A few days later, all the caravans and residents working in the drying field outside the town have returned, and Water Snake Town suddenly seems crowded. The local residents want to get their houses back, and the caravan travelers who rented private houses are eager to join their companions. They are asking for rent
It is inevitable that there will be quarrels and even fist fights.
Fights were originally common and trivial matters, but when these trivial matters broke out together, the order in the town became chaotic. The town guards responsible for public security were even more busy. They had to appease the townspeople who had lost their income and rent.
, we also had to arrange a temporary location for the entire armed caravan, so we had to give up all the guard barracks and set up tents to sleep on the streets.
Even so, the armed caravan and town residents are not satisfied, and the guard members are full of resentment. If this continues, the situation in Water Snake Town is in danger of getting out of control.
Guard Captain Husserl's influence in Water Snake Town is far less than that of the mayor and the head of the Adventurer's Guild. Now, the mayor Middleton is dead, and he has no choice but to invite the union leader Eckert to his home, hoping that he will come forward to help.
He takes control of the increasingly chaotic situation.
Husserl's residence is an ordinary two-story building. The interior decoration is very simple, the furniture is rough and sturdy, and it is full of old tones. It looks more like the house of an ordinary town citizen than a guard chief.
's mansion.
The Water Snake Town Guard rotates every two years, and no captain has ever been willing to spend his own money to build a building for the Guard's official residence. Husserl is certainly no exception. In fact, the Guard Captain was sent by the city-state council to garrison in remote areas and the treatment was no better than exile.
A little better. They are marginalized roles in the upper class society of the city-state. They have backgrounds but their power has declined. For the sake of their future livelihood, they dare not squander their wealth lavishly.
President Eckert has never benefited from Husserl, and his attitude towards him has always been cold. At this moment, Husserl was asking for help, and Eckert was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed.
He went up and said in a weird voice: "Captain, you have made Water Snake Town like this, how do you plan to end it?"
Husserl poured a glass of fruit juice for the branch president of the Adventurer's Guild and explained with a smile: "I have already investigated it. According to the female slaves in Middleton, they once saw the housekeeper Ethaniel in Christine's house.
Stayed in Madam's room more than once... In fact, Ethaniel was Christine's lover, but he was not the only lover. Before Ethaniel, Christine had at least two valet lovers.
.”
He put on a lewd smile and deliberately used a more cordial manner to tease Eckert about topics that all men were interested in, in an attempt to draw closer to each other. "Who would have thought that the normally dignified and elegant lady would be so coquettish and wanton at heart that she would seduce the family members?"
Male servant. Ethaniel, overwhelmed by jealousy, not only secretly got rid of several love rivals, but also killed his own male master, and then kidnapped Lady Christine to escape and elope..."
Eckert rolled his eyes and said disdainfully: "Is this kind of thing worth making a fuss about? I'm afraid you don't know anything about the secret rituals of a noble family's partner... I heard that Christine was born in a noble family and has a good physique.
She is born weak. It is normal for her to choose powerful male professionals to practice the secret ritual of companionship together to maintain her own vitality."
"Yes, yes, yes... our third-level doctor, the mayor, obviously cannot satisfy Christine's appetite. As the only venerable person in this town, Butler Iseniel meets the requirements of Mrs. Christine in choosing a partner.
.However, Ethaniel went to Christine's bed. He couldn't bear the presence of Mayor Middleton, and he committed the crime of patricide after all."
"Kill the Lord? Huh, Ethaniel is Christine's servant, Middleton is not his master. Since he is Christine's secret partner, there is no need to kill Middleton. Even if he
If you want to get rid of Middleton and occupy Christine alone, there is no need to give up the property here and escape with the beautiful mistress. With Yisenil's methods, he has many ways to kill Middleton... Forget it
, I’m not currently interested in the true cause of Middleton’s death.”
Eckert waved his hand casually, turned his body sideways, stared at Husserl with a vicious look and said: "If you are still pretending to be stupid with me now, then there will be nothing to talk about between us."
