Alex received sufficient information from Spice Garden to grasp the city's current state. After months of diligently establishing a network of shops across the continent, he is finally reaping the rewards of his hard work. His spies, even though not that good, currently had the basic ability of gathering general information.
The manager had given a detailed report on the influence The Noble Trader Association has on the city.
The Noble Trader Association was established by Chiro, a member of the scattered Duskwing tribe. He initially worked as a powerless fruit vendor in Thira. However, a stroke of luck came his way when he stumbled upon a mystical fruit in the forest, leading to his rapid accumulation of wealth.
With the proceeds from selling the fruit, Chiro ventured into business and successfully created his own business. Despite being born into a modest family, he eventually rose to become one of the city's most prominent merchants.
It was the usual rags-to-riches story.
Later in life, Chiro founded the Noble Traders Association intending to safeguard the rights of merchants. He held the belief that larger tribes held an unfair advantage in the business realm. So, he wanted to protect the common people by creating this organisation.
When Alex heard the report, everything seemed accurate and in order up to that point. However, he soon noticed discrepancies between what was said and what he observed firsthand. Through his interactions with members of the Noble Trader Association, he realized that their behaviour did not align with the noble image they had.
So, Alex dug deeper through the written report. And he found a possible reason for that.
Following the devastating attack by the evil organization, the leader of the Noble Trader Association tragically passed away. His son, Penthe, assumed control of the family business and took on a prominent role within the association. Penthe demonstrated his commitment to the city by generously donating a significant portion of his family's wealth to aid in its reconstruction. Additionally, he proposed that the Noble Trader Association actively engage in providing assistance to the people of the city.
Through witnessing Penthe's sincere efforts to rescue and support the affected populace, everyone came to believe in the authenticity of his actions.
Apple doesn't fall from the tree, they thought. Penthe's action proved that he was as good as his father. This convinced the members of the Noble Trader Association to hand over the helm to him.
"Penthe…I should remember this name." Alex said while glancing through the report.
Satisfied with the information he had gathered, he left Spice Garden and made his way back home.
Knowing that Penthe was merely a tier 3 warrior with limited combat skills, Alex felt confident in his ability to resolve the land dispute single-handedly. Even if there happened to be a tier 4 warrior under Penthe's command, Alex believed he could leverage his connections to persuade them to relinquish their claim on the land.
Therefore, the imposing ultimatum from the burly man did not bother Alex in the least. He decided to return home without taking any action for the day.
After exploring the market, Alex made his way back home, carrying bags filled with delectable sweets and fresh fruits. As the evening set in, he had already decided to treat everyone to a delightful feast.
—---
As Alex approached the entrance to his house, his previously pleasant mood swiftly soured. In his path stood a gathering of twenty burly men, casually seated in a circle, seemingly unaffected by his presence.
The group was engrossed in their own world, clutching jugs filled with beer and gnawing on roasted pieces of meat. Among them, a few circled around the fire to roast some ducks.
An impromptu party was taking place right in front of his house, permeating the air with a pungent blend of roasted meat, charcoal, and the unmistakable scent of alcohol.
Every now and then, a couple of the burly men would trespass onto Alex's property, taunting and provoking little Bead, the tamed beast of Arav. They would wave the roasted duck pieces in front of the creature, intentionally trying to agitate it before retreating with smug expressions on their faces.
The intentions of these hooligans were clear. They aimed to disrupt and create chaos around Alex's property, hoping to force him to leave prematurely. Their presence was an indication of their mission to evict the people.
Even though the burly man gave him three days. It seems like they had other plans.
"Stop it. Leave…" Suddenly, Alex heard some sounds coming from his house.
'What was that?' He thought. It was not the voice of the kids. Thus it could have only been the voice of Arav. Why was he raising his voice at someone to leave.
Alex teleported towards the house, not bothering to look at hooligans sitting around the entrance to his property. The hooligans were stunned to see Alex disappear. But in the high of alcohol, they didn't have an ounce of reason left inside them to think about it.
Other than Alex, only Little Bead scrambled up to its feet to check on its owner.
"Can't you understand what I am saying? We won't leave. Even if you are willing to pay, we have decided to not leave." Remembering what Alex had said, Arav informed the burly man standing before him. He was the one that came in the morning claiming the land was theirs. He was also the one that said they had three days to vacate. But suddenly, he changed his stance and returned to buy the land.
"You can't make the decision, right? I can wait until your boss returns." With a smug smile, the burly man waddled forward and sat on a sofa.
Witnessing the situation unfold, Arav's twin sisters quickly retreated, their expressions filled with fear. They had ventured out to investigate what was happening outside, but they never anticipated seeing the intimidating burly man. In their innocent minds, they had expected to find Alex, the caring uncle who prepares delicious meals.
It took a moment for the adults in the room to notice Alex's presence. Seeing him suddenly appear without making a sound startled the burly man. This weakling seems to have some tricks up his sleeve. He thought while glancing at Alex.
"Get out," Alex declared firmly, leaving no room for negotiation. The burly man had crossed a line that could not be tolerated. By bringing a group of tier 2 warriors to his house and posing a threat to the safety of those he cherished, the situation had escalated beyond what Alex was willing to bear.
"What?" The burly man asked back, incapable of understanding the fact that he was being asked to leave. After becoming the hunting dog of the Noble trader association, he was respected where ever he went. This was the first time someone was looking down on him. That too a feeble-looking kid from some unknown tribe.
The burly man was unable to judge the strength of Alex. After all, Alex was not just a common warrior anymore. He was also a mage.
"Leave," Alex repeated while pointing towards the door.
Hearing that, the burly man began to seeth in anger.
"Dares to disrespect me. " The burly man raised his arms to slam the table in front of him. It shattered to pieces when his arms, reinforced with energy, smashed into it.
But it was the last thing he saw. Before he could think, a leg appeared before his face, smacking him right on the forehead. The impact threw him out of the house in one fluid motion.
As expected, it was Alex. He couldn't listen to the burly man's bullshit anymore. If he was ready to jump into his grave early, he was ready to bury him.
"AAAaaarhhh!" The burly man screamed as if he was being slaughtered alive.
And this made the drunk hooligans outside swarm into Alex's property. They fiercely glared at Alex, who came out of the house after seeing their boss clutching his head and screaming in pain.
"What are you waiting for. Go and beat them up. Don't leave anyone behind, break their arms and legs." The crazed burly man bellowed at his followers, going as far as ordering an assault on the children inside the house.
In response, the lackeys ran forward to attack Alex and everyone behind him together. Twenty people holding weapons were running towards Alex. Their bodies glowed slightly showing they were all tier 2 warriors.
"Such disgustingly vile existence. Death would be too easy for you." Alex proclaimed while watching them come closer. He stood still without any fear of the oncoming attack. The mana cores inside his body ramped up and mana began to churn taking the form of a rune. Twenty spells were instantly created inside his body.
Normally, a typical mage would feel fear upon facing multiple warriors attacking them. After all, a small spell would not be sufficient to halt the entire onslaught. The only viable option would be to cast a large, wide-area spell capable of neutralizing them all. However, such a spell required more time to cast than a smaller one. In situations where time was the determining factor between life and death, most mages would opt to retreat rather than risk it.
But Alex was not burdened by any of those concerns. He was prepared to unleash twenty spells in an instant. In a one-versus-many battle, he had no reason to fear.
Th𝗲 most uptodate novels are published on free(w)ebnov(e)l.𝒄𝒐𝙢