Volume 5: If you are poor, you should be alone Chapter 135: Ayun’s identity?
For adventurers, the west coast of the Cursed Land is considered an unexplored area.
The so-called undeveloped land refers to the Warcraft-infested areas without adventurer camps. In contrast, in developed areas, the Adventurer's Association will set up large camps there, establish new branches, recruit caravan guilds and adventurer teams to move in, and attract a group of ordinary people to serve the adventurers, including cooks, servants, prostitutes, etc. As the most organized folk association, the branches of the Adventurer's Association are very valuable. The camp scale of some mature adventure resorts is not even inferior to that of small and medium-sized towns, and each adventurer camp can bring a considerable amount of income to the association.
And if there are still level three or above monsters roaming in the area, the Adventurer's Association will naturally not take the risk... Any force or individual invests for profit, and the appearance of any level three monster may cause a large amount of property and personnel losses, and the association's money is not something that can be washed away by a flood.
After a year of exploration, adventurers have pushed the safe area of the west coast a hundred kilometers inward from the Elf Port. Camping overnight within this range can guarantee basic safety. Any further away, it will not work...
"The fourth-level monster Acranos? There is such a thing?!" the young man said in surprise.
"That's right. Go southeast for three days and you'll find a swamp. That Acrenos was lurking nearby last year." The old adventurer, who kept burping, slapped the table with a red face and said in an exaggerated tone, "We saw that big guy across the swamp last year. My God, that red-haired thing with antlers was really big. It was even bigger than the boat we took when we came here!"
"And then?"
“Of course we ran away afterwards, hahaha!” the old adventurer laughed loudly, “But don’t worry now. The devil went east and reportedly attacked the Lamia Caravan Coast Patrol’s base, hahaha! Those idiots set up camp without even clearing out Acrenos. They really underestimated this grassland!”
The grassroots chief, who was slurping noodles, raised his head and looked at the human adventurer who was talking loudly at the next table. He turned his head and looked at his tribesmen in confusion: "Deer horns, red hair, why do they sound so familiar?"
"Yes, it looks like the red-haired monster that can use its horns to set fire. The horns on the red-haired monster's head look quite like deer antlers." said a tribesman.
"The meat of that thing is delicious. We once caught one when our tribe was hunting with the nearby cat tribe. The warriors said that the thing ran very fast and the meat on its feet was very delicious. Unfortunately, without the cat tribe, the warriors couldn't catch up with it, so the people of the cat tribe took its feet away. But the meat on the torso is also very delicious." Another tribe member drooled, "It took our tribe ten whole days to eat up that red-haired monster!"
"Wow, it's so delicious?"
The Grassroots Chief's eyes lit up: "Oh, yes, that's it. We got some meat of this thing from the Minotaur before. I heard that it was given to them by someone else... Have you ever caught this kind of red-haired monster since then?"
"No more." The tribesman said regretfully, "This thing is rare, and it always hides deep in the swamp. We can't catch it. I don't know how the cat tribe secretly moved away, and we haven't eaten it since then."
The Snow Wolves expressed their regrets and were curious about how delicious the meat was...
At the next table, the old adventurer who was boasting happily stared at them blankly...
"The red-haired monster they are talking about, could it be Acrenos?" The new adventurer who had just started out and didn't know how to read people's expressions asked foolishly.
"...Definitely not! Acrenos is a level 4 monster, level 4!" The old adventurer blushed.
"But Acheronus also uses his horns to release fireballs—"
"Shut up, rookie!"
The head of the Adventurer's Association branch, "God of War" Primo, is disguised today as a middle-aged man with shaggy eyebrows and inverted triangular eyes.
Primo, the branch president who loves to while away his leisure time every afternoon in the open-air food store of the Snow Wolf Clan, and his good friend, the illusionist "The End of Illusion" Sean, occupied a small table on the edge of the platform, eating barbecue and drinking wine, feeling indescribably comfortable and relaxed.