Husserl put away his wizened smile, pondered for a moment, and said seriously: "I know that you are in the same group... In addition to me, the mayor of this town, you, the residents, and the passing caravans and adventure groups,
You are all in the same group. The normal transportation losses of each armed caravan are turned into wealth in Water Snake Town. You share the coveted wealth together. The stewards of each caravan take the bulk, and you and the mayor divide the rest.
The money will be left to the townspeople in the end, which will be enough for them to live on."
Famous wealthy families allowed their armed caravans to suffer certain losses while transporting goods. This was an unavoidable loss, but the caravan manager took advantage of this rule and put part of the transportation losses into his own pocket.
Of course, they need someone to help them do this. The people in Water Snake Town actually play the role of helpers for the caravan.
When the caravan purchases goods, it will buy about 20 to 30% more goods as a surplus for transportation losses. The caravan passes through Water Snake Town, and then sorts and processes this part of the goods to make various finished medicines, and finally flows into Luoye City.
Bang’s black market.
If the stewards had not teamed up to swallow up the goods transferred by the caravan, Water Snake Town would have lost the basis for its survival. However, today, this shady business has involved the interests of thousands of people. In addition to the small town
The residents of Xia Bang, the Thieves Guild in Lower State, and even the bandit gangs wandering outside the city are all inextricably linked to the black market business. At least, they can buy the secret medicine to increase their strength in Water Snake Town.
There is no doubt that Water Snake Town is a vital node in the black market network.
The mayor of Water Snake Town, Middleton, was secretly responsible for processing the medicinal raw materials collected by the caravan into various medicines. Although Middleton was killed inexplicably, there was still a pharmacist in his plantation. The black market on this line
The pharmacy business can still continue.
However, Captain Husserl used Middleton's murder as an excuse to announce the blockade of Water Snake Town and prohibit the entry and exit of people. The situation in Water Snake Town became different.
In the past ten days, two armed caravans from outside have been unable to enter Water Snake Town, unload their goods, and complete black market transactions. Their losses are also Water Snake Town's losses, and they are also the losses of the Eckert branch president.
As a beneficiary and defender of the black market business, it is surprising that Eckert can give Husserl a good look.
"I know that I caused you to lose a lot of income and offended a bunch of people." Captain Husserl said in a deep voice with no expression on his face: "But when you divided the money, I even lost half a copper tower.
There's nothing to be gained. Something happened to Middleton, but I, the chief of security, should be held responsible... This is unfair!"
"Lord Ector, I need you to do me a favor. If I can take over the position of mayor of this town, I guarantee that you will get more shares in the future."
If the Luoye City Council holds Captain Husserl accountable for his dereliction of duty, he will have to spend most of his life savings to pay atonement. In fact, Husserl has no choice. He does not want to become a miserable poor man, and he must pay for the future of his family no matter what.
Give it a try.
Eckert's eyes flashed and he said disapprovingly: "What authority do I have to let you become the mayor of Water Snake Town? Have you found the wrong person?"
Of course Husserl knew that he had no chance of taking over as mayor under normal circumstances, so he placed all his hopes on the outsider named Victor.
The current patriarch of the Golden Nightingale family in Rapid City is now very powerful and is known as the strongest professional venerable in the Disa Alliance. If Victor is really an important fugitive pursued by the Golden Nightingale family, then Husserl will have the opportunity to profit from the chaos.
It is he who must ensure that he can control the situation and prevent Victor and his party from escaping Water Snake Town.
In other words, even if someone has to hand over the reward, it is Husserl’s credit. And the Eckert branch president is the only person who has the ability to compete with him for this credit.
As long as Eckert is willing to support him, this is bound to be a good start.
Husserl leaned forward and said sincerely: "The outsider named Victor has been particularly active these days. He spent a lot of gold coins to track down a thief named Stephanie. They wandered around the town in the name of catching the thief.
And openly beat and humiliated my men. The townspeople and adventurers were greedy for their reward money. Instead of helping, they even laughed loudly at the beaten guard soldiers... Now, there are rumors in the town that I ordered the thieves to steal Victor's
I have identity documents, but I have no friendship with the thieves in Water Snake Town, I don’t even know any of them."
Eckert seemed to suddenly realize it, and asked rudely: "Do you suspect that I secretly instigated outsiders to fight against you?"
