Alex’s group started to plan their strategy to gain money in Asmeria.

They wanted to buy that spacecraft Harper commented soon, who had never dreamed of going to the moon? Alex thought.

They now had land in Asmeria, even though it was in a small town. They would use that land to start earning money.

Alex, who was the leader of the group, told them to wait. They couldn’t just start crazily selling gold or anything similar and attracting unwanted attention. They were in an unknown country, where they didn’t even fully know the history and laws.

Alex said that they would wait a month.

Comoron and Michael would focus on reconstructing Tom’s land, as Alex had teleported every infrastructure there to the new world.

It wouldn’t be a problem for them because they had magical powers, and unlike Earth and the Diretorium, materials such as marble, limestone, and other rocks were cheap in the Kingdom. There wasn’t any environmental law that prohibited them from taking those materials from the environment.

They wouldn’t do astonishing things such as a building with 400 floors or a giant pyramid, as it would attract too much unwanted attention. Instead, they would use Earth Magic to dig holes in the terrain and use those holes to build a base. Something similar to a military base. It wouldn’t be hard; they didn’t have to utilize expensive equipment to build it; instead, Earth, Fire, and Water magic would surely do the work of solidifying their walls, welding the grades, and fixing any issue they might find.

As for Emily and Harper, they would study the Asmerian law and what they could or couldn’t do with their terrain. Alex wants to exploit that land to its maximum.

Everyone gathered in Tom’s land; they would soon start their operations here.

Alex finally thought of turning their group into an official mercenary group; they had to raise funds to buy their spacecraft, and military services would be the easiest way to get money here.

Unlike the Germanium Reich’s Mark, the Asmerian Credit value was great due to the gold standard politics they had. With a high-valued currency, they wouldn’t risk losing it to inflation, as the money value couldn’t change, so it was a great asset to have.

As everyone was busy, be it working in Tom’s land or studying laws and legislation, Alex’s role would be the most important. He would travel the entire Unified Republics of Asmeria to understand the situation, get information, and study possibilities to earn money quickly.

“Alright. Now that we planned our course of action, I’m going on a business trip. Don’t worry, I won’t get in any trouble, and with the new thought transmission spell Comoron did, we can communicate thousands of miles away; the only downside is the fact that this spell can’t communicate inter-dimensionally, so Earth-Kingdom or Earth-Diretorium communication won’t work.”

Alex said.

“We understand.”

Everyone replied.

Now that they knew what they had to do, Alex got to the highway leading to the city that Tom commented on previously, New Lancaster. That city was close to their current location. Alex expects that going there, he might do some reconnaissance and get in contact with companies that would buy or sell materials and equipment for them. He also wanted to get in contact with a spacecraft seller, maybe request a quote for their products, and decide his next course of action.

Harper and Emily will get in contact with a law firm. It is the best way to use their land's full potential without any legal problems. As for Comoron and Michael, they will build the base itself on Tom’s land. The law firm's visit would serve to ensure that they can exploit the underground of their land or modify the ocean coast to build a large harbor there.

Alex planned on starting an industry in Asmeria so they could raise funds quickly or even wash money there. Unlike on Earth, where they know someone who buys gold for illegal money, they don’t know anyone here, so it would take a while for them to finally start selling gold in Diretorium.

Already on the road, Alex went to a nearby bush, where he cast two spells. One to produce a strange light within him, so no one will be able to see what he’s doing, and the other for him to start running like crazy. With everything ready, he started to run towards New Lancaster.

While Alex was running like crazy, Harper and Emily finally reached a law firm.

“Hello, how can I help you?”

The receptionist said.

“Hello, we would like to consult one of your lawyers regarding propriety rights and our right to exploit it.”

Harper said.

“In that case, we have someone available right now. His hourly cost is 200 Asmerian Credits.”

“Here’s the money.”

Harper gave the receptionist the 200 Asmerian Credits she asked for. That money was a part of what Tom gave them in exchange for his new life. They would have to earn their own money pretty quickly, or their current reserves would be extinguished soon.

After Harper gave the money to the receptionist, they waited for 5 minutes, until they finally got called.

