Chapter 23: A Small Conflict

  Mais can swear to heaven that he has never had such a delicious breakfast since he was born.

  Although the old wooden table in front of me only had some very ordinary white bread, beef and vegetable soup, compared to the previous few days when I was eating dried meat and drinking cold spring water, this almost counted as a delicious feast comparable to royal cuisine.

  "Praise the great holy soul, thank the holy soul for giving us food..."

  This was probably Maisie's most sincere grace before meals, but before he could express his gratitude, a voice came over.

  "I really didn't expect it, Mr. Mais, you're actually a believer."

  When he heard this, Mais hurriedly opened his eyes and then saw Rode and Lijie walking down the stairs to sit in front of him. The young man still had a calm expression, it was really impossible to tell whether he was being sarcastic or speaking from the heart, so the fat merchant could only awkwardly smile.

  "This... appreciation for food is always there, it has nothing to do with being a believer or non-believer..."

  At this point, the fat businessman obviously didn't intend to dwell on such a boring matter, so he quickly changed the subject.

  "What's next for the two of you?"

  Facing the chubby businessman's inquiry, Luo De didn't answer immediately. He first beckoned for two breakfasts and then opened his mouth to speak.

  "And you, Mr. Mais?"

  "Me?"

  At Rod's inquiry, Mais was stunned for a moment, then slumped his shoulders in despair.

  "My words, I can only go to Deep Stone City to apologize to the consignee and then compensate for their losses. Alas, this time is really unlucky, not only did I lose the goods, but also have to pay a large sum of money, my luck is really not good..."

  "Right, sorry......"

  Lilith's face showed a hint of apology at this point, which was understandable. After all, it was her mercenary group that was responsible for protecting the merchant and his goods, but now that the goods were lost, they hadn't exactly done a great job. Although many people might see this as just an accident, Lilith couldn't just let it go like that, being someone who took responsibility very seriously.

  "No, no, no, this isn't just Miss Lizzie's problem, I'm also at fault."

  Perhaps it was because he had returned to a peaceful environment, but Mais's performance was no longer as timid as before, and his shrewd and capable side as a businessman reappeared.

  "If I had known that place was going to be like this, I wouldn't have done it even if you killed me. But now it's a bit late to say these things. Now I can sit here alive and not become dinner for those terrifying beasts in the forest, all thanks to the two of you."

  At this point, the fat merchant stopped and showed a rare genuine smile on his face. He then reached into his pocket and took out two money bags.

  "This is the reward for both of you, Miss Lijie. Thank you for saving my life several times. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't be alive today."

  "No, no, no, this is what I should do, after all we took your money..."

  Looking at the money bag pushed over by the fat merchant, Lijie hurriedly jumped up, shook her hand somewhat anxiously, but Mais was obviously an old slicker, he didn't even listen to Lijie finish speaking, and turned his gaze to Rode sitting beside him.

  "Mr. Luo, especially you... to be honest, if it weren't for you, the two of us would probably have no way out of this twilight forest. I know that this money is not a lot for a noble, just take it as a token of my appreciation."

  "No need to be so polite, Mr. Mais."

  Luo De glanced at the purse but didn't reach out to take it.

  "You also saved my life. If you hadn't ordered the boat to stop, I'm afraid I would have become a beast's meal by now. So, I think you can take this money."

  "This..."

  Upon hearing Rod's words, Mais' face turned difficult. He could be tough on Lijie, but he didn't dare to do so with this young man. In fact, the money was not only meant as a repayment, but also as a gesture to get closer to Rod. Although the fat merchant had intended for Rod to accept it, he didn't dare force him too much, lest he provoke his dissatisfaction. As a merchant, he had dealt with many nobles and knew that they attached great importance to face, dignity, and status. Especially talented young people like this one, who often had high self-esteem and were somewhat eccentric. So he didn't dare insist on Rod accepting it as he did with Lijie, but instead smiled awkwardly and took out a small silver badge from his pocket.

  "Since Mr. Rod said so, I won't force it anymore. Please accept this badge as a token of our White Silver Hand Guild. Although our guild is not considered powerful on the Dragon Soul Continent, we do have some status. If you need our help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask and we will do our best."

  This time, Rod didn't refuse the other's kindness, and in fact, he had been waiting for just this.

  Roder was well aware of the thoughts of these merchants, who often considered money to be above all else, even their own lives, and could buy and sell with it. He took out this sum of money simply to repay the two for saving his life, but after the transaction was completed, the matter would come to an end.

  But that's not what Rode wants, he has his own goals, and to achieve this goal, he needs some help. The Chamber of Commerce where Mays is located is indeed not a powerful organization, but after all, it is a Chamber of Commerce with relationships and trade networks that Rode cannot match, so considering letting them owe themselves a favor in the long run is a very cost-effective deal.

  Mays would never have thought that Lord would actually set his sights on himself, he still firmly believed in his own judgment, the young man sitting in front of him was definitely a noble aristocrat with a strong family background, and someone like him, he wouldn't even have the chance to fawn over, let alone sell him favors.

  This is a beautiful misunderstanding.

  Roderick didn't mind letting this misunderstanding continue.

