Section XXIII decisions

"How much does this cost?" said Ashrufat, who stepped forward and asked the owner. This is a middle-aged man, very fat. Because of the hot weather and his round body, he was sweating profusely at the moment, wiping a handful of sweat from his forehead from time to time. He had already sold some of his goods, so he was counting the bills in his hand at this time.

Although most out-of-town merchants readily accept paper banknotes that can be exchanged for coins at any time, they are not very skilled in counting banknotes, so they often spend a lot of time counting them.

"Buy one piece?" the merchant looked at Ashrufat, assessing his identity from his clothes. Naturally, his gaze crossed over to Ashrufat and saw Leia behind him.

"Let's have two of them. Ashrufat said with a smile as he reached out and picked up the shawl and took it in his hand to examine it carefully.

"You're in luck. The merchant noticed that Ashrufat's hands were free of any calluses from his labor, and he immediately smiled. "I don't have much of that...... Well, I'll take you two big quimps in one piece. ”

Ashrufat looked at the shawl in his hand. He was also regarded as an elven prince for a period of time, and he had a certain degree of understanding of elven products. This kind of thing is supposed to be for the nobles of the elves...... However, in order to strengthen trade with Sivania and solve the recent shortage of goods in the colony, Carrie instructed Kaye to strengthen the manufacture and export of this luxury product through magical communications. The Kaye colony now sells this luxury in large quantities in exchange for essential supplies such as food. It exports more than even the elves themselves. According to the current transaction price between the two parties, when buying this shawl from the island, it will probably cost one big quinoli, but when it is taken outside of Sivania, it can be exchanged for at least three. The merchant's asking price was fairly fair.

"Okay, just two. Ashrufat took four gold coins from his body and stuffed them into the merchant's hand.

"Master, you should be magnanimous, you can buy all his goods, so that you can ......," Carrie said in her mind.

"Carrie," Ashrufat replied in his mind. "There are some things you don't understand. He moved quickly, and at once he folded one shawl into a small piece and held the other in his hand.

"Is it pretty?" asked Ashrufat, shaking his shawl away.

"It's beautiful. Leia replied heartily. There is such a big difference between men and women, this thing seems to Ashrufat to be just a gorgeous and impractical shawl, but it can coax a girl to be charmed. He dressed Rhea.

They walked towards the edge of the port, where there was a newly opened restaurant. It's a small but sophisticated shop that serves the freshest seafood. And this chef is a true master, mastering the subtleties of the art of gastronomy.

Ashrufat and Léa chose a more secluded and quiet place to sit down. The food they ordered was quickly served, and soon the table was filled with all kinds of dishes, and the aroma whet the appetite. Even though Ashrufat no longer felt the need for food, he admired the table with appreciation.

"This ...... Too many dishes......" Léa looked a little uneasy. "Eat...... ...... will get fat."

"It doesn't matter. Ashrufat replied. "I've already paid for it. Besides, maybe you'll be cuter if you're fatter. ”

"My lord, why do you have time to take me out for a stroll today?"

"Ever since we've been together, it's like I've never taken you out for a walk like this. Ashruphat replied with a smile. "It's a rare opportunity. ”

"Your Excellency. Léa suddenly became serious. "Is something going on?

"Ah...... For what do you ask this. ”

"My lord, I may have trouble, but no matter what, I will work with you. Leia stood up half of her body and said firmly. "Please don't hide it from me. We are already husband and wife, and any difficulties should be faced together. ”

"You're just like Scarlet. Eshurufat laughed as he suddenly forked a small piece of fish and stuffed it into Léa's mouth. "Are women all sensitive?" he paused, watching Leia eat the fish. "Can you guess what?"

"Because some of the adults are acting very abnormally. Léa replied. "You can't take us for fools. ”

"Is it normal to keep you locked up in the Dark Castle?" Ashrufat asked with a smile. But in the next second, his smile faded from his face. "Léa, I might be away from home in the near future. ”

"Huh?" Leia was stunned. "Far away?"

"I once said that I had offended the dwarves before, and they knew my true identity...... I've been asking for news about the dwarves for some time now, hoping to find a proper solution to this problem. But it looks like I'm going to have to go once. ”

"You're going to the dwarven mountains, and you're going to ......?"

"Rest assured. Ashrufat grabbed a grilled fish skewered with a stick and took a hard bite. Although he no longer needs to eat, he can still eat and feel the stimulation of this taste. "Of course I'm not going to die. ”

He picked up his cup and motioned for Léa to drink a little as well.

"I'm not sure when I'll be back, though...... It may take years," he said softly. Carrie came up with a general idea, but there was a big difference between the idea and the details that could be implemented step by step. In fact, although he had made a lot of inquiries through business contacts, it was far from the full details of what he wanted to know. In a sense, he can only take one step at a time.