Husserl's expression immediately stiffened, and then he smiled bitterly and said: "No matter what, your adventurers are protecting those strangers of unknown origin, and the local townspeople are also covering them. The guard soldiers are disliked like mice.
. None of my men are willing to carry out the surveillance mission now. I don’t know where those outsiders are and what they are doing?"
Eckert smiled coldly and thought, wasn't this caused by yourself?
The guards announced a blockade of the town, which caused local residents to be unable to work normally and their incomes were greatly reduced. Naturally, they were resented by the residents. Victor and others publicly humiliated the guards who monitored them on the street, and the local residents were very happy. Not to mention that they spent a lot of money.
, the locals have no reason to dislike a group of tourists who are willing to spend money.
Of course, Eckert's encouragement was indispensable, because the residents of this town and the armed caravans were very angry, and they needed a target to vent their inner grievances. Eckert was afraid that conflicts would break out between the locals and the men of the armed caravans, so he
Following the trend, they sent people to point the finger at the Water Snake Town Guards.
Ultimately, this is a conflict between Husserl and Eckert. Husserl wants to take credit for an outsider who is suspected of being a fugitive from a famous family, but Eckert is unwilling to get involved in the infighting of the famous family. The attitudes of both parties towards Victor exist.
There were differences, and things evolved into what they are now.
Captain Husserl was unable to grasp the movements of outsiders in a timely manner. Eckert would not inform him of the news at all, and even allowed Victor and his party to move around the town as they pleased.
"Lord Eckert, I beg you to send someone to keep an eye on Victor and the others. You don't need to do anything extra. You just need to report the situation to me in time." Husserl said in a muffled voice, and then added after a pause.
: "If I become the mayor, I promise to give you half of the share that originally belonged to Middleton. Even if I am blind and offend the wrong person, I will bear all the consequences myself and will never hurt you!"
Eckert didn't take the guard captain's statement to heart at all, and asked calmly: "What if I don't agree?"
"Then I have no choice but to report to the council truthfully. The murder of Middleton is probably related to an adventurer named Rhine, and Rhine was personally brought into the mayor's mansion by Mr. Eckert, and then the murder occurred...
"
Eckert immediately turned his face and said angrily: "You dare to threaten me?"
Husserl said in a deep voice without expression: "I told you before that Middleton was killed by his housekeeper, but you don't appreciate it. There is no way, I can only tell the truth. The adventurer Rhine is suspected of killing the mayor.
The biggest! Once the city-state council investigates, I'm afraid the branch president will also be in trouble."
Eckert looked straight at the other person, smile lines gradually appeared on his face, and finally couldn't help laughing and said: "Haha, I advise you not to waste your efforts, you have no idea how big Rhine's background is... Actually, neither do I.
I know his details, but I know that he holds a mission document signed by the head of the Adventurer's Guild... Do you think you can fight against the Adventurer's Guild headquarters?"
"I also advised him not to waste his efforts in vain." A magnetic voice came into the room, and then a half-elf male pushed open the door and entered.
He is of medium build, has an ordinary appearance, and has neatly combed gray hair. He looks to be in his forties, but his light blue eyes are clear and bright, just like the eyes of a teenager full of curiosity. He has the maturity, elegance and maturity of a middle-aged man.
The enthusiasm and vitality of the young man are cleverly combined with something called self-confidence, giving him a unique charm that is convincing.
The President of the Eckert Branch stood up in surprise and shouted in disbelief and respect: "Mr. Anthony, why are you here?"
The gray-haired and blue-eyed half-elf smiled and nodded: "I just arrived at Water Snake Town last night, but please rest assured, branch president, I am not here to support Husserl's replacement as the mayor of Water Snake Town on behalf of the boss, but for everyone's benefit.
Business can continue."
Anthony, one of the leaders of the North State Thieves Group in Fallen Leaf City, is also the trusted right-hand man of the underground king Brad. In fact, the entire Fallen Leaf North State, including the thieves union in Water Snake Town, all obey the orders of the underground king Brad, but Red Sir Brad
Hidden behind the scenes, most of his orders are delivered by Mr. Anthony.
