"Appeal?"

Wen Dao looked at the hobbits who were only as tall as his navel in astonishment, but he couldn't help but recall the murals on the Hall of Forgetfulness in his mind. In the precious frescoes that record the history www.biquge.info of the ancient Lambel star, the hobbits are depicted as dwarfs with pointed ears and round noses, and they occupy a very important place in the murals.

The first foreign visitors to land on the surface of the Qurumbell lands in a spaceship were the Hobbits, who brought shards of glittering stars in exchange for the goods of the land of Grumbell. The exchange of trade between the Hobbits and the Qurumbellians continued until the expansion of the Empire of San Vano into the southern heavens. Even in the early days of the Empire's invasion, the Qurumbellians were allies in the battle between the Harpy Federation and the Imperial Conquest Legions.

However, after King Longxian occupied the Emerald Star Field, he expelled all the interstellar forces, including the San Vano Empire and the Harpy Federation, with an unsurpassed force. As a result, the San Vano Empire lost its bridgehead for the invasion of the Southern Heavens, and the Harpy Federation lost its historic trading strongholds. In the centuries that followed, despite the Harpy Federation's zealous desire to rebuild the trading post, countless bloody and tearful petitions sent to the Dragon Palace went unanswered.

Under such circumstances, the Harpy Federation, which was extremely grateful and in awe of the Dragon Virtuous King's family, certainly did not dare to touch the Dragon King's scales. In addition to regularly sending envoys to the Dragon Palace to pay tribute, the only way to sneak into Liansta for sightseeing is like this, and by the way, to bring a lost souvenir back. Of course, Ryugu is also aware of such activities of the hobbits, but for the sake of harmlessness, he is too lazy to care.

However, even if the Dragon Palace turns a blind eye, the identities of these hobbits are still illegal smugglers, and Wen Tao has never heard of any smugglers who dare to call out the local government. It's like a thug who eats a bully meal, slaps the table and calls the boss over and says, "Although Lao Tzu has no money, you still have to say that your dishes are all shit".

Although standing in the position of the envoy of the Dragon Palace, Wen Dao could certainly ignore it, but looking at these hobbits who were trying to stand on tiptoe and put on an angry expression, an indescribable sense of comical welled up in his heart. Wen Dao coughed and suppressed his smile, turned to sit up straight at the hobbit.

"Now that you know who I am, let's cut it short. ”

This is the first time Wen Dao has dealt with interstellar level diplomacy, and he is now in a business-like posture and sweeping the hobbits with a cautious gaze. "Before filing a complaint, please report your name. ”

"My name is Gurem, he is Hasum, he is Arrom. We are traders of the Harpy Federation. A man with a reddish nose and an excited expression spoke first, introducing the other two companions and leaving behind unashamed words. "Although we are not well-known now, our big name will resound in the galaxy in the future!"

“…… Then, what do you want to appeal?" Wen Dao forced himself to ignore the latter words.

"We demand taxes!" said Gurem, waving his small fist the size of a teacup.

"Levy ...... Tax?" For a moment, Wen Dao couldn't help but doubt his ears.

"No, that's right! Voyage tax and transaction tax!" The hobbit who stood next to Gurem, who didn't know whether he was called Hasum or Arrom, also added vigorously. "Now our trade ships are quietly passing through the Emerald Star Domain, and no one cares about it at all, so we strongly ask the lord to collect taxes!"

You guys' brains aren't sick, are they?,Wen Tao almost blurted out. By Earth's standards, a merchant who is so aggressive in demanding government taxation is definitely a rarer mutant than a grazing lion. However, the universe is vast, and interstellar civilizations are flourishing, and in the culture of the Harpy Federation, there is a strange tradition of merchants demanding mandatory taxes from the government.

"In addition to collecting taxes, you also ensure the smooth passage of the airway!" As Wendao digested his astonishment, Gurem jumped on the bench to make his eyes level with the dragon envoy, and continued to make demands. "It's too chaotic on the Star Border right now! Smugglers, pirates, and mercenary groups are all indiscriminately infested, and trade ships have to be charged seven times for refueling! Strongly demand that the lord collect taxes, clear the shipping routes, and drive those guys away!"

"So that's ......" Wen Dao exhaled, finally understanding the strange thinking of the hobbits.

From the words of the hobbits, it seems that the Dragon Palace does not regulate the trade activities on the starfield border now. And because the Emerald Star Field is the only channel between the San Vano Empire and the Harpy Federation, many pirate mercenaries and smugglers are secretly active, which brings great trouble to the interstellar trade of the Hobbits. Therefore, the lord is required to take responsibility, and the collection of navigation tax and transaction tax is on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is more important to clean up the harsh environment of the star border.

