Green Monster Epic

"Commander Kandern, don't forget what you've been up to all these years. We know everything. If these things are exposed now, what do you think the Maggot Eye Chief will do to you, and your family??"

The short, skinny gnome Dono faced the high-level warrior hyena commander, Kandern, whose eyes flashed fiercely and whose sharp teeth were bared. He showed no fear. Instead, he stared at the other party with interest, watching his next move and choice with leisurely ease.

The hyena Kandern secretly glanced at the ledger on the table in front of Dono, feeling uneasy. He couldn't tell how much truth there was in the other's words, how much was false. As one of the commanders who controlled the military power of the Raven's Claw, it was impossible to say that Kandern's hands were clean and that he had no corrupt behavior.

After all, after so many years of peaceful life, using the power in their hands to accept benefits and exchange for profits has become the norm for the vast majority of the ruling class in Nasir Fortress.

As an important transit port on the Mansa trade route, Nasir Fortress has a good living environment brought about by prosperous commerce, but these better living conditions require a lot of money to maintain. However, with the salaries issued by the troll and hyena tribes, it is naturally impossible to maintain such a life, so the chiefs of the various tribes naturally thought of using the power in their hands to exchange for the resources and money they needed for life.

Originally, the rules in the wilderness were not as complicated as in civilized society, and the management was also very rough. This made it much easier to monetize power. In addition, under the subtle influence of those with ulterior motives, basically the chiefs and supervisors who held real power in Snow Mire and Raven's Claw all had various corrupt behaviors to a greater or lesser extent.

The reason why Mori Ti and others were directly executed was that some people were worried that they would implicate others in order to survive. As long as they said the name of any colleague, regardless of whether they had participated in the resale of grain, other corrupt behaviors would be enough to kill them.

That's why almost all the troll and hyena chiefs in the city tacitly collaborated to kill Mori Ti, Jadr, and others, and then jointly fabricated evidence to put the blame for reselling grain on these dead people, giving Maggot Eye and Tim a reasonable but untenable explanation.

"What exactly do you want??"

Kandern also had concerns. The gnome in front of him might not be very strong, but his identity meant that Kandern couldn't use many of his methods.

As one of the people in charge of the United Chamber of Commerce dispatched to Nasir Fortress, and also a member of the Greenwood Tribe, Dono has always been very low-key in his actions. In the past, in his dealings with the heads of the two tribes in Nasir Fortress and their relatives and families, Dono also behaved very kindly. He would not be too difficult in places where he could provide convenience to those in need within his authority.

Kandern had dealt with Dono, and many times at that. Relying on his identity as the commander of the army, Kandern had secretly acquired several shops in good locations and allowed his family to run them. Many of the goods in the shops were purchased through the channels of the United Chamber of Commerce, which required the help of Dono, the supervisor.

"We hope that you can support our Chieftain Alan in the future and lead your warriors to obey the command of our Greenwood Tribe."

"What???? Are you crazy????"

Kandern looked at him like he was looking at a madman, his scarlet vertical pupils staring intently at the little man in front of him, trying to find a trace of a joke on his face.

"Crazy???? Maybe!!"

Dono shrugged, his expression relaxed and free: "But your relationship with our tribe is much closer than with the Raven's Claw tribe now."

"Without us, your business would probably have to close down, and your life would soon return to the past."

"And what has the tribe you are loyal to given you? Besides the position of commander, what else do you have?"

"Heh heh heh, do you think I would betray my tribe for these benefits????"

"Haven't you betrayed it???? When you sent your assassin to assassinate the Rabana family on Cross Street, didn't you betray your tribe? The Rabana family of more than 20 people were all talents of your Raven's Claw tribe. What do you think Maggot Eye would do to you if he knew about this!!"

"And your behavior of deducting military pay from your soldiers and eating empty salaries…"

"Enough!!!!"

