"Because I want you to assist me with this," Edward stated, then paused, waiting for William''s response.


    William, however, was uncertain about what Edward meant. What kind of assistance was he referring to? Manualbor, connections, or something else entirely?


    If Edward was alluding to the first two, William couldn''t offer much help. Despite his wealth, Williamcked two crucial elements— power and connections.


    In William''s estimation, three things made a person truly formidable: power, money, and women. Of these, he possessed only one. Fortunately, it was the most valuable one he could have at the moment.


    If someone had women but no money, they could soon bid farewell to the women. Simrly, if they wielded power butcked both money and women, that power would eventually slip away as well.


    Money was the only asset one could retain indefinitely, provided they were intelligent enough. Luckily for William, he didn''t need intelligence; he had a system and a GOD, both of which had granted him considerable advantages.


    William remained silent for a moment, pondering Edward''s request. Finally, he asked, "In what way do you need my assistance?"


    Edward leaned back and replied, "With money."


    "So, you want me to finance this operation?" William asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.


    Edward nodded. "Yes, and in return, you''ll receive a significant return on your investment once I sell the items I bring back from the expedition."


    William nodded as he grasped the concept. It was a straightforward funding arrangement: he would provide the capital, and when the profits from the expedition came in, Edward would repay him with interest.


    A simple deal.


    One William was eager to make, but not because of the potential profit. He could literally generate money; financial gain wasn''t his primary objective.


    What he truly sought was the connection that came with it. By financing Edward''s expedition, not only would he profit in the future, but he''d also forge an connection— something William desperately needed at this moment.


    Moreover, with the "Deal With Heaven" skill, establishing connections was just the beginning. The skill had the potential to turn a mere business connection into a genuine friendship.


    But despite the numerous benefits, something still nagged at him. He had to ask, "Edward, this proposal is appealing, and I''m want to ept it." Edward smiled at this, but William continued, "But why me? Why my family?"


    "Well, actually, you''re not the only one I''m presenting this proposal to." William furrowed his brows as Edward borated, "I intend to offer this deal to a few other families as well. I want to make this a joint expedition fund."


    "May I ask why?"


    "Certainly," Edward said, leaning back in his chair. "The expedition I''m sponsoring isn''t something one family can finance alone. Not that I''m implying you can''t," he added quickly. "It''s just that the amount is so substantial that, if losses urred, your family could face financial ruin."


    "So, for that reason and a few others, I thought it prudent to make this a joint expedition," Edward said with a smile. "Tell me, what do you think of the proposal?"


    William was silent for a moment before he returned the smile. "It''s a well-conceived proposal and one I''m interested in epting."


    Edward anticipated a "but" and remained particrly calm for what wasing next.


    "But before I agree, I''d like to know more details and might need some time to consider it. I''ll probably need to discuss it with my father as well," William said politely.


    "Of course," Edward replied. "You''re about to invest a substantial sum of money in aplete stranger, so it''s only natural to have questions. Please, ask away. As for the timing, take as much time as you need, but I do need you to inform me of your decision within a month."


    "Why one month?" William inquired.


    "Because I''ll start the preparations after a month."


    William understood the implication— by then, Edward would have approached the other families, and he wouldn''t need William anymore. William remained calm, quickly considering what he needed to know before continuing.


    "When will the expedition actuallymence, beyond the preliminary preparations?" he asked.


    "If everything goes ording to n, it will begin six months from now."


    "Can you tell me the total amount of money you''ll require for this expedition?"


    Edward was slightly taken aback by the question. He expected it from the other prominent families, but not from the young man before him. Still, he quickly responded, "I can''t provide an exact figure because once the expedition begins, I''ll need to order supplies and weaponry that will be costly and variable, so I can''t give you a final amount yet."


    "What about the sum you''ll need before the expedition starts?" William pressed.


    "Beforehand, huh…" Edward pondered for a moment before giving a calcted answer. "I''ll need somewhere between 520 and 550 billion dors."


    ''Hmm… that''s an enormous amount,'' William mused, his mind racing. ''He''s already mentioned that more funding might be required after the start, which could mean the total could approach a trillion dors or even surpass it.''


    ''No wonder he wants a joint expedition. No family is foolish enough to risk so much money and face potential ruin. But even then… why is he seeking external funding?'' William pondered as he recalled something.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, Edward, why are you seeking external funding? You should be wealthy enough to finance this expedition fully as the head of a Great House."


    This information hadn''t been explicitly stated before, but Edward wasn''t just the owner of one of thergest auction houses in Escana; he was also the House Master of the Saintsgate Great House.


    Hearing the question, Edward didn''t get angry. Instead, he offered a brief smile. ''The kid may appear innocent, but he''s quite astute when ites to business.''


    Edward felt satisfied with the questions, not because he enjoyed them, but because it indicated that he hadn''t been wrong in selecting this new family, which had caused quite a stir in recent months.


    "Well… It''s not that Ick the money, because I don''t. It''s just that I don''t want to use it." Edward said, his words puzzling William.


    "I can fully finance this operation and wouldn''t really need anyone else, but doing so would result in a significant loss for me."


    "You have to understand that financing it would mean not only providing the men but also the money. Losing both would be a significant problem, even for a Great House."


    William nodded. "Okay, I understand that. But you still haven''t answered my question— why my family?"


    "Well… I witnessed what happened at the auction house, and I must say, I was quite impressed by your subordinate''s actions. Besides being pleased, I became intrigued and did some research on your family. I learned that you''re a rtively new house, which was also making some ruckus on the outside as well."


    "But I could see that your intentions were good for the subjects. so I thought involving you might help you connect with some influential people."


    "Oh, I appreciate you considering us," William said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But how about I propose a new deal?"