Although Wen Dao didn't know much about the Dragon Palace's attitude towards border trade, the hobbits' demands were not excessive, so they nodded and promised. "Understood, when I return to the Dragon Palace, I will report your complaint to His Highness, and it will be up to His Highness to decide whether to levy taxes or not. ”

"It's not enough to just report! we need a definite reply!" Gurem raised his small fist again. "We won't leave until we get a reply!"

"Yes, we'll stay here!"

"And all the expenses have to be calculated on the head of the Dragon Palace!"

"Just ask if you're afraid!"

I don't know if it was Hasum or Arom, the two hobbits also responded passionately.

Looking at the high-spirited hobbits, Wen Dao felt 10,000 heads running by, and began to reflect on whether his attitude was too kind? The so-called people are good at being bullied, and horses are good at being ridden, not to mention Long Ji, if these hobbits dare to die like this in front of a certain deacon, I don't know what will happen?

After imagining that kind of situation for a while, Wen Dao, who suddenly had strong expectations, pulled the corners of his mouth slightly, and made suggestions in an extraordinarily cordial tone. "With my authority, it is difficult to reply immediately, if you want to get an answer as soon as possible, you might as well go with me to the Dragon Palace to appeal to His Highness, right?"

"Go, go to the Dragon Palace!?"

"Appeal to Your Highness!?"

Like a popped balloon, the hobbit's expression instantly became very exciting, and Wen Dao continued to instigate. "Don't worry, even if you can't see Your Highness, our chief deacon will definitely 'patiently' listen to your complaints and give you the fastest reply. ”

"No...... No, that's too much trouble!"

"Actually, it's not bad like this!

"Taxes or something!

The hobbits, who had quickly reached a consensus on the issue of taxation, simply turned around and walked back to the distant wine table as they had come, but if you looked closely, you would see that their steps were obviously vain - except for the San Vano Empire, the Harpy Federation was probably one of the most feared Astral Dragons in the Galactic Kingdoms, and Wen Dao's proposal clearly exceeded the boundaries imagined by the Gurems.

"Amazing, Brother Wendao. ”

When Wen Dao sat back in his seat, there was a warm applause from the court scholars next to him. Dai Yang told Wen Dao in a smiling voice that "bluffing" can be said to be the most typical character of a hobbit. Although the hobbits are good at making delicate objects, they are naturally weak, so they often play an exaggerated virtual image in order to protect themselves outside, but once they kick the iron plate, they will return to their original weak appearance, and they are often evaluated as "bullying the weak and afraid of the hard".

"So your response is quite good, and you don't dare to go to the Dragon Palace to complain if you kill them. Dai Yang lowered his voice and reminded Wen Dao. "But let's be honest, the hobbits make really good things, from small equipment to large ships, which have a good reputation in the interstellar market. Those three also have a lot of good goods in their hands, and they should stay in Lensta for the time being, and you can trade with them if you need anything. ”

"I remembered. Wen Dao nodded thoughtfully, and secretly wrote the hobbit complaint into the report later. Although I don't know how the chief deacon will deal with it, letting the border chaos go is not a creative thing for the construction of the dragon collar either.

Just as Fumi-Tao was considering the contents of the report, there was a creaking sound of the door opening the door of the sake house. Thinking that it was Fili who had returned, Fumidao looked up, only to see that it was not a pretty Pegasus knight who walked into the brewhouse, but an unexpectedly familiar figure.

The little maid with a double ponytail, holding a grilled squid in her left hand and a kebab in her right hand, walked into the brewery with a happy face. Coldly, the eyes of the two suddenly met, whether it was Ani biting the squid shreds at the door, or Wen Dao holding a wine glass on the table, they were all stunned for a while.

Time flowed in silence for a few seconds, but it was Ani who made the move first. I could only hear the little maid's panicked scream, and the whole person disappeared from the door of the wine house in an instant. Looking at the squeaky and shaking wooden door over there, Wen Dao, who had come to his senses a little later, quickly said sorry to Dai Yang, and chased him out.

Not long after Wen Dao ran out, the pretty Pegasus Knight also returned to the sake brewhouse. When she heard from the court scholar that Wen Dao was "chasing a beautiful little Lori out", although Fei Li showed a confused look that couldn't grasp the point, she still resolutely chased out with a silver spear.

"Oh, it's good to be young, Brother Wendao is also a blessed person......"

Looking at the back of the Pegasus Knight, the court scholar smiled and raised the wine glass in his hand. For the middle-aged uncle who has passed that era of passion, the performance of young people loving and chasing each other can be said to be quite a repertoire that can temper the mood. However, when he leisurely enjoyed the repertoire, he seemed to forget that he was also the object of pursuit.

"You've got it. ”

A cold voice like a resentful soul possessed suddenly sounded behind him, and Dai Yang's hand holding the wine glass instantly stiffened. A few seconds later, the court scholar giggled and turned his neck to look back, and in his frightened eyes, Serena broke through the door with a whole group of knights......