Wizard From Afar

After leaving Lothar, the black hair wizard took another week to cross the border between Almang and Byrne, and headed to Chika from the north of Loyalty Fort. Blood castle.

Looking at the bustling, lively and as always prosperous Scarlet Blood Castle in front of him, Loren could only have infinite emotion in his heart.

The spacious streets are clean and tidy, and there is almost nothing to see except ruts and footprints; but this is because there is nothing but pedestrians on the streets; the original vendors on both sides are no longer looking for Less than one, only a pile of fences and tattered tents remained.

A solitary wooden token is hung outside the door of a closed store, written in red paint, "This bakery actively follows the instructions of the Holy Cross doctrine and is closed on weekends and afternoons, and will never conduct any trading activities. ".

Several farmers carrying grain bags passed by the store, all sighed and shook their heads, then turned and left.

The people coming, people going under the city gate are very crowded; but in fact, only a very small number of businessmen are trying their best to shout. The overwhelming majority are just pedestrians passing by in a hurry, and those who leave with a sad face while driving the carriage Caravan.

The Byrne Cathedral is very lively, but apart from the priests who are working hard to preach the doctrine and some "probabilistic" believers, the rest are still mostly "watching the fun", it seems that even what happened Nothing is clear.

Only the inner city behind the city wall is still prosperous and stable as before, except that things are slightly more expensive; salt is twice as expensive, High Level meat is three times more expensive, fresh vegetables and refined Flour is five times more expensive... Loren passing by the shop glanced, and found that the price of fresh eggs was almost the same as that of equal weight aged wine.

Prices are inflated, public grievances are rising, there is no vitality, and the atmosphere is heavy...

I made up my mind to return early...I did it right!

"It must have been done by the little Yode of the Chamber of Commerce." Glancing at the "prosperous business" pawnshop and the bakery with almost no who, Lu Sien said bitterly:

"I remember something similar happened in Elle Mang before...inflated prices and stockpiled stocks. These profiteers can do anything for money!"

black The hair wizard laughed and did not answer the call.

"Why didn't anyone stop him?" The little wizard's expression was also confused, and he blinked: "The roundtable council impossible ignore this situation. Wouldn't it make Byrne become It's dangerous?"

Behind her, Harimvan Assama continued to speak, but silently looked at her proud student with a confused look, and did not give any explanation.

There are some things, it’s better not to explain...

A quarter of an hour later, the guard of the palace, Knight, came to greet the returning mission team; after a brief meeting, Master Azamay He took Ayin and returned to the wizard union first, and Lu Sien had to go to the barracks of "Sky Wings" as soon as possible to hand over work with the acting head of this period.

Only Loren, followed the guards Knight to the Round Table Council.

Holding the palace herald who wanted to inform when he entered the door, the black hair wizard, who was alone, walked straight into the door, walked through the front courtyard garden, and walked in the direction of the hall.

Before stepping up the stairs, the palace chief Charles Glenwell, with a serious face, spotted him first, and quickly stepped forward to greet him with a bit of panic in his expression of astonishment:

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"Your Excellency, why did you come back so soon? And...why didn't you hear from outsiders..."

Bang——!

A muffled sound came from the hall.

The inexplicable black hair wizard and complexion pale Charles turned their heads at the same time and turned to the direction of the sound in the hall-the female count who patted her hands on the table suddenly got up and faced the little girl sitting in front of her. Yod glared.

Charlotte, flushed, may be too excited, her shoulders undulating, her pupils with killing intents;

The little appointment sitting opposite her De was very quiet, with a calm expression as if the guard Knight in the hall behind him didn't exist, and he was calm in his seat.

This is really...rarely seen.

"Honorable treasurer, you are the Duke’s most trusted confidant, and the chairman of the Union Chamber of Commerce. In the whole Duchy...no! Half of the empire’s merchants, you have a reputation for echoing each other. "Charlotte gnashing teeth, her stretched cheeks looked very cold:

"And you are going to tell me that you have nothing to do with the current situation of the Scarlet Blood Castle...?!"