Anthony's gang in Beibang, Luoye City, can be said to be a big shot below one person and above ten thousand people. His appearance shocked Ector, but if you think about it carefully, this is actually normal.
The thieves represented by Red Sir Brad are precisely the largest partners in the black market business of Water Snake Town. They have almost a monopoly on all medicinal materials and pharmaceuticals flowing out of Water Snake Town.
Eckert finally realized that the situation in Water Snake Town was far more complicated than he imagined, so much so that the underground king of Luoye City's southern state sent his most capable assistant to clean up the situation.
Anthony pulled up a chair and sat down. He first looked at Captain Husserl, who had a gloomy face, and then turned to explain to Eckert: "Husserl's brother went to the boss to explain clearly the situation in Water Snake Town. But
The boss has no intention of getting involved in the mayor's successor, and there is no time to do so. The boss believes that no matter who the mayor of Water Snake Town ends up in the hands of, we should try our best to keep this line. Otherwise, we will re-establish transaction channels
I'm afraid it will take several years to restore Water Snake Town to its current size."
Eckert frowned his stubby eyebrows and asked tangledly: "...Is it that serious?"
Anthony shook his head and said: "The tiger broke into the pigsty, we can pretend not to know, but Captain Husserl has already passed the news of the tiger to Luoye City. We can't hide it even if we want to, so we must respond in advance. You know,
The internal fighting between famous families is cruel and bloody, not to mention the war between the clan leaders of the famous Golden Nightingale family. As long as the new leader of the Golden Nightingale clan makes a move, a storm may arise below and turn our shady business upside down."
He then said distressedly: "The business in Water Snake Town is related to the livelihood of thousands of people. If the lid here is lifted by Zhu Mingmen, the wealthy families in Luoye City will always be held accountable in order to preserve their family's authority. Someone will be held accountable.
Some were executed, some were exiled, some starved to death... The purpose of my coming here is to minimize the impact of the intruders."
"Captain, you should thank your brother for tipping off the boss. Otherwise, you would have been the first to die." Anthony turned to Husserl and said.
Husserl murmured to himself: "Is there anything else I can't lose?"
"Mr. Anthony, what are you going to do? What do you need me to do?" Eckert ignored the absent-minded Husserl and asked the leader of the thieves.
Anthony clasped his fingers together, pillowed the back of his head, and said casually: "I have basically grasped the situation of the intruders. If they are really the targets of the Golden Nightingale family, there are only two situations, or they inadvertently break in.
Entering Water Snake Town, either they have a powerful protector in Luoye City, and they are passing through Water Snake Town, intending to seek refuge with the protector. This kind of thing is not the turn of us little characters to interfere, the famous families will always discuss a result. We have to do it
That's what Captain Husserl wants to do, keep an eye on the intruders, and hand them over when the famous family needs them... in the name of Captain Husserl."
As he spoke, he shook his finger at Husserl, who was looking happy, and said: "Don't be too happy, there is another possibility. If the famous families of Luoye City unanimously decide that they are worthless, then I will be responsible for dealing with them.
.The death of Mayor Middleton has nothing to do with us, and the charges that you should bear will still be borne by you."
Husserl stood up, bowed and said, "I have no objection."
Ector frowned and said to Anthony: "If we want to control those outsiders, I'm afraid it will be difficult... Harvey next to Victor should be a sixth-level venerable, and there is no one in the entire Water Snake Town.
Can compete with him. If Harvey goes crazy, I estimate he can kill many people."
It is obvious that Eckert is avoiding direct confrontation with Victor and others. His power mainly comes from the support of adventurers, but adventurers have great autonomy, not to mention that they are unwilling to pay the price of sacrificing their companions.
Even Husserl could hardly instruct the guards to kill the sixth-level monk with all his might.
Only warriors will work hard for you if you are rewarded heavily. Just like Victor spent a lot of gold coins and issued a mission to catch thieves with low risk and high returns. Of course, adventurers and local residents gathered around him. On the other hand, Hu
How much would it cost for adventurers and guardsmen to deal with a powerful sixth-level venerable?