As a walker, Primo is old and frail, and his perception is declining; but Sean is different. As a spellcaster, his mental strength will only grow stronger with age, rather than decline. Even if he doesn't listen deliberately, the conversations of the dozen tables of guests on the open-air platform will still come to his ears; when he heard the conversations of the Snow Wolf Tribe, Sean burst into laughter and shook his head in embarrassment.
"Why, did you 'eavesdrop' on something interesting?" Primo teased.
"This is not fair. How can listening in be considered eavesdropping?" Sean chuckled nonchalantly and repeated in a low voice the Snow Wolf Clan's evaluation of the fourth-level monster Acrenos.
"..." Even Primo, who had a lot of life experience, didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he heard these words, "'Barbarians among the Orcs', this nickname was really right back then. Even though they have fallen, the Snow Wolves are still a fighting race among the Orcs... Treating a level 4 monster that can destroy a town overnight as a rare food ingredient, only they can do such a thing."
Sighing, Primo said with regret: "I kind of like them. This style is quite in line with my preferences. It's a pity... 'Ayun of the Snow Wolf Clan' actually openly flattered the dark elves. This behavior is really hard to agree with."
"My friend, maybe the Snow Wolf Tribe doesn't think as much as you think." Sean didn't care. "The technology of using rotten wood and sawdust to cultivate mushrooms is not only beneficial to the dark elves. There are too many people on the continent who don't have land suitable for farming."
Primo shook his head and did not intend to argue with his old friend on this issue: "Forget it, old friend, that is not something we should care about. You and I don't have much time left, so it's time to enjoy life."
Sean laughed and raised his glass.
It had been fifty years since Primo had earned the title of God of War, and even for a top human being, he was considered old.
When Primo originally made the decision to retire in the remote Cursed Land branch, away from the disputes at the headquarters, he was prepared to eat raw meat and drink blood. He didn't expect that the forest elves managed the port on the west coast very well, and the food store opened by the Snow Wolf Tribe could greatly satisfy his appetite. There was nothing Primo could complain about this kind of retirement life.
Sean's situation is similar to his. Although he still looks young, "The End of Illusion" is already over 200 years old this year...Humans do not have the lifespan of elves and dwarves. Even if Sean, as a spellcaster, has twice the lifespan of ordinary people, his lifespan has reached its limit. If nothing unexpected happens, Sean will return to the arms of the goddess of magic in a few years.
The two people who treated death calmly had no interest in interfering in foreign affairs. Although they knew that Ayun from the Snow Wolf Clan was in the hotel where General Crest was staying, they had no interest in visiting him...even though they were both loyal fans of those two interesting travel notes.
"I didn't expect that the snow wolf cub I met at Prince St. Bridge's cocktail party last year was 'Ayun', Carlisle's new teacher, and he wrote such an innovative travelogue. You can't judge a person by his appearance." Sean drank half a glass of fruit wine and said with emotion, "If I knew there was such a young and promising genius twenty years ago, no, ten years ago, I think I would be willing to make such a new friend..."
"That was the snow werewolf that the Prince of Saint Bridge was willing to become his disciple. Are you, an illusionist, trying to accept a snow werewolf as your disciple?" Primo teased.
"No, not a disciple, but a friend, Primo." Sean said with a smile, "Isn't it worthy of respect for someone who can think of using travel notes to plan for the future of his tribe?"
Primo curled his lips: "Does this also include pleasing the dark elves?"
"You see, you still care about this." Sean couldn't help laughing. "There are many despicable people among you and me. If other races compare you and me with such people, I think you will never allow it. So why do you hate the entire underground world for a few dark elves?"
"I'm already this old and don't want to maintain any grace or magnanimity." Primo snorted.
Sean actually nodded in agreement: "You're absolutely right, that's why we've been friends for so many years, Primo."
"You are indeed a strange guy." Primo laughed.
“Same here.”
The two old guys each had a bottle of wine and didn't drink until the evening dining peak was about to arrive before they returned to their residence.
