The First Store System

Lily, using her second wish, had asked Aakesh to help her claim the entire Kingdom for herself in three years. Since three years weren’t enough for Lily to grow strong enough to challenge the might of the throne, Aakesh suggested Lily do things calculatingly.

Even though power always prevails, it isn’t always the physical strength, but sometimes it’s mental power that proves to be the winner.

Any Kingdom stands on the deeds of its aristocracy. If nobles become corrupt and cruel, it announces the doom of the state in the form of a revolution, and if the nobles are a positive light for the citizen, it brings unseen prosperity to the nation.

If Lily could have the nation’s top aristocracy on her side rather than the King, then the Kingdom would surely fall.

“Did you make your connections with Earl Gilbert?” Aakesh asked Lily as the first target he had chosen for Lily was Earl Gilbert.

Earl was a title above Baron and Viscount but lower than the Marquis and the Duke, so Aakesh chose the nearest Earl as his target.

Earl Gilbert ruled over a district, having seven cities. Each of the seven cities held more wealth than Lily’s entire territory could never even hope to achieve.

The previous ruler of Lily’s territory wasn’t liked by Earl Gilbert, so Lily and he hit right off after Lily’s official claim of the land.

Aakesh also had another reason for choosing Earl Gilbert as his first target. It wasn’t due to being the closest to Lily’s territory, but it was due to Earl Gilbert having a Marquis stepbrother.

From what Aakesh heard from Lily, Earl Gilbert and his Marquis stepbrother disliked each other to an extent where they wouldn’t come face to face unless the King demanded their presence at the same time.

Aakesh wanted to use that dislike in his favor.

Aakesh knew the basic fact that only rare people have ideologies that they would die for or never betray, but for the majority, if someone wanted them on their side, then the best plan was to offer them benefits.

***

“Yes, I am going to meet him three days later at his daughter’s engagement,” Lily nodded and answered in her childlike voice.

“How many people are coming to the engagement ceremony?” Aakesh suddenly asked as an idea emerged in his head after learning about the engagement ceremony.

“One Marquis, seven Earls, fifteen Viscounts, and thirty-seven Barons,” Lily responded after remembering the guest names she had read from the invitation list.

“Is it Marquis Gordon or someone else?” Aakesh asked another question.

Marquis Gordon was Earl Gilbert’s father-in-law, so according to Aakesh, it was most probably him.

“Yes, Gilbert’s daughter is marrying Gordon’s great-grandchild,” Lily answered.

“Oh, another marriage in the family,” Aakesh mumbled. He then started explaining what Lily should do for the next three days to plan for the engagement ceremony since a chance to meet so many nobles at once would rarely come in the future. Aakesh wanted to snatch every ounce of benefit he could from that ceremony.

Lily’s eyes got big, and then her face turned into a thinking expression as she intently listened to what Aakesh had to say.

Time flew by.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Lily snorted as she lightly tapped her head.

In response, a smile spread across Aakesh’s face as he squeezed Lily’s face.

Lily made an annoyed expression, but she didn’t stop Aakesh since these moments were bliss for both of them, who had no one but themselves to call their family.

“Did you find some ways to hatch the egg?” Lily suddenly asked as thinking about family made her remember the egg Aakesh had gotten from Vritrasura as a reward.

For Lily, the egg was a family in a similar way to what she was to Aakesh. She had made even Aakesh promise Lily that she would be the teacher of the newborn Chaos Whale, not Aakesh, just like he taught her everything.

Aakesh shook his head in response. He had told Lily many times that it wasn’t possible to hatch the Chaos Whale for the current him, maybe he could do it when he ascended to the higher dimensions, but every few days, Lily would ask him the question again. Aakesh didn’t mind her asking since he could see how much Lily wanted the creature to be born from the egg.

Lily’s face turned disappointed in no time, but soon it returned to normal. If Aakesh said it, he would do it; then he would do it. There was no other way possible.

As Aakesh and Lily were conversing, the time was continuously flowing.

During that time, only a few new customers came, so there was not much time to stop between the duo’s conversations.

As time continued flowing without stopping for anyone, the sun set down, bringing a wave of darkness across the Anga continent and the Visteerna. The creatures of the night started coming out, while the day creatures started going back to sleep.

The capital city of the Bisan Kingdom was Kakot, and it always slept after the sunset. But as the popularity of the mysterious store soared, Kakot became a city that never slept. No matter the time of the day or night, it would be open to everyone.

Only one building was an exception to this rule, and it was the store that made the city act such a way for the Kingdom. Every sunrise, the store would open, and after sunset, the store would announce its closing for the day. No matter what the status of the customer was, they knew the store would follow its schedule.

After closing the store, Aakesh turned around and looked at the Lily, still pondering over what he had said a few moments earlier before the third group exited their virtual portals.

“It’s time for training,” Aakesh smilingly commented, breaking the pondering atmosphere around Lily.

Lily wanted to say something, but when she remembered the strictness Aakesh had when it came to training, no words came out of her mouth, and she only nodded in response.

Aakesh only smiled as he knew what Lily was thinking. He then thought about the selection area, and not long after, both of them appeared there, disappearing from the store.