Chapter 889
Chapter 889
Anton’s private conversation with his father and sister was fairly brief since they had already discussed most important matters during their monthly meetings inside the game.
Afterward, the entire family gathered in one of the manor's salons, where they spent the afternoon chatting about a variety of mostly trivial topics.
To Anton, the conversation wasn't about exchanging information.
It was simply family bonding, and he felt it brought everyone closer together.
As time passed, his two stepbrothers gradually stopped acting so shy around him.
Anton made a conscious effort to be kind and approachable, but most of the credit belonged to Alfred and Luna. The two siblings constantly made sure the boys were included in every activity.
Alfred had already begun introducing them to the wonderful world of anime.
After all, how could anyone dislike the person who had brought anime into their lives?
Apparently, Alfred had already watched the opening minutes of the first episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and he could hardly wait for the servants to finish copying the entire series onto the magic item recorders he had prepared.
The four young wizards Anton had hired from New Drennor were also present, and just as Anton had expected, they had become much closer to the family.
Anna quietly leaned over and whispered to him.
"I think Luna will probably marry Kirk in a few years."
If that happened, Kirk—and by extension the other young wizards—would become even more closely tied to the family.
"Do you think we should train more wizards?" Anton quietly asked Anna.
She simply shrugged.
"I don't really care. I'll leave that to Father. If he's serious about becoming a king, he'll need to raise powerful people who are loyal to him."
In truth, Anton and Anna had been living rather carefree lives.
For the first time in years, they were able to enjoy the kind of youth they should have experienced from the beginning instead of constantly running from the undead.
Some of the older members of the family, however—particularly Romina, Susan, and Raymond—had begun worrying that the Sunder family was still too small.
They couldn't afford to wait years for Anton and Anna to eventually marry and have children.
Fortunately, Anders now had two young stepsons.
Neither of them appeared to possess any talent for wizardry, meaning they could one day continue the family line in ways Anton and Anna probably wouldn't.
Kirk also factored into their long-term plans.
Once he married Luna, he would officially become part of the Sunder family.
Romina even jokingly suggested that Anders should take a few concubines to help expand the family.
Anders simply ignored her.
He did admit to Anton and Anna that Sonya wasn't opposed to the idea, as such arrangements were fairly common among wealthy nobles.
Even so, Anders had no intention of entering relationships without genuine affection.
At the very least, Sonya had become far more confident.
Thanks to the daily supply of mana water Anders provided, she was becoming more beautiful with each passing day.
At Anton's request, Raymond had also hired a tutor to teach Sonya the etiquette expected of a noblewoman.
Anton's stepbrothers were receiving tutors as well.
As the Sunder family's status in Ormunda continued to rise, proper education had become increasingly important.
Romina then updated Anton on the family's newest business venture.
Together with Bruce and Susan, she had decided to move forward with the idea of hosting cosplay events based on the movies already shown in the cinema.
It would be a massive undertaking.
They intended to purchase the land surrounding the cinema and construct a large stadium specifically designed to host cosplay events.
They also planned to hire a considerable number of employees.
Since Anders, Anton, and Anna all had responsibilities of their own, the three of them were fully prepared to oversee the project themselves.
Romina also planned to involve Kirk, Abdul, Mesono, and Omar in managing the new venture.
The four young men needed to begin learning how to shoulder some of the family's responsibilities.
She assured Anton that they would still have ample time to continue their magical studies.
In truth, Anton wasn't worried.
Thanks to the runeword spear Insight, even if they devoted part of their time to the family business, they would still advance through the wizard ranks at an astonishing pace.
Anton was slightly surprised when Raymond mentioned another idea.
The butler intended to recruit and personally train an assistant butler.
As the family continued to expand, Raymond believed they would need more capable people managing the household.
Anton simply nodded in agreement.
Soon, noon arrived.
The entire family shared lunch before Anton prepared to leave.
His next visit to Rose Manor wouldn't be for another four months, when the Melinda reached its next destination.
Of course, Anton, Anders, and Anna still intended to meet inside the game at the end of every month.
If anything urgent arose, they could always communicate through their paired magical earrings.
After a lengthy round of farewells, Anton returned to his room and stepped through the Town Portal leading back to his hotel room on Meronoma.
Overall, he was extremely happy with the family reunion.
When he stepped outside his room, he found Paul, Eric, and Mironor already waiting for him.
Judging by Mironor's serious expression, Anton suspected there would be no more sightseeing.
"Sir Sunder, I need to discuss something important with you," Mironor said. "Several of our island's senior elves would like to speak with you about your movies."
"I understand," Anton replied. "Before that, I'd like some assistance with the negotiations. I'm going back to the ship to ask a few experienced people to accompany me. Would that be acceptable?"
Mironor nodded.
Anton, Paul, and Eric immediately headed toward the Melinda.
Along the way, Anton told the two cousins that he would probably be occupied for the remainder of their stay on Meronoma.
"I understand," Paul replied. "Eric and I will return to our families and help them purchase the supplies we still need."
Eric nodded, though he still looked slightly confused by everything that was happening.
Upon arriving aboard the ship, Anton asked one of the crew members to take him to either the captain or Invincible Olemena.
He didn't actually expect either of them to negotiate on his behalf.
What he needed were experienced people who understood trade and diplomacy.
The sailor escorted him to the captain's office, sheepishly admitting that he was too intimidated to approach Invincible Olemena directly.
When Anton entered the office, the captain was clearly busy.
Nevertheless, he still welcomed Anton inside and listened patiently.
After hearing the situation, the captain summoned one of the ship's officers.
"This is Second Officer Liemdal," he said. "He's an exceptionally sharp man and will be able to assist you. I also recommend speaking with the wizards so they can assign someone to accompany your delegation."
Anton explained to Liemdal that he needed experienced advisors because he would be negotiating the sale of movies to the elves.
The second officer raised a hand.
"It would be better if you explain everything after we've assembled the entire delegation."
Anton agreed.
Liemdal then escorted him to the section of the ship where the wizards usually stayed.
Fortunately, Invincible Olemena happened to be in her office.
Once they were admitted, Liemdal explained Anton's situation.
Olemena simply nodded before summoning another wizard.
"This is Supreme Baturin," she said. "He'll assist you with the trade negotiations."
With that, she dismissed them.
Supreme Baturin was an elderly wizard whose appearance alone reflected decades of experience.
The three of them returned to Liemdal's office, where Anton carefully explained every detail of the situation, including his previous negotiations with the forest elves over the rights to his movies.