  After that, the three of them talked about some boring topics and then discussed their current plans. What made Mais happy was that Rode and Lijie also planned to go to Shen Shi City. It wasn't strange for Lijie to go to Shen Shi City because her mercenary group's base was located there. This time, Carter took over Mais' escort mission partly because he wanted to return home on the way. As for Rode's choice, it surprised Mais a bit. Especially when he heard that Rode had actually joined Lijie's mercenary group, his eyes widened in surprise and he couldn't speak for a while.

  Mays was not unaware of Liche's situation, after all, he had chosen the mercenary group himself, so he naturally understood what they were going through. He also knew that if things continued like this, the mercenary group would probably be finished. However, this wasn't something he should worry about, since he had already given them enough money. Moreover, with Liche as a spirit master, she could go anywhere without any problems. If worst came to worst and they really had nowhere else to go, Mays wouldn't mind taking her into the merchant guild's ranks either - after all, spirit masters were extremely valuable and in high demand everywhere, which wasn't a bad thing for Mays at all.

  But even he didn't expect that this seemingly weak and indecisive girl would grit her teeth and persevere?!

  This is an extremely difficult and dangerous thing.

  Mais had the intention to dissuade him, but seeing Rode by his side, he didn't dare say too much. In his opinion, this young noble joining the mercenary group was probably just for fun. After all, he wasn't lacking in strength, nor did he lack money and status, completely different from ordinary mercenaries. And... maybe it had something to do with Lijie? Taking a closer look, this girl was quite lovely and pretty...

  In that case, Mais would not dare to say it directly, and as an outsider, he had no right to interfere with these trivial matters. So he just promised Lijie that if there was any difficulty, she could come to him, and if it was within his ability, he would definitely help - originally he didn't want to do so, but after discovering that there might be some relationship between the two that couldn't be explained to outsiders, Mais felt that getting along well with this girl was also a good choice.

  After finishing breakfast and determining their next goal, Mais and Lize bid each other farewell and left. Mais went to find a carriage headed for Deep Stone City, while Lize began preparing provisions for the three of them - unlike in the Dusk Forest, she could finally prepare properly this time.

  The two of them went about their own business, with only Rode temporarily having some free time. Although Lijie reminded him to rest well, Rode clearly didn't intend to do so and went out for a walk after dinner.

  Walking in the quiet town, looking at the scenery on both sides, Rod felt a sense of nostalgia in his heart. In the game, this was a gathering place for novice players, and everywhere you could see the shadows of adventurers, either shouting loudly to form teams or selling rare equipment they had obtained. In Rod's memory, this place had always been a bustling and lively scene. But now, the player-less town revealed a sense of quietness and tranquility.

  But this tranquility was soon disrupted.

  A loud noise came from the corner of the street, Rod raised his head curiously and saw that beside a horse carriage on the road, four people were arguing fiercely. Among them was a young man in luxurious clothes, two swordsmen who looked like guards, and standing in front of them, with a red face and thick neck, was none other than Mais, who had just left the inn not long ago.

  What happened?

  Luo De furrowed his brow and then walked towards the four people.

  "Don't think you're impressive just because you have two cents, our family's elder is giving you face!"

  "You're just a mere merchant, and you still dare to be so arrogant!"

  " Bah, what a big shot, just a third-rate noble, you really think our Chamber of Commerce is easy to bully?"

  "Hey, you fat ass, I think you're tired of living!!"

  The quarrel grew louder and louder, but Luo De remained unmoved. He glanced around before walking over to the fat merchant who was spitting with rage, and patted him lightly on the shoulder.

  "What's going on, Mr. Mais?"

  "Who is it? Even if you're looking for help...... Ah!! Lord Rode!"

  Maes, who was scolding and grumbling, turned around and saw Rude. The expression on his face immediately changed from a Siberian blizzard to a tropical rainforest's warm sunshine.

  "You've come just in time..."

  He's indeed a businessman, after seeing Rode, Mais' attitude changed 180 degrees in an instant. Looking at his humble and condescending appearance now, it's hard to associate him with the arrogant fat man from earlier. However, Mais apparently also knew what the current problem was, so without waiting for Rode to say anything else, he began to talk about the situation in a garrulous manner.

  The matter itself was not complicated, and Meis, who had mustered up the courage, quickly found a carriage and agreed on a price with the other party. They also set a time for the rental. Just as Meis was about to leave, these three people suddenly appeared, saying they wanted to rent the same carriage, with an arrogant attitude that provoked Meis' anger. Normally, businessmen should be friendly and make money, but Meis had been unlucky for days, losing a whole shipment of goods, and his mood was already bad. Now that someone was provoking him, he couldn't help but lash out in anger, and the two sides started arguing.

  Xī Mù Town was just a small town, and there was only one horse carriage. Mei Si wanted to give Luo De a good impression, so he couldn't let the other party have this horse carriage. The other party seemed to be in a hurry and refused to give in, even the two impatient guards couldn't help but want to draw their swords. They thought that since Mei Si was just a merchant, he would back down as soon as he saw blades. But unexpectedly, this made the fat merchant even angrier: "I've seen wolves and ghosts these past few days, what are you two insignificant attendants going to do?"

  As a result, both sides are stuck here, neither of whom is willing to give in.

  So that's how it is.

  After learning about the whole story from the fat merchant, Rod nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

  But before Rode could say anything else, the first guard "swished" out his long sword and pointed it at Rode.

  "Who are you! How dare you interfere with our business!"