Old Gods, Rapid-Fire Guns, and Prohibition

Chapter 366 [Drinking Tea and Pouring Water]

next moment.

The tea spilled into the cup.

During the era of Prohibition, it was already difficult to find alcohol in ordinary households and on the market, so it was even less likely that such a thing would be found in government departments.

In particular, the consul's office.

It's a little before 1:30 in the afternoon.

Winster.

The Consul's Office.

Or, to be more precise, in the office of the current Governor of Winston, Naruf Collins.

At this moment, two people are sitting opposite each other.

One of those seated in the main seat was Naruf Collins, who had been in office at Winston for less than three months, and wore a very politician-like smile.

He has been practicing this smile since he was ten years old, and now he has mastered it to perfection, leaving no room for criticism.

In contrast, the man sitting opposite him, Ned Charles, who also held a high position of power in Winston and could even be called the true king of Winston, had a less than perfect expression.

Expressionless, even with a hint of hostility.

Sure enough, the countryside is just the countryside; it can never produce true nobility.

Naruf inwardly scorned, but outwardly he spoke sweet words: "Ned, please have some tea. Try this kind of tea, which is said to be picked from the newly discovered Storm Island. It has a unique flavor. I'm not very good at appreciating tea, but you are a tea connoisseur, so you should try it."

This was their second round of tea.

The tea leaves from the previous brew were already weak and tasteless.

Ned has been here for a while now.

Normally, or rather, throughout Ned's political career, he almost never came to this office.

Because of a certain principle that kings should not meet.

The most powerful magistrate of a city and the presiding judge usually never appear in the same place, except on necessary occasions, and their offices are even more off-limits.

Doing so is tantamount to provocation.

Ned and Naruto actually got along quite well.

The reason for this is that Naruf knew how to behave. As soon as he arrived in Winston, he took the initiative to visit Ned, which could be considered a direct show of weakness.

In the subsequent handover of work, Naruf basically avoided getting involved as much as possible, adopting an attitude that he was only there to gain experience and would absolutely not interfere in local affairs.

This led to rumors that this was the most harmonious union of two kings in Winston's history.

As a result, today, Ned himself has broken this harmony.

Despite Ned's sudden provocation, Naruf maintained his usual amiable attitude, showing no anger whatsoever. Instead, he invited Ned to his office for tea.

Ned didn't say anything else, he just drank tea.

He didn't refuse the second round of tea that Naruf brewed at all, and drank it right away.

After finishing his tea, he nodded and said, "It's quite an interesting tea. I'd like another cup."

So Naruf raised his hand, and his servant, whom he had brought from the capital, poured tea for Ned with the same courtesy as he did.

At that moment, the clock on the wall pointed to the next minute.

Naruf finally said something completely different: "Actually, there's no point in leaving me here, Ned."

"Oh?" Ned looked up at Naruf.

Finally, the main course is about to be served.

"I'm not important at all."

Naruf was still smiling.

"My real name is only so-so, not even as good as Ghosn's."

He pointed to the waiter who was pouring tea.

The servant smiled shyly, as if embarrassed by his master's praise. "I wasn't the one playing this game of chess."

Naruf picked up his teacup, took a sip, and nodded.

"This stuff is really expensive, I don't understand why it's so expensive."

Ned didn't move, he just looked at him, as if waiting for his next words.

"We actually get along quite well, don't we? These days, and, to be honest, we're actually on the same side."

“Us? You are one of the top ten surnames in the capital, while I am just a minor surname from a remote place.”

Ned also picked up his teacup, and the servant named Gorn was very perceptive, pouring out the tea when it was empty.

"No no no."

Naruf shook his head repeatedly.

“You’re wrong, Ned. I am one of his men. And you… you also have close ties with him. In a way, you’re his uncle-in-law, aren’t you?”

Almost the instant the words "uncle" were uttered, Naruf picked up the teacup he was about to put to his lips, and it shattered, spilling tea all over Naruf.

Meanwhile, the servant Gorn had already stood in front of Naruf, displaying an absolute fighting stance, completely different from the somewhat shy person he had been just moments before.

It's like a ferocious monster.

"Don't get so agitated, Ghosn. Lord Ned won't do anything to me. I misspoke. I apologize."

"Never mention those two words again."

Ned's face was ashen.

"Even... putting that matter aside, Mr. Ned, you've already reached this position, don't you want to go further?"

Naruf then spoke from a different direction.

"No, I just want to live out my days in Winster."

Ned answered very decisively.

If he truly had such intentions, he would have left Winston long ago, instead of waiting until today.

"Then, for the sake of your family? To ensure that the name Charles will always shine brightly on this land, you should make plans soon. That one is the one everyone hopes for."

Naruf looked at Ned again.

These words seemed to strike a chord with Ned.

He fell silent.

Naruf was quite pleased with this. He nodded slightly, signaling his servant Gorn to pour him another cup of tea.

Ghosn quickly went to get a cup and pour tea.

The tea ceremony was placed in Naruf's hands. He picked it up, then got up and went to the window.

The location of Winston Town Hall is quite good, offering a direct view of the sea.

The sea was shimmering with golden light, a sight that captivated the eye.

Then he said to Ned, "It's actually very good that you came to see me today, because all you have to do today is stay here and wait for everything to be over together."

However, at that moment, Ned, who had been silent all along, suddenly laughed.

The laughter caught Naruf's attention. He looked at Ned, seemingly understanding the meaning behind the laughter, yet also seemingly not.

"Sir, you are..."

"I just laugh at myself for being so stupid, actually thinking I could beat Ethan in the bet. He said he would definitely say that, so he won."

Ned drank the tea in his cup again and nodded.

"That's right. Today, my mission is to keep you here until it's all over."

These words made Naruf very uncomfortable, but he didn't know why. Everything should be going according to plan. Ethan had taken away all of the Poletta family's fighting force.

Ned is the strongest and highest-ranking member of Winston; no one else can control the situation.

(End of this chapter)