The furry wolf face was full of murderous intent. Kandern's sharp right hand nails scratched on the ironwood table, making a creaking sound. Deep scratches appeared on the smooth table, showing the anger in Kandern's heart at this time, as well as the fear hidden deep within the anger.

"Not enough, my Commander Kandern. I know what you are worried and afraid of? But do you think we have only collected these black materials about you? Don't worry, when you really need to express your attitude, you will definitely not be the only tribal leader who submits to our Chieftain."

"Who else????"

"Heh heh, maybe when that day comes, you will find that your colleagues around you have made the same wise choice as you!!"

Dono did not answer Kandern's question directly, but said something meaningful.

"So, for the sake of your family's hundred or so lives, I suggest you make a careful choice, especially when you are in a mess right now."

"Humph…"

The same scene appeared in different areas of Nasir Fortress. All kinds of trolls and hyenas were experiencing an inner choice. No one could be sure what kind of choice these guys who had been visited would eventually make. In fact, for the Greenwood Tribe spies who were in the shadows, their hearts were not so calm at this moment.

The only thing that made them feel at ease was that the real owners of Nasir Fortress at this moment, the power holders of the two major tribes, were not sitting in the fortress, but going south to visit their neighbors.

Although the grain crisis was temporarily alleviated by confiscating the property of more than a dozen families and collecting grain from these families' cellars and granaries, Maggot Eye and Tim did not dare to take it lightly before finding a stable supply channel and re-establishing grain reserves.

In addition to quickly sending people north to see if they could contact grain merchants from the reopened Elven Kingdom and Dwarven Kingdom to urgently purchase grain, Maggot Eye and the others came up with a solution to the grain crisis after some discussion, which was to seek the help of the Greenwood Tribe in the south.

"Chieftain Alan, I heard that you have just come out of seclusion recently. It seems that your strength has greatly increased!!"

The always proud and arrogant Maggot Eye put on a flattering face when he visited Alan, which was rare. It seemed a bit awkward because it was too deliberate.

“I really envy you. Even at this stage, you can still make progress. Unlike us old folks, we've lived long lives but have gained nothing. I guess this is the end for us.”

Although it was flattery, when it came to the growth of strength, the gazes cast at Allen were tinged with envy and jealousy.

“What progress is there? It's just that the trivial matters in the tribe are too troublesome, so I'm just seeking some peace and quiet.”

Allen smiled indifferently and gently raised his hand, signaling the Maggot Eye and Tim to drink the juice brought by the servants.

“That's only because the children in your tribe are promising and can help you share the burden. Look at the speed of development of your tribe now, it's much stronger than our two families!”

“Look at those bastards in my tribe, good-for-nothing trash…”

The three exchanged pleasantries casually until Maggot Eye felt the time was right and began to steer the conversation towards the main topic.

“Allen, are you interested in doing a deal that will guarantee you a big profit?”

“A deal that you value must be good, but we have a good relationship, and I'd feel bad taking a share of your profits. I think I'll pass.”

Allen's reply was beyond Maggot Eye and Tim's expectations. Maggot Eye was at a loss for words and felt extremely uncomfortable with his words stuck in his throat.

“Chieftain Allen, don't be so distant. Our three tribes are now a community of shared interests. It doesn't matter who makes money. And to be honest, this business is actually Chieftain Allen helping us. You should be the one making money!”

Tim, having gained experience over the years, was also exceptionally capable in his speech and actions, smoothly taking over Maggot Eye's topic.

“Heh heh heh, since you've both said so, then I'm really curious to hear about it.”

Allen knew the true purpose of these two people's visit, and he also understood that he couldn't stop them from stating their intentions.

“Chieftain Allen probably already knows that a few scoundrels have appeared in our two tribes and have resold all the grain reserves in our tribes. In addition, the grain supply from the joint chamber of commerce's caravan has suddenly been cut off, which has caused a grain problem in our two tribes. Therefore, we have come to visit Chieftain Allen, hoping that Chieftain Allen can sell a batch of grain to our two tribes.”

