Our family is in decline

"Ah? It was never calculated like this!" The fat man knew that he was waiting here, but he was here to negotiate a ransom, so why did it become compensation?

The nature is completely different!

Thinking of this, he shook his head and refused, "It can't be like this, we don't accept it."

"This is a negotiation between me and the Earl. You are just the messenger, so what right do you have to refuse?" Lance's tone was just a little harsh, which made people feel huge pressure.

Under the flickering candlelight, the fat man felt that the person in front of him was not a person, but a monster, more majestic than the earl, and at the same time, the strong murderous aura could not be washed away.

Just now, he opened his mouth to defend, but in an instant, he was like a quail and dared not say anything.

"I will let those knights and one noble go back with you this time. Next time I bring money, I will let the remaining one go."

"Aren't you afraid that we won't give you the money?" Fatty had never met someone so easy to talk to, but so difficult to talk to.

It sounds contradictory, but it’s not easy to let people go before the money comes in?

But his attitude is extremely tough and does not allow any doubt.

"I'll keep Alvin. It doesn't matter to me if Count Bastia doesn't want his son, let alone those armors, weapons and other equipment, don't you want them?"

Lance had no intention of relying on this to earn a living. Whether or not the count gave him money would have to involve public opinion. He didn't mind using the money to undermine the count's prestige. It was even better for Lance not to give it.

Moreover, those weapons such as shields and lances are no longer used by Hamlet. Who will use them as treasures?

As for armor, it is useful, but many of these have been damaged in battles, and repairing them is not as cost-effective as building new ones.

More importantly, these armors can't stop bullets and are no different from scrap metal, so we might as well sell them to them.

It is useless to Lance, but these things are valuable to Bastia, who has low productivity. Without weapons and armor, he is not a knight. If he wants to restore the combat effectiveness of these knights, he has to buy them back, otherwise those knights will be useless when they go back.

Of course, there is room for manipulation in the prices of these armors and weapons, and Lance's attitude has also softened a lot.

"This ten thousand is a fixed amount and there is no need to discuss it, but those knights and weapons and equipment Earls will definitely want to redeem it. This account is calculated separately. I only need 90% of the price, and the other 10% is yours."

The fat man looked even weirder when he heard this. Was he trying to benefit himself?

Even if it's only 10%, it's a lot of money.

But he wasn't stupid either, he realized something instantly.

"What do you want me to do?"

The corners of Lance's mouth were slightly raised. It seemed that he had not been starved to death yet, so he spoke directly without any politeness, "I need to know about Bastia's situation and the count's arrangements."

"Impossible!" The fat man refused without hesitation when he heard this. How dare he betray the earl for this little money?

"Your loyalty to Bastia is nothing more than to get the count to protect you warlocks in front of the church. If he can do it, I can do it too, and at least I won't let you be treated like dogs and have to bring your own dog food.

I remember that in order to hide your identity, you pretended to be a businessman to work for the count, right? I don't even need you to pretend, you can walk openly with me. "

Francis fell into silence. This sentence directly revealed his core interest, which was that his status as a transcendent person required the count's protection to survive from the hands of the church.

"Is it okay if you don't agree?"

But no matter how stupid the fat man is, he still knows who has more energy, an earl or a declining town lord. Can you protect me?

"It's very simple. You continue to stay here, and I will ask the church to come over and talk to you to see if the count is willing to fight the church for you.

Let me remind you, you are playing with fire. If you fall into the hands of the Church Inquisition, you will not be as good as I am to you. All the fat in your body will be turned into grease. "

Lance's meaning is very simple, either you take this benefit and help me do things, and everyone will love each other.

If you don't do it, I will report you and see if the count will protect you in front of the church when you go to the tribunal?

When the fat man heard this, his scalp went numb. How could there be such a shameless person?

Are you applauding? He was imprisoned before he could do anything. He was starved alive for several days until he became delirious.

Now that he is forced to betray the earl, is the money so easy to get?

But he couldn't bear the price of betraying the earl!

