Tudor Kingdom


    A flying machine was soaring at an altitude of 4,000 feet above the ground. Yet, what stood out wasn''t merely its height but its peculiar design.


    The design was not something that would have beenmon in William''s previous world but in this new world what seemed peculiar to him before was but allmon here.


    The aircraft resembled an unusual amalgamation of a helicopter and a jet fighter. The nose was as sizable as that of a helicopter, while the overall structure echoed the sleek, aerodynamic form of a jet fighter. The fusge was nearly asrge as a private jet, but with a design leaning more towards military aesthetics.


    It was cloaked in an ominous ck, ented by rugged streaks of crimson. Arge rotor de spun rapidly atop the aircraft, working in tandem with the propellers to keep it aloft.


    However, the machine''s menacing appearance didn''t end there. It was armed to the teeth. Visible on its nks and tail were machine guns and re dispensers.


    Yet, these were only a fraction of its defensive capabilities. Concealed within the aircraft were rockets, missiles, small heat-seekingsers, and other sophisticated weaponry, ready to be deployed at the press of a button. These hidden arsenals could be unleashed in an instant, capable of obliterating anything in their path.


    Seated within this formidable array of weaponry was our protagonist, engrossed in his phone, typing furiously. His face was a picture of frustration, asionally punctuated by muttered expletives.


    "F*ck." He cursed once.


    "God damn it!" He cursed again in a matter of seconds.


    "Damn it, not again." He med again as he looked like he would crush the phone at his hands.


    Curious about what was troubling his superior, Delmar inquired, "Boss, what''s going on?"


    William typed a few more times, only to be met with the same frustrating oue. He sighed deeply before replying, "I lost again."


    Delmar was shocked for a moment before he nodded in understanding. "I get it. Happens to the best of us."


    Delmar didn''t know his newly acquired boss was also interested in things like this but now that he seemed to think about it, it didn''t feel that odd.


    He was a very rich kid, so of course he would have eventually been caught by some of those matters.


    William looked at him, bewildered. "You y too?"


    "Yeah, I do. Everyone here does." Delmar said casually as it was a universal truth.


    William''s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, everyone in this security team ys too?"


    Delmar nodded. William continued, "I had no idea. I always thought they were too old for games."


    "Nobody''s too old for games, boss. It''s for everyone... So, how much did you lose?"


    William sighed again before answering, "Something very expensive."


    "Let me guess, a few thousand? Hundreds of thousands, maybe?"


    "Not even close. It was worth a few billion."


    Delmar''s eyes widened in astonishment. "Whoa! I''ve never lost that much in a game."


    "Well, not only that, but I also lost a few elixirs, magical items, and—worst of all—a legendary sword."


    Delmar squinted in confusion. "I didn''t realize you could wager items in these games."


    Hearing this, William looked at him with a mix of disbelief and amusement. "What are you talking about? Wagering?"


    "Didn''t you just say you lost all those things in a bet?"


    "What? No! I wasn''t ying cards or anything like that. It was a video game."


    "So, about losing all that money and those items...?"


    "It was in-game currency and items my character had. I lost them because I was killed by the th goth viiness."


    An awkward silence filled the room before Delmar finally spoke. "Well, at least you didn''t lose millions of real dors by betting on the wrong thing like I did, so that''s something."


    William shook his head before changing the subject. "So, anything worth telling me?"


    "Actually, yes," Delmar replied, swiping the screen on his tablet. The page he was viewing expanded into arge holographic disy in front of them.


    The screen showed an image of an auction hall alongside a picture of the Broken Heaven Sword. Delmar continued, "The news spread even faster this time. They''ve figured out that we''re the ones who now possess the sword."


    "Weren''t the auction house officials supposed to keep this confidential? How did they find out so quickly?"


    Delmar scrolled down on the tablet, and the holographic disy mirrored the movement. "The page doesn''t specify where they got their information, but they im it''s highly likely that we''re the ones with the sword."


    "So they''re making assertions without any concrete evidence?" William asked, eyeing the screen, which only mentioned the Trust family without offering any substantial proof.


    "Yeah… at least that''s what the article implies. But anyone with half a brain will know this is either a red herring or it''s the truth."


    "If they don''t know what the distraction is for, then the only logical conclusion is that the spection is urate," William concluded.


    Delmar nodded in agreement. "Yes, and if that''s the case, we''ll need to ramp up your security measures considerably."


    The mention of increased security made William''s head ache. He rubbed his temples and said, "Seriously, Delmar, you''ve done excellent work since joining me, but… what''s with thisckluster security?"


    Delmar looked a bit embarrassed as he nced at a photo of Carl on the tablet. "Believe me, I had no idea the guy was like that. I received his information from a trusted source that assured me he was reliable and highly skilled. That''s why I made him your top security officer."


    "But who knew he was so unreliable? Either my source didn''t give me updated information, or the guy was reced by a double."


    William remembered something and asked, "And what about his family? Did you check if they''re safe or if someone could exploit them for ckmail?"


    "Yes, I looked into it. They''re fine—parents deceased, wife dead, and no children."


    William stared at him for a moment, trying to gauge if he was serious. "So you''re telling me that everyone in his family being dead is ''fine''?"


    "… Well, at least there''s no one for others to exploit."


    Although William was slightly disturbed by Delmar''s reasoning, he had to admit that it made a certain twisted sense.


    "Alright, what about his social circle?" William asked, eager to move on from the morbid discussion.


    "This time, something feels off," Delmar replied.


    William, who had just lost interest, perked up again. "And?"


    "I looked into his friends and who he''s been associating with. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but when I investigated a woman he''s been seeing for a few months in a ''cough'' special ce, I was able to link her to someone concerning."


    Delmar swiped the tablet again, and a new image reced the previous one on the holographic disy. The picture showed a middle-aged man in his 50s,pletely bald with a shrewd, calcting expression.


    "Meet Mr. Hin He, the manager of the Vilet Boeil Bank. They''re our current rivals, and the bank we''re currently undermining with our low-interest rates."


    "What''s particrly interesting is that the woman our guy has been seeing is also involved with Mr. He."