clever disguise granting him access to the ingredient stockrooms.

His mission? Simple yet sinister: swap out fresh griffin steaks for spoiled ones.

"Just make sure it's obvious," Lord Duskbane had sneered earlier that day. "I want those commoners vomiting in the streets by midnight."

Lyle smirked as he unloaded tainted meat from his hidden compartment while kitchen staff bustled around him, too preoccupied to notice another deliveryman among them. But unbeknownst to him, eyes lurked in the shadows.

Just as Lyle placed his last spoiled steak onto the shelf, a hand clamped down on his shoulder like an iron vise.

"Interesting meat you've got there."

Lyle froze at the sound,a calm voice tinged with amusement, but that grip felt like being held by a mountain.

He turned slowly to confront a towering figure clad in an immaculate chef's uniform.

This man, with a beard trimmed to perfection and sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms rippling with muscle, exuded an undeniable aura of authority.

But it was his eyes that sent chills down Lyle's spine,golden orbs with slitted pupils reminiscent of a dragon's gaze.

"Chef Goran?!" one of the kitchen apprentices gasped, disbelief etched on their face.

The head chef of the restaurant,a legend rumored to have once slain a Tier 6 magical beast with nothing but a butcher's cleaver,smiled, though there was no warmth in it.

"Let's take a walk, friend," he said smoothly.

Before Lyle could voice his protests, Goran seized him by the arm and dragged him out of the bustling kitchen and into the main dining hall.

Suddenly, the music came to an abrupt halt. Every eye in the restaurant snapped toward them, curiosity mingling with concern.

With a swift motion, Goran forced Lyle to his knees at the center of the room and turned to face the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice deep and resonant enough to command attention effortlessly.

"My sincerest apologies for this interruption." He paused dramatically. "But it seems we have… a special guest tonight."

Lyle struggled to rise, panic coursing through him as Goran pressed a single finger onto his forehead,and released his cultivation pressure.

The air shimmered ominously around them.

Plates rattled violently; wine glasses shattered under the weight of Goran's overwhelming aura, Tier 5 High-Level Knight energy that felt like an immovable force pressing down on Lyle.

A scream tore from Lyle's throat as terror locked his body in place.

"Who sent you?" Goran asked softly yet menacingly.

Against his will, Lyle's mouth moved: "L-Lord Duskbane! He paid me to ruin your food! Said, said he wanted your customers sick!"

A collective gasp swept through the room like wildfire.

Then outrage erupted.

A merchant stood up, face flushed crimson with fury. "Duskbane?! That miserly worm tried to poison us?!"

A noblewoman snapped her fan shut with an angry crack. "How dare he endanger my daughter's nameday feast!"

Goran leaned closer, whispering so only Lyle could hear: "Run back to your master. Tell him that the Morningstar Restaurant doesn't take kindly to rats."

With that, he kicked Lyle through the front door like yesterday's trash, sending him tumbling into the street outside.

As diners erupted into furious chatter about Duskbane's treachery, a lone figure observed from above, the enigmatic Felix Morningstar disguised as a wealthy merchant. With a sly smile playing at the corners of his lips, he took a leisurely sip of his wine.

"Right on schedule," he mused to himself.

Beside him, Nixie, clad in a maid's uniform for cover, couldn't contain her amusement. "Big bro, you're downright evil!" she giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Felix swirled his glass thoughtfully before replying, "No, my dear sister. Evil would have let Goran break his legs." The glint in his eyes hinted at deeper schemes.

Clair, who was posing as Felix's bodyguard, leaned in and murmured softly, "Duskbane won't survive this scandal."

Felix's gaze sharpened with anticipation.

"Good," he replied with an air of satisfaction that suggested he had much more planned.