Anthony didn't expect much from the two local gangsters in this town. He learned about Victor's efforts to win over people in Water Snake Town and suppress the Guards, and he also thought that the other party was an extraordinary character. However, the black market business in Water Snake Town
It brings huge benefits to the thieves group in Beipang every year. Red Sir Brad cannot let go, so Anthony has to find a way to solve the problem here.
Anthony muttered: "Try not to take action. If you really do, I won't need you. I brought more than 20 people from Beibang, and they are all good fighters, one against ten."
Eckert coughed, lowered his eyelids, and reminded in a low voice: "Mr. Anthony, Harvey is a sixth-level venerable."
"The sixth-level venerables are indeed very strong, but we are not at a point where we can't do anything to defeat a lone sixth-level venerable." Anthony said confidently: "Fedi, come out and say hello to these two gentlemen. They haven't been able to do anything."
See you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a half-elf male in black suddenly appeared in the air. He was tall and thin, with a bloodless face and dull eyes, revealing a heart-stopping indifference. He was clearly right in front of you.
, but Eckert and Husserl couldn't see his face clearly. This half-elf seemed like a tombstone entangled with dead vines, or like an old table and chair covered with dust, thrown into an inconspicuous dark corner, making people subconsciously
ignored.
I saw the half-elf, whose presence was vague, bowed slightly, took a step back, and then disappeared without a trace in an instant.
Eckert, Husserl jumped up in fright, opened his eyes wide and tried hard to find his traces, but found nothing. He was like an invisible ghost, escaping from somewhere in the living room and silently peeping at everyone.
Rumor has it that in addition to the Murphy brothers, who are known to have never lost, Red Sir Brad also has a notorious Assassin Lord. The Assassin Lord played an important role in Red Siren's ability to unify the thieves in the Northern Territory of Fallen Leaf City.
Function. He quietly eliminated many tough opponents for Brad without leaving any clues or evidence for tracing.
Eckert and Husserl finally saw the legendary professional assassin, but they didn't see it because they couldn't remember the appearance of the King of Killers. They only knew his murderous name-King of Killers Kai.
Alfredo.
There is no distinction between ordinary professional paths, but assassins are not ordinary paths. Professional assassins are good at being invisible. They always hide in the dark, always have the initiative, and will never attack the target if they are not sure. Once they take action, they will definitely kill.
A bad name is also a weapon for assassins. Assassins with louder reputations are more powerful in deterrence and always bring fatal pressure to their enemies.
Red Sir Brad sent the King of Killers here, probably not only to suppress the sixth-level Venerable Harvey.
It is still unknown who is stronger than the Lord Assassin or the Lord Shield Guard, but both Eckert and Husserl understand that this Lord who walks in the shadows can easily take away their lives without leaving any hidden dangers.
Only by cooperating with Anthony obediently can they save their lives under the watchful eye of the King of Killers.
Eckert was the first to react and said with a flattering face: "Mr. Anthony, I will definitely obey your orders."
The leader of the thieves turned his attention to the Sheriff of Water Snake Town and said gently: "Captain, have you heard about the thief for whom Mr. Victor offered a reward?"
Husserl's face was full of sorrow, and he said with great grievance: "Her name is Stephanie, and she is Goldfinger Pym's apprentice... Victor spread lies everywhere, saying that I ordered Stephanie to steal his identity documents. Goldfinger from Water Snake Town
Finger has always been working for Mayor Middleton, and I don’t know Stephanie at all. I originally wanted to find Pim, but that old guy and Stephanie were all hidden..."
"Well, Pim sought asylum from the mayor, but a thief is always a thief." Anthony smiled and nodded, saying: "I have already met Pim, and he told me some interesting things... I ordered him to send Stephanie to
Mr. Victor, the respected President of the Eckert branch, according to the regulations of the Adventurer’s Guild, who should the bounty issued by Mr. Victor be given to?”
Eckert said respectfully: "Once the mission is completed, I will send someone to deliver the bounty to you."
Anthony was in a happy mood. He regarded Victor as a cunning opponent. It was always a joy to let his opponent step into the trap he set. What's more, he also collected a large sum of money from his opponent.
"Captain Husserl, I want to report to you that an island street orphan who is an accomplice of the female wolf bandit Bertina is wandering around in your jurisdiction."