Infinite wealth In A New World-Chapter 442: Isabel Marriott
After walking for some minutes through the bustling streets, the team finally arrived at the destination. Looming before them was a massive, reinforced gate that seemed to sever the city in two. At the very top, fluttering in the high-altitude wind, was Eldoria’s Flag, marking this territory as under the protection of the Supreme Ruler.
Two A-Rank Summoners stood guard at the entrance, their armor gleaming, their hands resting near their holstered cards.
"Please, who are you?" The man on the right asked, stepping forward and stretching his palm out to halt the four women. His eyes scanned them, looking for identification badges or insignias.
Nina ignored the hand. She moved her gaze around, studying the space where the gate connected to the rest of the city. To the naked eye, it looked like a dead end, but her mana perception told a different story.
There was an invisible wall surrounding the land.
Although the wall was invisible, she couldn’t see anything beyond it... It was like the gate was the only tangible object in a void, and beyond it lay nothing but open space. If a normal person walked here, they would think this was the edge of the city.
But Nina knew better.
She turned her head right, seeing a busy street where cars were moving normally. One side of the street was lined with commercial buildings, and the other side—where the invisible wall stood—appeared to be nothing but empty air. She turned to the left, and it was the same phenomenon.
’If we think carefully...’
She thought, and a geometric blueprint appeared in her mind:
"There is a circle."
A large circle appeared on the mental paper, representing the First Wall and the outer city they had just traversed.
"Then a smaller circle inside the first one."
The second circle was placed in the dead center of the first.
"And the line of the second castle is this invisible wall... So if I walk around the line, I will only be circling the invisible wall."
She looked over her shoulder at the city outside this main section.
’But, what about these people here? Are they the commoners? Are the ones placed inside the second circle the wealthy?’ she thought, analyzing the societal structure. It was a classic "City within a City" defense strategy.
"Yes! Who are you guys?" The guard yelled, his patience wearing thin as he got no answer.
"Let them through."
"Huh?"
"...?!"
Everyone turned to the huge gate. The heavy metal groaned as it cracked open, revealing an elegant Old Woman holding a familiar walking stick—the exact same one the "old man" from the street had been using.
"Huh?! Wait, why does your energy—" Shadow stammered, sensing the shift.
"—Don’t think too much about it. I am that man... Just a disguise," she said with a knowing smile, tapping the stick on the ground.
"Madam, why? Who are these four?" The guard asked in confusion, lowering his weapon slightly but still wary.
"These four? They’re the Elite Soldiers of our Leader! You all know who I am referring to, right?!" she said, her voice carrying a weight that made the air vibrate. She stared at the two guards with steel in her eyes.
"Huh?!!"
The two men whipped their heads around to look at the three young ladies and the teen before them. They looked barely twenty, let alone battle-hardened veterans.
"Are you mistaken? Them? I can’t even feel any Mana from them," the guard on the left said, squinting. To him, they felt like ordinary civilians.
"Quiet, both of you!! If you dare disrespect the honored guests, you will be punished!"
BOOOOM!
The old woman snapped. The terrifying aura of a Peak SS-Rank Summoner burst out from her frail-looking body, crushing the guards’ wills instantly.
"Sorry Madam!!" They quickly apologized, bowing deeply, sweat breaking on their foreheads.
She sighed, reeling in her aura, and turned to the four with a warm, grandmotherly expression.
"Sorry about that, please come inside... Everything is ready," she said, and started walking through the open gate.
The four looked at one another, communicated silently, and followed.
As they crossed the threshold of the invisible barrier, the world shimmered.
Coming into view, just as Nina had guessed, was another city entirely. This Inner Section was bigger, cleaner, and architecturally superior to the outer ring. Skyscrapers of white marble and glass pierced the sky, and the mana density in the air was significantly higher.
They looked at one another in confusion, then looked behind them. This time, looking from the inside out, they saw past the wall. The barrier was translucent from this side, allowing them to see the grittier outer city they had just left.
"Huh?"
The four were stunned by the one-way visibility.
"I am sure you have a lot of questions... I will answer everything on the way," the old woman said, gesturing to a sleek White Limousine parked before them, flanked by five black Audis filled with armed bodyguards.
"Umm... Who are you?" Alexandra asked, stepping forward to follow the woman.
"Oh, sorry about that... I am Isabel. Isabel Marriott." She looked at them over her shoulder, her eyes twinkling.
"Marriott is my husband."
The four blinked in surprise. They were told they’d get assistance, but the dossier hadn’t mentioned they would be personally escorted by the Matriarch of the Marriott family herself.
"Ok. Why did you take that disguise earlier?" Jessica asked.
The bodyguards, who were clearly high-ranking Summoners, opened the door for them with practiced precision. Isabel slid inside the luxurious interior.
The four followed her, getting inside the car. The leather was soft, and the air was conditioned to perfection. Their gazes remained fixed on the old woman.
"The moment you arrived here, something in me clicked, and I felt your presence... So I followed this feeling. As for my disguise, I simply didn’t want to be recognized by anyone while I assessed you," Isabel explained, staring at them with a small, apologetic smile.
"Ok... I have another question," Nina said, leaning forward. Her analytical mind couldn’t let it go. "I know it isn’t part of our mission, but why is the city divided into two parts?"
She stared straight at Isabel, demanding an answer about the world she was sent to save.