They entered the lawyer’s room as soon as he called for them.

“Hello sir and miss, my name is Kyle Mush; may I know your names?”

“My name is Harper Smith, and I’m here with my friend Emily. Recently, I and my friends got to the Unified Republics of Asmeria from the Germanium Reich, and in exchange for the location of a place we know, we got land. We are here because we would like to understand our rights over that land, as we are new in Asmeria.”

Harper said.

“Straight to the point, uh. Well, I like that. As I understood from what you said right now and what you said to the receptionist, you want to exploit the underground of your land and the coast of it as well.”

Kyle said.

“Indeed sir.”

“Well, you’ll need to conduct a geological study to ensure that your operations do not pose a risk to the surrounding areas. Regarding what you discover underground, Asmeria has strong legislation in place: anything found on your property belongs to you. However, for coastal projects, such as waste disposal or harbor construction, additional studies and regulations are required. The coast falls under international treaties concerning water, so you must ensure that your activities do not harm protected species or disrupt critical marine ecosystems. While Asmeria supports property rights and minimal bureaucracy, which helps keep costs manageable, the process can be time-consuming. If timing is a concern for your business, we could engage a private company. Though their services are more expensive, they typically complete the necessary studies much faster.”

“I see. So, we can exploit the land itself freely, but to construct a large harbor or get rid of the waste, we have to study the nearby ecosystems and see if it will cause any major problems.”

“You got it right, Mr. Smith.”

“Well, we have plenty of time until we have to utilize the sea, so it can wait. As for the land, we have to get it done as soon as possible, so we would like you to call the private companies.”

“I can provide that service; however, please note that a service fee will apply, which is not included in my standard hourly rate.”

“Do it.”

Harper said.

“Given your need for prompt completion, I will engage a partner company to conduct the geological studies on your property. The cost for these studies will be 5,000 Credits. For the coastal issues, I will consult with the National Geological Secretary. Please be aware that their process may take at least 2 months to begin and approximately 6 months to complete. Additionally, a service fee will apply in both cases.”

“Well, it isn’t a problem. How much do I have to pay?”

“After some calculations, it will cost you between 7.5 thousand and 10 thousand credits.”

Kyle said.

Harper didn’t have that much money on him. Instead of paying in cash, he had gold. For now, he could say that the gold was from Germanium Reich; there’s no way two enemy countries could check each other’s citizens belongings.

“I do not have that much money right now. Can I pay that in gold?”

“Yes, you can. As the Asmerian legislation on Credit emissions says, every ten Credits stands for 0.5 grams of gold. So, it will cost you between 375 grams and 500 grams of gold.”

“Alright. Take 6 pure gold coins. Each one of them has 100 grams of gold. I guess that it will be enough for you to finish everything, right?”

“Indeed sir. It will be enough to complete the requirements and solve any legal problem. I will return the remaining money as soon as we get everything working. To finish our agreement, please sign this contract.”

Kyle then showed them two contracts. They were the same; it was just a regulation, and each party who signed the contract should receive a copy.

As soon as Kyle dropped the contract on the table, Harper read and signed it.

“As you signed this contract, we have finally reached an agreement. As you already paid for the services beforehand, we will be the only party with remaining obligations. As for the money, we will convert that into credits and pay you the remaining after finishing our agreements.”

“Then, we are in your care, Mr. Mush.”

As Harper said that, Kyle thanked both him and Emily, and they left the office.

…

..

Alex was running for 5 hours nonstop. He wasn’t tired or anything similar, and he started to note that. As the road was quite open and there were many lanes on the highway, he could run as fast as he could.

He was running at the incredible speed of 60 mph. He had to change shoes 34 times already, as the friction always destroyed the shoe he was using. At some point, he gave up on changing shoes and ran barefoot. His foot was regenerating as fast as it was being damaged.

Alex was starting to feel tedious when he finally saw New Lancaster City. That city was great, and the atmosphere around it was similar to New York City.