There were only two people in front of the empty round table, and they were obviously not armed, but the atmosphere was tense as if both sides would draw their swords out of their sheaths at any time, splashing blood in five steps.

"To be precise, there is no effective solution." With fingers crossed on the table, Jr. Yod lifts the head, looking at each other with the angry female count, surprisingly calm :

"I must remind you, Countess; I am Duchy’s tax officer, but those merchants and caravans are not my vassals; I am the president of the Union Chamber of Commerce, their Behind them are the powerful and powerful people from all over the empire; they are our partners and customers, and I don’t have the power to order them to stay or control the price of goods."

"In fact, just to maintain the current Prices in the inner city are stable to ensure that Duchy's finances will not collapse. You and the humble servant of the Duke have done everything you can."

Speaking, the indifferent little Yod also deliberately revealed something meaningful. Smile.

It's a pity that Charlotte didn't even notice.

"Prices are stable-Are you telling me that the bakery is closed and that the price of salt has doubled to stabilize prices?"

Female count sneered, her excited expression was slightly sullen "This is Byrne, the richest, most prosperous, and most fertile land in the empire by Byrne!"

"Sorry, but the price of goods is only related to market supply, demand and cost, not me. A small tax officer can control it." Little Yod shook his head again and shrugged indifferently:

"If I force them to lower their prices, the merchants who fled from Scarlet Blood Castle will only close the shops. More--because it will make them unprofitable."

"So you and your joint Chamber of Commerce took the opportunity to raise prices first, and make a profit at the most critical moment in Scarlet Castle. Pen?!"

"This is a very common business trick. The increase will stabilize if it reaches a certain level. Everyone can make money and will not consider the issue of price increase; as for why It is a joint Chamber of Commerce, of course it is for Duchy's sake; after all, if you think about the result of a price increase by others, the savings of Duchy people will be lost and taken away by others!"

小Jodd’s righteous words: "Instead of letting foreign merchants search for the wealth of our people, we should search for ourselves; in this way, the wealth is still in Duchy's pocket!"

Tight female count, took a deep breath.

"Then the merchants in the country, the grain merchants, bakeries, and vineyard owners, do you want to tell me that you can't do anything with them?"

"Of course there is nothing you can do... This is also to follow the support policy of the Duke to the church before his departure!" Slightly paused, little Jod was nodded:

"They took the initiative to follow the orders of Lord Byrne Bishop and did not proceed. Any money lending business does not conduct business activities on weekends and afternoons, refuses to make too much profit and therefore decides to close the door-this is a manifestation of their piety, how can I rebuke them?"

Little Yod’s expression It is a face of as it should be by rights, full of grievances: "You know exactly how terrifying the prices of external products are now, but the United Chamber of Commerce still endures high prices and uses the past parity to supply deficits. The supply of the blood fort army and all the needs in the palace."

"Why? Because uniting the Chamber of Commerce and your humble servants regards this as a dedication and obligation to Duchy, and I would rather bear it myself Loss, but also to ensure that Duchy's finances will not collapse-just to do this, we have done everything we can!"

"Even the extortion of the Red Blood Castle subjects at high prices can be regarded as yours to Duchy. Risk?!" Charlotte gnashing teeth.

"Of course it is!" Jr. Jod solemnly nodded: "As you know, Lord Byrne Bishop stopped all high-value lending businesses, and our Chamber of Commerce is also committed to supporting it."

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"But this also raises another problem, namely, lack of financial resources-you know, the development of Duchy in the past few years has relied on the large low-interest or even interest-free debt of the Chamber of Commerce; if Chamber of Commerce doesn't have money, how can I subsidize Duchy's finances?"

When the voice fell, little Yod saw the little Yod in front of him raised his head slightly, and his body trembled instinctively.

This expression... means that she is really angry.

