Chapter 170: Panicked offer (1/2)
”In the end, are you trying to threaten us?” Jacob asked while squinting his eyes. But what made Markus add a massive score of bonus points to the man's name in the former saint's inner evaluation system was the fact that the man didn't back out under his pressure.
”Call it a threat; call it to advise. I don't really care,” Markus shook his arms as he replied. ”But right now, I still have yet to hear a single proper reason for you to stop this entire crowd at the gate. Since when people are forbidden from adventuring en masse?” Markus asked, pressing his points.
'He wants to change the topic,' the former saint thought, trying to analyze the situation as calmly as possible. 'And that means he is just buying time,' Markus concluded before casting a short glance to the back. Even though the talks have yet to turn into a long stalemate, some of the people were already getting restless.
”Ever since this encounter started, you continued to claim that we have no right to stop you here,” the high interrogator spoke up, gracing Markus with a lovely smile. ”So far, I ignored that part, but I guess it's time for me to address it,” he added before taking a step forward. For a moment, Jacob entered a contest of stares with Markus, as if curious who would come out victorious from it.
But rather than continuing this meaningless stand-off, he then stepped to the side. He passed by Markus, clearly intent on addressing the crowd.
”The amount of goods that you are going to pass by the gate falls under the Logistical Regulatory Act,” Jacob spoke out with his face towards the crowd. Still, no one had any doubts about who those words were truly aimed at. ”As such, I'm well within my right to strip you of roughly half of the possessions that you are carrying. While the tax would only require half of it, not reporting the excessive amount of cargo obviously results in a regulated fine,” Jacob said in a calm voice. While it wasn't silent at all, given how massive the crowd ahead was, it was pretty doubtful whether anyone outside of the first few rows managed to hear shit.
While this alone was enough for anyone with brains to understand that this whole act was nothing else but an extension of the earlier negotiations, Jacob still had some reasons to continue it.
”What's more, there is a strict limit to how large an exploring party can be,” he said as he turned around to face Markus again. ”Tell me, are you going to claim that your party is actually only fifty people strong, with all the other people just happening to be here?” he asked while a small smile appeared on his lips. ”Or do you want to tell me that you don't care about the regulations, the same regulations that the locals set up to prevent a single force from taking over the riches of the deserts all to themselves?” he asked another question while taking a step forward.
”What the heck do you want?” Markus asked, not keen to answer any of the man's questions. 'If I allow him to set up the pace of the talks, it will be his win no matter the outcome,' he thought. While on its own, this kind of statement would sound stupid, there was one great disparity between Markus and Jacob that made it so hard for the former saint to win this battle of wits.
And it was knowledge.
Without the perfect understanding of the local laws, Markus had no hopes of claiming victory over the legal grounds of what he was doing. After all, whenever he would strike down a single argument, the other party could use its authority to bring forth two more laws forbidding what Markus wanted to do.
And no one would be any wiser whether such laws actually existed or were just a story that the high interrogator came up with to confuse Markus' side.
”What do I want?” Jacob smiled, sensing the blood like some kind of seasoned hunter beast. ”So you are not going to pretend any longer than you have those serial killers pacified and ready to strike us down at any notice?” he asked with a vicious smile.
But Markus didn't reply. For a long while, he simply stared at the man's face as if trying to judge something out of it.
Then, instead of opening his mouth, Markus raised his hand.
”The moment I lower my hand,” he started, finally looking back at Jacob's face, ”the massacre will begin,” he said in a monotone voice as if he was too bored with the ongoing situation to care about it any longer.
”So we are back to threats. Do you really have nothing else...” Jacob attempted to ridicule Markus' warnings, but he wasn't given the time to do so. Midway through his words, Markus simply brought his hand down.
”KILL!” In an instant, several shouts erupted from the crowd. And while nothing happened in an instant, just this swift reaction to Markus' words was worthy recognition.