The fat man is on the verge of crying, why is he so unlucky?

It stands to reason that Count Bastia, the legendary tiger of the empire, has to be honest even if he is a barbarian, let alone the lord of a shabby town.

According to the plot he envisioned, didn't he agree that he should convince a small lord with his eloquence at the negotiation table and then redeem him?

Why did the plot become like this before it even started?

Seeing his motherly face, Lance knew what he was thinking, but he wasn't angry either. Instead, he smiled.

It's normal not to like it. Who would like to be forced to leave?

It's normal to not believe it either. After all, even Count Bastia doesn't dare to move in front of the church, at least openly.

"I'm not asking you to rebel now. You are still the Count's. As long as you don't tell, no one will know about the deal between us.

As for whether you are willing to surrender, I actually don't care. You just need to do what I say. This is not rebellion, it is just business, because I pay for the information. "

Lance knew that inciting rebellion was not about oppression, but giving a stick and then a jujube.

To give him a step down, this is not rebellion, it is just business. Presumably a businessman should know how to make a choice.

"Aren't you afraid of the church?" Maybe it was because the black bread was digested, or maybe because he knew that he couldn't refuse at all, so the fat man gradually calmed down.

"Church? Hamlet doesn't have one now, and there won't be one in the future." Lance said casually with a smile. In fact, when the fat man said this, he had already agreed to his deal.

"I know that the Count has won over many extraordinary people like you, but you should also know that in his hands you are just a dog that can be thrown away at will.

As long as you abide by the rules in Hamlet, you can live here regardless of whether you are an extraordinary person. The church is not willing to accommodate you, but I am willing, because I am also an extraordinary person. "

As Lance spoke, he raised his hand and pointed, and the fat man suddenly felt a power emerge that dispelled the fatigue and calmed the disordered spirit.

"I can help you calm down your spiritual turmoil, and I want to change the current situation where extraordinary people are in internal chaos and everyone is in danger. In Hamlet, I can give you a safe and stable social environment and change the current situation where extraordinary people are discriminated against."

The fat man was stunned when he felt the changes in his body, unable to speak for a long time...

Lance smiled and said nothing when he saw him like this. To an extraordinary person, nothing else is important, but what can calm his spirit is the most important.

Because what limits them is spiritual instability. Otherwise, how could someone like Tamara, whose inspiration was so powerful that even the elders were surprised, be blocked due to a failure and escape, otherwise she would hide until death.

Alhazred was tortured by the weirdness hidden behind the extraordinary power and dared not sleep for more than ten years. He could only maintain his sanity through meditation to avoid being swallowed by the weirdness.

Extraordinary people originally refer to those who have awakened extraordinary power. These people can mobilize that strange extraordinary power and perform various strange methods.

But those same powers will also corrode them, and if they lose control, they will become evil fallen ones.

Therefore, the big forces in the world like to restrict and suppress wild extraordinary people, or block them, so that these extraordinary people cannot have access to extraordinary power.

However, these forces are cultivating their own extraordinary beings. In the final analysis, they just want to monopolize this power and prevent others from obtaining it. They like to speak in high-sounding terms.

Why do the imperial nobles have connections with different extraordinary beings behind their backs, but allow the church to suppress other extraordinary beings?

Because this is the chain on which a dog is tied, and they, the unorganized people who cannot form their own group, are dogs.

In fact, the church is also just pretending. Didn't they dare to say shit when they saw extraordinary people with backgrounds like Geralt, Amanda, and Alhazred walking around in the empire?

If Lance were the ruler of the empire now, he would adopt similar methods to maintain stability. After all, he was also maintaining his own power.

But now he is not. Whether it is against the ancestors, or against the church, the empire, etc., their strength is needed.

Then we must win over the wild extraordinary beings, find ways to bring them under our command, and cultivate our own extraordinary strength.

"Have you considered it?" Lance smiled and said a name, "Francis..."

The fat man understood it as soon as he heard the name. His disguise as a businessman had long been revealed, and even his name was revealed.

