From Witcher to Lord of the Empire.

Chapter 180 Reigns, why don't you open a winery?
Although the Beggar King is dressed plainly, he is quite eye-catching among a bunch of homeless and real beggars, especially he is wearing an iconic golden seal ring. All beggars and homeless people passing by will look at him Bow your head and salute.

When he was with other decent people, he didn't feel it. Now that the environment around him has changed, he stands out from the crowd and is so ostentatious.

Oakes patiently waited for the beggar king to return to his "palace", and quietly escaped into the shadows.

Seeing that all the thugs around the Beggar King had left the room, Oakes knew that his time had come.

The dagger is unsheathed, and the poisonous snake spits out a letter.

But the wonderful world always makes things develop in unexpected ways.

"Since you're here, let's talk."

The voice of the Beggar King suddenly sounded, causing Oakes to pause.

The eyes of the Snake Demon Hunter were uncertain. Could it be that the other party saw through his infiltration?Just because of this thin guy in front of him who probably can't even swing a sword?
Oakes kept his dagger out of its sheath, and fixed himself rigidly in his hiding place, not daring to act rashly.

However, he saw that the Beggar King did nothing else after yelling that sentence. He neither called for thugs to come in to protect him, nor did he run away and hide, but continued to do his own thing.

Reading books, counting belongings, and arranging documents, really looks like a little nobleman.

I don't know what documents he was looking at. Do beggars and vagrants also have something to show to the "king" for review?

In the silence that was only the sound of flipping paper, Oakes drew out the dagger again.

"Since you're here, let's talk."

The dagger was retracted again.

After shouting, the Beggar King did not make any follow-up actions as before.Oakes frowned, and had a guess in his mind.

He held his breath and counted the time—

"Since you're here, let's talk."

For the third time, the voice sounded.

As a good guest, Oakes is very sensitive to the interval of time.The distance between the beggar king's third call and the second call is exactly equal to the interval between the second and the first call.

In other words, the person in front of him would shout this every once in a while!
That's it, Oakes showed a clear look, this guy didn't see through the disguise, but was deceiving himself.

His infiltration is still flawless.

But there is still a very serious problem here: does the Beggar King already know that the Snake Sect has defected to Lan En?Also know that Lane has a plan to assassinate the gang leader?It is also clear that they have waited for five full days, but they want to come here to carry out the assassination tonight?

If it is true, then several of his companions may be in danger.

Oakes' snake pupils light up slightly, he needs to know the truth before killing the target.

In the room, the Beggar King opened his mouth for the fourth time, and was about to shout, when he suddenly heard a strange noise from the roof.

His attention was immediately attracted, and when he looked up, he saw a hand glowing with white light.

【Yakesi Seal】

The ether element representing the "spiritual" attribute invaded the brain of the beggar king without hindrance.

Oakes doesn't have the power to hypnotize people like Lane, his seal can only make people enter a trance without resistance.

Not long, but enough for a top assassin.

When the Beggar King regained consciousness, his body was already tied up.He looked around and realized that he was on the roof of his own house.

This is a place that no thug can come to. For Oakes, it is enough to kill the target in an instant, and leave the "rotten forest" like a snake within ten breaths.

"I ask, you answer; if you dare to scream, you die. Do you understand?"

The self-made beggar king was able to bend and stretch, and nodded very bachelor.

"Do you know which side I'm on now?"

"I don't know, but I can figure it out based on the information." The Beggar King said, "The information from the northern border gathers in Novigrad, and the information from Novigrad gathers in me."

"Niflgaard is indeed far away, and a lot of news hasn't reached there yet, so the warlock and the emperor of Nilfgaard don't know some key information, but I know it all: Lannister and the lord of White Orchard fought conflict, and beheaded a goat there, and it all started with saving a witcher. A witcher wearing a viper badge."

The Beggar King showed a disdainful expression, which was aimed at Reans: "From the moment you appeared, I knew that you would never become Lannister's enemies, and the warlock's plan cannot go smoothly as planned .”

Oakes was silent. Did he and others have always been exposed in front of the Beggar King?

"You know I'm coming to assassinate you, and it's today, right now?"

The second question is the one that Oakes attaches the most importance to.

"I don't know." This time the Beggar King gave a different answer, "The tramp and the beggar are my eyeliners, but they just saw that you left Lannister's residence in the middle of the night, and then quickly Lost your whereabouts.