Now Alex could see the peak of Asmerian technology. There were tons of holographic propaganda of services on top of buildings, the landscape was full of lights, and there was a port full of boats. The streets were congested, as there were tons of cars there. The sun was starting to set, so it would be a normal sight, even on Earth. But the most outstanding point would be the flying vehicles. Even though there weren’t as many flying vehicles as cars on the streets, it wasn’t a low amount. It could easily be called a swarm if it wasn’t as organized as it was.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Alex was surprised at it. He never thought that flying cars would be as organized as that, but after seeing it, he thought that there was probably some legislation behind it.

As he thought of it, he continued to run towards that city. As he entered there, he was happy to see that there weren’t any drones looking after him for being a foreigner. Instead, the people there were quite diverse. The Asmeria took almost everyone there—refugees from South Asmeria, the Germanium Reich, the Rising Sun Empire, everyone.

Inside the city, Alex saw a commercial street. There were a lot of people walking, and some police robots as well. He walked the street until he found a coffee shop. The smell there catches Alex’s attention. It was surely something good, just by the smell.

He entered the place. As he entered, a welcoming bell rang. That place had a homemade atmosphere. After looking around for a few seconds, Alex got to a table.

A waitress saw him and then said:

“Hello sir, how can I help you today?”

Alex was surprised; they addressed him pretty quickly.

"Oh, that was quick. Can I please have a large cappuccino with chocolate, a muffin, and a croissant?"

"Yes, sir. That will be $3.84."

"Here, keep the change."

Alex handed the waitress a $5 bill.

"Thank you very much for your patronage, sir!"

As the waitress left the table, Alex started to think about what he would do from now on. He's in New Lancaster City, and he doesn't have a clue about what he's doing here. He told Harper and Michael that he would leave them to construct their base in Summerville, while he would travel to NLC (New Lancaster City) to get information regarding companies, politics, and other things he would want to do here, but he really doesn't know where to search.

He waited a bit when the waitress returned with Alex’s food. It smelled great. After seeing it closely, his muffin had far more filling than the muffins nearby, as well as his coffee, which had more chocolate than others nearby. Guess that his tip really made the waitress happy. Even her way of addressing him changed from something more formal to a more friendly and cherished tone.

“Thank you very much.”

Alex thanked her. Before she left, Alex said

“Hey, I’m new in the city. Where can I find the gun dealer and the spacecraft workshop?”

"Oh, they are pretty close to each other, honestly. There are plenty of gun dealers on the street, but since you are already going to the workshop, there's a store nearby. Just take the main street, walk 12 blocks in that direction, then turn right and walk 4 more blocks. You will find the spacecraft workshop there. As for the gun dealer, I think you can find one along the way. If not, there's one to the left, 4 blocks from here."

“Thank you very much, miss.”

“You are welcome! Feel free to return any time soon!”

“I will remember that!”

“By the way, my name is Taylor; what’s yours?”

“Alex, miss.”

“Nice to meet you, Alex!”

“Nice to meet you too, Taylor.”

After that, Taylor left Alex’s table and finally started to eat.

Delicious! Alex thought. That muffin surely was well done. It was pretty expensive though.

Alex finished eating, thanked Taylor again, and left. As she had said to him, he walked until he finally reached the spacecraft workshop.

That place was big. It covered the entire block, and there were a lot of people entering and leaving the place. After wondering for a few seconds, Alex finally entered the place. Unlike the cozy environment of the cafeteria, this place had a monotonous atmosphere. A robot soon welcomed Alex with a robotic voice.

“Welcome sir. How can I help you?”

The robot said.

It wasn’t unpolite or anything; actually, it was an extremely polished and mannered tone. But it felt non-human; there wasn’t the warmth the waitress had. Well, it was better than nothing at least.

“Well, I’m new in the city, and I would like to see the store. I don’t know what exactly I’m looking for, so I want to look around.”

“Well, in that case, sir, you can follow me. I’ll show you the store. Please feel free to tell me what you will do with your vehicle; in that way, I can help you find the ideal machine.”

“Hmm… It is quite hard to tell what I will do exactly. I’m a mercenary who recently fled from the Germanium Reich, so I’m looking for something that will do the work on the battlefield, but as well as doing my daily stuff, such as going to the city center, bringing my wife to a cafeteria, etc.”

