The Mayor

"Don't talk nonsense! Clam your ass shut, I'm not someone to be trifled with!"

These fierce roars echoed out of the conference room and reverberated in the corridor.

He yelled so loudly.

And her voice is also very pleasant to hear.

She was clearly a young woman.

The air was filled with a fragrant aroma.

Kang De was startled and turned around, saying, "Is this the mayor, for crying out loud?"

Hong San said blankly, "No."

Kang De nodded and said, "She's so amazing."

Just then, the girl's roar came from inside again, "You dare to detain me here? Believe me, the Vidal Family will never sell a single [beep--] hair to your Goth again! I'll let you fight elves with your heads! What, you want to get violent? Want to fight each other?!"

Hong San and the servant who led them there both wore complicated expressions.

But Kang De's expression shifted.

He heard familiar words.

The Vidal Family?

Kang De reached out and patted the servant on the shoulder. "Excuse me, who is the woman inside?"

A barely perceptible glint of disdain flashed in the servant's eyes. He curled his lip and said, "They're cunning imperialists, here to do business. Seeing the elves attack, they try to run away. How cowardly."

The Imperials... that's almost certainly true.

A few days ago, he was intercepted and chased by the eldest prince's men. At first, he encountered an old man who asked him how much the carriage cost and said that his young master welcomed a talented alchemist, and so on.

The other party claimed to be from the Vidal Family.

After killing all the imperial pursuers, he wondered if the old man had leaked his information, but after being interrogated, he found that it didn't seem to be the case—he was in a hurry to escape and didn't pay any more attention to this damned Vidal Family. He never expected to meet them again in Goth territory.

Is it a coincidence?

Probably... When he returned from Earth, he fell into this city of Valentan for reasons that are still unclear. It was an unexpected accident; only a ghost could have predicted this.

Upon realizing this, Kang De lowered his guard slightly.

However, given that the other party was from the Empire and had experienced a rather perplexing exchange a few days prior, Kang De remained quite wary and set the tone for his interactions with them.

Just ignore the other person if they recognize you and have ill intentions.

Then kill him.

Gas cylinder, gasoline, dust explosion, 70 yards, and peanuts—choose one.

The servant led them to the conference room door, knocked gently, and said, "Mr. Hong San of the Heaven and Earth Society has arrived, Your Excellency Mayor."

The arguing inside stopped, and then a calm, reserved voice came from inside. "Please come in."

The servant opened the door and bowed to invite them in.

Hong San and Kang De went outside. There were already many people sitting on either side of the large table, and they were all different in appearance and clothing. Some were refined, some were dressed in fine clothes, some were wearing armor, and some had a fierce aura.

Merchants, nobles, mercenaries, soldiers... In this time of crisis, representatives from all walks of life in the city rushed to the city hall, and the mayor clearly wanted to unite all forces that could be united.

Kang De's gaze swept across the faces of the people seated in the two rows, and he naturally noticed the person he most wanted to see—the woman who had been shouting and cursing earlier. Although her words were vulgar, her voice was exceptionally pleasant. Young girls always attract the attention of innocent men.

Then he saw a petite girl with silver hair, a small face, even a little chubby, very pretty and cute. She was wearing a black dress with red thorn patterns, and her white arms and delicate hands were wrapped in black gauze gloves.

Such a girl should be at a high-society tea party or in a privately owned elf export shop, but instead she appeared in the city hall council chamber as war approached.

Moreover, with his hands on the conference table, leaning forward, and his sharp gaze, he exuded a strong sense of aggression.

Kang De's eye twitched.

All signs indicate that this petite and adorable girl is the same person who just hurled insults.

The previous argument was interrupted by the arrival of the two. Everyone looked towards the door, including the girl. The silver-haired girl's gaze swept past Hong San and landed on Kang De's face—or rather, his hair.

A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

The two looked at each other.

But then, Kang De's pupils contracted, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Because he saw someone more worthy of his attention.

Standing right behind the young girl was an old man, a member of the Vidal Family who had intercepted him that night. Kang De remembered it clearly—they had actually appeared in Valentan at this time.

Then... maybe it's not a coincidence.

The old butler also looked at Kang De with surprise, a hint of lingering fear in his eyes.

That night, this man extended an olive branch to Kang De, but Kang De was extremely wary at the time, completely ignored him. After all, their ways of thinking were different. The butler was thinking about how to make a reasonable conversation with Kang De, while Kang De was thinking about being followed. So he drove straight over and even made a death threat at the end—if you follow me again, I'll fucking kill you.

The butler was furious, feeling that Kang De was far too arrogant and disrespectful.

Later, the Crown Prince's men launched a direct pursuit, putting Kang De in a precarious situation. The old steward, seizing the opportunity, used the group of greenskins to assist him. However, those greenskins turned out to be quite clever—but that wasn't the main point. When they arrived at the scene, several elite mages, a dozen powerful knights, and a considerable number of soldiers were all dead. The battlefield was extremely horrific, as if it had been plowed three times by a giant dragon.