I don't know your purpose, there are many possibilities for late night operations.But the gang leader who came to assassinate me was one of those possibilities, and I couldn't risk it.I just want to lie to you every once in a while, and I will be safe when the information about your return is sent back. "

As expected of a self-made beggar king, under this calm posture, is there such a heart that is full of doubts and little prudence?
Oakes' heart sank by half, at least the actions of himself and others were not exposed, and the other two from the school would not be in danger.

Next is the third question, which is also a question extended from the answer to the second question of the Beggar King.

"You seem pretty confident I won't kill you?" Oakes said.

Oakes has seen too many life-saving tactics of big men.Those who are more advanced can exchange clothes to be a substitute, and those who are less advanced can have their subordinates surround themselves for protection, and even if they are not good enough, they can find a place to hide.

But the Beggar King didn't choose any of the above methods, instead he used "cheat every once in a while", which is a very reckless and dangerous method, even a little bit of using himself as a bait to lure Oakes out.

"I am not able to achieve today's achievements by hiding in Tibet." The Beggar King replied, "Novigrad is about to face a war, and I will naturally choose the winning side."

"I know you might want to kill me and settle it, thinking that Novigrad would be better off without the gangsters. But that's not how it works. You can go and convey my sincerity to Lannister, and he'll understand: only The Novigrad of the Eternal Flame is definitely not the best Novigrad for him, even if the Eternal Flame is his friend now."

"I can also give you a piece of news for free: I am your friend, and among the other two underground representatives, the machete is not your enemy."

Oakes covered his face and couldn't see his expression, but his expression under the mask was already distorted to the point of death.

The Beggar King gave a lot of information. Generally speaking, thinking about these issues is Lei Suo's business.

The Beggar King couldn't see Oakes' expression, but perhaps he was too familiar with the suspicious atmosphere, so he took the initiative to explain: "The machete received a dwarf merchant called Zoltan some time ago. This Zoltan is a Lannister It is said that he met in White Orchard and Lannister.

Logically speaking, Lannister is Zoltan's friend and also a friend of the dwarves, so the machete will not deal with Lannister; in fact, the machete does not have much ambition and desire. Warlock and Caleb Manji's promises don't appeal to him, so he's even less likely to lay hands on friends of friends for unattractive promises. "

The Beggar King sighed: "I just don't know if he has my luck today and escaped from your fangs."

Oakes' snake eyes flickered and he began to think.

Who was it that went to assassinate that dwarf, if memory serves me—Colgrim?

…………

Lann poured a glass of water for the returning Snake Demon Hunter before him, and watched him happily gesticulating in front of him.

"So, the dwarf nicknamed 'Machete', the speaker of the Novigrad non-human race, is not actually our enemy?"

Colgrim nodded, confirming Lane's question: "Do you remember Zoltan?"

"I just turned in through the window when I saw the machete hitting Zoltan!"

"I drank wine with him several times in White Orchard, and I almost couldn't hold back and threw the dagger directly to help him. But then I was very keenly aware that something was wrong-the dwarves in Zoltan's team were also there On the spot, and happily cheering and cheering on the side!"

Colgrim told Lan about his wonderful "assassination" experience tonight.

Among the three Snake Assassins who went out, Colgrim was the first to come back, but he did not kill the mission target, but brought back some other news, which also added a new possibility to Lane's plan .

"I took a closer look and found that they were wrestling, and after the game was decided, they were laughing and drinking together. So I hesitated: If the machete is Zoltan's friend, even if I have to kill him , then we have to clarify the matter first. After all, our ultimate goal is to prevent the citizens from being disturbed by riots, not simply to kill someone, right?"

If it is the three attendants, in this case, they must give priority to completing the task assigned by Lann without any explanation.However, the Snake Demon Hunters have a strong subjective initiative, and fortunately, they took action this time, which resulted in unexpected gains.

"As a result, I found out that the machete thugs didn't look like they were going to riot at all. They had no equipment, no personnel arrangements, and everything was as usual. Then I waited for a while, and went to see them alone after they disbanded. Zoltan, and then Zoltan recommended me the machete with a happy face."

Lan En became interested: "Have you talked with him face to face?"

Colgrim nodded: "I believe in Zoltan, and I have also observed the environment there. Escape is not a problem. I communicated with him while ensuring my own safety."