“Oh… There you indeed have something eccentric! We have some models that may suit you. Please follow me.”

After 2 minutes of walking, the robot and Alex finally reached the spot they were looking for.

“Sir, this one here is our latest model. It has some pretty good capabilities as well as a powerful engine. It can reach 300 mph easily in the air. The maximum altitude it can get is 1 mile. It isn’t high because that vehicle really shines on the ground. It is a triphibian vehicle with multipurpose weaponry for both air, ground, and submarine warfare. As for the water, it can descend up to half a mile. Our company will add a discount of 10% on the ammunition and missiles for the first year, but it can be kept like this for an indeterminate time if you sign our fidelity plan.”

“Hmm. I liked this one; it will serve us well. How much for this one?”

“Sir, the vehicle itself costs 250 thousand credits. But if you want to add modifications, such as weapons, triphibian capabilities, and an electric shield, it can get to 1.5 million credits.”

The robot said. Alex thought for a while that, based on what he had heard from Harper, this country uses a gold standard system. 10 credits mean 0.5 grams of gold, so 75 kilograms of pure gold is the cost of that vehicle. They had to find other ways to earn money.

“Can I pay in installments?”

"Yes, sir, you can do it. We offer up to 24 installments without any additional charge.”

“62,500 credits each month, for 2 years. I think that I will wait until I can pay at least half of it.”

“You can also look for our old models. They are more accessible, and you can modify it at will.”

“Don’t worry. I can pay it soon. I would also like to see the spacecraft models; if possible, request a quote.”

“In that case, we can make a reservation for you. For 1500 credits, we will keep the vehicle within us for 12 months. If you buy it in that time, we will return you the money. As for the spacecraft, we have some models starting from 25 million credits.”

“Hmm… That’s a good idea. I heard that you guys also negotiate in gold, right?”

“Yes, according to the Asmerian legislation, every 10 credits stands for 0.5 grams of gold. As in the Unified Republics, stores also accept gold as payment. The reservation will be 75 grams of gold.”

After the robot said it, Alex brought a royal gold coin from his spatial storage. He used it in his backpack, so no one would suspect anything.

“Here I have a gold coin. It has 100 grams of gold.”

The robot took the coin, analyzed it, and then said

“There’s indeed 100 grams of surprisingly pure gold. After some quick calculations, we will return to you 500 credits. Thank you for your patronage, sir.”

After that, the robot handed Alex 10 50$ bills. It had quite a high value. Well, it is a good thing that they wouldn’t suspect, for now, why they had gold within them, as they “came from the Germanium Reich with that gold.”.

“Well, as for the spacecraft, I don’t have the conditions of buying one of them for now. I think that I’m done for today. Thank you very much.”

“You are welcome. Before you go, please sign this contract regarding your reservation.”

The robot handed Alex two contracts. He signed it without complaining.

As Alex left the workshop, he headed towards the gun dealer; he had planned to purchase some weapons for their future services.

As Alex walked down the streets, he started to feel that he was really in an entirely different world. The vibrant city life, yet unfamiliar surroundings, the holograms in the streets, and the robots. Everything was extremely clear, unlike New York City, the city Alex compared to New Lancaster.

Finally, he arrived at the gun dealer's shop, a medium store painted red, white, and blue. Upon entering, the sound of tinkering metal and a distinct smell of gun oil greeted him.

Behind the counter stood a big man in his fifties, with a rough exterior and an Uncle Sam atmosphere around him.

"Can I help you, son?"

the shop owner asked.

"I'm looking to purchase some firearms and ammunition. Also, I would really like to have some high-caliber laser guns and projectile guns. What can you sell to me?"

Alex replied.

The shop owner nodded, reaching for a catalog beneath the counter.

"We've got a variety of options, depending on your requirements and budget. Take a look and let me know what you need."

He grumbled, placing the catalog on the bench. Alex looked through the offerings, selecting a few handguns and rifles. He took the laser batteries as well, some heavy launchers, and a few grenades.

“I liked those guns. How much do I have to pay for them?”

“Hmm. Based on what you selected, I can make it for 12,5 thousand credits.”

The dealer said.

