Chapter 912
Chapter 912
Kirk, Mesono, Omar, and Abdul were still studying to become high-ranking wizards, and the family had never stopped supporting them.
Raymond, the family butler, had once told Anton that the four had become fiercely loyal to the family, and rightly so. They were treated no differently from the scions of noble houses.
Following Romina's recommendation, once the four young mages reached a sufficiently high rank, they would be assigned to manage various family businesses, likely within the next three or four years.
At first, Anton had assumed they would remain stationed at the family manor to handle the household's magical needs. However, Romina explained that the family already employed dozens of guards, several of whom were highly capable mages.
Since the four young wizards had been brought into the family through Anton, they were considered part of the household. That meant they would eventually be expected to shoulder responsibilities just like everyone else.
One example Romina gave was expanding the family's cinema business into other kingdoms.
Anton had merely shrugged and replied that the family was free to assign the young mages wherever they were needed, as long as they informed them beforehand that such responsibilities awaited them in the future.
"They were actually relieved when I told them," Romina had once said. "The family has been taking care of them for quite some time, and they felt guilty for not contributing anything in return. Once they learned that they would eventually be entrusted with important responsibilities after becoming strong enough, they were genuinely happy."
"So you've already decided that your friends will join the family, just like Kirk and the others?" Anders asked. "Are you certain they'll accept that?"
"That's the only option I'll give them if they want to keep access to my Diablo System," Anton replied with a shrug.
"Are you sure the Izmortans are the only ones who possess the knowledge you need to travel across the multiverse?" Anna asked.
Anton found it amusing how naturally both his father and his sister now used terms like multiverse. After watching the Marvel movies he had introduced to them, they understood the concept well enough.
"I'm not completely sure," Anton admitted. "The research I did wasn't particularly thorough, but everything I found pointed to the Izmortans having the knowledge I'm looking for. Besides, learning another magical system sounds fascinating, especially if it doesn't interfere with my Diablo System."
"I really hope you learn how to travel between dimensions," Anna said dreamily. "If I ever make it to Earth, I'm going to become either a fashion model or a fashion designer."
Anton shook his head.
His sister possessed the potential to command incredible magical power, yet she was willing to put those ambitions aside to pursue a career in fashion. He could never understand the fascination young women seemed to have with that industry.
Still, he suspected it was simply a passing phase. Once Anna matured, her dream of becoming a model or fashion designer would probably fade.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
"Did you know Romina has already started copying Earth's fashion industry?" Anna asked excitedly. "Ormunda is going to have fashion models soon!"
"Then you won't need to travel to Earth," Anton teased. "You can become a model or designer right here in Ormunda."
Anna snorted.
"That's like saying I should become a model in some tiny village in a third-world country instead of making it in New York, London, or Paris."
For a brief moment, Anton was startled to hear those famous cities mentioned so casually.
Then he remembered.
Anna, the women of the family, and even several of her classmates had been watching the fashion programs he had provided from Earth.
"Romina has already spoken with several tailors throughout Ormunda," Anna continued excitedly. "The family is planning to hold a fashion show! It'll be hosted in the same hall we built for the Cosplay Convention."
Anton found the idea surprisingly interesting. He made a mental note to attend once everything was ready.
Anna went on to explain that Romina had already begun training numerous young women who would become the foundation of the family's future fashion empire.
"I visited Romina's office once," Anna said with a laugh. "Everyone acted as though she were Miranda from The Devil Wears Prada."
Anton laughed along with her.
"So she already has an office building for the fashion magazine?"
"You didn't know?" Anders replied. "The family now owns two large buildings that house our four cinemas. We also have the convention hall that hosts the Cosplay Convention, although it's used for plenty of other events as well, including the fashion show Romina is organizing. On top of that, we bought the building next door, and Romina converted it into the headquarters for the fashion magazine."
"All of the buildings follow architectural styles inspired by some of Earth's most beautiful structures," Anna added proudly. "The family spent an enormous amount of money to complete everything in such a short time."
Anton struggled to maintain a calm expression.
In truth, he was astonished.
He had never imagined the family would grow into such a vast business empire centered around industries inspired by Earth.
"Didn't you know?" Anna asked proudly. "Our family is becoming one of the richest in Ormunda."
"Aren't we attracting unwanted attention because of that?" Anton asked, unable to hide his concern.
"I've organized several powerful mercenary companies," Anders replied. "Their presence has discouraged most people with malicious intentions. Anna and I are also becoming well-known figures, and you've built quite a reputation yourself. On top of that, Ormunda continues to protect us because of the portal scrolls we provide every month."
He paused before continuing.
"According to my spies, it'll take them at least another three years to reproduce those scrolls successfully. They've already developed rune tokens that can imitate some of the portal scrolls' functions, but producing them is still prohibitively expensive."
"Besides," Anna added with a shrug, "we've never tried to stop anyone from copying our businesses. There are already several fashion magazines operating in Ormunda, and a few theater companies have started recording their plays with magical recording devices to imitate movies."
Anders nodded.
"Even the crops from our gardens, orchards, and fields could eventually be copied. Any sufficiently skilled wizard can recreate the effects of Mana Rain, so there's nothing truly unique about them."
"What they can't copy are our movies," Anna continued. "Apparently, several wealthy nobles have hired powerful wizards to use scrying magic to search other dimensions for worlds like Earth where they could obtain similar entertainment."
She smiled.
"My teacher said that scrying across dimensions can only be performed by Supreme Wizards or those even stronger. Most of them would never waste their time searching for another world just to find movies."
She looked at Anton.
"She was actually amazed that you spent so much effort doing something so frivolous instead of focusing on increasing your magical power. Still, she said that since you're still young, it's understandable. As far as anyone knows, no wizard has ever discovered another world like Earth."
Anton understood that mindset.
To the truly powerful, movies and entertainment were trivial distractions.
Their ambitions lay elsewhere.
The greatest wizards devoted themselves to mastering magic, extending their lifespans, and ascending toward godlike power. Compared to those pursuits, entertainment held little value.