141 Sand Sculpture (1/2)

John Senior finally understood why his son had previously evaluated the four Golden Sons in the city with adjectives like ”treacherous” and ”slippery,” adjectives with a clear emotional bias.

These Golden Sons were no less capable of saying one thing and doing another than the nobles themselves.

”Since Mr. Roland demands it, then I'll be straightforward.” John Senior peeked at the other three and realized that although they were gorging on food, their attention was actually still on him, so he smiled and continued, ”I must put some people in at the new docks. I wonder what you four have in mind?”

”Must you?” Roland asked.

Hawk and Link both put down their knives and forks.

”I must!” John Senior nodded heavily and said, ”This is the John family's territory; anyone who builds something on this land has to get our family's consent. It's not good that you built it privately without asking us. According to the laws of the kingdom, you are to be imprisoned for three months and have all your properties seized.”

Roland wasn't nervous at all, and Hawk and Link were even smiling.

”So we're going to go to jail next after eating these delicacies?” Roland asked.

A breeze blew over and the candles in the corners of the banquet hall began to flicker, and the few people in the center, their shadows twisting and lengthening around them, very much resembled the ghosts of a carnival.

Shortly after the breeze swept by, the twisted shadows gradually became normal again.

John Senior laughed: ”How can that be? We are all reasonable and sensible people who understand the larger picture. We wouldn't make the situation awkward at all.”

Roland looked at Hawk, who began to resume eating.

This was the signal they had agreed on before: the negotiations would be continued by Roland and their bottom line remained the same.

Roland's attention returned to John Senior. He said in a soft voice, ”Yes, I'm sure you're a reasonable man, Mayor. Hawk worked hard to build the docks and helped Delpon solve the problem of employment and housing for hundreds, if not thousands, of beggars and vagrants, and in the future, they'll also pay a lot of taxes—receiving no merit for their hard work—so shouldn't the mayor reward him?”

The mayor's smile gradually froze as he looked at Roland.

Roland was still smiling and looking at him.

The mayor's imposing manner grew stronger and stronger.

However, Roland still remained indifferent.

After a while, the mayor stood up and said, ”I'm a bit sleepy, son, help me entertain these four gentlemen for a while.”

John Junior nodded with a blank face.

There was silence in the banquet hall afterward—no one spoke—there was only the sound of Roland and the others eating.

After about ten minutes, Roland casually found an excuse and left the castle along with Hawk and the others.

Walking away from the castle and watching the drawbridge behind them close up at a rapid pace, Roland snorted. He turned his head to Hawk and said, ”Be careful. John Senior looks like he's going to make a move on us.”

Jett asked, ”Why didn't you just try to get around?”

”There's no way around it.” Roland shook his head. ”The other side is forcing us to take a stand, and that's bound to cross Hawk's bottom line. If we didn't stick together this time, he would've found a way to knock us down one by one.”

”We're undying—how could we possibly be afraid of him?” Jett was slightly disgruntled.

”We can resurrect, but if we're struck down one by one, he can kill us back to level zero,” Roland explained. ”Our strength is decent, but there are still too few of us. He has an elite army under him, not the private soldiers of small nobles Hawk dealt with before, and he's also a professional himself. We have little chance of winning, and we make even less of an opponent when we're separated. We've only barely made it to level five in half a year—how many half a years are there in life?”

Jett tsked. ”Can't tell he is unexpectedly cunning. He appears like a martial brute.”

Roland turned his head to look at Hawk. ”How many days until your Silver Wings is assembled here?”