Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

Neither of them begged for their lives or uttered any other words. Both Schulz and Dieter were seasoned businessmen, and in this situation, using what rightfully belonged to the other as leverage would only worsen the situation for them.

If this is how they deal with ordinary merchants, then mercenaries are even more vulnerable.

“At least you have some self-awareness,” Angelita said softly, “but what I don’t understand is, who are you? And what is your purpose?”

Dieter glanced at Schulz instinctively. If looks could kill, this old antique dealer would soon be selling alongside his merchandise.

If he hadn't insisted on dragging him to see some lost masterpieces by Poussin, how could he have ended up in this predicament?!

"This...it's all my fault," the antique dealer sighed, bowing his head in resignation. "May Oak Valley have mercy..."

The gods are my witnesses! He was merely trying to please both sides! Is that some kind of heinous crime?!

Very few of Poussin's paintings survive, but each one is a masterpiece among masterpieces, a treasure among treasures. He had only heard that one of the heirs of the Strongman family cherished this kind of art and wanted to make his acquaintance with him. Why did it turn out like this?

Raslaufer waved his hand, and the servants there sprang into action as if granted a reprieve, reviving the two unconscious mages and dragging them aside. They no longer needed to stand there like two tombstones.

"Is he telling the truth?" Dople looked at Dieter on the ground. "You can tell the truth, and then he dies, and you live."

"What exactly is your connection with the Empire?"

Although it's highly unlikely that Angelita's father will follow them here, he might have bribed some people. Seeing Dieter and his group putting on a dubious imperial show, it's no wonder they're on edge.

“It’s just that the family has some small businesses,” Dieter quickly said. “My elders once went to the Empire and established some trade after paying homage to His Majesty the Emperor at the time, mainly reselling wine and timber from Eastern Inassis—Lord Raslaufer, you know that these two items can sell for more than ten times the profit in the Empire.”

However, the long and arduous journey was beyond the reach of most caravans. This was why Schultz hoped to establish connections with the Strongman family; by relying on such a powerful entity, his caravan could enjoy a degree of protection, and at least a young dragon wouldn't be able to easily steal his goods.

Dieter felt his expression was sincere enough, and he was telling the truth, only he had been a little vague—there were three businesses trading wine and timber between East Inassus and the Empire, which allowed him to remain inconspicuous.

However, Angelita raised her brown eyes and looked at Dieter with interest:

“Albrecht? Kuhn Trading Company? Or…”

"The Strongman family?"

Chapter 482 Dieter Strongman

Who exactly is this girl?!

Dieter felt cold sweat trickling down his neck.

If being familiar with the distinct etiquette of nobles can be considered a basic quality of an imperial noble, then this part is far beyond the scope of ordinary nobles!

Unless...her family is also in this kind of business?

Dieter considered whether he should pretend to be a member of another family, but he wasn't sure if doing so would be more beneficial or the opposite. While he hesitated, Angelita had already narrowed down her suspicions once again.

“You’re probably not from the Kuhn Trading Company. No family would dare to use a duke’s regalia. If they were discovered, they would definitely be excluded,” the girl said, walking over and using the tip of her sword to lift Dieter’s chin and examine his eyes. “You’re probably not an Albrecht either. It’s said that this family had a marriage alliance with a group of halflings. Although you can’t really tell their height, their eye color is quite different from that of ordinary humans.”

"However, we cannot completely rule it out..."

“Please stop testing me, miss,” Dieter couldn’t take it anymore. “I am Dieter, Dieter Strongman, the real deal.”

“I swear to the goddess Shuni, not a single word I have said is false.”

Angelita was slightly taken aback: "You're a follower of the Fire-Haired Lady?"

"Yes, yes, I—"

“One of my teachers was also like that; she taught me a lot,” Angelita sheathed her sword and stepped back. “But I can’t decide your life or death. If you really want to live, then further prove your intentions—Uncle Leslaufer, what do you think?”

“That painting?” This kind of art was outside Reslaufer’s area of ​​expertise, so he nodded. “Okay, anyway, let’s find out what he’s here for. I don’t want this place to be targeted for no reason.”

A few months ago, this was a place he could abandon at any time without feeling any heartache, but now, looking at this thriving courtyard and a house full of companions, unless there was an unavoidable reason, Dopler felt it was better to keep it.

Angelita nodded cautiously. She gestured for Mary and Daisy to come out and bring the surrendered Dieter into the house. The questions she was about to ask would not be limited to the marching map of Emperor Richard the Great, but would also include the doctrines of Lady Sunny the Fire-Haired and other things that only members of the Matt family knew.