Leto also crossed his arms, noncommittal about Colgrim's response.

"What did you all talk about?"

"That's what he said." Colgrim recalled, and said—

…………

"You actually let the assassin come in like this, and let him stay for so long. Does it depend on the enemy's kindness whether I can survive in the future?"

"Is your brain full of pig iron? If it's not enough, hit it with a hammer!"

It is said that there are only wrong names and no wrong nicknames, and Machete is famous for his hot temper.

A running joke in the alleys and shady taverns of Novigrad was that Carlo Varese, one of the local gangster triad, was the best poster boy for racial harmony.However, his principle is selectively practiced.

It is said that he was a butcher when he was young, and he was proficient in killing pigs.And not long after, he suddenly realized that it didn't make any difference what was under the knife.

Novigrad's non-human races are rarely high-profile, and the machete is the tallest among the high-profile people. He bares his chest and likes to show his tattoos and jewelry in full view, making Mojo who has been oiled The Ke hairstyle is shining under the light of the oil lamp, which is extremely conspicuous.

At this moment, in front of his mohawk, who was more proud than a fighting cock, was a group of trembling little brothers. Colgrim could find almost all non-human races in it except elves.

After reprimanding his thugs who were not good at keeping watch, Machete turned around and looked at Colgrim:

"My people are all good hands. To be able to sneak in so quietly, you deserve the title of 'Master'. Then, Master Demon Hunter, do you have any lessons to teach me?"

Colgrim's eyes were cold, and he stood at the edge of the room, moving his fingers from time to time, ready to draw his weapon or run away at any time.

Zoltan folded his arms between the two, looking at the machete for a while, and looking up at Colgrim for a while.

"I was tasked to kill you because Chapelle didn't want the riots to harm civilians."

"Ha! That's how the plan was known. Fortunately, I didn't decide to follow that warlock, otherwise we would have turned into torches together in the square in two days!"

"Go back and tell Chapette that I'm a gangster, but I'm not some goddamn villain. We've been rivals for so many years, doesn't he know me? I want to give my fellow man the right to use the same Bread and wine at the same price, but never threatened with a stick to give us food!"

"Living in Novigrad, a few people like us always have to be united. Although sometimes sticks and knives are necessary to allow tall people to talk to us on an equal footing, we are indeed honest people who live in peace and stability. people."

The machete shook his head, and the tattoos on his body were also beating together: "The city is more chaotic, won't our lives be worse? The peaceful life makes my thugs less and less, but I know that once there is danger, everyone around me They're all fighters. What Caleb Manji and that warlock offer is bullshit to me, and I'm not interested in taking it on a friend of a friend."

"It's not just me, I guess Francis doesn't want to follow Caleb Manji. Although that guy's nickname of 'Beggar King' is self-proclaimed, it is also recognized by his subordinates. You may not believe it, that guy He is a good person, and he often gives shelter to the homeless, and occasionally helps others for no reason. Although this kind of situation may only happen once in a few years, it is understandable, this damn world..."

Having said that, one of the Novigrad underground giants raised his chest proudly: "So we are both good people!"

…………

"Later, Zoltan used his mother's name to vouch for the machete, I believed it." Colgrim said, "After all, the purpose of our assassination is to prevent the citizens from being disturbed by riots, right? Then I don't think it is necessary Go kill him."

Lan nodded, approving Colgrim's approach.

Zoltan temporarily separated from Lan when he arrived in Novigrad, saying that he was preparing to raise a caravan to go to Sintra.Now it seems that he is going to cooperate with Machete to operate the caravan.

In this case, the machete can barely be regarded as a "friend".

As for whether the staying of a gangster group like the machete would benefit the citizens of Novigrad, that's not something Lann should consider. Does it have anything to do with him?

Taking a step back, even if the political power of the gang really disappears, it is really hard to say whether the result will be good or bad for Novigrad and Lane.After all, Novigrad is not the "Holy City" of the Eternal Flame, but the commercial center and the City of Freedom in the North.

I'm really busy recently, and I haven't paid attention to Zoltan. Maybe it's time to find a chance to have a good chat with him...

Lan En was thinking, when there was a "bang", there was a sound of landing on the balcony.

Three assassins were sent out tonight, and they should come back one after another after calculating the time.But the sound made by the person who landed was very dull, at least it had to be a person of Lei Suo's tonnage.

