Chapter 464 - 463: Political Development

Chapter 464: Chapter 463: Political Development

"But we..."

SLAP.

Colin was mid-sentence when the Ogre pulled out a piece of gold and slapped it on the table. Then, he produced a wrinkled certificate and placed it next to the piece of gold.

"Mog has gold. This is the ’certificate’ the little ones gave Mog for protecting their little houses," Mog stressed. "Mog has more gold hidden in a place only Mog knows. If you want to kill Mog, you won’t get the gold. And Mog! Is! VERY! STRONG!"

He delivered the words with surprising fluency, as if he’d rehearsed them for a long time in private.

Colin glanced at the certificate.

To his surprise, it looked quite legitimate. Complete with a seal and signature, it appeared to be a perfectly legal and proper document of nobility.

’Then again,’ Colin wondered, ’are there really ogres in this world who know how to forge documents?’

"That is indeed the seal of House Vischitzki," Albert said from his seat. "The description on the document also more or less matches this, er... gentleman’s circumstances. Personally, I don’t think having a fellow traveler like him while crossing the perilous Supreme Forest is such a bad thing. What do you think, Colin?"

Looking at Albert’s expression, Colin figured the guy was only saying this because he found the whole situation amusing.

"And I think the gold isn’t a bad thing either," Kase added.

Dorn licked his lips. "Great minds think alike, then."

Orelia nodded. "It can be used to help the poor..."

Albert glanced at the two of them, then at Ale, who was also staring at the gold, before turning back to Colin.

Colin shrugged. "Edwin might say I love money, but I’m actually the one in this group who cares about it the least."

"That much is obvious," Albert nodded.

Colin asked, "Mr. Mog, what kind of payment are you offering?"

"One... two... four... seven..." Mog said, counting on his fingers. "Mog can give seven pieces of gold like this one."

"I’m guessing you mean one piece of gold per person, right? That would be six pieces."

"Six pieces? No, hmm, yes, uh, no..." Mog shook his head. "Oh, right. One piece per person is six pieces."

Ale’s nose twitched. "This one piece of gold should be worth a hundred Gold Coins."

"Then we have a deal, Mr. Mog," Colin nodded.

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[Quest: Ogre Guide]

[Rating: Not Started]

[Reward: Not Calculated]

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’After all, Moss Stone Village let this Ogre in, so he should be safe enough. Besides, he looks quite capable. He’d be an extra hand if we run into any trouble.’

After eating and resting for a bit, the group came to the west gate of Moss Stone Village.

With an Ogre now in their party, Colin felt a distinct increase in the number of heads that turned to watch them as they walked down the street.

Under the watchful eyes of the villagers, the party plunged into the deep shade of the Supreme Forest.

The Supreme Forest looked much the same as it had before.

It was nearly impossible to see the sun while walking on the shaded forest trails. Towering trees were everywhere, along with shrubs and vines that grew in any gap in the canopy. Even on the main path, their feet occasionally slipped on slick tree roots.

"Oh, right, Mog has one more thing to say." Midway through their journey, the Ogre suddenly spoke up. "Mog also has to find something in the forest."

"This wasn’t part of our original agreement," Colin said.

"Relax. It’s not something hard to find. Mog wants a black mushroom. It has a black cap, dark green underneath, and green powder."

"That’s a Night Velvet Mushroom, I know it!" Orelia said. "That mushroom isn’t hard to find. You can usually find them on the shady side of a giant oak tree."

"Looks like you’ve been studying well," Colin said.

Orelia lowered her head slightly, smiling shyly.

The Ogre rumbled, "That’s the mushroom Mog is looking for. Mog gave gold, so the little ones have to help Mog."

"If we happen to pass by any, you can go ahead and pick them," Colin said.

"Mmm. Mog is thankful."

"By the way, what are you collecting those mushrooms for?" Colin asked.

The Ogre lowered his head. "It’s Mog’s little secret. Mog doesn’t want to tell you."

"Suit yourself, then," Colin yawned.

’These two companions of mine have way too many secrets.’

After walking for a while longer, the tedium of the long trek began to set in.

Just then, Ale came up to him. "Colin, Thousand Masts City was starting its election for the new City Lord when we left, right? Who do you think will win?"

"I’m not particularly interested. Besides Laine, the only other candidate I know is Percival Aragonda, the one we met before," Colin said.

Dorn blustered, "Is there even a choice between the two? It’s gotta be the golden-haired kid."

"I also think it’ll be the War Chief," Kase said.

Ale gently poked Colin’s arm. "What about you, Colin?"

"Actually, it’s the opposite. I think Percival will win," Colin said.

"Huh?" Orelia joined the conversation. "Someone like him can become the City Lord of Thousand Masts City?"

"The situation inside Thousand Masts City is complicated right now. Ale and I heard there are signs of Demon activity, not to mention the Northern Faction that’s been expanding its influence since the cold snap. Many nobles have their own agendas, and most have already put their plans into motion."

Colin continued, "Under these circumstances, do you think the Masked Lords would choose a popular general or a pot-bellied, middle-aged man? That’s also why the Master of the Black Tower is backing Percival."

"But it seems like a lot of the citizens want Laine to be the City Lord. If the Masked Lords pull something like this, aren’t they afraid of the people’s anger?" Ale asked, tilting her head.

"That’s the beauty of the masked council system. The City Lord is elected by the Masked Lords, but no one outside their circle knows who voted for and who voted against.

"In that kind of situation, the citizens’ anger becomes a force that can be channeled. A little chaos in the city isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Chaos is a ladder—of course, it can also be a guillotine on its way down."

As he spoke, Colin was reminded of the incident on the street with the people targeting the Coachman’s Union. It was a perfect example.

Dorn frowned. "You mean the City Lord might not be the most powerful person in the city? Then what’s the point of having a so-called City Lord?"

Kase frowned beside him, apparently disagreeing with Colin’s point as well.

"How about we bet one Gold Coin on it?" Colin said with a smile.

Kase said, "I’ll only bet five Silver Coins."

"Same here," Dorn added.

Just then, a slightly out-of-breath Albert spoke up. "I have to say, your political acumen is remarkably sharp. I’m starting to get curious about you, Colin. Where did you come across views like these?"

"Maybe I’ve just read too many history books. I think about these things from time to time," Colin shrugged.