The Strongman family's rise to prominence is largely due to their business ties with the Matt family—as royalty, they are undoubtedly among the most extravagant spenders of gold.

However, this man who called himself Dieter seemed to be no ordinary person either. Leslaufer leaned against the door and watched him squat in front of the painting, greedily drooling over the lost masterpiece, while still being able to smoothly answer all of Angelita's questions, and even answer Margaret's questions interspersed among them.

Only Daisy's questions, each time they arose, would create an awkward silence—but sometimes the poet's questions didn't count.

Which country's national anthem is "God Save the Queen"? Does anyone know? Does such a country even exist?

But setting aside these tricky and strange questions, Dieter's vast knowledge almost immediately impressed Mary, followed by Raslaufer, Daisy, and Angelita. Only Bella felt that the man's knowledge of nature was only at the level of an "enthusiast," so she made no comment.

In short, as three and a half hours passed by in a flash, the barefoot man no longer needed to squat on the ground. He walked among the crowd with his hands behind his back, talking eloquently. Even the antique dealer Schulz, who was lying outside, was amazed.

He originally thought that the painting hanging in the room was enough to make him live in vain for decades, but now it seems that he really has lived in vain for decades!

Is this the kind of education a family like Strongman receives? Compared to this, the teachers he painstakingly searched for for his grandchildren are a joke—second only to himself!

But what impressed Schultz even more was that the young girl he had already taken a liking to during his last visit had given him an even greater shock. If his old eyes hadn't become so dim as to go blind, this Miss Anne would probably have been even more impressive than Dieter! This meant that the gap between the two was insurmountable!

It's important to understand that Dieter is probably only two or three years older or younger than Raslaufer, while the girl looks like she's just come of age. There's at least a ten-year gap in their experience, which is definitely not something that can be bridged by ordinary means!

“There are many flaws in the details, especially in court etiquette,” Angelita finally concluded. “But I can trust you, Mr. Dieter. If someone like you is sent to our detriment, then whoever commissioned you must be insane—your role in other areas is far more significant.”

“To receive such praise is the greatest honor of my life,” the man, stripped of all his fine clothes, said barefoot, performing a flawless bow on the ground, a gesture he had just learned from Angelita. “A man like you should not have spent his life in some nameless little village in Eastern Inas.”

Zebrech is the name of a region in the area, and this village is just one of several in the region.

"Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, if you would allow me, I am willing to pay 850 gold pounds to buy this masterpiece. This amount of money is enough for you to enjoy the best life in Ironforge or anywhere else."

Eight hundred and fifty gold pounds! Even for an emperor, that amount would be enough to catch his eye. In a place like Eastern Inassassins, this sum could make the kings of some small kingdoms kneel down and kiss their boots! But Dieter could make this promise so easily, and he wasn't even the head of the Strongman family or the first in line to the throne!

“I can see your sincerity in this number, Mr. Dieter,” Angelita shook her head, “but if I wanted, you wouldn’t see me here, or this painting, so please allow me to refuse.”

"You don't need to offer any other prices; this is non-negotiable."

“…It’s clear,” Dieter bit his tongue, managing to squeeze out a few words after a long pause, “I think that after you guessed my identity, your identity should be about to be revealed as well.”

"Why don't you try saying it out loud?"

It was Reislaufer who spoke. Doppler crossed his arms. Although he was unarmed, Dieter knew that if he uttered one of those keywords—or even just a similar pronunciation—Dieter's head would fly off like Master Yalma's.

“Let me keep you in suspense for now,” Dieter said with a wry smile. “Your Excellency Raslaufer, you know what? I originally had another matter to attend to when I went out this time, but the invitation from Mr. Schultz—no, Mr. Schultz—made me change my mind at the last minute. But I never expected that it would be such a coincidence that two things could be done in one place.”

"If you would allow me to continue our previous topic, Lion Dahl, you must know who he is, right?"

Dieter looked around and, finding no chair available, chose to remain standing: "There's a business deal between him and me, but I'm afraid only you can make it happen."

Chapter 483 Bargaining

If it were just a matter of escorting caravans, it probably wouldn't be Raslaufer's place to meddle in such things. But if he had to be brought to Raslaufer's attention, it would most likely be a death sentence.

It was someone else's head that was lost.

Seeing that Reslaufer gestured for him to continue, Dieter cleared his throat: "Recently, they seem to have made contact with some underground races. They are very tight-lipped, so it is not clear what races they are, but from there, Lord Dahl and his group have taken over a considerable amount of rare resources, all of which are hard to find on the surface."

