When we came to the street outside the council chamber, it was already crowded with people, and there was no way for latecomers to get in.

"Hmph. Hodge cleared his throat and shouted as loudly as he could, "Guys, please stop and listen to me!"

Although he had used the loudest volume, it was still contemptuous of the crowd, and it had no effect except that the few people standing closest to him looked back at him and then turned to raise their arms and shout.

Hera saw the helplessness on his face, and roughly understood the situation at this time, and cleared her throat as he did, and then a sharp voice rang in everyone's ears.

The volume of the sound is not particularly loud, at least compared to the chorus of the crowd, but it is sharp enough for everyone to hear clearly, and the sound of tinnitus rings in the ears, many people immediately cover their ears with their hands, but the tinnitus does not disappear, this sound seems to be penetrating, and it is not something that can be refused by covering the ears at all.

Hodge waved his hand at Hera, who obediently stopped controlling the voice.

When the ringing in everyone's ears finally subsided, Qi Qi looked in Hodge's direction, looked at him, and also observed the girl beside him.

"Guys, I have something to say to you, please be quiet. Hodge made a silent gesture toward the crowd.

"Who are you? Why should we listen to you!"

It's a pity that these townspeople and criminals in Blackstone obviously won't buy a young guy's account.

"Wait...... I know him. Suddenly, someone said, "Isn't he the owner of the wizard's house, and he disappeared some time ago, and there is no trace of him, so how can he be here?"

"It seems to be really him, and I recognize him too!"

"Yes, but why is he here?"

"Ahem. Hodge coughed heavily, raised his arm and said, "Guys, some of you already recognize me, I once opened a wizard's house in the underground of Blackstone, and I think some of you are not too unfamiliar with me. ”

"And now. He raised his hand and pointed to the council chamber, which had been surrounded by an angry crowd, and said, "I'm in the town council hall, so I'm here to say a few words to you on behalf of Mayor Pollitt and on behalf of Blackstone. ”

"Why are we listening to you fooling us here, since you represent the mayor, then you should pay what Blackstone owes us, and the guys will round him up!" a young voice came out of the crowd, thinking that it must be a young man who was so enthusiastic and energetic to arrest everyone involved in order to calm his anger.

Unfortunately, not many people responded to the hot-blooded young man's shouts, but the few closest to Hodge took a small step back.

"Boy, are you crazy?" The person close to him clubbed the young man's waist and scolded in a low voice: "If he is really the owner of the Wanshi House, then who is the girl standing next to him, you won't use your pig brain to think about it?

Most of the people gathered here are just ordinary people, they are unorganized, they are simply angered by the high taxes and the mood to join in the fun, and they can run over the soldiers with their numerical advantage without recklessness, but if they are against a terrible witch...... No one wants to take the first step, it's a move that could cost you your life!

"Since he said he wanted to say a few words to us, let him say it first!" echoed the voice.

"Guys, what I'm trying to say is - I understand your feelings at this time, but please believe me, believe in Blackstone, this is not the intention of the council chamber, now I am here to solve the tax problem that is bothering you, but it will take time to solve the problem, I would like to ask you to give us a little time, and stop blocking the door of the council chamber. ”

"The little white face is really unreliable, don't believe him, those adults in the town like this, thinking that a few words can appease us?"

"That's right, who knows if you guys won't take the opportunity to escape!"

"Believe me, we won't, and we don't have to, run away, it's not something that can't be solved. Hodge looked up at the faint sunlight in the sky and exclaimed, "And I don't need much time, there is still some time before the sun sets, and I implore you to leave this time to us, and before the sun goes down and it gets dark, the council chamber will surely give you a satisfactory answer." ”

The crowd retreated a house road, and the old man with a wooden crutch slowly walked up to Hodge, his teeth already half gone, and he spoke a little breathy, but he could barely make out the difference.

He looked at Hodge, his wrinkled hand on the wooden crutch and said, "Young man, I have come to this town at your age, and I have grown old and dilapidated with it, and in all this time I have seen the great men of the town make promises to us more than once, but not once have they kept their promises. ”

There were a lot of white puffs on the old man's eyeballs, and he stared at Hodge with such a pair of eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Now you are also one of them, so what do you use to convince us that this time will not end the same as the past few decades?"

Hodge looked at the old man, then moved his gaze to the crowd, looked around, looked at everyone's faces, some had never met, some were still impressed, but more of them were not remembered, there were so many townspeople who had come to the house that he couldn't remember everyone's faces, he couldn't even tell which people had been his customers.

But it didn't matter, he retracted his gaze and said to the old man who was aging with Blackstone Town: "Old man, I haven't been here for a long time, and it should only be less than half a year in total, but the time I have become the big man in the town as you say is only ten days. ”

"What was I doing in Blackstone before that?"