Seeing this, the old butler felt a chill of fear. If a conflict had occurred, or if Kang De had intended to kill him... he knew the outcome would not have been pleasant.

And now we've unexpectedly met again in this kind of setting...

The old butler's heart skipped a beat.

He could probably guess what Kang De was thinking.

Think about it: that night, he showed up first, wanting to buy a car, but was refused. Immediately afterwards, a large number of pursuers swarmed in. Logically speaking, there is a natural connection between the two.

--I've been misunderstood.

The white-haired girl was Leona, one of the heirs of the Vidal Family. When she saw Kang De, she felt that his temperament and eyes looked familiar. Then she saw the murderous intent on his face and was immediately shocked. Then she realized that his murderous intent was aimed at the old butler behind him.

The girl turned around and saw that her old butler looked pale, with a hint of fear mixed with his grievance. In a flash, Leona suddenly realized what was happening.

Damn, what a coincidence?

She also realized why the other person's eyes and demeanor seemed so familiar—damn it, Tina was acting just like that now.

A few days ago, when she heard that Glittering Sand had gotten into trouble and Tina had raised her banner, she set off for the north to see if she could help. However, she was shut down by the usually honest and introverted Tina in a sarcastic way, which left her speechless for several days and feeling extremely insulted.

--Fuck your mother, how can I be the same as Hannah, that [beep--]?! You don't even believe me, you bastard.

However, none of that matters now.

Leona cheered inwardly.

I didn't miss him! He was actually in the city too!

In a good mood, Leona even smiled at Kang De for the first time, and then began to look at this Cathayan —the Kay who Tina couldn't forget, so this is what he looks like.

He doesn't seem like the peerless warrior who slaughtered his way through the entire Glittering Sand Territory in a single day at all.

The moment this question arose in her mind, Leona thought of a reasonable explanation—yes, it's precisely this kind of quiet, well-behaved guy who's as docile as a puppy that, once he goes berserk, kills entire families without leaving any survivors; that contrast is what makes it so exciting. Tina's judgment is truly excellent.

How come she always gets such good luck?

Unconsciously, a hint of scrutiny, almost like that of a pervert, appeared in Leona's eyes.

Kang De, however, did not notice the white-haired girl's gaze.

He squinted, focusing all his attention on the old butler.

The chase that night, after interrogation, although it had nothing to do with the Vidal Family, the old man's timely appearance was already a strange thing. Kang De was in a hurry and didn't want to cause trouble, so he didn't continue to investigate. But now, he was inexplicably teleported to Valentan City, and the other party, an imperial citizen, just happened to be here, which was too intriguing.

Once could be a coincidence, but what about the second time?

There must be a deeper reason and logic behind this.

In a flash, Kang De's mind was racing with calculations.

If he encountered this guy on the street, he would most likely consider taking action, subduing him, questioning him, and then the truth would come out. But this is the city hall...

Just then, a calm and elegant voice rang out. "Mr. Hong San."

Kang De turned back.

I saw the mayor sitting in the main seat.

He had previously asked Hong San about the mayor.

Hong San said that the mayor was a typical Goth People, so Kang De immediately pictured a burly, bearded white barbarian in his mind. But judging from the city lord's calculated and deliberate actions, Kang De also felt that he was a cunning and scheming schemer.

But neither of those are true.

The mayor was a refined young man, probably in his thirties, with slicked-back hair and a monocle. He looked very gentle, handsome, and had an air of sophistication.

--Looks like a human but acts like a dog.

When most people see the mayor's gentle and elegant demeanor, they unconsciously lower their posture and show respect, because this naturally exuded noble air is indeed impressive. But Kang De was different.

Just as some girls might secretly curse a charming, glamorous girl with countless admirers in their class or school, a straight man like Kang De might also secretly curse a well-dressed, serious, aloof, and elite-looking guy like this. "You're such a show-off."

Damn, such a young mayor, he must have used some tricks. Humph, so what if he has connections? Look at Cleveland, his dad was the prime minister, and he still became a knight.

Kang De muttered a couple of complaints to himself, selectively ignoring the fact that "if Father wasn't the Prime Minister, how could Cleveland become Princess Tina's guardian knight?"

The mayor rose and walked towards Hong San, shaking his hand with a calm and composed expression. He said, "Welcome, Mr. Hong San. Please take a seat. We are about to discuss this issue—in this critical moment, what can you and your companions do for this city?"

After speaking, he glanced at Kang De, a look of doubt on his face. "And this gentleman is...?"

Hong San quickly introduced, "Mayor, this is my mentor's classmate, Mr. Dong Zhuo. In our culture, he is my elder. He is traveling on the mainland and learned of my situation, so he came here to lend me a hand. I invite him to become our organization's chief military advisor..."

"Since you approve of him, he must be very talented." The mayor smiled at Kang De and extended his hand. "Nick Valentan, mayor of this city, welcome, Mr. Dong. We hope you can play an important role in the future and become our pillar of support. I look forward to your performance."

