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nChapter 328: Solar Furnace, Money Collection Ability User, Business Taxes (3)

nTranslator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

nThe elves burst into laughter and found the Naga Berserker, who was also riding in the same carriage, much more pleasing to the eye.

nDue to the terrain and location, the obstructed view caused by the towering buildings of Maple Harbor had now opened up. It was easy to see a towering metropolis standing at the edge of the vast grassland, nestled beneath a mountain range.

nWith walls soaring up to a hundred meters, they seemed to compete in height with the mountains, stretching from the western side of the field to the east.

nArrow towers stood densely on the city walls, much like trees, while artillery platforms lined the wall, with guns of all sizes protruding, showcasing their might.

nIntermittently, airships came and went from behind the city walls. The onlookers also spotted a fleet of hundreds of airships returning from the direction of the mountains. Among them was a colossal airship, comparable in size to the New Moon, flying in the sky like a floating island, casting a vast shadow over the ground.

nBetween the airships, numerous Griffon Knights flew like ants, ensuring the fleet’s safety.

nThis scene was incredibly awe-inspiring.

nIt wasn’t until the airship slowly descended and disappeared behind the city wall that they regained their composure, and the sound of breathing resumed within the carriage.

nAt that moment, Raymond suddenly thought of something and casually remarked, “The airship fleet should have just returned from the northern Alvin Mountains. It seems like the trolls up there are causing trouble again.”

nJi Chen looked at him and made a mental note of it.

nThe group continued to move forward.

nSoon, they arrived at the foot of the city wall.

nMaple City had a total of seven gates facing the south. The central gate was the largest, towering at fifty meters, while the other gates decreased in size from the center, with the two smallest side gates still standing at over ten meters.

nAt this moment, only four of the seven city gates were open. Three on the left and one on the far right.

nIn front of the city gates were over a hundred heavily armed elite guards, checking the information and entry permits of those entering the city.

nThe three left gates were crowded with people, while the rightmost gate was almost deserted.

nNaturally, Ji Chen and his group didn’t have to squeeze with the others. They directly headed for the VIP lane on the far right and came to a halt in front of the security barrier.

nThe guards stationed here noticed the griffon emblem on the carriage and became more respectful. One of them came to the side of the carriage and politely said, “Greetings.”

n“May I see your relevant entry permit, sir?”

nJi Chen pulled back the curtain and handed over the entry permit.

nWhen the guard saw the permit, his expression became even more respectful.

nThis kind of permit could only be obtained by those who had made significant contributions to the Maple Principality. It could be used for an extended period and multiple times, making it a higher-level permit than the ordinary ones.

nIn simple terms, it was the permit of the top-tier elite.

nThe guard carefully verified the authenticity of the permit and respectfully handed it back to Ji Chen.

n“Esteemed guest, you may proceed.”

nHe then loudly announced to his colleagues, “Let them through!”

nOther guards quickly moved the barriers aside, creating a clear path.

nThe carriage resumed its journey towards the city gate.

nJi Chen was curious about the guards’ reactions and asked Raymond, “How much commercial tax have we actually paid to the Maple Principality for our Crown of the Ocean?”

nRaymond grinned and held up three fingers.

n“It’s a moderate 15% commercial tax, neither too high nor too low.”

nThe **?! A15% commercial tax was surprisingly high!

nNo wonder the service from the Maple Empire was so good; they were making a substantial profit from this level of taxation.

nIn that instant, Ji Chen made up his mind to find another place to sell their goods. He couldn’t let these greedy individuals make a fortune off him..

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