“I think you’re not a radical ‘ground faction’, right?”

The so-called "surface faction" originates from an ancient scholar's speculation: when the era of the elves and dwarves declined and ended, some elves and dwarves, unwilling to relinquish their dominant position in Inathas, led their people to the underworld instead of retreating with the main force. Most people consider this hypothesis plausible, and some dwarves from the East Sea have even acknowledged related facts. However, a minority stubbornly insist that it's all a lie, believing the dark underworld to be dangerous and radioactive, making it impossible for intelligent life to live there long-term.

“No, I saw them with my own eyes.” Raslaufer shook his head. In fact, even the matter that Dieter mentioned was closely related to him.

“That makes things easier,” Dieter nodded. “In short, Lord Dahl encountered some trouble while trading with those underground races. The underground races are not a monolithic entity; they quickly became aware of the situation and began intercepting the goods, causing the entire trade chain to break down. Lord Dahl once led people in to try to wipe out or drive out those bandits, but with little success.”

"I think if there's anyone who can solve this problem, it's probably you."

Doble frowned. If it were just simple killing, Raslaufer wouldn't object, but the underground was different from the surface. If the enemy didn't fight him head-on, the situation would probably become quite unfavorable, and the enemy in a favorable position was unlikely to chase him to the surface.

Just as Raslaufer hesitated, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right hand. He immediately looked down but did not find any wound. Instead, his gaze followed the line connecting his eyes and the web of his right hand and he saw a long-legged spider with white ring patterns weaving something in the corner.

It was a spider web, without a doubt, but on the web, some thicker lines faintly formed a simple and clear word:

go with.

If this can be seen as some kind of divine oracle, then the one who sent him the message was definitely not Edas; such a clear command could only have come from another goddess with an even stronger desire for control.

A goddess associated with spiders.

“Alright, but I’d like to hear about the payment first,” Leslaufer didn’t agree immediately, even though he already knew he probably had no choice but to go. “You offered Anne nine hundred gold pounds, didn’t you?”

Dieter nodded: "Please rest assured on that point. I wouldn't dare to seek your help without sufficient leverage. As long as the matter can be resolved, you will receive 10% of every transaction between the Strongman family and Dahl as your reward."

“I was in charge of the Strongman family’s side, so I can draw this conclusion. As for Lion Dahl, I think he shouldn’t mind giving you this face.”

Transporting rare underground resources to the surface is incredibly profitable; if Reslaufer could convert it into cash, even 10% might be considered too little. However, this is a long-term project; the longer it goes on, the more Reslaufer profits, while the greater the losses for the other two parties.

Ten percent is a reasonably acceptable figure.

“Twenty percent,” Leslaufer said without blinking. “Don’t think that’s too high. You all have men to feed and horses to eat, and I’m not alone here either. This price isn’t expensive.”

"And I won't force you. Based on your performance just now, I can let you leave. You can go elsewhere and ask around, compare prices, and see if anyone can solve this problem for you. But I want to tell you that if you walk out of this door today and come back to me, I will definitely not ask for this amount."

Raslaufer was confident that anyone stronger than him could also handle such a situation. The Master Yarma who had just been killed was far from being one of the most powerful beings in Eastern Inasas, but even a spellcaster of Yarma's caliber would require far more than just "twenty percent".

Perhaps they don't demand that many gold coins, but as spellcasters, if the Dahl and Strongman families acquire rare spellcasting materials, should the Yarma intervene? If they acquire some rare race as slaves, should the spellcasters simply intercept them? If the spellcasters learn of some kind of underground ruins or other things, will Dieter help or not?

Debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay. Some of these debts may be insignificant, but others are absolutely unavoidable losses. In comparison, losing a little gold is acceptable.

As for those who are not competitors of the spellcaster, eight out of ten will eventually return to Leslaufer.

“I’m afraid I can’t accept this exact number,” Dieter gritted his teeth. “I can give you a rough estimate right now. After deducting the costs of gathering, transporting, and selling, the profits would have to be divided among the Strongman family, Dahl’s warband, and the underground races. Each family would only get one-fifth. I acknowledge your importance, but none of these links can be replaced. If you insist, we can only give you a maximum of… thirteen percent.”

"I still need to get that three percent share from my family..."

“No,” Raslaufer raised his hand to interrupt Dieter, “Don’t give me that. Eighteen percent, that’s my concession. We’re all businessmen, do you think you can squeeze a coin out of your own teeth? I bet you’ve already swallowed up the remaining seven percent!”