Kang De extended his hand, and the two shook hands lightly before separating.

Then Mayor Nick looked at Hong San with a strange expression. "... Chief Military Advisor?"

Hong San gave an awkward but polite smile and nodded.

Mayor Nick didn't press the matter further, but instead gestured, "Please have a seat, both of you."

He turned to his secretary and said, "Arrange a seat for this Mr. Dong as well."

The old butler stood behind Leona, and the other guards and deputies also stood in their respective positions. According to custom, Kang De's current role was that of an attendant, and he should stand behind Hong San. However, the mayor's order was clearly a special courtesy— Hong San dared not let Kang De thank the mayor, so he had to do it himself.

There is also a hierarchy of seating arrangements; at a long conference table, the seat closer to the mayor is naturally considered the most prestigious.

Kang De and Hong San were seated towards the back, which shows that Hong San's team wasn't highly regarded by the mayor—which is understandable. If Mayor Nick considered Hong San's rabble as a crucial ally, Kang De might as well just consider running away.

He sat down calmly, seemingly unconcerned about his low seating position. After all, he was only there to watch the show and had no real involvement, so he wasn't bothered by the seating arrangement or saving face.

More importantly, he also has the title of "Goth's Prince Consort." With this identity, attending the conference in Valentan gives him a sense of quietly making a fortune, which is only interesting.

As for Hong San... he wouldn't care even more.

The two had barely sat down when the mayor said, "I apologize for keeping you waiting, Ms. Leona. Regarding your protest and requests, I will now explain and respond..."

The girl raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Explanation? Are you saying that detaining us in Valentan is to protect us from being captured by the elves if we leave the city?"

Mayor Nick said calmly, "That's not the case. After all, according to Princess Tina, some important figures in the Empire have a considerable degree of friendship with the elves. Perhaps Miss Leona will be treated as an honored guest when she encounters the elven army after leaving the city. Why would I worry about your safety?"

Leona slammed her hand on the table and yelled, "Stop spouting nonsense! Alex's going to sell his ass to the elves, I have no ties with those pointy-eared guys!"

"Yeah?"

Nick said, "But regardless of whether you have a personal friendship with the elves, I must keep you here. This is not for protection, but a request. I ask that you stay here and defend the city with us."

Leona laughed angrily, "Why should I?"

Nick picked up several documents from the table. "Just based on your family's business dealings in Goth over the years, you've earned a considerable amount of gold coins. The trade records in Vidal City alone are quite impressive."

"Miss Leona, I can tell you with certainty that Imperial merchants have been doing business in Goth's lands, accumulating wealth, making huge profits, reselling goods, and earning exorbitant price differences. You have made countless amounts of money. The money you have accumulated and your extravagant spending all come from the wealth created by the hard work and efforts of the Goth People. You have used your merchant methods and profit-seeking nature to plunder it, arbitrarily setting prices, speculating on trends, and creating demand. Ask yourselves, how much wealth have you plundered from this land of Goth?"

The mayor stared sharply at the girl. "When war comes, you want to transfer your wealth, you want to recoup your investments, you want to make up for your losses. Whether it's war or peace, you want to reap all the benefits—I can tell you clearly, in Goth, in this city of Valentan, there's no such thing as a free lunch!"

"The people of Goth have bestowed upon you countless riches; now, you must repay this country."

"All merchants, based on their personal wealth and total transaction volume, must contribute accordingly to the future of Valentan City. You have earned too much in your daily lives; now it's time to give it back. This applies not only to Miss Leona's Vidal Chamber of Commerce, but also to every gentleman and lord present here. This city has given you all wealth, prestige, status, and glory; now it is our turn to repay it."

Nick slowly stood up and looked at Leona.

The sharp-tongued silver-haired girl's imposing manner was gradually overwhelmed.

"This is an ultimatum from the Valentan People, not a demand."

"In the war to come, everyone must contribute to the survival of this city, not just civilians and soldiers, but also us high-ranking gentlemen."

The mayor's gaze swept over each person with a different expression.

No one is exempt.

The mayor did not deliver a passionate speech or issue any bloody threats; he simply spoke calmly, yet a chill ran through almost everyone present, for they saw madness in the young mayor's eyes—a madness that disregarded everything.

Yes, this move will offend the vested interests of Valentan, and it will also damage the enthusiasm of merchants and Valentan's reputation, but so what? If the city falls, none of that matters. If Goth dies, what do international opinion, reputation, and the attitude of the major merchant guilds matter?

In the silence, Kang De slowly exhaled.

He thought of Captain Oswald, Sister Bedela, and Cleveland... On that night in Glittering Sand, these Goth People displayed an almost cruel decisiveness.

Hong San was right.

This mayor... is a typical Goth People.

I guess so.

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PS1: This is still a combined 5,000-word chapter.

PS2: I feel that the Total War: Three Kingdoms content is not complete enough and needs a few DLCs to improve it. Most importantly... the character portrait replacement mod, damn it, are the Qiao sisters and the Xiao Qiao sisters kidding me?