You know, even Bruce doesn't know his name and identity, how did he know it?

Is it possible that the earl has been infiltrated by him for a long time?

Francis knew that he was demonstrating, and his underwear was almost seen through.

"The Count of Bastia has been unhappy with him for a long time. I have long wanted to burn him to death and dedicate Bastia to your lord."

What can be said? Whoever can solve the survival problem of extraordinary people, let alone just pass on a message, you can call him daddy.

Hamlet's strength does not seem to be as strong as the count's now, but no matter what the count is, he is not a true transcendent.

And Lance is a powerful supernatural being, so his promise is quite attractive to those supernatural beings who come to fight against the oppression from the church.

"Come on, it's a little simpler, let's talk while we eat."

Lance sat across from the fat man and took out various foods.

Although he doesn't want to sit on the ground, he still has to do it. As for the food, he has it ready in the showroom all year round.

How could the fat man bear to see these foods? Even if they were poisonous, he would still eat them. At least he would be a satiated man.

Beasts are very fragile when eating, and similarly, humans' vigilance and thinking logic will be weakened when eating, because the blood flows into the stomach and intestines for digestion, and the brain can't support too much thinking if it gets less nutrients.

Lance took the opportunity to talk to him about the extraordinary beings controlled by the Earl, and he understood that Francis would agree so quickly.

Because the earl raised them like dogs and used them to do some dirty work. Knowing how to handle them would naturally be the materials needed by extraordinary people, as well as the protection of their identities.

"There are fewer and fewer extraordinary people in Bastia. I heard that they followed him to defeat the barbarians. But because the war stopped, they naturally disappeared. I doubt..."

"No need to doubt it, it was the Count who did it, and the people from the Eagle Group executed it." Lance didn't even need to hesitate, because Laura had performed this kind of mission and had told him about these things.

Francis was not surprised when he heard this, because everyone could vaguely feel these things. He was active because he wanted to be valuable to the earl, so that he would not be removed inexplicably.

"Most of the extraordinary beings controlled by him are dissatisfied with the count. Do you want me to talk to them?" Francis tried, wanting to draw more extraordinary beings into the water.

"If you leave their situation, I will find someone to contact you, but it is not you. Your task is to help me lurk around the count."

"Yes, sir." Francis did not dare to say more, but he mentioned another matter, "Sir, can you return my things to me."

"That's right." Lance took out the torch, and the flames rose instantly, once again proving his identity as a transcendent.

But he didn't play tricks on him, and actually handed the torch back.

"Tell me the principle of this and your ability to control flames."

Lance was still very interested in the power of extraordinary beings and immediately started discussing it with him.

Because just from this spontaneous fire, he saw the potential of extraordinary power.

If this ritual of spontaneous combustion of torches can be cracked, there is still great potential for using this technology in other places.

It doesn't even need to be maintained for such a long time, it only takes a short moment.

For example, it can be used to improve muskets, triggering shooting through extraordinary power, a gun that does not require match ropes, flints or even primers.

In this way, the structure of the firearm can be optimized with extraordinary strength, and there is no need to worry about rain or wind, or the excitation probability of flint.

Another one is the extraordinary lighter, which is also a technological advancement.

Lance is indeed constantly promoting the development of technology, but he has never said that he will give up his extraordinary power. He wants it all.

It's just that he currently doesn't have the talent to specialize in this stuff, and he is extremely busy, so he can only keep putting his ideas on hold.

If we can attract the extraordinary people from Bastia, we may be able to promote these.

When Lance leaves the prison, it means that Francis has become his pawn in Bastia. Whether he is really willing or not, it doesn't matter, because this corresponds to Lawrence.

That's right, Lance doesn't trust Lawrence, so comparing the news from the two people will tell who has the problem.

Lance also has a source in Bastia, not Laura, but...

Suddenly Lance stopped and his eyes fell on the candlelight in front of him.

At a glance, you can tell that this guy Paracelsus stayed up late studying again without sleeping.

Thanks to [Guardian Star 1] for the 500 reward