"You may be seated. A handsome-looking native-girl handed Faust a black drink. Faust took a sip, a bit like oil tea, but the fat content was much higher, and a lot of salt was added, which made the taste smooth and salty.

"No matter how many times I drink it, I won't get used to the taste. It is a strange custom to drink such a greasy drink early in the morning. Faust complained to Mayor Marula, who was sitting next to him.

The night in the aboriginal camp was uneventful, and Faust meditated smoothly into the early morning. The old chieftain seemed to have the same idea as he was, and after a brief breakfast, he invited him and the mayor to the huge log cabin in the center of the camp.

The others remained in the tent, nominally guarding the captured Zhanas, but in reality everyone knew that Zhanas could leave at any time.

"In the jungle, it is difficult for people to get enough oil and salt, so only the most distinguished guests can enjoy the hospitality of oil and salt tea. The mayor patiently explained to Faust the customs of the natives, and since meeting the Revenants, he had become more and more interested in bringing about cooperation between the two sides, apparently frightened by the might of the natives.

The old mayor was about to continue talking, but a long trumpet sounded outside the house.

"It's the chief who is coming. Faust spoke, motioning to the mayor to calm down. He stood up and walked a few brisk steps, just in time to meet the chief who was pushing the door in, "Dear Great Chief, thank you for the delicious refreshments, may your tribe always have endless oil and salt." "Faust now learns and sells his blessings to the chief.

The chief also brought only one retinue, which was a tacit agreement between the two sides - only these few people could make decisions, and bringing more subordinates was of no value except to increase the tension.

The Chieftain's current appearance was very different from yesterday's old appearance, and although he still looked much older than the mayor, he was still very strong in spirit, and he spoke with a lot of energy.

"Hahaha, thank you for your blessings, and may our friendship be as real and indestructible as your blessings!" the chief laughed, but the content of his words was not as cheerful as he had shown - if you had come with a friendly purpose, then we would have been friendly too.

In other words, it's a different-worldly version of "Friends come with wine, jackals come with shotguns." ”

This level of irony is naturally like a breeze on Faust's face. However, if there is no response, it is not Faust's character.

He also smiled slightly, and retorted with a gun and a stick: "I have known for a long time the unwavering friendship between the chief and his companions! "Hehe, eldest brother, don't laugh at second brother, I have a bad plot, and you are not a good bird.

The old chief didn't expect Faust's counterattack to be so fierce and vicious, directly revealing people's scars, and he couldn't help but be stunned. However, Faust's sarcasm did hit him in the sore spot, and the expedition was indeed a shadow of the old chieftain's life.

When he thought of the old things, he was no longer in the mood to play these twists and turns with Faust. He was silent for a moment, and then said: "Your Excellency, I am a countryman, and I don't understand the tricks of your outside nobles, so I'll just say it - what is the purpose of your coming?"

Apparently, the old chief had already seen that the person in charge on the other side was not the mayor of Marula, but the strange and young Faust.

"As we said, we are here with a friendly purpose. Faust felt a little sorry to see that the other party had no intention of playing the game, but he quickly got to the point - time was pressing, and he had to set up the town before Squealer could get the city lord on his side. He believes that the completion of this matter is likely to be related to what the Immortal Brotherhood will say about him.

"You know, the opposition between the two sides has been a follow-up to that incident. Faust meant, "While the two sides have not yet formed an irresolvable hatred, we should put aside the old hatred for the time being and work together to resolve it." ”

"If we wait any longer, the blood feud between the two sides will accumulate day by day, and even if that matter is resolved, peace will never come. Faust briefly expounded his basic point.

The old chief smiled, "I don't think there's anything wrong with that. "He has mastered the training of the Revenant, and his strength is far stronger than that of Marula, so he naturally ignores the conflict.

"That was all in the past. Faust still looked confident, he had already considered the old chieftain's possible attitudes in advance, and at this step of lobbying, he could not fail.

"You may not know yet, but there is a new move on the Castle Lord's side. Faust threw out a killer move, "The town of Marula has officially become a subject of the lord of the city. And I'm the tax collector appointed by the lord of the city. ”

The chief's face changed, and he almost immediately figured out the whole thing—there was only one nearby lord who was qualified to accept the town of Marula, and that was the Lord of Redstone, who ruled the entire southern realm of the empire. And the small town of Marula, which is under the protection of the Lord of Redstone, will never be inferior in military power to its own tribe. Then, the cessation of the conflict between the two sides is indeed the best solution.

In fact, Faust did not tell the old chief all the facts, but chose the one that was most beneficial to him - for example, the lord of the city was now too busy to send an army to support the town of Marula, and for example, he was not a tax collector at all.

"But if we choose peace, what will it do?" the smile on the chief's face had faded, and he narrowed his eyes and asked the crucial question.

Faust had consulted the old mayor, and the split between the natives and the colonists was originally born entirely out of a conspiracy between the two. They were both cursed by the City of Flesh, and while they didn't know the exact content of each other's curse, what they had to pay for could be obtained by the same means - killing and sacrifice.

With the help of each other, they each have a high voice in the ethnic group, and secretly exacerbate the conflict between the two sides. Soon, the two groups began to fight, and even vendetta.

Initially, the two had a close relationship, but as their respective ethnic groups moved in, the two broke off contact and their relationship gradually deteriorated.

Among them, the mayor of Marula really took on the blame of the leader, and began to think more about the interests of the town - the hatred they promoted finally came to himself.

The mayor didn't know if the old chief was like him, but he knew that vendetta was the only way to cover up the sacrifice, and once the two sides reached a settlement, the old chief and the mayor of Marula would be the first to suffer.

"So, you understand what we're here for. Faust smiled, "Let's work together to enter the ancient city once again and solve the curse once and for all." ”

Faust leaned back lightly in his armchair, "When the time comes, let him disappear the little things that are not worth mentioning." "The bloody conflict between the townspeople and the natives for decades was, in Faust's mouth, nothing more than a trivial matter.