As branch directors of the Adventurer's Association and well-known strong men on the continent, they were treated as permanent residents in the elves' residential area and lived in the same hotel with General Crest. This hotel of the highest standards had an independent courtyard, garden, and bathing pool for distinguished guests. Many flowers and plants cultivated by druids were specially transplanted in the front yard. Each room had a specially assigned maid to clean the room and prepare meals - other hotels were not so meticulous and even did not allow guests to eat in their rooms.
The elf general lived in a room on the east side of the second floor, and Sean and Primo lived on the west side, separated by a corridor and a rest area with sofas and bookshelves; however, Sean and Primo never went into that place... One reason was that it was too troublesome to greet the elf general, and the other was that drinking was not allowed in the hotel. They preferred to spend time in the open-air food store of the Snow Wolf tribe.
Because of this, Xiao Yun, who stayed in General Crest's suite, never met these two again...
On the third day after the goods were delivered to the port, the St. Bridget's fleet arrived.
The fleet this time was even larger, with 60 ships, and the port was almost overwhelmed. Prince Carlisle did not appear in the fleet, and Tim, who was in charge of this transaction, was busy for several days before completing the unloading and arranging the team to transport it to the forest elves; after finishing the work at hand, Tim rushed to see Xiao Yun - last year Xiao Yun could run around freely, but now he can't run around, and he has to rely on Darren to run between the two ends to communicate with Tim.
In General Crest's living room, Xiao Yun asked about Prince Carlisle's situation in detail.
"It seems that Carlisle's biggest trouble now is his relationship with his father. Carlisle has not handled this well." Xiao Yun frowned.
"This... Could His Majesty be doing something bad to Carlisle?" Tim's focus was clearly on Prince Hillbottom, and he was a little surprised when Xiao Yun mentioned the old king.
Xiao Yun's mouth twitched. These guys obviously didn't watch enough palace fighting dramas. "Use your brain, Tim. Carlisle had already suppressed Hillpout, and even forced Hillpout to accept the princess' participation in politics. And this prince is the leader of the Conservative Party in St. Bridge. What does this mean? It means that if Hillpout didn't have strong support, it would be impossible for him to get up and continue to argue with Carlisle after kneeling down. Besides Carlisle, who else in St. Bridge can support Hillpout?"
Although Tim was surprised, he was not particularly surprised. Instead, he smiled bitterly: "Is that so..."
"You and Carlisle actually noticed it, but you just find it difficult to accept the reality." Xiao Yun looked at his reaction and knew there was something he didn't understand.
Darren, the greatsword warrior sitting next to him, really didn't know about this. He was dumbfounded. This was the expression of someone who hadn't guessed it...
Tim smiled bitterly and shook his head. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed and said, "After all, His Majesty the King is Carlisle's father. It is really hard for us to believe that His Majesty would express his dissatisfaction in this way. Her Royal Highness the Princess... is also his daughter."
It's understandable. Disputes between two generations in a small family are endless, not to mention the royal family. Xiao Yun didn't mean to blame him, but he was a little dissatisfied: "Last year, I reminded you and Carlisle to look at people without the halo of their status. You just listened with your ears and didn't take it to heart. Father, king, are just statuses. If you treat the old king as a normal man, you won't be so restrained."
Leaning forward to put a little pressure on Tim, Xiao Yun said in a deep voice: "Think about it - the king is old, but he is still breathing and his eyes are open. Which man who has held the highest power for a lifetime would be willing to see another man take away his power before he closes his eyes and dies?"
Tim couldn't hide his horror and his face turned pale.
"Spring comes earlier in Saint Bridge than on the grassland. It's warm now, right? The old man who shivered in front of the fireplace in winter should have the strength to walk out of the house now." Xiao Yun narrowed his eyes and said bluntly, "Suppose you are the man who had to give in to his son when he was physically powerless. When you find that vitality has returned to your body and you still have the physical strength and energy to grasp the supreme power in Saint Bridge, will you really not regret the decision you made a few months ago? Are you really... willing?"