“Of course, to compensate Chieftain Allen for your losses and risks, our two tribes have discussed it and are willing to purchase this batch of grain at three times the market price. What do you think, Chieftain Allen?”

Tim looked sincerely at Allen. The method he and Maggot Eye had discussed before coming was to impress Allen with high profits. After all, this matter concerned the stability of their two tribes, and it was right to pay more profits. Anyway, these extra funds were confiscated from those ten or so families, so spending them wouldn't be too painful.

“Tsk tsk, there's actually such a good thing, no wonder Tim you said it's a good deal!”

Allen's eyes were calm, and he said with a slightly helpless expression: “But, I'm afraid this matter will disappoint you both.”

“Although I really want to help your two tribes, I think the amount of grain you two want to purchase is probably not small!”

“This… we can't help it. Chieftain Allen, you also know the number of people living in Nasir Fortress. The daily consumption of hundreds of thousands of mouths is indeed not small.”

Maggot Eye also looked embarrassed and tried to explain.

“You see, that's the problem. Before I can determine when the next batch of grain from our cooperative grain merchant association will arrive, I don't dare to sell too much grain to you, otherwise our tribe may also face a grain crisis. But selling too little grain to you won't be of much help to you. What do you think I should do?”

Allen was aloof, and his tone revealed a sense of refusal, obviously not wanting to sell grain.

“Allen, we may not be very clear about how much wealth your tribe has, but we can roughly guess. With your tribe's grain reserves, even if you give half of it to us, the remaining amount is enough for your tribe to last until the next grain harvest.”

“Your Greenwood Tribe is not like us, only having the Nasir Fortress as a territory. The arable land is only a dozen miles outside the city gate. The land you have reclaimed on the Greenwood Plain is enough to support your tribe, not to mention you have also stored a large amount of grain through grain merchants!”

“Therefore, providing us with a batch of emergency grain is not a high risk for you.”

A haze flashed in Maggot Eye's eyes. Allen's attitude seemed to indicate that he wanted more benefits.

“We can still discuss the price, you name it.”

“This is not a matter of price, but a matter of tribal risk. If I give you the grain, and then my tribe faces a crisis, what will those goblins below say about me then? No, I think I'll pass!”

“Chieftain Allen, you…?”

… … … …

The negotiation was not very long, but for the two sides involved in the conversation, there was a world of difference in their mentalities. One side was calm and composed, with a peaceful expression, while the other side was anxious and uneasy, feeling resentful but also helpless.

“Chieftain Allen, let's not beat around the bush anymore, tell us your real conditions!”

The time for the final showdown had arrived. Maggot Eye and Tim looked at each other, and then handed over the power to Allen to see his true thoughts. If things were indeed impossible, or Allen's asking price was too high, they might as well go to the southern tribes. That way, it wouldn's be impossible to raise some grain, and perhaps they could hold out until the grain merchants' caravan arrived.

Allen looked meaningfully at the two legendary powerhouses in front of him: “Are you sure you want me to name the price?”

“Since that's the case, then I'll talk about my thoughts!”

“In order to avoid being cursed by those cubs below, there is actually a way to easily obtain enough grain, and you don't even need to spend money to buy it.”

“What way?”

“What is it?”

“That is for your two tribes to merge with my Greenwood Tribe, and from now on, our three tribes will become one family!!!”

“You… … … …”

“… … Allen, you're crazy!!”

“Let's go!!”

Maggot Eye and Tim looked angry, as if they had seen a madman. At the same time, there was also a hint of vigilance in their eyes, ready to turn against Allen at any time.

“I, Allen, have never gone back on my word! If you two don't agree to my proposal today, then once you leave this door, you will be my enemies!!!”

The majestic and immense battle intent slowly emanated from Allen's body. The even more powerful aura from a demigod directly solidified the space of the castle in front of him.