Section 24 Bribery

"Really? I think ...... Mr. Esseurofat may seem like this, but it is not. It's like water behind a dam, which looks calm on the surface, but in fact it just lacks a chance to break. Rhodia said slowly, her eyes looking directly at the man opposite. "Mr. Ashrufat, is there a ...... What about special ambitions? to get some ...... in addition to the position of the guard in the palace Other powers?"

"I don't have any particular interest. Ashrufat replied.

"See this city around us? In this city, there is a hidden underground realm. It is as chaotic and complex as the superficial worldly realm...... Moreover, in the Underground World, an order is now brewing. If I had to make an analogy, I'd rather compare it to what was going on a hundred years ago in our land now known as Gruni. After a warlord seizure, a king in the shadows is about to be born. ”

"Why do you think so, why can't it be cut off forever?"

"Because there was an unexpected amount of force. Rhodia replied. "It's like a small stone thrown into a pool that is destined to make waves. The opportunity has arrived, and now it is up to us to see who will take advantage of it. ”

"What power does this Underworld Realm have?" asked Ashrufat.

"It should be said that if measured by the actual control ability, the Supreme of the Underground World Realm is the true master of this city. Everything is under his control. In fact, the will of the king does not really rule everything except the royal palace. At least, there is a layer between the power of the kingship and the actual individual. ”

"You're saying that this Lord of Shadows is the actual master of this city?"

"In fact, except for the royal palace, which is a difficult point, all other places are under the control of this Lord of Shadows. Even the royal palace, I would like to call it a difficult point, not a blind spot. This is because with time, patience and motivation, it is not an impregnable castle that can be slowly eroded and infiltrated. ”

If these words had any effect on Ashrufat, at least there was no show on his face. He just smiled slightly, and picked up the cup he had put down again.

"You're right, Lord of Shadows...... It's just the world in the shadows. Shadows can never resist the light, no matter how pervasive they seem. But under the light, everything in this world is illusory. Ashrufat said.

"Others may be illusory, but money is always real. Don't underestimate it, in this shadowy world, millions of gold and Ori can be generated every year. ”

"Money is also illusory. Ashrufat replied. "If a man encounters a gang of robbers on the road, then what he wants most is not that he is worth billions, but that he has a whole team of guards by his side. ”

"Ah......h

"If one day," said Ashrufat. "What can this king of shadows do when a strong enemy is approaching the city? The king on the throne still has the opportunity and ability to organize resistance, and this king of shadows in the underworld sent assassins to assassinate the enemy's main general? This king's throne is built on the void, maybe limited to this world, he is a king. But as soon as a ray of light from outside shines in, his throne will crumble and disintegrate in the void at any time. ”

"Ahh......h Sure enough, is this the pride of the strong? Unless it is genuine, the power and power that can be put on the table, it seems that no conditions can make you effective. ”

"Do I have any such privileges that deserve to be offered such a price?"

"I was skeptical, but now I do. Rhodia laughed. "What kind of thing do you want that will make you tempted? How about a hereditary fief on the outskirts of Eagle Falcon City? This is something that any nobleman would covet. Although theoretically it was only a knight's fiefdom, the actual income was ...... Even the Earl has to bow down. ”

Ashrufat drank the wine from his glass in one gulp.

"I'm not interested in territory," he said, gently placing the cup on the table, "maybe I was once a rich man." Because I don't feel good about money numbers. Besides, I never think there's much difference in this kind of struggle between having one more helper and one less. If the merchant is too aggressive, it will not sell. Actually, I just want to know the truth. ”

"What kind of truth?"

"Miss Rhodia, you seem to have been here for a long time. Ashrufat said. "Relying on the strength of the Scarlet Rose, this area ...... It must be regarded as a rare calm area in the entire Eagle Falcon City. Why do you have such a good talent, but you have the ambition to compete for it?"

