Chapter 40: Seizing Territory |
The ratfolk elder looked at the densely packed list of thieves and assassins above, along with their crimes, and asked in confusion:
“To go this far, are these local forces really not afraid of retaliation from the Shadow Guild afterward? That’s a shadow organization spread across the entire continent!”
The bearfolk elder Baruk sat cross-legged on the ground with his huge body, drawing circles on a map as he casually replied, “Retaliate against who? The local nobles? The Adventurers’ Guild? Or the ones responsible for taking over from the Duke’s Mansion and the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce?”
“Uh…” The ratfolk elder was left speechless.
The foxfolk elder picked up the thread. “Elder Alec is overthinking it. The Shadow Guilds in other regions are not going to kindly pay out of their own pockets to help them. If they really wanted revenge, then they would have to go after ‘that one,’ the powerful figure behind all this! Causing trouble for a bunch of underlings would only make them look even weaker and more incompetent, and turn them into more of a laughingstock.”
“Besides, these forces are not soft persimmons that can be squeezed however one pleases.”
The bearfolk elder moved briskly, and very quickly selected several somewhat remote but sufficiently large plots of land. The largest of them had originally been a warehouse used by the Shadow Guild to store all kinds of unspeakable ‘dirty goods,’ as well as large quantities of miscellaneous supplies extorted by the gangs.
“Alright! Stop worrying about that crap!” Baruk lifted his head, raised the map he had circled, and said to everyone in a voice like a great bell, “Come take a look. This is the territory I just marked out. When the time comes, none of you had better fight this old bear over it! I really will beat people!”
The bearfolk elder waved a fist several times larger than the heads of the other elders.
“Baruk! Has your brain gone mushy?!”
The dwarf elder was so angry that his beard practically stood on end. He jumped straight up from his chair, rushed in two steps onto the low table nearby, and stood there, trying his best to get his line of sight level with the cross-legged Baruk.
“The auction isn’t even in sight yet, and you’ve already started claiming land? Are you even going to pretend to be reasonable, damn it?!”
And yet, even standing on the table, the dwarf elder’s height only barely reached Baruk’s neck while he was seated!
That huge difference in size made his anger seem… somewhat lacking in force.
“What? Little dwarf? You want to fight?” The bearfolk elder lowered his head and looked disdainfully at the dwarf elder, who was only about one-third his height and did not even reach his waist.
Even though both of them were high Grandmaster rank, if they really fought, the bearfolk would steadily suppress warriors of the same rank. That was a racial advantage! The same quality did not mean the same quantity!
The dwarf elder was so angry that smoke practically rose from all seven orifices. He grabbed his hammer and was just about to charge, but the ratfolk elder and the lizardfolk elder quickly restrained him from the left and right.
“Calm down! Elder Bulro! Calm down!”
“This is the judgment platform! If you two want to fight, go outside the city and do it. There’s a whole crowd watching right now!”
The dwarf elder struggled symbolically a few times, then realized the two were holding him quite tightly. So he simply went with the flow, used the opportunity to back down, and resentfully put away his warhammer before sitting back in his chair. Only, those eyes that seemed ready to spit fire still glared fixedly at Baruk.
In truth, he was somewhat nervous inside too. Although dwarves were straightforward and rash, they still had brains.
If he really fought that old bear, he figured that in just a few exchanges, he would probably be pinned to the ground and rubbed around.
Just now, it had purely been because he could not step down in terms of face, so he had no choice but to harden himself and push forward.
Fortunately, the two ‘good friends’ beside him had been reliable and given him a way out. That’s right, he had already unilaterally acknowledged these two as his friends, Burlo·Warhammer’s friends!
“Tch, boring!” Bearfolk elder Baruk smacked his lips, disappointment in his eyes.
He had been thinking of using that to ‘establish authority,’ but that little dwarf had been pressed back down by others…
Baruk was not deliberately provoking anyone. The truth was that the territory he had marked really was not small. If it came down to bidding, his tribe, even together with the several other bearfolk tribes he wanted to win over, probably could not take it without bleeding heavily!
