Alex was not surprised to find that some warriors from the Thousand-headed Serpent tribe were in cahoots with the Noble Trader Association. Motivated by this initial clue, Alex decided to dismantle the Noble Trader Association.
His voice dripped with doubt, Alex interrogated the burly man, "You've presented two facts, yet you haven't provided a reason why the Noble Trader Association desires this land. You said there was a reason, correct?"
Caught off guard by the question, the burly man attempted to evade the topic, but Alex's sharp observation skills swiftly exposed his intentions.
"I... I can't say for certain," the burly man stammered, his words cut short as a fireball materialized in Alex's palm.
Though he took a moment to think, the burly man began to fluidly talk after seeing the fireball.
"The members of the thousand-headed serpent tribe want the land for profit. We want it to satisfy our leader, Penthe. He is obsessed with acquiring the land."
"I presume you know the reason."
Taking a large gulp of fresh air, the burly man looked up at Alex tensely. By chance, he had come across this secret. Even his boss doesn't know that he knew about it. Now, he was about to share it with Alex.
"He was ordered to do it by someone. I don't know their identity. But, I could easily guess who they were once I saw their attire. It was the same black robes that spread fear among the people of Thira. How could I forget them?
"In truth, even the Noble Trader Association suffered greatly during the battle. We possessed vast wealth but lacked the means to utilize it. During the crisis, we didn't even have enough grain or medicine to support our owners.
"But then, our leader rose to power. After his father's mysterious demise, he miraculously brought forth the resources needed to save the people of Thira. This act garnered praise and elevated Penthe's status among the association's members. In this way, he ascended to the leadership of the Noble Trader Association. However, even the most astute individuals at that time failed to investigate the origin of these resources. And those few who dared to question Penthe were quietly silenced.
"His action radically changed after becoming the leader of the Association. Once he achieved his purpose, he truly became the lap dog of the black-robed men. And the order from the black-robed men might be the reason Penthe was desperately trying to obtain your land."
The burly man paused after speaking up to this point. It didn't take any time for Alex to fill in the blanks.
His enemies were right under his nose. Fortunately for him, he realised their plot early on.
'Now, what should I do with this guy?' Alex thought while looking at the teary-eyed burly man. Killing him would have sufficed. But he couldn't do that after knowing the involvement of the black-robed men. They were people willing to go to any means necessary to complete their goal. Fighting them while revealing his identity would be synonymous with stupidity.
'It's time for the white-robed man to make the entrance.' Alex decided in his heart. An alter ego that was vicious towards evil has become a necessity.
"Hey! Thug. Let's go see your boss."
"Huh!" The burly man didn't expect Alex to do that. Even after hearing all that, he still wants to go and see his boss. What is wrong with Alex's head, he thought. But he had no choice but to follow Alex as he went to meet his boss, Penthe.
—-------
Alex took some time to prepare before meeting Penthe. Even though Penthe was weak, he was still a member of the Noble Trader Association. He might have guards around him protecting twenty-four-seven.
Besides that, there might even be hidden guards from the evil organisation, secretly protecting their pawn.
So, Alex decided to go all in and use the reputation of the void fish tribe. One of the largest merchant tribes in the continent. When trying to negotiate with a merchant association like the Noble Trader Association, he believed they were the best companion he could have.
So, he visited the branch of the void fish tribe and made one of their tier 4 warriors come with him. After that, he swaggered towards the Noble Trader Association headquarters.
It was a giant dome made out of stone. The parts that were rebuilt after being destroyed in the battle were visible to Alex. With him was a tier 4 warrior of the void fish tribe and the burly thug.
Some of the guards outside the building wanted to stop them when Alex swaggered into the building. But when they saw the people accompanying him, they bowed respectfully and stayed back.
A tier 4 warrior was respected everywhere he goes. The same can be said for when he visited the Noble Trader Association. They were able to recognise him quickly and make way for him. Even though Alex was a new face when he came with a tier 4 warrior they had to give the same respect towards him. After all, they were just tier 2 warriors.
"This building is larger than I expected. Thug, where should we go to meet your master."
"Above the main hall, there is an office right there. You can see him there." Alex was happy to hear that. He nonchalantly walked towards the office room on the second floor. It only took him seconds before he reached the described room.
A luxurious door adorned the entrance, serving as a barrier between Alex and the room beyond. Intricately crafted and fashioned from precious wood, it exuded an artistic charm that captured the eye.
"Nice door," Alex remarked casually. Without hesitation, he unleashed a powerful kick, channelling the power of his full-body enhancement. Despite the door's robust construction and valuable materials, it succumbed to the force of his attack, shattering into countless tiny fragments.
The sudden destruction of the door startled those within the room.
"Who dares!" a voice exclaimed, filled with surprise and alarm.
"I dare," Alex retorted nonchalantly.
Although Alex's action may seem chaotic and abrupt right now. He had a reason to come here and kick up a fuss. It was to hide what he was about to do later. He needs to resolve the land dispute properly before he attacks them. Or else, he might come under their radar of suspicious people.
Alex didn't want that. So, to show them he was just an angry guy that was kicking up a fuss and no threat to them. He was acting like a spoiled brat. He wants to be underestimated by the Noble Trader Association, Penthe and the black-robed men.
"Who are you?" As soon as Alex entered the room, a voice inquired.
On the other side of the room, Alex could see a young man sitting near a desk. Besides him, there were many tiers 3 and a single tier 4 warriors protecting him. They cautiously looked at Alex while he walked with large strides through the entrance.
After noticing the tier 4 warrior of the void fish tribe enters along with the intruder, they hid their anger. There was a reason for the nine great tribes to be called such. Even after excluding the power of their tribe, their individual strength cannot be underestimated.
"You can call me Meru. A humble merchant of this city." Alex replied. But his actions didn't feel humble at all.
"Why are you here? An why did you break down the door." Even though his blood was boiling inside him, Penthe asked while hiding it. The guy called Meru had the support of the void fish tribe. He cannot take that lightly.
"My reason to come here is simple." Alex paused and pointed at the burly man. "One of your employees tried to kick me out of my own house. Can you explain why that happened?" Alex's inquiry caught Penthe off guard. He was careful not to anger the rich, and powerful when he tried to procure land. So, how could he have made the void fish tribe his enemy?
"My apologies to the senior from the void fish tribe. My employees must have made a mistake. Please forgive me for my mistake." Penthe said without a moment of delay. Even though Alex was the one complaining, he carefully stood up and bowed towards the tier 4 warrior from the void fish tribe while apologising. He was trying to hug the biggest thigh he could find.
Alex remained unfazed by the insincerity of the apology. It didn't matter to him; his true objective was to shift the attention away from himself and onto the void fish tribe. This was precisely what he had wanted.
"Do you honestly believe a mere apology is sufficient?" Alex responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Twenty of your men launched a coordinated attack against me, and I barely managed to escape by killing them all. You owe me compensation for that." Despite steering the conversation in the desired direction, Alex couldn't make it too easy for Penthe. Or else, he would doubt Alex's intention.
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