"Of course...not absolutely nothing." Little Yod, who sensed that something was wrong, immediately turned around and laughed a little flatteringly: "If the Round Table Council can provide some help and collaboration, join the Chamber of Commerce. You can still think of a way."

"Speak." Charlotte didn't mean to be polite to him at all.

"The reason for all this is very simple. It is the business people's fear of the Byrne church...mainly because of the recent reforms of Byrne bishop." Little Yodder smiled brightly:

"Actually We have nothing to fear about the new reform of the church itself, but the speed and progress of Master Bishop's implementation is too fast and too sudden; everyone will inevitably have some fear of this sudden change."

"We are just a group of ordinary persons. We don't like to see too many changes that are different from the past; when they appear, they will inevitably be afraid, and fearful people... often do things that are not very rational."

"So..." Charlotte endured the anger in her heart, opening the mouth and said as calmly as possible: "How can we make the'noble' businessmen less fearful?"

"It's very simple, that is to make the round table council and the court no longer support Byrne bishop-I mean, no longer so clear-cut to assist the bishop master to implement his new reforms." Little Yoder pleased. The color is getting stronger:

"Church matters should be left to the church. The round table committee should not get involved. This is also the wish of Byrne bishop... What do you think?"

"Of course , These are just the next side of the word, whether you can succeed is not necessarily; maybe it can, maybe it can’t... But if the round table council refuses to make a statement, I think it would be difficult for those businessmen to say a few words. Persuading."

He is blackmailing himself, forcing himself to make a price...

The angry female count, the killing intent in his chest is getting more and more swollen.

No, you can't be angry; be calm and can't be affected by his words.

I have to think of a way to reach a compromise with the Chamber of Commerce behind Jr. Yod without appearing that the Round Table Council is weak in front of a group of businessmen.

What should I do?

Is there any good way to end this predicament...

"Clang——!"

A guard at the door, Knight, accidentally The Lieutenant General’s scabbard touched the door; with just a light bang, the harsh metal sound spread throughout the hall.

The two confronting each other, almost instinctively lifts the head, and the black hair wizard, who looked back at the door, collided with Charles and looked at each other.

For a while, all four of them were stunned.

Finally, the first thing that came out was Charles, the palace chief.

"Lord of the Thirteen Lords of Byrne, Lord Loren Torino is here!"

The loud and clear voice broke the momentary silence; the expressionless Loren crossed the gate , Walked into the empty hall.

Only a second stunned, the little Yod's expression that reacted instantly was ugly to the extreme.

He was just outside, that is to say...I, I just forced the female count, and started blackmailing...

Is all of them, he saw them all? !

In an instant, Jr. Yod suddenly recalled the fear that many years ago, the sailors on the returning ship were slaughtered and he was completely dominated by Loren Torino...

The blood-stained, smiling look at yourself sitting in the sun on the deck... so far vivid!

He is here, he is walking towards himself!

He, he will kill me, right; he will definitely kill me, he and the female count are not long ago...

Huh?

Little Yod opened his eyes abruptly, but what he saw was the silhouette of the black hair wizard passing by.

I didn't even look at myself!

When he came back to his senses again, the black hair wizard was already standing in front of the female count.

Charlotte stared at some slightly red eyes, biting her lower lip, her eyes stubborn, and some inexplicable panic.

The expressionless Loren raised her right hand and pressed her still slightly trembling right shoulder.

"I remember... someone from count said that when I return, he will return the intact Byrne to me." Looking at the female count with a little stiff expression, Loren raised narrow eyes:

"But what I heard seems to be a bit different from what she said."

"It's just a little bit of a problem, nothing at the worst." Don't look down Charlotte slammed the palm of her shoulder, her slender fingers pinched Loren’s pulse:

"Give me another half day and I will restore everything to its original state."

"...Can I think that you are not willing to admit defeat?"

"Punish me whatever you want, even if you agree to bet you must accept to lose."

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lightly snorted, proud Charlotte leaned her cheek, her cold gaze swept towards a frightened president:

"Before that, I have to deal with a certain A wicked servant of the Torino family!"