But he knew very clearly that Coral Thorn City was about to undergo drastic changes. If he did not seize the initiative now, he would lose even more opportunities in the future. So even showing strength and offending people was worth it!
And even if Coral Thorn City’s future development was not as good as expected, it definitely would not be worse than it was now. As long as they could take this land, they would not lose out no matter what!
Seeing that establishing authority had failed, Baruk immediately changed strategies.
Putting on a shamelessly ‘honest’ and ‘sincere’ expression, he continued, “Please forgive this old bear. I’m the sort who speaks bluntly. Everyone here should understand the situation of our bearfolk.”
“We all came here after countless hardships, crossing who knows how many dangerous lands and long roads. But at least all of you can find some place to live. Our bearfolk can only sleep out in the open!”
“Especially these past few days, we haven’t even had a place to sleep in the open. Now that there’s finally a chance, this old bear shamelessly asks everyone to give me some face. In the future, this old bear will absolutely find a way to repay this favor.”
Then his tone and expression shifted again, turning hard once more:
“Of course, if someone is unwilling to give this old bear face, then this old bear won’t say anything, but…”
He swept his gaze across the crowd, his fangs slightly exposed. “I’ll remember this grudge just the same. When we meet again someday, don’t blame this old bear for showing no mercy!”
The air seemed to freeze all at once.
The foxfolk elder Mick stroked his beard. He did not know about the other tribes, but his tribe definitely would not make an enemy of the other side.
He had also seen that map. The location truly was a bit remote. After all, it had been a place used to hide stolen goods. There was hardly anyone around, weeds were overgrown, and the roads were muddy and wretched.
If the bearfolk bought it, they would definitely have to undertake major construction themselves. So it was no wonder the other side had come in immediately, willing to offend everyone just to make their stance clear. Money truly was short!
Baruk’s words, mixing softness and toughness, favor and threat, had clearly conveyed his resolve and bottom line. For the sake of a place for his tribesmen to settle, he could lower his head and plead, but he was also prepared to pay any price, even to tear relations apart!
At that moment, a gleam flashed through Mick’s eyes, and a faint curve rose at the corner of his mouth.
He had completely seen through Baruk’s intentions. Hard seizure was fake; seeking support was real! What the bearfolk lacked was money, not strength or resolve.
He gave a light cough, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Elder Baruk’s heartfelt devotion to his tribe is moving.”
“Everyone can plainly see how large your bearfolk are, and sleeping in the open is indeed inappropriate. But directly asking everyone to give up their claims is presumably not very suitable either. This old man has a compromise that may be easier for everyone to accept. Would you all be willing to hear it?”
Everyone exchanged glances with each other, and in the end it was Baruk who spoke first.
“Let’s hear it. If the plan works, this old bear will owe you a personal favor!” Baruk thumped his chest.
The others also waited for the foxfolk elder’s response, each with their own thoughts.
“Since the one behind the scenes is willing to auction off these properties to the outside world, then presumably he also hopes for the various races to join Coral Thorn City’s industrial chain.”
Mick added several more lines to the map the bearfolk elder had circled.
“Split this area by function into two sections: a trade district and a residential district. The bearfolk may have priority in bidding for the residential district plots, while the rest will be competed for fairly by all races.”
“And as compensation for the concessions made by the various races, the bearfolk must, for a future period of time, maintain the security and order of this area without compensation, ensuring everyone’s interests and safety. As for how long those obligations last, that can be discussed by everyone after the auction based on the final bid amounts.”
“This solves the urgent need for a place for your tribesmen to stay, while also not breaking the auction rules.”
“What do you all think?”
Baruk carefully looked at the residential district that had been marked out. It took up about half, or a little more than half, of the original area. It was neat and square. Although it was much smaller than the original plan, it was still enough for several thousand tribesmen to live there normally.
“This old bear has no objections!”
Baruk agreed at once.
Wasn’t it just maintaining public order without compensation? A trivial matter!
With the alertness of their bearfolk, even if they were asleep, thieves still would not be able to sneak in!