The afternoon sun shone through the window on Kenny's silver armor, and he poured another glass of his favorite fresh wine, took a sip of the red liquid, and slowly reached deeper into the long table. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Suddenly there was a sound of the door opening behind him, followed by the characteristic smell of chestnuts on Allen's body, he lazily held the armrest, straightened up, and looked listlessly at the latecomer with honey-colored eyes.

"Everyone, I'm sorry. Alan sighed, "It's too late for something annoying." ”

"It's not too late, you're just in time, Lord Allen. Old Hyde paced to the table with a smile on his face, "Just as I was about to start reporting to the lord, about ....."

"Where's Sercy?" Alan asked expressionlessly, "Isn't he obliged to oversee the work, where is he?"

"In the morning, I went to the garrison to train the soldiers, and then I should go back to the slums. Kenny muttered, "Man, he's not like you, that honest man is a family man now!"

"Lord Allen, let's talk about the road planning in the south of the city. Old Hyde interjected. After he finished speaking, he magically took out a parchment scroll, then spread it out on the long table, and without any scruples, he picked up the lord's bronze inkstone and pressed a corner, pointing to the messy handwriting and speaking to himself.

"Shut up!" Alan held out a finger, "Listen, I don't have time to hear you say this!" he pulled out a chair and sat down, "Now, you only need to answer me three questions, gold, number, and duration." ”

Old Hyde stood at the table with an embarrassed face. Allen's words seemed to make him swallow a fly, and even more unfortunately, the fly was still stuck in his throat, and the damn little wings seemed to be fluttering, and he suddenly didn't know how to take it.

"Isn't my lingua franca good enough?" Allen's hand paused as he was pouring his wine, "how many gold coins, how many workers, and how long will it take for that damn dirt road to turn into a bluestone avenue?"

"Oh, yes!" said old Hyde straightened up and withdrew his half-empty hand, "yes..... There are many things that need to be dealt with, such as the demolition of houses and shops along the street..... This will take about three months. The construction time is not long, which is related to the number of workers, and it is impossible to estimate it at this time. He paused, and black pea-sized eyes slipped above his sockets, "The cost of this, I think..... A minimum of 30,000 gold coins is required. ”

"Thirty thousand gold coins?" Kenny frowned, "including demolition and resettlement fees?"

"Yes, my lord. Old Hyde nodded, "This includes the demolition and resettlement in the early stage, the construction of workers, and the rebuilding of shops in the later stage. ”

Kenny put his glass down and leaned back in his chair. "Hey!" he asked, turning to his Chancellor of the Exchequer, "apart from the recruitment and procurement of armaments, the need for disaster relief, and the daily expenses of Fort Morwin, can we afford to pay for it?"

"Huh?" Alan looked up, looking a little absent-minded. "If you don't make an alliance with Assyria and pay a tribute. "It will make us less strapped for this time, but the new quarter's taxes will be paid soon." ”

"Oh....." Kenny replied, resting his elbows on the armrests to prop his forehead. "Then do it!" he said, "that road is long overdue, and the first thing the Assyrian envoy said when he came to me was to complain to me about the damned dirt road, which stained his expensive deerskin boots, and how shameful it was!"

"Who's to say it isn't!" said old Hyde bowed, "before that, I was also a merchant fishmonger to and from Assyria, and there was a joke about the dirt roads south of our city. It is said that there was a noble young master in Assyria who married a young lady of our Nipur, and every year they would return to Nipur in a carriage, and whenever she was awakened from her sleep, the girl would know that she was home. ’”

Eren immediately looked up, his anger on his face. "Hmph, the joke is good. He muttered angrily, then slammed the silver wine glass he had just picked up on the table, splashing the red liquid on the table.

Old Hyde swallowed. He obviously knew that this joke should not come out of the mouth of a Nipur, let alone in front of the Lord of Nipur.

"Half a year later, I don't want to hear this joke again. Kenny hid his anger in his clenched fists, "Take these drawings and do what you have to do!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, my lord. Old Hyde frantically rolled up the parchment drawings on the table, saluted, and retreated to the door.

"Be kind to those coins!Remember, Captain Sersi will be keeping an eye on you!" Alan admonished as he looked at the back of old Hyde silently leaving.

"As taught, Lord Allen. Old Hyde turned and closed the door slightly.

Alan shook his silver glass, the fruity wine swirling on the path of the glass. His mind was racing, wondering if he should tell Kenny about Maga's commission.

If he shakes this matter out, the five thousand gold coins that he used privately before will undoubtedly be exposed, and Kenny may be furious and even cut him off as Chancellor of the Exchequer, but the advantage is that he can agree to Maga's terms and not have to sleep over this annoying matter.

But if he concealed it and refused Maga's offer, they would need to send at least a thousand soldiers to guard the dam on the upper reaches of the Unun. For the already under-armed Confederates, this move might attract the prying eyes of other territories, and if things were a little more fucked up, they might have to face the emased Maga mercenaries, the seven hundred and twenty-one who were all lunatics armed to the teeth, if they really clashed with them.....

"Hey, man, don't waste a good glass of wine like that....."

Alan came back to his senses and felt a pair of tired eyes staring at the bridge of his nose, and he looked down to find the wine spilled on the floor. "Oh!" he put down his glass and shook the wine stains off his hand, "I'm sorry, I ....."

"What are you thinking?" Kenny frowned slightly, "about ..... Winnie, are you still hating her for cutting your hair?"

"How can it!" Alan rubbed his ear and broken hair, "I killed Alice, but she helped us win Thad and win the hearts of the people for Selcy, compared to this, half a hair is nothing!"

"And what are you thinking?" Kenny pulled his hands to his side and looked at the oil painting hanging on the wall at the end of the long table, and he felt that the person in the oil painting was also looking at him.

"Hmm....." Alan lowered his eyes, "I'm wondering if that road can be repaired later." ”

"Why?" Kenny turned his gaze to him, "That damn rotten road has become a joke on the continent of Sumer, didn't you just hear that? The Assyrians are laughing at us, those damn people-"

"So what?" Alan raised his chin and pressed the back of his head to his back, "I mean, it's still a long time, and we should use all the tax money to build an army and hold the territory, which is more important than anything else, isn't it?"

"Do you have something to hide from me?" Kenny pinched his beard, "Like, you need those 30,000 gold coins to do something more important than that?" (To be continued.) )