Chapter 0194

Although Dilien Amerton seems unreliable at first glance, she did a good job getting the information they all needed.

The brothel was owned by the Vase-Sunge-Bringe-Markeet-Varent-Team-Juiel-Crim Conglomerate, an eighth rate company in itself but it has ties to the Sili-Ying-Bringe-Markeet Conglomerate, a fourth rate conglomerate, who has ties to the second rate conglomerate Avon-Ying.

Before Tempest and the other had to ask, Dilien was already explaining the family structure in the Mysterious Wasteland.

The Mysterious Wasteland is the capital of capitalism. Everything is driven by wealth and greed. Oh yeah, she forgot to mention the contracts. Everything is driven by wealth, greed and contractual obligations.

As the capital of capitalism, the core unit of the Mysterious Wasteland is a shop. More than one shops make it a chain shop. Above the chain shop is a company than a conglomerate.

To put it into terms the people from the other domains can understand, a shop is a nuclear family, consisting of father, mother and their children. Add in the extended family such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews and the shop becomes a chain shop. Extend the family ties a bit further and you get the company. If it is a big clan then it becomes a conglomerate.

A linked company is used to create an alliance between two conglomerate.

Every child born in the Mysterious Wasteland takes the name of the middle name of their parents as their own, with the father’s middle name being first, up to seven generations.

For example, Mary 1-2. Her father is John 1-3 while her mother Nancy 2-4, so Mary is Mary 1-2, except names, are a status symbol in the Mysterious Wasteland. The less name a person has, the closer they are to inheriting their parents or family’s conglomerate.

Therefore, the law states that a child has to take the family name up to seven generations. So Mary 1-2 turns out to be Mary 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14. The 3 comes from her paternal grandfather and 4 comes from her maternal grandfather.

Paternal grandfather is Abel 1-5 and maternal grandfather is Jack 2-6. Then it gets up to the next generation and the next generation.

Such a long name isn’t used in everyday life. Mary would use Mary 1-2 most of the time. However, should Mary engage in any trade she would be required to sign her entire name.

It is annoying, repetitive and exhausting. It is meant to be this way.

First, identity is almost guaranteed. How easy it to give birth to a child named Mary 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14? Not every easy. This naming method is almost like a social security number of an American.

Second, it is used to bully and demean the weak and the poor. Active bullying of the weak and the poor is frowned down upon. It is seen as uncouth and beneath them.

Swindling people with wit, loopholes in the contract or a good scheme is praised.

Swindling an ignorant person because they didn’t take the time to learn their full name is the first thing the rich teach their children to do.

Third, the name is used to make a person mediocre, therefore easier to control.

However, the name is also a method used to encourage the child. A child who achieves certain milestones or goals set by the ancient ancestor of the governing body of the Mysterious Wasteland has the right to shave off the last name of their name. Mary 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14 would be Mary 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13. As Mary achieved more, she can take off more of her names.

There are advantages to having a shorter name. For example, there is the 1-2-3-4 conglomerate or linked company. If Mary has enough achievement to shorten her name to Mary 1-2-3-4, then even though she has distant blood ties to the original people who establish company 1-2-3-4, she has equal rights and obligations as an heir of the company.

As such, all large conglomerate keep an eye out on anyone of interest who might earn the right to inherit their company.

“You can tell by my name alone that I am the heir to the Amerton Conglomerate, a first rate conglomerate in the Mysterious Wasteland.” Dilien Amerton said proudly.

By this time, Tempest was so confused by Dilien Amerton explanation, she can’t make heads or tails of the situation at all.

Tempest desperately turned to Fenix for a better explanation.

Fenix took pity on Tempest and the rest of the teammates. They might not look like it but they are as confused as Tempest. They just have a better poker face than Tempest.

“The owner of the brothel is a small fry, but they have decent backing and connections to a more powerful backer.”

“Ah, so that’s it. Why couldn’t she say that in the beginning.” Tempest said what was on everyone’s mind but they were smart enough not to say anything about it.

“I did you ignorant plebeian.” Dilien Amerton retorted with all the arrogance of a rich heiress used to dealing with uninformed fools.