“Nice. I guess it is 625 grams of gold, right?”

“Indeed, son.”

After that, Alex handed 7 royal gold coins to the dealer.

“700 grams of pure gold. Also… I’m looking for something. Special, you know?”

“Well… The highest caliber I can legally get you is this intercontinental missile.”

The dealer showed Alex a photo of it. That missile was big enough to place tons of gunpowder in it. The explosion would surely be enough to explode a vessel like the one they fought in the Germanium Reich.

“Hmm… I liked this. How much?”

“Oh, son… You have good taste. As you already bought many guns from my store, I will make it for 20 thousand credits, only for you.”

“I’m glad you think so highly of me. Well, I can pay for it. In gold, it is 1 kilogram, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

Alex then handed 10 royal gold coins to the dealer.

“Thank you for your patronage, son! As for your change, it is 75 grams of gold, which is 1500 credits.”

“Well, I liked you. I will buy more 5 laser batteries then.”

Alex said.

“Thank you, son. You are welcome to return anytime soon!”

“I will remember that, sir.”

After that, Alex left the store.

He had plenty of guns in his storage and had spent quite a lot of gold. It was a high quantity spent, but for a good cause. As for the continental missile, it was stored in a container in the dockyards. Alex was given the key to open that and its code, as well as the documents.

The Asmerian legislation on guns is even better than America’s. Here, you can have whatever gun you want, the only limitation being advanced military equipment, which is controlled by the army. But with a request, you can get a license to hold even high-end military technology. This place was amazing.

Alex then headed to the dockyard, but he didn’t know where it was. He was lost in this immense city, full of holographic propaganda, robots walking, flying vehicles, and every futuristic element he could imagine.

Alex stopped a random pedestrian.

“Hey sir, good afternoon. Can you help me? I’m lost, and I need to get to the dockyards. Here is the address.”

Alex then showed the man the paper containing the dockyard's address. He also hid what he was looking for.

“Good afternoon. Well, just walk straight in that direction until you find the sea. When you find it, you will see a giant place containing a lot of containers; that’s the place you are looking for.”

“Thank you very much. Have a good day!”

“You too!”

As they both walked in opposite directions, Alex headed to the place where the man pointed.

After 3 hours of walking, he finally reached the dockyard.

“Hello, how can I help ya?”

The guard said.

“I’m looking for this container here.”

Alex then showed that man the documents.

“Hmm… I guess you’re ok, section 7, column 12. You will find your container there. Now, get out.”

The guard was having a hard day, probably Well, at least he opened the gates to Alex, and he could pick up his container now.

After reaching section 7, he reached a new checkpoint. Unlike before, this dock worker wasn’t harsh.

“Hello, how can I help you?”

The worker asked.

“Hello, I have this document here, proving I’m the legal owner of this container here. Could you please deliver it to my residence?”

Alex handed the documents to the worker.

“Hmm… I see, looking at this document here, it says you are indeed the legal owner of it. Well, where do you want it to be delivered?”

“Summerville, 300 miles from here.”

“Hmm, the shipping costs will be 100 credits.”

“I can take it. Please deliver that to this address here."

Alex then signed the address of Tom’s land.

“Alright. In 4 busy days, it will reach your land. Thank you very much for the patronage.”

As the worker said it, Alex thanked him and left. He searched for an alley nearby, but there wasn’t anything close. Unlike the Germanium Reich, where everything was unorganized, here, things were quite open, so there wasn’t any obvious spot.

The only thing Alex could think of was going to the beach nearby.

He went to the beach and entered the ocean. As he went deeper into the horizon, he started to dive, and completely underwater, he opened the portal and teleported to Tom’s land’s ocean.

Alex then walked a bit, only to see a whole military base built in the terrain. “Try to not drag unwanted attention," is what he said to Comoron and Michael, but they surely didn’t understand that part. He had to make them understand, but well, it was quite good that they had a base now; rather than going to Alex’s home or the nightclub, where there are many people, they could use this place as their main base, as there aren’t people nearby and the place is quite big.

Well, Alex had bought very important information on their military equipment and also bought some good things, including an intercontinental missile. They could finally start to look for services.