"If I leave, I'll have to leave everything here to the two of you. Ashrufat said.

"My lord, I'll do my best. Leia said. "Scarlet and Carrie will help me. ”

Ashrufat is actually a little strange about Carrie's arrangement, and I don't know why Carrie likes Leia especially and asks her to be her agent. In fact, Leia is a very ordinary girl, and even because she was blind before, she didn't even know words, and she was taught to read and write. From Ashrufat's point of view, he felt that Scarlet was actually more suitable than Léa to rule in his absence.

"Host, it's an arrangement in your favor. Carrie in her mind seemed to sense what was going on in Ashrufat's mind. After spending so much time with Carrie, Ashrufat was well aware of Carrie's abilities - she was able to "talk" to him in her mind, and sometimes, Carrie could sense his superficial consciousness, but as long as he made a little defense in the realm of thought, Carrie couldn't detect his thoughts.

"These are the basic ideas of imperialism. Carrie said. "You can't raise a subordinate who can completely replace you, because that would give him the ability to challenge you. It's important that each of your subordinates has a portion of their abilities so that you can rest easy. ”

"Not even Scarlet and Léa, they're my wives. ”

"Unfortunately, this is a matter of principle. Carrie replied. "Human feelings are unreliable, they change over time, don't they? When a person is in a certain position, sometimes he can't act by his own will, his choice can only be that one. Leia is in control of the entire system of Sivania, while Scarlet has a fast armed force. Only when the two sides unite can they use the greatest amount of armed power, that is, the undead legion. Whether it is Scarlet or Leia, neither side can replace each other, and such a pattern is stable. Do you remember the Baku clan?"

"The Baku Clan?" Truth be told, Ashrufat had long since left this nezumi clan behind. He's had enough of the Underground World, and he doesn't want to go back to playing games of intrigue with those rats.

"It's the same with the Baku clan, there is a Shaka who holds the secret of the life-extending potion, which is the backing force behind the real prosperity of the clan. There is a Landa, who controls the armed forces of the Baku clan. So even though we have been away for so long, the Baku clan is still very obedient. They have to do whatever I tell them to do, and they don't dare to go against my will. Because the two of them held each other back.

On the contrary, if Shaka had been left alone, he would have taken full control of the Baku clan by now, and he would have been driven by ambition to constantly try to challenge our authority. When he finds out that we are not going back, he will disobey and even openly defy our will. ”

Ashrufat didn't actually agree with Carrie, but he didn't refute it. Even he had realized that Carrie was the master in these areas, and that he was just a student.

They soon began to eat, and Leia had a good appetite, and Ashrufat tasted every dish and ate with her.

"By the way, maybe it's time to mention that matter. Carrie prompted.

"Léa, I want to tell you something. Carrie told me that you had considered freeing all the slaves of the Hamma. Ashrufat said.

"Isn't that right, my lord?" said Léa. "Actually, you don't have a slave attitude towards them at all. You helped them build a large number of villages, a large number of houses, prepared corresponding arable land for them, and even made a warehouse for each of their families to store their collected grain, as well as all kinds of livestock...... My lord, to tell you the truth, you are obviously a good person, why do you always disguise yourself as evil and cruel?"

"Because everyone in this world thinks I am evil and cruel. Ashrufat smiled. "No matter what I do, this bias can't be changed. Since I can't change it, I'll just use it. Since they can't love me, at least they'll be afraid of me. As for the Hama matter, "he picked up a piece of fish with his fork, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly. The smell of fresh fish bloomed in his mouth. It was a wonderful feeling, he could feel the deliciousness of the fish, but he had no desire for it.

"Leia, I can't release them. It's not because I have any preconceptions about them, but because of ...... If I set them free, who will they fall under their control?"

"Damon?" Rhea guessed.

"Yes, Damon. Ashrufat replied. "But Damon's power is too strong. If all these people of the Hama join him, then he will become the uncrowned king of the Hambin. He will have complete control over the Bin, and he can mobilize around 200,000 troops at any time if he wants. If someone buys him," his voice remained the same, but Léa felt the weight in his voice. "Or by some means to turn him against him, and it just so happens that I am not here...... Léa, can you guarantee that you can control the situation?"

"But...... But...... He didn't swear allegiance to you, and he ...... Before......"

"The oath of allegiance is just a ceremony, a ceremony that is not enforced. If the oath of allegiance is violated, there is no punishment from heaven. In this world, the only thing that can really be relied on is the strength of the force...... All knights will swear allegiance to the sovereign," replied Eshurufat, and suddenly, he remembered what he had done in St. Jean. "But there is no shortage of examples of betrayal. Not to mention taking an oath of allegiance, even a master and apprentice, father and son can betray each other. You should have read some of these stories in books. ”