“Sure you-”

Fenix slammed a hand over Tempest’s mouth. She was sure the fool was going to say something stupid and her sister would find it offensive and then they would lose her help. “Please excuse the silly little girl. She knows nothing of the Mysterious Wasteland.”

“Fools are easiest to swindle. Make sure she never enters the Mysterious Wasteland alone.”

“Duly noted.”

“Speaking of which,” Dilien Amerton spoke casually but her eyes were trained on Tempest like a hawk on a mouse, “what is the full name of the girl I’m making a bargain with?”

“Amnesia here.” Tempest pointed it out.

“You may have amnesia but you did give yourself a name. I’d like to know that name so I can create a proper contract.”

Tempest hesitate a bit. Tempest Arashi Kataigida isn’t really known, but Tempest gave the puppet she was using to pretend to be her her last name, Katiagida. By now everyone should know the name Kataigida, Cardis’ Successor.

“I am called Tempest Arashi Kataigida, the holder of the Resonance Bond of Cardis’ Successor, Kataigda.” Tempest decided to distort facts. Tempest Arashi Kataigida is the name she chose for herself and her bond with Cardis’ Successor is the truth. She has a bond with herself. She wasn’t lying. She just didn’t tell them she was Cardis’ Successor. She wasn’t going to spread that fact around. Tempest had already pissed off a lot of women when she was traveling with Cardis previously. Let it out that she was Cardis’ Successor and who knows what kind of trouble those women infatuated with Cardis might come up with.

“Alright, Tempest Arashi Kataigida, Resonance Bond Holder of Kataigida, I, Dilien Amerton is willing to go into a contract with you, provided your payment is enough to cover any and all costs associated with the stated task.” Tempest jumped behind Graden and shamelessly used him as a shield. Dilien Amerton is scary, shark lawyer scary.

“Moving on, the brothel may be owned by the Vase-Sunge-Bringe-Markeet-Varent-Team-Juiel-Crim Conglomerate but they don’t operate it. They own the building but they lease it to the Domain Management Guild. So all personnel, as well as the slaves, belong to the Domain Management Guild.”

“Interesting.” Fenix grinned evilly.

“Indeed.” Dilien Amerton grinned evilly.

“Mother would be most pleased.” Xue Lian Hua grinned evilly.

Tempest has no doubt they were sisters. They have different fathers, look different, act different, but they are definitely sisters.

The sister’s smile was so alike Tempest could have sworn someone back on Earth came to the Cardinal Realm and took a picture of Fenix and cut and copied her evil grin onto Dilien Amerton and Xue Lian Hua.

It wasn’t just the physical expression, that slightly tilted lips with a bit of tooth showing, but also the aura of the smile was the same. The spine tingly sinister smile scared everyone into nearly wetting their pants. Okay, Tempest was scared into nearly wetting their pants. She can’t say that about anyone else or they’d beat her into a panda pig head but she was sure her statement applied to them as well. Even that crazy guy, Arlan Ben Tivock, was bothered by his sisters’ malevolent smiles and Soul Liners was supposed to be the crazy psychos no cultivators would want to mess with.

Tempest shivered behind Graden as the three sisters shared a touching moment and prayed for the moment to pass.

Li Ming hid behind Bei Ting Mao. It might do her good to see Fenix in a new light. Li Ming had a kind of holier than thou attitude towards Fenix, like she was better than Fenix. Fenix pretends not to see it because she needed Li Ming’s water mana and for group cohesiveness. It isn’t a good attitude to have. Tempest was happy Li Ming was slowly changing her attitude towards the rest of the group. She didn’t want the cause of Li Ming’s change to be Fenix’s evil side.

Tempest turned her attention towards the Arosis men. The longer the sisters smiled, the closer Xue Yang was towards the door. It seems he doesn’t know about this side of his sisters. He is a man. He doesn’t know the mind of a woman.

The scary thing about this scene is Arlan Ben Tivock. Didn’t people say Soul Liners are the bogey man of the cultivation world? Weren’t they insane psychopaths that manipulate the karma of a cultivator that they can die in a ditch without realizing why or who was the cause of their death? Then why in the world would scary, insane Arlan Ben Tivock slowly edge towards the window like he’d make a break for it at any moment?

