Chapter 1097: Friend and Old Acquaintance
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
After Kajen withdrew, Barov immediately rounded on Roland and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, why did you decline his request? Heās an iconic figure of the play industry in Graycastle, and every troupe is eager to have him! Iām not saying the Star Flower Troupe isnāt good, but Ms. May is, after all, not as influential as Kajen Fels. If Kajen joins our troupe, Star Flower would veritably become the most eminent troupe throughout the whole kingdom. With Kajen in the troupe, a great number of actors and actresses would come and join us. Then we wouldnāt need to worry about being short staffed."
Roland cast him a sideways glance and said, "Havenāt you heard of the saying that people usually donāt care much about things they obtained very easily?"
"Um..." The governor was taken aback for a fraction of a second before he replied, "Forgive my ignorance, but who said that, or rather, in which book did you see it?"
"I said it," Roland said unblushingly. "This is common sense. He has been attracted to the Magic Movie, so he would definitely stay in Neverwinter for a while. Compared to a straight āyesā, a challenging task would motivate him to work harder. Perhaps, he would even thank me for giving him this opportunity. If I let him in right away, he would take it for granted, and thatās the difference between a yes and no."
Roland stopped for a second and then continued, "Plus, May is Kajenās student. If Kajen joins the Star Flower Troupe, what would Star Flower Troupe become of? I donāt mind him participating in filming, but I donāt want him to act in a play. His presence, however, would pressure young actors to further improve their skills."
"Well... youāre right," Barov said hesitantly. "But you allowed him to go to the Kingdom of Wolfheart..."
"Thatās nothing," Roland cut in, "Itās his own choice. Iām also curious about what play Kajen is going to make at this stage. As far as I know, heās already reached the pinnacle of his career. By the way, howās your statistic report going? If you have time to pry into other peopleās business, why not get your own work done?"
"Yes, Your Majesty... Please excuse me!" said Barov quickly, who bowed at once and retired from the parlor.
"Youāre acting more and more like a king, Your Majesty," Nightingale said as she revealed herself from behind and squinted at him.
"Haha... Iām flattered." It had been a while since Nightingale had addressed him in such a formal manner, and somehow Roland did not really like it. He said, "You donāt need to talk to me with such formality, you know?"
"But I feel it isnāt a very good idea to be too intimate," Nightingale instantly shot back while folding her arms. "āPeople usually donāt care much about things they obtained very easilyā. I didnāt know you thought this way. I should be more careful in the future and set a boundary between us. Also, Iāll certainly remind Anna to prevent someone from getting too full of himself. "
Roland could feel his forehead dampened with cold sweat. He said vaguely, "Well... um... um... anyway, people and the Magic Movie are two different things! Plus, Iām not the first person saying that..."
"But you agree with it," Nightingale grunted. "My magic power in my chest tells me that you accept at least 55% of the theory."
Roland mopped his forehead, wondering if Nightingale could now detect lies with such accuracy, and then he suddenly remembered the word "chest" she had mentioned. Agatha told him that witchesā magic power was in a shape of a cyclone, but it was not a physical entity. In reality, magic power spread all over oneās body rather than clustering around a certain area.
"Did you really use your ability?" Roland questioned.
"Haha." Nightingale could not resist laughing. "You found out, but you did say that. If the other witches know what youāre really thinking, what will they think of you? Will they start to think that you ātake them for grantedā ?"
"Five Chaos Drinks," Roland blurted out, starting to bribe Nightingale.
"Ten, with different flavors," Nightingale negotiated as she licked her lips.
"It would raise suspicions if I give you too many..."
"Suspicious of what?"
"Well... someone will think itās unfair."
"Donāt worry. Iāll hide them well. Nobody will find them."
"How about eight? If you get them too easily, youāll..."
"Will what?"
"No, nothing. I have to think about it..."
...
In the end, Roland signed an "unequal treaty" at the cost of ten Chaos Drinks.
Watching Nightingale snacking on dried fish triumphantly, Roland shook his head in amusement.
By nightfall, Barov handed in the list of family visitors. He reported over the phone, "Ms. Scroll and I reviewed the family records and the copies of Power of Attorney. Weāve selected around 1,600 people for the first round of family visits to the Fertile Plains. Priority is given to family members. Weāre currently in the process of drafting a detailed proposal. If everything goes well, theyāll be taking off in two days."
"Very well. Go ahead with your plan," Roland said approvingly, feeling very pleased with the high work efficiency of the Administrative Office. He was proud of how well his prime minister was trained.
"As you command! But Your Majesty, one workerās family member is a witch."
"A witch?" Roland echoed, his brows going up.
"Yes, this worker is called Snaketooth, from the Longsong District. He used to be a Rat at Black Street, and the witch is Miss Paper."
"Paper?" Roland suddenly remembered that Paper had involved herself in a small dispute when Petrov had brought her here. Was that Snaketooth her friend?
"Do you want me to cross him out?" Barov pursued as Roland lapsed into a long silence. "After all, Miss Paper has completely cut off from her past now."
"Of course not," said Roland, coming out of his reverie, "She severed her relationship with her past job as a Rat, but not with her friend. Donāt forget that the key to eliminating Rats is to educate and transform them. They shouldnāt be treated any differently just because of their previous occupation."
"A worker who used to be a Rat at Black Street..." Rolandās lips curled up into a smile as he sank into his thought. If he remembered correctly, Paper and that worker had not seen each other for nearly two years. Perhaps they had forgotten what the other looked like. Yet Snaketooth still put her name on the Power of Attorney. It sounded like a fascinating story.
"Iāll let Paper know," Roland said in the end. "You take care of the rest."
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
At a clearing to the southwest of Tower Station No. 1, the First Army was holding a memorial service.
Nearly 300 serried snow-white tombstones stood solemnly on a meadow. Although nobody was buried underneath, everyone rose to pay their respects, a sober and stern expression on their faces, as if their companions had been standing right in front of them, alive and well.
"Here lie the valiant soldiers who sacrificed themselves to defend Tower Station No.1."
"They did not retreat but fought fiercely against the ferocious enemies."
"Because they knew that Graycastle had got their back."
"They were the swords of His Majesty, the towering wall protecting the civilians."
"Their names will be engraved in our memories."
"Their dreams will be fulfilled by us."
"To the King of Graycastle, to the Kingdom of Graycastle."
"Salute!"
Iron Axe performed a military salute, and all the others followed.
Lightning landed quietly on a barrack.
She spied a familiar figure at the front.
That was the conductor of the "Blackriver".