Tim's whole body suddenly went limp, and Darren next to him was trembling with fear when he heard it.
"Prince Hillbottom suddenly proposed to marry off the two princesses. This is not just his personal will." Xiao Yun sat up straight. "No matter what Carlisle's intention was to let the princesses take charge of the government, the old king saw it as a provocation from his young and strong children. He married off the princesses to let Carlisle know his dissatisfaction and let Carlisle consciously return the power. Carlisle handled this well. He welcomed the old king back and handed the fleet over to you. He used this method to show weakness instead of being tough. This way of handling eased the outbreak of the conflict."
What Tim lacked was Carlisle's vision. After Xiao Yun's reminder, he immediately understood and his face suddenly became a little ugly: "Teacher Ayun..."
"Carlisle trusts you very much." Xiao Yun interrupted him and said with a smile in an unquestionable tone, "You know best how important the fleet is to him, Tim. Carlisle handed over the fleet that carries his dreams and ideas to you. After the old king returned to the center, he should have a hard time being alone with you, right, Tim? Carlisle believes that you can understand his will, and he must have believed this without hesitation when he made the decision."
The shadow in Tim's heart was blown away by Xiao Yun's words. He smiled unconsciously and his limp back straightened up.
"This trust is heavy, Darren. You have to keep an eye on our new captain. He can't have any accidents. Otherwise, if St. Bridget falls, who knows who will benefit." Xiao Yun made a joke, erasing all the doubts that Tim might have - he was actually a little annoyed that Carlisle didn't make it clear to Tim. The closer the people are, the more terrible the problem will be if a rift arises... What if Tim thinks that Carlisle is throwing him out as a scapegoat? That would be a big deal!
There was no other way, he had to clean up Carlisle's mess.
"Teacher Ayun, do you think there is an assassin among the crew members?" Tim looked quite natural when he asked this guess.
Xiao Yun slapped his thigh, "You can figure this out just by thinking with your knees! Carlisle's foundation is the fleet. If the people who actually control the fleet are replaced by the old king's people, would Carlisle dare to move while the old king is still alive? If he wasn't the only prince left in Saint Bridges, Carlisle probably wouldn't dare to stay in the palace... Of course, if it weren't for this, Carlisle wouldn't let go of the fleet so easily . You were safe on the way here, but that's because the person who 'took over' needed to confirm the transaction process with Haimao. You won't be so comfortable on the way back."
Darren quickly said, "I will follow Tim closely from now on."
Tim was a little depressed and sighed: "...How did it come to this? It's all for St. Bridget."
Xiao Yun chuckled: "It's normal, men are like this, as long as they are not dead, they only think about power. There are many people who can't control their greed, and the old king is no exception."
Tim and Darren stared at him for a while, and involuntarily moved their eyes down to his abdomen...
"Look, I'm the type who can control myself! There are so many people who can control themselves!" Xiao Yun said unhappily, "Greed is not a bad thing, but greed that can cause harm is a bad thing, understand? The former is the driving force that drives people to progress, while the latter will only make people indulge in the backward feudal ideology of dragging each other down and comparing themselves with each other. The reason why intelligent creatures are intelligent creatures is that they have the wisdom to put their greedy desires in the right place. Otherwise, they are no different from animals who only know how to eat, sleep and mate!"
Tim and Darren quickly said yes.
Since General Crest was away, Xiao Yun freely educated his apprentice's younger brother in someone else's room. Anyway, the hotel was very quiet and he was not worried about being disturbed.
What Xiao Yun never expected was that... in a room about twenty meters away from him, at the other end of the corridor, lived a legendary magician called "The End of Illusion" who could sense what was going on around him without deliberately "eavesdropping".
Sean was confused and stared at the east wall of the room in disbelief.