Tempest turned her attention towards the sisters in question and got her answer. They are scary. Women are scary. Yes, Tempest realizes she made the statement when she herself is a woman.

As for Starm… he’s sitting in the chair, more preoccupied with the toy in his hand than the situation at hand.

“Hmmm… the Domain Management Guild huh? It might not count for much but you can call on the Morcean family for support if you need it.” Graden did his part and offered the services of his family to the trio.

“Whoa, you have ties to the Morcean family?” Fenix asked surprised.

Graden introduced himself as Graden Murkeiel. Fenix had never probe further because she didn’t want to cause a rift in their budding friendship and she didn’t want family drama to interfere with their relationship so she didn’t know Graden has relations to the Morcean family.

The Magus Alliance worked on the quasi guild slash sect model in their cultivating structure. Mages found this structure most suited to them. It allows the poor and the weak but high affinities a chance to grow and free up time for the higher ups to learn from their spirits. It also doesn’t put many constraints on the mages, especially considering most mages have… unusual personalities.

While most of the focus was placed on the big guilds in the Magus Alliance, the importance of the big clans can not be discounted. It more of the importance of the big clans that should not be discounted. After all, there are only four big clans in the Magus Alliance: Talenski, Arnist, Morcean, and Yoresteven. Everyone one of the big clans has a Child of the Spirits as their backer.

If Cardis had family then he could have backed his family to grow into a big clan. Sadly, Cardis was an only child. His parents died a long time ago and he didn’t have children on account of his disappearing wife who he still held a torch for.

As for the Morcean that Graden mentioned, it had Miretta Morcean, Daughter of Nature, as its backer.

“How close are you to Miretta Morcean?” Fenix asked.

“Not too close,” Graden answered sheepishly.

“We’re all friends here Graden. Spill the beans.” Fenix wasn’t buying his humble act. His last name isn’t Morcean yet he dares offer to use the Morcean name! He had better be close to the immortal in the Morcean family to offer the use of their name like he did.

“My mother is the great great granddaughter of Miretta Morcean.”

“You’re what? Sixth generation down?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t Miretta created a matrilineal kingdom, naming her daughter as the queen?”

Graden sighed out a yes.

“No wonder you are so gentle despite your fire affinities. You were influenced by the woman in your family. Am I talking to a bona fide prince here?” Fenix ribbed.

“My dear Fenix, you are completely out of the loop here. The Morcean Kingdom is a matrilineal kingdom. Males aren’t in line for the throne. In fact, males with royal blood are exiled from the kingdom after a certain age.” Dilien Amerton stared at Graden.

“If Graden is exiled from the kingdom, how can he offer to use the Morcean name?” Tempest asked.

“The Morcean Kingdom considered a person an adult at 40-years-old. I won’t be able to use the Morcean name after I become an adult, but I am not an adult yet, hence I can use the Morcean name if I need to.”

Tempest pat Graden on the back to comfort him. Being disowned by his family once he reaches adulthood has got to hurt. It’s like being tossed out of the house when a child reaches 18 and left to fend for themselves.

Li Ming and Xu Lian Hua tried to express her goodwill toward Graden as well. Being born female in a patrilineal society, they understood what Graden was going through.

Graden smiled softly, please at the outpouring of care and concern he felt from them.

Fenix finally senses Graden discomfort so she shifted the topic back to the issue at hand. “No need to use the Morcean name. The Arosis name is good enough. Mother would be happy to tackle the Domain Management Guild for us.”

Tempest pinched Graden on the side and tried to get Graden to ask, “What is the issue with their mother and the Domain Management Guild?”

Graden got the message loud and clear. “What is the issue with their mother and the Domain Management Guild?”

Fenix grinned evilly.

Dilien Amerton grinned evilly.

Xue Lian Hua grinned evilly.

Tempest jumped behind Graden and used him as a shield again. She wondered if this was a subject she should not have touched.

Author: You finally realize you should have shut the trap you call a mouth.

Tempest: Who’s talking. Ventus, did you hear anything?

Ventus (silencing the author): No one is talking dear.