"I just said that...... There is interference with the amount of external forces. Rhodia picked up the empty glass that Ashrufat had drunk and played with it in his hand. "Mr. Ashrufat, don't look at me as such a woman, in fact, I have a little bit of ...... Justice. She giggled again. "Actually, it's all because of the change in the environment. In the past, when I was an ordinary woman here, I didn't seem to have the same sense of justice as I do now. Because at that time, I couldn't even grasp my own tomorrow, let alone someone else's tomorrow. ”

"What is the amount of external force?"

"Some...... Something that goes beyond my bottom line and makes me feel like I can't sit on the sidelines. Rhodia said.

"Does that mean if I don't say yes...... So I'm leaving this flower block?"

"Ah, of course not. Although many people say that I am a shameless woman, I am not shameless to this extent. Rhodia said. "Actually, I also know that a person like Ashrufat, who has long been accustomed to standing in the light, should not have any special affection for my proposal. Forget it, when I didn't say it," she poured another glass of wine. "This cup is my reparation for my treat. ”

......

Ashrufat picked up the glass and played with it.

The band on the side played very hard. It's not a tune played by a second-rate player like the Flower Block, but a great musician that can only be found in a really upscale area. If nothing else, it's rare to find music that sounds loud but calms people's minds.

Ashrufat found himself quite accomplished in music, because after his initial appreciation, he quickly recognized the shortcomings of the musician.

"Come, Eshurufat, this is a golden wine from a foreign land. Essien had already drunk the first glass, and he picked up the bottle again. "I'm afraid this bottle will be worth thirty Jewels. If you don't drink it, you won't have many opportunities. With that, he poured the wine into his glass. The color of this wine is indeed different from that of ordinary wines, with a deep golden yellow color. In addition, there is a special fragrance in its scent.

Although it is a waste for ordinary people to say that a bottle of wine is worth thirty gold orioles, it is a good thing for those who need to prove their status with luxury.

"Golden wine, a specialty of the Stygian region......" Eshurufat did not take a big sip like Essien, but carefully admired the golden drink in the glass.

Thousands of miles away, even ordinary items in the place of origin can become extremely precious, not to mention that this kind of sake is relatively expensive even in the place of origin. Unfortunately, Ashrufat discovered a long time ago that his body barely reacted to alcohol, or rather, drinking alcohol was not much different from drinking water for him. He found that this golden liquid made his heart feel a sense of familiarity, as if it had been a long time ago...... He used to drink this stuff.

There's nothing strange about that. A mercenary has probably seen a lot of things—more than anyone thinks.

"Well, this place is nice. Essien gulped down the second glass and placed it on the table in satisfaction. "Elegant and comfortable environment, good music, and rare wines from exotic countries. He burped, "Of course, there are beautiful women." ”

As he uttered the last sentence, his hand touched the passing-by hostess, causing the latter to chuckle.

"Very good indeed. Ashrufat replied casually.

Essien was right, this is an upscale place. The hotel where Ashrufat is now located is located in the aristocratic district of Eagle City. To put it mildly, the customers here are either rich or expensive. To tell the truth, when Esin proposed to go out for a drink together, Ashrufat really didn't expect to choose such a place.

The consumption of this meal is estimated to cost dozens, or even hundreds of gold and olivia.

"Ashrufat," Essien spoke again, "Speaking of which, I've been here in the royal city for a few days, what do you think of this place?"

"Not bad. Ashrufat replied. "But...... The law and order situation is not as good as expected. ”

"Ha Lu Ha...... There really isn't a good way to do this. After all, there are too many people, and when there are too many people, things become difficult to manage. To tell you the truth, Ashrufat, although he has only been here for about ten days, you should know something about this place. ”

"What kind of understanding?"

"Uh-huh," Essien smiled. "To be honest, you should be ...... to our current position. You know. ”

Ashrufat nodded. He had already thought that this time Essien had specially proposed to come for another purpose, so he was not too surprised by these words.

"Let's be honest. The job of this personal guard...... It takes one year to be canonized as a knight. If he really has a special job in his position, such as protecting the safety of the king in an assassination...... There are additional rewards, and it is not difficult to reach the sky in one step. Such a post is far less dangerous than that of the border garrisons, but far superior in terms of remuneration, and it was originally a post that everyone dreams of, but now there are more than half of the vacancies. Isn't that abnormal?"