Sitting in the chair opposite Sean, Primo was happily reading the travelogue of a gourmet hunter, holding the latest issue of "Continental Game". Although there was no pleasing and gorgeous description, the travelogue with a very novel plot and very attractive plot made Primo unable to stop reading. He had just filled his stomach at the Snow Wolf Tribe's food store two hours ago, but he was still vaguely hungry...
After finishing the 20,000-word travelogue, Primo licked his lips with a feeling of unsatisfied satisfaction. He was about to share his experience with his old friend, but when he looked up... he saw his old friend with his head twisted awkwardly and his body turned away with a dull look, as if he had been petrified.
"Sean? Old man? Hi?"
After being called three times, Sean finally came back to his senses. He turned his head stiffly, and his expression was still as if he had seen a ghost.
Primo also knew how powerful Sean's spiritual field was, and frowned: "...Did you accidentally hear some shocking conspiracy? The forest elves are planning to kill all adventurers?"
"No, no, no..." Sean waved his hands, wiped his face to calm down, and stared at his old friend with a strange expression, "It's really surprising. If you knew, you would be shocked. Primo, that 'Ayun from the Snow Wolf Clan' is really Carlisle's teacher..."
Primo looked at him like an idiot: "What are you talking about? Didn't the prince say this himself a long time ago?"
"No, I mean - wait!" Sean raised his hand to make a pause gesture and looked at the east wall of the room again.
In a room across several walls from the other end of the corridor, Tim was saying with a troubled look on his face, "I think it won't be difficult for Carlisle to deal with Prince Hillbottom, but His Majesty's matter is indeed... it's hard to know what to do. The Federation is already preparing food and fodder for the troops, and St. Bridge can't afford to delay any longer. But now, alas."
"Carlisle doesn't intend to marry the princess off according to the king's wishes?" Xiao Yun asked.
Tim nodded, "Carlisle believes that the two princesses were involved in this matter because of him, and he cannot let the princesses be held responsible for his mistakes."
Xiao Yun was very satisfied. He immediately let others take the blame when something went wrong. Such a person without ambition would never achieve anything. Carlisle did not wrongly cultivate him. "With Carlisle's current strength and reputation in the country, the old king's problem is actually not difficult to solve."
Tim immediately showed a horrified expression...
"What are you thinking? How could you do such a thing as patricide? Am I so black-hearted in your eyes?!" Xiao Yun said unhappily.
"Uh... of course not..." Tim breathed a sigh of relief and smiled apologetically.
"The old king is old~" Xiao Yun was too lazy to argue, and stretched out his voice and said, "He is so old, and the prince is filial. How can he bear to let his father suffer for state affairs? Of course, it is best to invite him to the palace to have a good rest and enjoy his old age. His Royal Highness's greatest wish is that the old king can live a hundred years. In order for the king to be healthy and live a long life, the prince should strictly forbid idle people to disturb the king's cultivation... A son is concerned about his elderly father's health, which is reasonable no matter where you take it!"
Tim was stunned, his expression became subtle... Isn't this house arrest? !
Xiao Yun laughed and told Tim with his eyes: Congratulations, you guessed it right.
How did Li Erfeng place Li Yuan? I have never been an emperor, but I can copy the homework of top students!
With a "bang", Sean slammed the table and stood up.
Primo: “?!”
Sean looked confused and uncertain. He thought Carlisle wanted to become a Snow Wolf teacher in order to expand his business route. He never expected that this Snow Wolf cub was actually the teacher of Carlisle, a prince? !
Using a large number of books to fill in the gaps in experience can indeed help compile interesting travel notes, and making long-term plans for the tribe can be regarded as the instinct of being a disadvantaged race. Such genius is not beyond Sean's understanding.
But as a cub of the Snow Wolf tribe, who has only lived for more than 20 years, he has such sophisticated political skills. This cannot be explained by the word "genius"!
Thinking of the grassland alias where the Snow Wolf Tribe lived, the legendary magician Sean, the end of illusion, he couldn't help but think of a possibility that made him shudder...
