Hellbents
Chapter 62: Brownie Point

With the commotion already made by Chris on his first day in town, Ezra and the others are unlikely to avoid the over-attention of the surrounding community, especially his mayor.

"It is an honor that the first and third princes of the Igoceolon kingdom will accept my invitation to dinner." Jaffaz, a brown-skinned man with a neatly braided chin beard, the mayor of Conwa, welcomed the two to his simple residence. Ezra, accompanied by Al, shakes Jaffaz's hand out to him, leaving Roy and Selena behind to let them go for a walk. While Chris who brought up to 5 of his best soldiers, either just to show off or he did suspect the mayor, really ignore the position of the man in front of him, more busy paying attention to the interior of the house. Chris' behavior was clearly considered disrespectful. Ezra offered an apology through his bitter smile, which Jaffaz immediately understood.

With this Ezra points can be increased. Maturite score calculation is weighed based on factors such as how big the problem is solved, the contribution of the candidate, as well as eyewitnesses from the relevant parties. And if he looks better at being in front of this mayor, Jaffaz's testimony is most likely to be on his side.

They are then led to a circular dining table, meaning there is no seating position setting adjust status, the existing chairs are free to be selected. And Chris seemed to dislike it, he pulled his seat rough and sat down first before being invited by the host.

Jaffaz's eyebrows this time swooped, starting to get annoyed, after which he hinted Ezra to sit down. Al and the soldiers that Chris had brought stood behind the seat of the master they were serving.

The appetizer is served, "Let's give thanks to-" But Chris has devoured the meat sandwich even though Jaffaz just wanted to start the prayer, now the owner of the house deliberately shook his head.

Ezra was just cheering in his heart.

***

Dinner laden with awkwardness, all caused by a Chris, is finally over. Time to talk business.

"As you know, most of Berloi's cities are experiencing drought right now, rain has been almost invisible in the last two months" Jaffaz opened.

"We representatives of Igoceolon express concern for this disaster" Ezra issued a condolence, this time not a false remark. He admitted that his main purpose was to get a score in the throne game, but after seeing the state of the population from the road he passed, he, his empathy as a man was disturbed with a thin, dry little child running around, pregnant women lying limp, and fathers drenched in sweat despite their pale and broken lips.

"Just calm! This drought will be resolved soon!" Chris suddenly chirped. "I've brought sixteen water mages to create a spring!" As Ezra surmised, carrying a water mage was indeed an effective way to immediately deal with this problem, but on the other hand. With the power of dozens of water mages can indeed immediately create an artificial lake filled with what they call the source of life. But their rental prices are high, so it requires a large amount of funds to recruit them. Moreover, this method was only a temporary solution, because after the water made with mana and skill ran out, drought would occur again, after all, so the city of Conwa had to make a contract with Chris or go directly to the Nielsen Guild for the volume of water to be maintained. That is, spending constantly. Improvident.

It seems that only Chris is unaware of the bad side of his plan, as Jaffaz also seems hesitant to bother about it.

"If I have other plans, Mr. Jaffaz."

The mayor immediately focused on Ezra, in his eyes the hope that the third prince, the prince who had so far behaved appropriately than the first prince, had a better idea.

"I offer you this artifact." A ... tree branch?

Jaffaz would have been almost disappointed, had it not been for the astonished cry of one of the soldiers guarding the first prince. "Temboloe's wand?!"

Temboloeic. A familiar name, very familiar.

Temboloe has a well-documented history, an artifact very famous for its legendary class.

In legend, it is stated that when the stick is stuck in the ground, the water source will emerge from the hole continuously. A demon once used it as a toy to flood cities to create chaos.

So unlike the artificial lake of the water mage, Temboloe will create the lake naturally with just one tap.

"You seem to have forgotten, but the second queen is a descendant of a family of rankers who fought in the Tenebrist rebellion, when seven demons of great sin attacked more than 600 years ago."

666 Years ago, to be exact.

"A lot of artifacts that are used as hereditary heritage, and this is one of them."

"Hey, the rules say that we can't get help from the royal family!" Chris interrupted, not accepting.

Truly a perfect example of the idiom "most yells the maling". People who criticize are unaware that they are both equally bad.

But Ezra had already prepared a pretext, "I got this as a birthday present, the day before the Maturite ceremony began. In other words, I only use private property."

Ezra had prepared his journey from far away. Save coins, collect artifacts, level up his skills to find talented people, train to fight, hunt, to read almost all the books in the royal library to get important information. But Chris never knew, because he was blinded by arrogance.

The first prince could not refute the plausible argument, but his anger did not just disappear. The spotlight was already like a laser, hot on Ezra's skin.

Jaffaz felt he could not interfere in the Igoceolon throne struggles he often heard, but the solution offered by the second prince was clearly better for the welfare of the population, the economic balance, and the independence of the city.

If successful, a one-time large payment accompanied by prolonged gratitude is better than a repeated small payment and compliance.

Jaffaz himself could imagine if he made a contract with the first prince who did not know the manners. Their relationship will not be balanced, the city of Conwa will experience dependence, and, in a position of need he also could not refuse anything that Chris asked if at any time the first prince decided to raise the price or take something from his side. Eventually they will become slaves. And Conwa who became the first examiner of the solution of these Igoceolon princes, other cities would follow in his footsteps, so Jaffaz had to wisely choose, because his decision could even determine Berloi's future.

Rounded choices.

It is better to use a Temboloe stick.