Among the three members of the Snake Sect who were sent out, none of them could make a sound of this level.

Several demon hunters in the house suddenly became alert.

But then, there was a rhythmic knock on the door.

This was a pre-agreed signal, which made everyone slightly relax their vigilance and raised doubts.

The balcony door opened, revealing Oakes' face.

And on his shoulders was a tall and thin man who seemed to have been knocked out.

This was another development that Lan En didn't expect: "You...you couldn't find a place to dispose of the corpse, so you carried it back?"

Oakes also seemed to realize that he was not acting like an assassin, and explained: "It's more complicated to say... In short, he knew that I was going to assassinate him, and then tricked me out, and said a bunch of nonsense to me. I I don’t quite understand, but I suddenly feel that it’s better to say that this person is alive than dead, so I just carry it back and let him tell you by himself, you can make up your own mind.”

Lan En raised his brows: "He knows you are going to assassinate him? Tell me in detail."

After listening to Oakes' retelling, Lan couldn't help sighing.

"It's really not easy to establish an underground force in Novigrad, a place where even the king can't reach out. These gang leaders are really not easy... At least they are much better than those messy nobles. I don't know about Thurry What will happen over there..."

While waiting for the beggar king to wake up, Lan En was waiting for the last one to return at this moment.

After a while, there was another knock on the balcony door as agreed upon.

As soon as Serrit opened the door, he saw that the Snake Sect companions who had set off together were already sitting in the house, and asked in disbelief: "Why did you all come back so quickly, I was the last one?"

Then he saw the beggar king in the corner, and he was even more surprised: "Why did you carry the corpse back?"

Everyone did not explain to Serritt, but looked at him expectantly: "Did you kill Hawthorne?"

"Of course." Serrit looked blank, "Although their gangster family is still heavily guarded because it is preparing for war, and there are many guard posts in the middle of the night. But after all, it is the leader of a gangster family, so it is easy."

Sneering and contempt immediately appeared on his face. He looked at Colgrim and Oakes and asked, "You two didn't come back so early because of a mistake, did you? Then what happened to this corpse?"

The Beggar King suddenly let out a low moan, and he woke up.

…………

"Father!"

This was in a casino, all the tables within sight were overturned, and a team of thugs knelt on the ground with bruises and swollen faces.They were tied up here by their masters due to unfavorable guards, and they had obviously suffered a lot.

A young man with dark brown hair lay on top of Hawthorne's body and howled.

Seeing this, Hawthorne's deputy also sighed in his heart.This young man usually confronted Hawthorne tit for tat, and even fought many times. He thought he was a ruthless person like Hawthorne, but he didn't expect that he was still a flesh-and-blood person after all.

The deputy's eyes couldn't see it. On the young man's face buried in Hawthorne's clothes, the corners of his mouth couldn't stop rising.

Sighing in his heart the deep love between father and son, the deputy felt a little more at ease.Perhaps if this "emotional" young man is allowed to inherit the family business, life for the brothers will be a little easier.

Even, a little more presumptuously...

But now, there is still an imminent matter in front of us, and we need a person who can suppress other voices in the family for a short time in terms of identity.

"Cyprian, I know you are sad now, but don't be sad yet," said the deputy. "You need to become a man."

The young man lowered his head and replied: "I know, it's all for business..."

He was crying, but there was no tear on his face.

The deputy nodded, and was very satisfied with the young man's answer: "Everything has been prepared, and all the hands have been thrown out. Now that your father is dead, we need to withdraw them quickly, otherwise we may be killed by our enemies." Take your chances..."

"Why do you want to withdraw?" The young man suddenly raised his head, and his eyes were shining with the familiar light of the deputy.

That's the quality of a gangster at the helm, that cruel look.

"Isn't it going to start a riot? Isn't it going to cooperate with the eternal flame? Why stop it?"

"Order, we will not only set off riots, but also organize massacres and expand our territory as much as possible. This is a golden opportunity. The restrained actions in the original plan are not what the Willy family should be! "

"Put my message into everyone's ears and say - this is the order of Hawthorne II!"

　I originally planned to update it early in the morning for everyone to wake up to read, but the reaction in the book friend group is to stay up late to catch up on the update, which is very hurtful.

　　So future updates will be brought forward to the present time.

　　love&peace
　　
　
(End of this chapter)