Chapter 41: Do You Really Want That Land? |
After everyone had looked over the new ‘land enclosure’ plan, most of the elders only pondered briefly before nodding one after another to express their agreement.
This area was simply too large. These elders had never even thought of bidding for it in the first place, so they might as well do someone a favor along the way.
Only a few elders, such as the elves, dwarves, and tauren, remained hesitant.
Among them, the most conflicted was the elven elder Ailianna.
If it had been the Coral Thorn City of the past, she definitely would not have considered letting large numbers of her people settle here. But things had changed now. The powerhouse behind the scenes seemed to care more about order and prosperity, and that made her feel it was necessary to establish a residence here.
Mainly because the situation back in their homeland had become far too chaotic. Relocating a portion of their people to settle here might be the more prudent choice.
And their elven race was naturally close to nature, pursuing tranquility and harmony. So it would be best to have a sufficiently large area where they could stay away from the шум and build a community that matched elven aesthetics.
But now, the largest piece of land had been ‘forcibly’ occupied by the bear elder, while the fox elder’s proposal had quickly won the support of the majority. This left her caught in a dilemma for a moment.
As for the other scattered plots, either they were too small in area, or their shapes were too fragmented, or they were right next to the noisy workshop district.
She raised her eyes and looked toward the other elders who, like her, had yet to agree. These were clearly the ones who also wanted to build large residential districts for their own people. Their interests conflicted, and there was no way for them to even form an alliance.
If it came to a fair and just auction, she was absolutely confident she could win. The elven race’s foundations were simply not something these short-lived races could compare to.
Only the dwarves, with their six-hundred-year lifespan, were more troublesome. Their forging techniques had allowed them to accumulate wealth that was certainly no small amount either.
“I refuse!”
It was still the dwarven elder Burlo Warhammer who stepped forward first and broke the silence.
Their dwarven race likewise needed to build a sufficiently large residential district and forging workshops.
“This piece of land, our Warhammer clan has taken a liking to as well! If it’s a fair auction, then if I lose, I’ll accept it! But you want me to hand over the fat meat already at my mouth right now? No way!”
“I refuse too!”
With someone taking the lead, the remaining several elders who were unwilling to give up so easily all stated their positions one after another.
“I... likewise refuse.”
When the elven elder Ailianna joined the opposition, the situation began to turn subtle.
With the elven race’s strength and status, very few would openly dare go against their wishes on the surface. That was the presence of a top-tier race.
Baruk had not expected that the elves, who were always so lofty and proud, would also be interested in this land. If it had only been the others, he definitely would have slammed back at them head-on, but now he could not.
Leaving aside her identity as an elf, just the Grandmaster mage insignia on her clothing was enough to make him suffer. When a warrior faced a mage, unless there was an overwhelming gap in strength, or the battlefield imposed restrictions, then once the mage started kiting, getting abused to death was practically a certainty.
Not to mention that the elven race, famed for its magical attainments, was basically synonymous with being invincible among those of the same rank!
An invisible pressure settled over Baruk’s heart. His thick bear paw unconsciously tightened and loosened, while his pleading gaze drifted involuntarily toward the fox elder Mick beside him, who had been looking as though he had everything under control the whole time.
Mick scratched his chin. He was equally surprised by Ailianna’s choice. He had never seen elves establish their own residential district inside a human city before. That truly broadened his horizons.
After thinking for a brief moment, he established a spiritual link with Baruk.
“Do you really want that land? The kind where you’d spare no cost?”
“Of course! The kind where I’m bound to get it!”
Baruk was not lying. Even if he really had to stake his family fortune in an auction, he still wanted to gamble on it. In these recent years, the environment of the Blackstone Wasteland where their people lived had grown increasingly harsh. They needed a safe source of income that could provide sufficient funds.
These past decades of trade had made him very optimistic about Coral Thorn City’s development, and his people had always strongly supported it.
It had to be said that both he and Ailianna were in more or less the same situation. Even the other races that had refused might very well be in the same predicament.
This upheaval in Coral Thorn City was, for them, a great opportunity to change the fate of their tribes.
“I have a way here. It might let you bypass the auction and get a chance to take this land in advance!”
Mick directly dropped a reply that shocked Baruk.
“What way? Don’t tell me you know the one behind the scenes?!”
“How could that be? If I knew that kind of powerhouse, would I still be sitting here with you people?” Mick rolled his eyes.
“Then what way is it? Hurry up and say it! If this works out, this old bear will work like an ox and a horse to repay you this favor!”
“Don’t get happy too early! High returns mean high risk. There’s no such thing as a deal where pies fall from the sky!” Mick first poured a bucket of cold water over this old bear to keep him from getting carried away!
He still very much wanted to form an alliance with the bear race. He had done plenty of investigation, and the bear race had always been highly trustworthy, but earning their friendship was equally difficult.
Baruk also took a deep breath. The pressure the elven race had just put on him had been too great, and his emotions had indeed become somewhat agitated.
Only after seeing Baruk calm down did Mick continue:
“That land is currently under the jurisdiction of the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce. But after all, it’s old territory the Shadow Guild operated for countless years. No one knows how many secret passages, traps, dangerous items, or even whether those assassins and thieves who haven’t been caught are hiding inside.”
“And the Chamber of Commerce is currently having a headache over how to deal with this mess. The longer they drag it out, the more trouble there may be. No one knows whether those assassins and thieves driven into a corner will choose to fight to the death!”
“Those lofty big shots won’t have anything happen to them, but for those who are responsible for ‘sweeping the floor,’ that’s hard to say.”
Baruk seemed thoughtful. “You mean...”
“Exactly! Right now! This is your best chance to get involved, and the sooner the better!”
“You can try to persuade the upper ranks of the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce to let your people contract the cleanup work for this area, taking on all the risks involved. In exchange, once the cleanup is finished, the Chamber of Commerce must transfer this land to you at cost price.”
“That way, you’ll have a chance to bypass the auction and get this land!”
Before Baruk could get excited, Mick gave him a solemn warning again:
“I told you, this is extremely dangerous work! You need to think it through carefully! This isn’t child’s play! Not a single one of those Grandmaster assassins and thieves from the Shadow Guild has been caught yet! You may be strong, but can your bear cubs be the same as you?! Not to mention all sorts of mechanisms, traps, curses, magical items, and the like! How many of them could survive a battle like this?”
“This is very likely going to be a bloody cleanup paid for with lives! I’ve given you the idea, and I’ve made the dangers clear! If you take it, then life or death is your own responsibility! If something happens in the future, don’t blame me!”
On the other end of the spiritual link, there was a brief silence. Baruk’s massive chest rose and fell, and fierce struggle flickered in his brown-black bear eyes.
It was as if he saw the deadly shadows moving soundlessly through dim warehouses, saw the screams of his people stepping into traps... but immediately after that, he saw the increasingly depleted prey of the Blackstone Wasteland, saw his people struggling through the torrential rain to protect the goods, saw the looks in the children’s eyes when they surrounded them as they returned carrying full loads of harvest······
Baruk said heavily yet firmly:
“Elder Mick... this favor, this old bear, will remember it!”