The candidate for the head of the family said solemnly, "I have no such intention! Please believe my sincerity. You have already promised me your life, how could I dare to lie to you about this? Fifteen percent, I really can't guarantee any more than that."

The two sides tugged at this median point, eventually tipping the scales slightly in Leslaufer's favor—after Leslaufer declared the problem resolved, all parties would directly pay him a sum of forty-two gold pounds and seventeen gold coins as payment, regardless of the actual resolution or whether there would be any subsequent setbacks.

But that 15% threshold can no longer be moved.

Chapter 484 Sylvia's Visit

Dieter, along with Schulz and his other men, bid farewell and left. The underground world was quite dangerous; even dealing with those who were merely trading partners required extreme caution. Moreover, Yarma's death was not as casual as Dieter later appeared; there were still many procedures to go through, otherwise, his status as the third candidate would inevitably be diminished.

Meanwhile, Reislaufer's side doesn't need to make many preparations; they just need to wait for Dieter's side to be ready before setting off.

However, things were probably not that simple. A few nights later, just as everyone was preparing to rest as usual, Mary let out a scream from the second floor.

Everyone rushed upstairs, only to find Mary, still shaken, holding a swift sword with the tip pointing at the newly repaired wall. There, a pair of gems reflecting a purplish-red light leaned against the wall with their owner, leisurely but maliciously staring at Mary.

“What a pity,” the gem’s owner spoke, a crack appearing in the darkness beneath the crimson. “I was planning to play with you a little, human lady. I can sense that you seem to have become very strong.”

"But you called for help directly."

“I have no reason to duel with you,” Mary replied coldly, as she slowly paced, concealing half of her body behind Leslaufer. “Dark Elf.”

A dark elf—yes, in the lamplight, her pointed ears, beautiful face, and dark purple skin all indicated her identity as an uninvited guest. She wore an obviously ill-fitting, oversized linen cloak, which was more like a sack, and in the places not fully covered by the "sack," one could vaguely see the rest of her clothing.

It is more revealing and more dangerous and deadly than women's attire in most cultures on Earth.

“What a pity.” The dark elf raised her hand, and beneath her wrist hung a pair of alien daggers with hooked ends. “Moving on the surface is boring enough as it is; I just wanted to have some fun.”

Angelita squinted, and upon seeing the pair of daggers, she knew who the other person was.

“Sylvia Evans,” she called out the other woman’s full name, “what are you doing here instead of hiding in the Forest of Riha?!”

"What am I doing here?" Priestess Rose, whose name had been revealed, wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, she smiled with a hint of amusement. "What else could I be doing here? Of course, I'm here to meet my sweetheart. Don't you think so, Lord Raslaufer?"

Dobul drew his sword.

"No, I surrender, I surrender, okay? Oh dear," a terrifying killing intent made Sylvia tremble all over. Only now did she finally remember the fear she felt as a witness when Raslaufer killed Rose's maid. Sylvia quickly put away her mocking smile. "Be careful, man. I'm here to deliver a message. If I die, what will happen to your old friend Dahl? It's hard to say."

Raslaufer showed no sign of stopping. Sylvia instinctively raised her arm, trying to block with her dagger, but Mary's sword was even faster. With two clangs, the dark elf's dagger was knocked away and fell to the ground.

"It's an oracle from the goddess Rose!" The eldest daughter of the Evans family glared at Mary angrily and cried out in a shrill voice, "Raslaufer, you killed Her handmaid, this is what you owe Her!"

"What do you need me to do?"

Leslaufer kept his hand still in the motion of drawing the knife, as if he would pull it out again at any moment.

Sylvia felt the terror pressing down on her ease slightly and quickly said, "Destroy a family!"

"The Pirnane family, in recent decades they have gradually converted to another deity: Sinvares, and there is evidence that she may be plotting against Rose, and the goddess is recently preparing to put an end to this."

“We don’t need to get involved in matters at a higher level, but as followers, we need to reduce Sinvalles’ influence on the mortal realm. And you, you owe Rose an obligation, and now it’s time for you to repay it.”

"...That makes perfect sense."

Dubul sheathed his sword and said, "Then they can die."

“You are confident, and you have the right to be,” Sylvia’s expression became slightly serious, the flamboyance and glamour of before gone. “But be careful, the underground is to you what the surface is to the dark elves. If you are careless, you may lose your life.”

"The mistress has considered this, so we won't directly attack the Pirnain family. Instead, we'll take advantage of the recent trade dispute—"

“I’ve heard about it,” Raslaw nodded. “Actually, someone has already asked me to lend a hand. Doing two things at once is a good thing.”