"I've opened a shop and received a lot of customers, and I'll help you—" At this point, he looked up at the crowd behind the old man, "It's you guys, I've helped you solve more troubles than I can count." ”

"Whether you remember it or not, I did. ”

"Whether you appreciate it or not, I did. ”

"And what I want in return is only a little bit of the cost of the herbs, and I have never offered a high price, and in fact it is exactly that, I have always adhered to this principle, and even if I can get far more than that, I have never thought of doing it. ”

"Because I believe that as a businessman, only honesty can retain more customers. ”

"Now I am standing before you not as a businessman, but on behalf of the council chamber, and I am talking to you, but on the point of integrity, it is still my insistence, and you want to say that those big men have deceived you, which is very good, and proves that you are not forgetful people. In that case, you should remember that I have never deceived you for a moment. ”

"So I ask you again, give me a little bit of trust, and – time. ”

The old man still stood still, looked at him, was silent for a moment, and then said, "What if you fail to keep your promise at sunset?"

"Then I will open the iron door of the council chamber, and whatever you do, I will not interfere. Hodge affirmed.

The old man added a few more wrinkles on his forehead, and finally spoke: "It's only sunset." ”

"Only until sunset. ”

The old man sighed and turned to the side.

The crowd behind him split their way to the iron door of the council chamber.

"Thank you. Hodge nodded, took Hera's hand, and walked towards the small building in the council chamber.

......

Pollit was fidgeting in his room, walking around, occasionally raising his fist and striking at his palm.

Why has it been so long that Layton has not returned, the more he waits for news at this time, the more tormented it is for him.

He stopped abruptly because there was a slight sound outside the door, the sound of boots stepping on the stone pavement of the corridor.

He opened the door with great joy, and shouted in a hurry, "How is the letter??, has the letter been sent?, and how long will it take for the Marquis to send someone to ......?"

The words stopped abruptly, and he saw the two people outside the door, and neither of them was Layton.

"Send someone—do what?" Hodge watched as the joy on Pollitt's face turned to horror.

"Why are you here, I obviously let people ......" Pollit quickly covered his mouth, damn it, wouldn't mentioning this now add fuel to the fire?

Hodge thought for a while, quickly understood, and looked at Pollit with a smile: "I understand, since you asked Marquis Raymond for help, then Lord Marquis will definitely know about the riots in Blackstone Town, if you can't give a proper explanation, you must bear the wrath of Lord Marquis alone, right?" At this time, it is quite wise to push out a person to put all the responsibility on him, and this person's status should be high enough, Rhodes has been imprisoned, and you yourself don't know anything about finances, Crane naturally can't be sacrificed, compared to him, I, the intelligence director, is dispensable, what a strategy, Lord Pollit. ”

"Who did you send? it should be Leyton, but I'm sorry to disappoint you, the outpost is busy calming the anger of the people, and I don't think there is time to respond to your orders. ”

Pollitt's mind had never been so flexible as it was at this time, and he only understood the facts in an instant, and asked angrily, "How dare you frame me?"

"Framed? Hodge still smiled, "Whether it's increasing the amount of mining taxes or taking tax money from the town, it's all your own decision, right? ”

"Bastard!

Pollitt was about to pounce on Hodge with his fat body, but as soon as he took a step, he saw the little girl next to Hodge frowning, her small mouth opened slightly and let out a scream, he felt a very fast wind across his cheek, until he reached out and touched it, there seemed to be a small cut on his cheek, and when he put down his hand, his fingers were already covered with blood.

Fear, the intense fear made him sweat coldly, and he no longer had the strength to support the pillar's fat body, and sat on the ground weakly, looking at Hodge and Hera in horror.

"What do you want to do! I'm the mayor of Blackstone, you can't kill me!"

"Your Excellency, how could I kill you. ”

At this time, the smiling Hodge was like a devil with fangs in Pollit's eyes, and he approached him step by step, pulling him up by the back collar and slowly dragging him on the ground until his entire body was back in the largest room of the council chamber.

Hodge stood outside the door, gradually closing the wooden door until there was a low thud, the wooden door was completely closed, and he took out a prepared iron cable from his bosom, opened it with a key, and fastened it to the handle of the wooden door and the clasp of the door frame.

He didn't know if Pollit inside would be able to hear him, but he still said:

"My lord, your health is not good, since this is the case, let me take care of the affairs of the town for you, you can stay in this spacious room and recuperate in peace, don't be in a hurry, take your time. ”

"I will order food and daily necessities to be delivered, so adults don't have to worry. ”

"By the way, don't think about it and jump out of the window. ”

"I have to warn you, this is the third floor. ”